Put a chicken on it!

I have been remiss on this blog. I have been creating and thinking and changing, but not quite sure what I have been creating, thinking and changing. 

One person who has not been remiss is dear Ms. Alex Smith and her creative alter ego, Lola Nova. Simple Sewing with Lola Nova has been released in the U.K., okay? And it is excellent! A smashing debut.

I wrote a book, so I know a little bit about what happens from an author's end of things. What happens is, is that the author thinks and creates and writes her little heart out, trying to get everything juuuust right, the projects looking spectacular, but approachable, the words sounding juuuust right, the instructions clear but not condescending, trying not to forget anything or anyone ... and all in a rather short period of time. Two, three months, really, is what you have to write a book. And then all that straight-from-the-heart work gets handed over to a bunch of strangers, who poke and prod and cut and rearrange and edit and rework and rethink this very personal endeavor. But these strangers are professionals, mind you, and they know what they are doing to make the book a book for a nation-wide or world-wide market. 1+1 does indeed equal 3. However, inevitably, something, some small bit, some tiny thing really, will end up in the published version, where you, as the author, thinks, "Hm, that's not me." "Not me" is probably a good idea, in retrospect, because a published book is not for "me," but for "you" and the pros are much better at knowing what "you" need and want than I do. Am I writing about me? My gosh, this is Alex's moment to shine, but I do want to make a point. I know Alex because I follow her blog and we have exchanged a few emails over the years. I don't know how I ended up following her blog, I think I stumbled over it, because Diana of "Oh My Bag" had... who knows anymore? Anyway, the Internet, as you may have noticed, is a big place. A really big place. And everyday I stumble upon this or that blog and I do indeed admire and am incredibly impressed by the creativity I see. But Alex's blog is "sticky" -- I kept coming back. And I kept coming back, because this is a person, I have this feeling, that if I stood behind her at the grocery store or bumped accidentally into her at a crowded farmer's market or ended up on the same beach one lazy afternoon, I would know her. I would know that we would be friends. That is the nature of her creative sewing and her words. Simple Sewing with Lola Nova, I have this feeling, really is totally Alex. The projects, the text, the book design and the amazing photography, although brought to your bookstore by a team of former strangers and in a foreign land, no less, really are a reflection of the real heart of this creative soul I know and love as Alex Smith. I love what she wrote here:

In my making life, I have never made a mistake and not learned something valuable from it.

Never made a mistake! I love that attitude and if for no other reason, I recommend this book to inspire creative making of any kind.

To begin, the book, tactilly, is a delight. The cover is sturdy and the pages have a pleasant texture. The book, like a great piece of fabric, feels good in the hands. You can see that my copy, but a couple of weeks old, is a bit scratched, because I have been picking it up again and again.

Simple Sewing does not belie it's title. For those of you who sew Fledge and have cursed the day I was born with my 32+ piece sewing patterns, Simple Sewing will be a blessed reprieve. Many readers of this blog will likely not need a lot of instruction on making a square envelop pillow or simple drawstring bag. For you, however, I recommend studying Alex's aesthetic. I find it sublime. She mixes old and new and minimalist and quirky in a way that is fresh and inspiring. Lace paired with geometric print? What anarchy is this? Adorable scrap patches to place on anything anywhere? Such random whimsey and happiness? Who knew? Alex's style works really well for me, because I have quite the eclectic collection of furnishings -- collected, scavenged, Dumpster-dived-for -- which are better than nothing, but certainly none of which really go together (a style I call "uck-lectic"...).

For beginning sewists, I cannot think of a better place to start. Simple ideas, described in easy to follow instructions with lots of photographed illustrations, sublimely executed.

And here's a little Luziapimpinella ;)

25 projects with instructions and templates to decorate, organize, play, gift and -- darn it! -- just do! Just put a chicken on it! It is creative therapy. While it is good for the body to exercise for an hour at least three times a week, I'd argue that creating something for an hour at least three times a week is good for the soul. Many of these ideas can be whipped up quickly. Instead of fighting the traffic and the crowds for some iPhone cover or Chia Pet this holiday shopping season, wouldn't it be great to retreat into your creative corner and come out with several "Pockets full of Posies" or "Hook Books" to give to your favorite people?

