Dumbarton Oaks

our Memorial Day plans origionally included a trip to PA to see Longwood gardens but we canceled them in favor of a little r~n~r at home. to satifsy my garden itch i invited my mom to come along with me on Sunday to Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown. this is one of those places i've been meaning to visit forever! WOW was it worth it.

we had the most perfect weather, not hot, not cold, no clouds.

there were no crowds! i'm not sure if this was because it was a holiday weekend but i really don't care why the locals and tourists were not flocking to this garden~i hate crowds, i love gardens, more for me!


here we found Pan in a little hiden corner.

we timed the visit just right for the end of the peony blooms and the peak of the roses.

i have no idea what this thorny bramble bush is but these spikes were large (4-6") and the bushes were 8-12' tall.

although there are numerous "rooms" to the garden each with a different theme the overall feel was very Italian in style. this makes sense since the garden was bequeathed to Harvard mainly for Byzantine, garden and landscape studies (as well as other areas of study).

tagged, i am

Cici of sistahs that knit tagged me so here goes...

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."


1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
i was graduating from SCAD, trying to find a job in the textile industry, preparing to move from ga back to md

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
work, blog, nia, cook, laundry, knit (okay that's 6)

3) Snacks I enjoy:
edamamme, french fries (weakness rarely indulged), fruit, pita chips & hummus, nuts-various other than peanuts & cheese

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
start my own company, donate, travel, help out family, invest, own a farm

5) Places I have lived:
Philippines, Maryland, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia

6) Jobs I have had:
carpet designer, textile designer, retail sales (all sorts), manager of Mrs. Fields cookie store


7) Bloggers I am tagging who you will enjoy getting to know better (hope they won't mind):
Christina
Kara
Marley
Sarah
Betz

kitty alarm clock

this is to funny not to share, if you don't have cat's you probably won't understand.

ICFF Accessories

there were a lot of accessories being offered this year, many being additions to furniture or lighting lines and others companies with a focus on this category. below was an offering from a furniture company whom i presume was looking for a whimsical way of using up wood scraps. these blocks have wind up music makers with many melodies to choose from and they wobble around as they play. i can't find this company anywhere and apparently i didn't get a business card so let me know if you have additional info on this exhibitor.


Dwell Studio had a nice line up of linens and children's accessories and furniture shown. the designs focused on organic silhouettes, classic fretwork and more traditional renderings of organic subjects such as flowers, leaves, insects and birds.


there was a strong presence of British & UK design this year. this velcro wall system by Rachel O'Neill of northern Ireland, was another creative use of everyday materials. she also creates lighting and other accessories using velcro assembled in various ways.

British designer Lucy Renshaw's accessories are self described as "Bespoke Eco Furniture" which accurately identifies these accessories created using found textiles and other recycled objects in bright and funky color combinations.

there were a lot of black and white accessories with bright pop's of color. eco & green were the buzz words of the show this year with almost every exhibitor featuring products that were made from recycled materials, found objects, ecologically sustainable woods (FSC Certified) and other such materials. due to this there was a strong handmade presence or at least a visible "hand" in much of the work created.

ICFF Lighting

i am always drawn to lighting that is unique and uses new or unusual materials. this year at ICFF there were quite a few lighting vendors that caught my eye.

i don't have all the vendors names since i went for work and it was not my main focus but i do have some images to share.
from sparkles, to handmade papers, beautiful patterns and 3-d surface formations lighting is showing a strong presence and it's more creative than ever.
these feather pendant lights and handmade paper lamps were personal favorites of the show.

Josh Urso uses fabrics that have been formed and "frozen" in space. he also has a beautiful line of furniture using the same technique of molding and shaping fabric and rope into solid forms.

a very eclectic chandelier using found objects all unified by white.

