tigerlily tinkering

presenting (the new location)...

2011-11-02T22:04:00.000-04:00

i'm moving my virtual, crafty home. leaving behind tigerlily tinkering for a home at ahappystitch.com!

no bags are packed and no van is waiting outside but I have the distinct feeling of looking around at a space that's reflecting back an echo. it's a little bit of a mixed emotion. truth is, since the beginning of 2011 i've been hacking through the sometimes tangled world of teaching classes, sewing things for sale and nestling into a new virtual home.

it's exciting to move! i'm excited! but, you know, i loved it here, too. i love the friends i've made here and i've learned so much in this space. but, (deep breath and big leap) ahappystitch.com is where it is at now.

i hope you move with me. my latest adventures in sewing, teaching and growing will all be happening over there.

Evolution of a Bib

2011-08-13T22:23:00.002-04:00

I have made a gazillion baby bibs (I counted, it is actually a gazillion) and nearly all of them were made using the pattern in Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol. And, I love that pattern but I was browsing Etsy as one does when they are handmade-obsessed and up at night. And, I noticed a lot of bibs that had more a square shape at the bottom, which I really liked. I also have always struggled with sewing an accurate topstitch around the curves at the back of the bib. So, I altered the pattern for the new shape and to make an easier sewing portion near the snap.
The change is probably imperceptible except to me BUT I do, indeed, know the difference and I love it. And, these, my friends are the crazy things that obsess sewing freaks like me.

When a Heart Needs a Hug

2011-07-27T09:42:00.003-04:00

Recently, friends had a beautiful baby boy who was unexpectedly born with health and developmental challenges. They could barely hold him and waited at the hospital for those rare time the nurses would tell them they could touch their baby. All of this while caring for their first born and recovering from the birth itself....and trying to remember to eat and drink. Such an unexpected event shook me. I hear about pregnancy and I celebrate and look forward eagerly to the birth story. I assume nothing will go wrong. I'm accustomed to a world wherein if difficult things happen I can work really hard and make it better. This wasn't like that. I can't even imagine what it must have felt like for my friends. And, I'm really far away from them so I can't even be of help to them.

One of the health issues is that he has holes in his heart. They are hoping that some of them will seal up on their own but if they don't he will need surgery on his heart...at around the age of 4 months. Oy. It's too much.

To feel closer to them and combat my own feelings of impotence I quickly stitched some fancy japanese bias tape around the edge of a newborn kimono top and sent it off to them. A friend who lived in France once informed me they apparently call wrap sweaters 'heart huggers' because of how they wrap around and hug the heart. I'm thinking of this in the same manner...a heart hugger for a heart that desperately needs a hug.

10 Things I Didn't Know

2011-07-25T09:33:00.005-04:00

Phew...I didn't really plan to be away from this space for so long. And, I missed it and I even kept composing posts in my head and then never finding the time to get. it. all. down! But, it's been a busy sewing whirl of activity in my parts.

When I left my job at the start of the year I knew that I wanted to integrate sewing instruction and just plain old sewing into my weekly, if not daily, life. I knew I didn't want the kids pulled out of their preschools completely and this would mean I have some time to myself. I knew a few people interested in learning to sew and excited to take a class with me. I knew all those things, but here are ten things I didn't know:

1. I didn't know it would be easy to convince my church to let me use the basement, on a regular basis to hold classes.

2. I didn't know I had it in my ever-cautious and deliberate nature to spontaneously say "Yes, I will buy those 4 sewing machines you are offering me at a steal."

3. I didn't know that same cautious nature would find the courage to dream out loud.

{got to love the work shoes tossed aside next to the machine pedal!}

4. I didn't know that every time I dreamt out loud someone in the room would say "I can help you do that? A web site? Sure, I know a guy....A facebook page? I can start it for you. Buzz and word of mouth? My speciality. A sewing machine? You can have this one that I never use."

5. I didn't know that every step I took away from the base of the tree and further out onto the branches and limbs would leave me feeling vulnerable and raw for a day...and then I would get over it. And, I would feel even more courageous afterwards.

6. I didn't know there would be days. DAYS! when I got nothing concrete accomplished and that it would drive me nuts and I would be wracked with guilt for not at least accomplishing something to help family life run smoothly. Then, suddenly I would work like a fiend and it would all come together.

7. I didn't know that people were serious, very serious about wanting to learn to sew and they would show up for class and want to talk sewing at every daycare drop off and we would develop inside jokes about bias tape and my husband would catch them chatting about fabric around town.

8. I didn't know that it would all begin to grow into something more like community...that it would mean a lot to take time out of the house, away from the kids or responsibilities, to sew something and to talk to each other. I didn't realize quite how much that feeling of making something that I love would also be loved in the same way by other people. Maybe even more because we are doing it together and each class would end with everyone looking at me saying "What is next?"

9. I didn't know what would be involved in being my own manager, website designer, bookkeeper, accountant, scheduler, fabric buyer, and social media player. That it would mean I barely sew for myself at all. That I might feel compelled, on a day like today, to make a single bean bag just to combat that feeling.

10. I didn't know this post would make me a little weepy....

I didn't know a lot. And, I still don't know a lot. But, I'm learning and I'm so excited to share more as it all develops (like a new name!) and this whole new chapter develops.

What exactly am I doing? I don't know, it's evolving and maybe I am to. Or maybe I'm just going nuts and my family will look back on this as that weird 'sewing phase' but either way it is making for good stories in my old age.

Hootenanny Ready...

2011-05-23T13:02:00.003-04:00

My son's frustration level reached boiling point last week at how difficult it is to hold and play a guitar at the same time. And for good reason. When you can't walk around while playing and holding the guitar you can't be the rock and roll star you really long to be...and when the rock and roll star you really long to be is actually the guy that teaches *preschool of rock* at your school and all you want to do is come home and pretend to be him all day long you absolutely must have a GUITAR STRAP, MAMA!

So, I hauled the sewing machine up out of the dingy basement (otherwise known as my studio) and got to work with some scraps and a little bit of bias tape. We made a small loop with the bias tape at one of the strap and attached some extra to tie around the guitar neck on the other end. Then a simple little screw with a loop into the bottom of the guitar and just like that Mama sewed up some magic. (He literally paced behind me while I was sewing...talk about pressure.)

And, about 15 minutes later is was absolutely essential that he go outside, sit on the steps and strum that guitar. All he needed was a few friends, somebody playing a banjo and we would have had a hootenanny I swear...he was so content out there strumming in the sun. My little music man.

The Summer Breeze Dress

2011-05-17T13:05:00.000-04:00

A while back I made the dress in this post, and as I suspected it didn't fit...was way too tight. In the process of thinking through how to alter the pattern so that it would fit better I got to thinking that an all-around bodice just isn't realistic for an everyday girl's dress. I don't have girls but I do know that ALL CHILDREN need clothing that goes on and off easily....even better if it is super cute.
So, I ditched the whole back bodice and put in elastic casing, then I lengthened the straps in the back, added a criss-cross and while I was at it I shortened the length, widened the bodice in front and even lengthened it a bit because I liked the proportion a whole lot better. In the end, I came up with a whole new dress. I like it and so do a few other people, too. So, I've taken a request to make one out of this wonderful echino fabric.

I even snuck my making into the KCSC over at elsie marley. This whole adventure has strengthened my belief that there are no mistakes in sewing...only 'learning opportunities'. Every mishap leads down a new road that takes a turn that ends up better than where we started. This little summer breeze dress is that destination.

Kids Clothes Sewing Challenge: For the Boys

2011-05-16T12:54:00.003-04:00

Elsie Marley's fantastic kid's clothing sewing week is such a good kick in the pants for me. I did manage to sew at least an hour everyday (except Saturday...just didn't happen) and I got a few things done for the boys. Up above, Jude got a pair of reversible pants...by being reversible they get a cute little accent cuff at the bottom, which will also make them easy to grow with over time. The pattern I made using a pair of his current pants. And, the top is the 'Kai shirt' from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing book (I love this top...so cute, so easy.). The fabric is from Hawthorne Threads and I thought it would lend itself to a bit of a more sophisticated look than the average car/truck fabric and it does to some extent but not as much as I had hoped.

I also used Weekend Sewing for these pajama pants...one pair for both boys. The secret plan (sshhh) is to make Papa a pair and then break them out for Father's Day. Got to get to American Apparel for the matching tees. I will be perfectly honest about this...it's for me. I'm just dying to see my guys in matching pajamas. I don't know that they are going to care in the least. But, I promise to keep you posted. Perhaps I will be surprised! It could happen.
This is a detail of the fabric...again from hawthorne....it's called tiny town (I think) and along side a variety of fun cars and trucks are cute little shops including one for fabric and yarn. He. He. I told you this is for me!

Kids Clothes Week Challenge!

2011-05-09T12:50:00.002-04:00

I'm very excited to be participating, for the second time, in Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week Challenge. The question is can I really sew kid's clothes for at least one hour a day for seven days? I sure hope so. Spring is mad at our house...three out of four birthdays happen for the immediate family, and then my mom's birthday and both my siblings...throw in Mother's Day and it's a little much. But, we are slogging through with determination. My plans for kids clothes week include a little outfit for my smallest man, some pajama pants for warm weather, and a few dresses for other people's kids. I never get to make dresses and I'm learning they are awfully fun so I'm indulging a bit.

Spring

2011-04-26T10:29:00.000-04:00

Spring is in full bloom! I'm so in love with it that I can already feel it slipping away...it is so fragrant and beautiful out, everyone's pent up energy is finally released OUTSIDE. It is lovely, lovely, lovely. We are doing our best to get out and enjoy it.

{from our local arboretum}

Birthday Banner

2011-04-23T21:33:00.003-04:00

We needed a new birthday banner in these parts...I loved our old one but had to admit that it was not as cheery and bright as I would have liked it to be. (I have come to realize that I can be really cheap sometimes about choosing fabric for small projects...desperately using scraps rather than using a nicer, more appropriate print if it means cutting up something unused. Frugal has its limits, my friends. It really does.) So, I went boldly into some scraps and some bigger cuts. I used a new circle fabric cutter (*amazing*) and iron-on letters to make it quick and easy. And, there you have it...cheery, bright, ready to party!

Christie's Bag

2011-04-17T21:46:00.004-04:00

Sometimes it is useful to be a stalker. A stalker of a lady with a nice bag, at least. After a year of admiring the bag of a mother at my son's preschool I finally mentioned how much I would like to borrow it and attempt to copy it. Turns out, she was pretty amenable to the whole idea and next thing I now she was handing it over to me. This is my copy of her pretty bag. I made it from fabric I had on hand...a tan essex linen and a heavier weight flower print bought ages ago from fabric.com (I think).

It's pretty big, which I like...slung over my shoulder it comes down to my wrist and it fits a whole world of snacks, sippy cups, notebooks, and rocks/trucks in addition to the essential wallet, keys, phone combo. I'm not crazy about the flowery pattern so I bought the fantastic fabric below to make another one now that I know the pattern works.

Book Report--Due Monday: Forever Friends

2011-04-11T14:02:00.004-04:00

Today's book report: Forever Friends by Carin Berger
This is a book after my heart. It has a beautiful, clean look and tells the sweet story of two friends separated by the seasons only to be reunited again in the spring. The images are all papercut and she uses ephemera including library cards and grid paper to make each image. I look at this book probably more than my kids do because I'm often studying her unique combination of papers. She also has a super website, here, that gives you a better taste of her style (better than my cloudy picture for sure!).

I would write more about this book but I'm very distracted-ly waiting for a delivery from here and have some new projects rattling around in said distracted brain. I can't wait to share more but I have to sit on the stairs and wait for the postal worker.

Crazy Boy Pants

2011-04-07T22:16:00.002-04:00

I've been meaning to make reversible pants for boys for a long time and finally got motivated today. I used a pair of his good fitting pants to make the pattern and then cut it twice. The two pairs are nestled in with each other, the waistband is elastic so I stitched that up first, made a casing (by putting in a simple stitch below the waist) and put in the elastic. Then, I folded over both hems and topstitched to finish. The great thing about these is that they can be cuffed up and look super cute but also let down as he grows. In my experience boys grow down not out. I also added little pockets because I think that pockets are traffic-stopping cute on little kids.
And, as much as I like these pants...they were meant to be just a prototype using fabric I have laying around but never seem to find a project for. I put my kids through lots of "mama made" torture but I really don't expect him to wear this pair of pants. I've ordered some nice fabric for a future pair of these suckers. They do fit his wild personality, though, which is why he laughed when he saw them (not joking) and then refused to take them off.

There are Pants!

2011-04-06T09:54:00.000-04:00

You know that feeling? When you are working on a sewing project and you are diligently cutting and hunkering over your machine making stitches. You aren't sure where exactly things are going and how it is all going to look. You get a little stuck on something and it just about kills you because you are so eager to SEE! JUST SEE! how this project is going to turn out. And, then, you finish and you turn everything right side out and shake it a little and you know...it looks *good* and you made it and you feel fantastic and full of possibility.

