Strike A Pose

Yippee! My strike offs are here. These are the samples that come back from the plant. When I received them, I look them over and decide whether or not I love the colors, sizes and look of the line. We made some tweaks and hopefully I will get round two soon!


You should check out a new site that will be out this month. It's called SEWN and it's run by one of the ladies from Material Obsession in Australia. Good luck Sarah! Oh, they have a new book coming out soon and a giveaway! Check it out on the site.
xo, L


Superman Lives Here

Next week I will be making Little A a cape for his Letter People Day. Anyone else want to make capes and have a Superman/woman party? He already has Superman PJs with a cape and he hangs them lovingly over his bed.

Have a great weekend! xo, L

Saving the last of the veggies...

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Once again I find myself at the end of the week, rushing to use up all the remnants of my organic veggie basket before my charming organic farmer shows up at my doorstep with my new basket. With every new batch, I promise myself that I will be diligent about using all my vegetables, and find delicious new (or not new, but still delicious) ways to prepare them, after which I will post them here and pat myself on the back.

Some days that is exactly what I do.

Sigh...not this week.

Not last week either, judging from the glum lack of posts here.

I won’t bore you with tales of feeling under-the-weather and mountains-of-work and what such. I’m sure nobody is a stranger to that (and if you are well, lucky you!). As such, I am also sure that there are those of you who likewise fall into that inevitable position of having to make use (or “liquidate” as I like to nerdily refer to it) of the vegetable remainders.

So, instead of letting another silent week pass us by, I decided to share what I sometimes find myself scrambling to do come end of the week (if I haven’t been diligent about using up all my vegetables in new and inventive ways that is).

I usually get half a squash with my basket, and no matter how much I love squash, there is sometimes a straggling portion that remains in the bottom of the crisper by the time the next squash is due. When it’s evident that I am not going to make good use of it, I chop it up, put it on a lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast it until it’s toasty and soft. While it’s roasting I can get on with whatever is keeping me too busy to make a proper squash dish. When it’s done I let it cool then chuck it into a freezer bag, and using my hands, mash the squash through the bag until it is a rough puree. Then I put it to bed in the freezer for some future squash soup!

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Another regular specimen I get in my basket is these lovely white cucumbers. They are crunchy and refreshing...especially in the heat we are experiencing now! Although they are fantastic fresh in salads or on fish, I find myself more often than not pickling them. It’s a great way to extend their shelf life (especially if you are getting another batch soon and need to make room) and it becomes a wonderful condiment that complements anything from grills to sandwiches to fried fish! I have no recipe to share on this count, as I usually just throw in whatever appeals to me at that moment (remember, this is usually done on the fly, when very busy, and there is no choice but to use the cucumbers now!). You can use your favourite pickling solution but in a pinch I just mix some vinegar with salt and sugar (by taste) and add whatever herbs or spices I might have on hand (fresh dill, fennel fronds, shallots, chilis, whole peppercorns, dill seed, coriander seed...whatever strikes my fancy!).


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The cucumbers aren’t the only things that get pickled. Pickling is a terrific way to take something, put it in suspended animation for a while, then resurrect it at some later date when you have caught your breath. For this batch, I’ve also done it to a small piece of ampalaya (bitter melon) and radish. Pickled radish is something I’ve made before, and for this mix I’ve used much the same pickling solution as I did then. Vinegar and sugar, and lots of black pepper (freshly ground and whole). I also added sliced long green chilis, and some Himalayan pink salt. Before adding the ampalaya to the mix I prep it first as I did here to tone down the bitterness.

Now, bear in mind that I’m not referring to pickling produce by bulk for the winter! That does demand time and work (and certain strict measures of sterilization). What I do is make a small pickling solution (as I’ve described above), place some veggies in it, and store in the fridge for short term usage.

Whew! Now I’ve got some veggies effectively tucked away for future use. The crisper is breathing easy and so am I :)

Whew - More Market News!


