more brilliance from bookhou, and repeat studio

i saw these gorgeous new items from bookhou on bloesem, and was reminded about how i love everything they make and do. and that somehow i hadn't noticed their lovely blog.
AND then i discovered that arounna khounnoraj of bookhou is collaborating with roisin fagan of bespoke uprising to create hand printed textiles as repeat studio. just lovely.

here's another sweet item from bespoke uprising, available from her etsy shop.

i'm spending a few weeks at my mom's house in rural wisconsin, and while these farm themed prints are distinctively canadian, fields and canning jars are the same in the late summer countryside everywhere.

astulabee

beginnings, originally uploaded by astulabee.

astulabee makes the cutest things. i just love these creatures. she sells them on etsy, and you can see more (including this sneak peek of some upcoming collaborative projects) on her flickr stream.

the semaphore collection at piano nobile

this post is a bit overdue, as i just realized that i didn't share the launch of the semaphore collection at piano nobile last month!

here's the lovely description from their website:

Semaphore is an alphabet native to the sea, composed of striking angles and decisive movements. Each piece is constructed in the Piano Nobile workshop from locally sourced, environmentally responsible, and, above all, beautiful materials.

Abstracted from the vocabulary of ship design, pipes, plates, and exposed welds recall the ferry fleet of the Puget Sound. A low Coffee Table and trim End Table balance on folded planes of recycled steel. Their wood tops (in oiled Oregon walnut or milk-painted poplar) display a turbulent grain, polished smooth.

The twisting Stick Lamp inspires divergent images of taut rope and whirling jellyfish tentacles, executed in the most simple steel rod composition. The Belle Lamp tilts its elegant head toward the floor; its base creates a counterpoint of jostling steel plates. Both lamps and tables are available in oiled or powder-coated steel.

A broken net drapes across linen Semaphore Textiles, faded white. Available as made to order shades from Seattle-based Lit Shades, or by the yard as a special order.

The Semaphore Collection, with its’ maritime economy of materials and sharp, decisive silhouettes, presents a modern group of furniture that is more than minimalist, yet remains free of embellishment.

portland recap part 2: craft museum!

i got to see this exhibit that i missed last time. unfortunately the handmade nation screening was completely sold out before we could get tickets, but the crochet-a-thon with mandy was awesome!

mandy greer's new project is called mater matrix mother and medium. it will be installed in seattle's urban forest and will also include a performance by zoe scofield.
here's a photo from the project website. it's all about water, and so the work will incorporate shades of blue fabric and yarn. for the crochet-a-thon, everyone joined in to create some blue crocheted elements that will be incorporated into the final piece. it's a wonderful art creation process, that involves people coming together to create, and maybe to learn a new craft. beginning crochet lends itself especially well to this kind of free form art, as there are no 'mistakes.' i am a complete beginner at crochet, but now i am really curious to try more.

william kentridge: part 2

the show last night was great! and today i visited the exhibit at the henry (runs until may 3), which i highly recommend. there are prints, drawings, stereoscopes (very cool!) and multiple video installations.

his work is also on display at the greg kucera gallery until march 28th (image from the gallery website).
and what looks to be the most amazing, kentridge is also directing 'the return of ulysses', the first opera for the brand new pacific operaworks company, which includes life size puppetry by the south african handspring puppet company. wow. the first show is tomorrow night (march 11) at the moore theater in seattle, and there are also shows on march 13, 14, 20, and 21st.

the wanderous

i met the dilettante/curator behind the new site the wanderous last summer at the local farmer's market, and she's posted a lovely write up about felt cafe within a larger post about felt.
the image above is my felt! and today's wanderousness post is about my pals at piano nobile and includes our collaboration.

and in an earlier post i discovered this work by arthur hash.

shopping local in the pacific northwest

i'd like to share a few of my favorite finds from the urban craft uprising in seattle last weekend. the pear print moleskin cover with the pencil pocket is from the genius that is chikabird, in collaboration with slow loris (whose shirts i love), now located on guemes island washington. that's an image of their gasworks park design below.
be sure to check out the slow loris shirts, i am pretty sure you will love them.also spotted: these wonderful ormanents made from vintage wallpaper available from ladies and gentlemen, a new vintage store by jane from chikabird.


from portland, the beautiful ceramic work of leah nobilette. the colors are wonderful,
and the texture is stunning.


and more pretty portland art from twosarahs, printmaker.

and finally a bit more from some neighbors to the north, bellingham that is. spincycle yarns spins and dyes all their own yarns, and if you get a chance to see them in person, their yarns are spectacular.

printed french press cozy and coasters

the autumn open studio at piano nobile is tomorrow!

it's going to be fantastic, and i will have more photos next week.
there will be works from 8 different artists and craftspeople, and some beautiful collaborations.
saturday, 2-6pm in ballard, you are totally welcome to come by, and tell your friends who love beautiful objects!

for now, i'll just share a few photos from the piano nobile site.

the vollen series by chadhaus.

and a dot tote from piano nobile hand prints.

sneak preview, merino hat and scarf

i've been making hats and scarfs with my brown merino wool. i love it, so soft and such a warm natural color. these will printed with lovely patterns and available at the autumn open house this saturday...only 5 days from now!

and finally, tomorrow is the election! don't forget to go to the polls, people. and go early, there will be record turnouts. in washington state, there are a lot of important initiatives on the ballot this year. the progressive voter's guide is a good source for information on candidates and ballot measures, and shows which are supported by a number of progressive organizations.

autumn open studio at piano nobile

are you in or near seattle? please join me at piano nobile for their biggest open studio yet, on saturday, nov. 8th, from 2-6 pm. the individual and collaborative work of 8 artists will be on display.
FEATURING NEW WORK
Chadhaus custom furniture
dao jewelry exclusive fall/winter collection
Piano Nobile Home furniture, lighting, and textiles

NEW COLLABORATIONS
Felt Cafe & Piano Nobile Home merino wool felt garments and housewares
Lit Shades & Piano Nobile Home couture silk lampshades

AND TWO MONTH-LONG ONLINE EXHIBITIONS!
Cambodia 1: Paintings and Photographs by Bennett Grizzard
Rough in the Round: Hand-Turned Wood Bowls by Laura Yeats

come meet the artists and sip some hot apple cider in our ballard studio:

Piano Nobile
908 NW 50th Street
Seattle, WA 98107

other than open studio events, piano nobile is open by appointment only.
if you miss the party on november 8, please contact them to schedule a visit.