milling about, sewing oats

I've heard it said that if you surround yourself with really good looking people you will appear better looking by association. Hmm, I don't know that I want to hang out with a bunch of Amazonian supermodels. I don't see how that would help my cause...or stature.

Ergo, I will opt for hanging around with really talented people.

One in particular is good friend Stephanie Lloyd.

Mostly known for her antique furniture business and hip, cool cat findings.

She is trying on this new hat of designing these "plain-grain" Market Bags.

Fashioned and hand-sewn from well traveled, antique , European grain sacks...trimmed with vintage horse tack....they are the real deal. These bags tell tall tales and long stories much like Stephanie herself! (it's true, sorry Steph)

I can almost hear J. Petermans voice in my head: (ahem... here I go)

"Envision the calloused hands that wove the coarse linen...knowing that the bags would travel to lands they would never themselves see.

Stenciling almost inappropriately fanciful with more care than calligraphers hand.

Filled with golden nuggets of grain or precious seeds of pearls mined from rich German and French soil....and then off to market and farm.

Beguiling, yet befitting that some cultures considered this currency. As some civilizations were known as rich only by what they grew...."

I was thrilled and honored to get one of the first...beautifully stenciled with farm tools , name of a German town and date of origin....I categorize these as wearable art.

Thanks for your talent Stephanie...with one of these slung on my shoulder, you do in fact, make me look better by association!!!

For now Stephanie is just offering these goodies to the wholesale trade...

If you would like to contact her on terms or availability email oldsunnybrook@yahoo.com

or watch for her upcoming website at http://www.StephanieLloyd.com

A few more of Stephanie's upholstery designs...