Just lion about doing nothing but getting inspired.

I've been pushing hard to make something more with my business. All spring I studied and researched and did homework into the night. I got tired. I got a little cranky. I got spring fever. 

I gave myself permission to relax. Do nothing. Read fiction and catch up on tv and magazines. Eat hotdogs for dinner with no sides. Color on the sidewalk for hours.

And then, in that bit of empty space I finally made in my head, an idea slipped in. 

Somewhere between hearing my dad was just awarded Lion of the Year by his club and my bus ride to the studio this morning I imagined these pins. Daddy lions. Dandy lions. Lion of the Summer. Bursts of color and pride. Perfect for all the Leos in your life. Ambassadors of sunshine.

They came together so easily today that I knew I must be doing something right.

So here's to summer,
may we all have less cranky pushing and more slipping into inspiration.

Pick up your own burst on lion power at the farmer's market this saturday.
Or shop etsy right this very minute.

personality goes a long way

I have never sewn a dog before. I'm not a dog person. I once wrote a short story called "dog kick girl." But when a special request came in for a pug for one of my favorite customers, I couldn't resist. Personality goes a long way. (in customers and in critters.)

I used the same pin tuck technique I use on whales to create the amazing forehead wrinkles for these dogs.

  
Sometimes I get so wrapped up in stitching hats I forget that making weird animals is a super creative and fun part of my business. I took a break from hats and just sewed critters all week. Hats may be the bread and butter of moth and squirrel, but animals are the personality. And personality goes a long way.

Stop by the farmer's market tomorrow to see a few new faces and to stock up on baby whales.

goodbye esther.

I call this hat style the esther amelia (part Esther Williams swim fabulous, part Amelia Earhart aviator adventure, 100% bold lady fun.)

After I had named these hats I rented a bunch of Esther Williams swim musicals from the library. Not ground breaking cinema exactly but she brought something fresh and radiant to the Hollywood formula. Really lovely to watch her swim/dance with such strength and grace and the fashion was fantastic. 

She passed away June 6, at the athletic age of 91. 

Thank you for the inspiration, Ms.Williams, I'm sure you are diving from rainbows above us now.

ditch the tie, give a hat this father's day

We gave my dad plenty of neckties. Now he's retired. He never wears them. Yet it remains this stock image for father's day gifts, cards and clever crafts.

Is the necktie really a meaningful motif for Father's Day anymore?

Shifting gender roles and economics mean both parents are likely working. And while most fathers I know do still work outside the home, few wear ties.  For those who do, is giving them a piece of their work uniform really a way to celebrate a bond with their children?

Going to a job to pay bills is not the most fun or rewarding part of parenthood. The modern dad is more than just a guy who puts on a tie and goes to work. Therefore,

I declare the hat should be the new clothing symbol of father's day.

Steeb and Andy: two dads not at work, wearing hats.

Whether a fedora or a baseball cap, these days wearing a hat usually symbolizes being OFF work and (potentially) spending quality time with your kids. For yard work or fishing, going out to a concert or just hanging out with a frosty beverage, most guys have a go-to hat they put on when the work day is done. If the tie is what men wear to leave their children for the office, then the hat is what they wear to come back home. The hat is what they wear when they are most themselves, most relaxed and most connected.

If your dad's a guy who appreciates one of a kind American made goods, consider giving these styles from moth and squirrel this year instead of a necktie to celebrate the whole man:

The Harlow.

This hat was designed for my friend Harlow Friday (read this old post about how awesome he is.)

The Harlow hat is classic and masculine. I wear one myself, but it really is the one I make for the gents. When the right guy tries on the right one it is like he has owned it forever. I've just made some in wool tweeds as well as the popular cotton plaid.

Harlow Friday offers this tip for working dads: Always go to work when you are sick so you can use your sick days for your real life.


Summer Weight Johnny Cap.

If your dad likes cycling or camping, the classic cotton johnny cap would be a great one to toss in the bag for adventures. Keeps a little sun and sweat out of his eyes, tames wild hairs or protects the scalp. Made from reclaimed t-shirts, it is breathable and machine washable. I just stitched up some larger men's sizes. This one with the bass fishing image is just waiting to be someone's Father's Day gift. seriously.

Pick up a hat this Saturday at the Bellingham Farmer's market to get it in the mail in time,
Take a day trip to Edison with your old man and try one on at the Lucky Dumpster,
Or be your own father figure and get a hat for yourself.

Simplify your life by giving this same gift three times this month.

Just when you are ready to relax and enjoy a few potluck cocktail picnic barbeques, you realize some of these events are actually stressful. Not only do you need to figure out an appropriate dish to bring for each situation (gluten free? vegan? peanut allergy?only grown in a 25 mile radius?) and how to dress (quirky fancy? overcast? bonfire? by the water in the evening?) you might also need to bring A GIFT.

To help you simplify the gift giving part of your life, I have just stitched up a fresh batch of key rings.

Each design is individually machine stitched on felt and backed with reclaimed leather. Sturdy yet supple, they make a classy gift:

for the graduate

 Leaving home for the first time, starting at a new office or just heading out into the world for new adventures, send them off with style or let them know they always have a way to come back home. Depending on how you present this one, it can be extremely poetic and sentimental or just a casual congrats for that co-worker or nephew who has finished studying.

for dad 

 

Nothing says Father's Day like leather and metal, something practical and sturdy that won't clutter up his zone. He'll think of you every day as he goes off to do whatever he does. (I'll have some more thoughts on father's day in my next post...)

for a guest you want to stay a little longer

Have a nice set of keys for summer visitors to make themselves at home. Or perhaps you want to make sure that special friend always has a place to park. (Did you like the movie Singles as much as I did in high school? If you missed this 90s romcom taking place in the Seattle music scene, just know that having a place to park was major romantic commitment innuendo...)Giving someone a key to your place really is a big deal, do it with some flair.

Buy a key ring or three at the market this weekend for $15 each and you will be ready with a remarkable little token for whatever situations June may bring.