julieree

hawaiian quilt

2011-09-21T18:12:00.000-04:00

One of our dearest and oldest friends got married this summer in Hawaii. I wish that I could have made the trip, but I think Hawaii might be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing, and I used up my once in a lifetime a few years ago when my parents cashed in all their frequent-flier miles and toted the whole family to Maui for a week. I remember thinking on the dreadfully long flight over there that it couldn't possibly be worth it. And then I stepped out of the airport and said, "oooooh. ahhhhh. yeah, this is totally worth it." It was an amazing trip.

So we didn't get to see Suzanne tie the knot in person, but we certainly wanted to celebrate her big day. And what better way to celebrate than with a bright, cheerful, hawaiian-inspired quilt. Jennie and I collaborated on this project and two twin heads is better than one. I love how it turned out.

We used Denyse Schmidt's Proverbial Quilt pattern for the letters. Jennie and I each did two rows of words and I sneakily gave her the "HAWAII" row because the W involved about 10 pattern pieces and looked mighty tricky. She nailed it, of course.

We picked out the brightly-colored print fabric used in the border first and took all our color inspiration from that, ending up with a rainbow of jewel tones. After we'd pieced the letters, I remembered that I had started appliqueing a Hawaiian quilt motif years ago when we made our trip to Hawaii. I'd always intended it to be a pillow but I had never finished it. The green color worked perfectly with our quilt so we put it in the center. It was meant to be. I obviously started that applique project 4 years ago because Suzanne was destined to get married in Hawaii. Like tea leaves, the unfinished projects that litter my craft room predict the future.

Jennie did all of the quilting. I think I should have her do all of my quilting from now on. It's awesome. She did a large chevron pattern with machine-quilting around the outside, then hand-quilted the traditional Hawaiian pattern on the motif. I just had to look it up in my little book I bought in Hawaii--it is a breadfruit pattern. I love the mixture of the organic lines of the breadfruit with the geometric lines of the chevron. Killer.

I take full responsibility for the piecing of the back, which, frankly, just looks like a big old mess. I used leftover bits of the fabrics we used for the letters on the front, but just kind of sewed it all together willy-nilly. It definitely could have used a bit more planning, but it is bright and cheerful. And after all, it's just the back.

Suzanne's parents hosted a lovely reception at their house in VA a few weeks after the wedding, so we did get to party with the happy couple. On the car ride to VA, Jennie and I sat in the back seat and sewed the binding on the quilt while her fiance chauffeured us. Oh, haven't I mentioned here yet that Jennie is engaged? YUP. April 2012. We have a bajillion craft projects planned and our Mom is planning to make the cake. We talked her down from trying to cater the whole shindig one-handed. This should be fun.

mini-bathroom renovation

2011-08-30T22:15:00.002-04:00

Sorry for my long absence! We've been enjoying the end-y bit of summer, which has been dry as a bone and hot as hades here. (I'm not complaining, though. Weeeeell, maybe I am just a bit. Looking forward to lovely crisp autumn and all that comes with it.) We had a two-week "staycation" at the end of July, followed by a week with my family in the mountains. Now, fully rested and totally depleted of vacation hours, it's back to work we go.

Our staycation was lovely though, full of great food and summer movies and relaxing together. Around the beginning of the second week, I started thinking "my, wouldn't this be a great time to try to renovate the bathroom a bit?" I mentioned this to Matt, at which point he sighed heavily, then gamely agreed to help me. Because he's such a good hubby.

This is the master bathroom, which is remarkably large for our modest, 1920s-vintage house (we think it was added on at some point). The fixtures are all fine, if a little generic. Since moving in, we've talked about doing a gut renovation "some day," and I started a wish list: free-standing tub, vintage-style lighting, hexagon tile flooring. But the reality is that we probably won't have the moola for a total renovation for many years. So we set out to see what we could do with as little investment as possible. The total renovation is still on the wish list, but we wanted to make it a more enjoyable space right now.

I forgot to take a "before" shot, but here's an in-progress picture to show you what we were working with. The floor was a hunter green vinyl sticky tile and the walls were the color of a band-aid. Somebody at some point must have liked this color combo. I'm not a big fan. I knew just changing those two elements would make a huge difference.

We stuck with sticky tile (hee) but chose a light, faux-marble one from Lowes. The colors in the tiles are quite lovely--mostly white and cream but with enough gray and brown smudgy bits that it has a lot of depth. And it hides dirt like a dream. I actually really enjoyed laying the floor, believe it or not. It was like one giant jigsaw puzzle. I LOVE jigsaw puzzles. Matt does not. We realized this after an hour or so, so he took over the painting from that point.

The walls are a very pale blue-gray and we repainted all the trim white. We also painted the base of the vanity a medium gray. I had originally chosen a minty green color that ended up looking dreadful. Just awful. Matt gave me an "I told you so look" and helped me pick out the gray color. Much better. We also replaced the giant frame-less mirror above the vanity with a smaller, framed one that we already owned.

We replaced some of the hardware with shiny new ones. The rusty black floor vent was replaced with a bright white one. We finally mounted a toilet-paper holder on the wall (we used to just keep the roll sitting on the back of the commode...it took me three weeks after installing it to stop twisting around behind me to reach for the tp).

This odd corner beside the shower is where we store our linens. There used to be two large, deep shelves here where we piled all our linens. It was impossible to keep it organized and neat, so we took down the shelves and put in an inexpensive storage cabinet. Now I don't have to stare at a jumble of towels and sheets.

I was going to sew a new shower curtain but then found this awesome one at Target. We also picked up the wooden floor mat and the cheerful yellow trash can there. I like the yellow accents and warm wood tones against the cool gray background.

I don't normally keep fresh flowers in my bathroom but maybe I should. I also hid all my ugly toiletries and only left out the pretty ones for these photos. I maybe watch too much HGTV. Speaking of which, there is an episode of Design Inc (here are some pics) that really inspired this bathroom. I love me some Sarah Richardson. I don't know that I am posh enough to live in any of her houses, but I do love watching her shows. Especially Sarah's Summer House. It is a modern day Blue Castle. (And if you haven't read The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery and have no idea what I am talking about, you need to read it. It is one of my favorite books of all time.)

I had to include this picture because Abby looks like a ghost. A sweet, friendly puppy ghost.

The whole "mini-reno" probably set us back about $200 and a few days of labor. One day we will get our claw-foot tub and ceramic tile, but in the meantime I know we will really enjoy this space.

seersucker shirtdress

2011-07-13T17:56:00.003-04:00

I finally made a Lisette pattern! This is the Traveler dress, view A. I didn't alter a single thing, cut it out and made it exactly as the pattern instructed. And it's PERFECT. This is probably the best homemade garment I've made so far. It fits me perfectly, is super comfortable, and is very flattering. It's even cute without the belt because the shape of the dress is so nice.

I used an inexpensive gray stripe seersucker that I got at Joann's. I can remember my grandma had a shirtdress exactly like this. Except hers had shoulder pads because it was the 80s.

The pattern is lovely and straightforward, and includes some really helpful tips along the way. I learned some new things, such as the clever way of finishing the top of the patch pockets with a pintuck. It's also interesting that this collar is all one piece, so you don't have to bother with a collar band. Genius.

It came together quite quickly--I was able to do all the sewing in one afternoon + evening. My buttonholer attachment was being fussy so the 10 buttons seemed a bit intimidating. But the buttonholer cooperated in the end and I attached the 10 charcoal buttons to finish it.

I'm excited to try the other patterns. The Portfolio tunic might be next.

summer bounty

2011-07-10T11:21:00.006-04:00

Yesterday's haul out of the garden. We are drowning in summery goodness.

Piles of fresh produce are the mother of invention and I have been trying out new recipes in order to keep up with the inventory around here. Matt's Mom brought us blueberries, ranier cherries, bing cherries, and peaches last weekend and despite munching on these goodies all week, I realized yesterday morning that I still had a pile of fruit nearing over-ripeness. Must save the fruit!

So I made a crisp. I almost went with my old stand-by crisp topping (melted butter, brown sugar, oats) but decided to try something new from Rustic Fruit Desserts. I used the almond crisp topping and oh. my. goodness. It's just butter + sugar + flour + toasted almonds but it could not be more delicious. I was nervous because Matt doesn't normally like nuts in his desserts (I know, crazy), but even he pronounced it awesome.

This week we've had so much rain that the tomatoes are splitting open on the vine. I dashed out to save them and then put together this watermelon tomato salad from the August Martha Stewart (sorry can't find the recipe on her website, must not be up yet). I didn't bother with making the basil oil, instead I just tore up some basil leaves. A little goat cheese, lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. Quite tasty.

And this was my lunch yesterday, which was so pretty I had to take a picture. This is uncommonly healthy for me. I had a bowl of crisp for dessert to make up for it.

Now I need to figure out what to do with all this yellow squash. Matt tells me his Memom always made fried squash cakes and called them "croquettes." I'm thinking about this recipe. Paula Deen and fried food--can't go wrong. Any favorite squash recipes?

squares within squares quilt

2011-06-22T18:13:00.000-04:00

The baby quilt is fini, and sent off to Atlanta where it will help welcome a new little baby soon. Although it's for a baby boy, I didn't want it to be too "boy-y" so I went with a more gender-neutral yellow and turquoise color scheme. It's a mix of bold, bright patterns with a few more subtle ones, like the yellow stripe seersucker and the pale blue dot.

The square-within-a-square pattern was fun and quite simple to piece. I didn't realize until sewing all the strips together that because of the sashing there was not a single seam that had to be carefully lined up. Sweet! I had one stray block leftover, so I incorporated it into the back of the quilt.

I did a simple quilting pattern--just straight lines in one direction. I still don't trust my walking foot very much. I need to practice more.

Binding is always my favorite part of a quilt. (Is that weird? Am I the only one?) I love the actual task of binding by hand, and I love the look of the finished binding. A lovely way to finish a quilt project.

Sending wonderful happy thoughts for this new family of three!

my anniversary present

2011-06-15T17:00:00.008-04:00

For my anniversary present, Matt had an old piece of my grandmother's cross-stitch custom-framed. I love it so much.

I found the sampler in the depths of my grandma's linen closet when we cleaned out her house. I don't know when during her lifetime she made it, or why she never framed it. I don't really remember my grandma doing much sewing or embroidery, though she must have done quite a bit earlier in her life. I'm not surprised at all, though, by how perfectly neat and precise her cross-stitch is.

The sampler is made up of delicate little motifs of flowers and animals, all in the most lovely muted colors.

Her initials are in the very center of the sampler. My grandma's name was Genevieve, which I've always thought such a beautiful name. She would laugh because many people didn't know how to pronounce it, and she was usually called "Gen." She died just over a year ago, and I'm so glad to have this little reminder of her where I can see it every day.

I knew that Matt was framing the cross-stitch, because I went with him to the store and hemmed and hawed endlessly over the framing options. I didn't know, though, that he also ordered and framed a photo of us. My brother took this picture of us at our family reunion last year. We're walking away from the camera, and we just look like we're having a lovely conversation. I can't remember if we were, but probably so. We tend to have mighty nice conversations.

his anniversary present

2011-06-14T20:48:00.003-04:00

I made a linen shirt for Matt as an anniversary present. I made it from our "wedding linen," which is what I call the 10 yards of natural linen that I bought last year to use as table runners at our wedding reception. I've been using this linen in projects all year long, and I still have about 3 yards left. It seemed appropriate to make Matt's anniversary present from the wedding linen. And it was one of the few fabrics in my stash that was appropriate for a man's shirt. I need to remember to look for more male-friendly fabrics when I am fabric-shopping.

I used McCall's 6044, which is the same pattern I used for the long-sleeve shirt I made for him this past winter. It's a nice pattern and fits him well, though I think in the future I will make the sleeves a bit slimmer for a more modern fit.

I was surprised by how easy it was to work with the linen, since I've sometimes found linen a bit slippery to sew. (I always think of it as "squigy" though that is not a real word, is it?) In this project, though, everything came together nicely. I love how crisp linen gets when you iron it, makes sewing hems so much easier.

We took these pictures in front of our new flower beds outside the fence. I'm proud of these beds because we created them from scratch. It's all been a bit of an experiment. Last year, we started with roses and clematis on the arbor, flanked by monarda, yarrow, and hollyhocks. The hollyhocks did nothing the first year and are only just getting going now. They have been plagued by rust and are still looking quite spindly. I need to figure out if there's anything I can do for that. This year, I added nepeta, african daisies, and pink cosmos in the front of the bed. I love the nepeta, and it hides the gangly legs of the hollyhock and monarda perfectly.

The one hollyhock that has managed to grow to full height this year is lovely. I need to figure out how to get the others happy, because these beauties are worth the effort.

