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Kate B Textile Designs

The Danforth East Arts Fair is coming soon to a park near you on September 18th and 19th.  In the coming weeks, we’ll be telling you about a few of the artists you’ll find there.  First up, a profile of Kate Busby, by writer Gillian Grace.

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Kate B Textile Designs

Duvets have had a long and fluffy reign on our beds, but a growing love of all things fresh, local and hand-crafted means blankets and quilts are returning to our mattresses.  Kate B. Textile Designs (the “B” stands for Busby) creates “modern-day heirlooms” reworking vintage blankets, washing, rebinding and adding fabric appliqué to create a unique blanket-quilt hybrid.

Many of the textiles Busby uses are hand-printed or hand-dyed; her pieces reference quilting tradition — a fence rail here, a house there — while adding modern texture and fabric. Busby, who lives in the east end, first became interested in quilting while completing a fine arts degree at U of T.  Also a grad of Sheridan’s Crafts and Design program, she was a featured artist at the Textile Museum of Canada’s shop and is one of the founding members of Toronto’s Contemporary Textile Studio Co-Operative, a collective of fabric artists working out of the 401 Richmond building.

“I think we become connected to the fabrics in our life — be it the satin edge of a baby blanket, or the embroidered stitches on a smocked dress, or even the familiar weight of a bedspread. Textiles have a great way of absorbing and relaying memories,” Busby says.

Look, too, for her modish hand-silkscreened tea towels, and gingham napkins playfully appliquéd with vintage fabrics (you can get a preview on her website).  And give those duvets (and dingy tea towels) some competition.

Kate B.’s wares, which range in price from $20 to $550, will be for sale at the Danforth East Arts Fair in East Lynn Park on Sept. 18 & 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For information about other artists and details about the fair, visit www.deca-arts.ca


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Busy Week

Lots of things to tell you about this week…

Photo courtesy of Stephen Caissie

East Lynn Farmers’ Market

At 4:30 p.m. this week, bring your little movers and shakers to dance with Pegasus Dance Studio.

Do you know that along with ballet, hip hop and jazz, Pegasus also offers boys-only dance programs, a preschool arts program, parent and tot music classes and pilates and yoga classes? Pegasus is near Danforth and Coxwell on Glebeholme.

Also Nana Jokura is back with more CranioSacral therapy – a gentle, hands-on therapy where your head and sacrum are stimulated to release tensions of the nervous and fascial systems.

Little Footprints Toys

Little Footprints is an internet toy company run by a local resident and mom featuring eco-friendly toys and games for kids of all ages.  This weekend they’re having a real bricks and mortal sale at 1390 Danforth, just east of Greenwood.   There will be lemonade and toys to try, including the Piggy Paint nail bar where you can try out the ‘natural as mud’ nail polish.  There will be sale prices on educational products for back to school.  The sale starts Friday.  Check out the details at at www.littlefootprintstoys.com.

Walking Tour

On Monday, September 6th, join local historian Gene Domagala for a walking tour of our little section of east Toronto starting at Hope United Church at Main and Danforth at 1 p.m.

Back To School Dinners

If the thought of the hectic school schedule has got you twitchin’ I notice that Cozy Cafe and Bakery at Danforth and Woodbine now has frozen foods to get you through the week.  All homemade and delicious, there are hearty soups, lasagnas (ask anyone about the vegetarian lasagna and be prepared for gushing), shepard’s pie and much more.

Stephen Caissie Photography

All summer long, I’ve been featuring beautiful photographs from the market in this space thanks to DECA member and volunteer Stephen Caissie.  Stephen also did the portraits in the park during the Art of the Danforth and many of his portraits have appeared on the blog webpage of Deca Diaries.  His work is stunning and the prices reasonable.  Learn more about Stephen and his work at stephencaissiephoto.com.

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Danforth East Arts Fair

September 18th and 19th make your way to East Lynn Park for DECA’s 2nd annual Danforth East Arts Fair. This is a high-quality fair with a range of arts and crafts to suit a variety of tastes and budgets.  Last year was great.  This year is bigger (with lots more arts vendors) and better (with yummy food on site so you can spend more time lingering).

But, we need a little bit of help to make it a success.  We need your help getting the word out and putting up posters. It’s a little thing, but it’s a BIG thing.  If you can help with a hour or so of your time, we would really really (really!) appreciate it.  Contact Mary at mary.vallis@gmail.com because she has printed versions that she can deliver to your door or she’s got a PDF that she can send you if you just want to print off a few and post them, say at your office or your school or your favourite cafe or your dog groomer or your in-laws’ house or your videotron or wherever you think two eyes might see it.

Also, why not put a link to the website on your facebook page or send your friends around the city an e-mail and let them know about this terrific arts fair that’s happening in your ‘hood?

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Tim Bits and Relish (yummy) Bites

Two ends of the fine dining spectrum here.  I notice the Esso/Tim Horton’s at Greenwood is open for business.  I must say maintaining that theatre marquee is a nice touch.  Let’s hope it spurs a bit of a clean up of that intersection.

On the other end is Relish Bar and Grill, just past Woodbine on Danforth.  If you haven’t tried Relish, you are missing out one of the best restaurants in the neighbourhood and the city.  It’s fantastic.  And, starting September 1st, you can also do Relish for lunch.  Tues – Sat 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Sunday brunch from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.  Very good news indeed.

Bike Racks At East Lynn

Mary-Margaret McMahon tells me that after three years of cajoling, the City is set to install bike racks at East Lynn Park.  They should be there sometime in the next few weeks.  Patience, they say, is a virtue.

Great Goofy Games

Speaking of East Lynn Park – our Vice Chair, Catherine Porter, was at a craft fair in Scarborough recently and they had these delightful games for the young ‘uns.  That got her thinking how great it would be if we had something similar for the Farmers’ Market and other DECA events.  Do you have the creativity, the skills and the desire to create some of these games to share with the community?  Let Catherine know at catherine_porter@rogers.com

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Food, Fun & Fitness

This Thursday is a busy busy day at the East Lynn Farmers’ Market.  At 4:30 p.m., everyone is welcome to join Beth Yarzab from Career FitMom for some PlayFit.  Join a circuit of games and play – you get a workout while your child gains developmental skills.  You will use balls, bands, toys and your own two feet to jump, bend, shake and shimmy in some fun fitness.

Also look for the good people from Toronto East General.  They’ll be back and they’ll be talking safety.  Wanna know who knows about the consequences of unsafe behaviour?  The emergency room nurses and docs at Toronto East General – that’s who.

Thursday night is DECA’s very popular Movie In The Park night.  Bring your blanket or chairs and settle in on the hill of East Lynn Park for the Diary of  a Wimpy Kid at 8:45 p.m.

Job Posting

Mama Earth Organics is looking for an inventory/packing person from this neighbourhood – Mon – Fri 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.  If you would like to see the job posting or know more, contact mamaearthjob@gmail.com.

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East Lynn Park Foundation

From Alison McMurray…

Thank you to everyone who signed our letter of support yesterday for the wading pool to stay in East Lynn Park.  Andrea and I were involved with the revitalization of the park and I still have the plans in my kitchen!  We are re-forming ELF  – East Lynn Park Foundation, to best decide how to spend this money as a community.  It may be years before we see the money and although $100K has been earmarked, we will see what we get.

If you did not sign the letter and would like to be involved, please email me at alisonmcmurray@rogers.com.