Posted on October 22, 2020May 20, 2021 by Tamara Wenderlich

Setting the Table

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Setting the Table

My mom always tried to put on a good show at Thanksgiving when we were kids. “Forks go on the left!”, she would command, “Napkins on the right.” We learned it was easier to pretend that we normally cared about those things. As she brought the food for the table, she would say (for the benefit of our guests), “Remember, pass to the LEFT”, as if that was something we ever did. But, once the food landed, she lost all control as we would all dive, forks first, towards our favorite foods. And she would roll her eyes and declare (again, for the benefit of our guests), “They are so uncivilized.”

Thanksgiving is likely to be a much smaller gathering this year. Always looking for the silver linings, I’m hoping this means more time relaxing at the table and less time in the kitchen cooking for a mob. More elbow space means more opportunity to dress the table with our most vibrant, cheerful textiles and favorite ceramics and wood accessories. We prefer our table not to be too matchy-matchy. Our go-to plates are salad-sized plates from Rainbow Gate in Santa Fe. Everyone has their favorite color (Neal pretends not to, but we all know it’s red.) And everyone chooses their favorite dinner napkin and placemat. In other words, everyone decorates their own space. (Except for Neal, who pretends not to care so we decorate for him.) Our table is an eclectic mix of color, pattern, wood and ceramics. And, of course, good food.

I have admit that I still don’t really care on which side of my plate the fork is placed – as long as it is handy when the stuffing lands.

Need some ideas for adding color and texture to your table? Shop our Kitchen and Dining collection.

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Posted on September 26, 2020May 20, 2021 by Tamara Wenderlich

What to Do Instead of the Balloon Fiesta

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has been held every year since 1972. It not only is a HUGE boost to the local economy, but it turns our skyline into a living work of art. 2020 is going to be remembered as “the year we didn’t…”. However, I’m the kind of person that likes to find the silver lining. October usually has some of the best weather of the year, perfect for outdoor dining and adventuring. But, unless we have out-of-town guests, we locals usually wait for Balloon Fiesta crowds to dwindle before we take our turn. So, this year we have an extra 2 weekends to get out there and explore.

My to-do list is mostly close to home because I really want to try to support some of the local businesses and organizations:

Check out some of my favorite museums. They suffered more than most of us with the closures. I’m particularly fond of the Albuquerque Museum and the Nuclear Science Museum.
Take a long river walk with a sketch pad. Two of my favorite spots: the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, Bachechi Open Space. I also want to check out the Sanchez Farm Open Space in the south valley.
Explore Old Town and the Sawmill area. I know, I work there. But, I’m always working and it’s embarrassing that I can’t answer basic questions about the neighborhood.
Make a reservation to walk the zoo. I really miss the zoo.
Pick a couple of good restaurants with patios and enjoy some outdoor dining before things get iffy again.

I have no doubt we will still see lots of balloons and a few visitors. Without the crowds, there may be excellent opportunities for the locals to get rides. You go ahead, I like to keep my feet firmly on the ground.

Posted on August 9, 2020May 20, 2021 by Tamara Wenderlich

My Dream Car

My Favorite Car

My first car was an old Ford Galaxy that I bought from a friend of my brother’s. After I paid cash, my brother and his friend pleaded to take it out for ‘one more ride’. It came back much more broken and dirty than before. It was a ridiculously huge car. Not only did I have to sit on a pillow to see past the hood, it was a gas guzzling, high maintenance nightmare. On the day of its final breakdown, I pulled it into a median, called my mom to pick me up and then told my parents, “Just leave it there, I never want to see it again.” I have no idea what became of it, but it started me on a lifelong dislike of cars.

At one point in my adult life, I did have a car that I truly loved: a new Volkswagen Beetle, white, with a black leather bra embroidered with flowers. It was cute and comfortable. Then, one day it was creamed by a lady in a giant SUV who had decided to run a red light despite the fact that I was already stopped in front of her. Albuquerque really does have the WORST drivers. That car did what she was supposed to do to protect me but she couldn’t be repaired. I actually cried – and vowed I would never love another car again as long as I drove around these parts.

I do admire the restored old farm trucks or vintage vehicles – especially those with a vibrant paint job. But, I don’t have the patience for that kind of hobby. So, these days when people start talking about their dream rides, my response is usually, “Meh. I just want a car that starts when I say ‘start’ and stops when I say ‘stop’.” Fancy cars mean nothing to me.

And then .. I see the cute tractor puttering down Rio Grande Boulevard and I think, “Yeah, that’s what I’d like to be driving!” Probably a green one.

