We’ve watched all of the YouTube reviews of our Sendak Artist Roll (thank you!) and have made our own video to answer some questions and share our experience!

We are grateful for all the wonderful Sendak reviews, and for sharing videos and spreading the word!

Video Transcript

Hello, everyone! I wanted to give you a little walkthrough of our Sendak Artist Roll. I've been seeing a lot of other people's video walkthroughs and it's been inspiring me to do the same.

Introduction

Here is my very well-loved and very well-used Sendak. This is the first "right one" that we made. We went through a lot of trial and error to get to this, so I want to show you what it has the potential to hold.

Supplies in my Sendak: Scissors and Glue (0:30)

I always have glue with me because I do a lot of messy collage work, so I love to glue things and I also have scissors for that same reason. I use small scissors if I'm traveling anywhere where I'm getting on a plane, and I use big scissors if I'm just traveling in a car. Both sizes fit into the Sendak nicely. I tend to put the big scissors on an end, in one of the smaller pockets. The smaller scissors fit anywhere, it just depends what else I have in my Sendak.

The Pencil Pockets (0:55)

One of the most common requests that we get and one of the things that people tend to comment on is that these pencil pockets are too small for fountain pens. While that's true of this Kaweco cap (the bottom fits, the top doesn't), this vintage technical pen is pretty chunky, and I put it in there all the time. I carry two or three. You can see how it kind of draws the Sendak together, so ultimately there's going to be a little bit less room in other pockets. It's making other things more tight, but really, it's fine.

When the Sendak is new, the waxed canvas might be tight to even just fit a pencil, but as you use it, it breaks in and loosens up, and then it doesn't loosen any further – that's where it's going to stay. Once you use it more, you can easily fit two standard pencils or paintbrushes into each slot, so it's really not a too small slot once you break it in. 

Supplies in my Sendak: Pencils (1:35)

I love these beginners pencils that have really soft lead. I love making marks that are a little less particular than, for example, when I'm using my mechanical pencils (which I also love).

So, these are some of the supplies that I carry every day. I think where the variation comes in, is in which pencils I want, which softness levels, or if I want a water soluble pencil. I'll put the pencils together in this end pocket. It's important to note that the Blackwing fits in. This Blackwing pencil was sharpened once and it makes it a perfect fit. This one was never sharpened, and the eraser is worn down a bit, so it's just above that folding point (the Sendak measures 7.75″ tall at the folding point). The taller one will obviously still work, but I know these are awesome pencils that a lot of people have, so I wanted to show you that.

Supplies in my Sendak: Pens (2:15)

Another thing that I carry are dippy pens. I will put pen nibs into a tin. I love using antique tins to store pen nibs, and in this case, a kneaded eraser. These tins are great for little art supplies, and I just put them into the zipper pocket.

The Zipper Pocket (2:30)

In addition to the vintage tin, I put another regular eraser. When pencils get too small for the pencil pockets, then I'll put them in the zipper pocket. I also have some extra lead for my mechanical pencils, a pencil sharpener, and I often have a whitewash in there as well. You can fit a lot in this zipper pocket.

I like to not overstuff my Sendak so that it folds nicely. I really like it to fold up rather than to roll up, which happens when it is very stuffed.

The Interior Pockets (2:55)

We have 16 pen and pencil slots in the front, and then we have four pockets behind those. So these four are varying widths – you could see the width of the smaller ones that I use for scissors or pencils, which measure 2.5″ wide. The larger two measure 4.25″ wide. I use these two bigger pockets for sketchbooks.

We make these Landscape Orra Sketchbooks in our shop. We designed them to fit into both this Sendak and the Mini Sendak. They can also serve as a tool protector if you need it, for example, if I was putting in a dippy pen whose nib needed protecting, or paint brushes, that would be a great tool protector. We also sell acrylic tool protectors separately if you don't want to carry a Sketchbook or Painter's Palette.

