Baby!

Exciting news. Stephanie had her baby this morning! Little Oliver finally appeared at 4:46 am and weights almost 8 pounds. Way to go. Can't wait to meet him in person.

Studio Update!

Today is Steph's last day at the studio before she leaves us to have a baby and embark on

motherhood! We will miss her, and wish her and baby all the best!

Here is a photo of Steph doing some last minute drafting:

And to wish her farewell:

Nicole made some button-shaped gingerbread cookies!

And lunch from the amazing Red Fish Blue Fish:

(Scallop tacones!)

And... a few more new things from the studio!

The bike print on the Periwinkle Garden State,

now available in size Extra Small.

New Cypress Skirt colour and print!

Cornflower Blue with our branch and blossoms print.

New Rowan Dowans in the works!

This one is a lovely gold with bees and peony.

Studio Update: Locarno Pants

We have been getting tons of emails and requests, inquiring about when we will come out with this season's pants. Well everyone, the time is now. These pants are a take on last year's Prometheus Pants, same wide fitted waistband and wide leg, and same great washed stretch linen blend fabric in new and exciting colors. They still have a side zipper closure, but this time a softer coil zipper instead of exposed metal. They are already available in the stores at the amazing price of $84. There is talk of doing a shorter "half pant" length soon!

Nicole is also wearing a new color of the Mount Pleasant, teal with allover floral print.

Lily Inspiration: Wools, plaids and TWEED

This winter I visited a piece of my husband's family past, Tonedale, in the Southwest of England. His great ^6 grandfather, Thomas Fox, began the first ever Twin Vertical Woolen Mill (twin meaning they produced both worsted and woollen fabric, and vertical because they did the whole process: took in the wool and sent out the finished cloth). In seven generations, twenty-nine members of the family worked in the factory. It is now sadly empty, but much of the history lives on through stories and artifacts.

Like these awesome sample books Ben's uncle showed me dating from 1909-1920. Knowing my love of everything fabric related, especially plaids and wools, he knew I would be ecstatic!

One of the pages containing tweeds and pinstripes!

The nearby family house is still owned by the family and is rented out for meetings and parties. Here is a picture of the Tone Dale House in the summertime.

On a somewhat tweed-related note, Smoking Lily is a friendly supporter of the Tweed Ride Victoria on May 7, 2011. The ride is raising money for Bikes Without Borders, aiming to help send stretcher-bikes to the African nation of Malawi.

Sign up today at http://tweedridevictoria.com/

Where I Live: James Bay/Beacon Hill

James Bay is the oldest neighborhood in Victoria. It is full of amazing heritage homes built in the early 1900s, including the birthplace of the famous artist Emily Carr. Things I love about James Bay...where do I begin? If you left in the morning, you could walk downtown, up past the Inner Harbor, feed some seals at Fisherman's Wharf, stop for a cup of tea at Ogden Point, walk through the lush paths and pebble beach near Dallas Road on the Juan de Fuca Strait, feed some ducks in Beacon Hill Park, maybe even pet a goat there too, and you're back in time for lunch. Whew! And if you're hungry for something local, Niagara Grocery sells fresh bread and baked goods, local veggies, produce, and pretty much anything else tasty you can dream up! They even roast their own coffee, oh my! It is a hidden gem...that you all now know about!

Here are some pictures from Sunday: Heritage house with nice garden, path on Dallas Road, gnarly tree and peacock in Beacon Hill Park, and local veggies at Niagara Grocery.