our styling aprons

food stylist kim kissling 

and her 2 assistants, nicole paizis and emily garland, 

showed up at work last week

all wearing studiopatró aprons. 

one in oatmeal, one in bark, one in oyster linen. 

 

they were nice enough to take, and share, this lovely photo!

see kim's work here.

where the small things are

we're small

and we're still tying every ribbon here in our studio, 

before it gets shipped off to you. 

so to celebrate small business saturday,

we're offering free shipping all day saturday 

and sunday too.

november 30th and december 1st, 

use code "shipfree" at checkout, 

right here at studiopatro.com

(applies to domestic shipping only!)

our favorite wrap

this is our favorite wrapping, 

simply because it's such a perfect pairing.

 

a new cookbook makes a perfect gift 

for a seasoned or an aspiring cook. 

 

wrap it in a linen tea towel 

and you'll make it memorable, 

and usable too :)

presentation is everything

introducing

our linen gift bags. the perfect presentation

for a hostess or holiday gift.

get ready to wrap 

wine, champagne, artisanal libations, olive oil or vinegar, 

jams and marmalades, syrup, chocolate and caramel sauce, 

honey, homemade biscotti or cookies, 

weck jars full of treats, handmade breadsticks, 

or whatever else you can fit inside. 

made with our oyster and oatmeal linen, 

these bags have a sewn-in twill slate ribbon.

 and we love that they're re-giftable and reusable!

$14 each, or a set of 3 for $36.

available now, and only at 

studiopatro.com

be prepared

everyone we know is talking about 

thanksgiving dinner. 

inviting family and friends, collecting recipes, 

deciding who brings a pie.

just don't forget to 

dress-your-best 

for the occasion :)

aprons and apron sets here!

another way to "use me"

meredith swinehart 

wrote about her kitchen makeover 

on remodelista today,

and discovers another way to use a tea towel:

DEVOUR shades the morning sun.

we love her philosophy for approaching a rental kitchen rehab. 

"accept the things you cannot change 

and change the things you can."

our first customer

our very first customer from 4 years ago 

(and still a loyal fan of our tea towels) 

came by to model one of our new fall designs. 

BIG THANKS

 to Richard, shown with Cook Everyday.

orange frames, right on.

 

when pattern = inspiration

pattern inspires me.

it inspired our name:

the patró in studiopatró 

means pattern in catalan.

so

here's what inspired fall 2013 new designs:

 

a classic, never-gets-old, french ticking stripe fabric
for cook everyday and life is delicious.

the punched openings of the common metal kitchen colander
for colander, in noir and blanc.

beautiful old arabesque hand-painted tiles
for arabesque, in noir and blanc.

architect gio ponti 

and his ceilings and floors and walls and furniture
for gio, in slate and copper.

inspiration

is all about seeing. 

seeing pattern and color and shape.

seeing texture and light and shadows. 

seeing words and photographs and clouds.

seeing architecture and bridges and street signs. 

inspiration is never ending. 

see 

our 2013 fall collection of 

tea towels 

aprons 

gift sets 

here!

a little interview

brooklyn-based matt and tom from 

have a passion for food, and search the country 

for unique treasures for pantry and table. 

they include studiopatro linens in their pantry, 

and posted a very nice interview on their blog :)

read more

here

provisioning

have you discovered food 52 provisions?

they've assembled a very original and useful collection of kitchen gear 

including our aprons, tea towels and flour sacks :)

it's the best go-to site for recipes, ideas, information 

and now, provisions. 

must go here

saving summer

savor the last month of summer,

and save on shipping.

through august only

FREE SHIPPING 

for orders over $100

shop now, start here

help yourself to seconds

 

announcing

for the first time ever, seconds for sale!

 

our seconds are just as hardworking 

but have slight marks or flaws 

from the handprinting process. 

 

buy them here in sets of two.

 

 

 

sweet tweet

a tweet came our way today:

dear @studiopatro apron, you are the best. 

I splattered you with cherry juice yesterday, 

and you came out of the wash looking just fine!

katie writes a food blog, 

butter tree

and the splatter happened while making

sour cherry frozen yogurt.

 

it sounded so good, we thought we should share 

her recipe. 

  thanks for the treat, katie!

why we love linen

 

linen 

is one of the oldest fabrics known to mankind.
       
       it is completely natural and fully biodegradable. 

of all textile fibers, linen is the most ecologically sound, 

and supports the ecosystem of our planet.

linen is woven from the flax plant,

and is grown for its fiber 

(the stem produces linen, paper and rope) 

and its seeds (for linseed oil). 

every part of the plant is used. 

the production of linen fabric uses 

5 to 20 times less water and energy 

than the production of cotton or man-made fibers.

linen is strong and sturdy. 

it is twice as strong as cotton.

linen absorbs moisture very rapidly 

and dries quickly.

linen launders beautifully and 

becomes softer with each use. 

it is highly absorbent, lint free and static free.

linen is extremely long lasting 

and is often passed on through generations.       

our linen tea towels are handprinted one-by-one, 

using ecologically friendly water-based inks.

use cloth not paper :)

the simplest picnic

fresh, no-prep, instant, delicious. 

here's "the-only-way-I-do-a-picnic" picnic:

assemble in a basket or on a tray. just add:

tea towels, glassware, a knife and a cutting board,

and down to the deck we go.

+

for more picnic food ideas,
our "go-to" recipe site is
food52

10-picnic-dishes-to-know

happy international picnic day!

in your words

our thanks to our customers who shared 

their favorite stories about men and cooking.

these 100% linen Café Aprons are long and wide, 

and look great on men of all sizes: $68.

+

FREE SHIPPING until june 11th!

order by tuesday june 11th, for delivery by father's day.

enter code "shipfree" at checkout. 

p.s. our café apron giveaway is still in progress... 

enter here.

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