The Iris Painter's Palette is another product that we make. It is for squeezing in tube paints, watercolors, or in this case, making your own paint and filling up these wells with homemade paint. This was made to fit in both the Classic Sendak and the Mini Sendak as well, in these large interior pockets.

I'm going to put my palette here, and these pens in the back here with some small scissors. I want to have another paint brush and then whatever colors I want to bring. Sometimes I get really organized and other times I just put stuff in. You don't have to be crazy overthinking this. It's just really supposed to hold what you need – what you need for the day, what you need for a week, what you need for a trip.

I also often have a bookbinding needle held in the top flap here, and I'll put some bookbinding thread here in the zipper pocket, in case I want to make a book. I'll also prepare by having folded paper here in these exterior pockets.

The Exterior Pockets (4:30)

These two outside pockets otherwise are great for random sized sketchbooks like this – this would have been one of those random ones that I made. I also love this tin. It's for 15 neocolors, but I've had it for years and I move pastels or other more delicate stuff into here that I don't want to crumble in the pen pockets. It's a really nice fit for these back pockets.

This is our Orra Portrait Sketchbook, which we made to fit into the Classic Sendak. We have three sizes of these sketchbooks – the Portrait, the Large Portrait, and the Landscape.

Closing the Sendak (5:00)

So when I fold up the Sendak – this one is pretty full with everything that I just stuffed into the outside pockets – but when I fold it up, I will hold everything down and pull down this top flap so that it folds nicely. Then I roll in the sides, starting with the zipper pocket, so that all the parts of my Sendak are where they should be. Then I just synch it closed with the leather strap and buckle.

I'd say this is pretty full – I have stuff in every pocket. In some instances, I have more than one thing in a pocket. There's still a lot of room on this leather strap. So that's it! This will fit nicely into my bag, and I've got what I need for a long time.

The Buckle Closure

Another question that we've had is about this buckle. This comes from a gun sling from maybe the forties, and it was intended to function exactly as we use it. We found that it just really holds the Sendak together nicely, and of course, we love incorporating old bits wherever we can, into whatever we make.

So there you have it! My Sendak, lovingly worn in and full of life.

Mentioned in this video:

From Our Shop:

• The Classic Sendak Artist Roll
• The Sendak Mini Artist Roll
• Iris Painter’s Palette
• Landscape Orra Sketchbook
• Portrait Orra Sketchbook
• Acrylic Tool Protects (Out of Stock)

“The facts are sonorous but between the facts there’s a whispering. It’s the whispering that astounds me...”
–Clarice Lispector from The Hour of the Star

Since the start of our business, we’ve been making objects that change as we change – fast, slow, it is difficult to say. Perspective is mysterious!

As we reflect on the objects we make and have made, we feel ready for change yet again, ready to make space for new objects reflective of our new experiences and environments.

We’ve decided to discontinue a handful of our classics – some of which have been with us from the beginning! These treasures are limited to the quantities currently on our website and ready to ship. If there is anything you’ve been wanting, now is the time to scoop it up!

View our Last Chance treasures, here.

As always, if you have any questions, send us an email at info@pegandawlbuilt.com

 

Bags for All Occasions

Click here for to view all last chance treasures.

The Gatherer Bag

The Weekender	The Large Finch Satchel

The Large Waxed Canvas Tote	The Dopp Case

The Reader	Marlowe Lunch Bag

The Little Rogue Backpack

 

Home and Kitchen Collection

Click here for to view all last chance treasures.

Olde-Fashioned Tree Swing	Step Stool

The Bathroom Collection

 

Studio and Decoupage

Click here for to view all last chance treasures.

The Studio Collection

Chalk Pad	Large Desk Caddy with Quote

Apothecary Caddy	Decoupage Collection

We settle into the old mill as if it were home. Søren rests against what is left of a wall and opens his sketchbook to map out a world of his own invention. Silas walks back and forth on the high edge of the wall where once was a roof, headphones on, music playing. Walter and I unpack weekenders filled with clothes, masks, and our new autumn-coloured bags. Despite the calm, we are working under the Autumn sun and have little time. Pearl stuffs her wet and twitching nose into leaf piles, exploring worlds unknown to us.

