Girl on the Rocks

Damask January 21, 2008

I have a soft spot for intricate, velvety wallpaper. Luckily I get my fix about once a week at the Mel-o-Dee where my knitting group meets. While I was visiting Los Angeles a few months ago, I ran across a crazy bathroom that had 5 different kinds of flocked damask wallpaper, and I took some pictures.

In fact, i started a Flickr group. So if you are out in the wild and see some wallpaper, take a picture and send it my way…

My recent Damask discoveries don’t end with wallpaper. A bit of browsing at Reprodepot has revealed the most fantastic modern Damask ever – Echino Woodland

Click through and check it out…. Hidden in the patter are skulls, bugs, and woodland animals. it is amazing. Too bad it costs an arm and a leg (also available at Superbuzzy).

I also found one more Animal damask - this one featuring only rabbits.

I would love to have these on my walls!

Gifts for the crafty – Part ii – Fabric December 6, 2007

Fabric is one of the staple materials for crafters, and a great fabric can bring a drab project to life. If you are shopping for a crafty friend and you are not sure if they have a sewing machine, recommend buying a gift certificates. All of the places I’ll mention have plenty of craft notions and kits…

Online Fabric sellers

• Superbuzzy: One of the biggest selections of japanese import fabrics that I find nearly irresistible.

  

• Reprodepot You can find a smattering of japanese import fabrics here, but also many vintage reproduction fabrics (hence the name). i am also a bg fan of their numerous apron patterns.
• J. Caroline Creative This is an awesome one-stop online fabric shop. They have my favorite fabric designers (Alexander Henry, Michael Miller, Kaufman) and a fantastic selection of canvas, duck cloth and corduroy. The notions that have are super-useful too – magnetic snaps, ribbons, and purse handles to name a few.

Lino print on fabric October 30, 2007

Jezze is doing a series on lino block printing on fabric - I am riveted!

Saturday Shopping August 11, 2007

I had a plan to get a lot of work done today, but I couldn’t start until after a visit to my favorite thrift store. Carmen and I walked the few blocks that separates our apartment building from an adorable little thrift store. I had two great finds today – a set of 4 woven placemats, and a pyrex bowl. edit: How could I forget to mention… the bowl was only $1

And they happen to match! How cute!

Speaking of cute, I noticed that Superbuzzy is having a sale on some of their items. If you haven’t shopped there before, Superbuzzy carries a TON of cute Japanese import fabric. Be warned – it is too adorable to resist. Here is a selection from one of my previous purchases.

I noticed that there are some cute cross-stitch tape kits on sale too. Tempting…..

Hopefully next time I post I will have finished a pair of handknit socks for myself.

Thrifting Down Under September 14, 2006

Sarah and Carmen and I took a drive on the Great Ocean Road. It was beautiful and scenic, as expected. Somehow, I dont have any pictures of it. Oh right, I forgot my camera. Sarah did get some snaps of the ‘Twelve Apostles,’ the natural wonder that was our destination…

As I was still need of a bathing suit for later in my vacation I kept dragging everyone into every surf shop we passed. While in Lorne we ran into a small, chucrh-run thrift store, where i found thrifting gold. I can only guess that “Doona” means comforter in australian… I got two twin sized Doona covers covered in australian marsiupials for $6 AUD.

only have crappy pic right now, better ones to come

An Echidna

A koala

And I also snagged a couple of yards of cotton canvas that has blue flowers all over it for $1AUD

Bounty from the Godforsaken island August 10, 2006

Last weekend I went to what is technically called an ‘Antiques Sale’ at the Naval base in alameda*. After arriving i realized that this was the event casually referred to by some as the ‘Alameda Flea Market.’ It takes place the first weekend of the month at the old naval base in alameda (you know, the place where the mythbusters go to make a big mess…). For anyone that had to spend 10 hours touring the decommissioned USS hornet with their Dad, it’s right by there. It has a really nice view of san francisco (crappy photo here… And some really great bargains. Here is my less than $20 (including $5 admission) haul:

I was planning to give the bowling ball bag (which is in SUPER shape) to a bowler i know that needs one, but i talked him out of it, so i get to keep it! The fabric was labelled as ‘vintage’ but I am not so sure; it is immaculately clean and has no fading. Got a bunch of knitting needles in US 1, 2, and 3s that are only 7 inches long. These are hard to find in general, and i would hate to pay for new ones. I also got a bunch of buttons in ziploc bags which i promptly transferred to a mason jar. Based on my garage sale and thrifting experience, the most desirable resting place for buttons must be a jar.

*Often referred to by me as “the godforsaken island” though i am not sure why I started doing this. i have always known it is nice there. i guess i like to remind myself that it is an island. weird.