(Inside A Black Apple)

Something Wicked This Way Comes!

I've been secretly at work on a little Halloween-ish shop update, and I'll share the creeping creatures and howling Hannahs involved very soon!

For now, though, I wanted to share a few of the pages of my sketchbook in which I was scheming dolls and things up (you can click to enlarge the individual pages):

This mini-collection is primarily coming together in red + cream + black (I don't really go in for the traditional orange) and it means the pieces work just as well outside of the context of the spooky season. A lot of the inspiration came from vintage Halloween decorations, Japanese toys from the 40's - 60's, and the usual patterns and things I'm loving these days (harlequin diamond patterns, stripes, stars).

Those little black cats just kill me - and I've finished up with the real-life, 3-D versions, and they kill me even more! It's so exciting when I'm able to realize something in three dimensions that was only a tiny drawing, and it's just as I wanted. So exciting.

Back to stitching! Back to drawing! Back to work for me.

Happy Wednesday!

Bright Star

    Josiah and I went to see Jane Campion's newest, Bright Star,  this weekend and we were both very excited. Me - because I love the filmmaker, and Josiah because he loves the Romantic poets. I am happy to report that neither was disappointed, and we were both very taken with this gentle, lyrical movie...it was perfect on a chilly, late-September Sunday night.

    Both of the leads were wonderful - I liked Abbie Cornish (Fanny Brawne) when I saw her in the second Elizabeth film, but I was initially skeptical of Ben Whishaw (John Keats) because of his unfortunate association with 2008's Brideshead Revisited. I instantly forget his turn as Sebastian Flyte when presented with his understated, honorable, sparkling Keats. Cornish was wonderful, making Fanny into a study in opposites: someone both flip and thoughtful, secure and vulnerable, warm and interior.

    It's that very duality that I love about Jane Campion's film making. She grabs ahold of me most when building a world that is both handmade and elegant, rough and refined, whimsical and grounded. The first beach scene in The Piano is an excellent example of this dynamic, as layers of black Victorian taffeta mingle with the dirt and sand of the shore. Bright Star carries on that theme in quieter ways: With Fanny's simple stitches and gorgeous, dramatic collars. With the couple themselves, slight Keats mingling impishly with the sturdy, rosy-cheeked Ms. Brawne.  With the slow bloom of their story set amidst the mundane everyday interiors and glimmering, grand forests.

    The whole thing has a beautiful slowness to it (Josiah referred to it at one point as "so pleasantly boring"), but this just gives their love story the space it needs to unfold at a convincing pace. And the romance does feel convincing and true (even to me, who usually rolls her eyes at on-screen love) - because Jane Campion is a master at replicating the way we really experience love:
As something at once humbly naturalistic and terribly grand.

The Robot has Spoken (again!)

Oh, thank you for the rather vivacious giveaway comments!

The Robot has chosen, and the emails are sent! Bethany, Christina, Jenni, Alicia, Katherine: watch your mailbox for a package from us...I hope the fabric find you well.

It's so interesting that several of you are reading/recently finished reading the same books - The Elegance of the Hedgehog seems to be very popular with you guys. I will have to look into it!

It also tickled me that lots of things I'd recommend myself came up - like Fun Home, Geek Love, The Hurt Locker, Spider Baby, Roald Dahl's short stories, I Capture the Castle, Cold Comfort Farm, Guy Maddin's films, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Good ol' Harold + Maude, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, etc, etc.

And the recipes!  We'll never go without a dinner or baking idea this fall.

There was such a variety of thoughtful comments. I feel very lucky to have such a well-rounded, generous readership, and I do so wish I had 1,084 bundles to send off to you. Thank you so much for playing along!

See you soon & Thanks again!

Presents for You: Fabric Bundles!

Here's another batch of presents I've made for you guys!

I have five lovely fat little bundles of 100% cotton custom Black Apple fabric designed by yours truly:

To enter, again - just leave a comment!

You can leave whatever you'd like, but I always love book, movie + recipe recommendations. On Monday, I'll close the comments and again consult ye olde Random Number Generator for 5 winning comment-numbers.

Happy Friday to you!

The Robot has Chosen...

