sky scarves

 Some of my indigo dyed linen called to be scarves… 

Two kinds:
-long strips of sky and clouds to wrap around or
 -circles to create an infinity of the wide blue yonder

The infinity has a french seam and intentionally frayed edges. The standard has hemmed sides and frayed ends. Both so pretty that they are being snatched up before they even make it to their destination next week at Squam. Yikes! I just ordered more indigo and am hunting down some linen so that I can repeat this delicious process for mid June in my shop. 

The the bridal wreath spirea bush bloomed as always during this last week in May. I forgive it for the few years that it plagued me as the reminder of my former wedding anniversary. It's gorgeous- so glad that I didn't chop it down when I wanted to. Now- it's just another beautiful component of my garden and a lovely backdrop for scarves. It was resilient after our hard winter and seems stronger than ever- just like me! We are all so much like a garden… something my yoga teacher is focusing on this week. We are filled with as much beauty as we cultivate. Without tending, weeding and caring for ourselves we all know what happens. So here's to creating our own beautiful inner and outer landscapes… and wearing the sky, of course!

yoga, bags and blogiversaries

The significant adults in my daughter's world all do yoga. She was inspired by our many conversations about how transformative it has been for us- and decided to join in.

Of course, yoga is  a wonderful tool for any age and gender, but I believe that tween girls in our culture can especially gain so much from learning how to tune into their bodies and minds in a non judgmental way. After several months, she's hooked. And will even get up in the morning and do a few poses if there's a mat open and waiting for her. 

And so I've assisted in making three yoga mat bags for my new little yogi and her two friends who all take a weekly yoga class for 9-12 year olds.

The key to making a bag that works for this age (or anyone not wanting struggle!) is to make it roomy enough for a loosely rolled mat. Who needs the challenge of stuffing a mat into a tiny package at the end of an expansive hour? These bags also have a drawstring that cinches into the handles to eliminate tying and fussing.

The girls each selected fabric from a stash of batiks my mother had brought back from a trip to Bali many years ago. These fabrics have been tucked into a back corner of my studio for so long, it's been fun to see them being put to use again.

One of the first times those batiks made an appearance on this blog was 7 years ago in my first month of posting (right here). Look at that little 3 year old munchkin! Oh my!

 In fact, it's  been seven full years this week since I began maya*made! Can't believe how fast it's flown. Life keeps evolving. Children keep growing. Time does not stop. But this online home records frozen moments of beauty and discovery that I find so sweet to revisit. It's also been a steady landing spot for me during this journey, and I'm super grateful for all of you who have joined me along the way! Thank you!!!

15 years...

How time flies when we're living and loving, parenting and partnering, working and playing. Yesterday marked 15 years since my husband and I read our vows to one another on the top of a mountain in Santa Cruz. Unbelievable! I knew he was the one the moment I saw him. That certainty hasn't wavered over the years. I know he's quiet around maya*made (and you don't hear/see much of my handsome and dashing partner), but know this: without his love and support I wouldn't be here blogging, making, writing. When I think back to May of 1996, I remember him standing right beside me in the same way. Believing in my crazy ideas... like sewing our wedding clothes and being patient with the endless fittings,  to making hemp napkins for all of our wedding guests. We stayed up late, with me sewing and him rolling and ribbon tying each one several days before the big day. And exactly 15 years later, as I hustle to finish making stuff for Squam, he's been staying up late with me again... helping keep the focus and being my best friend. So much has changed, and so much remains the same. And the flowers above? That's the Bridal Wreath (Spirea) that came with our home and blooms every wedding anniversary out our back door.

handmade wedding

Fourteen years ago, on hilltop meadow there was a wedding made by hand and heart. The young couple wanted to express their love in a ceremony and celebration that represented their values and passions, so they crafted it themselves. I've shared a bit about our wedding and the dress here, and thoughts on marriage and the groom's top here. Our love continues to deepen, and gratitude for my amazing partner grows each day. In honor of our anniversary, I'd love to share the blouse I wore up to the meadow, right before the ceremony. The top photo is the front, but it can be worn either way. My mother made it out of 5 different linen napkins/ handkerchief pieces. There is some asymmetry due to their slightly different sizes, but I love that.

She used a ribbon woven through the lace to connect the sleeves to the body. Clever isn't she?

We photographed it in front of the "wedding bush" that blooms for each of our anniversaries (someone remind me of its true name, please). It's displayed on another wall in our bedroom... across from The Dress. Sentimental... yeah, that's me.

happy anniversary!

Thirteen years ago today, my husband and I made a promise to one another. I never doubted for a moment that we would be able to keep it. I know exactly how lucky I am to have a loving marriage. It takes growth, thought, and most of all work. Love comes easily and naturally, those other three are the trickier ones! Last year on this day, I shared my wedding dress. I made it from hemp back in the day when it was quite hard to find. I also made the groom's outfit. Simple white pants and that hemp shirt fluttering in the breeze. Yes, it was not a typical wedding. Funny how much we've changed and grown over the years... and how much we are still just the same. I made his shirt without a pattern... just a lot of measuring and noodling around on my machine.

It's wild to look at all of those little embroidered leaves, and think that I would make it just about the same today, too. Just like I would choose him over any one in the world today, as well. Creating our own traditions in an untraditional way... that would still be us. Just add in a couple of wrinkles and a few gray hairs... and our love story continues.

anniversary weekend

Thanks for checking in...I'm back! It was a very beautiful holiday weekend. This is what the sky looked like every day!Lots of gardening and sweet celebrating of my wedding anniversary to my dear husband. We can't quite believe it, but it's been twelve years since we exchanged our vows in Sky Meadow in the Santa Cruz mountains(Big Basin). We've been looking over the pictures with the children and talking about the many kinds of weddings people have to celebrate their love. Ours was quite alternative: I designed and sewed all of our clothing...we made our favors. The ceremony was followed by an incredible potluck and then we camped out under the stars with our guests right there in the meadow!
There were so many wonderful responses to my post "my little corners" that I thought I 'd bring you into my home again. So I'm inviting you upstairs to my bedroom...sounds a bit intimate, but I've been working on a little project I couldn't wait to share...and it fits in with our anniversary weekend...something for our room... I was inspired by The Purl Bee's Swatch Portrait Pool on flikr and finally did a cluster of my own. Isn't it a beautiful way to display your favorite fabrics, or at the very least, a cheap decorating trick! I want to encourage everyone to try it...no sewing skills needed! Click here for instructions.


The reason you're really here is to see this...

My wedding dress was packed away in the attic (like most, I'm sure). A few years ago, I was looking for something soft to hang above our bed...the dress seemed like the perfect thing, and here she has hung ever since. I made the pattern from one of my favorite dresses
(my litle sister's) and used undyed hemp with crocheted trim. Here are some very dated shots (May 1996) of the process...(my hair is quite short now).

So there you have it... some more insight on who I am/was and how I've always enjoyed... making and photographing my world.

One last thing...I found the perfect anniversary present for us yesterday (all right, mostly me) at a barn sale around the corner...this beautiful vintage coverlet in the perfect shade of butter for our bed! Look back at the bottom corner of the bed photo! I had been planning this post and it felt like serendipity!