My New Favorite Cookbooks

I have two new favorite cookbooks, Apples for Jam and The River Cottage Family Cookbook.  After lusting for them for weeks I finally ordered them from Amazon.  I've had them since last night and haven't fully gone through them or cooked anything from them, the fact that they are absolutely gorgeous makes them my favorites.

The fist one is Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros.  It has her memories from childhood involving food, her hopes for her children, and some great looking recipes.  Plus, those are my favorite kind of shoes ever.  Oh, its also organized by color.

From Apples for Jam

From Apples for Jam

Illustration from Apples for Jam

The next book is The River Cottage Family Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Fizz Carr.  Again, gorgeous photos, tantalizing recipes, and best of all, explanations as to why you do certain things during cooking.  For example, they explain what flour to use for different purposes.  The recipes are longer because they contain explanation as well.  Again, not done reading it and haven't cooked anything from it, but by looks alone - its a spectacular cookbook.

From The River Cottage Family Cookbook

From The River Cottage Family Cookbook

The River Cottage Family Cookbook and Apples for Jam back inside cover patterns.

Tiny Happy's Lucky Winner

I made a comment sometime ago on Melissa Wastney's site, Tiny Happy, to tell her how much I liked what she does on her blog and in her store.  Her talent is something very special.  A few days later, she informed me I was the winner of an several Christmas decorations - a lovely bunch of tied straw ornaments.  

The package arrived from Norway shortly after Christmas.  I ripped into it like it was still the holidays and found much more than straw ornaments.  The top photo is of two lovely little people with wooden heads, knit caps, felt jumpers, and straw hair.  They are very intricately dressed and oh so sweet.  They are now guarding my "making" desk and actually must be guarded themselves from 4 tiny hands that are not allowed to touch unless supervised.  

The photo immediately above includes a fantastic embroidered pouch that has been put to good use as a traveling case for my circular needles.

This is the packaging it all came in along with the very cute calling card stamped on graphing paper and the pouch.  Yes, I saved long enough to save the sea creature stamps on the outer wrapping.  I am very found of stamps and have quite a large collection - I know, a geeky topic that I'm sure to discuss some other day - but my son had called first dibs on these and I could hardly deny him.

The ornaments are straw, as I previously mentioned, and quite intricately tied to form stars, snowflakes, hearts, and angels.  They are truly beautiful and will have a treasured place on our tree next year.  Actually, they are still on my desk too as I can't bear to put them away yet.


Melissa also sent along some original artwork postcards made from watercolor and pen drawings.  They are a treasure and will be used - I love the warmth of sending handmade correspondences as thank you and hello cards.

Melissa, thank you so much for your thoughtful and sweet package.  Each item is a gem and will be treasured.  It is an honor to own something from someone whose work I've admired so much over the past few years.  I've saved your address and am working on a return thank you package.  

Beauty and Inspiration in a Parking Lot

During my employment as a landscape architect and planner, I designed my fair share of parking lots. Small, large, paved, gravel. I'm here to tell you, as if you didn't already know, that there is nothing glamourous about designing a parking lot - or being in one for that matter.  

The grey and black asphalt grows so hot during the summer that you can actually see the heat rising. The bays, sectioned by fading white lines, are stained by oil slicks and residual AC fluid. Traffic jams. Competition for spaces. Paying for a space.

I write this blog to remind me that even when the whole of something is mundane or ugly, elements of it can be beautiful and inspiring. A parking lot is hardly inspiring, but smaller vingettes within a parking lot, really set my mind in motion - the way the lines make patterns on the ground, the arc of the trees grown to provide shade, the subtle changes in shades of grey. 

This is true in reverse when we create.  Sometimes we find ordinary items -  ribbons, buttons, paper.  We examine, rearrange, and choose a composition for the pieces and, whatever it is, it really satisfies our need to make something beautiful to us.  The pieces ordinary pieces inspire us to create a more beautiful whole.

My point is - whether you deconstruct something unappealing or make something new from ordinary parts, there is can be beauty and inspiration.  It all depends on how you decide to look at it.   

