Amon Design Lab

Earth "Day"

2009-04-20T21:45:00.002-05:00

Why should there be just one day dedicated to the Earth, our home and life line? We should live every day respecting the planet and as the old girl scout camping motto says, leaving it the same if not better than we found it.

In any case, it just so happened that my beloved grocery tote that I made a few years back is dying a slow death. It has carried about all the gallons of milk that a bag made of an old plastic tablecloth can possibly carry. This time, I decided to make one out of some more durable fabric accented with some fantastic vintage curtain fabric that was recently "scored" by my fabulous mother.

This bag, like the last one holds an entire load of my groceries (albeit for one person, mostly) and makes it so I only have one trip from my car to my door.

More bags to come...

the.cookroom

2009-03-26T21:09:00.002-05:00

Come stop by my new blog, the.cookroom dedicated to food. I will feature recipes, reviews and more so check it out!
See you soon.

Bailey

Estate wars

2009-03-23T22:42:00.008-05:00

The battle is on mom...and I think I win.

Just a few pieces from the estate sale I went to yesterday.

A soup tourine. Not the most practical but quite beautiful. I will have to have an occasion to serve soup.

This is a Fire King buffet casserole designed by Georges Briard. He was a famous designer in the 50's, 60's and 70's. This casserole set has a gold base with wooden handles and a clear glass dish with gold embellishments and is signed on the top. This is a rare find indeed.

This little glass flower dish was too cute to pass up. I'm undecided on how to use it as of right now...it could be a good soap or jewelry dish.

Some salad servers that spoke to me...plus:

an ottoman that needs to be reupholstered (before and after to come)
an old pyrex measuring cup (for my morning green tea)
a tablecloth (probably from the 50's)
a canister set

and drumroll please...all for $20. Now that's what I call a good day.

My Secret Garden

2009-03-22T12:11:00.004-05:00

Something that has always been a dream of mine is to have a garden full of beautiful flowers, vegetables and herbs. When I was little, I even tried this at my childhood home to no avail. Some things, like gardening do not come naturally to me. Therefore my goal this growing season is to have a successful (which by my definition means alive) garden.

The secret garden was always my favorite, the mere thought of escaping into your own secret place and getting consumed by it always seems to heighten my imagination. This is my own secret little oasis I want to share with you. It's modest but I'm in love. I think that I will spend my days out here dreaming away.

While I've been Away

2009-03-19T22:38:00.010-05:00

Just wanted to give an update as to where my journeys lately have taken me. Above, as you can see are pictures of a Fredericksburg wedding that we did a few weeks back. It was really beautiful and both the church and vineyard (for the reception) turned out to be fantastic venues. This was the first wedding I have been able to be a part and I fell in love with the process.

The wedding ceremony was in the Catholic Chapel right off Main Street. It was ideal for a wedding because the entire inside was painted white and really made all the flowers pop. This chapel was build in the very early 1900's so it also has alot of history behind it.

The reception was held at Becker vineyards in Stonewall, TX right outside of Fredericksburg. This also turned out to be incredible and beautiful as you can see in the pictures. We incorporated the rosemary and lavender grown there in the vineyard into the floral arrangements for a genuine touch (it also made the room very fragrant).

After the wedding to relax, I went over to the wine tasting and sampled a few of the many wines that they produce. To my surprise (I really shouldn't have been) they were fantastic. Becker vineyards is one of the better known Texas wine producers and have a vast selection to choose from. Unfortunetely, many of them are not readily avaliable at your local supermarket. In any case, I bought six various bottles and will definitely be buying more in the future.

Other than Fredericksburg, I've also been in Houston twice and also home to Austin (finally...it had been about 4 months). All of which were fun but I am glad to be home and looking forward to getting many projects up and moving.

Now I leave you with my Posey...

Soup for Healing

2009-02-09T19:15:00.002-06:00

Today I am sick. What I crave when I feel down is my mom's chicken noodle soup. Of course it isn't the same as having her prepare it for you but it is pretty simple to make, which is good since you don't feel well. I even have ideas to make it even easier if you, like me live by yourself and don't have mom to make it. It is so simple and delicious...no canned soup could ever compare or work as well!

Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Free range chicken breasts (skin on, bone in)*
4 ribs of celery, split in half and chopped**
2 carrots, chopped**
1 clove garlic, minced
1 32 oz box low sodium free range chicken broth
4 cups water
1/2 bag thin egg noodles
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a soup pot and add chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper. While chicken is searing, chop celery, carrots and garlic. Make sure you sear chicken on all sides. Once seared, take chicken out and add the chopped vegetables, season with salt and pepper. Cook until celery is becoming translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken back in and cover with stock and water.