Tomorrow I'll post about my anniversary presents. I think Matt's superpower is thoughtful gift-giving. He is awfully good at it.

a happy year

2011-06-08T18:08:00.000-04:00

Matt and I celebrated our first anniversary over the past weekend. We popped a bottle of champagne, snapped a picture under the arbor, then walked downtown for dinner. I wore the new dress he bought me a few weeks ago (from Target!). It is a great dress, and I was surprised by how comfortable and flattering it is. It has inspired me to try sewing a Lisette Traveler dress, which has a similar shape. Now I just need to pick out a fabric...

We're in re-adjustment mode this week. Matt's work schedule has changed and he's now working a night shift and, what's worse, our days off no longer coincide. It stinks, and has knocked both of us for a bit of a loop. Neither of us likes change very much, but I know we will settle into a new routine soon. And, it reminds me how lucky I am to have a husband whose very presence just brings me so much joy. I wish we could have more time together, but this isn't forever.

In the garden, we've harvested the peas. They're pretty much done for this year, and we pulled the vines down to make room for the cucumbers, which are running wild. We've already gotten one cucumber, and with the heat wave we're experiencing, the tomatoes are close behind. Two words: summer pickle, folks. SUMMER PICKLE!!

lessons in gardening

2011-05-24T20:33:00.004-04:00

We're having our first little heat wave and the veggies are loving it. The tomatoes are climbing like mad and the peas are coming in. So far most of our efforts have been at least moderately successful. I am still amazed each time I pull something edible out of that garden.

One lesson learned is to sow radish seeds more sparsely and thin more aggressively. Our first patch of radishes was too crowded and they all ended up undersized and oddly-shaped. Luckily they still tasted good. Above is our one perfectly round radish which I photographed carefully, then ate.

It seems that carrots also appreciate a bit of wiggle room while growing, though I found it very sweet that carrots planted too close together will sometimes entwine themselves around their neighbor. We're calling them lover carrots. They have magical powers and bestow good luck in love. I'm sure of it.

We grew four different types of lettuce, all of which came up beautifully. We have realized, though, that we don't actually eat a lot of salad. And we are no more likely to eat salad when fresh greens are only steps from our back door. This is a sad truth, but a truth none the less. So I harvested all the greens last night and took a cooler full of them to work today. I am very glad to have all that lettuce in the happy bellies of my coworkers tonight. I am going to plant okra, squash, and zucchini in the empty spaces. I know we will eat those!

With temperatures spiking into the 90s this weekend, it was high time for strawberry-rhubarb pie. This is my favorite pie of all. Our local strawberries are almost done, but I managed to find a pint of local berries for my pie.

I also finally broke down and turned on the AC this weekend. I always resist as long as possible. But there comes a night--usually in late May for us--when I wake up and the night air is so hot and still and humid that sleep is difficult. So I give up, pad down the hallway, and turn on the AC. It pours out deliciously cool air and I flop back in bed and sigh a most happy sigh.

Welcome, summer, we're so very glad you're here.

ups and downs

2011-05-13T20:02:00.007-04:00

I've been in a bit of a crafting rut the past couple weeks. Isn't it funny how that happens sometimes? Creative inspiration seems to dry up and a few failed projects snowball into a general feeling of frustration and inertia. I'm not sure which is the cause and which is the effect, but it is disheartening.

Last week I cut a simple shirt pattern out of a lovely voile, then decided to go off-pattern slightly and replace the gathers with pintucks. Sadly, the pintucks ended up completely off-center (curse you, math skills!). It looked like the pintucks were sliding sideways off my bust, rather than draping oh-so-elegantly across it. Then I cut the back piece too small. Then I couldn't figure out how to attach the straps. Then I threw the whole damn wad of fabric into the scraps bin. Phooey.

Small and simple projects seem to be the best cure for a crisis of crafting confidence. And it doesn't get much smaller or simpler than baby bibs. I used this pattern to make three infant-sized bibs for a friend who is expecting. They are so tiny!

I used a cotton print on the front and a soft flannel on the back. I added a little hippo applique to one. Done and done and couldn't be cuter.

And for another friend who is expecting (it's high baby season around these parts), I have a baby quilt underway. I love the methodical, repetitive process of piecing a quilt. It's almost like meditation. Most restorative for the crafting mojo.

Rather unrelated, but I got home from work today to find these three beautiful little bouquets sitting on the coffee table. All picked from the garden. Yeah, this husband, he's a keeper.

Happy weekend!

late april blooms

2011-04-25T19:54:00.005-04:00

Spring is galloping along here, aided by plenty of rain and warming weather. The rhododendron in front of the house is just opening up. We've now got a purple + lime green thing happening out front that was unforeseen but is quite awesome.

Last year I planted a viburnum and I killed it. I think he was a casualty of poor drainage. I kept watering him religiously, which probably didn't help. Last year overall was not a good year for me and shrubs, but I am determined to do better this year. I really wanted a white viburnum, so we picked out a common snowball viburnum. I figured "common" might mean "hardy." I didn't even realize until it bloomed that these are the exact flowers that I had in my wedding. Bonus.

The arbor roses are taking off, and I fully expect this year they will make it over the top of the arbor and reach toward the sky. They are called Morning Magic roses and they are somehow akin to the knockout roses which just bloom and bloom. These do indeed seem to have a lot of get up and go. The buds are a lovely apricot pink and they open to almost white.

The snowmound spirea is just budding. This might be my favorite thing we planted last year. It's a petite shrub with delicate little leaves. It branches beautifully, sending out gently waving arms in all directions. It stays pretty all season, long after the blooms fade.

Someone at some point planted some mint in this garden which entrenched itself with fierce determination. I have been methodically pulling it out and replacing it with heuchera of various colors. I can't remember the names of these, I'm pretty sure the bronze one is called "Caramel."

The iris just opened up today. I got home from work and they were ready for their sunset photo.

The veggies are also coming along nicely. Looks like we are going to be eating lots of salads this summer. It really does taste better when it's out of your own garden, doesn't it? Part freshness and part pride, I expect. :)

his and hers aprons

2011-04-23T21:29:00.003-04:00

This picture cracks me up so much because Matt and I are wearing matching crocs, which also happen to match our aprons. I love it. This is a set of his and hers aprons I made as a wedding gift for Matt's cousin. I made a set like this for one of my cousins who got married last year and it's fun to choose coordinating fabrics for the bride and groom versions. The girl apron is from the pattern in Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing, which is an awesome pattern that I have made several times before. I love the silhouette of it, and the little darts at the top give it such a nice neckline. The boy apron I made based on an old half-apron that I have.

The fabrics are a cheerful lemon print and a blue stripe shirting from the stash. The aprons are both reversible and have a Lisette blue chambray on the other side. (Oh, and my Joann's had all Lisette fabrics 50% off when I was there last week. Get thee to Joann's!) I love this chambray and have been using it in all my projects lately. It frays like crazy but that might just be the nature of chambray.

Abby is a camera hog.

Wishing all a very happy Easter! Hop hop.

bookcase lined...and dining room is DONE (for now)

2011-04-18T21:12:00.007-04:00

Neither of us had ever had a proper dining room before this house, but we've managed to acquire some really lovely pieces and it's now one of my favorite rooms. The corner cabinet above was from my grandma's house and I feel so lucky to have inherited it. And every time I open one of the doors on the cabinet, the smell of my grandma's house envelops me. I love that part.

The bookcase is a hand-me-down from my parents that we painted white. For some reason the bookcase never had a back panel on it--I can only assume it used to be mounted flush against a wall and didn't need a back. This has been bothering me for some time, so last weekend I went to Lowe's and bought a piece of the thinnest plywood I could find. The nice Lowe's man cut it to the right size for me and I brought it home, covered it with fabric, and tacked it to the back of the bookcase. I contemplated using wallpaper remnants, but I didn't have any wallpaper. Fabric, I have lots of that. And this way I can switch the fabric out if I want.

I've had this leaf print in my stash for a long time and it seemed like a cheerful choice for the room.

I blogged before about our wall color choice and the awesome hoosier cabinet my parents got us for a wedding present. The rug is a beautiful old Karastan that has been in Matt's family for a long time. I never would have chosen a rug like this, thinking it would be too formal, but once we put it down in the room, it was perfect. The colors tie everything together and look so beautiful. Matt's hometown has a Karastan factory and his grandpa worked there for many years. I am fascinated by the art of carpet-weaving, and one of these days I want to get Papa to tell me all about it. This part of NC used to have an incredibly vibrant textile industry with thousands of mills. Most of those companies are now gone and the mills abandoned, though some are being reclaimed and turned into lofts or retail spaces. Thinking about it all makes the historian crafter nerd in me start to itch. But I digress.

For weeks we've been looking for just the right cabinet for a tiny bar tucked into the corner. Matt found this one which fits perfectly and has two handy shelves inside for glasses and drinks. The 5cent beer wallhanging was another wedding gift that came from the consignment shop downtown. We love that consignment shop. Our wine glasses are hanging from the business end of an old garden rake.

Under the window sits the hifi I got for Matt last Christmas (also from the consignment shop for $40). It didn't have a needle and the volume knob was wonky, but I found someone to repair it for $50 and now it plays perfectly. Matt's collection of albums is stored in an old crate that was unearthed when we cleaned out my grandma's garage. I have been trying to find a second, similarly-sized one because his collection will soon outgrow this one.

The Flatt and Scruggs albums get place of pride above the trim of the french doors.

And I'll leave you with the first peony of the season. He opened up on Saturday to say hello and I brought him indoors before the thunderstorms could toss him around. Is there anything more beautiful?

porch makeover

2011-04-11T21:04:00.008-04:00

The past few weeks we've been working on lots of projects to spruce up the front of the house. Now that the weather is really warming up, we'll be spending lots of time out on this porch.

It's a nice wide porch with lots of room for sitting. We've got quite a hodgepodge of furniture out there--the rocking chairs and metal chairs were inherited from my grandma's house and Matt scavenged the table and wooden sofa on the far end from the dumpsters in his old apartment complex. We've sanded and painted them all so they look bright and cheerful. Matt stained the porch decking a dark color which sets off the furniture and paint colors so perfectly. The outdoor rugs came from Lowe's.

OK, you might have to click this image and view it larger to really see the difference in the before vs. after. (But I've always wanted to do a Before & After photo!) The shutters and front door used to be hunter green, and they are now a lovely smoky blue. It took some experimenting to find the right shade of blue, not too bright but still a nice contrast for the mocha-colored house paint.

Here you can see the blue color better. Pretty! Of course, I wanted to add some fabric and softness to the porch, so I sewed up two cushions for the rocking chairs.

I love the bright pops of color on the dark background of this fabric. The piping adds a nice pop too.

For the wooden bench, I recovered the cushions in a pale green floral print, then made two new throw pillows as well. Natural linen and chambray is my new favorite combination.

We just planted the hanging baskets and pots this weekend, so they are just getting going. Matt put together the combination in the galvanized tub. We're going to have lots of color--blues and yellows but also splashes of red and purple.

One day we'd like to install ceiling fans out here, the nice big rattan ones that spin lazily on a steamy summer day. Ah, steamy summer days--they are coming!

and we have a winner!

2011-04-09T10:21:00.003-04:00

I used the old-fashioned kind of random integer generator--I asked Matt for a number between 1 and 21. He responded with "16" so our winner is lulabelle's view, who is Laura and who has a most beautiful blog. Laura, send your mailing address to me at juliemarieblog (at) yahoo (dot) com. Hooray!

I am going today to cheer Matt on in some kind of extreme 5K thing--he says there will be both slogging through mud and jumping over fire involved. Should be interesting. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

5 + 32 = a giveaway

2011-04-05T22:48:00.000-04:00

I've never done a giveaway before but this is a week for celebrating. Today the good old blog turns 5 years old, I turn 32 years old, and Twin turns 32 years old too (funny how that happens).

It's so funny for me to go back and read my oldest posts--how much things have changed, how much they have stayed the same. I don't think I had any idea when I started this blog how much it would mean to me. But when I think of all the talented, kind people I have met here, and how much the blog has inspired and motivated me to create and explore, I am amazed. And very grateful.

As a thank-you, I'll be sending a box of sewing goodies to someone. Three vintage dress patterns (size 12), some assorted fabrics, woven trim, vintage buttons, and a set of my gocco-printed cards. There is also a bag full of 2" square fabric pieces that I cut for a quilt and never sewed together. It all comes in a homemade fabric box.

So leave me a comment and I will choose a random winner this Friday, April 8. And now I will sing happy birthday to my blog:

happy birthday little bloggy
happy birthday dear sweet bloggy
happy BIRTHday good old thing you
and you smell like one too

xo

duvet cover

2011-03-31T11:41:00.008-04:00

I finished the duvet cover! It's pieced from a mixture of solid linens and cotton prints from my stash. I had originally intended for the neutral fabrics to be more dominant, but I was not very careful with my math while cutting out pieces, so I ended up with more of the accent colors than I meant to include. That's ok. This duvet is very much inspired by one I saw in Lotta Jansdotter's book, Handmade Living.

