A lovely and more affordable way to integrate Soft-Maps into your decor: pillows (on both pillows above is a map of DUMBO).

A few weeks ago, I heard about something called “Soft-Maps” (maps of cities and neighborhoods quilted into organic cotton and Dupioni silk) and thought, “Huh. I should get in touch with this girl.” Over brunch a couple of days later with my friend Kim, I discovered that she actually knew the creator of Soft-Maps, Emily Fischer, so the whole “getting in touch” thing proved fairly simple. 

Yesterday afternoon, I headed to Emily’s studio to learn more about her unusual, beautiful, and highly labor-intensive creations. Emily grew up in Northern Wisconsin, and learned to quilt at an early age. While studying for her Masters in Architecture at the University of Michigan, her mother began to lose her sight, and Emily came up with the idea of quilting maps to provide tactile representations of locales. She ended up designing Intermix stores, but ultimately decided to combine her interests and rented out a small studio under the elevated F train (the studio literally shakes every time a train goes by). I think that is awesome, and very brave. The quilts are true works of art and a beautiful way to mark a moment in time, and are made more affordable by the utilization of machine-quilting (handmade quilts are still available). I am particularly partial to the baby’s quilts, which have the baby’s name hand-embroidered into the map as pictured above (if the baby’s name were “Flatbush”).

Go here for more info. 

On 9th Street, pretty much right over the Gowanus Canal, I came across a remarkable store, Find Home Furnishings, which carries a mix of antiques, reproductions, and “found items” (which we know I am fond of). I love the idea of flanking an old farmhouse dining table with rustic benches, and the 1920s Scandinavian reproduction pictured above ($899) is a unique take on the idea - it has a crack running down its entirety that has been “repaired” with rope.