domicile

Crafty Tomes

I've been slowly building a list of craft-themed book titles that I'm lusting after. I made a little promise to myself that if I actually made good on my intentions to sew a number of items in the Amy Butler book, I would treat myself to a new one but now I'm not sure which I would pick. This weekend I finished off the Amy Butler Kimono (photos and a review to follow later this week) and I'm feeling like I may have reached my own imaginary threshold to allow for another crafty-book purchase. Here are the titles currently on my list, I haven't actually seen any of these in person so haven't been able to thumb through them. If anyone has reviews or opinions please feel free to sway me in one direction or the other.

• Simple Sewing with a French Twist: An Illustrated Guide to Sewing Clothes and Home Accessories with Style. I first saw this one over at Alex's delightful Hygge House blog a few months ago.
• Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing: Patterns and How-To for 24 Fresh and Easy Projects. This one appeals to my Scano-lust in a big way and would help me reconcile my lack of any Lotta loveliness.
• Wendy Mullin's Sew U: The Built by Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe seems like it might be good inspiration for wardrobe sewing, which is always fun at a change of seasons. I seem to be most inspired to sew at a season change.
• Tricia Guild's Pattern looks like it very well may lead to some friction between my "femme-tastic" decorating leanings and Martin's preference for a more minimalist approach. But it sure does look like a fun time.
• And Amy Karol's book is available for pre-order already.

I'm sorely tempted to just jump off the deep end and get them all, but my Visa balance and the knowledge that having them all would leave me less time to savour hold me back.

Martin Needs A PayPal Account

So much of the bits and bobs I would like to see tagged with my name under the tree (though this year we're only doing one gift each) live online. Or at least that's where I come across them. As usual I have a big ol'crush everything at Alexa's LilleHus Store, though am particularly smitten with that apron there (all those images there come from Alexa's shop). I'd happily take most anything off Grace's various gift suggestions over at Design*Sponge. And that really only begins to touch on all the awesome crafty-arty-inspired goodness that gals are producing online. And while I would be a very ungrateful lady indeed to complain about the places that Martin usually sources my gifts (we both work in Gastown, one of Vancouver's best local clothing/art/coolstuff neighbourhoods and my gifts are usually bought on a mad dashed lunch break from 'round these parts), I have to say my consumer lust for this winter has a strong online leaning. I guess it's a hazard that comes from spending most of my days online. Le sigh.

Calendar Girl

Something like this happens to me every year, but this year is already getting out of hand. I want/already have/am sure I will acquire far more calendars than I actually need. I already ordered one of these from Diana Fayt a few weeks ago, unable to resist that white enamel pot in what looks like it might be August. I talked myself into that one by deciding I would put it up at the office, so that I could once again have a Camilla Engman in the kitchen at home. I was given a lovely and entirely useful wildflower themed calendar for my birthday this weekend, which should surely come into service. And then I get to my computer this morning to see that Ms. Gayla has put together a stunning You Grow Girl option (see the image below) which I'm just itchin' to acquire. In fact I think I can go so far as to say that I *need* Gayla's calendar because it looks to be both gorgeous and useful. Damn her. And still, every year I promise myself a Nikki McClure calendar (a promise I've yet to fulfil). I'm beginning to think that I may just have to devote one wall to a kind of calendar collage though I fear that will somehow make me feel too conscious of the passing of time. So we'll see. I may get my thrills vicariously through purchasing some of these lovelies as gifts.

In Stitches

I think I have officially talked myself into buying Amy Butler's new book Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects and I couldn't be more pleased. If that lovely cover wasn't enough to make me covet it even prior to its release, then Megan's link to the page on Amy's site that includes an overview of some of the patterns covered in the book sealed the deal. There's a few different items on there that would help round out my Christmas craft/gift list, and as ridiculous as this may seem I found myself wandering around a mall this week (I so rarely go to malls) trying -- and failing miserably -- to find myself some cute new PJs. I'm pretty much 100% sure that I already have enough cute fabric lying around to whip up a pair of these, which will be much cuter than any of the dull or too cutesy things I've seen in the shops.

Just Say A Little Bird Told You

When asked last night what I wanted for my upcoming birthday I was pretty sincere in answering with "a day off and breakfast in bed." (Which, by the way, made me feel a heck of a lot like my mother, but no surprise there I suppose). I might modify that today to include a stack of magazines, a good book and an afternoon visit of tea and pie, because afterall if I spend all day in bed I might get hungry. But, since I'm my own boss so none of you can really grant me the gift of a day off, I will share with you a few other items, for the curious amongst you.