My process was pretty simple. I wanted it to all be very random, so I cut all my fabric into 7" strips, then cut those strips into rectangles of varying sizes. I sewed all my rectangles into one very long strip, which I then cut into the 80" long strips I would need to accommodate my queen-sized duvet. I then cut the strips the long way into varying widths. Then I sewed all my strips back together. I hope that makes sense. I used an old, very soft organic cotton sheet that I scavenged from the linen closet for the back side of the duvet cover.

You are probably wondering why our bed is in front of a door. Excellent question. We actually have two doors in our bedroom (four if you count the bathroom and closet doors), plus one window in a rather small bedroom. I love our cozy little bedroom but it does make the furniture-arranging a bit tricky. We eventually decided that the bed was best situated as you see above, even though it blocks the door that connects this bedroom to the bedroom next door, which is my craft room. I've been trying to brainstorm an interesting way to hang art on this wall that would integrate the door somewhat and make it appear less odd. If anyone has any ideas, do speak up. :)

I also recently re-covered the headboard I made several years ago. I had this soft striped linen that has been sitting in my stash for years. I love it when a fabric finally finds its destiny. This linen was obviously waiting patiently for me to realize it would make a perfect headboard.

Scout seems to like the new set-up. After almost two years of living together, we two humans + two dogs have finally come to a sleeping arrangement that seems to suit all parties. An unspoken rule that no more than two bodies fit in one bed seems understood by both canines and humans. So, when both Matt and I are in the bed, the dogs sleep on their own dogbeds. If, however, they spy an unoccupied side of the bed, they will jump up and snuggle in next to the remaining human. And there really is nothing more peaceful than having a warm, contented dog sighing happily into sleep next to you.

I wasn't always a dogs-allowed-in-the-bed person, but I am fully converted now. I really do wish they would learn to wipe their own feet when they come in the house though. That would be GREAT.

go veggies go!

2011-03-21T20:14:00.007-04:00

We have a vegetable garden! I think we built the Fort Knox of raised vegetable beds. We can use these well into our retirement I expect. We used the 10" raised bed corners from Gardener's Supply which are supposed to keep our corners nice and square for many a year. We edged the whole area carefully and laid down pea gravel, which just makes my little meticulous heart go pitter pat. We are starting out square-foot gardening style as it helps us think about quantity and variety. We have already put in lettuces and leeks, and sowed seeds for carrots, radishes, mesclun, and peas. We planted herbs in one galvanized metal tub, and potatoes in the second. (Um, please excuse the dog poo in the picture. I really should have picked that up prior to taking the picture.)

We also placed a Mason bee house next to our garden, tucked up under the rose arbor. Haven't seen any bees yet, but we are told if you put up a Mason bee house the bees will find it. (If you build it, they will come.) Anyone have experience with Mason bees? Anything else we can do to lure them to our garden?

The whole garden is waking up so beautifully. We have violets galore.

Outside the fence and surrounding the gravel driveway, we have the "gnome garden" which Matt tends with great care. There are four little gnomes who live here. They are not particularly industrious gnomes, instead they like to take life easy. They are surrounded by great clumps of hellebore, ferns, and daffodils. We received a White Flower Farm "Works Daffodil Collection" as a wedding present which was the most wonderful gift. The collection has a lot of variety in shape and color--and the daffs have came up so strong and beautiful. Awesome.

The gnome garden from the other direction. The hammock and all the bird feeders also live here. It's a most peaceful little spot.

The garden has been capturing most of my attention the past couple weeks (how could it not with spring emerging all around me?) but I do have some sewing projects cooking as well. I bought all four of the new Lisette patterns that Liesl has come out with. SO EXCITING. And I am sewing a new duvet cover for our bed. I am trying to finish the duvet before I allow myself to open the new Lisette patterns. Must. resist. new. sewing. patterns.

btw, there are still three more summer handbags in the etsy shop if anyone is interested!

summer handbags

2011-03-13T22:01:00.005-04:00

I'm funny about handbags--I pretty much just alternate between two bags that I've had for about five years. I'll use one for about 6 months, then switch to the other one. Six months later I switch back to the first bag. This seems to be enough variety for me, since I like my two handbags very much.

But last week I got it into my head that I wanted a petite bag for summer that would be cheerful and easy to carry. Just big enough for my wallet, moleskine, keys, and maybe a paperback book. I based my design off of a bag I made a few years ago as a gift for my friend Suzanne. I scaled it down a bit, but kept the nice pleat detail. I also gave it nice long handles so that it hangs comfortably from my shoulder.

I lined the bags with batting to give them body but still keep them soft. At the last minute I decided to add lines of quilting across the top panel, then I added a pretty wooden button. I bought a dozen of these buttons on our last trip to NYC and I have been waiting for the perfect project to use them.

I sewed up the first bag in one evening, then decided I'd make a few more for the etsy shop. I'd forgotten why I stopped sewing for my etsy shop--making bags assembly-style is a wee bit time-consuming. But I'm really happy with how they turned out, and I hope there are a few other people who will enjoy these bags as much as I plan to this summer.

Check out the bags on etsy:
--Chambray with soft dotted print
--Chambray with blue and white floral
--Denim with yellow floral

two-tone tunic

2011-03-08T18:51:00.003-05:00

I keep thinking one of these days I am going to start dressing my age, but then I get an undeniable yen to sew an uber-cute tunic in a retro floral. The retro florals, they always get me.

This is Simplicity 2922, which is one of the Project Runway patterns. I still can't decide about these Project Runway patterns. I think I like them. Some of them. You just have to get past the dreadful fabric choices and excessive embellishments in the drawings on the envelope. There are some good basic silhouettes in there, and the many variations they provide with each pattern really do give you a lot of choices. On this pattern, there were several options for the sleeves, and I really like the notched cap sleeve that I used.

This one sewed up pretty easily, and the only part I found tricky was the neckband. I can never sew neckbands like this without having the fabric pucker on me in a couple places. But it generally lies flat and the imperfections are not noticeable. The pattern called for a zipper up the back, which I decided was unnecessary in the shirt version (you can also make this as a dress). I just left the top bit of the back seam open and added a button and thread loop at the top.

The pockets are pretty cool though rather strangely engineered into the side seam. I had sewn the side seams as flat-fell seams, but I ended up having to open up the seams again with vents at the bottom to allow room for my caboose. (Twin is modeling in the picture and her caboose region is a bit slimmer than mine.) This was all complicated by the proximity of the pockets. Anyhoo, it was a hairy few minutes but it all turned out ok in the end. Phew.

Twin digs it.

three wees

2011-03-06T20:43:00.008-05:00

Twin and I made three softies from Hillary's book. I've made several of her patterns before and the patterns in her new book are every bit as awesome as the stand-alones. Everything is very well-explained and there is a great variety of projects in the book--including some more classically-styled toys like the teddy bear.

I sewed the bear and I love him so much. This is one of those projects where I look at him and I think "I can't believe I made that." His cute little belly paunch kills me.

His button joints are very cool--they are fully posable and really help him sit up straight. I'd never used a doll needle before, but it wasn't hard to attach the limbs in this way.

Twin made the storybook doll as a gift for her boyfriend's 5-year old niece. She has grosgrain ribbon hair and a freaking awesome outfit.

And a very sweet face.

The 5-year old niece has a brand new little brother so we also made a little red monster for the baby. There was some discussion about whether this is a dinosaur or a monster. I think he's a monster. Regardless, he has awesome green spikes.

We had such a good time sewing these up. We also made homemade fettucine (so delicious and surprisingly not that hard!), watched some Downton Abbey (it's streaming now on Netflix--woot!), and ate a lot of chocolate chip cookie dough. It was great.

first posy

2011-03-04T12:42:00.004-05:00

More hellebores, this time tucked in a little vase to welcome twin, who is coming to visit this weekend. Our brother has some twin friends who, though both married with families, insist on regular and frequent twin time--they call it "twineraction." This twineraction is highly respected by the husbands as vital for the mental health and happiness of the twins. Wise men. So we will be indulging in some quality twineraction this weekend. On the agenda is doll-making from the new Wee Wonderfuls book (I got it for Christmas and haven't cracked it open yet!), Sicilian pizza from our little local pizzeria, chocolate chip cookies, gift- and shower-planning for a dear friend who is recently engaged, and probably a movie or two that our male significant others wouldn't watch if we blindfolded and gagged them. Yippee! Hoping your weekend is full of lovely plans as well.

garden journal

2011-03-02T18:20:00.000-05:00

So, not to rub it in for you northern folk, but spring has sprung here in North Carolina. ahhhhhh, bliss. We've got a crop of daffodils coming up and the hellebore are in full flower. We're dreaming up a new vegetable garden and planning new flower beds.

One of my goals this year is to be better organized about documenting the garden. As a beginning gardener, just keeping track of what comes up when, what tasks I do when, and what plants I stick where is tough for me. I tried using a pretty, hardbound garden journal last year, but found it a bit bulky and generic. So this year I decided to just design my own pages and store them in a 3-ring binder. The first section of the binder is a monthly journal, where I can jot down a short entry each week about the weather, what's going on in the garden, and what I do.

The second section has simple grid paper for plans and sketches. Above is my rough sketch for our backyard perennial garden. We're slowly bringing this garden back from the jungle-like state we inherited--it's still full of phlox and sedum, and I want to fill it up with hostas, ferns, and other shade-loving plants.

The last section will help me keep track of the plants I buy--including details about bloom time, sun requirements, and all that stuff. I tend to just go out and buy whatever strikes my fancy at the nursery, then promptly throw away the tag with the pot. Hopefully this will bring some method to my madness (or at least document the madness in some small way).

I uploaded a PDF of blank journal pages that you can download if you'd like. I plan to just print extra pages as I need them and stick them in my 3-ring binder. I'm hoping the simplicity of the journal will help me stick to it!

Our first big project this year was re-edging the garden beds with river rock. I love it. We also carved out a new sitting area in the middle of the garden. Abby had trampled all the vegetation in this section of the garden so completely in her quest for squirrels that we decided to just give up trying to grow anything here. We mulched the area and added a scattering of big flagstones. With the fire pit and two new Adirondack chairs, it's a lovely spot for sitting.

Wishing you happy spring plans for your garden!

weekender bag

2011-02-27T20:47:00.004-05:00

The Weekender Bag is done! Now I need to make an "I survived the Weekender Bag" t-shirt. I just love the way it turned out though. It has such a pretty shape and I love the fabric Mom picked out. The piping and lining are a simple blue and white ticking which is a nice contrast to the bold print.

The construction of this bag really isn't that difficult--I don't want to scare anyone away from the pattern. The instructions are very thorough and easy to follow, and I really enjoyed the whole process. It gets a bit tricky in parts because the interfacing makes it so bulky and unwieldy. Sewing the main panels onto the gusset was, quite literally, a workout. I don't think I've ever broken a sweat while sewing before, but maybe sewing should involve more sweat (better than tears anyway). There is also a good bit of hand sewing to do at the end to secure the lining inside the bag, but it comes out looking so nice both inside and out.

At the last minute I decided it needed a little something, so I made a little silk flower using this tutorial (awesome and easy). I had bought a scrap of dupioni silk over the winter and this seemed like a great use for a little bit of it.

A beautiful bag for my beautiful mama. Happy happy birthday.

yoga mat bag

2011-02-21T19:18:00.004-05:00

We celebrated Matt's mom's birthday this weekend with some great pasta from our little local pizzeria and then some antique shopping. It was a lovely day. Joan has been doing a lot of yoga lately, so I made a bag for her to carry her mat to class. I used the pattern from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing, and it's a super-quick, very satisfying project.

The bag is constructed like a rectangular sleeve with a drawstring at the top and a handle down the length. Other bags I've seen are sewn as a tube with a zipper, and Lotta's version is so much simpler. Awesome. And it's got a cute little pocket on the front for your car keys or yoga accessories (socks?).

Speaking of bags for Mamas, I am also knee-deep in an Amy Butler Weekender bag for my Mom's birthday. This one is not a super-quick project, though it is an immensely satisfying one in its own way. It's a doozy: bias-covered cording, lining, zipper, pockets, and enough timtex to hold up the wall of China. I love it. And I think the end product is going to be absolutely awesome. I've had this pattern sitting in my stack of to-do's ever since it came out, and I'm so happy Mom gave me a kick in the pants to get it out and start sewing. So more on that soon, with pix. :)

a visitor

2011-02-07T21:22:00.005-05:00

This is Rayley, or "RayRay", as Matt has nicknamed her. She's a 4 month old puppy we've been fostering for a short time. A friend of Matt's rescued her from a shelter with plans to transport her to a rescue organization in New York.

We don't know anything about her life before she came to the shelter; the only clue is a bite-sized chunk that is missing from her left ear. But despite any hardship she may have known, she is a very trusting, sweet, and gentle little soul.