...and the numbers for the button bundle giveaway are:

57: Jodie (orange plaid dress)
77: Coralee (uniform convert)
426: Siobhan (sole saddle shoe wearer)
475: Erika (unfortunate grey jumper)
658: Tonigirl (equal parts Molly Ringwald + Don Johnson) Needs to email me with her mailing address, since her email isn't provided)
550: Michele (four pairs of layered socks - so Clarissa-Explains-it-all)
492: Maeg (put herself through school! ALSO needs to email me with her mailing address, since her email isn't provided)
11: Chris (silk shirt fever)
520: Lenna (knee-high boot fashionista)
555: Susie (fancy but tragic first day of kindergarten)

Thanks so much for all of your sweet, hilarious, rad comments. They were amazing - some serious comedy gold in there.

Tonigirl + Maeg, remember to email me! Everyone else, stay tuned for the next giveaway very, very soon.

xoxo

Presents for You: Button Grab Bags!

I don't get enough chances to thank everybody that stops by this blog for, well, stopping by. So to make up for that, I've got a few days of give-aways lined up.

Woot!

First up - I've got 10 Button Pouches full of various misfit buttons (some from years ago!) all ready to give to some of you lovely readers. 

To enter, just leave a comment!

You can leave whatever you'd like, but I'd love it if you'd share your most favorite (or most horrendous) first-day-of-school outfit. Since it's September, I've been thinking about those good ol' days of agonizing, and planning and stirrup-pants, etc.

On Thursday, I'll close the comments and consult ye olde wizened Random Number Generator. 

Happy Tuesday!

(UPDATE: These stories are KILLING me!)

UPDATE PT. 2: Comments are closed at #683 + the winning numbers are chosen! More giveaway goodness soon!

You're the Cream In My Coffee (a Song for Josiah on his Birthday)

Josiah had a birthday late in July, and for his birthday, I usually try to make a present to give him along with all of the books other presents I amass for him. I've been meaning to share this for months (!), because I had such a fun time making it. For, this year, it was none other than a pictorial version of my favorite Ruth Etting song...and I swear up and down that all of the funny little proclamations are true.

I found this neat wooden-cover notebook at Powell's, and just drew directly in it (although binding it myself would've been nice for certain).

I made the book into a little set on Flickr, both because Typepad was being funny with my images today, and because I thought it would be cute as a slide-show.

You can find it here as a set, and here as a slide show.

And I can't seem to find Ruth's version to listen to anywhere, but here's a pretty cute version!

Bend It Like...Amy

Since our arrival in Portlandia, Amy has been one of my best partners in (shopping) crime and one of my most thoughtful confidants.  But before that, we were internet-aquaintances, and I was nuts about her first book. So nuts, in fact, that I don't think I have any copies on hand because I always give them away to people - shoving it into their hands like this: "Oh, goodness! You're learning how to sew? Take this book!" (then repurchase) and then "You're not excited about sewing anymore? Oh, but you used to love it...hey, Just take this book!" And so on, and so forth.

I can definitely see the same endless buy-give-away-buy-again thing happening with her new printing + embellishing bible, Bend The Rules With Fabric.

 

I got my copy a few weeks ago, and I raced through it immediately. And just as I had hoped, the projects are adorable and clever and (so important for enduring usefulness) the techniques are highly adaptable to your own makin' stuff needs. The amazing, idiot-proof screenprinting method will definitely come in handy, especially considering my own, ahem, mishaps. So exciting!

As you would expect from her blog, Amy's tutorials are conversational, un-intimidating, and so to-the-point (in a helpful, funny way). I love that.

I'm both excited about the sourcebook she's created, and I'm really proud of my friend for being such a dazzling writer and bookmaker.
Good work, Ms. A.

And I can't wait for her Powell's signing this Sunday! That makes it the 20th of September, at the Downtown Powell's location, from 7:30-9:00...and I hear there will be a cake walk. Cake walks terrify me, personally (as do musical chairs...pinatas...most children's party games) but this one should be good.

Happy Friday!

Button Parade Day 4

The last of the lost-lost-for-a-while button packs is now in the shop! These pretty Springtime Girls - and I think that's a nice way to wrap it up, although I should have the Oddfellow's sets in pretty soon, and I hope they will knock any socks that are even slightly loose (including my own) clean off!

Happy Thursday to you!

Button Parade Day 3

Aaaand for today, the Milkland Pin Pack is now in the shop!

I hope your week is coming along nicely!