cathy of california

knitprovistation

you've probably already heard about "knitprovistation - 70 imaginative projects mixing old with new" by cilla ramnek since it's been the buzz on lots of blogs.

even if you don't knit (like me) you really should check this one out. i think it might even be my new favorite new (as opposed to vintage) craft book. i just love the use of vintage elements (of course!) in the projects. but what makes cilla's work so super special is that everything is so well crafted and incorporates the vintage elements in a really fun and fresh way (not that "wacky/kitschy" thing at all).

softies ... and don't you just love that vintage singer sewing machine?

"softies" is chock full of super cute patterns and instructions by all sorts of cool folks like tamar mogendorff, chicka mori, heidi kenney and hillary lang. but even with all of the cuteness going on i somehow can't seem to keep my eyes off that vintage singer sewing machine.

(picture of "tramp heart bear" by lisa martin from "softies - simple instructions for 25 plush pals" by therese laskey)

domestic beauty

i was a few bucks under the limit for free shipping on a recent amazon order so i decided to buy up one of those little photography books that are always so fun to look at but i usually just can't justify purchasing.

i was drawn to "estetica domestica / domestic beauty - fotografias de marta soul" because of the amazing vintage wallpaper featured in the photographs. take a close look at this shot - yes that is pink toilet paper.

mary blair illustration

just a quick little bit of inspiration for you on this sweltering tuesday afternoon.

(endpaper from "the art and flair of mary blair" by john canemaker)

screen-printed textile by alexander girard, 1972

andy over at reference library has one heck of a good blog. i really hope you're browsing it as often as i do.

you know how much i love alexander girard. andy's post on this wall hanging really made my day.

(image via reference library via ebay)

charles phoenix presents...

if you've never been to the bob baker marionette theater in los angeles here's your chance. next weekend charles phoenix will be presenting "bob baker this is your life".

for years i had noticed the bob baker marionette theater as i drove back and forth to downtown los angeles. i was always a little curious but just wrote it off as a dorky little childrens theater that most likely had closed a long time ago. but not until i took one of charles' downtown tours did i realize how amazing the theater really was. bob baker has been a puppeteer since he was very young and now well into his 80s is still doing performances. all of the puppets are made by hand and will totally knock your socks off.

rumor has it that the felt banner that i blogged about last week will be hung up again.

see you in the festive party room!

felt food jewellery, 1971

"felt is made in a mouth-watering range of zingy colors. it's easy to cut and sew and it's the ideal fabric to use for fun pin-on jewellery of all kinds."

i just love it when colors make my mouth water.

(from "golden hands handcrafts" 1971)

lace collage, 1971

"an odd table mat found at a jumble sale, a left-over length of lingerie trim, a piece of lace bought in an antique shop, a scrap of crochet or knitting - these are often among the tresures hoarded away in sewing cupboards waiting for a chance to see the light of day."

(from "golden hands handcrafts" 1971)

looks hard - crochets easy, circa 1964

got another package yesterday from my friend fern. there were a couple of macrame books and a little crochet book that looks like something you would have bought at the grocery check out along with your TV guide.

i went nuts over the color combo of this afghan - harvest gold, baby pink, coral and chartreuse - all trimmed in black. and don't get me started on the props they used in this shot - that antiqued turquoise hutch, those plastic ferns and the wood-grained paneling.

(from "let's crochet" an american thread publication)

here's some examples of the pincushions that you can make from the kits i will be selling at my LA county fair demo

here's a sneak preview of the pincushions that i will be demonstrating at the felt club craft classes at the LA county fair on september 22. i will also be selling kits so you can make one yourself!