Losing Our Cool

Losing Our Cool is a book about the consequences air conditioning has had on the environment and people's health...

That was one of the chief reasons I wrote the book was the ill ease I felt in going through neighborhoods that I knew had once been very lively places in the summer and then turned into dead zones. You would not see any human life out there, and the only sound would be the compressors and fans on the air conditioners. And I really do believe that what has been called by one author "nature deficit disorder" is a problem that has been facilitated by air conditioning. You can make a dark home entertainment center with cool, still, dry air a lot more appealing than a meadow, say, in summer. - author Stan Cox

Radio segment heard here.

thought about textiles

Textiles embody the creative vision of cultures that produced them.  
- Gerhardt Knodel

don't go chasing waterfalls

Did a serious hike in Escondido Park in Malibu this past weekend. It was amazing, but we did not know what we were getting ourselves into! The saying for the day - Don't go chasing waterfalls!!

sewing lately

I've been on a serious sewing kick lately. Trying to get my skills up to date for Haystack. With the help of Jin at Common Thread who reminded me of the word improvise, Cal Patch's book, and some YouTube videos, I've managed to get over my sewing hump and am finally feeling liberated.
Made 3 cute summer tank tops, one using a classic seersucker fabric I've had in a drawer for over a year now cut on the bias and the other straight grain using echino fabric, green one is being re altered. Love them and have worn them too much already. 

Altered a dress from a size large to a medium. Bought it on sale so no returns. Took in the sides and part of the shoulders. Wow. I learned more about the intuitive feel of clothing construction and how those little pins that tailors use to "take in" a garment becomes a perfect fit. It's not about cutting a straight line, but making it seem like a straight line when you wear it. 2d vs 3d perhaps?

And this last week and a half involved making a pattern from an existing top I already have. This is the top with sleeves. This has been the biggest aha moment. The tracing tool is brilliant and yes, I have a closet full of clothes I want to recreate. Lots of work, but worth it if the style and fit are right.

More fabric to last me till the end of the summer!

happy 4th

I LOVE fireworks. We went to our local park to see these. So fun and great to gather with the community! It's been 30 years since they've put on a show. According to our local councilman and thanks to private sponsors, the reality was to bring people's spirits up from the high unemployment.  Happy July 4th and thanks to all our troops and veterans for their service.

PS. ...and I think this is still Venus (per Lou) in plain sight!

white flowers

white flower spots everywhere on our hikes. look like snow, maybe because they usually grow from brown stems.

around

shoe store hanging rattan chair installation near hollywood farmers market, tim hawkinson's "Orrery" with the spinning dress pattern, echino by etsuko furuya fabric, first baby tomatoes from a plant given by lorrie and dyane, evening on the patio...