Do you know what is better than that feeling? Watching someone else experience that very specific emotion for the first time. This, I am discovering, is the most spectacular thing about teaching people to sew. Getting to that 30 seconds when the look of pride and enthusiasm crosses someone's face. And, look at these pajama pants (and these happy faces!):

Oh yes! The first official stitching class is complete! It was so much fun to make pajama pants with these women (though, we did miss our third friend who got sick :( poor thing. ) These are the most adorable pajama pants EVER and I think it's safe to say they are not the last pair to be made in both of these families! There may even be some plans for matching family pajama pants...so, take that Hanna Andersson.

Book Report--Due Monday: Quiltmaker's Color Workshop

2011-04-04T13:23:00.006-04:00

This week's book report: Quiltmaker's Color Workshop by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr

What I like about this book: This book is essentially a color theory book for fabric artists rather than painters. As they put it:

This book is not about learning how to figure out which colors 'go together,' but rather determining which colors effectively and beautifully express an idea.

It is a beautiful and very detailed book that goes far beyond the basics of the color wheel and helps quilters have a better grasp on why and how to get that good 'feel' for a color scheme. This is especially helpful for someone like me who can identify a great color blend in a finished quilt (usually when admiring someone else's work!) but can get stymied standing in the fabric shop and trying to make a decision. Having never been to art school I can get a bit intimidated to branch out color-wise. The book lays out examples and detailed color information for achieving things like "quiet" "ethereal" and "vivacious". I used the cover picture quilt *Zanzibar* and the information in this book to pull together the prints for the quilt below:
I made this for our wedding, in place of a book we had our guests sign a quilt square and then after the wedding I turned it into a quilt. (Wow. That was a long time ago. I can when I look closer at my quilting...ok, my crow's feet are another tip off.) This book helped me identify the right color scheme for such a unique quilt.

The book also illustrates several different color schemes for the same quilt pattern, which is a great way to spark creative thinking as well as gain an understanding of how color impacts the look of a quilt. It also includes lots of suggestions for 'color' activities like cutting up white paints strips and trying to identify the underlying color behind the white. The last third of the book is filled with pictures of quilts and artist's statements about their inspiration and color choices, which is wonderful insight into the process of creating a quilt. There are also four easy to follow quilt workshops.

What I do not like about this book: Because the book follows 'emotions' rather than a strict color theory lesson I don't feel like I come away from the book with an absolute understanding of color. I kind of like to have things concrete and this book emphasizes that the color should 'feel right'. But, I think perhaps this might be better in the long run, in terms of developing my own style and intuition.

Final Grade: A for the twin wins of inspiring and useful.

The Birthing Quilt

2011-04-02T22:10:00.000-04:00

A very dear friend of mine is about to have a baby, any minute now, really. Her husband, who is terribly sweet, asked friends and family members to write letters that he could read to her in case labor...well, labored too long. That way she could feel surrounded by the people she loves. Nice, right?

I opted for a small sized 'birthing quilt' and wrote my letter on fabric that could run through the printer. Then, I cut it up and quilted it. I got to use my new free motion quilting foot. I love, love, love the way that free motion quilting looks but it's going to take some getting used to. I'm really looking forward to using it a lot....even considering diving into a queen size quilt. But, it takes a bit of getting used to, it moves so fast and I had a hard time keeping my stitches even and orderly. But, it's a good challenge to improve and work toward something as amazing as this.

Flashy Produce Bags

2011-04-01T13:43:00.005-04:00

The whole family is really ready for spring this year...the boys are literally jumping off the walls with all their pent up outside energy and like a sad April Fools joke it is snowing outside today. So, rather than enjoy actually spring weather I'm preparing for the growing season and the arrival of our CSA bounty and start of the farmer's market.

Last year I quickly threw together some produce bags so that when the big box of veggies did arrive I was able to quickly throw everything in cotton, breathable bags and get it into the fridge. It made things alot easier on 'box day' but the bags were made from such a flimsy fabric that they fell apart over the course of the harvest season and they didn't always protect the veg. from the harsh refrigerator conditions. So, this year, I took a little more time and made sturdier, thicker bags with pretty labels.
To make the labels I printed (mirror image) text onto iron-on transfer paper and ironed it onto twill tape. The bags are made from old tablecloths that I had long ago cut up and stored in the deep, recessed corner of my fabric stash cabinet. So, I'm very happy to bring them a new and thrilling life in the refrigerator.
In all I made six bags..3 larger ones for greens and smaller bags for herbs and vertical veggies like carrots and beets. I suspect I will need more but I ran out of old tablecloths! Got to do a bit more digging through the fabric weeds multipying in the studio.

Going Bricks and Mortar!

2011-03-29T12:56:00.001-04:00

Our town appears, at first glance, like a sleepy little New Jersey suburb but it also harbors a good deal of bustling creativity. To harness some of that creative goodness a local metalsmith has opened up a main street shop aimed at selling local, handmade goods. She also teaches silversmithing classes and plans on expanding what she can offer in the future. The shop is called Highland Spark and while it has very limited hours, right now, it is an exciting development for many reasons.

I took a big huge leap last week when I dropped off 20 of my very own creations for sale in her shop. I focused mostly on baby bibs (more on an evolving pattern for them later) but also threw in a few bags and pouches. I'm planning on sewing more for her shop (and possibly some others) to see where this venture leads. Wish me luck!

Book Report--Long Gone Lonesome History

2011-03-28T12:25:00.004-04:00

Today's book report:
The Long Gone Lonesome History of County Music by Bret Bertholf.

For all intents and purposes, this book has no place in my 'book reports' series. This book is not a sewing guide (obviously) nor is it really a children's book. I suppose that a child of 9 or 10 might enjoy this but they would probably be oblivious to its tongue in cheek voice. Add to that the fact that I don't even like country music and this certainly seems an odd choice. But, I LOVE THIS BOOK. For me, I love it. And, I don't like country music but I love me a good Patsy Cline song on the right rainy day (ok! ok! I own a box set!) and have a small obsession with Dolly Parton (I blame it on early exposure to the movie 9 to 5). Plus, I think hidden in the early days of any fundamental musical genres are the seeds of most of the music I listen to. Enough about me.

This book is funny and pokes fun while maintaining a love of early country musicians and the forced that shaped country music. It talks about well-known artists like Elvis and Dolly and Hank Williams but also lesser known ones like the famous yodeller Jimmie Rodgers. Take a listen, this is one of my all-time favorites...T for Texas. "I can get more women then a passenger train can haul."

It touches on country's gospel roots, the transformation of country music over time, honky-tonk, rock-a-billy, bluegrass, bad hair and the Grand Ole Opry. What is not to love? If you like music and appreciate the folksy roots of early country music you will love this book like I do. At the very least, you can use it to learn how to yodel.

Another Door Opens

2011-03-24T21:46:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was the official beginning of something wonderful...and the first step (of many) of aligning how I spend my time with how I dream of spending my time. I've found a little space, some eager people, (I even got myself five more machines. gulp.) and we got together making pajamas. Look at these determined and concentrating faces! Pretty cute, huh? The class was so much fun, so much fun. I'm a little sad that it will end in one more session. Here is hoping there will be many more!

little treats and moonlit worries

2011-03-22T21:38:00.001-04:00

I am pretty excited about a little something that I got for myself. I spent months dreaming about buying it and scoured the internet looking for the best price I could pay for it. Finally, I went for it.

It's tape. But, not just tape. It's washi tape, the japanese tape that you can stick on anything, holds up well and you can even write on it. It's dreamy and beautiful. I got it here. I've used it to label a book, decorate an envelope, and hold a dress up on the wall.

Speaking of Japan. Oh, heartache...I can hardly get the word out without getting a little emotional. The tsunami and earthquake and the aftermath have been more than I can handle. Around our parts, we've been having a bit of parental heartache and long nights listening to a small person struggle with shallow breathes as his asthma gets the better of him. One of those nights I lay on his bedroom floor with my upper arm as a pillow my mind wandered to the compounding worries of the world right now. Parents are worried about their little and big kids in so many places, including Japan and Libya. I wish my washi tape could piece it all together but it's not that strong or amazing. I do hope that something, like the collective action of all those worried parents directly or indirectly affected, can be strong enough and amazing enough.

Book Reports--Due Monday: Simple Sewing

2011-03-21T12:26:00.002-04:00

Another Monday book report! Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing.

Things I like about this book: This book is billed as 'simple' because its projects do not involve anything complicated like a zipper; the patterns and instructions are clear and straightforward; and most of the projects can be completed in a short period of time without the need for any obscure supplies. And, so far, I agree that it lives up to its promises. The projects (and pictures) are also characteristically Lotta Jansdotter with elegant design and a clean aesthetic. Many are playful and inspiring...this is another book that makes me want to sew. I have made seven projects from this book, I'm particularly fond of this apron that I use all the time. And, I have marked several other projects to make in the future.

Things I do not like about this book: One thing I find a little annoying about the book is that many of the projects look so beautiful and appealing because they are made in Lotta's own line of fabric, which is no longer available for sale. I'm not one to replicate a project exactly but I would love to make some of the things in the book from her actual fabric because the design is so nice. That's not really a critique of the book, though. I also found the sunhat pattern to have a ridiculously wide brim. And, some of the project ideas seem very cool in Sweden but not so cool in the U.S. Like her side-of-the-bed organizer would just look tacky in my house but somehow the Swedes make things like this look hip. Again...I'm really just highlighting my own issues here...not the book.

Final Grade: B+ for clean, beautiful projects with just a few glitches.

Rainy Day + Grey Skirt = Sunny Disposition

2011-03-19T21:51:00.003-04:00

I made this skirt this week, using the a-line skirt pattern made to fit me in this class from the Design-It-Yourself Clothing book. It's a charcoal grey...simply but so versatile and it fits relatively well...it rests a little low on my waist so I'm back to the drawing board to alter the pattern to sit a little higher and I may lengthen it a little bit. But, I love how the skirt came out overall and I know that I will wear it lots. The picture is a bit foggy because it was a rainy day but, like I said, my mood perked up when I finished this. I even dusted off my knee-length suede wedge boots just to try the skirt on with a little lift. The boots were thrilled, they haven't seen action since I met my doula for the first time!

Book Reports, Due Monday--A Child's Day

2011-03-16T08:49:00.000-04:00

Look at me! Late for my own deadline! Sorry.

For crafty mamas, this book is tops! It's an alphabet book filled with papercut images and imaginative verbs for each letter of the alphabet. It's very creative and the images are very engaging for little people. Moreover, the paper she uses to create the children's clothing are so *sewer friendly* that every time I pick up this book I find my mind wandering into the world of fabric and clothing pattern design. I'm particularly smitten with Q below:
And, I'm not alone. Mary Frances from This is Marzipan created the most amazing children's clothing FOR BOYS based on these inspiring images. Check out her guest post about it and follow that to her fantastic tutorial for how to make it all.

Star-Shaped Deodorant

2011-03-14T12:34:00.002-04:00

I've been making deodorant from this recipe for a while now and I really like it. The only problem is that I was pouring the mixture into a baby jar and then having to scrape out the deodorant from the bottom to apply it (it cools to a solid in the fridge). It got pretty tedious. I saw a post on Amy Karol's blog about using a cupcake tin to shape it into pucks but didn't want to use my cupcake tin for this purpose. I'd rather continue to feel my cupcake tin was food safe, you know? Then, I was going through things hidden deep in the basement (I'm still working on a major de-cluttering) and came across a star ice cube tray that was silicone and I'm sure we are never going to use it for ice cubes so I gave it a shot. I love it so far! Easy to use and I can even break of a little star-arm if I need to! I realize that having deodorant handmade in interesting shapes might tip me over the edge of something...into a category of some kind of oddness but I reassure you I'm basically the same person I was before I got really excited about shaping my deodorant. Honest.

Book Reports--Due Monday: Bend the Rules Sewing

2011-03-07T13:03:00.002-05:00

Book reports--not for money, just for you...in case you happen to be interested in that sort of thing. This week it's Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol.

What I like about this book: This book, recommended to me from a friend, was the one that really inspired me to get back into sewing during my maternity leave with our first bouncing baby boy. Before that time, I was a fairly casual sewer but I found this book so accessible and engaging that I went through it front to back, completing every project that appealed. I really like Amy Karol and the warm, friendly, down to earth voice she has in her blog, Angry Chicken is the same one that comes through in the book. I also appreciate that the book reflects as she puts it "a whole new way to sew," which is more relaxed and allows for lots of creativity even for beginner projects. This book also has wonderful introductory material that covers basic things such a sewing in a button or putting in a zipper that I use as a reference frequently. The projects are aimed at people fairly new to sewing and are pretty accessible for a beginning sewer but also inspiring enough to be intriguing for more experienced sewers. I have completed 15 of the projects from this book and was happy with all but one. Her projects mostly require simply cutting rectangles and when there are *patterns*, they aren't really patterns but drawings in the back of the book that need to be copied. It's fairly straightforward and adds to the accessibility factor, if you can get to a copy machine easily. If not, it could be kind of a bummer.

