Modish Guest Blog

a super handmade collection - portland's edith and edna

2008-01-20T07:01:04-08:00

i'm wrapping my guest blogging stint up today with a final post about one of my favorite places in portland to find handmade goodies.

edith and edna on exchange street in the old port is a bright and cheerful space full of local and web-favorite handmade items.

local favorites include bobbin bags and clothing by betsy scheintaub, milo in maine adult + kids shirts, lulubeans yarns, buttons by pixiegenne, handmade baby clothes + bags by soulemama, pinecone + chickadee shirts and papergoods, sewn goodies and mixed media collage by betsy thompson, and much more.

they also carry dovetail ceramics (a personal favorite of mine - i love the square mugs,) collages and owls by leya at curious bird, nikki mcclure prints and calendars, walter and veronica scarves (i got one for christmas and haven't taken it off since. really) and cd cases, lovely stuff from alena hennessy, wonderful books from if'n books + marks, a wide selection of craft books, and tons more.

my pictures are a bit dark because it was a rainy day when i visited, but i bet you can get a sense of how wonderful the shop is. most definitely worth a visit next time you're in portland! thanks to shop owners brandie and julie for letting me come by and snap some pictures.

i've had a great time guest blogging this week, and i hope i've given you all a good sense of what a great town the east coast portland is. i didn't come close to covering everything here, but i've tried to show you a good smattering!
thanks so much to jena for inviting me to make these posts this week.
cheers, jen

a gorgeous fiber fest with lulubeans' aprill newman

2008-01-19T08:19:46-08:00

photos (and handspun pinwheel blanket!) by aprill newman

a handmade talent i most definitely do not possess (but have a lot of respect for those who do) is knitting. i especially love looking at hand-dyed and handspun yarn, and all of the wonderful things that can be made with it. today i thought i'd share the lovely work of portland's aprill newman, the super-talented force behind lulubeans. she has a great eye for color, and her yarns are so lovely that even though i'm not a knitter i've been known to place skeins in a bowl just to admire as works of art.

i asked aprill to share both local and non-local resources and inspirations for all of you fellow fiber lovers out there. here's what she had to say:

around portland:

i love knitwit's bright and cozy munjoy hill shop. the store is full of eye candy: lace knit curtains are framed by robust morning glories in the summer; gigantic handmade mittens and pompoms adorn the shop in winter. they have a lovely selection of patterns and beautiful yarns.

central yarn is my go to place for the yarns i think of as staples in any knitters stash. they have a good selection of lopi and lamb's pride and often mark yarns down with great sale prices. and i definitely second amanda's praise for their button selection!

the ladies at the portland fiber gallery taught me how to spin yarn on a wheel a few years ago. they are a great resource for all things fiber related, from needle felting to weaving classes, to picking up an extra drive band for your spinning wheel should your small child get a little too excited about having her own pair of scissors. ahem.

and online: (links for knitters and non-knitters alike!)

i am absolutely smitten with jared flood's brooklyntweed blog. his photography and overall design sense blow me away!

i recently found the work of artist nikko moy via flickr and i love what she is doing with wool, a lot.

joana vasconcelos' work with textiles, knitting/ crochet and lace makes me so happy. (her website can be a little tricky, but well worth peeking around.)

the same goes for the beautiful work of helle jorgensen. this woman is so brilliant.

when i need a visual battery recharge, i go to flickr or the yarn museum. i really love to see the work of spinners who are making yarn that is very different from mine. there is so much amazing stuff out there!

thanks so much, aprill!!

port2port press's maria vettese

2008-01-18T15:21:08-08:00

photo by maria vettese

i've been thinking a lot lately about what draws so many of us to read the blogs we read. i think it is safe to say i'm not alone in enjoying the glimpses i get into other artist's every day lives. you can get such a strong sense of an artist's inspirations + influences, and when you then have the chance to acquire that person's art and have it in your own home, you feel a much stronger, more intimate connection to it that you would to a stranger's. that's how i see it, anyway.

photo by maria vettese

maria vettese of port2port press is another portland artist i admire a whole lot, and it is for exactly these reasons. she does a wonderful job of documenting her inspirations and her every day life at her blog, port2port, and on the collaborative photo blog she shares with stephanie congdon barnes at 3191: a year of evenings.

photos by maria vettese (l) and stephanie congdon barnes (r)

now in its second year, 3191 started as a collaborative photo project where maria and stephanie would each post a photo of their morning in 3191:in a year of mornings (which will soon be published as a book by princeton architectural press.)

