Cicada Daydream

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-22T19:25:00.005-05:00

I'm taking this week off from blogging, Tweeting and Etsy shopkeeping. It's a short week and time is going to fly- unlike this little guy that my son created for a school project. Didya notice the Shade Garden fabrics??

Watching my son put this together really gave me an appreciation for his unique perspective and personal creative flair. He's extremely spontaneous and quite happy with simple results... never fusses, never second guesses. I feel that's a gift. I wish I could be more like him.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Homework | Stage 2-A

2009-11-18T10:01:00.003-05:00

LET THERE BE LIGHT!

Can you believe these photos were taken at about the same time of day? Despite the shift in the sun's seasonal position, the light just BEAMS through an area that was like a dark cave. There are pretty little windows on both sides of the door, so it gets east and west sun now.

aaaaaahhhhhhhh.

Orders Up!

2009-11-17T11:45:00.003-05:00

First wave of calendars went out yesterday- all of the October pre-orders.

My schedule is once again upset this week and again, calendar production is delayed. All I can do is hope... so here goes: hoping to get the balance done and a bit of inventory ready by end of this week.

I sound like a broken record!!

Homework | Stage 3-A

2009-11-15T17:05:00.005-05:00

A wee update, since it's been sloooooooooow moving here.

You'll see from our last update we now have a freshly paved drive, a small retaining wall, a coat of paint on the door, primer on the portico and handrails. We are not happy with the handrails, unfortunately. I've never shopped for them in my life, and having done it now, I can honestly say, you get what you pay for. In this case, inferior quality. So, we're at a crossroads with this particular aspect of our project. From afar, they seem fine. Which is good enough for the winter. Perhaps we'll wait until spring and see how we're feeling at that point. *sigh*. Just a disappointment. And a costly one at that.

This week, we hope to have the portico finished, light hung, numbers on door, windows installed. Crossing fingers all goes as planned.

Procrastination | The Sewing Sessions

2009-11-12T12:33:00.006-05:00

Took the day off yesterday to paint doors with my husband (promise, there's an update to the renovations coming soon!). Today, I finally finished the sewing of all the panels. And for your viewing pleasure, here it is- minus the snagged bobbins, the umpteen bobbins that ran out of thread, the sewing of an entire side just to find the thread was not in the needle the whole time, the hems that wouldn't behave, emergency fabric store run for more thread and the cursing that goes with all of that stuff. Some may wonder why I pause here and there, and it's because all the corners need to be folded in slightly to make nice neat front side... the perfectionist in me won't have it any other way, so it takes what it takes to get the job done.

As an added feature I make a little appearance at the end! (Music in background: Whistle for the Choir by the Fratellis) (ha! I just watched it and heard me sigh about 3/4 the way thru. Yes, this is REAL, people!)

I will not bore you with the chores of cutting dowels and sanding edges, snipping threads, pressing for a 2nd time, attaching hangtags and rolling them up in tissue. I hoped to get all this done this week, but yesterday (which was productive in other respects) really knocked me off my schedule here. I'm planning a Monday haul to the PO.

Ironing x 65 = Procrastination x 10

2009-11-09T13:08:00.005-05:00

Just for kicks, I thought I'd show you my last few days' work.

It's as riveting as the job itself. Thank goodness for music. (featured here, Sunshine by Keane) I'm still not done either. You can clearly see the level to which I can take procrastination. I even had to figure out how to convert an .AVI to .MPG for the job.

Off again, off again, jiggity jig.

Update Monday evening: I'M FINISHED! Tomorrow, I'm breaking out the sewing machine.

Recipe | Michelle's Chicken Taco Meatballs

2009-11-04T18:19:00.006-05:00

I am a taco fan. Big time. So is my family. I don't make them as often as I crave simply because there is quite a bit of excessive fat involved even with the substitution of ground chicken for beef. But the other day I had a little day dream about taco meatballs. I saw the whole thing forming in my head and once I believed I had the recipe down, that's when I took to the internet to seek out what others may have done.

So, yeah, it's not completely original... there's been many-a-taco meatball made... BUT! none with polenta! (not that I could find, anyway).