What I don't like about this book: Um, not much. The project I didn't like very much was one of her bags and it just didn't have enough structure for me but others might not feel the same. The only downer might be that you need access to the aforementioned copy machine for some of the projects. Also, given that her projects run from clothes to toys to napkins...some might not appreciate such a wide range.

Final Grade: A. It's a good one, through and through.

For more book reports see Growing Up Winona and Jezebel, a book-loving mama who really knows her stuff when it comes to what kids love to read.

My Very Own Pajama Party!

2011-03-02T14:22:00.004-05:00

I might just wear these pajamas every day this summer. The pattern is from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing (which, as you know, I mostly love). One of the great things about this pattern is that the sizes range from a kid small to adult large. I've even used this pattern to make pajamas for my husband. I made them in a medium for myself because the hip area is (ahem) a little wide on me...so they are a bit baggier in other areas, which is great for pajamas in my opinion.

But, the really exciting news is that I didn't just make these pajamas because I wanted summer pajama pants or because I'm growing into a habit of wearing pajamas until noon on Saturday...both of which are true but beside the point. I made these to prepare for some Saturday sewing with friends. They are coming over and we are going to brave the depths of my scuzzy basement for some pajama sewing! They are brave and dedicated women.
(This gorgeous, spring-y fabric is Verna by Kate Spain for Moda. I've noticed I'm pretty keen on Moda fabrics these days. I don't think I've given them enough attention before. The quilt under-foot is wool and was made by my grandma, it keeps us warm all winter long without fail.)

Fearless

2011-03-01T14:52:00.000-05:00

I used to describe you as shy and expect you to sit
with me for at least 40 minutes any place new.
Then, one day I looked down and you were fearless.

Book Reports--Due Monday: Welcome

2011-02-28T14:55:00.003-05:00

This little book: Welcome by Nikki McClure was one of our favorite baby books. We received it as a gift when our first boy was born and at first glance I thought that its poetic language and vague images were going to be loved by only me. But, Nikki McClure's classic style (she cuts mostly black paper with an exacto knife until it is like lace. The colors are added later.) means this book has the stark contrasts that little baby eyes love.

To my delight our infant son loved it as much as me, which meant I got to take an occasional break from the gazillion mind-numbing Byron Barton books he also loved. The only downside to this book is that it is spiral bond with little more than a heavy card stock pages...making it pretty fragile. In fact, these pictures are from a book I bought for a friend who is expecting because our version was desecrated a long time ago (you know how baby things that are well loved get desecrated...it's pretty *take no prisoners*). One way of looking at it, is that the book is as fragile and fleeting as those baby days.

For more book reports see:
Growing Up Winona and Jezebel. for her report on ornery witches and neighborhood giants.

Down that Crafty Mama Road

2011-02-25T14:57:00.005-05:00

I relearned a classic lesson in crafty mamahood this week. I believe it is technically called "I love this thing I made for you WAY MORE than you love this thing I made for you." Harumph. I made these colorful and spirited napkins (robots, planets, airplanes! on one side and sprockets!! on the other) after receiving some gifts from my sister that were cleverly wrapped in fabric. I was so excited, because he has been dragging sad, olive colored napkins to school for over a year. I was sure he was going to flip over these. I envisioned him enjoying his lunch so much more and thinking fondly on me...his loving crafty mama.

This is not what happened. During the carefully constructed moment in which I presented them he immediately said, "I don't like them." I thought to myself, He will change his mind. So, the next day as I'm preparing his lunch I offered him a choice of NEW! FUN! napkin to include in his lunch sack. "I don't like those. I want the other one." So, I pulled out the sad, olive napkin (imagining it was mocking me) and stuffed it into the lunch sack. And, off he went to school.

I know this happens. You make something special, you take the time, you know how special it is and yet...the world doesn't always appreciate the road you have traveled. I'm ok with it. I know that I sew because I LOVE IT, not because we desperately need transportation themed napkins. I've recovered emotionally...but I am holding out hope that his younger brother will love them when he starts at the same school and needs a cloth napkin. That could happen, right?

Making it Work Indoors

2011-02-22T21:42:00.002-05:00

Looks like spring was just teasing us and really winter is still hanging around. As much as we are fans of playing outside, we've been killing lots of time inside this season. My youngest doesn't have much of an attention span for art projects and my oldest has never been that interested in them. So, I have to get inventive sometimes. These two projects are from the book Play All Day and were thoroughly entertaining for a full afternoon!
I also discovered the joy each of the boys gets when they have a dedicated art notebook. Even if half of the time we are just filling it will stickers, they both appreciate that it is theirs. For the baby, it is all about paints, which he calls 'water in' because what he is really after is stirring the paint brushes around in water...we haven't really mastered the actual painting part.
And, a joyful discovery for my oldest is oil pastels. He never found much satisfaction in crayons or markers despite many efforts on my part to draw him in (no pun intended!).
But, oil pastels. Oh my! The rich, vivid colors instantly transform into hippos and hearts and cars and roads. It is wonderful to see him so engaged in making art!

Book Reports--Due Monday: Weekend Sewing

2011-02-21T13:25:00.000-05:00

I tend to purchase sewing books for a few reasons. First, our library stinks and their idea of a sewing/crafting section is a handful of happy homemaker books from the Singer company. It's a big bummer. I also find that sewing books have lots of different projects in them and I like having multiple project options because I never know what might spark a new idea or catch my fancy. I also find that many of the good books have good general reference material about fabric types or sewing techniques and so as I build a library of books I build up a library of reference materials. This is not something that a pattern can offer. Lastly, books tend to cost just a bit more than some of the nicer patterns but are packed with all of the above to boot. I should probably fess up to being kind of a 'book' person in general...I just like the touch and feel of a book..oh dear, I already said lastly and then I said more. Ok, enough blathering. Now you know why I have so many sewing books and that I'm not reviewing any books because someone is giving them to me or paying me to say nice things.

On to the point: Weekend Sewing.
What I like about this book: I am very much seduced by the beautiful aesthetics of this book. It has lovely pictures and a nice, friendly, clean look. It makes me want to sew. I'm also a big fan of Heather Ross and her fabrics are of good quality, wear well and are soft. The book has a nice chatty voice and includes cute recipes and thoughts on things like sewing with kids. It has a great section on how to set up a space for sewing (which I copied almost exactly) and wonderful information on sewing basics and fabric know-how. It makes you like her even more.
There are 40 projects in the book and they run the gamut from easy to advanced, which makes it a nice book for both short and long-term projects. In total, I have completed ten of the projects, a few of them many times. I have been disappointed with only two. She also includes some unique projects, like how to make a pup tent (a simple outdoor play tent) which adds playfulness to the book. There are an additional five projects that I have dog-earred for the future but every time I open the book I see something else that would be fun to try. I think that is a sign of a good sewing book.

What I do not like about this book: I hinted at this already but I've had bad experiences with two of the patterns. One I recently posted about was the flower girl dress pattern, which came out to small and too tight. The other is a wrap skirt that I haven't blogged about yet but led to the very disappointing experience of using up 3 yards of fabric to find out that my edition of the book included errata. So, look for the second edition if you do buy or rent this book. Also, I would list one of the projects in the book as kind of stupid...putting simple applique on a tablecloth. It's just a silly one, perhaps they needed one more to make it an even 40 projects total. But, the absolute biggest downfall of this book is the way in which the patterns are displayed. the book includes patterns in the form of two large, thin sheets of paper. The problem is that the patterns are created with the intention that the reader traces the pattern they want off of the attached sheets, they are not intended to be cut out. All of this is still ok with me, I usually do that anyway. The unfortunate part is that in order to include all of the patterns on just two sheets of paper they overlap. And, not just a little bit: the flower girl dress pattern is hidden within the pajama pant pattern and crosses with the weekend travel bag pattern. It is a mess and hard to discern the lines of your specific pattern when you are trying to trace them. Nevermind how annoying it is to hunt for the grainline or any dart marks. I find it really hard to use and enough to knock the book out of platinum status for me. All of that said, I would still recommend the book just be prepared for it to annoy the heck out of you.

Final Grade: B+ for great ideas, clear instructions, playful and inspiring but a few pattern errata and poor pattern construction.

The Flour Sack Dress

2011-02-17T21:46:00.004-05:00

Last summer my aunt mailed me some very special fabric. Her husband's family owned a flour mill in Minnesota back in the day and she had inherited the flour sack fabric from that time. And, given that she didn't know of another family member interested in sewing, she wanted me to have it. Well, it has been really hard for me to come up with a project that warranted using the fabric and was also small enough to work. But, while flipping through Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing I came across her flower girl dress and thought of a little friend about to have a birthday. It seemed silly to keep this stowed away rather than turned into something beautiful and useful.
So, I made the dress already. It's pretty cute, I must say. This picture makes it look a little crooked and it is not crooked BUT it is way to small! Yup, the bodice has no zipper, no buttons, nothing to help put it on a small body. Frankly, I think it would only fit on a small, small, small person...not what I had intended. And, come on! Children need their clothes to be easy to put on. I mean, so easy that the clothes nearly magically appear on them. So, I'm disappointed. And I know a special someone that can use this as a special occasion dress but I'm going to be tweaking the pattern so that it can actually function as a dress. Check back on Monday for my book report because this whole debacle is making me think that Weekend Sewing ought to be next on the review list.

Max's Quilt.

2011-02-16T12:38:00.004-05:00

An innocent conversation in the park, "Melissa, do you quilt?" recently transformed into my first very special quilt commission! I've gathered up all of the precious baby clothes of our friend Max and am turning them into a special memory quilt. You know these clothes, we all have them...the ones indelible in our memories...from the quintessential baby picture, from the day you held the baby all day long with a fever, the ones that made you go gooey in the shopping mall or that were bought on the first trip away. These are the clothes that you look at and every detail of your little baby comes flooding back. They are emotional and important.
Yup. Those. Well, I've gently washed them and then cut them up. Gulp.
This is truly a job that a mother could not do!
And, in the end...that whole stack of clothes boils down to this pile of quilt squares. Amazing.
I don't want to give it away so here is just a sneak peek at the quilt top:
Since, children's clothes are inevitable a mix of fabrics (including lots of jersey!), the cutting and preparation is about half of the job. I put interfacing on the back of all of the jersey knit so that it would hold stiffly and sew smoothly. Everything is cut to 5 inch squares so some images are incomplete but without that other items wouldn't be in the quilt at all so I had to. In the end, it has really come together. Now! I just have to quilt it and sew on the binding! Then, all of those baby memories won't be stowed away in a tub in the basement but will be given new life! We love you Max!

Book Reports--Due Monday: I Like You.

2011-02-14T20:17:00.004-05:00

The first of my book reports! And, given that it is Valentine's Day I thought it proper to start with one of my favorites...in the childrens literature department...I Like You by Sandol Warbug.

As my friend described it this is a "book for kids that is not really for kids but is for kids". That is, within its simple tale and goofy language is hidden a profound message of love and its complexity without getting heavy. The best part is that it is done with whimsy and silliness...the pictures are childlike and nonsensical. But, the story leaves you crying. And, honestly it is a great book to give or read to anyone you love. Its just as wonderful for your kids as it is for your best friend. And, trust me, I have given this book to many of my best friends and they all reported some tears as a result.
I'll leave you with one of my favorite snippets:

"If you and I had some drums and some horses and some fire engines.
We could be a celebration.
We could be a holiday.
We could be a whole parade."

Happy Valentine's Day all! (What's your favorite book or books? Let me know!)

Confessions of a Valentine's Junkie

2011-02-13T12:38:00.005-05:00

I happen to love Valentine's Day. Not in the the "I had better get roses and chocolates" kind of way. Not at all. I just love the love in Valentine's Day. And, of course, for me nothing is more loving than bringing in the handmade. For some reason, other seasons can stress me out and the looming deadline of a birthday, for example, can mean I end up falling short and accomplish next to nothing. But, I rise to the challenge when it comes to V-day. This year, it meant that I made some red and white placemats, handmade cards, and a paper table runner. It set it out the night before so that the boys woke up to a valentine's table. We decided to celebrate early so we could really enjoy it together.
The table runner was super simple: I cut hearts out of red paper that I had around, with no rhyme or reason. I would sit and cut as the boys played or while they worked on art projects and keep my paper and scissors handy in case I got a moment. I just cut until I ran out of paper. Then I set them next to the sewing machine and started sewing...grabbing as I went. The hearts are all different sizes and are wonky to boot...they are not an even distance from each other but somehow the more random the better with this one.
This was the card for this year. In years past I have made dozens of cards and sent them way and yonder. This year I made just a few and none of them are actually in the mail. So, they will be late. (Of course, the ones for my boys even came early!) But, that's ok. Love isn't about *on time*.