• A new pair of red clogs, because the leather on my beloved old ones is cracking and all rainy days can be made that much brighter with red clogs.
  
  
• There are always scads of books I would adore to stack beside my bed. Right now those include: Craftivity: 40 Projects for the DIY Lifestyle, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, and my biggest weakness bawdy historical fiction this time in the form of The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory.
• This ring (or more correctly set of rings) is beee-u-tiful and looks smashing on as well. I had a chance to meet its maker yesterday at Portobello West and she's a doll. Thanks to her I also now know that I would need that ring in a size 6. Who knew?
• A massage I had this summer at Silk Road was indeed an experience in Bliss that I would happily repeat.
• An evening of wine, hummous, Flamenco and company at the Kino would not go ignored.
• Oh, and I would just adore a pair of pinking shears!

I would also genuinely love to have more time to spend with friends and more of a chance to work on household crafts and projects, but I don't imagine anyone I know has yet found a way to harness time. That said, I do know some real smartypants so perhaps I'll get lucky?

I've been in a pretty consistent purge mode since we got back from holidays and even thinking about acquiring new stuff seems painfully indulgent at this point, which is half of the reason my first thought was a day in bed I think, as I'm not really on the look out for much stuff these days and I feel like most moments I've had at home lately have been spent in a constant state of taking stock of each and every corner and nook and wondering what should stay and what should go. So, with that in mind I'd also be honoured to have donations made in my name to organizations that align with my values (if you're planning on shelling out for a birthday present, I assume you know by now what those are), afterall I have always kind of wanted a goat.

If you don't ask...

... you won't get. Right? So, I'm taking a page from Alexa and putting out a heartfelt request for a magazine swap buddy. Preferably someone with access to Bolig Liv. I picked up my one and only copy in the Copenhagen airport while balancing a box of Kleenex in one hand an d my carry-on in the other. And when I finally made it home and through my head cold so that I could sit down with some tea to leaf through it, I fell instantly in love. But love was tainted with sadness as I looked longingly at the page of "in the next issue" images knowing that another copy was not easily in my reach. And so! If you live near regular copies of Bolig Liv or have other magazine treasures you would like to share, I'm so wide open for a swap. I can get my hands on pretty much anything in the Can/US market and work a block away from a particularly awesome magazine stand. And if that isn't enough for you, I can also get Japanese craft books but those are slightly less predictable.

Interested? Get in touch with me and I'll be your BFF. ourdomicile at gmail dot com

Thanks!

Rolling Out the Danish Treasures

Many of the destinations I wanted to visit while we were in Copenhagen came from months of scattered bookmarking in my web travels. Sites like Allisyn Copenhagen and LilleHus were primary sources, but from there I wandered and found clothing, textiles, pottery, galleries and general loveliness galore all of which I kept a running log of so that we could seek some treasures out on our trip. Funnily enough we ended up finding many of the stops on my little list rather by accident our first day as we wantered around Vesterbro. That first day in Vesterbro was wonderful. We found food, drinks and plenty of gorgeous little shops that suited us both to a T. We really felt like we had found our niche.

On subsequent days I would check my little list in the mornings and if we were planning on being near a neighbourhood with one of the stops on it, I would be sure to mark it on our map. I'm glad I had these reference points, for while we did find many places naturally, one of my favorites, the Helbak-Scherning shop, I surely never would have found tucked away as it is down a side street off the Stroget. Helbak-Scherning is the shop and studio of two ceramacists: Mette Scherning (who makes the brooch you see on the left below) and Malene Helbak (who makes the little jug you see up on the right there).

I went back to their shop a few times agonizing over just how much of their beautiful work I could safely bring home in an unbroken state. We ended up buying a jug much like the one pictured here (I left my camera in Victoria recently and so am sadly relying on web photos here) and a matching dish for the house. I treated myself to a brooch that is nearly the twin of the one you see here. And I brought some Scherning earings back for my darling Lauren.

Both women's work is so right up my alley that I could have easily bought one of everything, and will definitely be back there on subsequent trips to my new favourite storybook town.

The Great Pillowcase Conspiracy

  The Great Pillowcase Conspiracy 
  Originally uploaded by emira.

