We spent the past week celebrating Sofia's first dozen years on this earth. After twelve years, she's still the same little girl who laughs out loud, dances in public (in this case the Dodger game!) and dresses like it's nobody's business. She keeps us all smiling and reminds me everyday that I am lucky to be a mom.
About two years ago, we heard that Hollywood was hip again and developers were planning a massive construction in the exact area where French General was located. We went to community meetings, heard grand plans of saving the little pink house, tried to buy the property and finally realized...it was time to move out of the house and into a new space where we weren't waiting for tractors and cranes to arrive. 
We continued to search for another three months, and finally, while zipping down to my dad's 75th birthday celebration, we spotted a small warehouse with a tiny For Rent sign hanging up near the roof. We called and made an appointment for the next day. Dawn, JZ and I walked in on Monday morning at 10am, huddled in the back for about 2 minutes and then said, "We'll take it."
When the owner finally decided we were the right tenants, he handed me his card and in an instant, I realized he was one of my dad's old friends - from thirty years ago. At that moment all of the stress and anxiety of moving washed away and I realized we had found our new home. So, if you can be patient, give us a couple of months, we will re-open on our regular Fridays with a new and improved French General - complete with regular Friday classes!
My mom and I stopped by one of my favorite old garden shops and wandered through the aisles of well grown vines, roses and grasses. I think I might have been a gardener in my previous life - or at least I hope I was! Anselmo, my gardener from years ago is coming this weekend to help me plant a new field of lavender.
I was really excited to be asked to teach at this year's Silver Bella in Omaha Nebraska - November 12th - 14th. I know that sounds like years from now - but it's really just around the corner! For those of you who don't know, Silver Bella was started by Teresa McFayden as a paper arts event where people gather to take art and craft classes together. I wasn't sure if I totally belonged, but I have been told that people are excited to take my two classes - a charm bracelet class and a rosary necklace class. Some of the other instructors this year include: Pam Garrison, Rebecca Sower, Charlotte Lyons, Denise Sharp, Anna Corba, Jennifer Murphy and Teresa McFayden. I just peeked at the website and it looks like the 3-day event has already sold out for this year - but if you are interested for the following year keep your eye on the Silver Bella site - Teresa usually announces the classes in early April and it fills up within days.
I have finally finished the rag rug that I began weaving over a year ago! Woven out of old hemp scraps dyed in shades of red and coral, cotton vichy fabric from France and scraps of cotton and wool yarn, this is truly a rag rug - in the best sense of the word! After finishing the weaving on the loom, I finished it by twisting the cotton warp ends and then letting them twist upon themselves and then knotting each so they wouldn't unravel.
I love it when the dots connect. Moda heard (or read) that we were doing a giveaway of scraps from our new collection, Rouenneries. Being the great folks they are, they shipped me a big old box of our scraps and threw in a few jelly rolls, honey buns, dessert rolls and layer cakes (see below for full explanation). So, to spread the love a bit, Sofia picked out 4 lucky winners who will all receive a box full of sweet scraps! If the lucky winners would please leave me their address and their bakery choice I will get these out in the mail soon.
Finally - it happened! I received the box I had waited so many months for - the Moda box! Filled with our new collection, Rouenneries, the box was brimming with five yards of each floral print we designed. Old reds, dusty pinks, natural grey and tea stained grounds - all very French General and very simple. I really love it - now if I could just cut into it and start making something special! The collection will be making it's debut at the Philadelphia Quilt Show next week - and then shipping to stores in this fall. We'll be carrying my favorite designs on-line and in the shop also. Just to get the ball rolling - and because I am dying to see what people design with our new collection - I am going to cut up some scraps of fabric and send out a couple boxes of samples. Please leave a comment about your ideas and we'll pick out a couple of names at the end of the week. Bonne Chance!
Did I mention that Sofia received First Prize for her science fair entry this year?! Dying Fabric with Natural Plants was an ingenious idea - if I do say so myself - and Sofia took hold of the reins from the get-go. First she picked out the fabric - I convinced her that using 19th century hemp would make this project more organic - she agreed. Choosing the plants was easy - she had seen the way the turmeric root stained my hands yellow every time I was cooking with it. Beets were on the list - that was a no brainer. Then, just to see what would happen, she chose blackberries, coffee and spinach. She boiled 1/2 cup of each of the ingredients in a vat of three cups of water to make the dye bath. She dropped in three pieces of 4x4 hemp to each bath.