Tonight I gave it a whirl- and within 10 minutes of roasting in the oven, I knew I had made something good. A bit fussier than basic tacos, I admit. There's more hand-on... more time involved in prep. It's not an every night type of thing to make, unless you're down with the meatballs and I'm more a throw-everything-into-one-pan type of gal.

Essentially, it's this recipe for my chicken taco filling, only a few little tweaks:

Add all the raw ingredients for the chicken taco recipe in a large bowl, then add 1/2 cup polenta (that tube of polenta that's already pre-cooked), broken up finely and 2 tbsp taco sauce (I like Ortega's because it's smooth)
Form 1 1/2 - 2" meatballs.
Poke a hole with your finger deep enough to insert 1/2" cubes of cheddar cheese (or your cheese of preference), then press the meat back around and smooth over with no holes- or else the cheese may ooze out in baking.
Bake in 350˚ for about 30 min or until meat is no longer pink.

For my kid, I just served on bed of shredded iceberg lettuce with a drizzle of more taco sauce. For people who can handle a variety of veggies, sky's the limit: ripe avocado or fresh guacamole, diced tomato, chopped onion and green pepper, olives, beans, etc.

These would make awesome appetizers for a party.

As I was making them, I realized I could've easily have made a meatloaf, too - just put alternating layers of meat and cheese into the loaf.

Busy Signal

2009-11-04T12:18:00.005-05:00

You may wonder where I'll be for the next few days... well, here's my inbox: 65 calendar panels that need to be hemmed, pressed, dowels cut, sanded & inserted, strings tied, hangtags attached, rolled in tissue paper and packaged nicely in their tubes where they will await shipment. All by myself this year, too, because my mom's decided this time of year would be nice for a visit to France and Belgium. hrmph.

Hey, I'm not complaining!

OK, maybe a little...

Autumn Bliss

2009-11-02T16:33:00.003-05:00

We had a fun weekend. Hope you did too!

Breaking News | Big Decision & Big Sale

2009-11-01T07:54:00.007-05:00

Throughout the month of November I'll be running a 20% off sale on all my cotton/linen fabrics. I've never offered a discount on them before because the profit margins are so slim- it's also the reason I never wholesaled them.

This morning after chatting with my husband, some things suddenly became clear and I'm wasting no time on acting on my decision.

After months of contemplation about my Cicada Studio shop for the upcoming year, I've decided to deplete my immediate fabric inventory and then make the fabric a custom-order-only product only available through Supermarket. That means I'll stop offering smaller cuts like fat quarters and focus solely on 1 yard minimums. Anything left over from this sale, I hope to convert to handmade items, such as pillows, totes, and sachets.

Fabric listings are currently for fat quarters. I am only listing 1 at a time so I can track my inventory easier. I will have more fabric available on most patterns, though, so if you'd like a custom order, I can work it up for you. Yards of fabric, which were $68 are currently $54.40.

Right now I have no plans to make new designs. I had hoped to work with my Cloud9 partner, Gina, to see what we could do in the organic cotton efforts to work out a more "Cicada Studio" range. But with the growing success of Cloud9, I am not interested in creating more work down a different avenue before refining what we've already begun. Time will tell where the future lies for new Cicada Studio fabrics. I'm actually excited about this fresh start, and this feels very right. And a little liberating.

So, if you've been eyeballing Feeding the Birds, Wild Mushrooms, Grass Green or Queen Anne's Lace, now may be a very opportune time to purchase!

Family Shout Out | Pomme Designs

2009-10-30T13:00:00.000-04:00

My first cousin Sara is an amazing talent. She's design director at Fishs Eddy, she's a refined illustrator and sculptor, she cooks, she decorates, and she sews (I'm sure there's a bunch of things I'm neglecting to point out, too). Lately she's been sewing a lot more and so much so, that she's decided to open shop and sell her wares.

We're a bit of a Francophile family, what with our grandmother being French and having oodles of French family members to go and visit (and vice versa). So, it's no surprise that Sara, who even studied in France for a while, should tip her hat to her love of this inspirational country. Her uncomplicated, yet sophisticated work is accented nicely by the names of exotic locations, while her fabric choices reflect the memories of her journeys.