Project Spectrum ~Earth WIP

here is my latest wip for the series of works i've been doing for project spectrum. the project will be shifing from the element earth (green, brown etc)to air at at the end of May. this simple, quick & free pattern for the
Lichen Cowl is fitting since Lolly founded Project Spectrum.

in planning for the next element, i did a yarn stash reorganization and inventory. while i had all (well not actually ALL!) of my yarn pulled out i was grouping them by color and decided to arrange it in a color wheel. this was really fun because it gave me a great overall sense of which colors i gravitate towards and i clearly like bright colors! i also have a LOT of natural undyed yarns from my days of working at Churchill Weavers. if you create a colorwheel with your yarn drop me a line and take a photo, i may need to create a flickr group for yarn colorwheels...

ICFF Students and Designboom

the idea behind these salt and pepper shakers is that you have to break them to use them. how clever is that? the more i thought about the idea the more i liked them, them are a simple and beautiful design from Mey & Boaz Kahn from Israel.

i forgot to include this fun trash filled chair by a student (Nick DeMarco)at the california college of the arts booth.

All Around ABC Carpet

window display at ABC~this was very minimalist for them. i fell in love with their window displays when i first visited this store in 1996. they always amaze me and don't disapoint.

cute message board in the children's section. i love to look at the children's section for inspiration. these fun little vignettes are a complete, wonderful world of fantasy and make believe. who wouldn't want to live in that surrounding?

bright and fun display of Soolip products also in the children's section.

these blank journals were a favorite of mine in the stationary section on the first floor. i didn't write down the name of the bookmaker but i believe she is Danish? they are handmade, blank and have these little "bits" sprinkled randomly on pages throughout the book. if you happen to know the name of this book maker please get in touch or leave a comment.

love these~cork wrapped glassware.

these beautiful necklaces caught my eye among all the gorgeous jewelry. of course being a "fibers" major any unique use of fabric catches my eye and the lovely use of silk as cording was just stunning. the two on the outside of the display reminded me of the vintage necklaces with the big chunky beads wrapped in fabric~do you know the ones?

this tabletop display was so inspiring to me because of the mixture of old vintage looking teacups and china with more modern earthenware. i am always struggling to mix these two styles in my own home so i found this one of the more intriguing tabletop displays.

okay this funky, shaggy chair wasn't at ABC but was at a furniture store right down the street on Broadway btwn 17 & 18th...very fun!


PS. i take notice of bloggers who do and don't use capitals and i am switching to the latter for speed of getting things published. from here forward i will only use capitals for names of People, Places and Companies. i do hope no one takes offense!

Collaborative Block Layers Round 3~Received

These are the latest unfinished blocks I have recieved. The project is becoming increasingly intersting. The materials used are wonderful, vast, unexpected and sometimes disturbing. I have spoken with several of the other artists in this project, we are all pressed for time and finding it a challenge to fit the project into our schedules as I knew we would. When the project began I spent too much time obesssing over what materials to use, what I wanted to add and how I wanted the block to look. Through the last three rounds I have been able to let go and allow a more stream of conscience reaction to lead me in my additions to these pieces. To me this project is all about the process, reacting to the other materials, finding the time to just "do" some art.

1. Block Swap Round 3-1, 2. Block Swap Round 3-2, 3. Block Swap Round 3-12, 4. Block Swap Round 3-4, 5. Block Swap Round 3-7, 6. Block Swap Round 3-6, 7. Block Swap Round 3-10, 8. Block Swap Round 3-3, 9. Block Swap Round 3-11, 10. Block Swap Round 3-8, 11. Block Swap Round 3-5, 12. Block Swap Round 3-9

Project Spectrum Earth ATC's

PSEarthATC2
Originally uploaded by WeBees

Here are the two ATC's I created for the "Earth" swap. I used earthy colors and materials including seeds from cantelope and watermelon.

I'm off to NYC for ICFF, Surtex and the National Stationary Show. I'll report back with lots of photos of the latest trends, designs and products.

Latest Library Load

Latest Library Load
Originally uploaded by WeBees

Here are the books I've got at home from the Library right now and a few of my own new purchases. Top down, a few books on Argentina as we plan for our fall trip. Alice Walker "A Poem Traveled Down my Arm"~delightful. Orchid growing book, I repotted all my orchids last weekend. "Design it Yourself"~great little how to on various things. "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver~Amazing book about her family's one year 100 mile diet~more on this later!
Book about Nelson Mandela, a few gardening books and the last two part of my textile collection: "Art Textiles of the World: The Netherlands" and Tricia Guild "Pattern" ~Whew that's a lot to read!