It's interesting to compare her to how Abby was as a puppy. Abby has a seriously stubborn streak and has always resisted her position at the bottom of the "pack." She's scrappy and independent, and was very stand-offish as a puppy. Only recently has she begun snuggling up to me for a nap now and then.

This little puppy just seems overjoyed every time a human or another dog interacts with her. She chases along after Scout and Abby, no matter how roughly they play or how much they pick on her. She burrows in beside you every time you sit down. She discovers every new toy (and, of course, every other thing around the house that she thinks must be a toy) with delight.

It sounds like I've fallen in love with this little puppy, doesn't it? Maybe. I blame her sweet wrinkles. She must have some sharpei in her, since she seems to have enough skin to cover a dog twice her size.

We've considered keeping her. Questions rise up: How big will she get? Do we have enough time to give her the attention she needs, and still do all the other things in our lives that we want to do? One thing I've come to realize is that, like with any endeavor, the more time you invest in a dog, the more you get back. A dog wants nothing more than attention, exercise, love, and a sense of purpose.

I have been surprised, though, at how well the dogs take care of one another. It reminds me that dogs are indeed pack animals and are hard-wired to look after their own. No matter how much Abby and Scout appear to be picking on Rayley, or ignoring her with weary, resigned expressions on their faces, I know they are teaching her how to live in our family.

Whatever our final decision, I have an increased respect for all the kind-hearted folks who work to find homes for stray animals. There is such a lot of heartbreak in this work, and I very much admire the brave people who undertake it.

RayRay says "Happy Monday (and let's go play!)"

birthday season

2011-02-04T09:32:00.002-05:00

Between late January and mid-February, I get to celebrate birthdays for one husband, two mothers, one uncle, and one grandpa. It's a lovely bright spot in the winter.

Mom got coconut cake last weekend, and tonight I'm making a boston cream pie for Matt. During Mom's birthday celebration last year, Abby (who was still quite a puppy in behavior if not in size) managed to eat about half of the chocolate birthday cake. She reached up and craned her snout over the side of the kitchen counter, licking furiously until she had sculpted the cake down to one half its size. One frenzied internet search later, we realized that the only likely effect was an upset stomach. She's only done this a couple times, and she seems to resort to these bad behaviors only when the prize is extra tasty. She's quite a gourmand. She did the same thing to a log of goat cheese I had sitting out for a salad, and another time she licked all the whipped cream off the top of a trifle.

Scout (above) is much too dignified for such bad manners. She just gazes and sniffs longingly.

On to the boston cream pie. Which I will not set on the side of the counter. ;)

dishcloths and home love

2011-01-30T14:39:00.005-05:00

Here is the product of a couple weeks of (admittedly quite intermittent) knitting. Three dishcloths. I think this will more than sate the vague, once-yearly yarn cravings that descend on me each winter. I'm glad I picked such a small project this year, as it is one of the few I have actually finished. I have a whole basket of in-progress projects that have been "in-progress" for about five years. For some reason, knitting and crocheting doesn't seem to hold my attention for very long, though that may well be because I have never concentrated on it for more than about three weeks every January.

For these dishcloths, I used this pattern by Deb of Homespun Living. It was a fun pattern to knit, nothing complicated. I love the texture created by the knits and purls, and I am very proud of my stripes.

Around the same time I was knitting, I was re-reading Little Women. (Beth died. Again! sigh.) One passage in particular struck me this time as I read it. It's just before Meg's wedding, and all the sisters are working to get Meg's new house ready for the married couple. Amy drapes the curtains, Jo stocks the pantry, and Beth makes a stack of dishcloths, among other things.

"People who hire all these things done for them never know what they lose, for the homeliest tasks get beautified if loving hands do them, and Meg found so many proofs of this that everything in her small nest, from the kitchen roller to the silver vase on her parlor table, was eloquent of home love and tender forethought."

I like that very much. That's why I make things. These dishcloths, humble and wonky though they may be, are indeed eloquent of home love.

another happy window

2011-01-24T21:16:00.003-05:00

The new kitchen curtains get a cheerful embroidered gingham. These are done with a chicken-scratch pattern that is in Alicia's new book. I'd never done this type of cross-stitch before, but it is way fun, and so easy. Especially when you use a giant gingham like I did.

And here they are in place. The curtains are simple panels on a suspension rod. I gave them a deep hem, then embroidered the pattern along the hem. (Confession: I've only actually embroidered one of the panels so far...I ran out of white embroidery thread. But this is such a fun project that I know I will come back to it for some highly-satisfying tv-watching/embroidering time.)

We are painting the kitchen AQUA. Here's our sample painted on the left. What do you think? It is AQUA. It's a tiny kitchen, so there is not really much wall space. We're adding a white subway tile backsplash behind the counters, so we'll really only have two short walls that are painted AQUA. All the men in my life are telling me to GO BOLD AND FEAR NOT, so we're going with AQUA. I think it's going to be way cool. I'll need some more red accents, methinks.

happy window

2011-01-20T20:01:00.008-05:00

We have a long wish list for our bathroom. And though I dream of hexagon tile and retro light fixtures and claw-foot tubs, renovations are likely many years away. But one small cosmetic update is making me very happy right now: a fabric-covered window.

One of the best features of our house is the windows. They're all original to the house, so they're nearing 100 years old. They're beautiful. A few years ago, the previous owner of the house installed wooden blinds on the interior of every single window. I have a love/hate relationship with these blinds. They look nice. They're easy to use. I'm sure they weren't cheap. BUT, they cover up the windows! Especially the top, which is the best part. The blinds get dusty and they just seem so heavy visually.

So I am slowly liberating my windows. For the bathroom window, I applied starched fabric directly to the glass. I've seen this method floating around the blogs, and Melissa has a nice explanation of how she did it. It's surprisingly easy. I just used a can of heavy spray starch and cut the fabric carefully to fit.

The fabric is a very cheap swiss dot cotton that I bought for about $4 at Joann's. The dot pattern is subtle but provides just enough interest.

And the best part is that the window lets in so much more light now! Our bathroom is no longer dark and gloomy, it's filled with the most lovely diffused sunlight.

Matt laughed because I insisted on cutting tiny pieces of fabric to fit in the triangular spaces at the top of the window. But how could I resist?

and a girl shirt for me

2011-01-17T17:26:00.005-05:00

I'm trying to channel spring. I think it's working because we've got drizzle rather than snow on this gloomy afternoon. Huzzah! We've had milder temperatures all weekend so today I actually went outside and planted some bulbs. I got a whiff of earth and my brain said "SPRING." Not yet, but it did feel good to dig in the ground for a few minutes.

Anyhoo, this is my first practice muslin for the shirt that will be Liberty. My Mom got me a length of Liberty for Christmas and I've decided it will be a light summer shirt with a ruffle collar. I say this is my "first" practice muslin because I'm not quite happy with it yet. For this one, I used the shirt pattern from the Built by Wendy book, which is a great pattern and comes together easily. I've made this shirt before, here and here.

One of Wendy's many suggestions for variations is the ruffle collar, which I love. LOVE.

I wanted a cap sleeve, so I used the sleeve from another pattern (this one) and stuck it on. I used a bias binding to finish the sleeve, which made for a crisp edge and nice shape.

So the collar and the sleeve are a go. It's the bodice that I am not happy with yet. I want to do something a little more like a tunic, with buttons that only go down halfway. Like this, maybe. Though that placket looks tricky and I can't really get my brain around that. I also want to nix all the darts so I'll have a more modern, straight cut.

Oh, as I was wandering around for inspiration I saw this on Anthropologie. (click on the blue color...see? oooooooh.)

I'll keep thinking. If anyone has half-placket/no-dart/tunic advice, please chime in!

man shirt

2011-01-13T20:57:00.004-05:00

I made a man shirt! It's really not all that different from a woman shirt, is it? Except bigger and with the buttons on the wrong side. I can do that. I used McCall's 6044 which is a nice, straightforward pattern. The fabric is a soft cotton flannel that is very cozy.

I put all the doodads on, including flap pockets and front and back yokes. I cut the back yoke on the bias but forgot to do it in the front. I don't think anyone will notice.

Sadly, I hemmed the shirt a little too short. It seemed worst on the sides where the shirttail hem rises up, so I put little denim bits on the sides. It was actually Matt's idea to use the contrasting denim. You see why I married him? I know.

Handstand approved. I have already picked out a nice soft baby corduroy for the next version of this shirt. I guess "fine-wale corduroy" is a preferable term for a man shirt. As it is a most manly man shirt.

more snow.

2011-01-11T16:27:00.011-05:00

It's been one of the snowiest, coldest winters on record here. Frankly, I am not digging it so much. I didn't move to the south to delight in moody gray skies, make charming snow angels, or wear three layers of wool at one time. I moved here to broil under the sun and sweat through long still evenings with humidity so thick you feel you are swimming. Oh, August, no one appreciates you as I do.

Winter can be pretty. I guess. eh.

There have, of course, been some highlights. Sledding with my entire family the day after Christmas is one. I don't think I'd been sledding in about 15 years. I'd forgotten how fun it is. Hmm. I feel like there have been other highlights. None are coming to mind right now though.

I've taken up knitting as that feels appropriate. I'm not very good at knitting. (How in God's name are you supposed to NOT use your index finger to lift your source needle over your working needle? I don't understand. My index finger hurts like heck though.) I got a Penguin Classics edition of Little Women for Christmas--one of the beautiful ones with the cover by Coralie Bickford-Smith--and I have been reading that to comfort myself. Marmee would not have approved of my self-indulgent complaining, would she? She would lovingly remind me that cold weather is fortifying to the constitution and that hardship strengthens our characters. Marmees are always right.

Stay warm, friends.

lucky me

2011-01-09T14:41:00.004-05:00

I got a cuckoo clock for Christmas! It has a very satisfying tick-tocking sound and the little bird pops out on the hour and half-hour to sing his cuckoos. He cuckoos in this charmingly manic, breathless kind of way, as if he can't wait to get all his cuckoos out.

A little St. Bernard guards the house.

We hung it up in the living room right next to the front door. He sits up high on the wall to accommodate his long chains. I'm still trying to get in the habit of winding the clock every day, but I do notice now when the ticking sound is missing. It's a very companionable kind of clock. Some women dream of diamonds, I dream of cuckoo clocks. And I am awfully lucky to have a husband who understands me so well.

My mom got us this beautiful tapas set made by Jo Lydia and Ian Craven, friends of hers who work in the mountains of Virginia. Their studio is called Craven Studio, and they make beautiful handbuilt porcelain, everything from vases to dinnerware.

This set is extra special because the design on the porcelain is actually an impression of the lace from my wedding dress (which was also my mother's dress). Although the porcelain appears so delicate, Mom tells me it is actually very sturdy. I just love the colors she chose and how beautiful the lace impression is. I'll have to come up with some hors d-oeuvres recipes worthy of this set. Nachos and buffalo wings aren't going to cut it, I don't think.

handmade gift roundup: potholders

2011-01-09T14:07:00.003-05:00

I raided my scrap box for these potholders. I made 8 of them in all for friends and coworkers.

These were very much inspired by the potholder Erin made recently. Except hers has lovely quilting and mine do not. I used two layers of cotton batting with another layer of heavy canvas in the middle, and I worried that quilting such a fat sandwich could be disastrous. So I just edge-stitched these after turning them out and left it at that.

I also did two pairs which I quilted crossways then added binding which I finished by hand.

And that's the end of my roundup. All simple projects, but fun to make. I want to show you a couple of the gifts I received too, so I'll be back with more on that this afternoon.

handmade gift roundup: dog collars

2011-01-07T07:10:00.002-05:00

The dogs got Christmas collars. Of course, the dogs aren't really interested in any gifts that aren't either a) edible or b) chase-able. But they do look so sweet--and I think they knew when I put them on that these were special collars. (don't laugh--I really do think they knew the difference! ok, you can laugh. I'll admit, I've become a little dog-crazy. They're just such sweet, loyal, and joyful companions. sigh.)

This project was much easier than I had anticipated. I bought cotton webbing from Joann's and used some of the ribbon that I bought at M&J on our trip to NYC. I attached the ribbon to the webbing with a running stitch down each side of the ribbon (folding the ribbon over the ends of the webbing to prevent fraying).

I bought two $2 collars from the grocery store instead of tracking down the collar hardware, which ended up being cheaper and easier. I cut the nylon webbing off the store-bought collars and reused the hardware with my be-ribboned cotton webbing. It was way easy.

