Public Service Announcements (including a giveaway)!!

Four things that everyone should know:
1) My amazing and talented friend Erin Jane of ErinJane Designs is giving away an amazing piece of her handmade jewelry. So head on over and enter her giveaway, it is open until August 5th.

2) Another dear friend of mine has started a blog about her summer at home with her daughters, Stay at Home Summer. Check it out, she is a fantastic writer and mother with great thoughts and even better articulation of those thoughts about motherhood.

3) I'm a sucker for a grab bag, always have been. Oh, the fun of a surprise. As a child, our local toy store always had them for a dollar. I love the joy of those cheap plastic toys and little parachute men all because of the surprise. So, I was delighted to see that Reprodepot.com, already an amazing fabric site is offering scrapbags of their fabric when you order over $50 worth of material. I'm unfortunately on a fabric diet because I've been overindulging lately (and this is very hard for me already!) so I'm not going to be able to pick up this one but thought I ought to pass it on.

4) There is a great organic movement going on within the fabric world. The designer behind Cicada Dreams is starting a line called Cloud 9 Fabrics and Daisy Janie, who has a great blog and etsy shop. I should add they are not only organic but also gorgeous fabrics and great for the sewing done for little people. If you happen to be fabric shopping, it can't hurt to support a good growing thing.

Quick T-shirts for change

No, not for a political movement. But, something nearly as pressing...the transition of my 2 year old to a different school with different teachers (but run by the same people as his current school) is just around the corner. So, similar to my hope with this top, I quickly made these so his first week of school (mixing these in with some he already has) will involve clothes he is pretty excited about. The horse top is all freezer paper stencil with a sewing stitch thrown in. The car top was lots of fun to make. I fused interfacing to the back of bits of old t-shirts, then cut bits and pieces as I pleased and sewed them together to make the car, adding stitched for details. I think there is going to be alot more of this in my future. The letters are from something I got at Michaels, called Generation X or something like that. And, I can personally vouche for their longevity. These buggers go on easily and stay stuck through wash after wash, I've used them on all kinds of things.

A Matter of Personal Taste

This is a sized up kimono top and the bloomers from Heather's book Weekend Sewing. The bloomers are so easy to make and look really cute and I feel sort of excited and proud to have made bottoms and not just tops. Plus, the bloomers use elastic thread to create the leg bands rather than creating a casing and inserting elastic. Elastic thread, by the way, is my new favorite thing in the whole world. It opens a whole world of possibilities! It is so easy to use (just set a long stitch length something she doesn't mention in the book but is mentioned on my elastic thread package). It makes it so easy to do smocking and elastic armbands, etc.

I also created my own bias tape for the first time on the kimono so that it would match the bloomers. It was a bit trickier than I expected. Might have just been my fabric but it was hard to get it ironed down properly since it was cut on the bias...it just seemed to want to stretch out of shape. Anyone else have this problem?

Now, I made all of this with an upcoming wedding in mind. The wedding is in August so it will be hot and I thought our man might be crawling a bit (nothing like a little crawling butt in bloomers, right?) but I'm having second thoughts. I mean it would be perfect for a wedding...of two circus clowns! I have to say I didn't really think through how loud this would be as an outfit. Personally, I love it together but I think that might just be me.

It is too big on him but here he is modelling the whole 'carnie' look.

Papa Pants

Another crease in the pages of Weekend Sewing and here it is. Papa's pajama pants for Father's Day. Doesn't every Papa need a pair of pajama pants that don't come off until around noon on a Saturday? I think so. I know my new BFF Heather Ross would agree (just kidding she doesn't know me...yet.)

I added a faux tie to the front of the pants both for the relaxed feel of things and to identify the front from the back...a problem with the handmade goods. The fabric is from contemporarycloth.com a sometimes daunting website that always delivers the goods.

