Daisy Janie

today, things are ducky.

I tend to think of myself as a very even-keeled person - someone who is fairly laid back overall and maintains her composure in stressful situations. But, in 2011, that hasn't been the case. At. All.

I think it's a combination of age (41) and the daily stressors I experience in my business. With my age, I'd probably be more emotional (read: prone to tearing up) anyway. But since I'm experiencing the aging process in conjunction with the craziness of running my fabric company, I find myself straying far from a calm & cool exterior. I'm an outlier on my own x & y chart of life! ha.

Last week, oh at about 4pm Tuesday, I hit what I would call an emotional apex. Aside from personal tragedy, I have never been so angry, frustrated, upset or mystified in my entire life at how little was coming together as I planned. This coincided with another personal event that needed to be dealt with immediately, and I felt myself come unglued, unhinged, unable to reign myself in, thinking ugly and unsafe thoughts. And despite my state of mind, there was still a quiet voice of reason in my head who took over, made me trudge on and fix what was broken. That voice knew I had no choice, that I had to be more flexible and that everything would work out. So, today, a week and a few days later, things are ducky. I am thankful - soooo thankful!

As my business has grown, it's a necessity to hold my cards closer - cards that include hearts that break when things go awry. It's not smart business to bare-all & tell-all. However, I know I'm not the only one who experiences these ultra-ultra-low points. What worked for me was reaching deeper within myself to find pockets of hidden strength and the passion that fueled my fire in the first place. From there, it was possible to find solutions and make things happen. I kept reminding myself that I didn't go into business to become a crying, b*tchy, drama-filled mess - so I had better get my $hit straight immediately. One foot in front of the other...

For those of you out there who aspire to take your business to the next level like I did these past 2 years, it may seem like it's all blue skies & giggles - but please know that many days it's thunderstorms & tears, whether you've mapped out your path or not. That is not meant to dissuade you from going after your dream; just a dose of honesty about The Dark Side that isn't often chatted about in public. However, it's the comprehensive experience of ALL of these things - good & lovely as well as bad & rotten, that allows one to become more savvy, more creative and more capable. And the net-net of that can be just where hard work and magic come together!

Happy Friday! Hope things are ducky for you, too - and if not, that you're finding a way to get it back!

xo
Jan

fabric sighting | modern woven pillow in shades of grey.

image (c) Linda Demers, a la mode stuff.

My friend Linda Demers from a la mode stuff created this splendid woven pillow from Daisy Janie's Dapple Dot and Zipper Tape fabrics (in the newly released Shades of Grey collection).

She based the design on her tres chic woven seatbelt pillows that she offers on her website. It was a fast & spontaneous collaboration between us that arose out of rainy Saturday morning tweeting a couple months ago. I know creating the pillow was not nearly as fast, tho - there are many, many steps in getting from conception to finished design. And lining up everything as you go!! Linda's talent and attention to detail make it look so perfect!

image (c) Linda Demers, a la mode stuff.

Love all the wood tones, grains and shapes coming together in the shot above!! In the image below, you can see where Linda added a little bit of her signature style to the pillow with the grey seatbelt edge. Sets off the design just so!! Thank you, Linda!

image (c) Linda Demers, a la mode stuff.

now shipping | Shade of Grey (hip hip hooray!)

Everybody up! Let's dance! Shades of Grey made it to Daisy Janie HQ, and we are shipping like crazy! The fabrics look and feel incredible!! Project time! I feel a new duvet cover coming on.... yep, I do.

Shopping for Shades of Grey?
Check out our 'where to buy' page to find a retailer carrying it.

Retailers:
Would you like to stock Shades of Grey? Please visit our website to find out how.

Thank you for your support of Daisy Janie's organic fabrics!

vintage treasure | needlebook.

Found this ultra cool needlebook at Stoudt's Antique Mall last weekend. On a table with broken bits & bobs, marked, "Everything here $5." Heck, the imagery is worth $5 let alone the fact that it's chock full of needles in every size!!

Love how she's sitting side-saddle in her dress, and how her shoes, purse and hair accessory match! Even her lipstick matches!