In case you are wondering what has captured Abby's attention so strongly in the bottom picture, it's almost certainly a squirrel. She just wants to catch one so darn much. We laugh because we can just imagine if Abby could speak, her daily dialogue would run something like this, "GUYS! GUYS! THERE'S ANOTHER SQUIRREL!!!! AND HE'S RUNNING UP AND DOWN AND UP AND DOWN AND YOU GOTTA LET ME OUT RIGHT NOW! WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT THAT COMPUTER WHEN THERE IS A SQUIRREL RIGHT THERE! AGGHHHHHHHHHH! HE'S TAKING OUR ACORNS, MAN! WE GOTTA STOP HIM!! PLEASE LET ME OUT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. AGGGHHHHHHHH!!! SQUIRREL! ARE YOU NOT SEEING THIS?? SQUIIIRRRRREELLLLLLLLLL!"

handmade gift roundup: kindle cozy

2011-01-05T19:05:00.004-05:00

For Matt's mom, I made a little cozy for her Kindle. I found this lovely tropical bird print in my scraps bag and it just seemed perfect. A little summer-y and very cheerful. I paired it with linen and used a turquoise cotton inside.

I contemplated all kinds of complicated features for the case, but decided on a simple sleeve. This ended up being a good choice, since Joan prefers to read her Kindle in the buff (hee--I mean the Kindle is naked, not Joan). So she really just needs something to keep it protected when stowed away in her purse. One layer of cotton batting gives it a little softness and extra protection.

A simple elastic band and vintage button keeps the Kindle in its cozy. Simple is good. :)

handmade gift roundup: hankies for papa

2011-01-02T10:25:00.004-05:00

For Matt's Grandpa ("Papa"), I wanted to make monogrammed handkerchiefs. I had embroidered some similar hankies for Matt last year and I wasn't very happy with how they turned out. The fabric is so fine that I find it difficult to embroider on, and when they come out of the laundry the letters are even more wrinkly than the rest of the handkerchief (which is quite wrinkly).

So I decided to try using fusible interfacing to attach fabric letters. I printed out some letters I liked, transferred them onto the interfacing, and cut them out very very carefully. A sharp x-acto was very handy.

I'm not entirely confident that these will hold up over many washings, but I will be interested to see. I am happy with the way they look, in any event.

Hope your New Year is starting out very fine. Mine has been lovely. :)

handmade gift roundup: throw pillows for Mom

2010-12-29T17:05:00.003-05:00

Mom also got pillows for Christmas. It was a pillow kind of Christmas. Now, I have to confess, I actually gave Mom an IOU for new covers for the throw pillows in her den last year. But I never followed up, and she never picked out a fabric, so it never happened. Happily, just a few weeks before Christmas we went on a family trip to NYC and Mom and I got to spend a whole morning roaming around the garment district. There are not many things I miss about New York, but the garment district is a big one. We went to B&J, where Mom got me yardage of a beautiful blue wool to make into a skirt AND some Liberty tana lawn (EEEEP!) for a shirt. (Wait for it--you'll see these appear in the New Year.) We went to M&J Trimming for buttons and ribbon. And then we went to Mood where Mom picked out this awesome wool boucle for her pillows.

I wish you could feel this material. It is the softest wool I have ever felt. It must have some angora or something in it as well, because as I sewed, tiny bits of white fluff floated all around me. I was so happy with the way the piping turned out--I love how the striping runs perpendicular to the piping. (Trust me to get giddy about piping.)

Mom got four of these pillow covers for her den. And she didn't even call me out for what was basically a re-gift, since I promised her these a year ago.

In some ways, Mom is as hard to shop for as Dad--simply because she is so generous that she's always thinking about other people instead of herself. I guess that's a common maternal trait, but my Mom does it exceptionally well. She has taught me so much about sewing and fabrics, and her encouragement over the years has been the biggest driver behind my creativity. How do you thank someone for that? Handmade pillows is a start I guess.

handmade gift roundup: VW pillow for Dad

2010-12-28T21:37:00.005-05:00

I actually got all of my handmade Christmas gifts completed before Christmas! This is quite a feat for me. I tried to scale back my expectations as the day approached, which helped a great deal. I also postponed completion of all of Matt's handmade gifts as he has a birthday in February (very convenient).

The first project I completed was a pillow for my Dad.

All through my childhood, my Dad took us kids on a three- or even four-week long camping trip every summer. On these trips, we traveled all across North America, as far north as Newfoundland and as far west as the Pacific. We saw most of the biggies among the national parks--we camped in Yosemite and Yellowstone, we hiked around the Grand Canyon, we touched Mt. Rushmore. We spent countless hours driving across the country, watching the landscape change before our very eyes, puttering up mountains and across wide plains. As a kid, I took these trips rather for granted. But now, looking back, the sum of all those trips--the impact they had on my childhood--is amazing to me. I have seen so much of this beautiful country and spent so many wonderful times with my Dad. There are a lot of reasons I think my Dad is the best father in the world, but the fact that he took three kids (often unwilling, ungrateful children who whined about "why we had to camp so dang much") on these amazing trips tops the list.

This pillow commemorates the last big trip we took. The summer Twin and I graduated from college, she, Dad, and I went all the way to California in my Dad's VW Vanagon. All along the trip, I collected iron-on patches from gift shops. These patches have been sitting in one of my memorabilia boxes ever since, so I pulled them all out before Christmas and made a pillow for Dad. I used Heather Ross's awesome VW bus print and embroidered some Arlo Guthrie lyrics on the front. (Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Simon & Garfunkel and the Beatles made up the bulk of our soundtrack for these trips.)

In terms of specs, the pillow also sports snazzy striped piping and a lapped zipper (thank you Erin for the tutorial!).

My Dad is a tough one to shop for, but I think this was a hit. It certainly brought back a lot of wonderful memories for me as I made it.

decked

2010-12-16T17:05:00.004-05:00

Everything is looking very cheery in our little living room. This is our second year with a live tree and I love it so very much. Last year I was a bit heartbroken because I dropped my beloved blown-glass treetopper as I was putting away the Christmas decorations. It was smashed beyond repair, so we didn't have a tree topper when we put up the tree this year.
Then one evening, Matt noticed my little angel figurine on the mantel and said "well, isn't she a tree topper?" Yes, yes of course she is! I inherited this angel from my great-aunt and I never realized (duh) that she is made for the top of a tree. So now she is sitting atop the tree, looking just perfect.
I made the stockings for us last year from Alicia's wonderful pattern. I have her new book on my Christmas list, and I am looking forward to some embroidery in the new year. I also want to hone my knitting skills. Honestly, there are so many things on my crafting to-do list that I don't know where to start. And that's not even to mention the long list of gift crafting I had planned to do, and which I am quickly running out of time to complete. Oh well. My family is very accustomed to receiving IOU's from me for homemade gifts. I usually deliver at some point.

I am feeling extraordinarily blessed this year. And very grateful. I don't know if I'll get another post in before Christmas, so I'll go ahead and wish everyone great peace and joy, however you celebrate this time of year. Go have a cookie and some eggnog right now! Cheers!

quilts given and received

2010-11-21T08:41:00.004-05:00

Twin gave me a beautiful quilt as a wedding gift. It's now my faithful tv-watching sofa blanket--if I am on the sofa, chances are pretty good that I am under this quilt. It's the perfect size, and so pretty.
It's made mostly of Joel Dewberry fabrics. I love the mixture of floral prints and geometric ones. The best part is I can tell how carefully Twin picked out these fabrics with me in mind. They are the kind of colors and prints I love best, and she got it just right.
I love how the back is pieced with larger pieces of the different prints. I am always too lazy to piece the backs of quilts, but it's so worth the effort.
And this is a snowball quilt that I made for Matt's mom last Christmas. I'd never made a snowball quilt before, but it was a fun pattern to sew. It's one of those patterns where you get the visual impact of curved seams, without actually having to make any curved seams, because the octagons read as circles from a distance. I think to truly get a "snowball" effect, I should have made my squares smaller, but if you step back far enough, my snowballs do look pretty much round.

I used polka dot binding. I love binding, it's always my favorite part.

I'm about halfway through piecing the blocks for a new quilt for Matt. It features gnomes, and I am very excited about it. Am hoping to have it finished by Christmas, though I'm not sure it's going to happen. Luckily he has a birthday in February, so if I miss Christmas, I can just say that I was always intending it to be a birthday present anyway.

advent calendars on etsy!

2010-11-10T19:46:00.008-05:00

For the past few years, I've been making these pyramid garlands as an advent calendar. I fill them with good dark chocolate and I munch my way through December. They look so very cheery hanging from the mantel, though I used to hang them between two bookcases in the days before I had a fireplace.

This year I've come up with an improved template and two new designs. And if you'd like to have a forest of little pyramids of your very own, now you can purchase the kit on etsy! I'm selling them as PDF downloads--you just print and assemble. I will admit that by the 24th pyramid, your scissors hand will be a bit sore. But it's so worth it in the end, to see your little line of trees appear.

The "Starry Trees" design is new, and I love the way it looks hanging from this fallen branch. It was very odd--I had this vague notion that a tree branch would look cool, so I walked out into the backyard and immediately picked up this branch. Perfect size, knobby branches, lovely bark color. The stars are obviously aligned for the Starry Tree Advent Calendar.

The Mod Trees design is similar to the classic one I first made a few years ago. Lime green and red is about the perfect combination.

And I will point out that a Lindt truffle fits perfectly inside a pyramid. I alternate the white chocolate with the dark chocolate. One of these years I am going to tuck in little notes or toys instead of chocolate. Maybe. Probably not.

Happy counting down!

pillow challenge

2010-11-09T20:33:00.002-05:00

Erin's Pillow Week Challenge has me thinking pillows. One of my friends in college had a roommate from France who would always pronounce "pillow" as "peeeeeeellow" in a very charming way and so that is how I always pronounce it in my head. (Sometimes it slips out in conversation too and then people look at me funny.) But I do love making new peeeeellows for my house. I have a little stack of homemade covers that i have made over the years and I swap them out as the season or my mood demands.

I made two patchwork pillows over the summer out of leftover fabrics from the wedding. I had collected a pile of old vintage sheets from thrift stores to use as table coverings, and I wanted to create something out of the fabric afterward as a keepsake for my mother and aunt. I alternated a square of vintage print with a calm gray linen. I actually inserted zippers into these as well, which I rarely take the time to do. (Though Erin's method looks so easy I might be doing it more often!)

I also wanted something new for the sofa with cooler weather approaching, so I sewed two of these linen pillows. I had two small scraps of this floral print from Globalweave Textiles that I bought a couple years ago from Purl. I just did a simple envelope enclosure in the back. I contemplated piping, and then I wussed out.

In case you're interested in past pillow projects from the archives, check out my coloring book pillow, tuxedo pillow, and rainbow pillow. Isn't it funny how when you have a blog you name all your projects...it does make them more memorable I guess.

I have had new dog bed covers on my list for ages, so hopefully this week I can get going on those. I bought an awesome plaid flannel that I think will be perfect. (Matt is lobbying for a new puppy and when I showed him the fabric his response was, "aw, a little black lab puppy would look great on that.") I think we're going to resist a new puppy for now, but I am determined that the new dog beds will have piping. Red piping. Gonna get on that pronto.

Thanks Erin for the peeeeeellow challenge!

halloween 2010

2010-11-02T12:57:00.007-04:00

BOO! Halloween is probably Matt's favorite holiday. He loves zombies, monsters, ghosts, flesh-eating piranhas, really anything that is creepy or grotesque in an entertaining sort of way. I, on the other hand, am a total chicken. But I am trying to be supportive. We have yet to find a horror movie that I can watch, but we are going to keep looking.

I made this linen mask for Matt, sewed the mouth up crudely, and painted the edges with fabric paint. When we moved into the house, we actually found a scythe in the shed (along with an old-fashioned plow), so that came in handy.

Jennie carved the pumpkin on the top step using the tutorial from last week's DesignSponge post. She used linoleum-cutting tools, which proved a challenge. It was difficult to carve deeply enough with the tools so that the light showed through. But the carving is so delicate and pretty.

For this wee white pumpkin, we got out the drill and drilled a ton of little holes in it. At first it looked like swiss cheese, but once it was lit up, it looked more like a starry night sky.

We had fun. We have too much leftover candy, though. It's all downhill from here, straight to Christmas. Might as well enjoy the sweet season.

crunchy leaves and blue blue skies

2010-10-30T12:07:00.004-04:00

I took these pictures near Boone, NC. Twin and I drove up onto the Parkway for a late afternoon hike, and all the colors were so beautiful. I'm a summer girl, but autumn can be awfully nice too.

We're in full Halloween mode this weekend. Twin and her boyfriend are visiting, and although today is devoted to football, tomorrow afternoon is all about the pumpkin carving. I saw an electric pumpkin-carving tool at Lowe's. Have you seen this? It looked like an electric screwdriver and it came with all kinds of different tips to carve various effects. I almost bought it, but decided we'd do it the old-fashioned way. It seems a bit excessive to use a power tool to carve a pumpkin.

These Halloween shirts are a gift that recently went to two of my best friends, who now live in Texas. This summer, they became foster parents to three little boys (5 mos, 2 yrs, and 10 yrs). Almost overnight, they became a family of five. I can't even really imagine the challenges and joys of this experience, but I am so proud of my friends.