Sewing Japanese

As some of you know, I love Japanese pattern books, especially those with modern patterns aimed at little girls.  The excitement in purchasing almost any Japanese craft book is the anticipation of its arrival, the fact that you don't know (despite a small preview of several patterns) exactly what you might get and the subsequent day-dreaming after it arrives.  They are very inspiring, but they can be quite pricey and often have to be shipped from Japan.  

As a result, I've been frequenting Japanese Craft Journal, a blog that reveals snippets of the Japanese Crafting world.  I was intrigued by these patterns blogged about on Japanese Craft Journal.  They can be bought one at a time, not in a book, which doesn't lighten the wallet quite so much.  Even though the surprise factor is gone, these patterns are so sweet.

Online Suppliers of Natural Fabrics

I wrote a post like this for my old blog, String and Scissor, and thought I'd do an updated list for natural fabrics (cotton, wool, linen, bamboo, etc.) along with a list of stores where you can buy organic fabrics.  I've also noted if the shop is PayPal friendly for all of you with Etsy shops who have a balance burning holes in your pockets.

I will continuously update this list.  If you have any suggestions or additions, please let me know by commenting.

LINEN: 

Linnet  (PayPal) $29 per half-yard for most linen.  This is a Japanese business;  I've linked to the English website.  I LOVE to look, but its a bit too pricey for me.  They have a beautiful selection of every kind of linen fabric, trim, and notions I can think of.  Fabrics in a variety of weights.  I love the simplicity of this site and its fabrics.

fabrics-store.com (PayPal) $5-$9 per yard.  Solids and yarn-dyed.  Pure linen, linen/cotton blends in a number of thicknesses.  

trimfabric.com  (PayPal) $5-$20 per yard.  The ~$5 per yard linen is a blend of Linen/Rayon/Polyester; $10 per yard for pure linen; Above 

$10 for Italian or Import Linen.  They even have cotton/linen jersey.

SIMPLY DESIGNED COTTONS (you have to check these out):

Nani Iro  from Kokko Fabrics:

Photo:  Nani Iro 2008 Collection

Japanese double gauze cottons, Linen canvas, cotton double-knits, among others in the most interesting prints.   Also look under the "sewing" header to find the best free patterns I've ever seen.  You may have to get Google to translate the page.  

(too) Easily found at:  PurlSoho  SuperBuzzy   Reprodepot.com 

Tana Lawn Collection from Liberty of London 

Photo:  Purl Soho Liberty of London Tana Lawn Collection

From England, some of the finest cotton available in beautifully stunning prints.  I don't know of many places in the states that carry it, but you can get it both in the brick and mortor store and online at Purl Soho.

Shinzi Katoh  

Photo:  Shinzi Katoh

A Japanese zakka designer, he has the cutest line of cotton fabrics (and almost everything else from table wear to aluminum bottles) bearing his illustrations.  His designs come in cotton cloth, laminated, knit, canvas, and quilted yardage.  He also has a line of fabric tape.  Some fabrics and a good selection of linen tape available  SuperBuzzy.   You can also check various sellers on Etsy by typing in Shinzi Katoh as a key word. 

ORGANICS:

Near Sea Naturals  (PayPal) $11-$114 per yard.  This is another store I wish I could afford.  They've got a wide selection of cotton, wool, and natural blends in knits and wovens and in several weights.  They also have organic elastic banding, trims, lace, and yarn.

Harmony Arts  Wholesalers of organic woven and knit cotton.  Great patterns and matching solids.

Wholesale and Discount Buying:

Trimfabric.com

Near Sea Naturals

Nani Iro's Free Patterns

Some time ago, I added Nani Iro to my "places I wish I could shop list" for two reasons.  First, the fabric is gorgeous.  Second, free patterns!  The link takes you to patterns for mainly kid's clothes, adult clothes, and accessories like bags.  

I like to look at patterns to see how the clothes get their shape and how they are sewn together.  It can start to see how a certain shape produces a specific result.  That said, Nani Iro's patterns are generally one page and leave a lot of steps un-illustrated which, unless you can read japanese, means you have to "fill in the blanks" so to speak.  