photos by maria vettese (l) and stephanie congdon barnes (r)

maria's letterpress and photographs draw much inspiration for her daily surroundings and are simple and beautiful. she sells limited editions of letterpressed cards and photographs, and also works with other artists from time to time on collaborations, such as this lovely winter prints set called frost with brooklyn based artist lena corwin.

i asked maria to share a few of her local favorite spots (+ i will add for her the portland farmer's market, which she took some amazing pictures of last year and i got so much inspiration from!) here's what she said:

favorite portland food: 158, Fore Street, Bresca, Blue Spoon
favorite little grocer: Rosemont Market
favorite bakeries: Standard Baking, Two Fat Cats, 158

thanks so much for sharing the lovely glimpes of your life + your art with us, maria!

out and about town with soulemama's amanda soule

2008-01-17T06:06:13-08:00

Many of you may already be familiar with my fellow Portlander + friend Amanda Soule, author of the popular parenting and crafty blog Soulemama, and author of the forthcoming book The Creative Family - How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections. Maybe it was just the kind of day I had when I chatted with her about doing an interview for the guest blog, or maybe it was the kind of day she had (it is January in Maine, after all) - but I thought it would be fun to ask her what she likes to do on those rare occasions that she is out and about in Portland without her three sweet children. Everyone needs to recharge their batteries sometimes, right? Here's what she had to say:

When I'm not playing dress up, reading books, doing laundry, making peanut butter and jelly, or otherwise being "Mama", these are the places around town you'll find me seeking rejuvenation & fun:

On my own:

1. Scratch - This neighborhood bakery in South Portland makes bagels that I literally dream about. So good. Located right in my childhood neighborhood and on the ocean, it's a favorite place of mine for walking too.

2. Maples Organics Gelateria - Where I satisfy my sweet tooth. Toasted Coconut, mnn....

3. Longfellow Books or Books Etc - We're so lucky in Portland to have more than one independent bookstore. They're both favorite spots of mine for getting 'lost' for a little while.

4. Central Yarn Store - Yes, of course the yarn is lovely, but in the back of the shop is the most wonderful button selection in town - an entire wall full of buttony goodness.

With my love:

1. Higgins Beach in Scarborough - I find no place more rejuvinating than the beach. This one is a favorite of ours for walking and talking along it's shoreline.

2. Ferry & Pub - A favorite date night of ours is a ferry ride to Peaks Island, and a visit to The Shipyard Pub. It's a short ferry ride, but somehow travelling that little bit of ocean makes it feel like we're really getting away.

3. Local 188 - my favorite Portland restaurant right now. Recently moved to a beautiful, new location, I love the unique atmosphere and yummy food in here.

4. The Movies on Exchange - Portland's independent and foreign film theater, in an old-fashioned atmosphere.

With the girls:

1. Arabica Coffee House on Free Street - a favorite meeting spot for coffee and the yummiest toast in town.

2. Arundel Antiques & Flea Market, Route One in Arundel - There are few better ways to spend a Saturday than wandering the aisles of a flea market with my dearest friends who are equally as enamoured with 'old things' as I am. I like this spot for it's variety and affordability.

3. Downtown - I do love our waterfront shops and cobblestone streets. No visit to the Old Port is complete without a visit to Edith & Edna* and Ferdinand for handmade goodness. And Material Objects on Congress Street for funky vintage clothing finds.

3. Mardens Surplus in Lewiston - A surprisingly wonderful place to find designer fabrics (usually a season or two behind) at affordable prices. $2.99 a yard? Perfect.

(*stay tuned tomorrow when I share a visit to Edith and Edna here!)

Thanks so much, Amanda! These are many of my favorites, too - perhaps I will see you next time I get out on a grown up adventure.

i spy :: apartment tour with lucky tangerine's jennifer muller

2008-01-16T13:56:17-08:00

today i am very excited to show the interior of one of my very favorite apartments in portland (or anywhere, for that matter.) graphic designer jennifer muller of lucky tangerine designs and her photographer husband michael heiko have lived around the corner from me with their son finn for several years since moving to maine from brooklyn, new york, though we only met this past summer. i'm so glad we finally did - i've recently had the pleasure to work with jennifer on several graphic design projects and am in love with her eye and style. when i saw their wonderful apartment for the first time i was totally smitten.
their kitchen is full of sunlight and a big pantry houses a terrific selection of thrifted 50s dinnerware and glasses. there's a huge array of wonderful artwork everywhere - i especially like all of the prints with big and bold typeface throughout their house.