After one hour, she took out a piece of fabric from each pot - and continued removing fabric squares after one day and then finally, three days. Sofia kept a log of what happened throughout the experiment: the state of the plants as they were cooking (beets loose all of their color) and how the fabric looked once it had dried. At the end of the three days, she had created a very natural color palette out of each of the plants. We were surprised to learn the the turmeric and beets gave off the least amount of color and the blackberries and coffee gave off the most. 
I am always getting myself into situations and then thinking - why did I do that? Perfect example - this month's giveaway. What was I thinking asking people to name their favorite club, think back to their childhood and tell us all about their club memories? There were so many great ones, it's been really hard to chose just one! Here are just some of my favorites...
We have a club at French General called Un, Deux, Trois - a jewelry club where members are sent a necklace, bracelet and earring kit each month. The kits are made up with limited, vintage materials - there are only so many kits I can make - so the kits aren't sold outside of the club. Because of this, our club is a bit exclusive. A year long subscription to the club costs $600, plus $30 shipping - so not everyone can afford to join. It's a one time charge to help eliminate paperwork. I get an e-mail once in a while wondering about the cost, the kits, and how one can purchase the kits individually. I have to remind myself that 36 jewelry kits at$17 each isn't so bad - paying all of it upfront is! 
Sofia and I are still having fun - now we're in the desert - staying at one of our all time favorite places - Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel. We drove out on Monday and have had perfect weather - days in the eighties and nights in the seventies. Sitting around the pools for hours on end, we have met some interesting locals. Built in classic Mid-Century Modern style, the 50-room hotel offers eight natural hot mineral water pools – one Olympic size pool and seven large circular jacuzzi and soaking pools ranging in temperature from 70°F to 104°F. Today, we headed south to Palm Springs and had a wonderful Mexican lunch on Palm Drive. Back to reality tomorrow - we head home and I send off the final designs for the Moda Spring 2010 line...never a dull moment!
For the past couple of years, I have been fantasizing about traveling to India. I probably have some romantic notion about staying in some grand old Indian palace, eating authentic Indian food, and observing the old textile printing factories by day.
Just 40 minutes south of Hollywood, off of the 91 east, lies a short block that is filled with Indian culture - the 1800 block of Pioneer Boulevard. We started in the clothing shops - looking for a sari....until a nice Indian man told us they could be difficult to wear and maybe we would be more comfortable in linen pants and a linen tunic...YES! Next stop was the beauty salon where we picked up a small tube of freshly made henna - for the necessary embellished hand tattoo. Mango lasses and kachori for lunch. The last time I had kachori was in an Indian restaurant in New York where the menu listed it as: very good, but too difficult to explain. 
The lunch spot we found, The Standard, explained it as Indian nachos. After lunch we strolled through the markets amazed at the 10 pound bags of lentils and cloves! Then a quick stop at the jewelry bazaar for bangles and bindi's - home by 3 - I love LA.
I am hitting the road this month and heading up to the Remnants of the Past Antique Show on Saturday, April 25th. Organized by Judy Watkins, this twice a year event promises antiques, embellishments and rare finds. The show gathers over 50 antique dealers together for a day of inspiration and creativity - not to mention lots of good old stuff! The show is located in the barn at the Dana-Powers House. I'll be signing copies of our books and teaching a charm bracelet class. If you happen to live in the area and would like to join in a class, e-mail Judy at judy@remnantsofthepast.com for a $40 class ticket. Hope to see you there!
It feels so good to actually see the finish line on the horizon - to know that a project is almost finished and to think about all that extra time that may be coming my way. In reality - as soon as we finish one project another has already begun. I received the final Moda fabric prints this week - ahhh...it worked - I think! The reds are old, the pinks are soft and the naturals are calm. At one point when I was looking at the fabric samples, I thought I was looking at old fabric - old fabric that I really wanted! The next step is the International Quilt Market in May, where the line will be presented to craft and quilt shops from all over the world. Pittsburgh here I come!
Back on Crosby Street in New York, a man named Neville Trickett walked into the shop, walked around for a long time and then came up to the counter and said he thought our shop had a soul. A soul. I had never thought about a shop having a soul before - but when he said it, I believed it. It wasn't long after that, we packed up the shop and moved FG out to California. I often wondered what ever happened to Neville - I knew he and his wife, Sharon, owned and managed a creative retail space in Durban, South Africa named Saint Verde. They hired local craft people to weave baskets, blow glass and forge metal; they grew indigenous flowers and plants and displayed them in a garden house; and, they collected old textiles which they blended in with their borosilica glass collection. The day I met Neville in New York, he was being presented with a recognition award at FIT for Retail Visionary of the Year.