At Least Things Ended Amicably

I've been thinking about making a table runner since last November when Spool featured theirs as a Thanksgiving idea. And, I figured I would make ours for spring, as all the kids and the husband have birthdays in spring and it is, by far, my favorite season anyway. Then, I got really excited and thought it could be fun to have one for each season. And, this is how the ill-fated love affair began. I started in on earnest with my fabric from Mineymo. It didn't take too long for the whole thing to fall apart. While these three fabrics looked distinct enough when separate, as soon as I sewed them into a disappearing nine patch, they just melded together and looked jumbled. Plus, I didn't properly square my fabric so everything was slightly on the bias cut and going wonky. Then, I set it aside and...it started to haunt me. I would literally see it and think "ah! that damn project. Why did I need a table runner anyway. What a stupid project." The same way a bad boyfriend quickly becomes annoying. Finally, I decided I was just going to finish it so that it was finished. And, honestly, I was cursing it as I was sewing. "This is so dumb, it is such a mess we aren't even going to use it when it's done I'll bet." Then, I decided to try a basting stitch for the quilting part and things really feel apart. The basting stitch just managed to make everything more wonky and distracted me from the original design and I was really cursing it. But, I just kept working on it...the bad boyfriend that you just can't break up with. I just felt this crazy commitment to the fabric because it was nice fabric it should have been a nice project. You see where this is going...the nice guy that you just feel like it SHOULD be working with and it just isn't. So, you keep trying and trying.
In the end I added a border and well, finished the darn thing. It is over! And, I will probably pull it out for birthdays and think, "well, that wasn't so bad really, and at least it ended well."

But, I can say I'm really happy it is no longer haunting my "to do" basket. So, the lessons learned from this whole emotional upheaval....always square the fabric and use non-directional fabric for the disappearing nine patch AND figure out how to keep the fabric design more distinct. All of this thinking did get me thinking about color and making my color wheel so I guess that is the silver lining.

Wee One Sewing

More from Weekend Sewing, little tops for little people. The black and white is the world's most adorable kimono top in a newborn size. It is really hard to convey how cute this is in the picture. It is so tiny that it becomes mouthwateringly cute. And so easy, the pattern is easy to follow and execute in a nap-time or two.

And, this is another one like the dick and jane shirt but made with (drumroll please) CONSTRUCTION SITE fabric. I almost lost it when I saw this fabric. It's too great for my oldest son. And, in a few weeks he will be headed to a different preschool so this is his official first day of school shirt. He has a tough time with transitions and so we are all a little nervous about this big change so I am hoping that being able to look at the trucks on his shirt will make his first day a little easier. And, it will be something he can show people and be proud of. Change, sigh, it's not easy at any age.

Color on my mind

Been thinking about color alot lately. Not only are gardens in bloom, which is always inspiring, but as I think about future sewing projects I can't help but think about some of my color mistakes and regrets. So, I'm paying more attention to the neighborhood's hot spandex pink azaleas and irises so deep blue they are nearly purple. I started to take some pictures as I walked around our neighborhood on the days when the baby will only sleep in the bjorn.

And, while I think it's about color, it's also about tone, which is something I've never been as good at identifying. Some colors are so BRIGHT.

And, some are more MUTED.

And, then there are things that seem inbetween.

I don't have an art degree and I'm mostly mentally exploring this as I browse blogs and flickr pictures but I decided to pull together a color wheel of fabric scraps to sit by my crafting space (Anna Maria has a similar one in her book Seams to Me). So, now, when I see something nice I try to think of its various locations on the color wheel. But, that isn't really helping me decide for my own purposes. I'm still going on gut as I pick fabrics for a project. And, I have a big question WHAT ABOUT BROWN? Sometimes brown is such a nice compliment to a good blue or pink or anything really. But, it doesn't really have a place on the color wheel. I get that white and black don't either so is brown like that? It goes with everything? Anyone shed some light on this? And, any ideas on tone would be great, too.

Memory Picking

It started out a little sketchy. The baby had been up every two hours all night long, big brother didn't want anything for breakfast, by the time I got to my little mug of coffee it was cold, then it was screams of bloody murder "No Wellies" as he didn't want to wear his rain boots. But, I had pumped for the baby and we decided that despite the mud, I and my oldest were going strawberry picking at our CSA farm before the day got too hot. So, we jump in the car with the welly boots finally on and Papa's new CD in the player. It's quiet as we drive, just the music and then I hear him start quietly naming trucks...digger, front loader, backhoe, delivery truck, amby truck (ambulance), and off he goes. Until I hear a very quiet tractor and when I glance back he is asleep.

This song comes on, by Irish songstress Lisa Hannigan, and somehow everything slows down and a softer pace takes over.

I don't know if you write letters or panic on the phone. I'd like to call you, all the same. If you want to, I am game.

The song ends and I repeat it again. I keep doing this until we get there.