I think it's interesting that there's a man in control in the image, and that she's holding onto him for dear life as they zoom through outer space. My background is marketing research, and the fact that he's sitting up front in the driver's seat (on a package that has virtually nothing to do with him) is a rich time capsule of (1) consumer behavior and (2) tailoring a marketing message to the embedded perceptions that dictate said buying behavior. How much has changed and how much is the same, but just made to seem different?

Oh, the psychology of it all!! Or, as J unwittingly dubbed M's field when he was but a wee tot: Psydramedy. He had no clue he was pulling together psychology, drama and comedy - but rings too true in every way!

Found these pearly-retro buttons, too. I have a plan for them!

magnetic message #5.

That's all I gotst tuh say about that.

i heart my cutting mat.

My cutting mat is a regular backdrop in my picture-taking escapades not only b/c I love it but also b/c the light breaking from the 2 yonder windows are a huge help in *trying* to get some natural light into each shot. Plus, it's very convenient to grab a photo 2 feet from where I'm sitting typing this right now. From Oct-April, I tend to favor the morning light coming in behind the cutting mat (where the ironing board is below). From May-Sept, I prefer the evening light that comes through the window to the side (where the radiator is). I keep pieces of black and white foamcore and white posterboard stashed nearby that I'll often use on top of the mat or I'll tack to the bulletin board to isolate my subject from the cutting table debris.

I'm getting off subject already - sheesh. Periodiocally, I get emails asking about the cutting mat seen in so many of my photographs. I'm happy to share b/c this cutting mat rocks!!! It's actually my 2nd one by the same company ('tho they changed names and I had to do some sleuthing to track them down). My first one lasted 5 years (I used it A LOT to cut 100s upon 100s of handbags). This one is brand new, and I'm excited to see what projects she and I will enjoy together for the next 5 or so years!

The info is right there for you - I ordered by phone, and they were super helpful. Beba's also has a website where you can read a little bit about their mats and see the different sizes. Mine is 28" x 40" - the cutting area is 26" x 38". It was $42. Yep, $42! Great price for the quality and features. Fits perfectly on my work table to boot. Those extra couple inches beyond the typical 24" x 36" mat size make a world of difference to me.

The mat is super-thick, self-healing and translucent. It's made from a low-density polyethylene, which is the most eco-friendly plastic (not meant to be an oxymoron).

Here are a couple tips for you that may help your rotary cutting efforts:

• I turn my mat backwards, so the 1" mark is in the bottom-right corner and the 38" mark is all the way to my left. I prefer to cut on the INSIDE of a cut for more precision & control, so I line-up the edge of my fabric on the righthand side as shown below. Then, when I have my metal yardstick positioned, I zip my rotary cutter right down the inside of my yardstick.

• I used double-sided stick tape to adhere slender pieces of cork to the underside of my metal yardstick. This helps alleviate slipping when you're cutting. I rarely use this aid anymore, but when I was first learning how to use my rotary cutter, it was a huge help to keep things where they were supposed to be (including my fingertips on my fingers).

You can see the yardstick has gotten a lot of use, too!

quick & dirty | gluten-free pesto rolls.

Like any good Pennsylvanian, I've done my fair share of tailgating at Penn State football games. Not b/c I like football - oh, heck, heck, heck no! I like marching bands, Bloody Marys, laughing with my friends and pepperoni rolls - all great reasons to tailgate (anytime, anywhere - who needs football?).

These pesto rolls are in the same vein as the pepperoni rolls we used to nibble eat way too many of on those crisp, Fall mornings in Happy Valley. They're easy to make & crazy delicious, and they pack & travel very well (iff'n you haven't eaten them all before you leave!).

Ready to see how to make them?

Gluten-Free Pesto Rolls

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• By hand, make 1 package of gluten-free bread mix as directed on the box. I used a sandwich bread mix from Glutino.
• Let the dough rise once.
• Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray.
• Using an ice cream scoop, drop half-filled scoops of dough into muffin tins.
• Add a teaspoon schmear of pre-made or homemade pesto sauce. I prefer to make my own, but this is the quick & dirty version so I used a pre-made. My fave store brand pesto sauce is from San Giuliano.
• Add a generous pinch of shredded mozzarella.
• Drop one more 1/4 scoop of dough to the top of each one. Don't worry about placement... the oven will take care of it all!!
• Bake until golden brown - about 12-15 mins.
• Serve hot, cold or room temp, with fresh marinara for dipping or plain jane. So good!

press | stitch magazine.

