Ok, so if this post is dedicated to anyone, it’s to my granddaughter who’s favorite colors are pink and purple.
It’s Azalea time in southern California.
From deep fuchsia to pale pink
All the way to white.
This little purple flower is called society garlic, it is a garlic, it certainly smells very garlicky, I guess the bulb isn’t big enough to eat, so it’s a landscape flower. It may be one of the few that deer won’t eat.
Roses! Mine aren’t blooming yet, but then I don’t have very good conditions for roses, so I love seeing them on my walks. What an interesting mottled rose this is.
Leaning shyly over the fence.
Not to be outdone by the azaleas – a deep fuchsia rose.
I have no idea why this fellow ended up in the trash.
Kater-Crafts Bookbinders part I
I have discovered a wonderful organization, The Los Angeles Obscura Society, they organize some very interesting trips around the Los Angeles area. It was through them that I was able to visit the Judson studios.
So this past week I had the opportunity to visit another fascinating business, Kater-Craft Bookbinders, the last remaining bookbinding business in southern CA. I’m sure there are people who do this kind of work on a small scale, but this is a real business. It is over 60 years old and has an interesting trajectory, from binding large scale projects for libraries, to one of a kind books, rebinding old Bibles as well as menu covers for restaurants.
Pico Rivera is not a tourist destination, but in a nondescript industrial park, this is what greets the visitor. A marvelous mid-century modern building.
I’m not a big fan of mid-century modern. But I must say, the more one learns about a style, the more exposure one gets, the more one appreciates it. This is true of anything, from classical music to art or design. So I am no longer indifferent to this period and I have developed an appreciation, if not a love for it.
Here we see the design continuing inside, with examples of some of the books and fonts used in the business.
I do love the use of the brick wall both inside and out.
Of course I asked the owners Bruce, Judy and Rick about the architect. They don’t know his name. The company was started by their father Mel 67 years ago in downtown LA. In 1965 they moved out to the hinterlands of Pico Rivera, theirs was the first business in the industrial park. Their mother was very artistic and she is the one who chose the architect and the design. Owning the building is what allows them to stay in business with only 25 employees.
The entrance is decorated with an old press, they are still using some very old equipment on the actual factory floor.
This lamp has to be an original, they have two of them.
One of the many unique books they have bound, The Thorn Birds, by Colleen Mccullough, bound in Kangaroo leather and fur. They will use many interesting materials for one of a kind books. This is the kind of thing many artisan binders will do as well.
Before going on to the next post, the actual factory floor I must share what Bruce shared with us about paper. Paper has grain. As someone who works with fabric, I am very very aware of grain and how it affects the end product. The same is true of paper, although many people who work with books and paper have no idea, which is why some books are superior to others and last longer – simply because the printer and binder are aware of the properties of the material they are using.
Yarn Crawl LA 2015
No need for words, just images.
On the needles
These days I always have two knitting projects going, easy and hard.
I LOVE linen! It is such a comfortable fiber to wear. I even love knitting with linen. Some people complain that it is rough on their hands. That is how I describe cotton, not linen. Although flax is basically harsh plant material and it does feel like string, for me, it just warms up in my hands as I’m knitting.
And here it is in a ball. I know, the colors look nothing alike, blame my camera, or rather, the photographer. It is actually somewhere in between these two colors. And here you can see how it really just looks like a ball of twine.
Even while knitting, it has that stringy look. Linen has zero memory, it is the total opposite of wool. So I am knitting a very basic open cardigan. I will even be simplifying the pattern, because all linen does is fall in heavy drapes. But I love how it feels, I love wearing linen, it is probably the coolest fiber around but it also warms to the touch. This is a sweater I will need to wash often because the washing breaks down the fibers and softens them, although nothing will ever give linen any bounce.
So this is my simple knit – even though it’s a large sweater.
Socks are my usual quick project. But I just finished a pair that I can’t wear because it’s too hot. So instead I decided to make another bunny out of sock yarn. The reason this is my more complicated project is because it’s knit and stuff as you go – schlepping around a bag of fiberfil is too much for me.
An orange is the perfect prop to show off bunny in progress. I have no idea who this is for, no worries, he’ll find a home.
Orange
Spring has sprung, which means flowers are blooming everywhere. In honor of my friend Becky, I’m showcasing orange today.