The farm has a serious hustle and bustle to it, too much for our new pace. I hear men discussing their latest marathon run in that macho-eco-warrior way that drives me nuts. My lovely son says, "Sing koopaburra (Kookaburra)" and so we start singing as I pick strawberries and he eats them. We are the only ones singing, he starts in on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. We finish picking and eating the strawberries and stay to play in the mud. I am covered and he is covered. He loses a boot in a mud puddle and neither of us care. We are laughing as I try to put it back on. As we walk back to the car, we are two muddy friends at the end of a great adventure. I don't feel 33 going on 34, I feel 2. I'm not tired, I'm refreshed. And, this is why we do all the other stuff...to be the ones singing in the mud puddles and strawberry fields. Driving home we blast Sesame Street songs:

Happy's such a neat emotion, it'll give your feet a happy motion, if your toes get tired rub in some lotion, and you'll feel swell, so come join Elmo!

Can I preserve this moment? Because I want to occaisionally run to the pantry, pull it out and breathe it all in again, like summer peaches. Maybe when I am 43 going on 44.

That's More Like It

When we added onto our house we put in this office desk. It very quickly became cluttered with mail and kid art on top of the computer and calendar, etc. It seemed a shame so I was determined to clean it up or at least organize it.

And, I feel like I mostly accomplished that. I added a cushion to the chair, a fabric-covered cork board (made just like this one), and a bill organizer for the back wall. It looks cluttered but it's actually much more organized and, well, prettier. I also bought a smaller desk calendar from Ruff House Art on etsy.
Here is the seat cushion. The chair we picked up at a yard sale we adore each and everyone of its nicks and knocks.

Here is a close up of the cork board and organizer, the fabric is all from Sew Mama Sew.

On the bottom of the seat cushion I put the pajama foot fabric to keep it from shifting. It's difficult to sew (because it sticks!) so it came out a bit wonky but that's ok, I don't have to see it and it really works to keep the cushion in place.

the Dick and Jane Shirt

I have to admit it, I watched the Martha Stewart show. I don't normally but I was breastfeeding and there it was. And! Guess who was on! Heather Ross! No joke. And she was making something from her book Weekend Sewing. So, I bought the book because the project seemed super great. And it is great! I love this book and I already have my little tags all over it with the many, many projects I want to undertake. This one is called Kai's shirt. It was not that difficult and her instructions are clear (though it contains the kind of projects that require looking at the instructions pretty diligently). I have to say this was really satisfying for me. I'm intimidated by making clothing as complicated as this but this book has very nearly convincing me to even try my hand at clothes for myself.

I have to say I'm growing into a pretty big Heather Ross fan. Not only are her fabrics beautiful and high quality but she is pretty cute and seemed like the kind of person that would be fun to hang out with. Her book convinced me to reconfigure my crafting table and chair (this space is such a work in progress for me). And, she has a great blog. Actually, to be honest, it is probably fair to say that fabric designers are my world's biggest celebrities. If I actually met Amy Butler or Heather Ross I would probably be too starstruck to talk and be totally uncool. Anyway, this whole thing got me thinking...forget Martha Stewart (no disrespect) but can you imagine a tv show with Amy and Heather and maybe Amy Karol to boot? Now that would be some good stuff!

A Heart Swoons in a Crafternoon

My most lovely and amazing friends, of the famed fake sorority The Gammas, through an unbelievable feat of technology (skype and cell phones, etc.), took the quilt kits I had sent them and held one simultaneous Crafternoon. It spanned from San Diego to various points in Oregon all the way to Wisconsin! I have to confess I had no hand in organizing this event and its occurence truly makes my heart swoon.

Now this is, no doubt, a beautifully creative group of women---creative with witty, whipping words, with boundary-leaping intelligence to tie you in knots, with universe-wide ideas that leave you spinning and so much more. They write books, television shows, heal the planet, change minds, write music, and read like there is no tomorrow. But, they don't really sew. So, it was with tears in my eyes that I heard of THREE (Yes, THREE!) sewing machines that were dusted off and USED. Why did this incredible event take place? Well, for the babies of course. All this effort will mean lots and lots of quilt squares that will become baby quilts for four new(ish) babies joining the world. Little bundles of warmth and love for the littlest bundles.