Speaking of putting chickens on things...

... it was like this: Some time ago, Alex sent me a beautiful package and included much Lola Nova loveliness -- including this shopper. One time when I handed this bag to the check-out guy, he said, "Put a bird on it!"

And I'm like, "Dude! This bag came from Portlandia and somebody in Portlandia really did put a bird on it!"

I guess you had to be there...

And as far as putting chickens on things...best car ever!

Amazon in the U.S. is currently not listing the book, but there are many sellers, who are listing the book for less than a couple a sawbucks (around $18). So enjoy!

And congratulations, dear Alex, you knocked it out of the park!

Green, green is my Photostream...

Playing along here on luziapimpinella!


Mostly Beijing and Miami...

Summer

And THAT was summer!

Happy Back to School!

Small but mighty, big but tastey

Did I tell you my girl is Los Angeles County Junior Lifeguard this summer? She breezed through the swim test with an excellent time. And she's a frontrunner in swimming and beach running. I'll admit (to you, not to her): I had pretty low expectations. I wasn't sure she'd qualify. But she's excelling. She's small, but mighty. Who knew? Maybe this is her thing.

The day before Junior Lifeguards starts: "Do I have to go? I hate Junior Guards. I don't want to go. You can't make me go!"

The first day after I pick her up from Junior Lifeguards:"I love JG's!! Our instructor is soooooo nice! I got fourth in swimming! And first for girls! I love Junior Guards!!"

(Uh-huh. Told you so.)

In addition to lots of buoy swims and beach runs and calisthenics, there is also the occasional cookie contest.  ("JG" is short for "Junior Guards"). Pwn'd biggest cookie category. Uh-huh!

Because because because because because

Looks like a tornado hit my office. Which means I've been sewing. Or that a tornado hit. Considering what I came up with, it could have been either one.

Mein Office sieht aus, als wäre ein Wirbelsturm eingeschlagen. D. h. ich habe genäht. Oder daß ein Wirbelsturm tatsächlich eintraf. Angesichts was hinterblieb, kann es auch beides gewesen sein.

Cross my heart, I didn't start down the yellow brick road on purpose. My girl is growing up and I was thinking about a design that was fun and fresh, but not little girl. Vintage dresses with wasp waistlines  have been catching my eye, so that was the direction I wanted to head. To figure out the waistline, I thought I'd practice with a high-wasited suspender skirt. And I had this remnant of blue gingham. It wasn't until I was fitting the thing on my piggy-tailed girl that I'd recognized that I'd sewn an allusion to one of the most iconic looks of the Twentieth Century. Imposerus! (not-even-a-rhinocerus-imposerus).

Ganz ohne Lüge, bin ich nicht der Gelbenen Straße absichtlich spazieren gegangen. Mein Mädchen wird älter und ich dachte an Designs nach, die frisch und fun, jedoch nicht kleinmädchenhaft sind. Wespentaillen der 50er sind meine Herausfoderung...zum Üben ein Trägerrock...und wie wäre's mit'm karierten Stoffrest. Nicht bis zu dem Augenblick, als ich zur Probe den Rock meinem Zöpfchen tragenden Mädchen anzog, hatte ich erkannt, daß ich eins der ikonischsten Looks des 20sten Jahrhunderts angespielt hätte. Zauber.

Complete with Ruby Chucks.

Samt Rubinchucks.

At this point, well, I'd been taken by the twister, so I decided to make note of the journey along the hem..."Not in Kansas any more".

Then I embellished up a t-shirt with New York this and that, because the Big Apple is the Emerald City, in a way.

Tja. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt bin ich vom Wirbelsturm ohne Ausweg gesnappt. Daher den Hinweis am Zaum "Nicht mehr im Kansas..." 

MyMaki Liber-T glittery transfer.

Well, that isn't the only thing I sewed. I made something completely different. This shiny silver AMELIE tunic and silver denim shorts.

Also, ich habe auch was anderes genäht. Was ganz anderes. Dieses glitzernes AMELIE und silberne Jeansshorts.