The t-shirts were freezer-paper stenciled. The little boys got cute monsters and their older brother got a zombie. Because who doesn't love a zombie?

Hope everyone has a most spooky and merry weekend!

a dollhouse for two both

2010-10-20T19:09:00.005-04:00

Twin and I made a dollhouse. Eeee! It's the Coventry Cottage from Greenleaf. I have been contemplating these dollhouse kits for the past couple years, thinking it would be really fun, but also worried people would think I am a little crazy. Seeing as I already play with dolls and am a grown woman with no children. However, when I mentioned it to Twin she just said "That sounds fun!" as I knew, of course, she would. Because she's cool like that.

We spent two weekends on the house. The first weekend, we stained, primed, and assembled the main parts of the house. We also painted both interior and exterior. These kits are not for the faint-hearted. Luckily Twin and I have great attention to detail (aka nitpicking perfectionism), so this was great fun for us. I can see how some people get really into miniatures. And there are people who are really into miniatures. I browsed a few dollhouse forums online and these people are serious. I could totally see myself being one of those people.

The second weekend, we shingled the house, put together the furniture, and made all the interior furnishings.

The Coventry Cottage is one of Greenleaf's smaller kits, just two rooms downstairs and an attic. We made the upstairs a bedroom. You can see here that we never got around to shingling the back sections of the roof. We ran out of time, you see. But we'll get to it.

In the living room, we wallpapered one wall with some William Morris wrapping paper that I have had forever. We didn't really know what we were doing, so we just slapped it on with Mod Podge. Is there anything that Mod Podge can't do?

Almost all of the furniture was included in the kit, though we did pick up a few little pieces from a local craft shop. The cuckoo clock is one of my favorite details. I want a cuckoo clock in my real house one day.

The kitchen got red gingham curtains and a cheerful tablecloth. The men in our lives have been very supportive of our dollhouse efforts, good men. Matt even found the Shaker cabinet at the craft store and brought it home to us. I love it.

Twin made the teeny tiny cushions for the easy chairs. She concluded that sewing tiny cushions is challenging, and sewing tiny, perfectly round cushions is nearly impossible. And yet they look perfect. We ruminated on the best method of hanging curtains for quite a while and then ended up just hot-gluing them straight to the wall. Seemed to work just fine.

And below is a slideshow with a bunch of in-progress pictures. We aren't crazy, are we? Or maybe we're just crazy in a good way. I'm gonna go with that.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

one year of gardening down

2010-10-14T20:23:00.006-04:00

Now that we have been in our house for a full year, it's exciting to see how our efforts have altered the overall look of the house, and also to daydream about all things we'd like to do in the future. Of course it's a little daunting this time of year, seeing aaaaaaall those leaves fluttering down. (Really? We have to deal with those leaves again? Already?)

Matt and I might just be the perfect yard maintenance team. I get to fuss around with the flowers and pretend I am the master gardener, while he does all the real work. It's a very good deal for me. He keeps the grass just so, trims all the edges just so, deals with our mountains of leaves, and whistles while he's at it. I've never really thought about it, but gardening is like any work of art. The shapes and colors and balance are important, but it will all look like crap if everything runs together willy-nilly.

Monday, Matt was home from work (he got the day off, the stinker) and when I came home, I saw that he had worked his magic. You see, he apparently has a magic wand that blows away the leaves, trims away the weeds, and neatens all the edges. Who am I to question his magical ways, or discover the source of his power? It is best left to the imagination, I think.

He even took down the two spindly cedar trees that had been choked by neighboring trees into a brown, half-living state, and which I have been eyeing unsympathetically for the past year. I can't tell you how happy this makes me.

I have so many plans. We need ferns, hostas, solomon's seal, bluebells, and muscari in our shade bed. We need azaleas, rhododendron, asarum, and arum in our wooded border. We definitely need more vines on our fence -- carolina jessamine and star jasmine. We're planning a new sun perennial bed in the front yard. (I haven't even explored sun-loving perennials yet.) I dream of japanese maples and cherry trees.

All in good time. For now, I am learning to care for what is here. I divided my first perennial this past weekend, and I think it went well. I want to raise some succulents indoors this winter. We're researching vegetable gardening.

I do love our patch of earth. Even more than I thought I would.

P.S. The new season of This Old House started this weekend on PBS. I love that show SO DARN MUCH. They are working on this odd-duck of a house from the 1940s on the Charles River. In the first show, they busted up the old boiler and discussed asbestos abatement and river conservation. Among other things. It is all so fascinating. You should check it out.

mandy gets new togs

2010-10-12T20:33:00.006-04:00

Lately I have been wanting to sew some clothes. But I couldn't figure out what to sew, or what fabric to use. I pulled out all my patterns and sat in front of the fabric stash and waited for inspiration to strike. And it just didn't. I'm still not so good at sewing garments that it doesn't seem an Endeavor (with a capital E) each time I start one. I couldn't muster the creative energy.

But then I remembered Mandy. She has been sitting patiently in the corner of the craft room ever since I bought her. (Was that really two years ago? egads.) I had promised her a whole new wardrobe and I hadn't produced so much as a stitch. But dolls are very forgiving. She is still just smiling away at me, so prettily.

I sewed pants! I've never made pants before. Turns out it is not so hard after all, particularly when they are sized for a 16" doll. I have some corduroy pants just like this that I cherish to an extent that is rather excessive. But they are the perfect pants, so Mandy needed some as well. The shirt was fun to sew, especially all the little details, like the tiny buttons that cover snaps underneath.

Her second outfit. She is obviously ready for prep school here. I had some issues with the collar that I covered up with trim. Matt laughed because I styled her hair differently for each outfit photo. Well, of course I did.

She needs a nightgown. The Mandy doll that I had growing up had a flannel nightgown with pink rosebuds that my Grandma sewed. I also have a scrap of baby blue wool houndstooth that is just asking to be made into a jacket of some kind. If I can figure that out. Wait for it.

fall wreath

2010-10-07T20:18:00.003-04:00

I saved a bunch of hydrangea blossoms from the wedding and hung them upside down in the attic. The blue ones didn't dry so well, but the enormous white ones dried beautifully. In fact they are just as beautiful dried as they were fresh I think. I pulled them all down from the attic this weekend and put together a new wreath for the front door.

I love the way it all looks rather fall-y, with the browns and whites and just a touch of green. It was very easy to put together, though some of the lovely, small brown leaves were very delicate and kept falling off the stems the moment I touched them.

I picked up the brown dried flower/seed pod things at Michaels. I went in thinking I would get fake berries for a bit of color, but dried flowers are expensive! Even the ones at Michaels. So I contented myself with the three brown flowers and thought that would be enough of an accent.

Here they are close-up. And those are the very delicate brown leaves which will probably be blowing away off my wreath very soon. I need to spray the whole thing with some kind of fixative (hairspray?) to help it last.

It has all of a sudden turned to autumn here. We've had some cold nights, and we've turned on the heat. Planning to decorate for Halloween this weekend. The pups and Matt have been enjoying the football. The dogs are rapt, can't you tell? To them it's just pack nap time, and they love it.

painting books

2010-09-29T20:07:00.007-04:00

When Twin graduated from her library science program, I painted a set of bookcovers depicting her most beloved books. I had the idea after seeing the artwork of Jane Mount, who has done an awesome series of paintings called the Ideal Bookshelf. I loved the idea, so I asked Jennie to give me a list of her nine favorite books of all time. I ran out of steam after the first six, but I still think they are a pretty cool display. Christmas Carol was one of my favorites to paint. I found an image of an old vintage copy online with Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig dancing. This Rough Magic is one of our beloved Mary Stewart books. Jennie and I have loved every single one of her books, since the day long ago when Mom first put one in our hands.

The Blue Castle is by L.M. Montgomery--one of her few stand-alone novels. Tells the tale of a spinster who has given up hope of finding love. (But don't worry, it's actually very funny.) Horton was a book that was read and re-read to us by our mother. "A person's a person, no matter how small."

The Frog and Toad books, on the other hand, were always read to us by our father at bedtime. And of course, we had to include a Jane Austen. Funny how Twin's list of favorite books would be nearly identical to mine. Or maybe not so unexpected. The books that are most dear to us are the ones that have been our friends for many years.

Here they are all together. I am not much of a watercolorist, but I really had fun making these. And hopefully they will help liven up Twin's new office, now that she is a really-truly librarian, all official-like.

thanking twin

2010-09-18T18:52:00.005-04:00

This spring my sister finished her graduate degree, which meant it was time for her to find a real job again. After a few months of suspense, she is now happily settled with a great job in a new town. I'm happy because she's only about a 2-hour drive, farther than I would like but certainly tolerable. Before she moved, I made this stationery set as a thank-you gift for all the help she gave me during the crazy wedding preparations.

I printed the cards with my gocco. Does anyone know if gocco screens go bad after time? Because I had a time of it making these. I've always had such great results with my gocco, but this time my image did not transfer well at all--they printed with what looked like a spatter of paint across the design. I think I wasted at least three screens trying to get these to print properly. It was rather frustrating.

Anyhoo, I finally got a tolerable print, and then I made a bunch of little stickers to go with the cards. I printed these on my inkjet printer, onto sticker paper. Then I punched them out with a 1" circle punch. Some of the stickers have her return address or her initials and the rest just have a little dahlia on them. The little tins fit so perfectly in the box, I was very excited. I have a ton of these tins in different sizes and I use them to hold little sewing notions like snaps and hook and eyes. I can't remember now where I found them, but if anyone would like to know I think I could figure it out if I tried.
I bought the cigar box at Michael's (the Angry Chicken put me onto these--she has made several gifts using these boxes). I lined the bottom and lid of the box with fabric for a splash of color. I just cut a thin piece of cardboard to the right size then wrapped the fabric around and glued it on with ModPodge. I also used ModPodge to attach the fabric into the box. I painted a simple little dahlia on the top of the box. Lots of red for my beloved Twin. xoxo

dark gray

2010-09-12T20:27:00.004-04:00

As nice as all the paint colors were in this house when we moved in, we have, of course, decided we needed to repaint almost every room. We can't help it, we're first-time homeowners. We have lived too long in beige apartments. The previous owners of this house must have had an affinity for warm colors like mustard yellows and salmon pinks. They were not bad colors (except maybe the coral pink sunroom), but not what I would have chosen.
The dining room used to be about the same color as a Band-Aid. After this weekend, it is a deep gray. I love it. The big windows keep the room bright and cheery, and the white trim is such a nice contrast.
My parents bought us this beautiful hoosier cabinet as a wedding gift. It has a flour sifter to one side and a tin bread drawer below. I painted it yellow which did not go with the Band-Aid walls, so we decided to go with gray. It's called Mushroom, and it's from Martha Stewart's paint line at Home Depot. We hadn't used this paint before, but were really happy with it. Went on very smooth, and covered well.

I think Abby likes it too.

We've had the most gorgeous weekend here. Not really fall-like, yet. But not hotter than Hades. Really very delightful. Hope you've had a lovely weekend where you are too.

one year

2010-09-08T20:12:00.004-04:00

Flowers to celebrate one year in our new home. We have painted five rooms, and bought paint for one more (this weekend's project). I have planted new shrubs, and only killed about half of them. We hosted Thanksgiving and then a whole wedding. I have a husband who actually enjoys mowing the lawn (my hero), and a garden that has produced a surprising number of beautiful blooms. Home ownership so far has been very sweet. (I just jinxed myself and fully expect a tree limb through the roof or a failed water heater shortly).

The mums above came from the grocery store but the Autumn Joy sedum and caladiums came out of the garden. It's lovely to have some plants that actually thrive in the hottest and most humid days of our NC summer. Everything else is drooping but the sedum and caladium are loving it. Bless them.

crafty wedding projects

2010-09-04T20:10:00.007-04:00

For the party Saturday, we strung fabric garland all around the house and fence. I picked up about five or six vintage sheets from the thrift shop, and Twin helped me cut a bazillion triangles, which she then sewed onto 1/2" seam binding. We just stapled them up all around the house.

I made a sign out of some old picket fencing that we had taken down in the spring.

Twin also helped me make hand fans for the party. I ordered the wooden paddles online (they look exactly like the paint stirrers you get at the home improvement store when you buy paint), and we sandwiched the stick between two layers of thick paper.

On the back of the fans, we covered the paper with different vintage fabrics. We also varied the images on the front of the fan, using all the different icon pairings from the invitations.

The fans definitely came in handy, as it was a bit hot the day of the wedding.

