men in aprons

what is it about men in aprons? men who cook?

share a story, win one of our 

café apron sets.

click here!

handmade, everyday

reason #80

we love being a part of sunset magazine's 

100 reasons to love the west. 

to see the other 99 reasons, 

get the june issue, on newsstands now.

many thanks to 

regina connell of handful of salt

who curated this collection of artisan creations

:)

help, please.

we'd like your help.
we're looking for proof (we know it's not an urban myth)
that men can cook.

does your man, dad, grandad, boyfriend, brother or son 

like to cook? 

go to our facebook page, enter your answer, 

(be creative!)

and you may win one of our Café Apron Sets 

(perfect for Father's Day giving).

thank you,

ahead of time!

cooking with kids

20 years ago I started cooking with my daughter Emma,
and I still use some of her favorite cookbooks and recipes.

and nicest thing of all...
her little bookmark drawings are still there :)

her favorites books were
Fanny at Chez Panisse by Alice Waters
(for pizza dough and roast chicken)
and Cooking with Children by Marion Cunningham
(for the step-by-step drawings).
 

 

we recently posted a giveaway with
this little street 

and asked families what was special about cooking with kids. 

here's some of their stories:

"my daughter's favorite part of cooking is using the measuring cups. 

after I wash them, I let her take them in the tub 

and she pretends to cook whatever we just made."

"I love to have my children help me with dinner daily. 

it is so important to me that they be a part of the process and 

I know they will always have fond memories of cooking with mama!"

"we love making pancakes together! breakfast on the weekends 

is the one time of the week that we are all together and 

love spending that time making a fabulous breakfast!"

"I love making pizza with my son. our whole family loves to eat it
and it's even more special when you’ve put love into each layer."

"I have so many memories associated with food. 

every time I smell porridge, I think of my dad 

getting up early in winter days to make it for me. 

I can’t wait to make memories with food with our kids."

teacher appreciation

 it's that time of year - the end of the school year - 

that always makes me think of teachers. 

 and it brings back some great memories.

it was the 70's, and I was teaching elementary school art.

the last days of school always came along too quickly, 

but it was a special time to celebrate.

my classroom was always creative and noisy and fun,  

so we built a "think tank" for anyone who wanted 

to draw or conceptualize a project quietly. 

it was fun to make and paint, and then we filled 

the inside with inspirational pictures.

 

now I like to design early in the mornings when it's quiet, 

before emails and meetings, before the business day begins. 

our studio walls are filled with inspiration and color, 

so the "think tank" concept continues.

 

it's that special time of year, again.

a great time to say thank you to all the teachers in your world, 

and to show your appreciation.

famous moms

here's my famous mom. 

famous to 5 children, 3 grandkids, 1 great-grandchild (so far). 

 

"saint catherine" is 87, 

and is still hanging her towels out to dry 

in her backyard in arizona. 

the month of may belongs to all moms, 

so don't forget to celebrate

and send some love their way.

this little street giveaway

at this little street

win the perfect gift for mother’s day – 

our kitchen and kiddot set.

 

see the details and 

enter here

our thanks to 

mom audrey and little olivia!

martha stewart living

today is a good day. 

studiopatro is featured in the may issue of 

martha stewart living, in "unexpected heirlooms" by ayesha patel. 

 

we love maria robledo's photo of the towel over rising dough, 

and the sentiment that our linens will get passed down 

to the next generation.

 

 download the full issue here.

announcing...

studiopatro.com

new +

fresh and new 

homegrown 

in our newest color, lime,

is perfect for garden-to-table

cooking + entertaining.

mis en place

for the prepared cook 

who likes to keep everything in its place. 

 

(it's getting really colorful over here.)

our studio story

"we believe that everything in your home 

should be useful and beautiful."

this is the foundation of 

OUR STORY

new and updated - on our website.

read more here.

I am not a paper towel

predating paper towels,
flour sack towels were made by frugal housewives
from the cotton sacks that held their pantry staples.

they were hardworking and humble,
with roots in the great depression.

flour companies started printing 

pretty patterns on their sacks to entice shoppers,

knowing they would end up as a dish towel in someone's home.

it became popular for housewives to save and trade 

flour sacks for their favorite designs.

use cloth not paper :)

our modern-day flour sack towels are large and strong,

and come in three's with a smiling tote. 

arrive with presence

arrive with a thoughtful gift, 
always.

things to consider when bringing your host a gift:

be thoughtful
the gift should always be appropriate for the occasion

clean presentation
 your host doesn't need to fuss with lots of packaging

stress free
 the gift should not need to be served that night,
be put out for display, or need immediate attention.

a perfect host gift requires nothing of the host
except to accept the gift.  

for host gifting, we love giving our dot + spoon sets.
simple, easy and ready to go.
 

another idea:
try pairing a tea towel design with the theme of event. 
easy as pie is great for summer dinners,
and we like piece of cake for birthdays.

when in doubt ask us...

we're not shy about our favorites and best sellers.  