This morning, my husband and I pulled together a special breakfast including heart-shaped pancakes and smoothies. And tonight we plan on making my mom's special tomato soup. For dessert, my husband is trying his hand at homemade ice cream and I'm making a flourless chocolate cake. One of the joys of making it a handmade valentine's day is that I feel we get to retain the concept of a day set aside to embrace the love we have for each other and the love we share as a family but we junk the "love means buying something" idea.

In other news, I decided to start up a regular feature (at least I hope I can keep it going regularly) of book reports on Mondays.

Like back in the old days of middle school, notebooks and fill in the blank book reports. Except this time I'm going to review the crafting books I have as well as my favorite children's books. The idea is two-fold: to share my thoughts on various sewing/crafting books. As I tend to buy books rather than patterns and have amassed a good collection, I think it can be useful to others to get a review of these books in case you are considering them yourself. Second, I just love sharing the beauty and fun of some of our favorite children's book and hope to pass that on! I would love to have anyone join me! (This is very selfish as I would love to learn others thoughts on sewing and children's books! So, please join me!). I know it's short notice but let me know if you want to include book reports on your blog and I can include a link on Mondays back to you. Join tomorrow or after that. It doesn't matter. Then, I will get out my ruler and twin set and prepare to act like your teacher. Got it?!

Snowy Day Splurge.

2011-02-07T09:46:00.000-05:00

We've been snowed in a lot this season and that has got us to some pretty hairy situations (read=stir crazy). After one of those long snow days last week I sat at The Small Object and gave in to some long-held desires. I just love the playful and imaginative spirit that Sarah's things have. She brings such a quirky eye to the ordinary.

Of course, I had to indulge in the birthday candle. Our birthday season is spring so this wonderful little candle holder will have to wait a little while but it makes me happy right now.

Then, I went for the thumbprint notecard set: little stickers of hats and tails and eyes accompany a notepad ready for thumbprint creature making. We haven't played with this yet but I'm so excited to meet the little people my boys and I can create with this.
And, the real reason I landed on the site to begin with is this: the tell-me-a-story game. Roll the dice and make up a story to accompany the images. It works for extended age groups because you can match the images on an index card included with the game, just tell the story or even write the story on a notepad. Reminds me so much of the days of parlor games and family time. Yet, it's simple and small enough to bring to a restaurant.
And...a little something for me! The do-it-yourself notepad maker. Woot! Woot! In regular small object fashion it is sweet, simple and easy. It comes with enough paper and backing to instantly make a notepad for menu planning (which I am TRYING, TRYING, TRYING to get in to the habit of doing). And, the other supplies (including a pad making compound) to make up to 50 other notepads. Ooh, the possibilities!
So, bring it on winter weather. We are ready...for a little while.

A Jaunt

2011-02-06T21:33:00.001-05:00

For the past two years, my husband has given me sewing classes in the city for Christmas. It really is a fantastic gift as I end up with a lovely visit to NYC, an always inspiring class and I usually pick myself up a really good, good coffee. I really like heading into the city...I like the energy and the pace...for a short while.

This year, he sent me off on my merry way to Purl Soho. Oh the joy! The shop itself is so amazing I couldn't even purchase fabric...just stare. And, that place is hopping. If ever there was a need for evidence that crafting is making a comeback, Purl Soho would provide the proof. I took a class in pattern-making for clothing. It was taught by Cal Patch, who is wonderfully down-to-earth and essentially feels that most clothes are not made for most bodies and that even most sewing patterns are not made for most bodies. She really de-mystifies the whole process of measuring a cylindrical body shape and then transferring that into a 2-dimensional pattern.
I bought her book before class and I briefly read it but the class itself is going to really help me to fully use the book and really start making my own patterns. I'm not sure I would have been bold enough to dive into pattern-making without the class, to be honest. I would recommend the book on its own, I think. (One small thing holding me back is that I'm not always sure what fabric to use for clothing. I'm unsatisfied with how wrinkly and lightweight quilting cotton is but don't want to use denim or corduroy for everything. It seems that my own clothes are something different...a heavier cotton? a blend of fabrics? I mean I wear a lot of jersey knit but even my cottons are different from what I can usually find in the average fabric store. Anyone got any thoughts on this? I see things referred to as cotton poplin. Got any idea what that is?)

In the class we made individual patterns for an a-line skirt and a shift dress.
This dress is not the one I made a pattern for, it's a bit too advanced at this point but isn't it incredible! Very inspiring for sure. I can't wait to get started.

Between A File Cabinet and a Conference Table

2011-02-02T19:33:00.001-05:00

For the past year my coworkers have been buying me lunch (usually sushi), in exchange for sewing lessons. We gather as often as we can, which isn't always that frequent given our work demands but we do what we can. We operate out of a conference room down the hall and have received more than a few funny looks.

Now, while this is all very sweet and nice there is definitely an element to these 'stitching classes' that is more like a military boot camp. Turns out I'm a pretty precise sewing teacher with something of a 'no excuses' attitude. There is almost always homework that must be completed (my coworkers confess to lots of evening and early morning sewing and ironing) and I never, ever do anything for them. And, yet, they kept buying me lunch and begging me for homework while simultaneously promising it would be done. In short, I have converted them into full sewing addicts.

Am I proud? Definitely! Very proud.

Look at what has been accomplished (this is just one of many completed or nearly completed items):
But, truthfully, we've been doing more than sewing. We've been becoming good friends...moving past a professional relationship and into a personal one. This is the true value of what sewing does, isn't it? It makes something real and soft and woven together out of could have remained unknown and uncertain. I've also discovered how much I love converting other people into sewists. I love it enough to get serious about bringing it into my everyday life. And, it is my coworkers that have taught me that. All this from a simple stitching lunch.

The hard part of all of this is that I decided to leave my job, Monday was my last day. The effort involved in balancing family and work got to be too much. But, guess what? They still want to sew with me! Next up, we are making a wrap skirt and I can't wait for it to happen. This time we will be ditching the file cabinet and conference table for coffee and the pitter patter of little feet in my house. And, I can't wait.

Thx

2011-01-15T13:42:00.003-05:00

A little ritual of giving thanks, inspired by this.

Dear: Aerobics Instructor
Thanks for being a former Grateful Dead follower, doula turned dance instructor, herbalist hippy chick and Jewish Mommy. You help me believe in the power of change...something I'm often fearful of. Oh, and thanks for teaching an aerobics class that feels more like a dance class and leaves me feeling both fierce and graceful all at the same time.
Dear: Youngest Child.
Thanks for being loud and outrageous. Sometimes I think "Oh man, this kid is more than I can handle". But, the truth is, you teach me how to be a better parent.

Dear: The Many Friends Who Have Said "Of Course You Could Do That!!"
Thanks. Your encouragement and thoughtful pieces of advice are just the injection of courage that I need.

My Favorites from the Handmade Holiday Season

2011-01-05T22:34:00.003-05:00

Giving handmade makes the holidays so much more special and these dolls (from the book Bend the Rules with Fabric) were the gift I made this year that left me eager for Christmas to start already! I just couldn't wait for everyone to open them. I made a set for my sister, brother, mom, dad and grandma. I also made a set of the whole family for both of our boys. They LOVE them and so far have been used as participants at a tea party and observers of charades. The baby just likes to pick up his doll of himself and kiss it. It's adorable, frankly.
I also appliqued onto tea towels as a house-y gift for my sister. I really like how these turned out and like the strong images on a soft tea towel style.
May they dry many glorious dishes! All in all, I enjoyed a more scaled down handmade holiday this year and even so, felt the stress of sewing and sewing and sewing throughout December. It is nice to be solidly in January, preparing for some more experimental and whimsical sewing projects...whatever they may be.

A Snowy Story, In Reverse

2010-12-27T21:42:00.002-05:00

Thirty minutes after being out in high snow drifts, billowing wind, and a glowing sun, this little guy was back inside looking out from the inside.
The time he spent outside, he spent with this look on his face (or worse).
But, before all of that. We spent A LOT of time like this..getting dressed!

Hope everyone has a little snow story to tell this Christmas. There are certainly some good ones out there!

Holiday Sweeting

2010-12-24T23:14:00.004-05:00

There has been some sweets-making this year, though it was round a different bend. I found out recently that I have an intolerance to wheat and gluten. So, after feeling sorry for myself I decided to get into gluten-free holiday goodies. Let's just say, it's a good thing chocolate is wheat-free! I made some bon-bons, some macaroons and some peppermint bark and I was mighty proud of myself if I do say so. Let me know if you are interested in any recipes. I will say they were, overall, much easier than "baking" baking. Score one for the wheat-gluten challenged!

Grandma's Scarf

2010-12-21T15:29:00.003-05:00

I love making nice things for my grandmother...she scrimped and saved her whole life and has only just started indulging in anything for herself. So, after reading this and falling in love with velveteen I started considering making grandma a super indulgent scarf. And, I'm so glad I did.
The velveteen is really soft (and it DOES creep when you sew it, which can be tricky) and scrumptious. The scarf was so easy, which is really good because I had to work fast and ship it quickly because I was making this one really last minute. I had to include this final picture, quite possibly the oddest and most awkward picture ever! Ahh.

Turning a Digger Into a Pillow.

2010-12-20T12:54:00.001-05:00

My oldest woke me up at 4 in the morning in the early Fall of this year and said, "Mama. Can you make a digger into a pillow?" At the time I was amused but also pretty sleepy. Thinking about it the next morning after a spot of coffee, I decided that I ought to try and dig up some digger fabric for a cozy bedspread and, yes, pillow case and put in my best effort at turning a digger into a pillow, so to speak.
This bedspread and pillowcase are the result. I found the fabric on etsy from a fantastic seller. It doesn't technically have a digger on it, it has a bulldozer among other things, but it was the most aesthetically pleasing of the 'transportation-themed' fabrics that I found. I ended up making a bedspread for both boys (fairness is HUGE at our house right now). And, inside of both of them I tucked something really special and warm...sure to keep winter toes toasty...a wool blanket lines them both. But, not just any wool blanket...the two wool blankets I inherited when my beloved grandmother passed away. They were worn with pretty *wild* designs on them but are now just perfectly tucked inside flannel fabric ready to protect the next generation from any kind of bitter cold.

These bedspreads are both waiting under the tree, to be opened in just a few short days. But, just knowing that they are sitting there is warming my heart already.

Beautiful Things

2010-12-11T12:56:00.002-05:00

Beautiful ceramic objects are such a weakness for me. I am perfectly fine at resisting them when they are in a typical retail environment (though I do admire them for long periods of time) but set them out at a yard sale or thrift store and I my senses take leave of me and I find myself proudly parading them home. The 12 days of Christmas plates are no exception. Found them at a fancy thrift store, the kind where things are hand-selected, and I went weak in the knees.

I did rationalize it by saying they would make a great gift for my mother-in-law but, as my husband said with a knowing smirk, "she would never really have occasion to use them." At which point I started taking them out of their box saying, "Oop. Guess we will have to keep them." Now I just need an equally playful but elegant dessert so I have an excuse to pull them out. Well, there are 12. Come to think of it...I may need to plan a holiday party.

tidings of peace and joy

2010-12-08T11:22:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our family's first ever Winter Holiday banner. It consists of five birds (made way back when from here), each hanging from its own banner that is decorated with a little bit of ric-rac at the bottom. I used bias tape to pull it all together. Because I like to get a little 'symbolic' about things, each of the birds represents someone in our family...though I will admit I had to include the cat in order to fit in the word peace.
It says *joy* on the other side, which makes it completely unattached to any Christmas tune. But, honestly, what I want this year is peace and joy. That's pretty much it, in a nutshell.

...the wee ones

2010-12-06T10:15:00.000-05:00

I am done having children. D.O.N.E. And, it isn't that I don't love my kids or love kids in general or love being a mom, it's just that two kids is just the right number for us and I'm ready to move past the whole 'tiny baby' phase of my life and into the 'engaging child' phase.

And quite frankly, this whole feeling just doesn't *jive* with the insanely excited reaction that I have upon hearing a friend is pregnant. And, right now, many of them are pregnant so I have lots of time to contemplate this dissonance. And, I think the obvious explanation finally hit me. I get to enjoy the joy of new life WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE CARE OF IT! No responsibility just the excitement and adventure of it all.

So, of course, I take this enthusiasm to the sewing machine. And, really, this is just a long way of saying that I made another kimono top from the Heather Ross Weekend Sewing book. I used the last little bit of voile fabric from Anna Maria Horner. It is hard to express just how light and airy and cute and tiny this little top is. Almost makes me want to try again, this time for a girl. Almost, but not quite.

Holiday Books

2010-12-02T08:22:00.000-05:00

It's done! I've been working on this fabric book for a long time...in fact, it was supposed to be given to the baby on his first birthday and he is now 20 months old. The good news is that I've waited long enough to set it under the Christmas tree and no one is the wiser.