Trees drop their leaves into and around what is left of the old Mill where women once gathered and chattered whilst waiting for warm bread. Our senses are ignited out here in this sentient place – amongst beings seen and unseen. There is an abundance of things to be grateful for, our lists are never long enough.

Inspired by Autumn, we’ve put together a small batch of some of our favourite bags in four new colours: Elderberry, Red Maple, Birch, and Fog. We’ve also chosen Red Maple for our Sendaks! These bags are constructed with the same durable waxed canvas we love, hand-dyed with special colours, and finished with our brown or black vegetable-tanned leather! As with all of our bags, these can be personalized.

 

Elderberry

Waxed Canvas Tote	The Hunter Satchel

The Small Hunter Satchel	The Keeper Pouch

Mini Waxed Canvas Tote 

The Finch Satchel	Mini Waxed Canvas Tote

The Maker Pouch	The Scholar Pouch

 

Red Maple

The Finch Satchel	The Hunter Satchel

The Small Hunter Satchel	Waxed Canvas Tote

The Scholar Pouch	The Maker Pouch

The Sendak Artist Roll

The zipper pouch filled with my erasers, and sharpers.	Sendak Mini Artist Roll

The Sendak Artist Roll	4” Anselm Bookbinding Kit

 

Fog

The Small Hunter Satchel

Waxed Canvas Tote	Mini Waxed Canvas Tote

The Finch Satchel	The Hunter Satchel

The Scholar Pouch	The Keeper Pouch

 

Birch

The Hunter Satchel

Waxed Canvas Tote	The Small Hunter Satchel

The Keeper Pouch	The Finch Satchel

Mini Waxed Canvas Tote	The Maker Pouch

 

Our Collections Explained!

If you’ve been following along with us for a while, you may have noticed that not all launches are the same – some products stay for years, some fly off the shelves, and others fall somewhere in between. Here are some explanations to distinguish between our various collection types.

Standard Collections: Everything in our standard collections will be ongoing until we decide to stop making them! They may include some vintage or antique materials, (ex. journal fabric lining) but these details will vary subtly to ensure their ongoingness.

Small Batch Collections: Limited batches incorporating specialty or vintage materials where larger batches can be made, but are not infinite! The quantity ranges, but we aim for minimum of 100 in these collections.

Of a Kind Collections: Limited batches incorporating vintage or antique materials. Each object will be limited from 1–20 items depending upon our findings.

As you may see from my list of Things I Love, I've been on a bit of a binge lately. I'm feeling a welcome change a-coming and it expresses itself through new food, new adventures, new adornments, &c. (though as I reflected on last year's gift guide, I am also quite the same.) 

May my list lead you down some enchanting rabbit holes!

ps: These are drawn with my non-dominant hand:) More @beingmargauxkent 

Nikon Zfc I've been looking for something between my phone and my too-big-for-everyday camera for years. This is the first camera that is easy to carry, can be used with one hand (and often a nose), and takes really beautiful photographs!	Our Pearl There are so many abandoned and neglected animals in the world! Pearl is our daily treasure and will likely be in every gift guide I make. We got our Pearl from Providence. Find a shelter near you and go say hey!

Duckfeet Finding shoes that will accompany me daily on bike rides and walks and hikes that look good with dresses and pants, and keep my back and feet strong and not hurty is no easy quest. I love Duckfeet for checking off every box — I now have four pairs!	Make Ink: A Forager's Guide to Natural Inkmaking by Jason Logan I held off buying this book for I fall down far too many rabbit holes. But what a treasure! And what a rabbit hole! This book contains story, process, art, and discovery. It is inspiring in so many ways. Søren and I have been having so much fun making ink.