Mom's Birthday Gift~Hand knit washcloths

Mom's Birthday Gift
Originally uploaded by WeBees

Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons.

-- Ruth Ann Schabacker

Mothers Day at the Textile Museum

I took my mom to the Mother's Day Program and Tea: "The Language and Secrets of Wearing Japanese Kimono" with Ann Marie Moeller and Norie Watanuki
This is one time where being a shorty got me the privlege of being choosen from the audience to have the kimono dressing demonstrated on me! Wow, it was so fun, somehow the color they choose was complimentary to me and I was dressed just right to be able to take off my jacket. It took Norie about 40 minutes to fully dress me and she demonstrated two different ways of tying the obi. There are more photo's here . The kimono did keep my posture perfect and it also made it a bit hard to breath (and sit but traditionally I'd be kneeling). This was such a memorable mothers day for both my mom and I! I'm sure I won't have an opportunity like this again and I didn't want to take it off.

"Ann Marie Moeller, collector and historian of traditional Japanese textiles, and Norie Watanuki, certified kimono dresser, discuss the complexity of selecting a kimono and obi and the messages conveyed by the choices. "~ The Textile Museum

Departure from reality to El camino del Rey

Red Maple Replacment Tree

Here is the little gem of a Red Maple tree that we planted this past Sunday to replace our fallen American Plum tree. We (my husband) dug it from a neighbor and had it back in the ground within 30 min. Best of all it is a beauty and it was FREE!

I spent the better part of the day planting our seasonal flower pots, hanging baskets and various other treasures throughout the garden. Among them were herbs, some very cool dye plants (Wode and Japanese Indigo) and much to my husband's dismay, Stinging Nettle. It was a green thumb day!

All Things Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival '08

I have to say I was totally unaware of the magnitude of the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival I attended this last weekend. I attended on Saturday with a friend and her 4 year old daughter. The weather was a perfect spring day! The festival was VERY crowded, having no basis of comparison I don't know if it was more or less crowded than normal. I have realized that I am not a crowd person so this was a lesson in exercising extreme patience. I continued to look on the bright side by taking in all the wonderful yarn, the beautiful animals (sheep, lama, rabbits etc.), the beautiful drive in the country, my best friends birthday, viewing the experience in the eyes of a 4 year old. All this was good; for the most part. My friends daughter was very excited to see the sheep and started the day by running excitedly and falling immediately, skinning her knee. Because she was so upset and in pain, she was afraid of the sheep and need her knee fixed up. So, she and mom found a food line of choice to wait in while I went to hunt down a band aid back at the entrance to the fair. About 30 min later, I returned with Cotton Candy, a crayola band aid and they were at the front of the food line. Things improved from there, we had a picnic in a shady spot, watched the Sheep herding and did a little shopping before heading out. I must say that the events of the day as they occurred saved me some serious cash. Next year I will budget both my time and money, arrive earlier, and be more mentally prepared for the crowds and the show.


1. Maryland-Sheep and Wool-2008, 2. My Levin & Raja fleece from Y33 aka Opal, 3. Brooks Farm, 4. DSC00197.JPG, 5. IMG_5133, 6. Sheep, 7. Ramy, 8. Snuggly Sheep, 9. hello there, 10. 2008 Sheep to Shawl competition, 11. Sheep Shearing, 12. Sheep and Goat Cheese, 13. Line of cars waiting to enter, 14. Lamb, 15. double horn Jacob sheep, 16. Fibre Co. Organik, 17. Tess' Superwash Merino Lace, 18. MDSW 2008: Brooks Farm, 19. Eat our dust!, 20. Closer
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

I did bring home a few wonderful things from the show; Yarn, soap, needles, a pattern, some herbal moth repellent, a few plants from Putnam Hill Nursery and a beautiful pewter pin.