Each of Mira Blackman's Backyard collection pieces is cut + sewn from organic cotton in California. Mira then dyes them with low impact dyes in her backyard. A variety of comfortable, one-of-a-kind pieces are offered including intimates, socks, tanks, tees, sweatshirts + pants (some in solid colors). There are adorable pieces for little ones as well. 

The new dye + 5000 mile (+ counting) jeans.
Inspiring + innovative solutions.
Because we're all connected, we're all implicated. 
Organic cotton farming accounts for less than 1% of US cotton production.
When competitors collaborate...and for now...made to be remade.
There is potential for conscious investing in all our economic transactions.

We call on everyone, whatever their belief or worldview, to endeavour to listen to the cry of the earth + of people who are poor, examining their behaviour + pledging meaningful sacrifices.

Looking forward to spending as much time as possible outdoors drinking in the sunshine + autumn air! Hope your weekend is lovely, friends!
Much love,
Jane

Yesterday I walked into work + declared, "It's sweater weather!" Everyone chimed in right away with stories of how they'd excitedly tried on four sweaters in order to choose that day's perfect match...or shared a conversation with someone who dubbed it "swetta wetha". (love)

These are the days when we reach for something already in our own closet or drawer with a smile. We can see what we have as an abundance of choice, and we just might be able to imagine doing that every day...with no longing for more. This has been one of my primary dreams for my own fairdare challenge...because I think the whole thing hinges on grasping the concept of contentment with what I already have. 

Our clothing creates long shadows...from fiber to spinning to cutting to sewing to dyeing to shop to closet...people are growing or extracting, spinning, cutting, sewing, dyeing, packaging, shipping + delivering each piece...and these people often are not being paid living wages. People + the planet are being subjected to the detriments of pesticides, extraction, transportation emissions, dye runoff, microfiber pollution + landfill dumping. I wish it wasn't so easy for me to ignore all of this. Why should my desire for something new overshadow all of that in my own mind?​

Right now is a great time to tune in to what feels like "enough". Am I experiencing just so much wonderful choice in my closet as the weather changes? (Which cozy layer do I get to wear today!?) Am I excited to pull on those leggings again or to roll up the long sleeves on that button-up again? Take note. The only thing that wears off is the feeling of newness. These pieces will possess just as much functional goodness three months from now. These realizations can shed some much needed light on the abundance already in our own closets. Let's cultivate intentional contentment...together.  :)

Love,
Jane

I am a lover of lists. I make grocery lists + packing lists...dream lists...things to get done on our house lists...who I am + who I want to be lists. I also like Moonlists. I've followed along with Leigh's sort of everyday questions to friends + neighbors over the years + was inspired to ask myself the same questions too. I have mentioned her first book here before. 

But I'm not sure I've mentioned what these lists have offered me over the months that I've contemplated + written them. These lists have pointed out the tendency for my other lists to be somewhat future oriented. I often make lists of what I want to buy or pack or what I want to accomplish in the days to come. Moonlists are made thinking back over the recent past...the last two or four weeks. These lists can seem a bit mundane or unnecessary at first (like I've been sweating on morning walks for weeks now...or we've been eating cucumbers at every meal). But when I read back over them, they feel like juicy snapshots of exquisite, forgotten moments. I mean, of course I want to remember the fireflies flickering over the ripening strawberries...and Jo's puppy's exuberant ear licks when we picked them up outside their apartment as the fire alarm blared.

During the past few months, I've been making these lists with my partner. We discuss our individual answers + I write down bits of the conversation. I'd done some of the prompts before + reading over what I wrote the last time offers some perspective + contrast. It's interesting to hear his insights on what has stood out to him in the recent past...which might be something I'd totally forgotten about or thought about differently. It could be lovely to discuss these sorts of questions over the phone with a willing, long distance friend or relative...or with a child. 

I do think Leigh's books are lovely, but this is not a nudge to spend or acquire. The idea for Moonlists came from hearing about an older couple who came up with questions to answer every two weeks which coincided with the moon cycles. We can form our own moonlists by following Leigh's lead + focusing on the near past. Instead of asking, "What is your favorite memory of summer?"...one could be prompted to describe a taste, smell + sound remembered from the last two weeks...or "What has your mind been coming back to repeatedly?"

It can be lovely to take a moment to stop + think about these simple questions. Putting thoughts + sensations + feelings into words that can be written can shed some much needed light on what previously felt mundane, chaotic or impossible. These lists have been a lovely way to connect + share...with others + with myself.

Love,
Jane

Reality needs imagination
like a bulb needs a socket.
~Tom Waits

I took this well-loved quilt out of the laundry today + just felt so much appreciation for it. The reigning custom on the internet is to show just made projects...but what if we instead shared some of our projects after they've stood the test of time? Projects that actually got the love they deserved...served the purpose we dreamed they'd fulfill...proved durable + worth maintaining. This is one of mine.  :)

I made this quilt for my partner years ago. It was a Christmas gift that I knew he'd find a bit odd in the moment...but would get so much use from over time. It is made up of two soft Kaffe Fassett shot cottons that have contrasting warp + weft. The binding is made from some block printed cotton left over from a top I made for myself. The quilting was done free hand on the machine using up all the ends of my thread spools (super satisfying). There are lots of different colors overlapping from one side to the other, and it didn't even matter if the top thread matched the bottom. 

This squishy quilt has kept us both warm (+ our gas usage a bit lower) through many chilly evenings on the couch. It's a good make.  

Love,
​Jane

The mornings are a touch darker, and the evenings are a bit cooler these days. We are encountering a new season + setting intentions for new rituals. We've enjoyed our summer evenings so. I don't want to lose momentum. Autumn evenings by the lake are perhaps less sticky, but even more itchy than summer ones.

There will still be plenty of evenings by the lake, but also some spent by the screen door watching the leaves of our maple tree turn from green to red. Warm drinks + simple snacks will be enjoyed while focusing on gratitudes from our days...new books will be read...and new songs will be discovered...together.

All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane

My preferences mostly lean toward an earthy palette, but I've been grabbing this bright bag again lately for a bit of cheer. The other day I looked down + noticed the color repeated...and couldn't help but smile. It's worth noticing what sparks happy.  :)

Love,
​Jane