Ever notice when you're buying sheets that pillowcases are always a total racket? By which I mean that while your typical 100% cotton queen fitted sheet may cost say $50,two standard pillowcases will come in at $39? Which may seem all well and fine except that there is *way* less fabric in two standard pillowcases than there is in one queen fitted sheet, and any arguments that making the pillowcases (officially the world's easiest thing to sew I believe) is more tricky or time consuming than putting in those elasticized corners on a fitted sheet are total hooey. It gets even more insulting when you check out the cost of a twin flat sheet, which for the record will give you anywhere from four to six standard sized pillowcases depending on how you layout your fabric and just exactly what size you need your cases to be. Typically flat twin sheets will run you anywhere from $19 to $25 in a line priced along the lines above. So where's the economy in that huh? I'm quite sure that the sewers in Pakistan/Bangladesh/Insert Country of Exploitation here are not making overtime just for the pillowcases.

And so it is, that I strongly urge you all to never buy pillowcases again. Not when you can buy one twin sheet, cut it into rectangles using an existing pillowcase as a template and sew it up. Depending on how you do this you may be required to only sew two straight lines down the sides, folding over the one end, and then if you want to get fancy you can hem the outer ends where the case goes in. If you want to get really high class you can even make those envelope-y type cases which overlap on the back but then you'll likely only get four per twin sheet, so there's a trade-off. You will likely not be surprised to know that I did this on the weekend, as Martin and I used a discount at The Bay to pick up some rather fetching hot pink new sheets and we both balked at the cases price. From cutting out to completion time I believe it took me less than 20 minutes to make two cases (I'll do the others later that was all we needed to make the bed), and that included hunting for the big ruler.

In other news, we found ourselves very smitten with these new Jonathan Adler sheets and duvet cover while we were there, but sadly did not equally adore the price tag and so it remains at the Bay waiting for one of those infamous clearance days, at which point it will probably be sold out. Le sigh.

(BTW: this rule generally holds for duvet covers. It is almost always way cheaper to buy two flat sheets and make your own, than buy the one they "pre-made" for you. And a duvet cover, my friends, is really just one really big pillowcase.)

Shameless Consumption

If I had the money and the lack of conscience to ditch a perfectly good front-loader, energy efficient washer and dryer for a new one, I'm afraid I would instantly succumb to these LG cuties. Delightful! The universe -- or more correctly the industrial manufacturing complex -- should certainly design more high-femme appliances. I decree it!

Though I can't help but imagine that these beauties will quickly become the avocado green and harvest gold appliances of our own age.

Goldilocks and the Souffle Dishes

There is a time honoured tradition of souffle eating in our house. In our wee domicile that tradition, though it may stretch back to the beginning, is of course only about a year long. However, in my childhood home souffle has played a regular role. There is in fact even an intricately woven family mythology about souffle and its origins, but I'll save that for another day. Suffice it to say that my mom makes a mean souffle. And, though I'll admit my first time I was pretty nervous, so do I. Souffle, much like cooking with phyllo, seems to be one of those unnecessarily fraut cooking experiments that can give some folks the wiggins. I'm here to tell you however that it is down right simple. Easier, in fact, than pie if you ask me. And boy howdy will it impress the company.

Anyway, this post is not so much about the ease of making souffle, or my genetic inheritence of the souffle gene, this is about my need to achieve imagined perfection. Perfection in the form of the perfect souffle dish, which appears to exist only in my imagination. Bet you didn't see that coming!

You see, when I realized that Martin's daughter was a fan of souffle adding another relatively easy to make and easy to get inside the kid's stomach dinner to our repetoire, I decided to pick up a smaller souffle dish suitable for three person dinners. I figured I'd just pop into somewhere like The Bay or hell even London Drugs and get one. For surely, I assumed, most places carried souffle dishes. What could be a more useful all purpose dish afterall? Round. Goes in the oven. Simple, non? Turns out: not so much. That day I ended up caving and buying a cheap plain, and inspiring souffle dish at the dollar store of all places so that we could have the dinner I had shopped for, but I've still had my eyes peeled for a new one.

And so of course, what began as a quick trip out for a simple white 6" souffle dish has now turned into a quest for the unachievable. My ideal souffle dish would be simple yes, but not dull. A nice bright colour perhaps to offset the generally neutral toned souffle, but I find myself recoiling from versions that are all one continuous colour, meaning they aren't white on the inside (not sure why, but there you go). Emile Henry makes a very close approximation, but they're a bit too primary colour palette for my tastes. Of course, I've decided that my ideal souffle pan would be just like these Le Creuset Ramekins (and I do think that the green is an excellent choice), but bigger. Like 10 times bigger. And of course, unless a product developer at Le Creuset is reading this blog ("hello!") that is not entirely likely to be added to their product line anytime soon.

So, dear reader, if any of you see some lovely souffle dishes in your travels, do pass them my way. In the meantime, I'll continue to scour the web and specialty kitchen shops to feed my neuroses.