Melon Potholders

There are instructions for these melon potholders on The Purl Bee. Wheee - summer is here!

Deck Towel

These handsome linen towels are from Deck Towel. You can also find them at Gravel & Gold. They remind me of a light cotton towel my old boss brought back for me from India - I can almost feel it fluttering in the breeze. Summer's here!

Derick Melander

Derick Melander makes sculptural pieces from folded used clothing. I'd love to see him work with Jean Shin:

Mushroom Dyes

(via allfiberarts.com)

(via the Fungi and Fiber Symposium 2008 website)

During Sasha Duerr's lecture at our symposium yesterday, she talked about using mushrooms (and really, a whole bunch of other interesting plants and seeds) to dye fabric. These colors are amazing, and I was thinking about it a lot yesterday - how can I learn more about this, and how can I get these mushrooms? I guess there's some lady in Finland who teaches workshops (the image above came from her class), but there are some locals who seem to know a lot too. I found the Sonoma County Mycological Association's website and it has some great info. Their colors look a little more earthy than the ones Sasha showed, but I guess you have to start with what's locally available.

Velveteen Pincushions

I saw a really weird/almost cool piece of art at an estate sale this weekend - a big gold branch with big leaves and sequined velveteen pears hanging on it. It reminded me of these pincushions, which I found on a vintage goodies website last year. I'm thinking of making a couple for myself, maybe with some old candlesticks or wooden bits.