{Fabric Friday} back to school....

When the yellow buses start cruisin' the streets again, and there is a crispness is in the air, it could only mean one thing... back to school. I get fairly nostalgic around this time of year and gravitate towards certain colors and patterns. I have literally gone back to school more years than not really. After college I went on to graduate school, and after that, I taught at the local community college part time (for about 12 yrs) but seemed to most consistently teach in the Fall along with my husband. The last Fall that I taught painting, was when I was pregnant which was very interesting and there is a whole different list of textures & palettes associated with that. But generally, Fall reminds me of earthy rich tones, argyle, plaid, cozy textures, apple & flower imagery, and the feeling that anything can happen.

The influence of the '70's and the '80's is so apparent when you browse in any store these days. So, it isn't just me getting caught in my own memories... it really is all around. However, have said that, I do tend to pick up fabrics that remind me of a dress I had,  a palette I liked growing up, or any other strong childhood association. The argyle fabric reminds me of the '80's and my love for United Colors of Benetton clothing. I had a sweaters, scarves & socks to match that argyle fabric and to this day, am kicking myself for not keeping all of it. The fabrics pictured trigger some little sweet memory along with reminding me of back to school.  The plaid on the top is actually part of a series of Michael Miller fabrics called, "Brady Bunch".  

In this back to school, klt:fabric stash you will find: A little Michael Miller, Lecien, Robert Kaufman, Alexander Henry, & Amy Butler. I hope you enjoy this season whether you or someone you know is going back to school. Each day seems exciting, awkward, and full of endless possibilities- and really that's when cool stuff happens. Happy Fabric Friday! Enjoy your long weekend...

{Everyday Inspiration} vintage children's books...

I seem to be cruising through nostalgia row lately. If I am not on looking online for vintage Fisher Price toys, then I am on the search for cool vintage fabrics. I'm completely in touch with the things that I enjoyed as a child and finding that I am pulling heavily from my childhood memories for color & imagery inspirations. I have been collecting children's books for years- Sayer has a lot that he hasn't even seen yet. But lately, I have been drawn to vintage children's books that I may not have picked up before I knew Sayer. 

These are all fairly new to our library (except the Little Engine That Could which was mine or my brother's) and definitely chosen with Sayer's interests in mind. Sayer has been really interested in the Statue of Liberty. He wants his hair to look like the spikes and he would like to visit her nose. I found the Statue of Liberty book locally a few weeks ago and it has been a favorite at story time (but oh, so boring). I have learned all sorts of things about the statue but admittedly spice it up  a bit when I am reading it. The book Les Trains & Les Avions books came from monsieur minouchet and for now we are just looking at the pictures (until we learn French). This last one, Floating and Sinking, was just found at Frecklewonder.

The colors are beautiful- blues and greens with little shots of ochre yellow and red. I absolutely LOVE the illustrations in the Floating and Sinking book. This is definitely a palette that not only is seen a lot in my fabric stacks, but apparently my books stacks as well. Book stores are my most frequented and favorite places for collecting inspirational data, without a question. Where do you look  to find interesting color combinations?

{Fun} Letters & Numbers...

It's September 1st and that means back to school for a lot of kids today. The bustle is in the air and it definitely feels like Fall. I put together a little Etsy Treasury that celebrates the first day of school & my love of typography- all about numbers & letters. Welcome September!

{Good Read} la petite issue 2

The wait is over and the new issue of La Petite is came out today! Have you seen it yet? I am such a fan. The photos are gorgeous and the whole magazine is quite inspirational. Rachelle over at Kenziepoo and co-editor Jennifer, are really doing a wonderful job with La Petite - you can  tell it's a labor of love. So hop on over and give it a flip through here. Meanwhile, I look forward to when I can really hunker down and read every word. Job well done Rachelle & Jennifer!

Traveling Kitties...

These curious kitties kept me company until the wee hours  over the weekend. They seemed to create a bit of a polyfil explosion in the studio and kept me on my toes. However Monday, they started their big journey to Japan. I really hope they have a good trip. I do always wonder what sort of adventures my plush critters embark on and where they will call home. Funny how most of them are better traveled than me. My final wish is that they will all find someone to cuddle and love them.

{Music Monday} old school studio tunes...

The studio hours that I have been putting in lately have been very reminiscent of my art school days. The blurry eyes, flowing ideas, late nights (or early mornings) and being covered in whatever materials that I am working with, has been the norm. It's taking me back to the music  that I used to listen to in my old college art building. One band that stands out in particular is Talking Heads. I used to watch, Stop Making Sense, over and over, not to mention the soundtrack was a favorite.  Many Talking Heads songs make me stop whatever I am doing so that I can dance- it is just an immediate reaction.  Here is a TH song that I still love to this day- along with an affection for  David Byrne dancing with the lamp at the end of the video (I had a lamp just like that in college that I too shared a few late night dances with). 

It is funny how this song has taken on different meanings over the years. It reminds me of when I met Chris actually- even though that was quite a few years later than when I first discovered my love of the song. I was listening to a lot of Shawn Colvin at that time and she did a remake of,  This Must Be the Place, that was much slower and the lyrics were more recognizable. Regardless, home is really where I want to be and I have a better idea of what home is now. Happy Music Monday! Hope this song makes you stand up and boogie a little bit- or dance with the nearest lamp.   

About the image:

Chris made "Page Turner's Cabin" for hutch studio.

Photo taken by Chris Theiss, 2010