Sale Day Today!

Today is the day: everything in the shop is 50% off! It's been an amazing year, and I am so excited to say thank you to everyone by offering 50% off for the entire day. Just use the code "SALE50" at the checkout to redeem the offer.

Here's to another great year! You can head over to the shop right here.

Celebration Sale this Friday!

One year ago this week, I made a huge leap and left my job to work full-time for myself. It was a huge risk, but this year has been incredible. I have learned so much about what it takes to run a business, to be an artist and designer, how to manage my time, how to handle success as well as failure, and have had an amazing time doing it.

In celebration of my one-year anniversary of being fully self-employed, I will be having a huge 50% off sale this Friday from 7am to 7pm! That is twelve hours to get everything in the shop half-price! This is a one-time-only celebration sale, so this Friday is your only chance to get everything you've had your eye on in the shop for a full 50% off the original price.

Just use the code "SALE50" when you check out on Friday only, and receive 50% off your entire order. Happy shopping!

Garden Update: Heatwave Edition

As many of you living in the US may have noticed, we have been going through a heat wave which is sticking around in DC. The temperature has been hovering around the one hundreds for weeks, and I have been avoiding spending extended periods of time outside since then. Unfortunately, the plants don't get to enjoy the air conditioning, so they have gone from looking like this to this:

We've been giving them plenty of water, but it is just so hot that the leaves are withering. Even though the plants appear to be dead from afar, they are actually growing lots of delicious cherry tomatoes.

The basil and mint have been holding up well, and don't seem to mind the heat as much as us constantly picking the leaves to use.

The eggplant is still totally green, and doesn't seem to care about the baking soil it is sitting in. There haven't been any eggplants yet, but it is flowering.

There are also little green leaves starting to grow again, replacing the almost-fully brown stems that are there now, so it's recovering!

We considered bringing the plants inside for a few days to cool down, but since they are actually growing tomatoes it seemed better to leave them. The big tomato plant still hasn't produced a single flower or tomato, so I think we are going to call that one a failure and focus on the delicious cherry tomatoes.

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.

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!

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!)

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.