red and white

I had the great pleasure of walking the Red and White quilts exhibit with Denyse Schmidt the other day. Denyse knows a tremendous amount about quilts (of course), so it was great fun to just listen and look.





I love the way the quilts were displayed. The show really took advantage of the space inside the Armory, and the cardboard tubes used to hang the quilts were and ingenious solution to hanging such a large quantity of quilts for a short amount of time.

I could say more about the show, but there's already been lots written, so I'll just leave it at that.

Many more photos here. Excuse the blurry ones--the lighting was a bit tricky, and I was busy looking instead of concentrating on the photos.

"good books!" and "books I recmend!"

Todd found these lists in S's room the other night as he was getting her ready for bed. No idea what was behind them other than, apparently, a desire to share her love of reading?


If you need a translation, here we go:

list 1:
Good Books!
American Girl books!
Chapter books!
Mary Poppins!
Danny and the Dinosaur!
Wacky Wednesday!
Oliver + S Little Things to Sew!
So on and so forth...

(I love "so on and so forth" --so much better than "etc." And how funny that she included my book on her list. I'm flattered more than I can begin to tell you. But let's continue...)

list 2:
Books I recommend for kids! starting to read! in school! (at least I think that's what it says)
Bob Books
One Red Dot!

Clearly my translation is lacking the charm of the original text, since as I was unable to include the all-important arrows. But I did keep the exclamation points, which also play an important role.

* * * * * * *

I've got a book to recommend, too, found over at Purl the other day.


I've got a long-time obsession with French macarons, having even gone so far as to make Todd bring them back from Paris for me. Fortunately we have a decent bakery in our neighborhood that creates a few flavors, so I can still get my fix locally.



I've tried making macarons at home but had trouble getting the texture just right. You know, that crispy exterior with the slightly chewy inside. I'm looking forward to trying the recipes in this book because, in addition to photo instructions, it also includes tips and hints for troubleshooting. It includes instructions for making the different flavors, as well as suggestions for matching the flavored fillings to the flavors and colors of the meringues.


But the real attraction with this book is the gorgeous photography. Doesn't this just make you hungry looking at it?


And if that's not enough, there's a section on packaging them that includes all sorts of cute and clever ideas.



But the thing that really impresses me about the book is that the author thought of everything. The last section includes recipes for using the leftover egg yolks.


I'm torn between making the rich and creamy pudding and the caramel ice cream.

* * * * * * *

One more book-related item:

I'll be doing a special event at the New York Public Library next Saturday, and I'd love it if you would come! Details here. Bring the kids!

little bits

I found some empty egg cartons on the curb outside our neighborhood bakery a while ago and snagged them for Tsia. She's always rescuing things from our recycling at home, saying "I can make something from this," so I knew she'd like them.

Turns out, they also make a great organizer for for all the little things that accumulate on the cutting table at the studio: tailor's chalk, erasers, buttons, paper clips, etc.

just looking

Images that are inspiring me right now:

Irving Penn's Nurse, London, 1951: We've been reading the Mary Poppins books, and this photo reminds me of her starched, crackling aprons. This woman looks so feminine and elegant in her uniform.

Cecil Beaton's portrait of Gloria Guinness, circa 1970: Looks so refined, and her voluminous caftan emphasized her long neck.


Anything drawn or painted by Maira Kalman. Her show at The Jewish Museum is amazing.

catching up

S and I found these books at a shop the other day. We liked them so much we bought two: one for each of us. They're basically just sketchbooks, but with specific drawing suggestions on each page for things like a tennis racket, the leaning Tower of Pisa, the wild blue yonder, a technical diagram, footprints, and my favorite--luminescent plankton. We work on a page or two a night, just a fun activity to do together.

S draws a mean string quartet, doesn't she? Some of her quartet members dance instead of playing an instrument.

Since I've been such a bad blogger lately, here is a quick list of random bits to bring things up-to-date:

• we launched a new brand a week or so ago. Lisette is a collection of sewing patterns and coordinating fabrics for women's clothing. You can learn more about it on the website.

• Remember when I mentioned the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire a while back? Well, you can watch a documentary about it at the PBS now.

• S and I have discussed it at length and decided that, were we to be given a third arm, we would like it to be located on the top of our heads to hold an umbrella when it rains. We're still negotiating additional legs and eyes.

• my book is out!

• When I'm working on fabric designs I often spend hours staring at a computer screen, and sometimes I'll "watch" old movies and t.v. while I'm working--meaning I'm mostly listening while my eyes are otherwise occupied. Lately I've been watching thirtysomething and enjoying it almost as much as I did when it first came out. Do you remember it?

I'm sure there's more, but I'll think of it later.