Daisy Janie's Shades of Grey fabrics were selected as an Editor's Pick for "what's new & cool" in Stitch Magazine, Summer 2011. Love the description "modern monochromatic." Thank you for the feature, Stitch!

If you're looking for some ideas & inspiration, this issue is packed. I flipped through quickly while in line at Barnes & Noble and found 3 things I can't wait to read more about.

So happy to be seeing my fabrics in some glossies this Spring & Summer. There are a few more coming (she says with all 10 toes and fingers crossed) - I'll be sure to share.

seeing | how charley harper points out the obvious.

There isn't a blog big enough for me to describe all the things about and the magnitude to which I adore Charley Harper's art, so this will not be a post about that. Instead, let me share a moment in our home yesterday morning brought about by this game.

I was putting away (loosely defined) a dictionary that J had been using for homework the previous night. By away, I mean setting it atop our old stereo that sits atop an antique barrister bookcase in our DR. There were already some items resting on the stereo, and I picked those up first so as not to crush the smaller items with the big dictionary. I found a Christmas CD, 3 puzzle pieces, a thank you note and this game. The Charley Harper Memory Game. I was stunned. I was weak in the knees. I was thrilled. Charley Harper's art is in our house?! It's in my hands, in our house?! How did this get by me?

Here's the convo that followed:
me: "Where did this Charley Harper Memory Game come from? Did you get it for Christmas?"
J: "I got it for Christmas from ______. Didn't you see me open it?"
me: "Was I here? I guess not - I would have remembered Charley Harper coming into the house. I think we owe _______ a thank you note."

I started pulling out all the tiles, looking at each and sorting them into piles. Impossible not to sort them.

me: "Wow!" ..."These are so cool!" ..."Omigosh, look at this one!"
J:"Who's Charley Harper anyway?"
me: "One of the most incredible and daring Modern artists of the 20th Century, etc."
J: "Oh."
me: "How did I not know this game was in the house for 3 months? Why don't I remember it? What was I thinking?"
J: "Maybe you were thinking about bacon."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Leave it to a memory game to underscore the fact that I am indeed losing my mind! Maybe it's time to start taking gingko pills! And leave it to the man-child to crack me up by saying something bizarre! Like father, like son. (Not going to address the fact that the pile on the stereo has been there for 3 months, here or in real life.)

These are some of my favorite tiles in the game. (That little lady in in the bottom-left is sideways.)

Inspiring colors, shapes and composition. Less is more.

How about the owls' expression? "Whachutawkinboutwillis?"

antique store score | end tables & a funny sticker.

Found these 2 end tables at the Mad Hatter antique shop, located in Adamstown, PA.

I had been looking for tables that were lightish, modernish, tallish and square-ish, and we hit all the -ishes with these! There were cheapish, too, at $47 for the pair. Little bit of wear on them, but they seem to be well-made so no wobbling or creaking. Perfectish!

I love the tapered legs and ridged edges!

When I looked under the tables for some manufacturer's info, I was disappointed to find nada in that regard. But we had a good laugh when the ONLY thing found underneath one of them was this very, very tiny "vote ARCHIE" sticker!! I found out that this comedic campaign slogan came out around 1972, shortly after the All in the Family show hit the airwaves and everyone became enamored with Archie Bunker.

From wikipedia:
"Such was the name recognition and societal influence of the Bunker character that by 1972 commentators were discussing the "Archie Bunker vote" (i.e., the voting bloc comprising urban, white, working-class men) in that year's presidential election; in the same year, there was a parody election campaign, complete with T-shirts, campaign buttons, and bumper stickers, advocating "Archie Bunker for President."

I'll hold onto the sticker - it may be worth something baby ;) Remember the story about a man who found an authentic copy of the Declaration of Independence in an old picture frame? That was purchased in an Adamstown, PA antique shop, too! Lurking treasures everywhere around here, I tell ya!

Here's full-circle for you that I just realized in finding the links above:
All in the Family / Archie Bunker was created by Norman Lear, who was the 2nd buyer of that very same Dec. of Independence discovered in Adamstown - purchased in 2000 for $8.14 million!