Last August, as I was working away in the shop, there was a knock at the door around 3:00. I was working with Casandra, and I told her that I would see who it was and let them know we were just about to sit down and finally eat our lunch. Maybe they could come back later? It turned out to be Cheryl and Lissa from Moda Fabrics and the very talented Joanna from Fig Tree and Co. 
If you live in the Los Angeles area and have been wanting to take one of our beading classes - I am teaching one this week at the new and improved Reform School in Silverlake, Friday night from 7-10. Since we are right around the corner form St. Patrick's Day, I thought a lucky charm necklace would fit the bill. Full of old good luck amulets and prairie green beads, this necklace will be a lucky charm to wear for years. There are still a few spots left in the class - call today and reserve (323 906-8660) if you are interested!
We recently finished our fourth book, Handmade Soirees. After months of propping, crafting, writing, food propping and table setting - we're done. Everything went pretty smoothly - as books go - our only glitch came when shooting the cover. I know I shouldn't judge a book by its' cover - but I often do. I want the cover to tell me the story of what's inside - the good stuff. We shot and re-shot ideas for the cover - nothing seemed to work just right. Finally, we let go and thought - it'll be alright - a little of this and a little of that - maybe a bit of magic book dust thrown in too...it will be fine. So - now we wait. A book takes almost one year from the time we begin till we see it in the bookstores. Normally, I would lay awake at night worrying about what if we had shot that idea outside, or why didn't I use the striped tablecloth instead of the hemp one? Details. No time to worry this time - we've already begun Book No. 5 - our look inside Tinsel Trading's basement. I am already starting to think about the cover!
Not many people are lucky enough to have a vendor that pulls their car right up your driveway and lets you dig in. Rochelle drives her caravan (or van) to FG about once a month and lets me rifle through her suitcases of old French fabric, passamenterie and silver luggage tags. Underneath layers and layers of old boxes and bags, Rochelle has a very sophisticated collection of 18th and 19th century home decorating inspiration. This past week I found a length of silk ribbon samples sewn together- Victorian? - maybe a little earlier; a scrap of red Toile de Mulhouse from Alsace, France; and a pile of colorful, old prints (plates) of men's costumes and accessories - they are "Incroyables et merveilleuses"! Since each one is different - I won't be able to sell them online (too much work) but if you are interested, come by FG someday and you can choose your favorite one.
Rochelle doesn't sell everything in the van - which is a little maddening when I finally dig out an amazing pair of Aubusson tapestries. Actually what she said was, "You can't afford those" and she's probably right - I like the scraps of old fabric that look like it got caught under a tire and then chewed by a goat...which is kinda what these Aubussons looked like - sans the goat chewing. After I took this photo of Rochelle, she said "Oh, you're going to make me look like a crazy woman!" and then we both just laughed! Vendors - they are crazy and colorful and I am lucky to work with some of the best!
After tallying up all of the votes in our Scrap Beauty Contest, our winner is....Pants Pants Revolution! It seems that everyone really appreciated the time and effort that Susan Elliott put into her project. She not only made a scrap beauty but she involved all nine of her nieces in the process - and by the looks of it - they had as much fun as she did! Read more about Susan's entry here- it is a whole story in itself.
Thank you to all who have shown interest in escaping to the south of France this summer! Our trip has been confirmed - so far twelve women have signed up and decided to throw caution to the wind and live the life of a French country woman. I am sending out confirmation letters today along with a rooster badge - thought this might be a good way to be recognized at the airport or train station! 
If you have ever been in our notion room, you know that we have beads from floor to ceiling - literally - we are busting out at the seams. Thursday, as Dawn was quietly enjoying her lunch - the shelf filled with dozens of apothecary jars of old beads - came crashing down. The heart-stopping noise surrounded Dawn and, like a trooper, she picked up her lunch and walked outside (mainly to avoid the layer of dust that came up from the crash!) She called me at home and said the strangest thing had just happened at the shop. When I asked her how bad was it -and she didn't answer - I knew it was bad. JZ and I rushed over and we all went right to work cleaning it up and in swooped my mom and dad and put all the beads and broken glass in their car and drove off to start the work of removing the glass shards and then separating the beads. So - the pink and cranberry and peach (all my favorite colors!) beads - will have their second life - appearing back at the shop soon. Mom for this, you get Sorter of the Year Award!