We had wanted an old-school photo booth, but it turned out to be too pricey. So we got creative and instead had a makeshift photo booth using Polaroid's Pogo camera, which is a digital camera that prints images on smallish stickers. We rigged up a large piece of fabric as a backdrop for the photos, then asked folks to take pictures of themselves and leave us a note.

the food

2010-08-29T11:11:00.009-04:00

My mom was the superhero with the food. Above is the menu from the party Saturday night, and it was all incredible. Matt laughs at me because whenever I cook (even if it's just for the two of us), I always cook enough for about three times as many people as I am actually serving. I get this directly from my mother, who will stay up half the night worrying after a big family dinner if one of the dishes actually gets finished..."someone might still have been hungry!"... Despite our tendency to overcook, we were still mighty nervous about preparing enough food for 100 people. But with the help of many kind friends, it all turned out amazingly well. We had a huge gas grill for the ribs and bbq, and my mom made enough of her famous dinner rolls for everyone to enjoy both nights--with plenty to spare, of course. (I think she made about 8 batches and froze them all in the weeks before the wedding.)

I ordered bamboo plates and flatware, and we used Mason jars for all the drinks--jelly jars for wine, half-pints for beer, tea, and lemonade. We made a bourbon raspberry lemonade that was a big hit, and I've been drinking it all summer since the wedding. (very easy: 1 part bourbon, 2 parts ginger ale, and 2 parts raspberry lemonade)

We decided against a wedding cake, and instead asked close family and friends to contribute a dessert. The dessert table ended up looking like a county fair bake-off (the picture above is before about half the desserts arrived). We had pies: strawberry-rhubarb, blueberry, apple, and sweet potato. We had cakes: coconut, lemon bundt, chocolate pound, and honey bun. We had a huge banana pudding, and my mom made her trifle. There was blackberry cobbler and chocolate ganache tarts. And I'm probably forgetting something. It was amazing. And I think everyone appreciated the opportunity to contribute, and it made it so special. Not to mention freaking delicious.

the flowers

2010-08-19T19:49:00.002-04:00

The flowers were so much fun! Our house was like one huge bower. We had flowers coming out of our ears. My mom and my aunt did the flowers themselves, and it all turned out so beautifully. Since we were having a pretty informal wedding at our house, I wanted a cottage-y feeling, and we used lots of hydrangea, peonies, viburnum, and roses.

My mom ordered the flowers from a wholesaler and my aunt did all the arrangements, four hydrangea wreaths, my bouquet, six attendant bouquets (I didn't technically have attendants, but I wanted my sister, two best friends, the mamas, and the grandmama to have a small bouquet), and six boutonnieres. In retrospect, it's hard to see how she did it all. Who needs a team of florists when you have one superhuman and supertalented aunt?

Here's Aunt Ann working on my bouquet, which had pale blue hydrangeas, white lisianthus, grape hyacinths, viburnum, freesia, and Sweet Juliet roses. Sweet Juliet is a David Austin rose that we first encountered on a trip to England. It has a soft, sweet, almost lemony scent and we all have such good memories of discovering it in some picturesque English garden (though now I can't remember where we were...Sudeley Castle maybe?)

It's funny, I don't have that many pictures of me holding the bouquet, because pretty quickly after the ceremony I traded in the bouquet for a glass of champagne. Ann also put together the flowers for my hair, it's a lisianthus and (I think) some freesia.

The mamas had violet sweet peas, roses, queen anne's lace, and viburnum.

Matt's boutonniere had a green button mum, a tiny grape hyacinth, a sprig of Queen Anne's Lace, and those berries that I can't remember the name of. We used a hosta leaf out of the backyard.

I know some people don't care for mophead hydrangeas, but they just speak of summer to me. We had a huge hydrangea in the front yard of the house I grew up in, and I've always loved them. This arrangement also had the Juliet roses and Bells of Ireland, which is such a cool flower.

We had four hydrangea wreaths, which we put on the front and back doors of the house and the two fence gates. After the wedding, we just chucked them up in the attic and they dried amazingly well. I'm going to pull them down again and make a dried wreath for my front door this fall. We also hung up my bouquet (upside down in the attic) and it dried very well too. Retained much of its color and shape. I don't know what to do with it now, though. Mama laughingly suggested we display it under a bell jar in our living room, like Miss Havisham.

We also worked very hard to get the garden looking nice. It was wonderful to be able to rationalize some plant purchases, since we were having the wedding at the house. The garden is definitely a work in progress, and I am really enjoying it. This fall I'll be planting some Coral Charm peonies, which are the ones that are so spectacular in the pictures at the top of this post.

It really was a bower. This is my bedroom the day before the wedding, and this is only a portion of the flowers we had to work with. It was a lot of work, but we had a ton of fun.

the dresses

2010-08-16T21:44:00.002-04:00

Why have one wedding dress, when you can have two? I was lucky because since we held our ceremony and party over two days, I got to have two dresses. The challenge was finding two dresses I really liked, while staying within a very strict budget. After a couple frustrating months of searching, my mom came up with the genius idea of altering her wedding dress, so that I could wear it for the ceremony.

Here's Mom in her dress, in 1972. (How groovy are her bridesmaid dresses?!)

I grew up on tales told about this dress. My grandmother and mother sewed it, from veil to hand-embroidered hem. Before they started sewing, they went to Garfinckels, the big department store in downtown Washington, D.C. and Mom tried on dresses in their bridal salon. She found a dress she liked, and Mom and Grandma then found a pattern with a similar silhouette that they could use as a starting point. I can just see my Mom and Grandma, turning the Garfinckels dress inside out in the fitting room, examining every detail of the construction and planning how they would recreate it.

They bought the fabrics at G Street Remnant shop in D.C.: silk organza, silk peau de soie, and re-embroidered Alencon lace. (We found some similar lace online, which goes for a mere $150/yd today!)

Grandma had a next-door neighbor who had worked in costume shops in Hollywood and had helped sew the dresses for Gone with the Wind, among other movies. She helped Mom and Grandma figure out how to transform the lace into a triangular yoke and then embroider the lace along the hem, so that the lace would trail up and over the silk band about 12" above the hem.

The dress had organza leg-of-mutton sleeves, with deep lace cuffs and a long row of tiny fabric-covered buttons on each cuff.

It's a beautiful dress, and I was very nervous about altering it. It almost seemed like sacrilege. But Mama gave me full encouragement to change it in whatever way I liked, so we started thinking about how we could update it for me. The sleeves had to go, as did the high collar. Unlike my mom, who was married in a church in January, I was planning an outdoor wedding in June!

We briefly contemplated doing the alterations ourselves, but we were nervous with so little time before the wedding. Luckily, we found the most amazing seamstress in Cary, NC named Olga Samarskaya. Olga has a thick Russian accent, a brusque, no-nonsense demeanor, and the warmest heart you will ever find. She was a Godsend.

I brought Olga a set of rough sketches, and we decided on a v-neck that followed the line of the yoke. Olga took her scissors to the sleeves during the first fitting (eeeek), and had wonderful ideas about how to alter the dress so it would hug my figure just so.

Olga also talked me into a deep v-neck in the back as well. Because, as Olga said, "you want to be a little sexy on your wedding day, dear."

I felt absolutely beautiful. It meant so much to wear the gown that my Mom and Grandma had put so much love into. Grandma passed away 12 years ago, but it felt like she was there with us on my wedding day.

And then for our party on Saturday, I wore a simple J. Crew dress. It is called the Aubrey, and they don't seem to sell it anymore, but it is made from a lovely embossed cotton fabric. So cool and comfortable for an outdoor party.

I can't end this post without a few words about Matt's outfits. (I kept calling them his "outfits," which he didn't like very much. I think it implied a certain orchestration of the wardrobe that he didn't want to own up to. This coming from a man who has a very sharp sartorial eye despite anything he might say to the contrary.)

He wore slacks and a vest both days. He was very dapper. On Saturday he wore his royal blue Crocs. Because Crocs rock, no matter how many people pooh-pooh them.

invitations

2010-08-11T22:14:00.009-04:00

I had a lot of fun with the invitations. Instead of the traditional interior envelope, I used a sewn sleeve made from a natural linen to hold all the insertions. I printed the design on the front of the sleeve with my trusty gocco, and we made them just the right size so that the "Matt & Julie" at the top of the invitation peeked out of the sleeve.

Here's the invitation. I wanted to use a bunch of small icons that represented me and Matt, and we ended up presenting them in pairs--showing the yin and the yang of our personalities. So we have the Bigfoot and Lady doll--the Bigfoot because Matt has an eternal dream of capturing the elusive monster, and a doll because, well, I like dolls. We used silhouettes of our dogs, followed by a banjo and whisk. Night and day because Matt is a night owl and I most definitely am not. A luchador mask and a sewing machine. The text reads "Matthew Tucker and Julie Sizemore (who despite certain personality contrasts, each think the other just about perfect) have decided to say 'I do.' And so, along with their parents, invite you to a party at their house to celebrate."

We also included a simple little card for the folks we wanted to invite to our ceremony, which was held the evening before the party.

I goofed up a bit on the RSVP cards; I forgot to give people a place to write down their names. So we ended up getting some mystery RSVPs, and had to try to figure out who they were from by deciphering the postmark and through process of elimination. It was quite a puzzle. Though it didn't end up mattering in the end since we didn't do a seating chart for dinner. I decided a seating chart was way more trouble than it was worth, so we let folks just sit wherever they darn well wanted to. It worked out just fine.

Aside from the linen sleeve, which I printed with my gocco, I did these all on my home inkjet printer using paper from Paper Source. We also got a return address stamp made (from Paperwink), which made addressing the envelopes much easier.

married!

2010-08-10T19:47:00.006-04:00

Matt and I were married on June 4, 2010. It was wonderful. And married life is oh so good.

Truth be told, I was something of a reluctant wedding planner. I tried my best to convince Matt that eloping to Costa Rica and spending two weeks lying on the beach and exploring rain forests would be a much better use of our money than a wedding. The idea of planning a party for 100 guests and then having all of those 100 guests look at me (all 100 of them! at the same time!) while I stuttered over my vows or tripped over my dress made my heart falter. But Matt gently said, "Well, why don't we just have a big party in our backyard?" And of course he was right. At the beginning of the wedding planning, it was so hard to understand that our wedding didn't have to be like everyone else's. We could make it just right for us, a day that would be comfortable, special and meaningful. A day that would celebrate the life we've built together, and the wonderful people who have supported us and loved us for so long.

We had the wedding in our back yard, and we did pretty much everything ourselves, from the food to the flowers to the photography. We have extraordinarily talented family and friends, let me tell you. What surprised me the most about the whole wedding process was how much everyone wanted to help. Our loved ones were incredibly generous with their time and talents and it was so humbling, and so special.

We said our vows on Friday evening, surrounded by closest friends and family. Then we had our big party on Saturday--complete with bluegrass band and barbeque.

Weddings are funny things these days. So much money, so much emotional energy, so much spectacle. So much pressure! Honestly, it was hard for me to make sense of it all at first. But as the wedding started to come together, we realized that we could just relax, defy convention as needed, and plan a wedding that fit our personalities and our lifestyle. And then it got a whole lot more fun.

I have lots of details to share with you. More to come!

change of address cards

2009-10-05T21:22:00.005-04:00

I knew I wanted to make change of address cards to mail out to friends and family. In what I thought was a flash of brilliance, I decided to carve a linoleum block with a little illustration of the house. I have very little experience with carving linoleum (I carved a turtle once), but I was optimistic. One injured finger and a good bit of cursing later, I have some cards that are somewhat presentable. I was too cheap to go out and buy proper block printing ink, so I used my plain old painting acrylics. It looks a little...gunky. But it adds to the rustic charm of the stamp, right?

Unrelated, but momentous: I made collards tonight. I couldn't just buy one ham hock, they came four to a package. So now we're going to have to make a big pot of beans to go with our mess of greens. The house smells like my grandma's, it's very nice.

for napping

2009-09-22T19:46:00.004-04:00

If that's not the picture of a spoiled dog, I don't know what is. But how can we help it with those sweet brown eyes which stare so intently until you pet her head and rub her belly. Sweet girl. The doggies needed living room beds. While we love the hardwood floors in our new house, it means the dogs had few places to stretch out for a nap.

I wanted to do this on the cheap, so I bought two 5-lb boxes of polyfill and used fabric from my stash. They're a little poofy, but I know from experience (having already made one bed for Scout) that they will squish down in time to the perfect state of poofiness.

Scout is sliding off her bed a little bit, granted. She's just such a big girl. She's still breaking in the bed. She'll get it squished down before too long. I would like to share that I think Scout is the most patient and sweet soul I have ever met. You can tell it from looking at those eyes, I'm sure.

Of course, some days almost anywhere will do for a nap. Because napping is very important.

Home

2009-09-15T20:44:00.004-04:00

We're settled into our new home. I loooove this house.

I love the windows, original to 1923. Some of them don't open so well anymore, and all of them have that rippled effect of old glass, as if the window were ever so slowly melting down into the windowsill.

I love the wide front porch.

I love settin' on the front porch with Matt, watching the town drive by.

I love the giant oak tree in the backyard. It's huge. I don't really feel we could own such a tree, but hopefully if we show him the proper respect, he won't decide to drop one of his limbs on our roof. He seems a kindly old tree, so I'm sure he'll be careful.