Raise heat to medium/high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover, cooking for 45 minutes.

Take chicken out of broth and let cool slightly before handling it. When you are able to touch it, hand shred the meat, discarding skin and bones (they have already done their work). Add back into soup, along with the noodles and raise heat to medium. Cook for 8 minutes until noodles are tender. Taste and add seasoning if necessary.

Set off heat and have ready for whenever you need a healing bite to eat.

*The chicken I get comes from the Dallas Farmers Market and is raised in a healthy and natural manner. In a pinch I would seek out chicken from Central Market or Whole Foods where they are careful to buy meat that is also raised appropriately. Once you have cooked and eaten natural farm raised chicken you will not turn back.

**Of course, organic and local vegetables are wonderful in this soup. In a pinch, substitute 1 1/2 cups of both celery and carrots from the grocery store salad bar. When you're feeling horrible, this will eliminate extra time standing in the kitchen.

I suggest making this soup anytime you or a loved one feels down, or even if you just can't get warm during winter time. I guarantee that this will lift your spirits no matter how bad you feel. Thanks mom for sharing the recipe...I'm sure I will use it for the rest of my life, it hasn't ever let me down so far.

Mannequin Carnage

2009-02-05T22:15:00.007-06:00

Shot at the warehouse this morning, there is something fascinating to me about nude realistic mannequins (some are based off of real people you know). Like models, no matter how messed up they are, they still photograph beautifully.

Back in Black

2009-01-27T20:27:00.004-06:00

Attn: All

I'm back.

I can't wait to get this party started and let the adventure keep rolling. Now in a completely different place in my life, I have moved North to the big city above Austin. I am working for a design firm and am able to be creative on most days. I look forward to creating and growing with you and to letting my designs show.

Work in progress:

I will be launching a store, the.department on Etsy very soon. It will feature my design aesthetic and offer both new and vintage goods, obviously both hand selected/made by me.

Definition of style:

My design aesthetic is one of the most personal things to me. I would describe it as pattern/centric and vintage with a hint of modern (mainly midcentury). Basically for me a bunch of things come to me and fall together to create something one of a kind and cohesive. Its kinda like Antropologie but authentic, which to me is important. The other thing that defines my style is that I try very hard to make use of old things in some way, so I prefer to by something original rather that having it remade and use new resources. There is no reason for the amount of product and waste in our society so I try to be one less burden. There is no better "green" choice than to buy products that are or are made from recycled material.

All Things are New

2008-03-29T18:24:00.011-05:00

Hello all

I have finally compiled an assortment of finished projects that I have accumulated and photographed.
1.

I made this little bolero jacket out of some very old Suss Cousins yarn I got in a poncho kit. I really wouldn't ever wear a poncho but this I will wear. I designed this pattern to go with the coloring of the yarn...I thought that it looked similar to Missoni. Like the convertible coat I will get to in a little while, this can be worn 2 ways. One with a bunched neck and one with it rolled.

2.

This little lace and bobble jacket is out of Debbie Bliss's book "Wish You Were Here" and made out of Debbie Bliss Cotton DK. I really love the way it turned out and for 100% cotton it drapes pretty well. I bought 12 ball of the yarn as it called for but ran out in the end so I left off the bobble bind off. Now that it is done I wouldn't have it any other way.

3.

This is the Manhattan Convertible Coat by Lily Chin. While I didn't actually use her pattern I did base it off of her model. For this jacket I made it custom to my measurement and shortened the sleeves to make them 3/4 length. This coat is really interesting because you can wear it two ways. Whenever I show this to anyone they are super amazed by the different effect the two give. The pictures above are of the jacket worn as a long kimono style coat. Below are the pictures worn as a short(ish) shrug with a long collar.

I finished this project in January while it was still nippy here, so I have already worn the tails off of it. The yarn that I made it out of Elizabeth Lavold's Silk Flamme I would not recommend because there is a significant amount of pilling (my arch enemy) that has already occurred.

4. Last but certainly not least is a new pair of socks that I have cast on this week. I am trying out the Shi Bui sock yarn and am really liking it. I am attempting to knit 2 socks at a time from the toe up on one circular needle. Wish me luck as this is only my second attempt to ever knit socks. So far so good...I'll keep ya posted.
For a sneak peek:

This website is extremely helpful in guiding you down the correct path for this technique. Once you get the hang of it its not so bad...be brave.

Thats all on the knitting update.

Knits and Giggles,

Bailey

Palm Sunday

2008-03-20T10:41:00.005-05:00

I can't believe how early the Easter season is this year. On Sunday my mothers side of the family all got together for the annual cascarones festival.

After stuffing our faces full of delicious food, cracking the pinata and hunting the eggs, we went for a nature walk down to "the waterfall".