Product Gallery

As with all of my “character prints”, my vehicle art is generally available in wall art, cards, pillows, tote bag (pockets) and 7″x7″ quilting squares.

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Posted on July 27, 2020May 20, 2021 by Tamara Wenderlich

Our New Favorite Restaurant

2020 has proceeded like a bulldozer through our lives. But, we tend to be the kind of people that look for a silver lining rather than wallow in unwanted change. One positive outcome of Covid life is that we now spend a lot of time in our kitchen. The benefits are tangible: the food we prepare is healthier and less expensive. Our kitchen is not only our favorite new restaurant, it is our break room and conference room. It is literally the center of our house.

Layout

Our kitchen is large and bright, but oddly shaped and lacking in a practical space for a farmhouse table. I think a table was supposed to go in the window bay. We tried that when we first bought the house but I found myself constantly squinting at the morning sun. Our solution was to tuck a small table under the center island so we can spread out onto the island if we need extra room. Then, I put a houseplant jungle and cozy reading chair in the window bay – the perfect spot for an afternoon coffee and sketching session.

Afternoon coffee and sketch break featuring “Dia De Los Muertos” (fabric basket and blanket) and “Mass Ascension” (pillow).

Coffee Station

Coffee is a big part of our day. I prefer dark coffee in the french press – so thick you could almost stand a spoon in it. Neal likes his coffee considerably more tame. Since we don’t have a lot of upper cabinets, Neal built the gorgeous shelves to organize our favorite mugs, teas and sweeteners. The white countertops are great for reflecting light but easily show the coffee station mess so a stack of wiping towels is essential!

Balancing the Overwhelming Whiteness

I’m not a huge fan of the white cabinets because of their tendency to show dirt. But, I do like the natural brightness of the room. I find the best solution to toning down all that white (and hiding some dirt) is to tuck colorful placemats in here and there. Bonus: on cleaning day, I can change the color scheme with new placemats. As with our business, we mix the warm wood with the textiles throughout our kitchen.

Placemats

Living with Old Appliances

Most of our appliances are close to 30 years old and they all have their issues. The gas stove igniter hasn’t worked in years, so I use a lighter. The oven door leaks and the microwave occasionally loses its mind. I worry about the planned obsolescence of modern appliances so I don’t want to replace them unless I absolutely have to. I have learned to live with their quirks and I surround them with colorful textiles to hide their age.

Dressing up the oven door with dishtowels. L-R: “Tangerine Stars“, “Sunbeams“, “Traffic Jam”

Stovescape: Wood utensils, cutting board and salt cellar by Neal, gauze dishtowels designed by Tammy

Functional Beauty

Our kitchen may not be the perfect embodiment of our “less is more” ideal, but we working on it. Over time, we are replacing clutter with functional beauty. While we are having fun exploring recipes and fine-tuning our cooking chops, we will also continue to do what we can to support our favorite local food-based businesses. For the foreseeable future, we are sticking with to-go orders and curb-side pickup followed by a picnic in our kitchen. And, grocery delivery is my new normal. All that time saved driving around and shopping can now be directed at reading old cookbooks in my cozy chair with a cup of coffee in a mug made by a friend.

Dinner salad featuring Collected Hands salad tongs, trapezoid salt and pepper shakers and cottonwood lazy Susan with “Traffic Jam” placemat and “Sunbeams” dish towel.

Snack break featuring a Collected Hands cutting board and jam spreader and “Roadrunners on Desert Rain” cloth napkin.

Ahhh. Covid life.

Posted on August 4, 2017May 20, 2021 by Tamara Wenderlich

2018 Along the Rio Grande Textile Collection

Textile Collection Inspired by Corrales, New Mexico

The village of Corrales, New Mexico is nestled in the Rio Grande river valley between the cities of Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. The village, as locals call it, is part farmland and part bedroom community. You will also find a handful of local shops and restaurants but no chains. The bosque, a dense ribbon of trees that follows the Rio Grande, blocks our view of nearby Albuquerque. Rio Rancho is hidden by a tall mesa to the west. The iconic Sandia mountains shimmer on the horizon. Like most agricultural areas in central New Mexico, villagers receive irrigation water by acequias – man made canals that divert water from the Rio Grande through the farmland. It is along these acequia trails, in the bosque, that we gathered inspiration for our 2018 Along the Rio Grande textile collection.

Prickly pear and cholla cactus along an adobe wall.

