You have a choice!

Why are we so particular when we have a choice between vanilla or chocolate? It's a preference right? Well, it is just as important to choose between organic cotton and regular cotton. Why you might ask? The production of cotton has a huge impact on the world you live in. Now I can't say that about vanilla or chocolate. 

Cotton is used in many common household items that we may not realize. Remember? It's the "fabric of our lives." The towel you use every morning after a shower, your favorite t-shirt and jeans, personal care products, diapers for your baby, sheets and pillowcases,  even cotton seeds given to livestock that may nourish you. 

Conventionally grown cotton consumes approximately 25% of the insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides used in the world. About a third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers are used on a farm to produce enough cotton for a single T-shirt. Imagine the environmental impact and the health risks for those working on the farms.

Here is a visual chart to show the details of conventional farming v.s. organic farming. 

There are many ways to make an educated choice for the health and the future of you and your loved ones. Cotton is one way.

Grand Opening!

I'm happy to announce that I've opened my screen printing shop in my studio space. I've got a one color screen printing press to create eco-friendly designs for baby on 100% organic cotton. The inks I use are water-based inks so there are no toxic chemicals harmful to baby. My inspiration comes from nature and I want to translate that into designs for babies that are unique and cute. Show the world that your child is environmentally aware, and that you are too!

Here are some photos from my first run. More to come!!!

Turquoise a.k.a. 15-5519TCX

According to the Pantone Color Institute, Turquoise is the hue for 2010. I'm not surprised with this ranking as the color evokes the feeling of a sigh of relief. It can be such a great accent color in the home, in fashion, in jewelry (insert Tiffany reference here) and not to mention the fact that it has tendencies to take you to a tropical island far far away.

So next time you need to paint a room in your home, consider painting it Turquoise. It also pairs well with a bright white, and compliments a chocolate brown quite nicely. Turquoise not only plays a part in my visual favorites, it also makes an impression musically. Listen to one of my favorite house songs called "Turquoise" by Circulation here and tell me if it doesn't take you to an island far far away.

Summary. Pantone Color Institute, you have a two thumbs up from this Turquoise admirer for hue of the year. For a complete article by the L.A. Times please click here.

50 Matchbook Masterpieces

Designer, writer and cultural archaeologist Jim Heimann has a fascination with collecting and documenting the trends in design culture. Here are just a few of the matchbook covers he has collected through the years.

It's people like Mr. Heimann whom we can thank for bringing us such unique and original artifacts to re-discover and appreciate from flea markets across L.A. View all 50 matchbooks here

Go To Helms!

The New Year as we know brings the refreshing feeling of new adventures. One of my goals this year is to re-discover what Los Angeles has to offer. I started out by visiting the Helms Bakery District for the first time yesterday. Located in Culver City on Venice Boulevard, Helms District is a must see for the foodies and furniture lovers out there.

Helms Bakery first opened its doors in 1931. It was family owned and operated and supplied local residents with fresh-baked bread delivered "Daily at Your Door" for over four decades. Although the bakery no longer remains, the Helms Bakery building is a cherised local landmark.

There are a few cafes including La Dijoinaise that offers a variety of pastries, savory crepes and serves breakfast as well. Don't leave without ordering their cafe latte.

Another favorite of mine is Father's Office. Don't be mislead by the name. This is the one place where you can find gourmet burgers and great tasting beer, not to mention the fabulous garlic fries. After you fill your tummy, visit the ultimate furniture stores ever built. The first is called Room and Board. It is in this very store that I wanted to charge up a storm and re-decorate my whole place! I absolutely love contemporary furniture and know one day I will have a great home with great furniture. There's nothing wrong with dreaming for now. The second furniture find is called H.D. Buttercup. Another amazing store with amazing one-of-a-kind pieces. You can really find some unique items there including an antique Chinese wedding bed I saw from the 1500's for a pretty penny.

Overall, day one of re-discovery was very successful. Who ever said L.A. didn't have any history?

ETSY SHOP!

I'm happy to announce that we have launched our Ink & Ivy shop on Etsy. Please visit inkandivystudio.etsy.com and check out the new items we have in store. There's more to come so keep our site handy!

Thanks!

Sewing 102

So as I promised, I'm keeping you posted on my latest sewing projects.

I enrolled in yet another sewing class at Joann's Fabrics this time and I'm enjoying it very much. Our first project was to sew some pillow cases. I had some existing couch pillows that I wanted to make new covers for, so I thought this was a perfect opportunity. I picked a pretty fabric with blues and greens to match my moss colored couch as well as a creamy linen fabric because it's just so natural looking and raw. I'm thinking about screen printing a little something on it to make it blend more with the other pillow. Or I may just leave it as is. What do you think?

For my second class project I was to pick out some fabric for a tote bag, so Sara and I took a trip to downtown to visit Michael Levine. Such a great store with so many options! We also picked up some ribbon, buttons and a few other things that inspired us. I found some really beautiful fabric by Amy Butler (my hero) to make the reversible tote. It was a super easy and I was very happy with the outcome.

Next week...PJ pants. Stay tuned.