The title of this post pays homage to a beloved fictional character, Dorcas Lane, who actually has many weaknesses. That's probably why I like her so much. If you haven't seen the British television series Lark Rise to Candleford (2008-2011) you're in for a treat, but I digress....
My one weakness is delicious food, and August puts me squarely in my happy place pickling, freezing, baking and cooking. Yesterday, I tried this zucchini bread recipe from Once Upon a Chef, and is in the photo above. It's moist and not too sweet, which allows the freshness of the zucchini to come through. The cinnamon is a nice touch, too. It only seems right to try Jennifer's double chocolate version next. Would you share in the comments your favorite recipe(s) to savor summer's bounty? I'd love to expand my list of must-makes.
Books are my (other) one weakness, and I'm sharing some exciting news: my friend Karen Lewis has a new book, Wabi-Sabi Sewing, and it's hitting book stores and online shops now. I'm tickled pink that Karen used my naturally dyed sateens in some of her projects; for example, you can see my Gold, Teal and Indigo fabrics used in her gorgeous log cabin quilt on the book's cover. Anxiously awaiting my own copy, I'm eager to hold her book in my hands, pore over the spectacular projects she's been working on for many months and decide which one I'll make first.
Karen's main focus for the book is to celebrate her love of seeing the human hand in both designing and making. Her initial love of quilting began by being drawn to the imperfect, preferring character over mass production, hence the book's title. Artfully combining hand stitching and tactile textures, Karen inspires us with 20 projects to discover and develop our own unique hand.
Having worked with Karen for about a year and a half now, I can tell you she is one of the hardest working independent designers in the industry. I've stood in awe of what she accomplishes in a day, a week, a month. I'm convinced she doesn't sleep. Karen's wit, wisdom and warmth make working with her a pleasure. I only hope that one day I will actually get into one of her (always sold out) printmaking workshops.
In case you were wondering, there is an upcoming blog hop for Wabi-Sabi Sewing, and I'm thrilled to be included. Stay tuned here and on IG for all the fun! To see more of Karen's hand printed fabrics, inspiring projects and world travels visit @karenlewistextiles.