We live pretty far away from family so these books (I made one in a more timely fashion for our oldest,too) are a great way to keep family near and dear to our hearts when they can't be physically near.
It's also a great way to use up bits and scraps of fabric because, for some reason, the crazier the fabric mix the better, in this case. This is my first completed holiday gift (and it's a cheat, at that!) but it's getting the holiday making juices flowing. Bring it on, December! I think I'm ready for you.

thank-full

2010-11-26T11:53:00.002-05:00

I have such an insane amount to be thankful for that it makes it feels oddly tenuous...as if too many good things are pouring into a glass and it will soon tip over and empty. Can't tell if that is my realistic side or my skeptical side coming through. But, either way, I'm knocking on wood and in the meantime, enjoying how it feels to be filled to the brim with gratitude.
Everyone is healthy, our house is full of love, laughter and good food, dear friends are doing amazing and emotionally healing things, and I'm finally making some decisions about my own future that feel really good. It's a lot of good stuff.
We enjoyed a fantastic thanksgiving, to boot. Every year we try out new recipes thinking that perhaps this 'new' version is going to be the one that we stick with from here on out and becomes our 'tradition'. This year, while looking over the dog-eared recipes I marked as part of our 'tradition' I just wasn't inspired. Instead, I got hunting around to try something new. My dad send me to this life-changing interactive recipe website from the NYTimes. I'm seriously contemplating trying out every single recipe througout the winter, everything looks amazing and seasonal. For thanksgiving, we tried the brussel sprouts-grapes (!) and root vegetable recipes both of which stole the show. But, I love the look of all of it and might just have to print each recipe out for my recipe binder (which is splitting at the seems, literally.)

It also helped me realize that my traditional meal doesn't consist of making the same thing every year, it consists of experimenting with something new every year. And, why not? As we ride this wave of good things, we better eat well, too.

Feelin' that Barter Magic

2010-11-21T19:02:00.001-05:00

Have you ever seen such adorable booties? I didn't think so. They were made for me! At my request! By the lovely Marzipan. And, how could such a wonderful thing happen? Why, the barter of course. (Don't they just make you swoon and imagine the wiggle of little toes?) They are positively amazing. Thanks friend.

Cigar, anyone?

2010-11-11T11:04:00.003-05:00

Every fall our town has a city-wide yard sale, and right around this time I start considering renting a storage space so I can take advantage of the amazing things that people sell for NOTHING. But, I consistently manage to control myself. This year we picked up lots of toy trucks and a kid-sized workbench and rocking chair. I grabbed a few 'project friendly' pieces of clothing (including a great cherry printed dress to turn into an apron!) and then stumbled across these cigar boxes. It took everything I had to walk away with only six of them...one has become my new jewelry box and the rest, well...we will have to see. For now, I am just satisfied with admiring them.

It's a good thing babies drool

2010-11-10T10:10:00.004-05:00

...because if they didn't, there would be no opportunity to drape them in flashy fabric! I've been up to some serious bib making these days. These are from the same pattern I always use, the one in Bend the Rules sewing.

This is a sampling, in total I made 18 in a sort of self-imposed sweatshop type experience. But, it was worth it. Most of these will go in pairs to many families-in-wait but a half dozen went to my lovely barter-mate, marzipan. Along with some deodorant, face wash and other handmade self-cleaning essentials. Enjoy friend! The barter lives on!

Magic Cleaning Potion

2010-11-06T14:21:00.000-04:00

A few weeks back we ran out of laundry detergent and I looked at my Green Clean book for a laundry detergent recipe. It was so easy, I laughed out loud. *mix equal parts washing soda and borax.* We've been using that and it seems to work fine.

Then we ran out of dishwasher soap and I looked in the handy guide for a recipe and found...you guessed it...*mix equal parts washing soda and borax.* So, the same simple cleaner that cleans our clothes, also cleans our dishes. It's like magic in its simplicity.

My husband is a little skeptical and keeps wondering whether it is really getting things "clean". But, what does "clean" really mean? Everything "looks" as clean as it did with a store-bought cleaner? I'd love any thoughts on this question. What are we trying to accomplish when we clean? Eliminating germs, tidying up? What all is involved in "clean"? We may be staging a clean test in the coming weeks as I'm determined to convince him that "complicated" and "clean" are not the same thing.

Fall Thx

2010-11-05T14:09:00.003-04:00

I felt like inviting fall in with a new banner and some gratitude, inspired by this.
Dear: Mystery Nut and Smooth White Stone
Thanks for being so beautiful and calm. You were gathered quickly and treated with quite dramatic care by a boy suddenly interested in gathering missions. You look so serene on my windowsill and sometimes catch my eye and I feel calmer as a result.

Dear: Boy into Books
Thanks for already loving books and insisting we read books. Fall is a great time to read books. I'm looking forward to moving beyond truck books but I can wait.

Dear: Pumpkins
Thanks for being so versatile. You are food and art and a great family time activity and spooky mystery all wrapped into one. How often does that happen?

Dear: Nostalgic Trike
Thanks for landing on my lawn and staying there for a 2 week period. I just left you there and eventually your family came and took you home. You are not only perfectly nostalgic but also symbolic of how safe and trusting this neighborhood is. That is a great feeling.

Something for Mom

2010-10-11T21:54:00.004-04:00

Well, it has been awfully quiet here lately. I hate when that happens. I have been sewing a lot just feeling a bit...reflective...about it, I guess. There is lots going on and it has me a little topsy turvy.

I did manage the sew together an exciting collection of things as a gift to my mom, a deeply belated gift I should add. It's nearly all from Weekend Sewing, which I go on and on about, I know. These were somewhat adventurous sewing projects for me. My idea was to create a pampering kit for her. So, I made slippers, a washbag, my zipper pouch, and the face wash, lip balm, and face oil from here.

The slippers were very satisfying. Cute, not that hard, and so functional I nearly cried. The border is ric-rac and they even have a little elastic at the back to keep them from slipping. But, none of it is fussy to sew.

The washbag was more challenging, I must say. Inside are little pockets to keep small things...they are even a little elasticized so things stay put. The components are straightforward enough but sewing it all together is a pain and a half. I'm an idiot about these things anyway and this just left me completely befuddled. I even stuck a pin in my hand. I don't think it was a function of the directions but more my lack of experience, if truth be told.
But, completely worth it. If for nothing than the pure joy of taking on a challenge. I will have to make more of these now, or all that effort to scale the learning curve will have been lost. Good thing it is getting on holiday time.

This is What Love Looks Like When Its All Sewn Together

2010-09-28T11:25:00.002-04:00

A long, long time ago I convinced a group of my closest friends to undertake a little sewing. And they did, and together we created an amazing baby quilt for the first in our gentle gang to have a baby. We were very proud of ourselves. Then another baby came along and we did it again (Yay for us!!). But, pretty soon more and more babies came along and we got a little behind on our commitment. So, I got a little motivated and sent quilt kits--pre-cut fabric squares with some embellishments and other fun things. And, everyone got excited and organized *crafternoons* and on the same day we all worked on our quilt squares together so-to-speak (evidence below).
And, the quilt squares come trickling in after a bit more fixing and fussing here and there. And, they were LOVELY and incredible and so colorful and full of all the hopes, love, and incredible expectations that we all had for the new babies. Of course, by this time, the babies were growing up...alarmingly fast.

And, those beautiful quilt squares went directly into my plastic to-do case. And, they sat there for a looong time (but those babies kept growing!). Well, I am proud to announce that I finally sat down at the machine a few weeks ago and made THREE, yes I said THREE baby quilts for what are no-longer babies at all but toddlers for sure.

And, truly, truly, truly this is what love looks like when it is all sewn together. It is vivacious and alive with color. It is calm and serene with a slice of whimsy. It is letters and buttons and stars and umbrellas and mermaids and it is as close as you can get to a hug, a squeeze and a kiss when you live hundreds of miles apart.

Kid's Clothes Week Wrap-Up

2010-09-26T21:22:00.004-04:00

Not surprisingly, I did not accomplish everything on my list for the Kid's Clothes Week Challenge by elsie marley. But, I did cross somethings off and mostly using my serger. Yippee!

This top, which had already acquired food stains by the time I was able to get a photo, was just a t-shirt. I put in the long sleeve arms by cutting up some baby leggings, resizing them, and sewing them into the armholes. It was a cinch and made me feel like a genius.

I repurposed some onesies into long-sleeved tees that means they last through the fall. Mostly these are t-shirts that I thought were cute but they just didn't fit anymore. So, I cut them, eliminating the snap-y section. For the star wars top I added a bit of fabric to lengthen and hem at the same time. For the other, I just did a quick hem with the serger. (I'm finding hemming the most difficult part of sewing with knits. Lots of, ahem, opportunity for learning in that area).
This was another repurposed onesie, without the snaps. It's big plan is to be a halloween costume. I've decided a little reluctantly, to go for a join costume with big brother as a school bus and little brother as a stop sign. I can't resist the cuteness, I just hope it doesn't cause too much psychological damage for the little brother.

But, the best thing to come of this week of sewing (and it was a pain to make the time, make no mistake about it, not that I'm complaining, I realize it was voluntary) was these fire engine pajamas. The was the only non-repurposed thing about my kid's sewing extravaganza. I made a pattern from a pair of my son's existing pajamas, which is great. A free pattern. You can't tell in the picture but the bottoms are full-length pants, the bottom cuff is in the right-side photo. They don't fit perfectly and the armholes are kind of goofy and look sort of space-age on (I was trying to avoid making sleeves or hemming, see above). But, these are the world's most loved pajamas. Truly. The first night he wore them he refused to put his bedsheets over him because it would obstruct his view of the new pajamas. He has been wearing them every night since. It's honestly been a highlight of my life as a sewing mama. For real. He wanted to wear them all day long. Until, of course, I asked to take a picture and then he took them off before I could find the camera.

Warming up the machine...

2010-09-19T20:55:00.002-04:00

I signed up for the kids clothes week over at elsiemarley.com. Starts tomorrow and my list is long, as usual, but I prepped some things this week so I hope that I can actually tick a few things off.
- sweater hats for both boys
- pajamas for the oldest
- long-sleeved t-shirts from too-small onesies
- warm weather vest for the oldest

Yup. Would be quite the week if I accomplished half of that. Wish me luck.

Sewing for Pampered Travel

2010-09-13T21:05:00.001-04:00

I had the great opportunity to spend a whisper of time with some lovely old friends this past week. I have missed many a birthday and holiday with this crew in the way that you do with too many close friends. So, I decided to take the opportunity to make a little something that could fit in a suitcase and pamper them a little bit on their travels.
So, I designed this easy zipper, beauty pouch and tucked in homemade face cleaner and facial oil from here. To make the pouch I cut one long piece of fabric in both an outside design and a lining fabric and attached the zipper to both ends, which is a little tricky actually but not bad. Then with the zipper half un-zipped I sergered up the sides (outside fabrics facing). Viola! Turned right-side out, it was done. Without a serger the same thing could be done using a french seam.

I can already tell you I'm going to be making more of these, they are so handy and simple...they also are just the right size for that small bit of leftover fabric that you love but don't know what to make with. In fact, I already made the extra striped one for my mom.
One little trick: it worked best if I used an extra long, plastic zipper and sewed through it rather than using the right size zipper and dealing with the weird-ness at the end of the zipper. I don't know if that makes sense.

Birthdays are Fun

2010-09-06T14:32:00.000-04:00

I have the impression that I'm a difficult person to buy gifts for. I don't usually have a straight answer regarding 'what I want' but I love gifts that are fun, creative, and beautiful...usually in the opposite order. While I LOVE gift-hunting for things or experiences that fit that description most of my loved ones groan. My husband is one of the exceptions, he is superb at it. After hemming and haa-ing about getting an ice cream maker he surprised me with this ice pop maker. I'd never even heard about it before but it is fantastic. You keep it in the freezer and then make up your own ice pop mixture so that it only takes 7 minutes to freeze the ice pops. So much fun for kids!

And, not only that...it's a great way to use up nearly *done* fruit or other things that might be wasted. The ice pop above is made from *ready to toss* watermelon mixed with sugar and lime..THAT'S IT! No other, icky ingredients. I'm not a huge popsicle person, they are usually too sweet for me but this changes my attitude. I feel like I can experiment and make them a little healthier. I'm also thinking that I can make seasonal ice pop, maybe I'm crazy but I'm thinking something peppermint for the holidays! Right?! You hear me, I think.

He also accompanied the maker with this recipe book.
It includes this sangria recipe (perfect for a summer barbeque!) and...one for cappuccino, which was the second kind we made using some coffee left in the french press after breakfast.
I'm not saying run out and get one...it is a space-taker in the freezer and it is another unnecessary item in the whole consumerism wheel BUT I will say if it would be something you use that I've tried it and tested it and we like it. There are some issues with freezing yogurt, which is too bad because I have dreams of making yogurt and fruit ice pops and every mixture HAS TO have sugar in the recipe...something to do with the chemistry of freezing it properly. So, those are the caveats. Will keep you updated on any future ice pop adventures!

