"proficiency in knowledge of linen"

today I have been reading a lecture by W.H. Webb regarding linen. He was the president of the Irish Linen Merchants' Association and deemed it imperative that the people selling linen had a deep understanding of this beautiful product. it's only 28 pages long [hehe]. the salespeople even had questionnaires at the end in which they could be granted the diploma of "proficiency in knowledge of linen," if passed. awesome. I printed it out and will continue to swoon over it for the next couple of days. this quote did make me smile: "Germany, France and Czecho-Slovakia are producers of flax [linen comes from flax] but chiefly for home consumption. Holland also produces flax, and Dutch flax-seed has been famous for years." (Webb, pg 8) leuk!

and some pictures of the linen I hope to incorporate into my booth at GRunveiled. oh what fun it is to stitch with some gorgeous yards of linen.

going to the meet 'n' greet last night was very exciting! it was great to see joy'l and aletha and see where my booth is going to be -- right on the top of the stairs. come check it out! even if you're not a bride, you can still come! there will be treats for you too! :)

ready, set, bodice. yup, made a bodice from this. confused? I was too! but I finished it. now for next week: arms, skirt and jean pants. woah!

I sure do love winter. a picture from the blizzard last week.

winter. beauty.

I have a strange love with winter. it's cold, clean, crisp. everything is dead, and quiet. i become introverted and search that idea of wholeness. what does that mean? what does that look like? this time of year is nothing like those carefree summer days or those cozy fall evenings, but there is a beauty in this serene white world around us. with these quieter days, I have more time to devote to those around me and the design + crafts that I love. one project I was working on was some custom aprons. a great idea for those who love to cook! here's a peek at them:

I also wanted to share a great new magazine I was introduced to (the wonderful Joyce had given me a subscription to it for Christmas -- how did she know I would just love it? :)it's called: UPPERCASE. maybe you have seen it already, but it's wonderful. those uncoated pages (same as selvedge) are just a treat to feel, not to mention the oh-so-awesome pages stacked within. here is a link to check it out.

hope you are well.