(try devour, you can't go wrong!)

famous apron

look who's wearing a studiopatró apron.

the man who changed the way we think about food... 

michael pollan.

he's not only writing about food, he's cooking too. 

and we  l o v e  men in aprons, right?

see this feature in the april issue of O magazine. 

a devour story

our devour tea towel is one of our best sellers
and we knew that we had created something special
as we watched it fly off our shelves. 
but then a couple weeks ago we had a really special call
from a new customer that brought a new meaning to the work.
here's her inspiring story. 

finding courage
bonnie struggled with her weight for years. she followed weight loss programs such as weight watchers and worked hard to reach and maintain a healthy size. her husband passed away recently and bonnie found herself struggling to keep the good eating habits she had worked so hard to achieve. one day she saw our devour tea towel in a magazine and told us the message it carried "hit [her] between the eyes." she recognized that what she wanted was to devour music like her husband had, and devour architecture like her brother, that devouring something other than food would be her champion. she purchased the towel and promised to bring it to her next weight watchers meeting. we hope that by sharing the image of our tea towel and bonnie's story, others will find inspiration and success in what they would like to devour in life.

what do you want to devour?
share your devour story on our facebook page.

weekly reader

every saturday, great reading on the deck starts with 

the wall street journal's off duty section. 

eating, drinking, style, fashion, design, 

decorating, adventure, travel, gear, gadgets. 

that's right. 

the wsj is for designers.

tea towels = napkins

our tea towels 

as napkins, at lunch in italy. 

(sigh)

 

via la cucina italiana 

cook + gather

"gathering. . . 

to dine, to drink, to harvest, and most importantly, to cook."

we've wrapped GATHER Journal 

with our COOK tea towel, 

for inspired cooking and a reason to gather together. 

named by bon appétit as one of the 

indie food magazines you should be reading, 

GATHER is full of seasonal recipes, beautiful photography, 

and inspiration for your kitchen counter or coffee table. 

order the set 

and get free shipping. 

just enter code GATHER at checkout. 

offer good while supplies last!

a sunny day in february

a fun little glimpse 

into our studio. 

my brother came to visit and he took this picture. 

thanks, peter!

say "mandala"

we say that 

"this leafy mandala will help focus your attention in the kitchen 

and bring completeness to your recipes". 

yoga journal agreed,

in their february issue.

thanks for the good words!

delizioso

la cucina italiana, febbraio 

styles with studiopatro stripes and more. 

bellissimo :)

our 1-2-3 sale

1

use flour sack towels to keep produce fresh

2

and to dry glassware, lint-free.

 3

we keep them handy for just about everything in the kitchen.

our mission: use cloth, not paper :)

we're having a sale on our flour sack sets, 

3 generously oversized flour sack towels in a reusable tote,

for 3 days only, february 1-2-3. 

reg. $36, now $28. 

what do you do with flour sacks?

shop here

we heart this

wrapped like candy and just in time for valentine's day,

our new kitchen kits have arrived.

each kit contains 

a linen apron, tea towel and handmade wooden spatula.

send a kit with love :)

MLK + COOKIES

monday january 21st 

is martin luther king day. 

we're taking the day off to celebrate and reflect, 

and have some cookies and mlk. 

it's all good.

giveaway announcement

to everyone who shared ideas on how to 

use cloth, not paper, in the kitchen.

 

 

announcing our 3 winners (chosen randomly):

marissa winchester 

"wrapping gifts and wine in cloth make the 

gift on the outside as fun as the gift inside!" 

christine hanson 

"I only use cloth in the kitchen. 

a favorite is to use cloth for my salad greens 

(and other moist veggies) to keep them fresh. 

works every time." 

melanie sherk
"I love using linen and flour sack towels to dry glassware -

no fuzz is left behind!"

all comments (over 50!) are here.

a paperless giveaway

to use cloth, not paper, in the kitchen.

our flour sack sets
contain 3 good reasons to go paperless in your kitchen: 
3 generously-sized cotton towels
ready to dry, mop, clean - over and over again.
(in a reusable happy tote bag).

enter to win 1 of 3 flour sack sets: 

go to our facebook page, like us,
and leave a comment sharing your favorite way to use cloth not paper.
we'd love it if you share a picture too!

enter by midnight wednesday january 9th. 

use cloth not paper :)

will you join us?

it's already here

wishing you 

peace, love and understanding,

time to gather with friends and family, 

good food and eating, 

 

and a very happy new year!

12 ~ 31 ~ 12

art + learning

this year we were able to do some of our favorite things.

we designed tea towels with two creative growth artists, 

and with each sale we donate 100% of the profits 

to support their artist programs in downtown oakland ca.

 

and we bought 5 desks for primary school students 

in mali, west africa. mali kalanso is a non-profit, 

volunteer run school that was built last year by a good friend of ours.

thank you

each year with your support our studio grows 

and we can give to these programs that are dear to our heart!

happiest of holidays to you.

a few zip bags

just a few of our limited production zip bags are left. 

100% linen, handprinted and lined.

great for gifting and stocking stuffers 

and hold just about everything.

order by thursday evening, december 20th, 

for delivery by christmas eve.

happy holidays :)