Painted Tinware

I stumbled across these beautiful painted Indian tinware pieces on Plumo, a website that has a great collection of home goods from around the world. I've seen this kind of tinware before and have always wanted to know more. I can't find any information, either in books or online, about where in India it is made, or what tradition it comes from. Does anyone know? I would love to see what is being produced today.

All photos via Plumo

Aren't they beautiful? I especially like the bright colors on the mugs in the first picture. You can see all of Plumo's great finds at their website.

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Looking for a Sewing Assistant

Big news today everyone: I'm looking to hire someone! Find the details below, and email me at katharinegwatson [at] gmail [dot] com. (Don't forget the middle initial G in there!)

The Specifics:

I am looking for someone with excellent sewing skills and an interest in textiles, printmaking, crafts or all of the above. You should be hard-working, organized and detail-oriented, and able to meet deadlines.

I am hiring someone to help with the sewing side of the business in the lead-up to Christmas. I will do all the printing, and give you pieces to finish. You do not have to be based in the DC area as we can send work back and forth in the mail. If you do not live in DC, you should have a webcam for meetings.

This is a part-time, PAID (!) position, and you will be compensated at a generous per-piece rate. We will discuss the rate over email during the application process. Since it is per-piece, the more you are able to work, the more money you can earn. In addition, perks include lots of free prints and learning more about running a small business.

The position will run from now until Christmas, with the possibility of staying on after if you are interested.

To apply, please email me at katharinegwatson [at] gmail [dot] com, with a resume or summary of your work experience, and a few images that demonstrate your sewing skills. While the skills needed are intermediate, I would love to see what you can do!

If you think this description fits you, send me an email!

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New Stitches on the Map

I finally updated the travel map this weekend, adding all the new places we've visited since Christmas: San Francisco, Thailand, Georgia, and the Shenandoah National Park. I also neatened up the fraying fabric by adding a hemmed border around the outside.

I thought about stitching in South Sudan, but since Yugoslavia is still on this map, I thought I would just leave it as a little outdated.

The border around the edge made a huge difference, and it looks much more finished on the wall now. It is still being held up with thumb tacks though, so the next step is to figure out a better hanging system. (And to add more places!)

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PaperCrave Today!

A big welcome to everyone who is here because of the PaperCrave feature today! PaperCrave is a great blog about all things paper-related, and I am so happy to be featured today! Head on over to take a look right here.

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Around the Studio

This was our first free weekend in DC in months; I just looked back at my planner and didn't see a weekend without something written in since April. So there was a lot of movie-watching, some watermelon-infused gin, a three-hour game of Catchphrase, some pottery, avoiding the 100+ degree heat, and a really relaxing weekend. I can't wait to do it all again next week.

And now, a look at what's going on around here:

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A New Creative Outlet: Ceramics

One thing about turning your hobby into your job, is that you no longer have a hobby. I used to come home from work and make prints just for fun, but now that I do that all day, I no longer want to spend my free time printmaking. So, I needed a new creative outlet, and signed up for a ceramics class.

I took ceramics in high school, and spent a few hours in the course of four years doing it in college, so my skills are minimal. I was nervous before the first class that I wouldn't know what I was doing (it's geared towards people with an above-beginner skill level), but it is kind of like riding a bike. Once I had the ball of clay in my hand, it came back to me.

A selection of pots I made during the first class; some bowls, some flowerpots, and some undecided vessels that will find a use once they make it home.

At first my goal was just to relax and make a few pots, but now I have a long list of things I want to make, from pitchers to noodle bowls. There are a few being fired right now, but the best part isn't having a cupboard full of new ceramic bowls, it's having a creative outlet at the end of the day, that isn't for sale, isn't for work, and is just for fun.

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Urban Gardening

I've read a lot of articles about how "anyone can grow plants in their apartment," or "even a small balcony can be used to grow a garden." Let me tell you, this is not true. I have tried to grow so many vegetables and herbs in my apartment, and they have all withered and died, so I stick to house plants. And not all apartments have a convenient plant-growing balcony: some have rules that you can't put anything on the outside of the building. So, this left us unable to grow the cute little herb gardens people always have in their kitchens in magazines. We were wishing we had some outdoor space to grow things, when we realized there is a one foot piece of cement in front of the car in our parking spot: perfect for an urban garden. In the last month, it has gone from this:

Photo Courtesy of Natalie Shaw

To this!

There are three cherry tomato plants, one big tomato, one eggplant, basil and mint.

So far, the basil and mint are doing really well, and there have been a few delicious cherry tomatoes. Tiny eggplants and tomatoes are just starting to appear on the other two. So far, a success! I will make sure to share some pictures in a month or so when they hopefully start producing delicious vegetables.

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