Gardenheir I generally wear clothes until they fall apart, and with all of threadbare and buttonless favourites piling high for repair, I've decided to gather some new treausres. Walter gifted me the suspendered-courderoys and now I am hooked! The recycled hemp garden boots are my garden boot (tick-keeper-at-bayer) dream come true!	Warwick Furnace Farm Lavender Goods I've been in much need of a calming, and always in need of a balming. Grateful to always have many of Warwick Furnace Farms treasures strewn about! I just got the muscle salve and the sweet birch is like root beer all day.

Antique Tins I may have a habit of vintage tins. I like to say I am NOT a collector, but I do fancy myself a gatherer. I love tins for hauling art supplies, soft things like pastels, and tiny messy things like pen nibs. And they make wonderful alternative sketchbooks. They fit nicely into my Sendak and pouches. And of course, I love a good Flea Market find — though Etsy and Ebay are great resources if you are patient!

Bonsai Silas is learning about Bonsai's for a Homeschool project and he got us all into it. Our garden, artist friend Kai, brought a bag of Bonsai-able trees for Silas, including: Azalea, Boxwood, Pines, Juniper, and Hercules Club. The places to look, he said, are parking lots and mowed areas where the roots are biggened as the tops are shorn! Abundance everywhere, for those who seek it!

Always More Books I will never stop gathering books. Unread stacks surround me, but also, many are read and scribbled and delighted in. (PS: Padraig O'Tauma's book has been long preordered - check.)	The Simple Folk I stopped at my favourite Philadelphia shop, Vagabond, and found The Simple Folk linen dress (among other things)! So cozy, layerable, pocketed, swishy, and loooong. I have to tie it in a knot to bike and hike with it — but yay! I love it so.

Spruce Tip Jelly Treat yourself to a Spruce Tip delight! Paired with yummy cheese, this is a hard thing to not get to the bottom of in one sitting.	Omega Juicer Struggling with Lyme and all of the problems that stem from it, it is time for me to return to juicing! I cannot wait to get this (my Christmas wish). Silas is also looking forward to the juice journey we will embark on!

Our Bookbinding Tutorials Make your own presents! Use our bookbinding tutorial for the foundation and add your personality to sketchbooks and journals made by you - kind of the best gift really! I love making these little coverless books and always have an extra in my bag with a specific project within…	Bellwether Farm Sheep Milk Yogurt My favourite yogurt - like toasty marshmallow goodness with maple syrup. But then I load it up with fruits and whole cacao granola! Mmmmm.

 

Mentioned in this Post:

From Our Shop:

• Our Bookbinding Tutorial
• Anselm Bookbinding Kits

From Other Shops:

• Nikon Zfn Mirrorless Camera
• Providence Animal Shelter
• Duckfeet Boots
• Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking by Jason Logan
• Gardenheir
• Warwick Furnace Farm Lavender Goods
• Bonsai
• The Simple Folk
• Spruce Tip Jelly
• Omega Juicer
• Bellwether Farm Sheep Milk Yogurt

Related Blog Posts:

• 2021 Gift Guide to some of my favourite (mostly) small business treasures!

Here are some of my favourite little and big things. I am often overwhelmed by stuff I have, stuff I want, the general problem of stuff. But I was reminded the other day how important our small businesses are – to the economy, to those around us, to the people we work with and the materials we use – this all has value that is sometimes hard to see. This got me to really appreciating some of the little treasures around me –

Above: Our very best everyday present is our Pearl! We got her from Providence Animal Center last December and not a day goes by where don’t express our gratitude in our silly voices and normal voices, for being paired with the very best doggo in the world!

Come winter and my skin is begging for balm! This Lavender Salve from Warwick Furnace Farm is a cozy treat. Have a look at their IG to see how they transform the world around them with lavender magic!	It may be a bit early to talk about Dahlia tubers, but I am excited because I’ve just dug mine up! I got them from Golly Bard who has a lot of lovely treats all year ’round including her gorgeous art and wallpaper!

I am a bit of a Kombucha fiend. Since we stopped making our own I’ve been scooping up Tribucha’s Rosemary and Sage by the box whenever I can find it! Looking forward to trying their new Berries and Chamomile potion!	Breath was a quick, eye-opening, and calming listen about the unraveling of human breathing! Be sure to pick up this tape at the same time. (Bonus: The taped mouth will lead to mysterious new dreams!)

