Great Sale at Okan Arts 05-11-24

Okan Arts sells Japanese fabrics, mostly online, but today they had a sale at their warehouse location in Long Beach.  This location is not open to the public except for their once a year sale.  Check their website  https://okanarts.com   The majority of  their stock is vintage, and some is antique. 

My friend Deb McKay drove up from SDiego to meet me in LBeach so we could heat  up our credit cards and bring home wonderful fabric treasures.  Afterward we went  to Katella Deli in Los Alamitos where we waited almost an hour for a table!  It was worth  it - Deb had wonderful lox and bagels and I ordered my favorite pastrami sandwich.  The place  was really "jumping", along with very loud, raucous   music.  We  had  forgotten  about Mother's  Day, Graduation lunches, and the  glorious sunshine of this weekend.  It was worth all of it.   An all together fun day.  

We  all  needed a bag to take home our treasures.

Some ladies needed TWO!

I couldn't  resist these two children's prints.

Cute puppies and imaginary hieroglyphics.  

Two yard cuts of Blue/White for the quilt I have been collecting fabrics for several decades.  Well, the one on the left is just because it is so beautiful.  

Of course, some stripes, especially orange.  

I can never resist new stripes. 

And the "piece de resistance", this rich crimson print. I had to buy the entire bolt!

A vest?  A scarf?  A bag?  Hang it on the wall?

#   #   #

Empty Spools 2020 - Other things. 04-11-22

Three meals a day are provided for students and the food is usually quite good.  They do fabulous veggies, fresh from the local fields and cooked correctly.  There is also a large bowl of salad at the table for dinner - fresh and tasty.  On Wednesday night there is no evening program and some students go off campus for dinner.  Several of us went to one of my favorite Pacific Grove restaurants right on the border with Monterey.  Il Vecchio has the best Carbonara I have ever eaten and they also offer a side of steamed broccoli which is my favorite vegetable.  Delicious!  I don't even remember what anyone else ate, but we did share a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.  Four forks were flying!  It was excellent. 

Judy, Andrea, and I went to the Red House (another favorite spot) on Thursday night for their scrumptious hamburgers.  It is always difficult to decide which of my favorites to order, but this was definitely a hamburger night.  Never fails to satisfy. 

On Thursday immediately after class (4pm) all the classrooms are open for "walkabout" so students can visit all of the classrooms.  We enjoyed seeing  the work others were doing and contemplated what classes we might take in the future.

We especially appreciated Priscilla Bianchi, who is from Guatemala and uses fabric from her native country in her quilts.  Combining that fabric with commercial fabric her students were creating some fascinating designs. 

We were so taken with the vintage Japanese yukata fabric that Patricia Belyea was selling in her classroom that I didn't take pictures of her students' work.  However, I did buy some of the fabric.  I have followed Patricia for a few years and she has moved to Eastern Washington now and will open her online shop this month. Check out Okan Arts.  Her students were working with the yukata fabric and commercial fabric and sewing both curved and straight seams.  Interesting. 

We admired the projects in classes with Katie Pasquini Masopust, Susan Carlson, Velda Newman, and Marianne Williamson.  

It is expensive to attend Empty Spools, but all food and lodging are provided so there aren't extra costs involved, unless you choose to eat out or buy fabric!  Start saving up for next year's session. The 2023 schedule will be out in early May.  

#   #   #

A bit Scatterbrained! 04-20-21

I don't know if is the pandemic or old age or just losing it in general, but I can't seem to concentrate on anything long enough to finish it.  Of course, KoKo demands attention throughout the day which is one of the effects of being in isolation for so long.  He is accustomed to having me ready for his needs at all times.  I currently have four ongoing projects that I fiddle around with off and on.  And there are those three completed tops that have not be sandwiched or quilted,   And yet I am digging around in my scraps looking for pieces for another idea I have in my head.  I know I am not the only one with this problem, I read what others write on Facebook and Elder Orphans and other groups.  I have always been a last minute finisher, but also decisive about what I am doing or going to do.  I've lost that.  And finally, I am just tired all the time.  I see my primary on Thursday, maybe she will have some answers.

I cannot have KoKo on my lap when I am computing or sewing, but sometimes he insists.  I was working on my calendar with the appointment book open on the keyboard when he decided it was a good place of a nap.  He did actually go to sleep and was indignant when I put him in his bed and insisted he stay there.  

 

On Monday I watched a ZOOM presentation from Okan Arts, a shop in Seattle that specializes in Japanese Yukata fabric.  The interviewee was Kaffe Fassett and it was a really upbeat interview.  I never know what to do with his fabric, but admire it excessively and have some in my fabric library.  The interview was recorded and I think most everyone will enjoy spending an hour with Kaffe at his home in England.  The colors!  The patterns!   The information about his design "ethic".  I came away with such a happy feeling.  Above is one of his quilts which typifies his color explorations.  

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/bJxfG9KqrstvFLRjDJyl-naxS4e6rhXRxvDoRgOXLh2MFO8r-AxjKKh7NxIx_HA3mSjWVi-ck1K7bnaS.AhcbZfLQWDJpAWwL?continueMode=true

Although I shopped at Trader Joe's today to restock my shelves/frig, which were almost bare, I could not say no to my kind neighbors in the cut de sac who frequently share their dinner with me.  Tonight is was turkey with veggies, white rice (I always have to add butter!), and a decoration of sliced cucumbers.  Not too spicy and delicious.  I don't think this is Indian food, but their version of plain old American "what's for dinner" food.  The chicken stir fry from TJ's will be good for tomorrow night.  

And tomorrow our Book Group meets for the first time in over a year.  I have been in this group since the late 70s and although we have ZOOMed I have missed seeing them all "in the flesh".  We will only be seven as one member has been having health problems.  We ALL can understand that.  Only one of us has had Covid, but we are all vaccinated now.  We will still socially distance anyway.  

 

#   #   #