there and back

 'Back from an intense hometown-trip to Cleveland...my city visits there are a study in contrasts: steel mills seen from the highway, Little Italy restaurant through a charmingly gated entry, defunct warehouse buildings on the ride home to my sister's attractive quirky neighborhood........and then home- to Maine, piled in snow ...again . 

stripes, checks, beach !

....and ready, set, go ! Doesn't this check dress make you want to pack a beach picnic?

oh look ! here comes the END of february !

ah February...time of transition. going going 'til gone: items on extreme sale !! this minute: high winds blowing snow (again) outside the window display of spring-stripe tops. coming: the colors of spring as seen on this spring sweater from Yoon, and hopefully on some spring flowers soon.

snowbound

Portland is digging out from 30 inches of snow. The three snowed-in days found me at home with my wee back-up sewing machine, my serger (lugged it home) and one spool of light grey thread. We did not, luckily, lose electricity and so the sewing was on ! One project : a linen hat- kind of french sailor style. I cut a pattern from a roll of paper towling and made a prototype. Quite jaunty !

back in business

January has been a month of interruptions: painting the shop, bone-chilling  weather, and a bit of a flu-cation for me. Now comes February and things are a bit more in sync. Most of the shop is seriously on sale, but I am adding new made-by-me garments daily and soon.....spring merchandise will arrive on the doorstep. I like to make small batches- 8 or 10 yards of a fabric will become maybe 3 pieces ....and on to the next fabric. This serves my fickle-ness well, but keeps me in constant foraging mode for yardage-most-wonderful. Pictured here: newly made tops and tunics and the front wall of great sale garments waiting for owners.

hues and pigments

I am a big fan of change. When I get stuck or lose my motivation, change-move it, paint it, reinvent it-is what gets me jump-started. And so, putting this coat of duck egg blue on the shop did the trick. It transports me to Paris sans the price of a ticket and I am now anxious to create ! The work area has bounced back to its original side of the room. The dressing room is now a petite chambre, dressed with a canvas curtain. Theatrical sconces grace the wall... And someone stop me before I paint one more thing silver! 

what next ?

January : the month for re-grouping, planning, changing direction perhaps. Like Augie and Harriet pictured here, I am watching for what is on the horizon. I may take the shop in a slightly different direction....or maybe not ! I am so lucky to have a shop where people laugh, talk, find interesting things to try and buy. This is the time of year when I always imagine I will have time to paint (on canvas), but never do find that time. I have so few COREY&CO garments on hand, I feel panicked at the moment. The temporary solution to the mental confusion: close the store doors for a couple or 3 days and paint the walls , shine up the floors, clear the head and carry on. 'See you after the break.B