fabric and flour

notice of eviction

2010-02-25T12:10:00.000-08:00

I've moved! I would love to have you over at www.shirinhandmade.com/blog

giving the finger...

2010-02-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

something pretty to wear.

Diamonds may be forever, but I'm liking these rings a lot right now.
1. Vampire Ring, VeraMeat
2. Yogi Ring,VeraMeat ('...that perfect moment before two fingers touch')
3. Assorted, photo from Fashion Toast
4. Ribbon Ring, Emily Miranda Studios (she also makes the most incredible cakes)
5. Grotto Ring, Emily Miranda Studios
6. Framework Series, Colleen Baran
7. Layered Two-Finger Ring, Colleen Baran
8. Rabid Fox master ring, Fleathers by Linda Smith

My Funny Valentine

2010-01-29T13:33:00.000-08:00

Although I'm finding it pretty hard to wrap my head around the idea that January is almost over, the fact is cupid lurks just around the corner, ready to pounce.

While I love a from-the-heart sparkles and doily card, or a sweet pastry surprise in the morning, I've never been one to go over the top for this particular holiday. Since it's also my brother's birthday, Valentine's day has never been my focus come February 14th. I've always really appreciated my brother for having chosen this particular day to check-in; no reason to sulk alone through a box of chocolates the years I've been single on this media hyped Couples Day. There was a birthday to celebrate here!

Having said that, I think these cheeky little handmade trinkets would be just thing to make that special someone blush.

1. Have a Heart Bust Pendant, by Margeaux Lange (she uses barbie parts!)
2. Faux Bois Log, by somethingshidinginhere

Crunch Time

2010-01-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

We made some impossibly large batches of granola, working assembly-line style, to give away as Christmas gifts this year. Yet somehow we were only left over with a one day's supply for ourselves. Is that an indicator of how much we had left, or how fast we consumed it? Let's not dwell on that one..

I love having fresh, homemade granola at home. Certainly, it excites me to scoff at the 9$ bags grocery stores somehow get away with selling. But more so, I love being able to customize the crunchy goodness to my exact tastes, and to know for sure it contains no ingredients I can't pronounce, and none of the dreaded high-fructose corn syrup. Plus, it's so easy and cheap, and in my opinion makes the loveliest gift. Admittedly, I'm beating around the bush. There is that one other reason I love making granola.. You see, the following picture captures one of my favorite smells in the world. I have an inkling that melting the butter is not exactly essential to the process - surely using butter soft enough to simply allow the ingredients to be combined would do the trick - but why pass up on an opportunity to paint my house in the full, almost nutty caress that is the smell of melting butter? Ah... I just put a fresh batch in the oven, and now wait for a warm treat I can douse in cold creamy milk and decorate with a graceful plopping of thick yogurt, knowing that now my mornings are once again crunchy and delicious.

To me, making granola is all about getting creative, experimenting, and of course using up those banana chips that would otherwise go stale. I'm keen to try using peanut butter, pecans,dried kiwis and other fruits, sunflower seeds and maybe pumpkin seeds. Probably not all together tough...
I'd also love to try making a savory version, using olive oil, cayenne and sun-dried tomatoes maybe? I imagine it would be a tasty thing to have around, to throw on a salad or coat a chicken in before roasting.

The method:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

For every three cups rolled oats, mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, and somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 a cup honey or maple syrup, or some combination of both.

Add more butter if you'd like more crispy clusters of goodness, and less if you're a less butter is better kind of person. (Really?)

Then add about 1/2 cup each of the dried fruits or nuts you're using. A whole cup if it's something you particularly like. (My classic go-to combo: almonds, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, banana chips, shredded coconut and flax seeds.)

Spread it on a baking sheet and bake until your kitchen and surrounding area smell magical, and the granola is nice and brown. Should take around 40 minutes.

It keeps in an airtight container for up to a few months, but is unlikely to stick around that long. It tastes best when warm out of the oven, though.

Whistle while you work

2010-01-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

Four of us went up to Whistler this past weekend to relax, cook extravagantly, dance our hearts out, thrift shop, walk around a frozen lake, and remember why it is that our license plates read 'Beautiful British Columbia. I came home feeling refreshed and inspired.

