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

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.

Max's Quilt.

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!

This is What Love Looks Like When Its All Sewn Together

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.

Sewing for Pampered Travel

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.

Thx

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.

Sneak Peek

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

Chuppah Making

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!

End of the week of shapes--my choice..the curly q!

Happy Friday and thanks to ten finger workshop for the week of shapes. Today is my choice, I have a deep love of the curly q...going back all the way to middle school. (In many ways I'm still a middle school girl at heart). This particular curly q is on the bottom of a cabinet that was made in China and is decorated with red and a weathered gold detail, my husband and I are both very fond of it even though as a cabinet it is not very practical or useful.

I'm already hunting around looking at lines and shadow and awaiting Lily's instructions for what comes next. Have to send you all off into the weekend with a nonsense song that has been on my mind lately. Enjoy!

week of shapes--organic seedling

This little sprig holds atop itself the candle my husband and I lit on our wedding day. Funny how this exploration of shapes has drawn my eye to all the mementos we have picked up over the years that define our life as a couple and then a family. Things I don't otherwise really slow down to notice.

week of shapes--squares/rectangles

Day Three in the week of shapes from Ten Finger Workshop. Love these teeny, tiny squares on the back of a door, made for hanging ties we think.
I suppose there are people that would tell me how I could polish this and make it shine but truth is, I like it weathered like this.

Week of shapes--circles

ok, finding shapes around my house is more fun that I thought it would be. I'm appreciating bits and pieces around the house a whole lot right now.

week of shapes--triangles

Another day of shapes. these are our triangles. a radiator.

A chair back. We got this at a yard sale and painted it and recovered the seat. I love it.

week of shapes--stars

I'm joining ten finger workshop in her exploration of shapes in the home. Starting with stars, why not?
This is from a birthday garland I created when my oldest son turned 1, a picture for every month of his first year of life. This is him (and us) at 2 months...he is now a fantastically amazing 2.5 year old but at this time he was a colicky newborn and we were sleepy, overwhelmed new parents. This picture was a rare moment of calm in the midst of all that chaos. The garland hangs in his room now. Thanks Lil. Your week of shapes has already made me take the second glance it sometimes takes to be flooded with memories, the easy ones and the hard ones.

The Barter System

...is my new favorite way of doing business. Ok, not really business but crafting. If a friend ask if I will make them something rather than the usual "no you don't have to pay me. I'm happy to do it, you are my friend" rant. I say "Sure. As long as you make me something." I do say it doesn't have to be sewn, it can be anything: cookies, paper art, a mixed cd, it doesn't matter. Just spend a little time thinking of me and creating something. Spread this love that is the handmade.

I have found, so far, that the reaction is usually a mix of feeling a little intimidated and a little excited. The mind starts racing with project ideas and I can see it in their eyes, they have that crafting moment we all love when you just want to get started RIGHT NOW! Even if all you want to get started on is the shopping part. My deadline is always the same...whenever, it doesn't matter. I have a few of these little barters out there. And, recently one came home to roost. This wonderful handmade bag from my wonderful mama friend in Portland. She got it from Handmade Home and while she says she finds sewing daunting, it is impeccable. It has been used to tote groceries--real ones and my son's imaginary ones, bring books back from the library, and shlep bottles to daycare and back. It's a useful new friend. And, look at how lovely it drapes. Bring it on barter!

When Life Starts Anew...

it is time to take note and start some sewing.

There isn't actually any new life just yet, just lots of anticipation so far. A neighbor and friend is presently overdue and for her I stitched up a nursing cover. Just a piece of fabric really with a neck tie but I added heavy duty interfacing to the portion just below the chin so that she can peek down on baby. It felt like the perfect thing to make with my Amy Butler fabric. (So, just in case you are listening, baby, we are all ready for you!! It is getting to the point that I am fidgety this baby is so overdue.)

I also made some bibs from the Bend The Rules sewing book. I love these bibs, they are a good size and with flannel backing they can mop up a decent amount of drool (drool mopping ability illustrated below). Also, they are relatively easy to make and so can be a little addicting.

My supervisor, an amazing and kind woman with double graduate degrees in social work and divinity (um, yes, that amazing and kind), is also expecting in October. So, I pulled together more bibs and burb cloths using up the last of some of my Heather Ross fabric.

I love making things for babies, seems like the perfect response to all of that incubating and nesting. And, it became even a little bit more profound this week because my wonderful grandmother passed away. She left behind sixteen great grandchildren and thousands of people on this planet that are better loved and cared for just because she loved and cared for somebody else along the line. It all left me eager to greet the new people passing in.

So Many Good Things Coming This Way

It really is true, there are a million good things landing on our doorstep these days. One of the more exciting is this collage, made by my friend Erin of Erin Jane Designs. She had made a collage for our first born so we commissioned this one for the baby.

Look at that sleepy little head surrounded by such happy goodness. Makes me glow every time I see it. Thanks Erin!

And, of course, the season isn't complete without some good, good yard sale finds. Got 8 of these pasta dishes and 4 tea plates. I'm crazy about how delicately the flowers bend around the side of the plate. The same yard sale was selling the strawberry embrodiered curtains below. I immediately thought "apron!" when I saw them and now I have more than enough for the perfect, sweet apron. And, I know exactly who it is for!

And, a few good things are heading out as well. Dear, dear friends of ours are getting married in a few weeks and they really just wanted money so they could have a gorgeous honeymoon in Barcelona. Now, I can't argue with that but really wanted to give them something. So, I made some fun mixy-match napkins and coasters for all of the mixy-matchy dinners that are sure to come.

There is something I really love about giving table linens as wedding gifts. I would guess it's about feeling like I'm at the table with them for all of the great things that happen over a nice meal. But, I also really like the idea of how worn napkins and coasters get and how they get softer and softer in the wash until they are telling their own stories.

Public Service Announcements (including a giveaway)!!

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

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

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

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

A Heart Swoons in a Crafternoon

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

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

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

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

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

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