Although we thought more people would be challenged to dig into their stash and create a Scrap Beauty - it seems there are more hoarders out there than I knew! A handful of entries made it's way into our studio - and here is a look at the best of the best - actually everything we got! Enjoy these fun creations - made by people all over this big country! Thank you to everyone who participated and for your patience...everything takes a little time around here!
If you are out and about and happen to see the latest issue of Selvedge Magazine, be sure to pick up a copy! Our article, True Lineage: The Trials and Tribulations of a Ticking Collector (say that a few times fast!) was finally completed and published in the March issue. Written with details of how and why we collect ticking, along with a history of the striped cloth and some colorful tales of my friend, Elizabeth Baer from Bath - or Mrs. Ticking - as she's known in certain circles. 
I'm a bit obsessed with old hemp. Anyone that comes to our house for an overnight visit usually stays in our sun room and sleeps between antique hemp sheets. If they are the hardy type, like one of my brothers, they get one of the heavily textured (some might even say scratchy!) sheets. But if they are a first nighter, I start them off with the best - maybe even a soft linen sheet on the bottom and a cool, crisp nettle sheet on top. The combinations are endless and if guests are game, I like to switch it up a bit each night. Try the fil linen sheet on top and the nubby hemp/linen sheet on the bottom, or no feather filled duvet at all and just the heavy hemp/nettle sheet on the top! Usually, and not always, but usually people wake up in the morning with a good story. "I've never slept so well" or maybe "I was too hot - I need a lighter sheet" - and my favorite, "I dreamt that I was back in the womb again!"
Sheets do that - especially 200 year old sheets that were woven at home on a small loom and then stitched together down the middle with tiny little secret stitches. The fibers in these sheets have magic properties. Because of the hollow stems, these fiberous cloths - hemp, nettle and linen - keep you cool in the summer by wicking away moisture and warm in the winter. These cloths actually help to control our body heat. When we sleep, our body temperature changes quite drastically and an old sheet can keep our body at an even temperature which gives us a deeper REM sleep...have I lost you yet??
Taking my cue from this old millinery rose I decided to paint our dining room. A color called Madrid made by Portola (thanks Christine!) seemes like the right shade right now. It's a little pinky - maybe even a little too fleshy....but I wanted a warm inviting color so that my dining room feels like it's own little gem. I thought I would hang some brown transferware pieces on the wall to ground it a bit. I remember years ago a friend telling me that this soft peachy color was the most relaxing color you could paint a room. 
So I'll paint the whole room and live with it for a while - I just better hurry and finish it before JZ gets home! 
Every once in a while I meet someone who completely understands what I do. (Why do I collect old linen button bags, why do I save every scrap of ribbon paper, who really needs 200 boxes of old chenille snails??) A couple of weeks ago, in walked Carol Parks, and she got it. She didn't question anything, she just got it. She piled up the counter high with all sorts of bits and pieces and then announced she was having a fabulous party. I asked her if I could come and she said yes. So, last week, I went to Carol's fabulous party which was held at her North Hollywood home. Her home is part artist studio and part museum - an eclectic mix of everything Carol loves - all in shades of cranberry, blossom and coral.
I was happy to see some friends, Pam Garrison and Amy Hanna - and met many new ones. 
I had such a good time that Carol invited me back the following week, to her annual Valentine soiree - as long as I could make up 36 Valentines to hand out at the Valentine swap. I set to work making up my Valentines, and Sofia and I went back to Carol's home yesterday afternoon. This time the party was even more festive. The table was set with an amazing array of tea sandwiches, scones, macarons from New Orleans and of course, champagne! The house and garden were lit up and sparkling. I think Pam said it best when she said she felt like we had fallen down the Wonderhole from Alice in Wonderland.
When we finally did leave, with our shoe box stuffed with Valentines, our ladybug balloon corsages and a couple of takeout boxes of food, Sofia got into the car and said "Wow". That's all - just wow - and that pretty much sums up Carol Parks. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention - you too can visit Carol's home and studio - she offers 3 day craft workshops with some of the most talented artists around. Spend a few days with Carol and you will find yourself and your creative spirit - just in case you lose it once in a while - like I do.
Yesterday afternoon I checked the answering machine and this was what I heard:
I was bitten by the flu bug this weekend so it took me an extra day to cut up all the great entries and toss them into the hat! The lucky winner of the box full of chenille snails is: georgiapeachez - and if you send me your address, we'll get a box right out to you and your daughter.