Excited to be back at the sewing machine, I made my first pair of jeans! Ever! My first pair of pants, really, unless you count ones with elastic waistbands made from repurposed Sesame Street bedsheets, which are the kind of pants that cannot really pretend to me approprate for things that do not involve a bed, or tv watching, or chocolate chip cookie baking, etc. etc.

The pant options in my closet these days seem to be limited to skinnies, so I'm excited to have a pair with a different fit- they have sort of a slouchy, relaxed fit, but more girly and tailored (pleats!) than the now ubiquitous 'boyfriend' fit. They look really cute cuffed to show just a bit of ankle.

I haven't made up my mind about what kind of button to use.

Any suggestions?

An Ode to Pendleton

2010-01-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

For the past month or so, a friend and I have been discussing our plans to redo the interior of her Subaru in a Pendleton inspired theme. The textures, colors and prints of their beautiful blankets and sturdy bags are so inspiring - if their goods weren't so pricey I would love to re-upholster everything I own -furniture and otherwise- with their woolly glory. I can only imagine the road trips which would be had in a Pendleton-esque blue Legacy...

Given my love for all things Pendleton, I was more than a little thrilled when I stumbled upon an 'alternative outdoor store' in Portland, and found it contained a rainbow of Pendleton apparel (alongside a fine selection of leather belts, cowboy hats, beautifully crafted rubber boots, and an entire equestrian section! - I long to go on the outdoor adventure that requires one to be outfitted with such American wonders).

I came home with Pendleton in my thoughts, and thus on the tip of my googlefingers, the times being as they are. And so I web-stumbled upon the Pendleton x Opening Ceremony lookbook for Spring (which by the way seems to have already arrived in this here part of the world), at which point I let out a little yelp of appreciation. I think they did a wonderful job combining the already wonderful classic prints with the ever-trendy plaids. Plus the sunglasses look just like a pair I lost last summer. Which, I dunno, makes me sad. But still. The clothes are great.

from www.highsnobiety.com

Lace Bloomers

2010-01-11T13:58:00.000-08:00

Inspired by this beautiful black lace I found, I've been designing a few more pieces for around the house, or under your clothes. I'm also making a little top, and a romper/onesie from this same black lace.

I love how these little 'knickers' turned out. They are cheeky, feminine and quite saucy. But best of all, they are super comfortable.

The edges are all finished with a serger, the waistband is made out of a really soft jersey knit fabric, and the elastic around the legs creates a really flattering and girlie shape.

Check out my Etsy shop for more info!

...now that the holidays are in the belly

2010-01-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

After a week of indulging in my family's delicious and plentiful cooking in the Okanagan, then tasting as much of Portland as we possibly could in the three days we spent there, I came home full of that special combination of exhausted and inspired that makes a person quite ready to be back home and, you know, their own kitchen.

I sit now with my laptop rested on a belly full of steak, curried portobello mushrooms, brown rice, and a little too much raw cake batter as I: look through pictures from the holidays; wait half-patiently for this chocolate cake to bake, wondering how it will turn out due to the changes I made in the recipe (most of them relating to the pre-baking consumption of a good portion of the chocolate that was to go in the cake); daydreaming about Portland, that wonderful city, and what might come of the email address a young lass scribbled down for us after we got to chatting about an apartment exchange in the summer...

On this year past and border crossing

2010-01-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

We build relationships with the people in our lives – friends, family, lovers – sort of in the same way we play a game of Jenga, only often backwards. If each block were to represent an individual we are in some way acquainted with, the people we are closer to are closer to the base. Closer to the heart, and more fundamental to our stability. Our foundation, really.

As we become closer to someone, understand them better, create a space for them closer to our hearts, their block is moved closer to the bottom. We become stronger, more whole.

Similarly, when you lose a friend or loved one, it’s like a block is pulled from it’s respective position, with the corresponding effects on our personal structure depending on the logical factors – their previous position, whether the shift was slow and careful or abrupt and aggressive, how stable the network was beforehand.

Last night I sat waiting, somewhere vaguely after midnight and before daylight, achieving minimal success in my personal battle to fight back tears. My boyfriend’s block – the block belonging to the lovely, and non-Canadian passport holding young man who had just taken me on a trip to a surprise destination (Portland!) – had been quit aggressively shaken by a man with a numbered badge and big words. Words that made me quite anxious indeed.

