cloth.paper.string

recent thrifting finds

Fabric.  Cotton linens that make me want to sew and wear aprons.  Plus a breezy sarong - in the middle - with amazing bird and flower detail. 

Vintage dress for the babe.  Behind the dots is the most subtle pink floral pattern.  Too big for this year, it surely won't mind another turn of the year in the closet.

Nature's Colors.  A nudge toward dying fabric and fiber and yarn that is much more aligned with my sensibilities than my previous dying adventures.

Many, many thanks to Sew, Mama, Sew! for finding and choosing my cottonwood leaf pouch for a Flickr Feature.  I'm tickled.  And to those of you visiting for the first time, welcome! 

nu, nu, nu and a big, big yay!

The cardigan is finished - sleeves stitched in place, buttons sewn on.  This morning was the first day that warranted the extra garments, so I pulled it out of the drawer telling the little one that she could wear it.  It was new.  It is green.  It has buttons.  She parroted back, "nu, nu, nu".  Then I popped it over her head and she pulled it right off.  "Nu, nu, nu," this time feverishly shaking her head.  A bit of distraction did the trick long enough to get a photo, but you'll see that she's suddenly aware of that she's wearing that sweater.  Nu, nu nu, mama.  I'm guessing that I'll be hearing more of this phrase...

On the other side, I'm so so thrilled that my cottonwood leaf zip pouch was mentioned over in Poppy Talk's round up of recent gocco images.  It's such a surprise, and a very big honor to be listed amongst some very talented folk.  Thank you, thank you!

plan b

The birthday backpacking weekend wasn't meant to be.  A pinched nerve kept us from heading out into the woods.  Now, how's that for making one feel old? 

So instead we're spending a long weekend at home without plans.  So far there's been a bit of banana sliding, Boggle, beach and brownies.

Not so bad, after all.

celebrating

Today I'm celebrating ninety-nine posts and thirty-five years.  Both feel like milestones.  The number posts seems significant because I didn't really think I'd make it this far.  And today's birthday doesn't feel like others.  For the last decade or so age hasn't really been something I've given much thought to.  When asked my age, I always have to do a quick calculation.  But today it feels like there's some sort of threshold that I'm crossing.  I'm looking forward to seeing what is on the other side.

We're heading off into the woods to sleep under the stars and play in the streams.  Have a great weekend, my friends!

film

Spending the last few weeks reacquainting myself with film I realized that I've been missing the sound of the shutter opening and closing, the heft of the lens and the sweet anticipation that comes with waiting for the images to make their way from film to print.  I've also realized there's so much to learn about my digital camera.  I've seen many photos taken with the same camera that have much more of what I've been missing since I made the switch...

The vibrancy found in contrast.

Composition that is crisp in the foreground and blurred in back.

The haziness achieved when shooting into the light that sends me back to photos my mother took of me when I was a child.   

organizing

I'm not going back to school this season, nor is anyone in my house, but I can't help but feel that I'm on the cusp of something new.  Like I used to feel when I had a new backpack filled with crisp notebooks and sharp pencils. 

With newness comes a need for clearing out.  I like to think about organization this time of year.  It's certainly not my strong suit, but it's something I like to strive for.  To this end - bolstered by my recent success with zippers - I set out to create a pouch to hold the small tools that I'm forever fishing out of the bottom of the knitting bag.  I roughly followed Celine Dupuy's recipe for a pencil case.  The linen is gocco printed with a screen that I can't seem to stop finding new uses for.  Inside the contrasting zipper, a green gingham lining.  Of course, this makes me think I need to now work on a new knitting bag... but instead I'll finish the cardigan that is ever-so-close to completion.

updates...

On the blog name coincidence, Leah has graciously offered to change the name of her blog.  This is no small task, and I'm forever grateful for her willingness to make the change.  I also appreciate the support that we've both received through this craziness.  It's a small world with many very, very good people.

The camera is still in the shop, so I've been digging through my iPhoto archives, looking for bits of inspiration.  Yes, this should explain the seemingly random photos attached to recent posts.

It's raining and I couldn't be happier.  The plants are too.  The drought has brought the big lake to all-time lows and the trees are shutting down for the season early because they're so so thirsty.  Hiking amongst wilted, dusty plants has been sad.  And those wild berries that I was so excited about earlier in the season?  They're petrified little orbs of tartness, withered from lack of water.  I'm fairly certain this bear was surely petrified as well as it came down to town looking for food.

love tap

My almost ninety-two year old Nana lives in the home my father grew up in outside of Boston.  For as long as I can remember, it seems that she's been saying goodbye.  To my grandfather, her husband; to other family members; to the neighbors she raised her children with.  She told me years ago that she never thought she'd live to meet her great-grandchildren.  Then the little miss came along.  I've since witnessed a sparkle in my Nana's eye and a giddiness in her voice that I hadn't ever known.

Because Nana no longer travels great distances, we're only able to see her when we go back east.  This isn't nearly enough for her to get a sense of who her great-granddaughter is and what she's up to.  The digital photos and video that we send to friends and family afar don't work for my Nana, who is so technology adverse that, since the public library converted their card catalog to a computer-based system, has had the librarians help her with her all of her book searches. 

Over the holidays I decided that Nana didn't need another knitted scarf or book or brooch as a gift.  I decided that instead I'd give her a simple gift that she'd know would continue through the year, that would document the changes in the little lady half a continent away.  I gave her a framed photo and the commitment to send more printed photos at least once a month.  A friend would call this a gift of love taps.

It has been a great gift for both of us, really.  I've enjoyed making the photos and selecting and printing up four or five each month to send to Massachusetts.  I hear from my Dad that Nana's always carrying the latest photos about, giddily showing her friends and neighbors.  To know that I can give her this regular touch of joy means so much to me.

what's in a name?

I've been following conversations over at Kirin Notebook and Meet Me at Mikes about copying, giving credit where credit is due, and craft-etiquette. These conversations are oh-so timely for me because I recently discovered a blogger who lives a half-a-world away, who is different from me in so many ways, yet who has a blog with a name that feels very much like a ever-so-slight variation of my own. 

I believe wholeheartedly in serendipity, coincidence and chance.  I want to see this as a confirmation that the world is a really small place, that synergy happens all the time without our knowing and that there is mystery and magic and wonder all around us.  Yet, I can't ignore this little nagging feeling that, perhaps, just perhaps, I've been copied.  This feeling makes me wonder if others think that I've copied her.  It makes me realize that by looking at our names there's much room for confusion (looking at our blogs, there surely is not). 

My first name is Sarah and I can't ever remember being the only Sara(h).  But here, it's different.  As I started this adventure last January, I thought long and hard about putting a name to this blog, and carefully selected one that represents the primary ingredients of my non-edible creations.  I Googled variations on the name to ensure that I wasn't stepping on that of another.  I checked flickr and etsy too. The name appeared to be ripe for the picking.  This wouldn't be the case today.

I knew not in January where my foray into craftblog- wonderland would lead me.  I still don't know.  I've thoroughly enjoyed the journey -- both my internal process as well as the connections that have been made.  And I've frequently chuckled about and commented on the coincidences that we all experience within this community and in our lives.  I so want to gracefully chalk this name thing up as one of those very things, to giggle about it with this 'long-lost-twin' from the other side of the world, and to just let the mystery be.  I'm hoping that posting this bit about it will help me get there, and that it's all just a happy accident.

Update:  YAY! A happy accident after all!  Leah, from paper.string.cloth, and I are chatting about where to go from here. 

birch bracelet

From the photo archives:  birch saplings wearing the bark of their elders like a bracelet.  Superior Hiking Trail, September 2006.