'Traspasar os sete mares, espellismo tatuado, labirinto de consciencia e nacen cantes.'

Just about a year ago, I was madly working on two giant freelance projects about Barcelona and Dubai. And even though they took up every waking minute of my spare time for about five weeks last September and October, I look back on the time fondly because I discovered all sorts of fantastic things about both Barcelona and Dubai in the process. The lyrics in the title of this post are from a song called "Todo Tiende" by Ojos de Brujo, a Barcelona-based hip hop-flamenco band (with quite a few other influences as well). The group and song are just one of the gems I discovered on those projects. Among some others are a Filipino pop group popular among the expat set in Dubai and Pink Sushi, a fabulously awesome Emirati designer, whose quirky handbags are unfortunately only available in the Gulf.




But all this is just an aside to the main purpose of this post: to showcase my new -- OK, new-ish -- Barcelona skirt. I made this on a whim back in the summer. I'd gotten some cute Free Spirit fabric at Ipso Crafto and already had the pattern from my apron overlay. So I cranked out the layered skirt. I love the frayed look on the unfinished edges, though it could use a few more washings for an extra distressed look.

Good and green

A few green things:

1. Purl's Joelle and Jen made some great points in their e-mail newsletter yesterday about crafting being green. So true! Check it out:

"Maybe you don't think of needlecraft as part of the growing green movement, but in our own small way, we crafters are true conservationists. The act of choosing to hand-make say, a quilt or sweater that can easily be store-bought saves a good amount of labor and industrial waste, all the while filling our spare hours with enjoyable work and spurring on our creative spirits. Our fabric scraps are salvaged and cobbled together and transformed into a patchwork treasure and yards of leftover yarn are stitched up into a little hat and slipped into the pocket of the sweater. In the end, the rewards are many: a handmade gift for you and those you love that can be beautiful as well as functional."

2. Taking green crafting to the next level, why not buy local? Just like groceries, buying yarn from nearby farms and spinners can help save packaging, gas and it supports local farmers. That's what I did two weekends ago at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. My friend Richele and I carpooled up to West Friendship, Md., for the festival. It was my first time to go, and it was amazing. I bought lots of yarn—too much, in fact—from Mid Atlantic-area companies and discovered many more that I want to try once I deplete my stash a bit.

We saw some llamas with haircuts.



And some cute baby sheep.



And we enjoyed some delicious fair food (Being children of West Virginia and Mississippi, respectively, Richele and I are big fans of state fairs, county fairs, local festivals, etc. For instance, I spent my 21st birthday at a county fair in Bloomsburg, Penn., but that's a different story. And more importantly, we're big fans of the food that is served at fairs. I'm a pseudo-vegetarian, and I maintain there is no better food in this world than a festival corn dog—perhaps I shouldn't mention that in a blog about being eco-friendly, but whatever, it's true).

3. My schedule/life is a bit more hectic now than a few months ago, but I've still managed to do a little knitting/sewing. The lacy dress is back in the picture since I-can-wear-white-after Memorial Day is fast approaching. I've been piecing it together and have only the sleeves left to set in, so I should reveal it on here sometime soon. Get excited.

Meanwhile, I've been itching for a little springtime quirk to perk up my wardrobe, so I made Amy Butler's Barcelona apron overlay using some of her new Midwest Modern fabric (purchased locally, of course). You can see the fashion shoot of that below. Thanks to Richele for the awesome pictures and for putting up with my America's Next Top Model-esque antics. Appropriately enough, it's green, which is my second-favorite color to wear.



And it's reversible!