This is about as bright orange as you can get.
Hardly orange at all, more like peach.
The farmers market is in on the game. Btw, using blue rubber bands is brilliant. Blue and orange are opposites on the color wheel and therefor create a very dynamic image.
Even mother nature knows that.
Gradations, from yellow to orange
Learning from nature.
Subtle
And finally, our state flower, the CA poppy – orange as orange can be!
Echo Park Lake
From new park to old, 120 years old, which is quite old for Los Angeles.
Anyone driving north on the 101 past downtown has seen the lake with it’s massive aerating fountain whiz by. For years I never dared stop, Echo Park was a gang ridden scary area. But then gentrification arrived and the city closed the lake for a few years in order to drain it, clean it and spruce it up. 
One thing the lake is known for is the water lilies, there is even a festival every June, The Lotus Festival. This takes place every June, I don’t know how many flowers are blooming then, they are blooming now. 
Even on an overcast weekday, people come out to enjoy the park.
I love how the reflections in the water make this look like a painting, hey maybe Monet was influenced in a similar manner.
I can understand why Asian cultures revere the lotus, from murky origins comes such an etherial delicate flower. Similar to very different plants – cacti and succulents, that are harsh yet produce beautiful flowers.
Another form of water flower, if it weren’t in the middle of the lake, I’d think this is a day lily or iris.
This bridge is closed to the public, but is part of the original lake. the lake was created as a reservoir, something we really need in our arid Mediterranean climate.
The Queen of Angels, or as she is better known the Lady of the Lake is back in her original location.
Yup, another view of downtown with the famous aerating fountain in the foreground.
Bird life flourishes here. 
Of course, many ducks, like the mallard.
So comfortable here that they sleep out in the open in broad daylight.
A little rarer but still very comfortable and at home here is the grey heron.
Yes, he was hiding, but I must have a good eye at seeing these hidden birds.
Sorry, I can’t help it, I’m loving how good my pictures of flowers have gotten, I just have to share.
Even if I’ve already shared this flower.
Granville Shirt
I am sewing garments again!! The Granville shirt by Sewaholic. I have a number of button down shirt patterns, so I”m not sure why I spent $18 to buy this paper pattern. I like the big four pattern companies and often the independents aren’t worth the extra money.
Well Tasia really knows her stuff. Her patterns are well written and have interesting details that put them above your average pattern.
Most patterns give you the simplest of plackets, not Tasia. I have tried to draft this placket on my own, with moderate success so it’s a pleasure to simply have it included and of course, I can transfer it to any other cuffed blouse as well.
If you look closely you can see that there is a separate buttonhole band on the right side of the shirt, but the left is simply interfaced and turned. 
My serger is in the shop. Grrrrr! Of course it needs parts that are backordered. This is what I hate about bringing a machine in for a repair, invariably something is wrong (I do work my machines very hard) and of course the part has to be ordered, often taking months to arrive. So I made French seams instead of simply serging them. Yes, they are nice and clean and very professional looking.
And now for the fit. People talk about pattern fit all the time, sometimes you will find a company or style that works just fine with no alterations. This is why people tell you to make a muslin. Well I didn’t make a muslin, but I did make some adjustments after the fact.
There is nice shaping at the waist here. Problem for me is that the bottom of the shirt is simply too wide and to my eye, not flattering on me.
I just feel the shirt should be a little tighter on my body.
The sleeves are a little long, but folding back the cuffs just looks messy. You can see here how the shirt has too much fabric and even tucked in it’s bunching up.
I did some hacking, as in I took off some fabric from the side seams. I may have take a little too much, since now the shirt bunches up a bit in the back. 
Don’t know what’s up with my hair, it’s not that windy. You can see that the fit is better.
I figured if I keep the cuff buttoned and just fold it up half way, I’m fine. I will probably shorten the sleeve in the pattern.
Yes, I will make this shirt again, I like a nice button down shirt. As a quilter, I clearly have to combine more than one fabric, but that makes it my shirt. And I really hope to get my serger back soon, I have some knit shirts and dresses I really want to make.
The Theater at the Ace Hotel, revisited.
Last year we saw the movie Back to the Future at the newly reopened Theater at the Ace hotel. Of course I took pictures that were somewhat blurry. Recently I had the chance to return, during the day which a small group of people.