Luckily, they were words that, after much unpleasant waiting, the filing of intimidating reports, turned out to be unfounded. I guess some people are just fond of big words.

We were sent on our way. And I realized how close to my foundation this man who was two years ago not even part of my structure had become. I realized the instability – potential collapse – that would come were his block to be abruptly and tactlessly pulled from the position it had acquired. I thought about the people I love, and how hard it would be to lose any of them.

As we drove through my sleeping hometown I decided that in 2010 I would take more time to really love everyone, and everything, that I love. The people, the food, the places, the things like swimming and biking, baking, reading, gallery going... and so on. I want to make sure to take the time to appreciate and enjoy.

And so, from our trip a few hours south I learned that when life hands you lemons … you best quickly hurry to the Pearl Bakery and kindly ask – beg, if necessary, this is no time for dignity – for them to bake you a batch of their beautiful lemon tarts. They are peace-makingly delicious; flavored with the ability to at least soften (if not erase) any blow. If only I had brought with me a small bag of them for comfort in the waiting room

Here are some of my favorite moments from this year past.

1. Fly fishing at the Jaolin River, Queen Charlotte Islands
2. Admiring the Zebras at the fantastically East German Tierpark Zoo, with one of my favorite people ever.
3. Canoeing at a friends place in Friedrichshagen
4. Grabbing three pairs of Mr. Torgerson's incredibly retro skis explore Mount Washington cross country
5. Becoming my boyfriend's regular hairdresser (he doesn't even cover his face anymore!)
6.Thanksgiving at a friend's farm on Vancouver Island
7. My favorite holiday!
8. Mauerpark flea market, a place I wish I could be much more often
9. Going to the lake (with this book, which I could not put down, and from which I made the chocolate cake within hours of reading of, and have made at least a half dozen times since)

A HollyJolly

2009-12-29T01:46:00.000-08:00

Ah, Christmas.

This year we spent it at my cousin's new place in the Okanagan for five food filled days of the whole family under one happy roof. Between my aunties' delicious Persian feasts, takeout Indian food, a bacon wrapped turkey and its appropriate table-side colleagues, pecan squares and the largest batch of spaghetti I've seen cooked outside of a commercial kitchen, the holidays found us playing countless games of Risk, Bridge, Catch Phrase (LOVE this game), Rockband, and some incarnation of a Mario video game on Wii, watching Food Inc. on Christmas Eve (a film I would recommend seeing, but certainly not on this particular occasion), and driving out to Big White to show the slopes who's boss.

I'm happy to be back home because I don' t think I could physically handle the rate of food consumption for any longer. Still, I can't seem to stop listening to Christmas music. Big fan of this particular tune. No need to judge.

What a douchebag

2009-12-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

I make these handy knapsacks out of recycled shower curtains. Because shower is called 'douche' in Farsi and French, I call them douchebags.

Why Can't Kate Moss Sleep?

2009-12-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

I think I'll be tucking a few of these cheeky eye covers into some stockings this year.

I screenprinted an image of Kate Moss' eyes onto some fabric, then sandwiched some scraps of wool/cashmere coating to give a little softness and structure to them, before sewing an elastic band onto the back.

I imagine they'd be quite funny for airplane napping.

I'll list a few different colors and patterns in my Etsy store.

On Luxury

2009-12-15T10:17:00.000-08:00

“Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.”
-Coco Chanel

Personal Economics

2009-12-10T10:13:00.000-08:00

Alphabet Bags

Solo Traveller

2009-12-03T00:45:00.000-08:00

Snapshow

2009-12-01T00:28:00.000-08:00

Spent the say with one of my favorite of favorite people, snapping pictures of her in some of the new clothes I'd made, eating corn on the cob, spicy Indian eggplant, and nutella crepes, walking around till our feet hurt and our hands were frozen stiff. Miki is such a cool cat and a good sport, you couldn't even see how freezing cold she was as the sun sank. She's also spectacularly photogenic, as you can see.

It was such a beautiful day, I can't really beleive it's December.

I will post my favorite clothing shots pronto, but for now, here are some of my favorites as far as bestest buddies since elementary school discretion goes.

