sugar coating

Thank you all for your supportive comments regarding our summer preschool situation. I'm pleased to report that we have already found several other possible solutions, all of which feel more comfortable and positive to us than the original plan. Details still need to be finalized, but I think we're on the right track. I'll keep you posted about the pre-K part of the question, too. We should be hearing back about the school lottery soon. Probably right after Quilt Market.

I also wanted to thank you for your positive feedback regarding my work process and the writing of Oliver + S patterns. What a thrill to hear so much kind encouragement from you! I've almost completed the first draft of the fall instructions, which is a huge relief. That means I've worked out almost all the design and construction challenges and can take a deep breath before moving on to the next steps of development. I'll be able to pass the patterns along to the grader by the end of this week, just in time for Quilt Market.


Speaking of Quilt Market, every season just before we leave for the show, we take a little trip to Economy Candy on the Lower East Side to stock up on our trademark Berry Blue Jelly Belly jellybeans for the show. Brooke and I spent far too much time weighing our candy options before the Oliver + S debut 1 1/2 years ago. (Actually, we spend far too much time analyzing most of our choices, come to think of it. I guess that's why we work so well together: we're both obsessed with the details.) We considered getting custom M&M's with our logo on the back, but the Jelly Belly's have a better depth of color to them and match almost perfectly. But if M&M's came in dark chocolate I might have reconsidered.


I thought you might enjoy a peek at the candyliciousness that is Economy Candy. It's so New York, not in the flashy manner of Dylan's Candy Bar (speaking of which, did you see that fabulous wedding?), but in the style of old New York, where substance counts more than style. (And did you know that Jelly Belly's are kosher? I didn't until just now.) We took my parents for a visit once and they found all the candy of their childhood: Blackjack gum, Teaberry gum, I don't remember what all. They were really, honestly, like kids in the candy store. I loved watching them.