Operating Sunrise to Sunset

2010-09-04T13:42:00.003-04:00

I have so much respect for the many friends of mine that camp with wee ones but I haven't felt quite up to the tent experience with our two rascals. But, I was longing for the woods. I grew up in Northern Minnesota and camping and hiking is like breathing up there. So, I was thrilled to discover that Pennsylvania has a dozen or so state parks with cabins for rent. We just returned from a short week in the wild woods of PA...ours was Cabin 6.
I love the family rhythm that is found in tranquil places when all you have is each other. Nothing distracts you from just settling in and paying close attention. I always feel a small shift occurs after any family vacation...you have been through something new together and return home with a sense of appreciation for your place and your fellow travellers. But, being outdoors all day with no computer or TV or phone (!) brought us so much closer that returning home brought with it a feeling of loss. Suddenly, dishes are mounting and clothes must be laundered, rules have to be imposed about where dirt can and can't be. We can't decide on a whim to take dip in the swimming hole or just start walking and end up on a hike inspecting mushrooms or looking for elves. It feels so complicated and busy. I'm back to trying to get too many things done in the little bit of time I can find for myself. The baby isn't sleeping well, maybe he isn't getting enough fresh air?. I'm fighting a really strong instinct to simply pack up and drive back. Invite everyone I know, get another campfire started, and read books while we wait for sunset at Cabin 6.

Summer Shirt

2010-09-02T21:52:00.004-04:00

I recently made this top from Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing, which is truly one of my favorite sewing books...beautiful, clever, and has a mix of different 'I actually want to make this' projects. The shirt is made with Anna Maria Horner's cotton voile and is fantastic, light as air but sturdy. The fabric seems to wrinkle easily, especially when it's left in a wad in the corner of the bedroom, but it doesn't need ironing...it seems to smooth out after being worn for a while. It's low maintenance like that.

I wear this shirt a lot...after a dip in the lake or ocean, on a summer day with a small breeze, or on a hike (as in this picture from our family vacation) and it never fails me. I did use the serger for the seems and I'm glad because this top has been given the run-around. In fact I finished sewing it and put it on when I heard the baby wake up..he then proceeded to throw up all over me and it's survived loads more *family life* since then. I'm referring to the shirt, not the baby.

Indecision

2010-08-24T21:39:00.001-04:00

I found myself with a little alone time this past weekend and in an attempt to 'use it wisely' I thought I might cut out some patterns. But, I didn't get anything done save a little ironing. I was completely indecisive about which fabric to use for a sleeveless tunic top I want to make. Fabric for clothing is so much *higher stakes* than for little small projects. I mean if I'm going to wear it, it has to be just right. And, clothing fabric design is so different from quilts and tote bags. I find that so much of what I have in my stash is bright, bold designs I don't really want to wear. I need quieter, subtle palettes especially with fall coming. I'm feeling greys, marigolds, olives, dusky blues, etc. I think I'm just longing for cozy, cuddly weather. I've been trying to keep to the fabric I already have but, well, I might just be persuaded to splurge.

Thx

2010-08-23T21:09:00.002-04:00

[inspired by this]

Dear: You
Thanks for leaving your beer full and walking me home so we could kiss across my rickety old bike. After 10 years I still get choked up thinking about it. Keep those kisses coming.

Dear: Small Hill
Thanks for being great to roll down, again and again. And, thanks for being small with soft grass and no rocks so it was just pure enjoyment.

Dear: Past 35 years
You were kind of up and down, frankly. But, wow, now that 35 of you have passed by, I must say your net effect is pretty positive. I love that you've made me comfortable in my skin, unafraid of my intellect, and able to be vulnerable. I can't wait to find out what comes next.

A Scrappy Zig Zag

2010-08-18T21:32:00.003-04:00

I've been meaning to make this zig zag quilt for a long time but was intimidated by the whole 'beyond beginner' quilting. So, I sort of timidly started with some scraps leftover from these napkins. And, I found it was easier than expected and I love how it looks. So, I kept digging for more scraps and even pieced some stray bits together to make it all work. It got to be a little obsessive...wanting to make this entirely out of scraps and begin emptying out the scrap basket. Of course, it had to stop somewhere so the whole thing is pretty odd-sized and I don't have any real plans for finishing the quilt or what to do with it after it is done. But, I'm suspending my goal-oriented needs for now and just enjoying the quilt top.
The whole technique is really straightforward. Squares sewn together to make triangles...so there is no need for actually sewing triangles (thankfully). That said, I did pull out my seam ripper more than I would like to admit and it will still need lots of cutting to straighten it into a true rectangle.

Thx

2010-08-15T21:03:00.003-04:00

Inspired by a friend who went for it and by this blog of the original, I'm giving thanks.

Dear: Farmer's Market--Thanks for giving me fresh raspberries to fill the boy's mouths so that I could take a bite of the world's most delicious cheese and have the time to savour it and purchase more to take home.

Dear: Friend so dear to my heart--Thanks for once saying oh so gently 'turn toward the joy', it really stuck with me and I remember it alot. It helps me shift perspective and step back from the tough stuff and notice the joyful, good stuff. I think about it all the time and it makes me think of you. I could do without the longing for you that also accompanies thinking of you but I understand they are inseparable.
Dear: Other friend so dear to my heart--Thanks for leaving the phone message saying 'you are like a breath of fresh air and I'm so glad I got to breathe you in'. I feel good remembering that message and think about it when I feel stale as day old bread.

How to Make a Tomato into Candy

2010-08-13T13:34:00.003-04:00

Tomato season is in full bloom and lest I be buried under a mountain of tomatoes I've been cooking them up every which way I can. We now have salsa, pasta sauce and stewed tomatoes in the fridge and freezer. Every meal is accompanied with a fresh cut up tomato or some caprese salad, even when it's not quite appropriate. But my favorite, by far, has been roasted tomatoes adapted from a friends' recipe. As we get cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and regular tomatoes in our CSA I've been roasting all the cherry ones as soon as we get them then they sit in the refrigerator until I get inspired about what to pair them with. Here is the recipe:

*oven set to 275 degrees
*about 2 pints cherry tomatoes cut in half
*mix together: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1.5 T balsamic vinegar, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 2 t sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
*toss everything together and arrange the toms, cut side up on a sheet pan
*bake for 2 to 2.5 hours checking when they start to carmelize and concentrate
*eat them and smile at their amazing sweetness and the little twinge they bring to the jaw muscles

Yum!

Hello August

2010-08-09T21:56:00.001-04:00

I tend to have mixed feelings about August, it's full of fun things...wedding anniversary, birthday, first time we kissed, etc. But, it is also accompanied by that mixed emotion that can only be described as 'dang-it-is-so-hot-and-humid-why-don't-you-just-stop-being-so-hot-already-BUT-WAIT-summer-is-slipping-away-please-oh-please-don't-end!' Sigh.
So, I decided to embrace the contradiction this year. So, Hi August. Here is to another month of gossip on the porch with friends, cold wine, anything and everything that can be made with a tomato, take-out sushi when it gets unbearable to cook, and splashing in the kiddie pool. And, here are two things that are making me smile from ear to ear:

1) Make, Grow, Gather. This lovely website is full of fun ideas like this, and this, and is helping me remember all the things I want to pack into summer. For example, I'm dangerously close to buying a hammock even though we have nowhere to hang it. My husband thinks I'm nuts.

2) Thx. Thx. Thx. You've probably already seen this but I'm so excited to have found it. A thank you note to the mundane written once a day. I am now constantly writing them in my own head. I'm going to email her and ask if I could copy the idea but with a photo instead. I can't compete with her cool handwriting. Check it out, I promise it will make you happy.

The Second Skirt

2010-08-08T14:14:00.002-04:00

Another skirt has been created! This one is also from found fabric, it lived a previous life as a...skirt. So, it is not feeling as transformed as I do with this whole clothing making adventure. But, I do like the skirt and like that it is actual retro fabric. I had to be very careful when I cut the pattern out that everything was set to match up and it worked, for the most part. Even if it did make sewing a bit painstaking. As much as I like this skirt, it's pretty bold so I'm feeling a little intimidated about wearing it. It's also pretty work-y, rather than casual so I have build up the courage to wear it to work. Blog-friends, got any confidence to pass on?

A Regular Scarlett O'Hara

2010-07-30T12:38:00.002-04:00

I've been feeling the need for something new in the wardrobe lately and have been a bit disappointed by what is in the shops. I feel like my style is not quite eccentric enough to fit Anthropologie, not preppy enough for standards like J.Crew and just not quite loud enough for Boden. Not that I don't shop at those places but they aren't quite making me happy these days...that said the fall Boden collection is calling my name. So, I was inspired to try making something myself. I bought this book, Sew Serendipity, (which is only ok, but that's another post for another time). This skirt, is just a basic a-line but includes waistband facing, a zipper, a hem band and pockets that are making me feel proud of myself. This version, made from a pair of cafe curtains I found roadside (yay!) is my muslin. I put in enough detail that I might wear it, if I found the right top for it, but was also able to feel comfortable making mistakes. Now to muster up the courage to cut into some of my favorite fabrics!

X Marks the Past

2010-07-26T10:08:00.000-04:00

We had a sudden attack of *autonomy-seeking* in the past few weeks that has left the adults in the house nearly breathless.

Where! Oh Where! Did my sweet preschooler go?

So, a bit of secret parent rendezvous-ing and we hatched a plan. One phase is less fun and involves quicker follow-through on statements that begin with "You have a choice.." or "If that happens one more time...". The second phase is more fun and involves digging up ways to bring responsibility and agency to said preschooler. And, that is where this here calendar comes into play. Its shoddy construction is just a disguise for its high-grade potency. As he isn't reading yet, we draw pictures of upcoming events and then talk about them and when they will happen. The most exciting part, for him, is marking off the day. It is even helping him learn to write the letter X.

The most exciting part, for us, is seeing how good he feels just having a sense of the week and what is upcoming. Made me realize how annoying it must be to not have any idea of where in the week you are...what's a monday? how is it different from a friday when you are on a tuesday? Now we can see it and discuss it. It seems to be helping a little bit.

A few details, my uptight tendencies wouldn't allow me to create the calendar, as I did, in mid-July without x-ing off the previous days in the month. The green days are weekends, otherwise known as 'family days' in our house.

So, X now marks the past and here's to the future!

Beet Lip Balm..Fail

2010-07-20T15:41:00.002-04:00

In every aspect of my tinkering undertaking, I try to remind myself that failure is just as important as success. Without it, I wouldn't be learning anything new and just cranking out the same old thing, right? And, tigerlily isn't some kind of handmade factory. It's my place for trying, failing, sometimes succeeding, and sharing it with other people on the same journey. Got to remember that A LOT these days. Got an idea from a friend to try making beet lip balm. I set aside beet juice created when the beets cooked. I knew that water and oil wouldn't mix but thought that the shea butter and cocoa butter in the lip balm would serve as a medium that might solidify it all together.
I was wrong. The beet juice sank to the bottom and fractured into chunks for some reason. I'm going to have to try this again. Any ideas on how to make it work? All I can think of is stirring it a bit while it is cooling?
Also, thanks to an idea from Mama-Pan, I'm adding my homemade face cleaner, face moisturizer, solid perfume, lip balm, bug balm, and deodorant to the Tigerlily Market.

Sneak Peek

2010-07-19T14:09:00.000-04:00

I've been pretty quiet lately but I have been working on stuff. This is just a sneak peek of some things to come.

Wipe Your Face!

2010-07-18T13:30:00.005-04:00

Friends of ours are landscape architects, which is funny, very funny if you had ever seen our yard. Before us, the house was owned by what my grandmother would call a 'bachelor' who was in his nineties. He apparently had a 'lady friend' and they liked to eat at the diner in town on the weekends. Where is all of this going? Well, he planted many random non-native plants in the yard and then tended to them with care, which is about how he cared for the home as well. It wasn't exactly modern but it was well looked after. Maybe his relationship was the same. Who knows?

Anyway, when we came along we really ceased all maintenance because we were busy being pregnant and caring for babies and have little to no idea about yard work outside of mowing the grass, which we don't do with much regularity either, to be honest about it. But, we are just getting our heads above water with the whole parenting thing and have started to realize our yard is pathetic. The plants are almost all prickly and are consuming the yard. When my dad visited he actually used the word 'ghetto' for the first time, ever, in my memory. So, we invited our landscape architect friends over and to our DELIGHT they agreed to draw up some plans for us for free (Yippee!). We ran through a million amazing and insightful ideas (Get rid of the bushes completely! Put in a fence! Plant native plants, they need less care! Use that space for compost and storage! Move the hydrangea three feet and create a nook!). As a thank you we treated them to dinner. My friend was intrigued by our cloth napkins and asked for me to make her some. She can rattle off native plants in her sleep and can visualize a beautiful garden where others see a weed lot but she is in AWE that I could sew two squares together and make a napkin. And, I'm not going to do ANYTHING to lose that mystique.
So, I made these ric rac napkins from the idea here. I'm calling it a 'summer set' of napkins becuase I used light, summery, kid-like fabrics. Mostly so the kids would be excited about the switch from paper napkins.

