Girls’ night prep, tomato fabric edition 🍷

Hi friend,

I just got back from a family trip to Boston—and while it was the perfect brain-break, the week leading up to it? A mad scramble. Between wrapping up work, dodging a daycare fever curveball, and frantically uploading files with one hand while heating mozzarella sticks with the other...

I had one mission: finish my tomato tablecloth design and get the fabric ordered before takeoff.

Did the tablecloth fabric arrive in time? Spoiler alert: SHE DID. And she’s making her debut this Thursday.

Inside My Studio

In the spirit of “done is better than perfect”…

I needed some real-life tomato inspiration, so I grabbed a few cherry tomatoes from the farmers market and scattered them across my dining table to get a sense of scale. From there, I painted watercolor tomato studies, added leafy green tops in Procreate, and layered in a soft blue stripe—because like Ina and Chessy, I love a good chambray moment.

The plan was to finalize the design during my Friday lunch break and send it to print before we left. But life had other plans: Bonnie spiked a fever, so I wrapped things up bedside while toggling between pattern edits and Frozen Broadway (Elsa deserves a raise).

Still, somehow I pulled it off. I placed the fabric order with a rush shipping charge at 10pm on Friday and crossed my fingers.

And guess what? The fabric not only arrived but arrived EARLY, she’s adorable, and she’s getting her big reveal at girls' dinner night this week.

Now the final challenge: sewing it myself. 

I spent Sunday playing with my grandmother’s vintage sewing machine while Bonnie and Nathan built Legos nearby. Thanks to YouTube University, I learned how to make a mitered corner (who knew?), figured out thread tension (also, what??), and successfully stitched a napkin. Fabric is cut, seams are pressed, and the countdown is on.

Stay tuned—next time, I’ll let you know how it went (and whether I can sew a straight line).

What I'm Cooking

After a 4-hour flight turned 17-hour travel saga (yes, really), I needed comfort food. 

Enter: Wishbone Kitchen’s Swamp Soup—the perfect back-from-travel reset. I followed Meredith’s note and used the full amount of purée. Zero regrets.

Edit: I didn’t use the full amount of jalapenos, only one.  I don’t know if the jalapenos in Texas are bigger and badder than Hamptons jalapenos but truly one was enough in this dish.

Boston food highlights:
🍜 Oyster happy hour at Trillium Brewery
🍦 Ice cream from North End Creamery
🥪 And maybe the best Italian sub I’ve ever had from a tucked-away deli.

Creative Sparks

Color, from unexpected places.

While visiting the aquarium in Boston, Bonnie was mesmerized by the coral reef tank—and honestly, so was I. The color combos from those tiny fish? Unreal. I swear the best palette ideas come straight from nature. Expect to see some reef-inspired shades sneak into a new collection soon...

What I'm Reading

I finished Problematic Summer Romance and thoroughly enjoyed it, 4.5/5!

📚 Manacled by SenLinYu
It's… a lot. Think Handmaid’s Tale meets Harry Potter. I’m halfway in and may need a little rom-com palette cleanser before I keep going.

Next up: something a bit fluffier (and preferably full of banter).

What's Up Next

She may not have a hemmed edge yet, but that tomato tablecloth will make her debut this week—laid out on a big girls’ night dinner table, wine from Uplift Vineyard flowing, and snacks aplenty.

I still can’t believe it’s July. Nathan’s birthday is this month, which means my brain is already going, “Happy Halloween, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!” I’m even sketching out a holiday version of this tablecloth already—because it turns out, seeing my art on fabric is wildly fun.

If you want to make your own tablecloth or matching napkins, you can grab the tomato pattern over on Spoonflower. For those less inclined to sew, they have them premade too 🙂

I’ll be back in your inbox on July 16 with a table reveal, dinner party highlights, and maybe even a Christmas sneak peek. Until then, sprinkle sumac salt on your watermelon and call it self-care.

P.S. The new Studio Vibes archive is now live—so if you missed any past letters, want to comment, or just need a creative pick-me-up, it’s all there waiting for you.

xo,
Katie