update

Indeed I'm here, although you wouldn't know it from the amount of posting that's been happening around these parts. I'm in the thick of instruction writing and illustrating for the fall collection, so I'll be sparse for a while longer.

And I think you've probably heard enough about Quilt Market from everyone else who was there that I won't bore you with further details. It was great to see so many old friends (some for the first time; I finally met Alicia and Amy!), meet so many new friends, and get some business done.

So here's a summary of the past two weeks:

::When Mama leaves town, kiddo gets sick (ear infection)

::And guess what? She's allergic to penicillin! Who knew?!

::Laryngitis for me. Now, not at Market. Go figure.

::My missing samples have been found! (too late for Market, but I'm relieved all the same)

::Loving Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I knew the moment that I glanced at the Table of Contents that this is a life-changing cookbook. Suddenly vegetarian food doesn't require a multitude of obscure ingredients and loads of preparation time. I think this is holy grail--the books that will finally close the gap between my desire to eat vegetarian and my actual ability to do so.

::I think I need new luggage now that airlines are restricting passengers to a single checked bag. My old two-mini-duffle system isn't working anymore. Maybe I'll finally give in and get some wheels...



::Benefit tonight for Tsia's school. I'm donating these two outfits for the silent auction.

Ok, back to work. I'll pop in periodically for the next few weeks.

away

I'm over here. Be back soon!

Home Companion

I'm so pleased to tell you that Oliver + S is featured in the current issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine! We met the team from MEHC at Quilt Market last October, and they contacted us shortly after the show to request samples for a photo shoot. Since it's the June/July issue, they wanted samples in red, white and blue fabrics, which was easy to do once I saw the American Jane Wee Play collection from Moda, which served as the basis for the group. Here's one of the photos from the shoot, and now you can see the feature on the website.


And we're in good company! Anna Maria is featured in the magazine, too!

I love this magazine. In fact, I only re-discovered it last summer when we were in Michigan and I found it in a bookstore. It's been completely re-designed, with a contemporary, clean feel and lots of terrific inspiration. Heather Bailey was featured in the last issue, if you missed her. Lots of good stuff.

yellow shoes

Tsia noticed that we were both wearing our yellow shoes yesterday, so of course we needed a photo to commemorate the occasion. Don't you love how she's holding her foot? I think she was worried that Todd would somehow miss her new sandals.


Photojojo featured Ellen Ugelstad’s The Shoe Project a while ago. The combination of head and shoes is wonderful, and I also love just the shoes alone. They're so expressive, aren't they? And then there are these great flickr photographs of legs and shoes. I think I've linked to some of these before, so I must really like them.

Book week #4: Kimonomania

Sorry to leave you hanging on that last post. My mom was in town helping me to sew samples for Quilt Market and to work out some of the tricky bits in the pattern instructions, and we were busy, busy all week long.

In any case, thanks for all your thoughtful comments on my post. Truthfully, by the time I wrote it I had pretty much decided it was ok. As several people pointed out, the Anthropologie tree really is quite different from mine, even if the original inspiration did come from my work. I appreciate your thoughts and responses to it.

In the meantime, back to book week! Here's one that Todd and Tsia picked out for my birthday, completely on their own. They chose well.


Like books #1 and #2, this book was also written by someone exploring a new place: the author moved to Japan for two years to learn about its culture, fashion and people. But unlike the other two books, this one focuses exclusively on one aspect of that culture: the kimono. And it turns out that there is plenty to learn from such a deceptively simple garment.

The construction of the kimono is, in itself, fascinating. According to the book, contemporary kimonos are made from one strip of fabric, in one single width for the front, back, and sleeves. The fabric is woven or printed directionally so that front and back will look the same once the kimono is assembled (no shoulder seam). And all kimonos are made with the same measurements: one for men's and another for women's.


The fit of the kimono is accomplished exclusively by folding and tying, which requires lots of training to accomplish. The collar should fall to reveal part of the back neck, the front should align with the stocking seam on the right leg, the length of the kimono must be just the correct height, etc. Various padding and layers are added to give it the proper shape and volume.


And the best part? One wears different kimonos in different seasons, and the combination of fabrics, textures, and patterns is an art in itself. So of course I love all the photos of kimonos and obis (the wide belt that's worn over the kimono), both historic and contemporary, in this book. The combinations are spectacular and unusual. Florals and checks, stripes and geometrics. And I thought matching men's clothing was fun, with the suits, shirt, and tie patterns and textures.