There are no full sized patterns, so you have to have a lot of time to draw out a full-sized pattern based on take-off points.  You also need knowledge of basic garment construction and be able to follow schematics.  I think I'd brave it for those cute little bloomers, but I'd hardly have the patience for a few of the dresses (maybe since they are really really cute...).  

My Favorite Little Girls Shoes

Livy is so getting a pair of these shoes except for in a chocolate brown.   I love love love them, so classic and plain.  I found these at Tiny McSmall.  

Big McLove

OK, Tiny McSmall, you win a coveted spot on this blog under "inspiration" AND "where I would love to shop"  That how much I love this website.

I recently discovered that some of my work was featured on a blog called Mama Said Shop. When I started hunting around (great site by the way) I found Tiny McSmall.  I spent the next 30 minutes engrossed in their site, letting the kids rip apart the house.  

I suppose I really like the clothes because I love simple and understated for little girls.  They are not unlike the things I try to make for Plainly Jane.   But, I also like Tiny McSmall because all items are made in the US or Europe by artisans and designers who are themselves parents.

Inspiration in from "Ranger Rick"

The copy of "Ranger Rick" was devoured by my son and daughter; the November issue I think.  As I was cleaning up the mass of magazines I notice this article and wondered why it took me until January to find it.  In case you don't know "Ranger Rick" is a kids magazine on wildlife published by the National Wildlife Foundation.  Its been around since I was little, but now I wondered "when did it become so cool?"

Each bug is made from a metal part of something:  trumpet mouthpieces, change purse skeletons, old silverware, car parts, ashtrays, and just about anything else metal.  Look at these photos carefully and you'll see what I mean.  This artist is fabulous.  If I could only find the "Ranger Rick"  I found him in, I'd tell you his name...  I'll work on that.

Now thats inspiration for makers, hackers, and craftsters alike - and found in a kids magazine!  I've got to keep my eyes much more open from now on.

"Dwell" on it

I am a magazine-aphile with an appetite for design and craft magazines.  I devour them.  It is a mandatory stop in almost any store so you might see columns like this every once in a while on Plainly Jane Handmade.  I like to share what inspires me, makes me think, or is just plain innovative.

Today...  Dwell (dec./jan.).

For my inner-crafter...    

For woodsmen whose facial hair isn't quite up to snuff.  This woolen knit cap is by Icelandic design collective Vik Prjonsdottir.

The landscape architect in me finds this two-for-one quite interesting.  Is it a fence or is it climber?  I suppose it depends on the user.  Bends and bulges make fine places for children to play or for adults to, literally, park it.  Produced by Tejo Remy and Rene Veenhuizen .

A shadow of what used to be.  In Montreal, its painfully obvious what existed before this parking lot and its tiny shack.  I love the evolution of old cities and how unintentionally their character is sometimes developed.  Photo by Matthew Monteith.

I love the grocery store, but I'd move in if it looked like this one.  This MPreis is situated in Wenns in the Alps and was designed by Astrid Tschapeller and Rainer Koberl.  Dwell: "By virtue of progressive architecture, excellent siting, and stunning environs, MPreis elevates an often mundane fact of daily life."  Way to take advantage of the natural landscape.

 

After grocery shopping, I'd serve dinner on these plates.  City Plates collection by notNeutral turns cartography into stunning dinnerware.  Not only interesting to the landscape architect or urban planner, but mighty crafty as well.

New Inspiration

Who couldn't help but love a face this sweet?  And the dress...  so so cute.  This book is on the way to my mailbox as I write.  I love new inspiration like this.  For those of you who don't know, Japanese pattern books like this are written in, well, Japanese.  I don't know a lick of Japanese, but I could look at the pictures and schematics forever, making each piece in my mind.  I would much rather follow a Japanese pattern than an American pattern - they get right to the point and draw everything out for me.

So, a few more pictures from the book to drool over before it arrives in my hot little hands.  Maybe you'll see a new little dress for Livy next week, or even something for the shop...