Monday, May 21, 2012

On the Silk Road



As a child, I was an outdoor kid. I loved to be outside roller skating, or exploring with my two older brothers, catching the cicadas, or chasing down horned toads. When I wasn't outside, I was making things...doll clothes, shoe box houses for my troll dolls, or drawing. I didn't really have the patience to sit with a book, which made book reports for school especially painful. When I was in junior high, I read a book about the adventures of Marco Polo. I couldn't put it down. I loved the stories of adventure and travel.
It instilled in my a love of adventure...... as long as there isn't too much danger involved.

On Friday I delivered a slipcover job to a home in beautiful Carmel, so while I was in the area, I decided to travel East about 10 miles to Carmel Valley. I had heard stories and had to see for myself. I have heard over and over again about a wonderful store called Tancredi and Morgen. I found it with the help of some kind locals. It consists of  two beautiful little shops. While I was there, the woman who was working in one of the shops reminded me that there is a men's wear outlet (Robert Talbott) in Carmel Valley Village that sells remnants from the tie factory in Monterey. I got so excited. I had read about this place in a small magazine article about a crafter who uses silk tie remnants, and had heard it mentioned at a local fabric store. (Was I eaves dropping? I don't remember.) Again, since this is a Valley with a Village where the businesses don't have giant signs, I had to ask for help in finding it. I came out of the store with an armload of  remnants of tie silks and Egyptian cotton shirt fabrics. The woman who runs the shop let me bring my camera in and take some pictures.




While I was looking for the tie store, I found a church run thrift store that closed five minutes before I got there, so I'm pretty sure I will be traveling the "silk road" again soon.