Tea Towel Collection premiere

My collection of tea towels is finally here! Inspired by bright, crisp mornings, freshly baked bread, and a pot of tea (with milk please!), they would make any kitchen proud this fall (or spring! Hello southern hemisphere!)

It's fitting, that with these kitchen towels getting ready to adventure to new homes, the weather in the northeast has been picture perfect, I've been baking sourdough bread nonstop, and my first thoughts when getting out of bed in the morning are of my first cup of tea.

Four patterns of handwoven cloth make up this collection: (the ever-popular) Dot, Lace Stripe, Tiny Leaf, and Lattice. I love their tiny, delicate graphic patterns, and the weave structures that balance color and that perfect towel handfeel. Each is paired with a crisp, white linen towel that has been embroidered with lines or crisscrosses of corresponding colors.

Although the patterns may be delicate, these are meant for an illustrious kitchen career. Each towel is machine washable and can be tumble dried. The handwoven towels are made with 100% cotton yarns and the embroidered towels are 100% linen with mercerized cotton thread. They measure about 16x23".

I'm offering free shipping on all tea towel orders. Stay tuned for collection additions and updates as well as other homegoods on the horizon!

Sneak Peek

Just a quick look at the tea towel process- sewing and photographing. Listings to come very soon!

Early Morning Studio Session

Although not a morning person, I love being up early, with the sun new and low, coming through the trees. The little succulent garden loves their sunny location as well, with the African Violet in full bloom, the Jade finally recovering after a hail storm almost two years ago, and a Crown of Thorns cutting thriving after just a few months.

A few mornings ago, I wove off the new patterned tea towels in green, and prepared for the next coral warp. All the newest colors are finally woven, just needing their embroidered linen counterparts to be finished before they're listed in the shop.

It's getting to be a busy time in the little studio, as spoon butter is next up on the to-make list. All of this is in preparation for the better-not-mentioned-now events of the cooler months, but for now, I'll gladly enjoy these sunny mornings, long evening walks, fruit everywhere, and truly summertime adventures, like a visit to Lil Rhody full of the beach and crabtown, a lobster and quahog boil, and a dance-filled wedding.

New Colors Tea Towels Sneak Peak

During the last few cooler months I continued weaving more tea towels in various colors, and many new patterns! I have a stash started and they are sitting on my industrial sewing machine, waiting to be sewn.

This is the blue and white version of the Dot-Dot tea towel pattern. They are all now washed and dried, just waiting to be sewn. They full really well in the wash, making the dots much more clear.

Other than weaving lots, this is what I'd like my spring to look like: Manual of Home Repairs, Sewing Made Easy, Interpreting Literature, Picture Book of Perennials. We have the garden sketched and planned, all the seeds and soil- just need to plant, organize and wait!

Right and Wrong ways of dressing

Smocking and stitching techniques from Sewing Made Easy (1960).

Three Shows at Crane Arts building for FiberPhiladelphia 2012

This weekend, I gallery sat for FiberPhiladelphia's "Outside/Inside the Box" and "Distinguished Educators" shows in the Crane Arts building in northeast Philadelphia. I have a small "Woven Construction" study in the Launch 102 show next door. (in the column all the way on the left, the center row) The shows are open until April 12th.

Outside/Inside the Box is very well curated, and I have a few favorite pieces already. It's really nice to be able to sit and be amongst the art- it gives me plenty of time to take it all in.

One piece I enjoy a lot is "Sagging Ellipse (after Richard Serra)" by Rachel Mica Weiss, a huge hand woven and knotted sisal rope cave/tent/growth/structure strung up from the ceiling. It gives me a similar feeling to Ursula von Rydingsvard's work (which I adore for its material, scale, relation to the size of the human body...)

And Susan Iverson's "Winter Walk". Beautiful tapestry woven wool and glass. (I also love the "Verdant" piece on her website!)

Celebration of Fibers at the PGHW

 To celebrate Philadelphia's Fiber Arts Month, in conjunction with FiberPhiladelphia and the 8th International Fiber Biennial, the Philadelphia Guild of Hand Weavers is putting on Celebration of Fibers, a juried show at the guild house in the neighborhood of Manayunk. The opening was on Friday March 24th. I have two of my Woven Constructions there on view. The show is up until April 1st. All the work looked amazing, and it was fun to see the work of fellow guild members.

Thinking of Spring on a snowy day

It snowed last night (the first true snow of the season) and today I'm hibernating, drinking tea, making croissants from scratch, sewing white gauzy curtains for the windows, and weaving a test warp of springtime colors. Although it's still January, I'm dreaming of Spring- I already have a container gardening plan for the small deck and a seedling calendar for the beginning of March.
This test warp is an exploration of familiar structures with new colors and patterns. Hopefully this Spring will be a productive one.