This little crafter was one of the first recipients of a quilt herself, and here she is old enough to explore the world of buttons. I have to admit that when I focused on making the quilt kits, I was a bit nervous. Ooh, will they like this fabric? Is this enough to complete a quilt square? I don't want them to have to go the fabric store, that is so annoying. Do I have enough variety? And on an on. In the end, it seems everyone liked their fabric and found inspiration within their packages and with all the things they already had at home. I've even received some completed squares already!

Ever since we started making these quilt squares I've been so impressed with how eagerly everyone jumps in! I mean I would be frozen stiff if one of them said, "Hey, write a book/song/play/legal brief/video game/children's story and send it to me in three weeks." No way.

So, thanks Gammas. You make a crafty Mama happy.

In other tigerlily news, Emily over at The Handmade Experiment include me(!) in her Must See Monday feature this week. I know, how nice. Do check out her blog, she is on a quest to handmake all her gifts this year and is amassing great tips and projects as she goes.

Now, about that pie!

It is strawberry season here and Strawberry-Rhubarb pie is my absolute favorite pie, really the only one I actually get cravings for. I'm not a big baker but I did go ahead and bake this pie this weekend and (da-da-da!) I even made the crust myself. It's something I've not undertaken for nearly a decade because it turned out SO BAD the first time. I adopted the philosophy of my neighbor who says, "Pillsburry just does a much better job than me." I got my recipe from SimplyRecipes.com and it turned out great. (Her recipe is much more meticulous than how I wrote down her recipe, so if that is your style I recommend searching her site for her version.) The pie crust wasn't even that hard to do and I got that "this is entirely handmade" good feeling. After all that, however, I forgot to wear my apron! I know, how is that possible?
So, here it is. Enjoy Spring!

Filling:
3 cups rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces (trim the outside stringy layer)
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated orange peel (I subbed in lemon and liked it alot)

Pie Crust

1) Preheat oven at 400 degrees, mix rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, salt and rind and let sit for 10 minutes.
2) Turn into pastry-lined pan. Top with other pastry, trim edges and cut slits to let steam escape.
3) Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce to 350 degrees for another 30-40 minutes and cool on a rack.
4) Enjoy it hot (it will be runny) or let it cool for a more solid pie filling.

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
4-6 Tablespoons ice water

1) cut butter and freeze for 15 minutes to 1 hour
2) Combine flour, salt, and sugar in food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse 6-8 times until it is coarse and pea-sized.
3) Add ice water 1 Tablespoon at a time pulsing until it clumps together (pinch it and if it stays together it is done. If not, add more water and continue pulsing)
4) Remove the dough and place on clean surface. Shape into 2 discs kneading just enough to form discs but with bits of butter still visible. Sprinkle flour around the discs and wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
5) Remove from fridge and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface to a 12 inch circle. Check that it is not sticking to your countertop or cutting board. Place in a 9 inch pie plate and trim sides.
6) Add in the filling
7)Roll out second crust, place on top and cut a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold overhand under the bottom pastry and crimp. Score top to let steam escape.

Up next, I gotta do something about this, what a mess:

Giveaway Winner

Drumroll please...well, we laughed so hard we almost peed our own pants but in the end my husband made the call. And, he picked A Little of a Lot who wrote:

When she was about 3 the only thing i could get her to eat w/ no problem was chicken nuggets, finally in frustration I read her the book "Berenstein Bears and Too much junk food" It mentions Papa bear getting plump, and she asked what plump meant so I told her it was a polite way of saying Papa Bear was getting fat.Later that afternoon we were in the post office, there was a very large lady in front of us finishing up and had a can of soda in her hands, Victoria went straight over to her, tapped her can, looked straight up at her and said "You've been eating too much junk food." OMG, I have never been so embarrased. (A Little of a Lot, I will be in touch by email.)

He thought it was not only hilarious but also the perfect example of a parent trying to do everything right and it still goes haywire. Thanks to everyone for both entertaining us and also for visiting the site! I had no idea how difficult my husband's job would be to pick from so many great entries. It felt like a big group hug for our parenting adventures. I know that I personally will forever think of Bob the Builder as Bob the Dildo.

Mothers (and fathers, too!) we do great things...teaching about manners, explaining private parts, nurturing babies and managing complicated emotions. And, we do it all with a sense of humor so when the whole thing falls apart on us, we can still find it in ourselves to stop and get a good laugh. And that is not meant to exclude all lovers of little people. Sometimes it is the warm smile of a stranger that reminds you "aw, that was pretty cute, I should just laugh it off." Thanks to everyone.