I was also thrilled about the alternative economy of napkins for landscape ideas---another barter! We've had a couple of those going on lately--a hot meal for a neighbor with a new baby and two days later we were the proud owner of two iris plants; baby clothes and items for a pregnant lady who works down the street at the chocolatier and we landed ourselves a box of gourmet chocolates. I just beam for weeks after this happens and feel like I'm giving the GDP a big 'stick it'!
Overall, it has been a crazy lazy summer. Few plans outside of book reading, bike riding, swimming, and popsicles. It's part of why I've been such a slug about my own barter. But, a few napkins here and there makes me feel busy enough to enjoy the lazy. Know what I mean? I'm going to add these to my barter market, I like making them and think they might interest others, too.

No One is Going to Wear this Shirt

2010-07-08T13:17:00.003-04:00

I finally got around to the 90 Minute Shirt that everyone is so crazy about and I love making my own pattern and it truly is fast but, frankly, I just stink at sewing the collar. It's crooked and wonky and uneven and takes all the fun out of the 'I just made a shirt' feeling. I did get to expand my serger experience, which is lovely. But, again, a bit of a let down when the top is a disaster. I'm not saying I won't try it again but it might take a while to get back on that horse. So, seriously, if anyone is interested in this top...for a doll the size of a one year old, perhaps?...let me know. It's yours...with cherries on top.

Chuppah Making

2010-07-04T14:27:00.003-04:00

I had the wonderful (and much needed) opportunity to attend a friend's wedding all by myself this last weekend. (Oh! To read a book on a plane! To eat a leisurely breakfast with still-hot coffee! To wear shoes with a heel! Wear a dress with absolutely no snot on it! I did all these things and more my friends!) The whole affair was in beautiful Boulder, Colorado and so Boulder became the site of a college reunion of sorts filled with a handful of the amazing, creative, soul-filling women in my life. I miss them already, though it was great to see my family again after three whole days away!

The day before the wedding there was a chuppah making event organized by my friend's mom who is a textile artist and extraordinary quilter. All wedding attendees were asked to make a square with significant objects glued between two pieces of silk. The squares were hung out to dry in the sun on a clothesline in their backyard.
For the wedding, they were all glued to a big piece of silk and hung over the couple. It was stunning, both symbolically, as a fabric filled with significant objects from their family and friends intended to be their shelter, as well as just plain looking nice. On top of all of that drama, a thunderstorm complete with lightning rained down on the wedding. Rather than spoiling things, it actually added a theatrical feel to things and the chuppah became a type of umbrella.

It was such a great addition to the event, I'm been trying to think of way to do something similar on a smaller scale with us. In late august, my husband and I will reach our "10 years of being together" mark (only 4 married) and it seems something like this could be great to incorporate into an anniversary. Maybe?

Isn't it extra beautiful when it is rain-soaked!

Grandma Renie's Freezer Jam

2010-06-23T16:26:00.000-04:00

When my grandmother got wind of our family strawberry picking adventure, she dug up her jam recipe and mailed it to us. My grandmother's jam is not just any jam. For starters, she freezes it (which means less hassle and a quicker cooking time) but also...it is gorgeous. Most importantly, though, are the memories attached to the taste of this jam. Every summer of my childhood we all trooped out to my grandparent's lake cabin with no agenda any bigger than fishing and swimming in the lake. We always wore ourselves out completely without touching anything that included a battery carriage. And, we ate my grandma's good food. How she had enough food to feed me and my siblings and all of our cousins is beyond me.

Her jam was always a staple. It tastes to me like the feeling of waking up with all the energy and enthusiasm of childhood, looking forward to getting back into my bathing suit and scouring the shore for more rocks or beating my cousin to the inner tube. It tastes like the sound of my mom laughing so hard she let out a snort or the quiet, breathy whisper she used when exchanging juicy gossip with my aunt.
When the recipe arrived, I knew that I wanted jam-making to be a family event and I casually mentioned it over dinner one night. My oldest got very excited and kept asking to make jam, MAKE JAM. So, finally we did. He was adorable and is truly a great cooking companion...crushing the strawberries as if his life depended on it and narrating his every move to me the whole time. Needless to say, sharing this with my own child was really special. The passing on of food traditions is one of those things that feels very grounding to me. I feel I'm truly passing on all the beautiful and complicated moments that make up a family history...and sealing them in a jar.
So, here is it grandma renie's freezer jam: (quick note, grandma swears by Certo but next I'm going to search out an alternative pectin just for refining the taste a little. I know, I know, I can't help it.).

-5 cups crushed strawberries
-6 cups sugar
-1 teaspoon butter
-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Bring to a boil and cook for 7 minutes. Keep stirring.

Add envelope of Certo and boil for one more minute.

Then: Grandma's tip--take it off the heat and let it set for a while so you can stir it and avoid the fruit all falling to the bottom. Fill your jars and when they are completely cool, set them in the freezer.

At the end of this row...Market

2010-06-18T15:35:00.002-04:00

Beth from At the end of this row... has posted her lovely market for the barter.

As always, she has luscious items and this time they really run the gamut from a newborn knitted hat, to jam, tote bags, a headband and even a quilt. Do check it out. And, if you are thinking of joining in the barter. Let me know. The more the merrier!

Tigerlily Market

2010-06-15T20:02:00.003-04:00

Here is the market of goods for the barter swap!

I'm just crazy about aprons and have lots of deep thoughts about them and would love to make someone a fun apron. It wouldn't look like this one, which was for my sister, but we can work on the details of the apron if you want to swap.
Of course, baby bibs are always on the table and are nearly irresistible, if I do say so myself.

I would also love to swap for some farmer's market bags like the one below (with either the broccilli or beet hand-carved stamp). Or, I can make these into CSA vegetable bags like this. It's growing season, which is so exciting, it's nice to have some fresh bags for the occasion.

The words can be anything you like, you barterers are probably more clever than me.

Just added! Ric Rac cloths napkins in any variety of fabrics, we can discuss the details.

Also added: My homemade face cleaner, deodorant, face moisturizer, solid perfume (scent of your choice), bug balm, and lip balm. The recipes are from here and are spectacular and I would be remiss if I didn't also recommend that you purchase it and make your own. They are a great, great, great way to eliminate a ton of yucky preservatives from your daily routine.

The Fox Sweatshirt With No Fox

2010-06-12T05:56:00.001-04:00

I found myself pretty busy lately so when I got a pocket of time not quite big enough for sewing anything I decided to freezer paper stencil this sweatshirt for my oldest. But, I didn't have alot of creative energy either. I just made a moon and then used a hole punch for hearts. Not very exciting. Well, this is the story of how it became 'the fox sweatshirt' and dearly beloved.

We sing songs at night--3 before I leave the room and he goes to bed. Sometimes he gets silly and request songs that are made-up. One time he requested "A Fox Song" so I made one up about a fox looking up at the moon and stars and searching for his Mama and a bed of leaves to fall asleep (the made up songs are always about the search for sleep). The song is droning and repetitious and I have to change it a little every time because I never remember exactly how I sang it last time but for some crazy reason he loves it. During the day he even acts out being the fox complete with dramatic facial expressions. So, back to the sweatshirt. When I pulled this sweatshirt out for the big reveal he looked kind of disappointed so I said "It's a fox sweatshirt." and he looked at me blankly so I added, "but you are the fox when you wear it." And, that was it...instant love. Now, it is the GREAT FOX SWEATSHIRT. I'm not sure what the moral of the story is exactly but it feels like some kind of ode to mediocrity or perhaps the lesson is---when the simple is great.

Barter Action, Jackson

2010-06-08T13:41:00.004-04:00

I must apologize for taking so long to post this! The barter is in full swing. Mama-Pan from This is Marzipan is joining in a second time with her same marketplace. Mama-Pan is not only a great, imaginative sewer she is also a lovely person and thoughtful blogger so do check out her great market.

Also, a new friend is joining in, Luiba. (I know, you love her already, right?) She is offering a pre-made amazing item that somebody is going to love to death, a pigorabbit. Yep. Check it out. Also, she has an etsy store filled with lovely items AND she is due with her first child anyday. So, we all get to be a part of that incredible baby build up and then birth experience. (See. Isn't barter nice?)

I know that Beth from At The End Of This Row is going to post soon as well. So, stay tuned! I'm working on what I want to give 'to market' myself. Ah, so much going on. I love it, I love it. All of this will be on the side bar (haven't figured out the 'new page' thing yet.)

This is a picture from a book bought at a yard sale this summer. I'm just in love with it and didn't want a lonely post with no picture. Enjoy.

Let's Go to Market...Barter Style

2010-05-30T20:53:00.002-04:00

Well, thanks to a lovely shout-out from Elsie Marley, there has been renewed interested in another barter market. I'm all for it! Here are the basics of how it works--you decide what you are interested in making for others and post it, then shop around at other barterers and strike up a deal for an exchange...your goods for their goods. People have had lots of great ideas such as making baked goods, bartering for patterns or fabric, etc. Sounds great to me, it just has to be something that others are interested in exchanging with you. It's not really for me to decide, that is the great part...it's a real functioning barter.

(I even made a little barter button you can snag for your blog if you are participating. I'm not technologically savvy enough to have the html but you can click on the image below save it in your files and then add it as a picture to your sidebar with a link to this post, pretty please.)

Here are a few more details:

1) If you are interested, post on your blog what you are interested in making for others (or just tell me with a photo or two of the item)

2) Everyone can view what others are interested in making and strike up barter bargains with each other (or work through me, though it will definitely be faster to go through each other). Really think about what you have made and what it is worth in a barter exchange. Everything should be exchanged in kind, ya know?

3) I'm going to try and figure out how to add a page to my blog where I will add all of the links, this page will be accessible on my sidebar so you can reference all the option at any time.

4) Then we make what the other wants, ship it off and wait for our barter item in return. There is obviously no one monitoring to be sure that you send something when you have received something but not following through on your end of the deal would kind of ruin the whole honor system feel of the thing. So, don't do that.

5) If you don't really know what you want to make, look at what others are offering and decide what it is worth in exchange or ask someone what they might like of the things that you make. Last time we found (a small group of us that did the exchange) the most rewarding component of the whole thing was getting to know each other better, so bring on the blogger to blogger conversations!

For example, if you make great children's apron or adorable little baby hats or whatever else but you would love a cute little bag....BAM, it's a barter!

I said this last time but it should be repeated, especially as it looks like more folks are interested this time around: a project like this could be overwhelming so don't be afraid to limit your barters and try not to be offended if someone says no to your barter offer. Also, every item will have a few errors and a little extra *love* worked into it. This is great! It's handmade!

I haven't decided yet what I'm going to barter this time around. Are folks interested in salad bags for the CSA haul?

It's CSA Season!

2010-05-23T14:36:00.002-04:00

Our CSA food has started rolling in after much anticipation--I've been calling the 'veggie hotline' a few times a week to hear when it would start up. It also means we could go strawberry picking. This is the first year to bring both kids, which means our youngest has the pleasure of sitting in the field and shoving warm strawberries, mixed with dirt into his mouth. He could not have been happier and I have to imagine he is building an iron-mans immune system. In total, we brough home 8 quarts of strawberries, which means I need to phone my grandmother for her 'freezer jam' recipe. I'm not quite up to canning yet but her freezer jam is heavenly and with my new bread making skills....mmm, we are in for a treat.
We are really determined to use our CSA veg to their full capacity. This is the first year we aren't sharing a box with anyone and given that about a dozen heads of lettuce are in this week's box, it means we have quite the job ahead of us. In that spirit, I made these salad bags. A neighbor of ours does this...she stores her greens in terry cloth bags in the fridge, it keeps the greens fresh for longer and they are reusable, quick storage. I didn't have terry cloth but did have semi-gauzy curtains. I am hoping it has the same effect.
I went ahead and used my broccilli stamp to make little labels for the bags, otherwise once the greens are in the bags it is kind of hard to see what you are dealing with. I did finally figure out threading and rethreading my serger machine and got it working (more on this revolutionizing life change in a later post) but it makes bag making so fast and easy it is insane. So far, I have four of these bags and the actual bag-making part took minutes. MINUTES! It's wonderful. I'm in full serger love mode.

Our New Friends Salsy and Malcolm

2010-05-18T20:53:00.000-04:00

Some wonderful new additions arrived last week after a long journey from Juniper, over here. Little C immediately took a liking to the elephant and named him Malcolm, the mischievous bunny became Salsy. We are all positively tickled at their arrival (only partially because the package also included one of the best books ever and chocolate among other things.) but mostly because they are so well made and are such beautifully quirky friends.
In honor of this great gifts and the inspiration I get all the time from my wonderful crafting friends (those I have met and those I have not)--a few favorite songs floating around these walls:

- Laura Marling, Blackberry Stone

-Sam Amidon, Wedding Dress (you have to love a song that says "all she does is just sit and sew" and You Better Mind (with Beth Orton)

Kid's Clothes Week: the final item

2010-05-16T21:05:00.003-04:00

I had to set aside the serger for the day, was getting a little too personal between us. So, I switched to freezer paper stencilling instead. I just went with it on this one, no real plan exactly. Just whimsy. I had so much fun on Elsie's Kid's Clothes Week, I NEVER would have made so many items of clothing. I'm feeling a little tempted to try and make something for myself. I rarely do that, but it seems a little less intimidating these days.