A bright sunny day, from the outside the building with it’s Gothic design elements.
From the street, pointing straight up one can see the tower, shiny and renovated. Once again, you need to get a little further away to see the tower better.
Theaters inside are always dark, so it’s not like my pictures this time are so much better.
The details of the images are better.To be honest, while in the building, you hardly notice the details for all the gothic exuberance around you.
Entering the theater itself. I took these pictures a few months ago. I didn’t use a flash, that would have washed everything out, so I’m thinking that the light was more blue, not so purple.
I’m pretty sure this is more of that wonderful Gladding McBean glazed terra cotta embellishments. Here used on the balcony inside.
One thing that never ceases to amaze is this skylight. 
Made up of thousands of circles of glass embedded in some kind of mortar.
Seeing a movie here is fun, but looking at all the decorations is overwhelming. So much to see.
So here is my plug, go sign up for the LA Conservancy Broadway Tour, no you can’t just walk up and join this one. The management at the Ace hotel is thrilled to open the theater to the public and one way of getting inside and see the details is to go on this tour. Other tours get in here as well, but I’m plugging the Conservancy tour. No I don’t give this specific one, but I do know it is really good. 
Stepping outside, two different types of graffiti, yarn bombing and applying stickers. Yarn bombing used to be very new and subversive, it is now simply another form of graffiti on our streets. At least once removed it doesn’t leave any residue.
And of course, one can’t have images of this building without this.
For many years Reverend Scott used the theater as his Church, and this sign was visible from many different angles in downtown. Today is proudly sits right over the swimming pool. 
And casts a wonderful shadow on the neighboring buildings.
CicLAvia San Fernando Valley
The city is changing, the valley is changing. A few years ago the city started a wonderful program called CicLAvia – on a Sunday they will close off some major streets to car traffic and the cyclists, walkers and other innovative modes of transportation come out to play.
Today it was in the Valley, they closed off a large portion of Ventura and Lankershim Blvd.
People of all ages out in the middle of the street.
Coming and going
Alternative mode of transportation.
And a marching band.
I was only on one small portion of Ventura Blvd, but Joel rode the whole length of the route and there were masses of people everywhere. What a great way to get people out and about enjoying our city.
Someone got left behind in the trash.
Vista Hermosa Park
During the 90s I remember hearing about the Belmont High School project near downtown that was plagued by many problems, a major one being that the building site was an old oil drilling site as well as a small earthquake fault – so there would be health issues. I really had no idea where this was, in those days, DTLA and the environs were scary and off limits.
I’ve heard that an old oil field near Echo Park had been turned into a park, so on a lovely spring day I went to investigate. Only to discover that I was in the middle of the old Belmont controversy. 
It’s springtime, all these native (or near native, Mediterranean plants) are blooming. I love spring flowers. As the season warms up most of these flowers will die off and we’ll be left with golden brown chaparral.
The park covers 10 acres, has wonderful paths around the perimeter as well as a large grassy area, picnic tables, a play ground as well as a water feature. Also, the park is designed to trap rain water as well as run off water, so apparently the irrigation is utilizing that water. We need more projects like this in the southland.
The views are amazing. You should know me by now, any time I can get a view of DTLA I will.
Orange and purple, what a great color combination. Yes, I’m thinking of my sewing projects here, everything is an inspiration.
Like this, the whole image screams modern quilt, not just the building in the foreground. The high school was eventually built and is now the Edward R. Roybal Learning center.
For all of you suffering from hay fever this time of year, this is where that yellow pine pollen comes from.
Another wonderful thing about this park is that with all the natural plantings, this has become a stop for migratory birds. 
Here is a beauty. This is the Western Scrub Jay. He is local and common, I’m sure he loves the new park, since these birds like trees and bushes. Apparently he has a screechy voice, I didn’t hear it, he was silent when I saw him.
There is a little man made stream, to my amazement I was actually able to capture this hummingbird as he came to drink. I’m used to the non-descript brown ones, this one is a little jewel.
Of course, people and dog sightings as well.
A sight we probably won’t see much longer. The park is next to the famous Bob Baker Marionette theater. Bob died last year, the theater was sold and it looks like an apartment building will replace it. There may be a mention of the theater, but with progress, many old buildings go.
From here I went on to Echo Park Lake, subject of a future post.