By the way, Amon Design Lab is now on Ravelry! I'm very excited and have already added some of the projects that I'm working on and have already completed.

Rattan

2008-03-06T17:33:00.007-06:00

Greetings from a gloomy and brisk day in Austin. I've stayed in lately and have been knitting a lot. I finished up a Debbie Bliss pattern I've had on my needles now for about a year. All I have to do is sew in the ends and I will post some pictures. I started a mohair scarf that I'm pretty excited about.

It is going to be an airy shawl/scarf that will be good for our warm weather.
To me the pattern that it is making reminds me of a rattan chair that my parents have and I love.

This scarf is nice because the contrast of the structural lace pattern and the airiness of the mohair is really beautiful.
The yarn that I am using I got in Dallas at The Shabby Sheep with another project in mind.

I'll keep you updated on the progress.

In other news... I will begin working at Hill Country Weavers tomorrow. I am really excited to be able to learn more about knitting, weaving and other types of fiber art.

Spring Fever

2008-03-02T12:31:00.006-06:00

Now that I'm back, it truly feels like spring in Austin. In honor of the beautiful weather we have had this weekend, my folks and I visited the Austin Farmers Market yesterday morning. Although I didn't find any of the fresh produce that I needed, I did find some delicious pesto jack cheese made near Waco, some peach butter from Stonewall and some Austin tabbouleh. But best of all, Jim Jim's Water Ice was there! My absolute favorite thing in the whole world (especially in the black raspberry flavor - which they had).

I got about 3 inches done on my striped sweater last night while I watched Micheal Clayton. Once you get to the last part on this your knitting about 36 inches each row (I know I'm a wimp but I like shorter rows).

This morning, I made crepes with a similar recipe to this.

I filled them with the Natural peach butter that I got yesterday at the Farmers Market and topped them with powdered sugar. They were delicious and actually pretty good for you.

Back to life, Back to reality

2008-02-29T21:21:00.008-06:00

Having just returned from a wonderful trip from Ithaca, NY I have much information to share.

First...this photo of a vintage Pome bracelet I found a few weeks back at a terrytown estate sale.

This bracelet is especially wonderful because it has the manufacturers stamp on the inside of each separate link (which is rare to find in costume jewelry).

Also today, I went to an estate sale on Cat Mountain in Northwest Hills. I found more than I expected to but am excited about my new (old) things. I have yet to photograph the great vintage glasses that I got but here are some of the accessories that I found:

To start, I can't tell you how lucky it is to find an estate or garage sale that sells shoes that fit your foot. Today I lucked out.

Justin's in a very pale grey color with white piping.

* I also got an unworn pair of black Justin's that is at the shoe hospital waiting to be stretched. I really hope that they fit when I get them on Monday!

These are both Salvatore Ferragamo vintage shoes. The sizing runs so weird on them, so I have to wear an 8 1/2 when I noramlly wear a 7! Lately I have fallen in love with these vintage styles for the fact that you just can't get anything like them new. Plus, they really are super comfortable.

And lastly, I found this pair of black leather gloves. This woman had a huge collection but most of them were too tiny! (I actually don't have very big hands either). This pair is lined with some type of fur. They would have come in really handy when I was in NY these past two weeks but they won't be very helpful in Austin's warm spring weather!

Estate sales really make my day and now that I have the time I have taken every opportunity to visit as many as possible. I will probably go back on Sunday for the markdowns!

In my knitting world, I am working right now on a sweater that I am designing. I can't wait for it to be done even though I think it will be too warm to wear it. It is made from Black, Tan and Creme Chunky Misti Alpaca and is super soft. The pattern is based off of a sweater that I saw in The Shabby Sheep yarn store in Dallas.

This is a picture of the sleeves before I seamed them and began working on the body. I absolutely love the stripe pattern!

I hope everyone has a happy Friday night!

Once upon a time...

2008-02-10T21:37:00.000-06:00

There was a young(ish) girl interested in all forms of creating. She loved knitting, sewing, cooking and all forms of domesticity that can be found (with the exception of cleaning I suppose). She especially enjoyed things of a vintage nature because in most cases things aren't made like they have been in the past. She absolutely adored the idea of heirloom quality pieces that could be passed down through the generations that survived the test of time.

In reality...

I'm a recent graduate of the University of Texas in Austin with a fashion degree. I have always loved every type of textile and art medium and my craft is constantly evolving. I have a passion for historical costume, vintage linens, kitchenware old (i.e. Pyrex, Fire King) and new, furniture of all designs...really any type of visual medium. I love style and have a very specific and eclectic taste.

Right now I am living in Austin (a truly inspiring place) and dreaming of what is to come.