Counterclockwise from top left:

Province Sunglass Case
Lotus Tote
Marseille Mini Coin Purse
Bretagne Zippered Pouch

Shade Garden | Quilt Project

2009-10-29T11:16:00.004-04:00

Another collaboration between my friend Tia and me. This time, she didn't really have much to go on but a sketched image and some dimensions. She did a BEAUTIFUL job.

Look at all this crazy work she did!

Thank you, Tia!!

Little Helper

2009-10-27T17:05:00.006-04:00

I don't even want to think about how he got here, but when I reached for a pin and saw him there, I just couldn't help but smile.

Shade Garden | Shared Projects

2009-10-26T09:44:00.004-04:00

I am loving some of the beautiful creations made from my Shade Garden fabrics these days and want to share them with you, too.

Left to Right:

Karen of Nellie's Needles created a pattern that she previewed at this past quilt market (contact her for sales info).
Caroline or JCaroline Creative made this adorable kimono top (pattern by Patty Young)- you can also buy Shade Garden fabrics at Caroline's fabu store.
New email-friend Laura worked her magic on a darling baby quilt.

My crate is due back (finally) from quilt market today. Lost in transit, then found, then my driveway getting paved = unusually long time and buildup of stockpiled work to be done. I can't wait to show you the Shade Garden quilt I designed and my friend Tia sewed up for me!

New Item In Shop | 2010 Tea Towel Calendars

2009-10-23T08:03:00.006-04:00

Some of you will remember this grand idea I had, whereas, I would have my calendars manufactured for me. I'm sorry to report, it didn't pan out. The product they made just wasn't up to par, so I chose quality over quantity. So, it's back to my previous method, which is not only costly, but time consuming. While I'd love to sell oodles at a more-than-reasonable price, I opted for selling some at a fair price. We shall see where it leads me.

Thanks to everyone's input in my giveaway, I also decided to go with both designs... and honestly, they just look so nice and clean, I am very thrilled that I fell back on what I knew would be a top-notch product.

Check out Forsythia and Queen Anne's Lace in my shop Etsy and Supermarket shops. Also, there's an incentive for buying two or more.

Available for PRE-ORDER - should start shipping within a week.

Mother Lode!

2009-10-21T09:54:00.004-04:00

I always knew my husband was awesome. And he knows I know he's awesome. But last night he got the award for Most Awesome by bringing me this old Christie's Auction catalog packed with textile design goodness. It's FILLED with inspiration and will make a well-used edition to my reference library. Thanks for thinking of me, Sweety!

Giveaway | Epicerie Goodies

2009-10-16T11:27:00.005-04:00

This giveaway I'm "mixing" it up a little with a giveaway for my mom's spice mixes.

Epicerie specializes in custom blended spice mixes with recipe included. In this time where Slow Food seems all the rage, she's been doing it this way for as long as I can remember. Mealtime at Mom's is no casual affair. Scratch that... even the Casual Affairs are something special, because she's a complete whiz at making something simple seem more complex. Take the Chicken Provencal or Curry... the recipe calls for a few fresh ingredients that almost anyone would have on hand, plus Epicerie's super mix of spices and voila... a meal you can hardly believe you've prepared with so little effort.

Epicerie offers a wide variety of recipe packets which are nice if you like an assortment- or as gifts (think housewarming, hostess, stocking stuffers, off to college, etc)- Encore! jars for when you can't get enough of a particular dish and a unique Recipe Greeting Card for those who'd like to send a little Slow Food by Slow Mail. Each packet is designed with her original photos or illustrations (yes, she's a Jill of all trades). She also carries a few other items, such as recipe cards with a traditional French motif and placecards.

Here's what's being offered:

Grand Prize is 8 pack assortment and 2 runners up will receive a 3 pack assortment- all with the recipes of your choosing from her shop.

Here's what we'd like from you:

Tell us what's your favorite item in the shop- could be a particular recipe or an item itself. In particular, if you'd let us know what's more appealing- packets or jars, that would be awesome.

Entry deadline is Tuesday Oct 20 9pm EST.

Anyone in the world can enter.

Please PLEASE leave contact info, else I may have to pick another winner (boo).

UPDATE 10/21/09-

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS AND THANKS FOR ENTERING!

GRAND PRIZE- BECKY

RUNNERS UP- JODI AND NIAMEY.

