love triangle

It's a little out of focus. Sorry about that. At least we know why Mossman has been drinking so much lately.

There's a book they're hawking at Jo-ann that is by Christopher Lowell, and it's called "Decorating Small Spaces" or something like that. Please, do me a favor and go find this book. I think that Mr. D. almost forgot we were in Jo-anns for a few minutes.

I've been working all weekend at Pitchfork Music Festival as a volunteer for Depart-ment- my last Depart-ment fair. Kind of sad. I had no idea a few years ago when I became involved with it that I would be doing what I'm doing now. N. and I started getting involved with Depart-ment because we needed an outlet for our funny little accessories. Sugarpunch sorta died out as we got too busy to get together and sew tank tops featuring Strawberry Shortcake riding a dinosaur. I'm unloading the remains at Pitchfork this weekend, hoping people will buy the last messenger bags and headbands and karate tank tops.

I have been trying desperately to enjoy myself, but it's just so hot. It's really hard to have a good time when you're so hot (and so pale....). I only saw a few of the music acts, unfortunately, because I have been volunteering and then hiding in the a/c. The Silver Jews were good last night, but a strange choice for a headliner, no?

Can't stop listening to Eagles of Death Metal. It is a problem.

Furthermore, Bust magazine has a number of sewing-related DIY articles this month. Check it out! For not really being a crafting magazine, they sure do have a lot of articles about crafting. Don't get me wrong- I'm not complaining.

They also have a nice interview with Tara Subkoff from Imitation of Christ. Tara, I'm sorry for slamming Easy Spirit shoes. Your shoes don't suck. They are a little expensive, though. Shave the price a little, keep the sweatshop labor out of the deal and I'm there. Many kisses.

Must have Geha Inky. Tell me where I can buy it (that is not Germany).

Philadelphia has something called Fabric Row? JACKPOT!!

i'm not even supposed to be here today.

I'm pleased to say that I have joined the community at Coutorture, a very interesting fashion website. You can find me under the "craft" category in the community section. I'm very excited about being a part of it. Apparently they are going to be doing some give-aways, so as soon as I hear about them I will let you know.

Today I discovered a textile magazine called Selvedge and am, of course, immediately hooked. Too bad it's a British magazine and it costs something like a thousand dollars a copy. I picked up, put it back, picked it up again, walked around with it, and then resolutely put it back after I remembered that I'm supposed to be reducing the amount of belongings I have, not adding to the pile.

So my new facination is with silhouettes. Making some the old-fashioned way seems a little work intensive, so I shot a few photos of myself and Mr. D. before he got annoyed and ran away. Now I'm playing around with Photoshop. What if you then transfered that image onto fabric? Modern silhouette. Cool. I think it will turn into some pillowcases- it would be cool to do one for him and one for me, sort of as a new take on the his n' hers thing....



Oh YEAH, and how come nobody told me about a new sewing shop on Halsted called Quiltology? I gotta get my news from the Chicago Tribune Magazine now? Sheesh.

Lists n' Lists

Things I do not recommend (part two):
Confusing contact re-wetting drops with Aveda peppermint mouth drops. I think I have just done significant damage to my eyeballs. #$%!!!!

And here's a look at the facts that shape my world (Philadelphia edition):

Miles Philadelphia lies from the sun: 5
Number of people seen urinating on public sculpture: 2
Number of apartments viewed while wearing a hardhat: 1
ATMs visited while trying to retrive money from my account for apt. deposit: 6
Glasses of Sauvingon Blanc: 2
Pommes frites eaten: 6,000
Word that I keep saying to myself all day for no apparent reason: Hurlbert
Mints given to me by strangers: 2
Times I said "I'm not from here" as an excuse: 2

"Coolness is the enemy of creativity."

Yay Grayson Perry!

Zombies n' Philly

I do not recommend getting up at 3:30 on a Saturday morning to catch a flight to Philadelphia. I also do not recommend getting up the following morning at 3:30 to catch a flight back to Chicago. Aimee=zombie. But not as zombie-ish as this statue of Ben Franklin. The fact that someone has put a baseball cap on his head makes it even creepier.

Operation: Obtain Apartment was an utter failure, but Operation: Eat Your Weight in Thin Crust Pizza was a resounding success! Huzzah!

I am trying to remain calm, but after such a disappointing apartment hunting trip it's hard to stay positive about this whole thing. By the by, when Philadelphians tell you that certain streets in a certain neighborhood are ok and certain streets are not ok, they aren't kidding. Stay on the trail, scouts.

Now I'm back to packing up the workshop and working on my Loteria-themed throw for a book about fabric projects in the home. It's my first foray into using photo transfer paper. I am learning that photo transfer paper needs a lot of love. Unfortunately, right now I do not have the patience to give the photo transfer paper the love it desperately needs. Therefore (of course) the project taking four times as long as it should. Details and photos coming soon.

Those of you who knew that this contraption existed and didn't tell me about it are really, really mean.

I played with my new saddle stitch stapler for a couple of hours last night, stapling away, happy as a clam. Mr. Kinko, you can take your fancy-schmancy staple machine, your failed promises of having my copies finished by 5, your lame excuses for botched stapling projects and cram it. I have my new Bostitch Stapler and I'm never looking back! Yeah!