Kids Clothes Week: Days 5/6/7

2010-05-16T06:24:00.003-04:00

I'm proud to say that I squeezed in a button down shirt for our Little C. Made from a skirt I had found. But, not so proud to have spent all of my sewing time yesterday trying unsuccessfully to thread my serger machine. I figured that this challenge was a good time to really dive into getting to know my serger. And, I do think that with an hour today I will have a better relationship with it but there has been lots of swearing. And, absolutely NOTHING has been sewn on it! Argh! [Yes, we are in the bathroom in this shot. Spending lots of time in there these days, which is good in many ways but I hope we can make some progress on THAT as well.]

Kids Clothes Week--Days 1-4/5

2010-05-14T18:43:00.000-04:00

I have really been enjoying all the kids clothes sewing this week, but funny thing is, by sewing for at least an hour a day (I find I often go over once I get started) I am not blogging. Logical, I suppose, but it seems like other parents have clones or something. I am very jealous of their time management skills not to mention their talent (check out what marzipan has been making!). On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I pulled together this little ensemble for the baby. The patterns are both from Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing and are great, though the shirt can get a little tricky with the collar and all. I used one of my husbands old work shirts to make the top and I love how it came together. It's an awesome re-use of what was great quality fabric in the first place. I added cuffs to the Huck Finn pants pattern, I wanted them a bit longer and I liked the idea of it all matching. I don't match my own clothes AT ALL but love when kids outfits are matchy.

And this? It's just an extra photo to highlight how dang cute this kid is.

Mother's Day and now, Mother's Work

2010-05-11T09:31:00.002-04:00

The one thing I asked for as a gift on Mother's Day was a hike. I was positively spoiled in lots of ways and we did, indeed, take a hike. I love outdoor adventures but we haven't done too many since having kids. It is beginning to feel like we can slowly but surely get out for more these days. This one was a complete success.
Little C, our 3 year old, was crazy about it and chattered on an on. We did a 'quick' 20 minute loop that took us about an hour with all of the off-path adventuring we did. I forgot how amazing moss and fallen wood is when you are three. He is learning about his 'five senses' at school and kept saying "I'm hearing lots of birdies! I'm using my five senses!" I just about died.

Now, It's time for Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week! Last night was the cutting and today is sewing! My plan, so far, is to make Little C: one button down shirt and complete a freezer paper stencil sweatshirt and for Little J: one button down shirt, matching pants, one 90 minute shirt, and complete a freezer stencil sweatshirt. I'm not really going too ambitious and not even going that seasonal (I mean, sweatshirts?!) but I'm aiming to just be able to actually stick with the plan of sewing for one hour a day. My gauge of success is fairly low. It helps me feel like a rock star.

The Vespa Shirt

2010-05-05T19:56:00.000-04:00

A while back, before my 'not going to buy things I don't need' vow, I was in Target and found piles of blank t-shirts and sweatshirts in both of the boys sizes. I finally got around to playing around with them. This one, for the big boy, turned into THE VESPA SHIRT. No real reason...it just happened. I made the design using old t-shirts that had interfacing ironed to the back of them. I started by drawing the base picture (using a dried soap sliver) on black before cutting out the design.

Then, laying the next color level behind the black image, I drew on the pieces I wanted green.And, so on and so forth...until I stitched it all together piece by piece onto the yellow t-shirt base. So easy! Last, of course, was sewing it onto the t-shirt. I didn't use a stretch needle or use the serger, the interfacing was sufficient in keeping the fabric stiff enough to be able to use a regular needle and straight stitch.

I actually considered holding off on this project and waiting to work on it until Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week next week. Isn't that sad? I'm just at a bit of a loss, still, regarding what to make the boys for clothes. This idea was like liquid gold for Kids Clothes Week! But, I wanted to get it to my son for his birthday, which is what happened in the end. Yay for my integrity!

Um, I made Bread...so you can be proud of me now.

2010-05-03T09:18:00.001-04:00

It's true, I did. The husband got me motivated. I used the recipe in our Cuisinart book and used the Cuisinart and while I was sure it was going to fail...It Didn't! It tasted great, everyone like the bread and my son still thinks it is hilarious that I punched the dough down. I will definitely be making more and maybe even branching out to fancier breads, but no promises.

Witches Brew

2010-05-01T09:48:00.000-04:00

It's not really witches brew but I'm starting to feel a little witchy with all of the homemade brewing and concocting going on. It is just so addictive to make things myself. They feel more pure and are such high quality but are inexpensive in the long run. Most of the recipes call for use of essential oils and they are definitely the most pricey items but they will last forever, as you only need a few drops most of the time. In fact, I wish they sold them in smaller bottles because I could supply the whole neighborhood with the ounce bottles I've got.
But to keep things on the frugal side, I decided to save old containers for everything I make, which means I spend NOTHING on packaging and save it from the recycling bin. It's amazing what can be reused--like an empty glue stick repurposed as a bug balm stick! So, for my sister's birthday I decided to make her a few things. She is possibly the only person in my world that wouldn't give me a funny look at getting homemade deodorant on her birthday. Bless her.
In addition to deodorant, face oil, and face cleaner I sent lip balm, rose-geranium solid perfume and cucumber perfume (seen below) packaged in an old eye shadow container, which worked like a charm. All sent in a vintage gift bag.

For myself, I also made (using a tutorial from the fantastic notions and threads. thank you!) I made these lavender sachets for throwing in the dryer and making clothes smells nice without the use of chemicals. Then, shazam! I threw in a few toads and flew off on my broom.

Essential Books for Expectant Music Lovers

2010-04-26T20:56:00.000-04:00

These two books: JAZZ ABZ by Wynton Marsalis and The Long Gone Lonesome Story of Country Music by Bret Bertholf were just shipped off to a music-loving friend with a baby due any day. They are, quite possibly, the best books ever for music people of any variety (with or without kids). They are both books with great illustrations that adults can pour over and kids can appreciate, too. And while they aren't really books for young kids, I still qualify them as a super great gift for expecting parents just because they are unexpected and fun.

I'm not necessarily a jazz or country music fan but there is no denying their place as vertebrae in the backbone of music history, right? Plus, what child doesn't need a solid understanding of both Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Honky Tonking?

She Sent Savasana

2010-04-24T14:16:00.002-04:00

My final barter item arrived in the post this week. An amazing yoga bag from Mary Frances at This is Marzipan. It is made of a luscious chocolate linen and hand-embroidered with a whimsical dandelion puff making it's way out into the wind. It's relaxing just to see it in the house. I'm crazy about it all. MF also included a sweet extra (pictured above)--a lavender satchel for savasansa. Frankly, the whole barter experience is one big savasansa. Mary discusses it well on her blog but the best part by far of exchanging our goods is getting to know each other better and having--in hand--things made by people you admire and are inspired by. I'm the type of person to get really overwhelmed by all the bad news out there. I listen to public radio obsessively and frequently I find myself tense and upset, feeling hopeless and burnt out. This little barter (and crafting in general) is a bit of a break from that. A little reminder "people are nice and they do loving things for each other every day." It can bring me back off the ledge. So, thanks lovely ladies. Let's do it again...soon.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T20:02:00.003-04:00

We've been making lots of changes around our house as a result of watching this video, The Story of Stuff. One of these is an easy one--getting rid of unnecessary catalogs. We get a bazillion catalogs (what feels like) every day and even duplicates of some, it is ridiculous. Anyway, a website called Catalog Choice allows you to register and then designate the catalogs you don't want to get. It's so easy and feels really good!

{think of it as saving this tree--the tree in our front yard, one of the oldest in town.}

Treasures

2010-04-17T14:46:00.003-04:00

My mother, aunt and grandmother recently visited us for one estrogen-soaked weekend of fussing, cooking, gossiping and grandchildren spoiling. It was fantastic. On one wine filled evening we got to discussing sewing and making of things and my aunt informed me that she had acquired a slew of vintage sewing supplies when her husband's mother passed away and no one in her family wanted them. And, "Oh, how can I forget"...her husband's family used to run a flour mill had she had authentic flour sacks cleaned and stashed away..."would I like them?" I felt so guilty and certain that there would be actual connected family members upset if these precious things were given to ME so I mumbled some response. Well, lo and behold, just a few days after everyone returned home these gifts arrived in a package on my door. An incredible assortment of buttons and two flour sacks from the 40s or 50s. Oh, lucky me!
I cannot believe the windfall of free, vintage, incredible fabric coming my way these days! It is inspiring me to think about some serious garment sewing, something a little intimidating for me. But the fabric is screaming for it. Plus, it seems to precious to lay around doing nothing but 'stash'. You know?

{The buttons are so fantastic that my son said, "Is that candy? Can I eat some of your treats, Mama?" After he recovered from his disappointment upon finding out they were just buttons, he insisted I photograph him holding 'the candy'. But, as you can tell, I had to hold his hand holding the buttons because he COULD NOT keep his own hand still for long enough. Ah, three is a glorious age.}

Barter Wrap up?

2010-04-17T10:16:00.003-04:00

I had so much fun making baby bibs for my lovely barter partners and I snuck in lots of reused flannel and sweatshirt material for the backing. Bibs are a great bigger-bits-of-fabric-scrap project so I was pleased my barter mates wanted them. I also feel (after making way more than a dozen bibs) like I can crank them out fast, which is a good thing for baby gifts. Please be in touch if you missed this round of bartering and want to get in on the action.

Found Fabric

2010-04-15T22:00:00.004-04:00

Little walk with the baby uncovered some fantastic fabric finds left curbside. I left it all out in the sun for an hour or so then soaked it in a borax-water solution before throwing it in the washer and drying outside. It doesn't have any smell so I think it worked. It previously existed as curtains and ridiculously poofy skirts...got lots of ideas about what it will be next.

Me. And My Stuff.

2010-04-12T14:48:00.002-04:00

If you have not watched this video, do it. Now. It is called THE STORY OF STUFF and it is by Annie Leonard, she spent ten years researching stuff and how it goes from being a raw material to another item in the landfill. The response to the video has been tremendous, to such an extent that she wrote it all up in a book. It has really got me thinking, seriously, about how much stuff I have and purchase. Do I need it all? She goes into the marketing and mechanics behind getting us "the public" thinking we need more stuff. Anyway, it is long (20 minutes) but really well done. Do watch it. It's been haunting me enough that I got to talking with the husband and we decided to dedicate ourselves to consuming less stuff. But, it was all a bit overwhelming. I mean, what about gifts? What about buying (gasp) pretty fabric? So, rather than get burnt out on feeling like we have to do it all, we are starting small...with cleaning. We are using this book:

I've had this book for a while and it has great recipes on making your own cleaning products. (Did you know you could clean your bathtub with a lemon cut in half and dipped in borax!) So, as we use up old cleaning products we are cleaning and saving the spray bottles to whip up our own when we need them. I've always used 'green' cleaning products but every time I replace something I buy a new spray bottle or other contraption and that is ridiculous. It might be 'green' inside but not outside! Plastic is plastic. This (along with the new make-at-home self-cleaning) are all being calculated so that we can also feel good about our budgeting.

Our next step is to make a rag bucket that is accessible and filled with cut up t-shirts, towels, etc. so rather than reach for a paper product we reach for a reusable rag. I've also decided that the boys don't need any new summer clothes and will be scouring the local (and very small) thrift store for shorts and summer pajamas. As I'm there I decided to put on my list a few other things like a tarp for the sandbox, etc. that I might otherwise just run out and buy. It doesn't feel like much but I feel like since having kids I've given myself and an excuse to be a little lazy about this stuff saying "I don't have the time" but Annie Leonard convinced me that these are just excuses, it's time to get up and get to it!

The crazy part is how easy it is to fall back into consuming things. I have had a thought cross my mind that is mildly embarassing but I will share anyway..."With all the money we will be saving I could go out and buy myself something nice from Anthropologie as a reward." I nearly slapped myself! That I should buy myself something to reward myself for not consuming things. That's logic for you.

Self-Cleaning from scratch.

2010-04-10T21:57:00.006-04:00

I've been getting a little obsessed with the recipes in the latest emailorder from Angry Chicken. So far, I've made my own lip balm, tea, face cleaner, face oil, and baby bottom spray. I'm also working darn hard to re-use old bottles for everything I make rather than succumb to the temptation to buy a new shiny bottle and make it look perfect. I'm taking notes, too, about how much it all costs (meaning the oils, castile soap, essential oils and what not) versus how much I save by not purchasing something from the store. I won't divulge the numbers just yet, as I'm still on the depressing side of the ledger. But, it feels good to know exactly what goes into everything I use.

{This is a quadruple batch of the lip balm in a baby food jar}