We're Back!

2009-10-13T14:33:00.004-04:00

The Quilt Market was amazing. It was SO worthwhile and we surpassed both our hopes and expectations. Cloud9 Fabrics was so wonderfully welcome and we met and chatted with the nicest people. Everyone was so enthusiastic and it made us very proud.

I will be updating our stockists page with 15 super new customers (including Australia!) and we even hooked up with a Canadian distributor.

But of course, some of the biggest news is the preview of Beyond the Sea! We even received some pre-orders- so how happy are we?

I hardly got to get out of the booth, but I did drop by a few to mingle and see what everyone else was doing. It's a dizzying array of fabric and other fun things there- if I were a buyer, I would hardly know where to begin. We were quite content within our comfortable 3 walls though and were actually sad to see it dismantled last night.

More updates when I can catch my breath!

Off To The Market!

2009-10-08T08:08:00.002-04:00

I'll see ya on the other side of Market! Wish us luck :)

Featured | Do It Yourself Magazine

2009-10-06T11:01:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, I was contacted by designer Angie Packer as she wanted to use my Dandelion fabric in this project of hers that is so BEAUTIFULLY featured in the current Winter 2009 issue of Do It Yourself magaz ine.

Unfortunately, there was an oversight and I am not credited for the fabric in this project- on page or in the resources guide in the back. Which obviously is a big disappointment. Hoping that it can somehow be rectified, but as this is a quarterly, it's not likely people will stayed tuned to the next issue to find out who made that awesome fabric and where can I can some? Maybe they can post something online?

Anyway, it's one for my portfolio! (trying to maintain positivity)

What's particularly nice about this issue is all the Etsy featured artists and products and a big spread on my friend Patricia's new book Home, Paper, Scissors. I also see a lot of other familiar names and pieces.

2009-10-01T09:12:00.000-04:00

Wholesale Order

2009-09-30T14:16:00.004-04:00

First, I'd like to thank everyone who commented below. I really can't express how nice it is to know you're out there caring. It makes the blow even softer. A lot of comments gave me additional pause to think. I really enjoy hearing other people's perspective.

But, it's time I get back on my horse (his name is Previous Obligation). I am just about done with this nice wholesale order of these 10x16 boudoir pillows in a variety of my fabrics. All that is left is a hangtag and some TLW- tender loving wrapping. These are headed to a new boutique in Woodstock, NY. I love that town, so it's nice that my work will be nestled in with so many other neat things.

10 of Swords

2009-09-27T07:48:00.007-04:00

Friday was devastating for me. Something happened which cannot be fixed. My backup drive crashed. But "backup" is a misnomer. Really it was my only storage. Did I know better? Yes. Did I protect myself? No. Did I know that the results of the drive failing would be near catastrophic? Yes. Was this some sort of form of self-sabotage? Maybe.

Anyone close to me has been hearing a lot of talk about Change. I am stuck in my own routine and rather traditional modes of thinking. I work hard, but not always for the money because the money isn't always there. I accomplish a lot, but I am not always going anywhere. I turned 40 this year, and I've made public and private proclamations that my 40's were going to be the last decade where I pushed myself this hard and that I planned for my 50's a much more stable, rewarding, self aware and even lifestyle. And even though I've said and tried to believe in this, there's a lingering thought that maybe I shouldn't wait so long.

Often times, when things weigh heavy on my mind at night, I draw from my tarot deck for a little perspective and introspection. Friday night's card was one of the most pertinent cards I've ever drawn. Call it fate or dumb luck, I drew it. And at that moment, I saw things much clearer. I drew the 10 of Swords.

The 10 of Swords: (taken from Mystic Games.com)

Synopsis
An ending which is inevitable, yet promises new beginnings.

General Description
The 10 of Swords stands for the end and departure, for the great letting go, similar to the card "Death" (XIII). In contrast to the Death card, which shows the natural end, the 10 of Swords expresses the random, possibly violent, and thereby sometimes even premature end. Even though this end often corresponds with a very difficult life experience, it does not always have to be so; the profusion of swords represents the concentrated power of the mind. Through it, experiences that very much enrich and are essential to our lives can be terminated, but also unwelcome situations, bad habits, and depressive, harmful phases can come to an end. In any case, it Is a painful parting. Only from the context can we determine if this will be experienced with an oppressive feeling or if we are ultimately relieved, as at the end of an operation.