Pearl LOVES Whisker Biscuit Cookies and Chicken Jerky! All delights are made by hand with healthy ingredients in Pennsylvania. I was getting their treats as gifts long before I imagined we’d ever be... dog people!	Lala Earth concoctions are always in our apothecary cabinet and in my pockets. The Homestead Balm is my favourite - and the face lotions are absolutely refreshing for my dry winter face. Plus, all of the scents are absolutely earthy and intoxicating!

I treated myself to a pile of these cushy + cozy socks from Imogene and Willie - made by Little River Sock Mill in Alabama.	The Five Acre Wood is a LOT to keep up with, but this coming year we will have extra hands! My favourite place for seeds and education is Fruition Seeds in the Finger Lakes of New York! There is so much to learn!

I’ve been dreaming of these Sennelier Oil Pastels for a few years now. Perhaps now that we will be able to spread out, Santi will drop them (carefully) down our chiminey!	Learn how to bind sketchbooks and journals for gifts with our bookbinding tutorials! I love making these little coverless books and always have an extra in my bag with a specific project within…

My Warwick Weekend.

Last month I spent a weekend at the Warwick Furnace Farm for a much needed impromptu escape with Claire Rosen (one of the farm’s sisters) and Emma Mierop of Skippy Cotton. We planned to take our worlds apart and put them back together again, but we only got as far as:

Taking our worlds apart over snacks and long lavender soaked discussions,
going for a long walk on a cold, star bright night,
understanding that a thing taken apart nearly always reveals more than expected, and therefore takes longer to put back together,
and nebulous plans for a next time.

I also made some pretty classic Margaux messes everywhere I went. Claire seemed unbothered. See my dribblings and droppings below:

I do have a LOT of the things we make with me when I go anywhere. We make them to use them and use them I do! Here is my Sendak and my nearly finished Large Tome.	I awoke first and did my morning pages in Claire’s time-travely kitchen – oh, to be somewhere else is such a luxury!

 

 

I love our radish canvas color, but we are discontinuing it to make space for new things. I have a variety of our radish bags, 'tis yummy faded pink!	The Finch has always been my favourite bag – I carry mine everyday – next in line are Hunter and Rogue equally!

I've been stuffing and hauling my radish Weekender for years!	Claire keeps her Truffle Marlowe by the door. This is a bag that most of my friends and family have – an easy, everyday companion!  Should we make a few in our new Autumnal colours?

What a treat to have a morning like this!	Lavender everywhere!

I also love my Duckfeet Boots!	Piles of things on the floor. I settle in quickly...

Pearl and Honey enjoyed their freedom and new found friendship!

 

Warwick Furnace Farm

Claire and her family moved to Pennsylvania and started a Lavender farm where they make a variety of Lavender Delights, host an Artist’s Retreat, have an inspiring Gallery Space, etc. In addition to their combined love of Lavender, each family member follows their own varied passions in this magical space that they’ve created. Their farm is a short, beautiful drive from us…

Here are a few photographs of Claire’s fantastical and elaborate photographed worlds – her own individual passion.

Skippy Cotton

Emma’s shop is a delight! She combines her drawings, embroidery, and whimsy to form her own House of Curiosities! From ornaments to clothing to artist supplies – have a peek into her wondrous world. She has also navigated her way into the world of AI art and has made some enviable pieces with it (another can of worms we discussed with exuberance)!

Skippy Cotton's year-round ornaments!	Which of course also look splended on a Christmas Tree!

Fragile Earth Exhibit at the Brandywine River Museum

Claire surprised us with a visit!

Courtney Mattison

Porcelain and Stoneware coral reefs whose texture, colour, and allure was so deliciously inspiring that I signed up for a clay class at a cob studio nearby.

Mark Dion Ever a favourite, Søren and I spent an especially long time with his work, chortling and sighing, and all manner of involuntary noise making...So maybe I was a little noisier than Søren.