See? Completely different. Nothing Wizard of Oz here...

Siehste? Ganz, ganz anders. Nichts Zauberer von Oz...

Oh, if I only had a brain...

Hätt ich nur ein bisschen Hirn...

FYI: Skirt original design. Tunic AMELIE Farbenmix. Shorts KATI from Farbenmix. Silver denim from Banberryplace. MyMaki Liber-T glitter transfer from Farbenmix.

Losing is for winners

Saturday was the "Hennesey's Junior Lifeguard Paddleboard Championships." A local pub raises money for a worthy cause while producing photographic fodder for its walls.

My kid is a strong paddleboarder. Really strong.

Or so I thought.

He knew better. He knew he wasn't the best out there. He knew he wasn't going to win. Or come in second. Or third. Or fourth. (Or...eighth...not even eighth? Ninth. He finished ninth.)

But he really wanted to do it.

But why? When you knew you weren't anywhere near a frontrunner? Why bother?

Oh. Right.



That's why.

Because it was really awesome. Losing was awesome. Winning probably was way awesomer, but losing? Great, too.

Somewhere around 12,000 athletes from 205 nations will converge in London in about 18 days for their chance at one of about 300 gold medals. That's about 2.5% chance of winning. These are the people, who have trained all their lives, who have spent life savings, for whom families sacrificed time and money, who, since they were children jumped higher, ran faster, threw further, shone a bit brighter than anybody else for miles and miles and miles around. These are the winners. All they have done all their lives is win. And they are coming to London to lose. Yes, lose. They have a 97.5% chance of losing. They know their competition and they know, that while they may be faster, stronger, more skilled than most everybody else--ever--they just aren't stronger or faster or more skilled than that guy. And that guy. And that one over there. And him, too. All that training and time and sacrifice and cost just to lose.

Why?

Oh. Right. Because it is awesome to lose at the Olympics.

Which brings me to a new motto for me: "Dare to suck". Athletes and artists and entrepreneurs, face it, you're going to lose sometimes. Probably a lot of the time. Maybe all the time. But you might just win. And losing at something you love is not really totally losing, right?

Thanks, son, for reminding me of that.

Maternal Beings

While down in the Arts District one morning, I ran into a muralist at work. Damon Martin is exploring a certain "Razzle Dazzle" style, reminiscent of razzle dazzle camouflage. Razzle dazzle is contrasting colors and geometric shapes, which, while doing little to really hide a vessel, does play visual tricks with the enemy, making it difficult to estimate the type, speed and heading of the razzle dazzled craft. Zebras have employed this technique for millenia, as well. The zebra's savanna neighbor, the elephant, has no such camouflage. Although a nice neutral grey, elephants are just big. Really big. Really big targets. About as easy to hit with a rifle as, well, the side of this building.



At the risk of anthropomorphizing these noble creatures, elephants have been observed expressing what can only be described as real emotion: Tremendous communal joy at the birth of a baby elephant, days of grief at a death, happiness and excitement at family reunions, and compassion when a calf is born prematurely. Elephants also exhibit rage: Charging villages, destroying crops and endangering people, without, it appears, immediate provocation. Anger exhibited by the matriarch will manifest in rage in the entire herd. ("Happy mother, happy home" - you've heard that, right? Probably experienced it as well, ne c'est pas?) Some researchers believe elephants are experiencing a "species-wide" rage, a traumatic stress disorder resulting from decades of killing, habitat loss and climate change. Mr. Martin has painted this mural some 9,000 miles from the nearest wild elephant in the hopes of bringing attention to the plight of our earthly co-citizens.



Elephants are also immensely maternal. Baby elephants are tiny compared to their mothers and walk underneath them--remarkably without ever getting stepped on. Mother and child remain in constant touch, the calf grasping the mother's tail and the mother continually caressing the calf with her trunk. Bonds between mother and daughter elephants have been observed to last well over 50 years. Speaking of which, this here is Damon Martin's mother: 75 years old, sitting on the hard concrete in the hot Los Angeles sun, doing touch-up work. Perhaps elephants are not the only ones to form long and strong maternal bonds.

 

See PBS Nature for more information.