And someone else, can't remember who, used this analogy:
“When it is darkest, men see the stars”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The 10 of Swords asks me "now what?". The last time I "proverbially drew" a 10 of Swords was when I was struck by a car and found myself in a hospital for 2 weeks with a seriously fractured leg. My whole life stopped. And when I say it stopped, it was not from a slow paced stide- it was from a tumultuous flood of activity and the crash stopped more than my body. And I had to stop. Everything. Forced by the heavens and powers that be. It pulled my plug and I was grateful for all with what I was left... family, friends, my relative health, mind, and my creativity- and life itself. I was given a new lease on life, so to speak. And indeed, my life changed dramatically for the better. And this time, it's no different. Though not staggering in pain and physical inabilities, the loss of these files is crippling none the less. But having hit this bottom, I have nowhere to climb but up. And up I shall climb.

I haven't given up the fight to retrieve the files, but I am not stressing about it (or at least trying not to). Right now, my photos are the most important thing to me- which interestingly, was not my first concern when it first happened: my websites, all of my fabric designs, a book idea I'd been outlining, freelance work, my businesses' identity and collateral... everything I do and work on all day long. Gone. Just like that. Now what?

People like me, who do, do, do can't often see the trees for the forest... I know I got that wrong- but what I mean, is I see a big picture and not the little things that make it up. I only react to what comes at me- and I throw in spontaneous actions to propel myself from the spot on which I'm standing. I rarely live for the moment, and I am constantly striving to reach some sort of goal. While it makes for a dazzling spectacle, it's also tiresome. Only, I just can't stop. Unless something happens to make me stop. Like now. At 40, I'd like to think I'd start getting a handle on this M.O. and catch myself before the universe has to intervene. While my real strengths are about charging forward and combatting obstacles, I need to hone the skills in avoiding them altogether. With each draw of the 10 of Swords, I feel like I get closer to this ideal. But, as you'll probably read between the lines- I'm still striving for a goal... and so, I can only wonder, will the cycle continue only on a slightly different axis.

Blouse Completed & Completely Insane

2009-09-25T06:37:00.007-04:00

This blouse has taken me way longer than I had hoped. It's not a very complicated pattern (McCall's 5469), it's just that I haven't had much time except for bits and pieces.

Today I'm packing up our crate for the Houston quilt market. I know I haven't been talking about this much, but about 60% of my work time has been dedicated to designing, planning, shopping, and form filling (not to mention check writing) for the booth these days- and at times it's been a real headache. We're coming down to the wire now with less than two weeks until departure.

The workmen swarm has finally subsided and today I'll find myself for the first time in weeks... months, actually since everyone was home for summer, that I'll be alone to work. *this of course, on a day when I could probably use some helpful men around!

Once this crate is out of the way I'll only have the curtains to make (which ideally should've been INSIDE this crate) and some printed collateral- a swank vinyl banner with our logo on it and the new catalogs for Cloud9's next collection, which I'll be sharing with you after market!

Next on the Cicada Studio agenda: I have a nice wholesale order for some pillows in a new shop in Woodstock, NY- will share details as it unfolds. Really need to get this out the door before market. The rush is ON.

Oh, yeah- and yesterday I got a new haircut!

Homework | Stage 1-A

2009-09-23T21:44:00.005-04:00

A continuation on the front door. The portico is UP and the door is IN. It is GORGEOUS. Our carpenters are true artists and it was an honor to have them work on our house. I love that they admitted to us that this was the nicest portico they've done to date... that stuff works wonders on me.

I took this photo this morning, and since then, most of the siding is back up, and the portico is actually completed now. All that is left is to get it, and the door, painted. It completely changes the feeling of the house. So much more welcoming and warm. I can tell our neighbors are excited for us, too. :)

And don't you just love the trim around the door? When asked what sort of trim, I reached for a book on cottage style and right on the cover was a door similar to ours and I asked, can we do this? He shrugged and said, sure why not? A 10º angle on basic 1x6... looks not so basic!