I must say that Pittsburgh's convention center is beautiful. The light in the building makes it a lovely venue and the scene outside is fabulous with all of the bridges around the downtown area.

I've recently become addicted to templates because of this quilt that I'm working on. 

I used Marti Michell's templates and it made my life easier. I didn't get to chat with Marti this time but her hubby was a delight. Her line of templates is fabulous.

Robyn Pandolph had a lovely booth in her usual pretty palette.


I love the fabrics of Alexander Henry. Their booth was fun, happy and bright.

I love Sue Spargo's booth. Her colors are funky and her images are whimsical.



Art Gallery has a gorgeous line of fabric. Artful and beautiful.

Just wanted to show you one more quilt. I love this red and white one. 

xo, L

Major Shop Update Underway!



new work in the shop with more on the way tomorrow!
http://www.papertreasure.net

Enter to win the Modish locket giveaway



You could win this necklace by visiting:
http://www.modishblog.com/modish/2009/05/pdx-local-paper-treasure-a-giveaway.html

More Market Moments


One of the things that I try to do is to chat with the designers that I've met over the years. I get inspired by every designer whether they're into primitive, country or contemporary. 

I love Liesl's designs over at Oliver + S. So adorable in a sort of funky vintage sort of way. Simple yet so chic for your little ones.


I met Renee Plains of Liberty Star a couple of years back when we were both invited by American Patchwork and Quilting to their Designer's Retreat. Oh we were so pampered! She's a sweet lady and I love to visit with her.


Here she is with Jocelyn from Fat Quarter Shop. 

I always love the details in her booth. The lovely little birdies were all around her booth. 

Next, we have Traci over at the Bigfork booth. Love those quilts ladies!


As I was walking by the Designer's Workshop booth, this jacket caught my eye. Why? Oh, I designed the black and white fabrics a long while back for a kids line of flannels. So fun to see my fabrics used in someone's design.

I only had a quick look at the gorgeous quilts that they had on display. Here are my favorites. The workmanship, as seen in all of the quilts at the show, were phenomenal.

xo, L

Market Moments


I bumped into Lazy Girl, Joan Hawley, and Claire, her new purse design and BFF in Pittsburgh. Isn't Claire adorable? You'll have to check out Joan's patterns on her website.

I ran into my friends from Quilty Pleasures in Ottawa. Great to see you ladies! I hope that you bought lots of goodies for your shop.

Stash was a new vendor in Pittsburgh. For those of you who only want to make blocks, this is an easy way to accomplish something. You make the block and then stitch it to the pillow cover or the quilt top. The quilt top is all quilted and you just slip your block into the front opening. Voila! Instant quilt.

I loved this line of fabric from Heather Ross displayed at the Seven Islands booth.  So whimsical and colorful.
xo, L

Upcoming...





Happy Memorial Day!

A couple of things to keep an eye out for:

Wednesday, May 27th the Modish blog (http://www.modish.typepad.com) will be running a special Paper Treasure feature where you will be able to enter to win a free locket necklace. So go, enter and good luck!

And, as I mentioned a little while ago... I did an interview with new Portland magazine Button. The new issue comes out (online & in print) June 1st so be sure to check it out!! (http://www.buttonmag.com). In it you should find the interview with yours truly as well as a photo spread combining Paper Treasure jewels and local fashion.

Quilt Market - Part Infinity


I hope that you are all having a wonderful holiday. I haven't had much time to sit and sort through the pics left from Pittsburgh because my mom and aunt are still here from Canada. Sadly, they go home tomorrow.

Here's a few just to tie you over. From top to bottom, we have Lynda Milligan of Possibilities, Jody Sanders from American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, and Patty Young. xo, L

Merchant's House Museum



I donated some jewelry for the Merchant's House Museum fundraiser, "Hoopla!"
Their black tie silent auction is being held on June 11th on the roof of the Historic Arsenal in Central Park. (Please check out this amazing museum:
http://www.merchantshouse.com) I'm super excited to be apart of this event and hope I can visit the museum when I head back to the East Coast in September, it looks beautiful!