Gardens

The properties along the acequias tend to be well irrigated and familiar cottage garden plants. Lilacs, honeysuckle and roses spill over fence lines and courtyard walls. But the real stars of Corrales gardens are the native high desert plants that thrive in the hot sun. Sages and pentstemon send up flowering spikes all summer long in shades of red, purple, pink and white. Bright orange trumpet vine and delicate silver lace vine provide thick fence line coverage and food for hummingbirds and bees. Chamisa spends most of the year looking like an ordinary, muted desert shrub then erupts into cascading golden branches in the late summer. Prickly pear cactus and cholla cactus gather in the un-irrigated areas.

Prickly pear, chamisa and cholla cactus along a wood fence.

Wildlife

Wildlife provides a constant source of wonder and amusement. Coyote can often be seen trotting casually along the trails but will quickly disappear into a field if a human gets close. Bunnies are everywhere. Comical roadrunners run along fence tops, stopping every few feet to fluff their feathers. And silly quail dart across the trail in groups, changing direction several times before they decide where they really wanted to go. Coopers hawks lurk in the trees and blue-tailed lizards scurry on garden walls.

Pillows based on Corrales prints. — Corrales print pillows available from our online store.

Architecture

Geometric motifs can be found in both local architecture and tracks on the sandy acequia trails. Adobe is a common building material in New Mexico. These naturally insulating earthen bricks are used to build houses, churches and fences. Another popular fencing method uses rows of latillas – long, narrow timbers with the bark left on – stacked tightly together and wired to a fence frame. Tracks along the trails are made by animals visiting the acequia for water – racoons, skunk, rabbits, ducks and porcupines. The mesmerizing trails of shoe and paw prints mixed with tractor and bicycle tracks show that these country lanes are well traveled.

An adobe barn in a filed of chamisa and sage.

Sky

Looking up, the New Mexico sky is another constant source of amazement. For most of the year, it is a dazzling azure blue with the occasional fluffy white cloud. Most of the annual rainfall comes from summer monsoons, heavy thunderstorms that build throughout the day and explode in the late afternoon. The thunder and lightening rattles windows and the heavy rains leave huge roadside puddles that become instant toad habitats. In the fall, the bosque skyline turns in to a bright gold as the cottonwood leaves change. The combination of green and gold against the bright blue New Mexico sky dotted with hot air balloons is just magical.

The 2018 Along the Rio Grande Textile Collection

The Collected Hands Along the Rio Grande textile collection draws inspiration from trekking the acequia trails. The designs blend vibrant hues from native flowering plants with the muted tones of the high desert. The collection includes whimsical wildlife and repeating patterns of overflowing gardens and rhythmic fences. Together, the collection evokes that sense of wonder – of “Hey, did you see that!” You can purchase these textiles by the yard via spoonflower.com and in completed products, such as pillows and notebook covers, in our retail store in Albuquerque’s historic Old Town. You can also visit us locally at the Sunday morning Corrales Makers Market. Please contact us to discuss customization of any design to meet your particular needs.

Click on any of the images below to go directly to our spoonflower listing:

Posted on October 7, 2016May 20, 2021 by Tamara Wenderlich — 2 Comments

Textile Studio Tour

Textile Design in the Collected Hands Art Studio

My Workspace

My art studio is located in Corrales, New Mexico, USA. This is where I sketch, paint, dye, cut, glue, print and daydream. I have tons of natural light, built-in shelves for storage of supplies and an easy-to-clean floor. It’s hardly ever this clean and often shared with dogs, cats, a house pig and grandkids. Beyond the art studio, I have a small sewing space. But, these days most of the sewing is done in a workroom at the back of our retail store. That helps me stay efficient when I am minding the shop. The shop is also a cat-free zone which turns out to be super important when I’m sewing.

My Process

My textile designs starts with sketches and doodles as well as colorful mixed media artwork such as mono prints created with a gelatin plate, stamps and stencils. I tend to find my inspiration in the natural environment of the New Mexico high desert and the vibrant New Mexico culture. I digitize my sketches using Inkscape and use the art prints to fill in the simple, whimsical shapes. A lot more work in Inkscape and Gimp to clean things up, then I organize the designs into collections and send my favorite designs off to Spoonflower for printing on fabric.

sketches of Corrales wildlife — Corrales Motif original sketches

Some days I make art and some days I make tools such as screens, stamps and stencils. And, sometimes my workbench is a mess of fabric scraps, wood pieces, paper and glue because I’m thinking up new product ideas. I do struggle to find the balance between productivity and creativity, I find lots of coffee helps.

It feels like Christmas when the Spoonflower packages come with my new designs. I like to lay them all out on the workbench and just take a minute to soak it all in. Then, I start planning production activities for my next day at the shop.