James ProsekWe investigated James’s mysteries close enough to set off alarms – lucky for us, there weren’t any.

Jennifer AngusAn abundance of bugs and tiny stories built into boxes and wall pieces. Everyone clambered to take in as much detail as possible; no one wanted to leave.

Photograph by Jackson’s Art Supplies

Sarah Dyer, one of my favorite picture book makers and illustrators, recently wrote a detailed and very informative review on our Sendak Artist Roll for the Jackson’s Art Supplies blog. She includes lots of photographs with her own art supplies, showing how she organizes them into her Sendak. It is a delight to see the Sendak well-loved, well-used, and from new perspectives. Read Sarah’s review here:

Peg and Awl Sendak Artist Roll Review by Sarah Dyer 
on Jackson’s Art Supplies

 

Related Blog Posts:

• The Sendak Artist Roll: A Walkthrough Video

 

Small Hunter Satchel incorporating an antique bank bag!	Patching old holes in well-worn canvas gives celebrated emphasis on the lives old things have lived.

Scroll Down to Preview the Collection!

This morning, in my journal, I was contemplating the complexities of the fine point of balance when running a small business. These last few years – before the pandemic, through the thick of it, and this lingering now — have given us so much variety, forcing that fine point to dance like phosphorescence beneath a moving boat at night, engaging us to consider potential nexts. I move my journal to the floor — there being no more space on the crowded, trash-picked table, in a window filled with plants and the morning’s light pushing through the trees. The table is piled high with projects that I am longing to get to. Our actual kitchen table – a big farmhouse table a few feet away, is full as well, as I’ve decided to photograph our Of a Kind collection upon it, despite my family's grumbling. We push piles to the side so we can squeeze onto a small end of the long table for dinner.

Are you, too, feeling a multitude of dreamings leftover from the time-abundant early pandemic days?

     Books still longing to be read? (on the table)

     Sketchbooks and journals begging for a scribbling in, a finishing up? (on the table)

     Trails wanting walked and biked upon daily? (bits from them, on the table)

I am breathless, dreaming of the possibilities that crowd my living space.
I merge the dreaming with the practical(ish) when I can. I was able to lure my family into the woods for a walk with Pearl, and a simultaneous photo shoot of some of the One of a Kind bags. We danced and high-beamed around the ruins of a mill along the path. The autumn air and the freedom to wander, feels like an absolute luxury — and is! But it is only one part of the long process of bringing our Of a Kind collections to life and running a small business in general.

Fortunately, Pearl loves partaking in the weird things we do!

Had a hearty laugh as I tried to keep Pearl happy, bat mosquitos away, block the streak of sunlight following the bags, and was photobombed by this crew in the ruins!	Søren, caught off guard in photographs, often channels Captain Jack Sparrow!

The Secret to a Good Flea (Market) Day is a Good Friend! 

Read the story that celebrates the discovery of some of the treasures in this collection at a Flea Market in the thick of the summer heat!

Treasures found at a Flea Market! (These pens may find their way into a collection soon!)	Some of the antique textiles I found that day have been transformed for this upcoming collection!

Our Autumn Of a Kind Collection!

Our third Of A Kind Collection of 2022 is a celebration of the afterlife of already long-loved objects. It contains One of a Kind bags made with antique, well-worn re-constructed seed, feed, and bank bags, Antique Tin alternative sketchbooks (and re-fill packs for a past favourite due to many inquiries!), and some pouches, which are always a favourite. Every discovery holds a bit of the past, and the story and marks accumulated. They are a joy to put together and harken back to the best part of our origin story – the gathering of old things and the reimagining and reworking of them into once again useful objects.

Photograph by Søren of me with an Of a Kind mini tote made from a vintage Timothy Grass Seed Bag.

Søren, Pearl, and I went out for a walk on a trail we normally bike on. Slower, we noticed new things.

Mini Totes made with Vintage Textiles!

