All of the tools and hardware required to make one Dumaine bag: big scissors, little scissors, rotary cutter, skiving tool, edging tool, hammer, steel dapping block, hole punches, scoring tool, pen, branding iron, circle template, belt edger, straight edge, burnishing cloth, buckles, loops, clasp, (not pictured: strap cutter, oblong buckle punch)

Note: this isn't meant to be a step by step "how to" tutorial.  
Just thought I'd share a day in the life at the studio for those interested in what goes into making a leather bag by hand.  xo

patterns. thread, zippers..... 

1 cow hide yields 3 Dumaine bags - 6 lg pieces per bag.

Adding loops. tag, rivets...

So much harrrrdware!

Hammering rivets. (I quite enjoy this part)

Shoulder pad anyone?

Adding the zipper then pocket to the front piece... 
(thats my trusty/rusty Consew industrial walking foot)

Branding leather rules!

I use my dapping block as a straight edge aaaaand....

Voi-la!

Wait, better check my email, I mean, FB, I mean twitter, I mean... 
Back to WORK!

Edge-finishing all of the pieces before putting it all together...

"Putting it all together" - a.k.a. forcing a 3D thing to be a flat thing 
long enough to sew: LEATHER WRESTLING

Skiving (or is it skifing?) the edges, then burnishing.

Adding the last of the hardware (the fun part!)

Dumaine. Done.  (O.K., so I left a few of the boring bits out, but you get the idea!)

March's Sunday Secret Postcard Project send off...

"Art is manipulation without intervention." -Louise Bourgeios

White birch. Orange wall. New Pfaff industrial serger.

So long tiny studio with N facing windows,,, hallo SUN!
(that blinding white is actually the window below)
A rare commodity in our beloved Pacific NW.

My 3rd story west facing view from my desk.  Pretty sunsets from here!

Wow.  February has turned out to be one the best and worst months for me.  I'm trying hard to focus on the good things amongst personal loss and sadness and this space is really been helping me to do that. 
I already feel so inspired here.  Looking forward to new ideas, new projects, new beginnings, and holy shit, SUNLIGHT!
If you're cruisin down NE MLK between Stanton and Graham... Come say hi! I'll make us some tea.

...and I'll make you one.  Inbox me through my contact page and we can trade addresses.
above: Round l & ll of Sunday Postcard Project
(collages made from cutting up an old art date planner + watercolors.)

Blunk home and studio: Now a Residency for artists.

Pull switch next to bed.

carved wood sink

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
J.B. Blunk. Sculptor 1926–2002. His home and studio are now home to a Residency Program for artists in Inverness, California. Sign me up.
Some of his work is featured in a new book: Handcrafted Modern
by Leslie Williamson. Definitely on my buy list.

_It's a total drag. First I was sick over NYE but made the best of it with hot toddies and boggle while hanging at the coast with friends. Getting over it I thought "hey, that wasn't so bad for my once a year cold" then
-BAM- I got this heinous upper respirtory/sinus infection that made my head want to explode and my lungs hurt from coughing so hard. The last to go.. my voice. I sound like a dying cow as I type this.  Yesterday our basement flooded and today I had a full cord of heavy maple delivered in the RAIN. I just loooove stacking soggy wood, lemme tell ya.
So waaa waaa waaaa.. this is what I was craving after being sick, tired cold and achy and it really did the trick. (and it's easy as hell.)

(confession: just this once... squash pic - not mine, though I did "polaroid-ize" it. Bottom pic: view from my kitchen window)

Curried Pumpkin (or Butternut Squash as it were) Coconut Soup:

Cut small pumpkin or butternut squash in half.
Remove seeds and place on baking sheet face up with a pat of butter/olive oil on each piece.
Lightly S+P.
Bake at 375 for 30-45 or until soft. Set aside.
-or-
Lazy style (preferred): Cut in half, scoop out the seeds, slice to 1.5" and steam until Soft (10 min?). You can easily scoop out the flesh from the skin once it's cooked.
-meanwhile-
In a soup pot saute with butter and/or olive oil until golden (about 8 min):
diced onion and/or leeks
garlic and/or shallots
2 diced carrots and 2 diced celery
and a diced parsnip if you have one on hand
S+P and 1Tbsp curry powder* (store bought or from scratch below)
When the squash is done, scoop the flesh out of the squash and add to the onion mix. 
Stir and saute for 2-3 more min.
Add 3-4c chicken or veg stock, 1 can of coconut milk and stir until blended. Blend with an immersion blender
(if you don't have one, you should totally get one because they're awesome - especially for making smoothies. If you don't have one, you can put half of the soup in the blender or all of it if you want a really creamy soup.)
ok - after you blend the soup to your desired consistency, add another Tbsp of the curry powder to finish along with S+P as desired.
Stir and cook on low for a few minutes then remove from heat and let sit a few more before serving.

The kicker is the curry blend. I have this cookbook "1,000 Indain Recipes by Neelam Batra and she has this amazing 15 spice curry recipe that I made a batch of one day, and now I can never go back to store bought. if you have a mortar and pestle or clean coffee grinder, and some time on your hands it's sooo worth the effort! (and your kitchen will smell amazing for days!)
here it is:

*15 SPICE CURRY POWDER (toast and grind herbs separately)
1/2 cup ground coriander seeds (dry toasted in pan then gound)
1 cup ground cumin seeds (dry toasted in pan then gound)
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon ground dried fenugreek leaves
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds (dry toasted in pan then gound)
1 tablespoon ground black cardamom seeds (dry toasted in pan then gound)
1 tablespoon ground green cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon ground dried ginger
1 tablespoon ground fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon ground black peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Store in an airtight container. If the thought of dry toasting then grinding seems a bit much, at the very least, do it for the cumin. It's the BEST!

Now that I have more time I feel like I can finally work on some  projects like, quilting, crocheting, or clothes making (and um, reading). I have this series of books from the 70's called "Make It Yourself" with all of these amazing DIY outfits and projects and photos. I probably have about 40 pages bookmarked so far... yeah, we'll see how far I get on that.
Here's a sampling of some of the rad styles.  I'll keep you posted on those projects...