Now, I keep forgetting to mention that at Renegade one of my neighbors was Scott Urban from Urban Spectacles of Wood in Chicago. He makes hand-carved glasses out of exotic woods (panga panga?) that are fantastic. He has some very interesting designs based on glasses from long ago, like the ones with little circles at the end to keep the glasses clamped to your head. Oh those crazy colonials. Use the ears!

Anyway, he also had a display of little, beautiful, hand made buttons. I would love to have a set. Christmas ideas for Aimee #756.

my crazy brother

My big brother is from Mars. I really believe that there was a mistake at the hospital- there is no way we are related. Case in point: he sold his car recently and bought a .45 with the proceeds. Why? Just so he can have it.... loaded.... by his bed.

However, he drew this great picture at my cousin's wedding a few weeks ago and everytime I look at it, I have to laugh. That's totally me, on the back, holding up the pizza triumphantly.

cute stuff, right there

I think it turned out pretty well...yes, I know the wheelbarrow does not have a wheel....that's the last thing I need to add before delivering it to baby Clara tomorrow. Time was running out, so even though I wanted to make the wheelbarrow a little nicer, it ended up looking rather crude. Oh well.

Step one: brew coffee. Step two: dump down throat. Repeat process until eyes open.

I must resist urge to drop everything and make a bunny linen bag.

Looks like people are discovering Purl Patchwork, and I am very excited to see how my patterns will fit in there. It's such a cute shop, and so NY in the sense that it is tiny but has so much character. Out yonder in the midwest we're used to having plenty of space to spread out in, but maybe when you have to make due with a smaller space you are forced to be a lot more creative with layout. It's intimate and friendly, and not as cavernous as the fabric shops I'm used to. The fabric choices are also very well curated and so it's easier to find what you want. I also find it refreshing to buy things from the store owners directly- to know that they bought those items themselves and chose them for a reason, rather than the feeling of bizarre removal when you purchase from larger stores like Joann.

bah!

Can you believe this is from a German fairy tale book? This is downright terrifying, but I guess that's what you get when you suck your thumb, am I right?

And by the way, if you play with matches, you'll set yourself on fire. And your cats will cry while they watch you burn to death. The book told me so.


Anyhoo, those suckas at Hertz can't find my iPod. Or so they say. My latest theory is that someone who was cleaning the car pocketed it, because the manager claims he inspected the car right after it was returned. It only took ONE WEEK for the lost and found manager to return my 80 phone calls, so I'm not surprised that it's gone. Boo hoo me.

I'm going to buy a new music-listening-gadget, but not an iPod, because they sort of stink. If you have any suggestions for inexpensive, good MP3 players, do tell.

Friday wrap up: continued progress on squirrel-pushing-wheelbarrow bib, gigantic pattern folding/envelope stuffing/label sticking project is going quickly, I have been gorging myself on tasty blueberries, the weather is tolerable, I dueled Priceline and won, there are biscuits waiting for me at home..... it's a good day.

Wherein our heroine (not really a gorilla) fights a squid, bald eagle, snake, mouse, lizardy thing and dachshund

...and wins!

I have to say that a four-day holiday weekend is the best thing ever. I got so much done and released a lot of stress (octopus-squid?) as well.

*Got to hang out for awhile with our friend Mike, who was visiting from Detroit. He's a talented artist. Go visit his website.

*Started working on an embroidered baby bib for a friend who just gave birth. It pictures a squirrel pushing a wheelbarrow full of nuts. Got most of it done on the many stinky, overcrowded bus/train rides I took this weekend. Carrying pointy embroidery needles means people give you space! Genius!

*Finished Simplicity #9691, which looks hideous in that picture but not too bad on. In fact, I think I might make it again and try making a removable white babydoll-style collar a la Marc Jacobs. I'm wearing my new dress as a tunic over jeans today because I screwed up and hemmed it too short. I'll have to rip out the slipstitching and try it again tonight or tomorrow. I didn't want a repeat of the time when I was walking by the Railroad Retirement Board on Rush St. last year and a man smoking outside yelled, "WHORE!" at me when I was walking by.



I also perfected a new method for setting in sleeves. I spent over an hour putting the sleeves in place with pins on the outside and then sewed them by hand. That way, when I went to sew them by machine, they stayed in place. When you do them from the inside you can't see what's going on and they inevitably get screwed up. Sure, it takes longer, but they look better in the long run. I was also reminded of how terribly important it is to cut sleeves and sleeve openings exactly right, because if you don't, they are a pain to put in. I should had been paying more attention to cutting and less to drinking a lovely Cotes du Rhone and watching "Corpse Bride."

*Got over $100 of free copies/stapling/binding at Kinkos because they are so inept. I guess the final employee I dealt with felt bad for me and/or was embarrassed watching me slowly lay my head on their front counter and then start to cry. Well, seriously. At that point I had been there three times, 48 hours had passed since I first turned in my order and they still hadn't started it and claimed they lost my files.

*Made strawberry shortcake and then ate only strawberry shortcake for the next two meals.

*Got a big order out for Purl Patchwork, my newest retail store. If you live in NY or are visiting soon, you must go visit them. Woo hoo!