We’ve transformed vintage seed and feed sacks found at a Flea Market this past summer! So many scrumptious textures, fadings, holes, and repairs are evident in this collection!

We’ve cleaned and cut and paired the vintage bags with waxed and vegetable tanned leather, making our classic and loved bags into One of a Kind treasures!

Journal Excerpt – I lingered at Leonard’s flea market table, unfolding and refolding seed and feed bags used over and over until disposable bags replaced them in the 1960s. The textiles on Leonard’s table were washed and faded and soft. He couldn’t hear very well so I had to get extra close or raise my voice to communicate. He smiled a gentle smile with each shout. I left with arms filled with vintage bags, eager to imagine them anew.

Mini Tote made from Vintage Canvas, with waxed canvas details, and vegetable-tanned leather.	Details of the print – 45 lbs.

The colour of the Timothy bag is robust! A lovely burst of the unexpected.	A daily, or every-now-and-then bag?

Our Minis are delightful for everyday carry – bring only what you need!	This Alfalfa bag has glorious texture and colour!

I didn't know about this sneaky kitty until I got home, my favourite?	Codes abound.

These are all lined with waxed canvas.	Ranger!

The textures and fading of this printing is delicious.	How many of these treasures are still hiding in the world? Are houses still coming down with attics full of lives past?

 

Standard Totes made with Vintage Textiles!

I just love Søren in the background here, unintentional mimicry!	Pigeon Feed! Tell me more, please.

Details on the Vintage Textile of the Pigeon Tote.	Standard Tote with Vintage Canvas: Pigeon

Standard Tote with Vintage Canvas: Salt	The vintage textile is on the front pocket – the rest is our Truffle waxed canvas.

These chickens might be my favourite!	Standard Tote with Vintage Canvas: Chicken

Standard Tote with Vintage Canvas: Fulton No. 1	Inside the tote!

A view of the inside pockets, showing the lightweight spice waxed canvas!	I love the repairs and added character!

 

Vintage Textile Pouches!

It is hard to resist old printed cottons and feedsacks from the early 1900s on flea market tables. We’ve transformed the gathering of patchwork and scrap into useful pouches, giving them new life.

We’ve constructed pouches in shades of feuille morte!	Russets and Rosies, Goldenrods and Evergreen, still vibrant, though the textiles are nearly a century old!

Essentials Pouch with 1930s Textile: Adlai	Spender Pouch with 1930s Feedsack: Tamar

Keeper Pouch with 1940s Textile: Orah	Keeper Pouch with 1930s Textile: Ariel

 

Alternative Sketchbooks!

Ginger Tin!

This vintage Ginger Tin makes a great alternative sketchbook for small projects. We’ve filled them with 100 sheets of laser cut Strathmore Drawing paper. Put the tin in the outside pocket of a Sendak, or a pouch, and head out to draw! The portability makes sketching ever-accessible, and the shape makes a good drawing feel complete!

I've been using my Ginger Tin for paint for years, but a new project lead to another idea...	Tear or Seed? Read the story on Substack!

 

Cloverine Alternative Sketchbooks!

We are excited to offer a handful of vintage Cloverine Alternative Sketchbooks in this Collection! Each tin comes with 200 sheets of Fabriano hot press watercolour paper. These morsels fit inside the Sendak, making sure you always have some of the finest paper on hand! Additional packs of pre-cut paper can be ordered separately or as an add-on.

 

Cloverine Alt Sketchbook	We will have some packs of water colour paper that fit the Cloverine Alt Sketchbook!

The world is bursting with magic, and for anyone looking, it positively pulses. As a family of life-long learners, we felt compelled to share a few of our favorite activities in one compact notebook of removable cards.

The Specimen Card Notebook

Whether embarking on a backyard exploration, a community science project, traveling near or far, or identifying mysterious objects around your house, these cards encourage observation, drawing, writing, and a touch of research.

Tear them out, and hang them up, give them as gifts, or keep them intact as a journal. However you use them, we hope they inspire you to always keep an eye out for the little things!

