Honestly, I’m wearing a coat as I’m sitting at the computer today. How ridiculous is that? This is June, after all, but we’ve only had four hot days so far this year. Damn this crazy high desert climate. Maybe it’s time to move again? I’ve lived in Central Oregon since 2002, which is longer than I’ve lived anywhere besides my parents’ house. Considering the relative mobility of my business, relocating isn’t out of the question and might even be beneficial.

Then again, I always have the urge to travel this time of year. The kids will be out of school soon, I’m renewing their passports this week, and we’re sketching out travel plans to visit friends and family in the Pacific Northwest, from Portland, OR to Seattle, WA and Victoria, BC.

Later today I’ll be picking out some fabrics for a sashiko project that I will do step by step here on the blog. I’ve decided not to use one of the kits because I’m terrible with following directions, and I’m spoiled for choice when it comes to Japanese cottons anyway. I’ll be picking a yukata cotton out of my shop to work on, probably one of the indigo ones. For inspiration I’ll be consulting Beyond the Tanabata Bridge: Traditional Japanese Textiles which has some very nice examples of vintage textiles and traditional sashiko work from the Seattle Art Museum’s collection. I’ll also be reading through Sashiko: Japanese Hand Stitching by Ai Takeda for step by step instructions on the basics.

Also coming up, I’ll be back to listing vintage kimono fabrics on ebay. I took a month off from auctions, but now I’m ready to jump back in with some gorgeous pieces. My camera will be very busy for the next few hours! Check back tomorrow for visual updates.