((you might enjoy the wee busts of charles and ray eames on the kitchen shelf if you look closely.))
in the dining room jennifer has taken over a china cabinet with new and vintage fabric stash + some beautiful yarn. doesn't it look terrific?

the hallway has a great angela adams rug and some wonderful prints on the walls.

in the living room they have several different pieces of karen gelardi's work on display, nestled amidst sea urchins and milk glass - karen is one of my favorite local portland artists.

i love the hable construction pillows on their sofa a whole lot.
their house is cozy and inviting, full of great eye candy, and feels like a real home.
thanks so much for the peek, jennifer and michael!

she's got book :: meg rooks of pixiegenne

2008-01-15T09:49:03-08:00

as it happens, some of the coolest people in my life are either librarians or librarians-in training. today it's my pleasure to introduce you to meg rooks: artist, crafty blogger, inspired vintage collector + childrens librarian living here in portland, maine with her husband and two children. {{in the spirit of full disclosure, she also happens to be my best pal.}}

meg has many crafty + creative talents. perhaps her signature item, she has made many decoupaged suitcases and pails (sold on etsy and at mahar dry goods) - all done with vintage childrens book ilustrations.

she also makes buttons, cosmetic bags, pin cushions (you can see her pincushions in this recently released book,) vintage ornament wreaths, tissue holders, sock monkeys + other fun plushies, and pretty much anything else that strikes her fancy.

she has an extensive collection (i think of it as treasure trove) of art/craft supplies: a super-huge stash of childrens books -most collected at yard sales or on ebay - and lots of vintage fabric.

her house is has wonderful collection of largely thrifted antiques and vintage finds, with warm paint colors and cozy corners.

i asked meg for some of her favorite book recommendations, and for some other favorite librarian-ish goodies. here's what she had to say:

favorite picture book authors:

1. william steig - all-time favorite. wonderful read-alouds
2. ruth krauss - poetic and quirky and sweet
3. leo lionni - magical, love his artwork
4. brian wildsmith - beautiful, beautiful
5. arnold lobel - simple and sweet stories and illustrations. frog and toad are the best.

close runners-up include maurice sendak, kevin henkes, russell and lillian hoban, lois lenski, and trina schart hyman.
(and astrid lindgren)
(and margaret wise brown and tasha tudor)

favorite chapter book authors for kids:

1. roald dahl: i love his kid vs. mean rotten adult style.
2. katherine patterson: really beautiful stories. her books have stuck with me more than anyone elses.
3. madeline l'engle: i've never been super into fantasy books but i love her "wrinkle in time" trilogy.
4. e.b. white: you can't go wrong with any of his books. all classics.
5. laura ingalls wilder: it kills me that my daughter has no interest in these books. kills me.

(those are all older authors because i'm a nostalgic freak. some newer authors i love include sharon creech, karen cushman, philip pullman. ok. i'll stop there.)

adult authors i'm into lately:
miranda july, jonathan safron foer, kazuo ishiguro (which you recommended. i loved "never let me go" and an earlier book of his, "when we were orphans" is next on my list). i'm just finishing "what is the what" by dave eggers and "the history of love" by nicole krauss; both are great.

fun book-geek websites:
good reads
bookcrossing
library elf
library thing

other artsy/crafty library geekery:
matryoshka book plates by corabelle
catalog cards by elfrida
hidden book belt buckle by maxine dear
library card journals by lollipoopdesigns
public library by suchandsuch

thanks, meg!

ferdinand ::: portland maine

2008-01-14T11:50:58-08:00

when jena asked me to guest blog this week, i immediately started thinking about all of the local portland talent that i wanted to share here. perhaps one of the best-known local indie/handmade pioneers (plus an all-around excellent gal,) diane toepfer of ferdinand is one of my favorite people and a wonderful artist and craftsperson to boot. at her storefront on munjoy hill in portland's east end, she makes a wide range of fun and eclectic handmade goodies - pretty much anything that strikes her fancy.

she carries a terrific selection of new + refashioned vintage items, such as these fabulous feather barrettes:

and vintage clothing and shoes, too.

many of you may recognize her famous drum-playing squirrel, which adorns adult and childrens tees.

she also makes a wide selection of gocco and screenprinted cards, totebags, notebooks and journals, jewelery, patches, potholders and accessories, and features many other local and nationally known crafters as well.

here are some diane's own hot-off-the-press screenprinted valentines - aren't they great?

some of diane's favorite art-y/crafty peeps:
local maine stuff:
pinecone and chickadee
(here are some p+c valentine cards i spied at ferdinand today):

morris + essex
strong arm bindery

and goodies from elsewhere:
dog and pony show
lisa jones cards
nineteen seventy three
motel deluxe

ferdinand is located at 243 congress street, portland, me 04101, and is a must-visit next time you're in town.