Photographs by Claire Rosen

The secret to a good Flea Day is a good friend.

     This past weekend's Flea Day was with Claire Rosen, one of the sisters behind the Warwick Furnace Farm – down the road a piece in Chester County. Claire days arrive with neither responsibility, nor sense of time. I abandon my life, my family, my Pearl, the dishes and laundry. I abandon the gardening and the weeding. (I don’t abandon Peg and Awl, as it goes). On these days hearts beat in old things, through camera lenses, dress-up, abandoned houses, time behind us and time in front of us, and somehow also, extra now, ever-present. Claire days are all story, all art, all magic.

     I awoke early, scribbled small nothings into my journal, then headed out to The Farm to fetch Claire on one of the hottest stickiest summer days. We planned to get there early, while the air was breath-inable. My music is loud for the time of day, but the space betwixt houses, betwixt farms, vibrating with bird and insect chatter, welcomed the intrusion.

     When I arrive I step back in time. And here comes Claire in her long flowing dress, with a gigantic woven basket in one hand, wearing the enthusiastic grin of an adventurer. 

     We drive into excess, into time travel, into a dreamland. We are new friends, but I imagine we will never run out of things to talk about. Everything we find is to become something else. A part of a photograph, a part of our homes, or transformed into a usable entirely other, treasure. We lingered at Leonard's table first, unfolding and refolding seed bags used over and over until disposable bags replaced them in the 1960s. Leonard's were washed and faded and soft. He couldn't hear very well so we had to get extra close or raise our voices to communicate. He smiled a gentle smile with each shout. Claire found some miniature antique frames for an upcoming project. We found dip pens and nibs and new old clothes that fit! Somedays yield no treasures, but I think the company, and the lingering, and the longer looks are what lead to magic.

     Each time our bags grew too heavy to hold, we emptied their contents into the truck and went to another place, and another. By the time we returned to The Farm, the truck was full inside and out with tiny treasures to large pieces of furniture and all of the in-betweens. We emptied truck and cleared an antique table of its nests and taxidermy, books — a multitude of treasures. We swiped bits of the long abandoned bird homes and other debris onto the floor in a frenzy, and set out the day's abundance.

     We photographed and dreamed of the next adventure before this one was even over. It was dark out before we realised how little we'd eaten all day. Another joy is being so absorbed in a thing, that nourishment is forgotten. We went into Claire's house (a story for another time), into her cozy kitchen and she made Kite Hill tortellinis to which we added a fancy olive oil (Dolly's) and black smoked salt. As Claire melted into her kitchen table, I got my second wind. The nighttime air was cool again, it was nearly tomorrow. I took off playing Asaf Avidam, and drove home amongst lightening bugs, passed a nighttime fox, and returned home to my family playing a late night game of Querkel. 

     I emptied the day's finds into the already overflowing kitchen, along with my stories from the day...

A rainbow of antique Dip Pens, and this fox embroidery which I will hang up in our house.	I have to replace the nibs and clean the pens. Leonard tagged them in 1993! So the stickers are gooey. Next time I may invite myself into the massive warehouse he described with wide but tired eyes. He has been collecting things for 60 years.

Finding Antique Clothing that fits me is rare! This mother of pearl pen writes like a dream and the other niblets will make their way into something or other.	This little kitty detail from a feedsack is SO good. I think I will find a way to incorporate it into a bag!

These bundle scraps are always a favourite – we use them to line our journals! These are from the early 1900s.	This is some of Claire's loot. The pen nibs and seed bags are scrumptious! and the other morsels will be part of some new photographs!

If the old thread is strong enough, it may find its way into projects. The pen nibs were abundant!	I contemplated this 1950s or 60s bear pencil holder for a while — so happy I got 'er!

Stacks of Feedsacks and Bags that once held Seeds, Sugar, and Salt. These blues will be saved for our Winter Of A Kind collection.	Mostly from the 1930s! Working these into our Autumn collection. Any specific dreams? Let us know in the comments!