The Fantastic Mr. Berkley Illustration

2009-11-25T00:05:00.000-08:00

I saw the Fantastic Mr. Fox today, and quite thouroughly enjoyed it. I was thrilled by the beautiful tailoring of the little foxy tweed pants and dress shirts. And as per usual was charmed by the subtle hilarity that is Wes Anderson-ness. Reawakened my love for him. I came home and downloaded - er, purchased - the complete discography of his film soundtracks. I am simultaneously enjoying and wierding myself out by listening on repeat to the Darjeeling Limited sountrack.

Although The Life Aquatic will forever hold my absolute highest regards - soundtrack, costume, casting, story telling technique, comedic ingenuity, and all other elements which for me make a movie one's eyes cannot be peeled away from - the amazing visual effects and joy of watching Roald Dahl's little tale on the big screen were enjoyed to the maximum.

The film made me think of these fantastic illustrations, which I would love to cover my walls with:

www.berkleyillustration.etsy.com

Uniquely Uniform

2009-11-20T23:42:00.000-08:00

Brilliant, creative, and well executed, Sheena Matheiken created the Uniform Project with aims to fundraise to send children in India to school. In order to do so, she has pledged to wear the same dress, a verstatile piece specifically designed for this project, every day for one year. She started in May, and has already raised over 40K. I am dazzled.

"Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade's boudoir.

The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. At the end of the year, all contributions will go toward Akanksha’s School Project to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for children living in Indian slums."

To read more about the uniform project, or to donate, web-wander over here.

Feeling

2009-11-16T23:35:00.000-08:00

like one of these impossibly lazy creatures today.

Rain-couver

2009-11-14T23:15:00.000-08:00

The sky has been very generous these days, holding nothing back from it's seemigly impossible, unrelenting downpour. I try to appreciate that the enless showers that every Vancouverite has come to expect are the reason our city is so stunningly green. I really try.

That not so pleasant soggy hem of my pants feeling leaves me wishing I was equipped with the following:

As my boyfriend says,There's no such thing as bad weather - only bad clothing. (He's clearly the outdoorsy type)

2009-11-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

www.phoebeeason.com

Spooks

2009-11-02T17:31:00.000-08:00

can't hardly wait

2009-10-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

Giving thanks.

2009-10-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Turkey,

Thank you for making such a succulent, crispy and juicy appearance in my life, fresh out of the oven twice last weekend.

Thank you for letting us drive to a friend's nearby farm to pick you up, and for starring in a beautiful dinner at my friend’s family farm on Vancouver Island.

Thank you for letting my auntie bring you into our new home, roasted to deliciousness for our second feast of the weekend, to share with my own friends and family, along with dishes other family members and myself had prepared- buttery mashed potatoes, honey and goat cheese roasted yams, hearty beans and rice, an unexpected but more than welcome Thai shrimp noodle salad, and pumpkin pie and apple gallete with softly whipped cream.

Thank you for filling Tupperware after Tupperware and then filling our fridge more than any people in their early twenties’ fridge is normally full.

Thanks you for sitting gracefully in between the folded layers of a cheesy omlette, alongside fresh cherry tomatoes and salty feta cheese.

Thank you for letting me fold you and your trusted compatriot and fellow leftover, cranberry sauce, along with yellow bell peppers and goat’s cheese, between torn off pieces of Iranian sesame flatbread and toasting you into a staggeringly delicious combination of flavors.

Thank you for letting me eat you and your stuffing cold out of the fridge for breakfast.

Thank you for letting me cook you into a spicy, gingery udon noodle soup with kale, carrots, green beans and a fried egg.

At this point I would like to briefly address the mashed potatoes and thank them for also combining nicely with leeks and other veggies in a hearty fall leftover soup.

And thank you, Turkey, for finally (fiiiiiinally) making your grand finale in my boyfriend’s (very boyish) tomato pasta sauce, in which you were joined as a protein by both eggs and tofu.

Thank you for the space in my fridge, and the freedom to eat something that is not another reincarnation of yourself.

For all that (and of course many other, more 'serious', things) I give thanks.

And please take no offense, dear Turkey, when I say that although I really look forward to seeing you next, I hope it’s no sooner than Christmas.

Yours Truly,
...