And of course sweet puppies and an amazing, wonderful fiancé are in this house, which is the best part. Yep, we made a promise and he gave me a beautiful ring. It's been a very good summer.

I've got pictures to share of our transformed sunroom and homemade doggie beds, so I'll be back very soon. The dogs want their dinner...

rick rack!

2009-08-11T13:13:00.005-04:00

I made a set of 8 napkins for Twin last week. She loves red, so this is definitely an ode to red. Every napkin is a different print, but all have the same red rick rack around the edges. I got the inspiration and the directions from Joelle Hoverson's lovely book Patchwork and Quilted Gifts. I love that book. I want to make the brown and blue quilt out of that book so dang much. I will get to it one day.

These are actually a housewarming gift for Twin. Change is afoot. I am not so good with change, which is why the blog has been so quiet lately. But the change is good--oh so good!--except for the fact that I won't be living with my sister anymore. We've lived together almost our entire lives, with only a year here and there when we were apart. I really don't have the words to describe what a blessing it has been in my life. But that's the great thing with my sister. I don't have to have the words to say it because she knows. I know. We know.

I want to put this in teeny tiny type because I can still scarcely believe it, but Matt and I are buying a house! The most perfect, beautiful, charming bungalow. We move in two weeks, so it will continue pretty quiet here on the blog for a little while, but then I expect it will turn into a This Old House kind of blog as we learn the joys and challenges of owning a nearly 100-year old home. I am so freaking excited I don't know what to do with myself. Pack! That's what I'll do. Lots of packing!

harvesting tomatoes and hope

2009-07-15T18:11:00.004-04:00

I'm growing tomatoes! Two different kinds. This is very exciting.

The even more exciting part is that my tomatoes are growing in a Harvesting Hope container garden. Harvesting Hope is an awesome service project my mom started with help from some of her Obama campaigning buddies. Obama asked them to serve and let me tell you, she has stepped up.

They've made about 100 of these container gardens (made from donated used restaurant buckets, organic soil, seedlings from a local sustainable farmer, and a lot of hard work) and are giving them to people in the community who might not otherwise have the means to grow and eat fresh veggies.

My meager contribution to the project has been designing a logo and starting a blog for the project. So Mom shipped me a container of my very own to set up on my front stoop. The blog has some great info (such as how they built the buckets) as well as some lovely photos of the garden recipients.

And these buckets work amazingly well. My tomato is growing like mad. The system is ingenious. It has a water reservoir in the bottom that you fill through a tube and funnel at the top. Being a closed system, it maintains a consistent moisture level and none of the nutrients drain off when watering. My mom and brother did a ton of research and experimentation as they designed the containers, and the result is just amazing. So smart.

I am incredibly proud of my Mom and brother. They have worked so hard, given so much of their time and energy for this cause. I am in awe.

And here is my very first harvest. Three little grape tomatoes. Sweet.

great-grandma's quilts

2009-06-10T18:10:00.002-04:00

As we cleaned out my grandma's house a couple weeks ago, we found eight antique quilts that we assume my great-grandmother made. Many of them have become threadbare and stained, but I love them all.I found one in the linen closet, Dad brought down a box of them from the attic, and then we found three more in the basement. It was raining antique quilts, made by the hand of my great-grandmother! I was so freaking excited.These are definitely patchwork quilts--you can tell they were made with whatever fabrics she had on hand. A couple are quite complex, while others are simple patterns.I agonized about how to wash them, because after who knows how many years sitting in the attic, they certainly needed to be washed. I read online that the best way to clean vintage quilts is to vacuum them, which sounded a bit ridiculous, though I guess it would be a gentle way to air them out. I finally decided just to wash and dry them on delicate, and they don't appear to be too much the worse for the experience. They certainly smell a lot better.My next task is to mend them. I don't want to "ruin" their vintage authenticity, but I also want them to be attractive and useful for me and the rest of the family. Many of them have holes that need to be patched and I also plan to add new binding to the ones where the original binding has frayed almost to the point of nonexistence. Anyone know how to gently remove giant, decades-old stains from quilts? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I am at a bit of a loss. Thanks! There are more pictures over on flickr if you're interested in vintage quilts.

the arboretum in chapel hill

2009-05-20T22:01:00.006-04:00

I've had about eight things in my head to blog about, but none of them have made it out of my head and into the blog lately. I've been wanting to post some pictures of one of my favorite places in Chapel Hill. The arboretum is right around the corner from my office and just about the perfect lunch spot.
They grow only native plants, and all the trees and most of the plants are labeled. The whole thing makes me want to become a horticulturalist.
This magnificent tree is Beautybush. Seems a very fitting name.
Close-up of the beautiful Beautybush.
My favorite tree is in the Arboretum is a Big-leaf Magnolia. I have never seen a magnolia tree like it. It has enormous, tropical-looking leaves. And when I say enormous I mean like 2-3 feet long. ENORMOUS.
And not only are the leaves big, the blooms are bigger than my head. And I have a big head. This picture doesn't do them justice. ENORMOUS.
In other exciting news I bought a butter dish on eBay. I have a thing for old Corelle and Pyrex patterns. I've been picking up old Corelle plates from thrift shops (they're all over the place) in the hopes of amassing a charmingly mismatched set of corelle dishware. So now I have a stack of Corelle plates that is about 10 inches tall. Not to mention the teacups and saucers.
Anyway. My butter dish is a nice addition to the collection.

I am heading to my grandmother's house for the long weekend to help my Dad and uncle begin cleaning out the house. Getting it ready to sell. My grandparents built the house in the early 60s and Grandma lived in it for nearly 50 years. I have so many wonderful memories of that house. Cleaning it out will be hard. It's just stuff, material things that may have little value, but it's the stuff that tells the story of their lives. Happy lives. I have a feeling we'll be packing up a lot of it to keep.

Wishing you a happy and peaceful holiday weekend!

aprons!

2009-05-12T21:55:00.004-04:00

I've been sewing up aprons for everybody. Above is mine, isn't the fabric groovy? It's from an old sheet I picked up at a thrift store. The pattern is from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing. I just love the shape of the apron and the little pleats where the neck band comes in. It's also reversible; I've got a red gingham on the back of mine. It's a pretty straightforward pattern and comes together easily.
I made Twin one from the same pattern. If you look very closely you'll see that the flowers are growing upside down. Oopsy. I always forget to think about that before cutting out the fabric. Twin got into the spirit of the photo shoot. She is brandishing a pastry brush, in case you can't tell.
And this one is a gift for a friend. The pattern is Butterick 4945. I love the flounce and the 50s style of it. This pattern is a bit more complicated, but worth the extra work.

I am getting excited about summer sewing. I've bought several patterns and some new fabric as well. I went into the fabric shop determined to buy some cheerful summer prints. Bold florals and the like. But I came out with neutral solids and ginghams and a few simple prints. Twin just sighed. She was quite disappointed. Hopefully, though, the finished garments will win her over. It's a possibility.

this year's pots

2009-05-08T19:43:00.004-04:00

Every spring since I moved to North Carolina, I've planted several large pots on my front stoop. I love having a front porch and I absolutely love container gardening. If I ever have an actual yard to plant, I won't quite know what to do. But I do love planting pots. This year I added a hanging basket of fuschia. And those lovely maintenance men in my apartment complex even came and hung it for me. I love them.Also new this year is a long and narrow herb garden. It's a biodegradable container made of some kind of paper. It was nice and cheap and I like the different shape on my stoop. I've got two kinds of rosemary, chives, thyme, and parsley. I also have basil and cilantro in another pot. The chives are flowering! Who knew? I also got the red geranium for Twin, who loves anything red.
My big blue pot has coleus and a camellia which I've had for a couple years. There's also a spiky thing and a cheerful yellow flower (not so good at remembering names). I like the spiky thing. Oh, and creeping Jenny which is the bright green thing. I love that too.

It's hot and steamy and the magnolias are coming out! Twin has been a bit under the weather due to a traumatic root canal experience. She is on the mend though and has been eating lots of mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs. The ultimate comfort food. Do other people eat mashed potatoes with scrambled eggs? Is that a common thing or is that a weird thing that only my family does? I never know. For instance, my family calls the little pie pieces in Trivial Pursuit "wedgies." I always assumed that's what everyone called them, but I guess not, since every time I call them that people laugh at me. I think "wedgies" is a very fitting term.

I'm heading to the dreaded but essential JoAnn's fabric store as they are having a sale on Simplicity patterns (through tomorrow I think -- 2 for $5). I need to get me some dress patterns. I've been inspired by the Chicken and Melissa who have both been sewing some fine frocks. I need a summer frock or two.

Happy weekend!!

a few projects from the past year

2009-05-04T18:38:00.005-04:00

I did do some crafting while on my blog hiatus, and today I realized I even took pictures of some of them.I made two great shirts from Simplicity's Built By Wendy pattern #3835. As I remember, they came together pretty easily and the simple gathered neckline is a really nice shape. I got this beautiful fabric at a local fabric shop, Mulberry Silks (sorry, I have no idea what the name of the fabric was or who made it). For this shirt I added the 3/4 length sleeves with the little ties at the ends. Very very cute but for some reason (probably my own error), when I put the shirt on, the sleeves were so tight in the arm that I could barely get it on, much less bend my arm at the elbow. So I ripped it out and added in that massive keyhole that you can see in the picture. Kind of cute but also kind of strange. Although I like that you can see the little dimple in Twin's elbow. awww.

I also made the same shirt (minus the strange tie-sleeves) in a blue linen. It really looks much better when it is ironed.

At Christmas time, I made a framed embroidery piece for Matt. Since getting to know him, I have been introduced to the strange and wonderful world of professional wrestling. He grew up loving it and as a kid spent many hours crashing through coffee tables (and once a wall, so I am told) and creating tin-foil championship belts with his friends. If he were a wrestler, his alter ego would be Cleetus Jones, the Great American Lovebomb. And so I embroidered him a little luchador. Sublime Stitching has a whole set of Lucha Libre patterns. I also bought the Sexy Librarian set of patterns for Twin. I'm thinking she needs some sexy librarian embroidery to hang in her office once she's a full-fledged librarian. She is always saying librarians have an image problem, so that should help with that.

just looking...I think

2009-04-30T12:18:00.007-04:00

I can't seem to ignore these shoes. I may break down and buy them. Last year I got a pair of Worishofer sandals in black that I absolutely love. Super comfy and super cute. However, they are looking a little worn now. I'm still wearing them to work, but the insoles have gotten dirty over time and I can't figure out a way to get them looking good again (toes + dirt = yuck). These shoes here might have the same issue, but they are CUTE. They also come in an awesome red patent leather, which Twin likes better of course.

When we cross the border from things-I-probably-shouldn't-spend-money-on into the dreamy land of I-could-never-afford-this-but-maybe-I-could-actually-sew-something-this-cute, I saw this dress on Orla Kiely this morning. I would call this a frock. This looks like a frock to me.

And since we're on the subject of things I want, I seriously need this for my craft room. How awesome would the fabric stash look in this? I know! And we even have an IKEA in North Carolina now. Some of my North Carolina friends do not know what the big deal is about IKEA. egads. For IKEA, I will journey to Charlotte. Maybe some day I will stumble across an affordable vintage linen cupboard, but in the meantime I might just go with the IKEA version.

Happy last day of April!

cottage for twins

2009-04-27T22:11:00.006-04:00

Last week Twin sent me a great article from the campus newspaper about a pair of 94-year-old twins here in Chapel Hill who have been living together for 20 years, tending the beautiful garden around their cottage. Twin said to me, "This is the new plan!!" You see, we have a plan for our old age. In the unfortunate case that we both outlive our husbands, we planned to move to Florida together, learn to golf, and get really, really tan. We'd drive around in a little golf cart and do pool aerobics and that sort of thing. Occasionally we would let our children come visit us and we would go with them to Disney World.
But we were intrigued by the twins with the garden in Chapel Hill. So we went to visit. They have so many visitors to their garden that they put a sign up to welcome people.
The garden is truly beautiful. Tulips that are the biggest I've ever seen. Peonies just bursting from bud, and huge azaleas everywhere.
I decided I liked either the peonies or these wee little purple flowers best.
Twin preferred these white ones. (I'm afraid I don't know names...I do feel like I should know the name of these white ones.)
The backyard
and a sweet-smelling lilac.
So now Twin and I have a new plan. We will live together in a cottage and grow a beautiful garden. Instead of the golf cart, I'm thinking we'll have a scooter and sidecar. In red. We will measure the passing years with each spring flowering. And we'll still occasionally go visit Disney World.

abby growth chart

2009-04-21T18:28:00.007-04:00

May I present the incredible growing puppy!

3 weeks

5 weeks

7 weeks

9 weeks

They grow up so fast...sniff sniff.

flying geese quilt

2009-04-03T16:05:00.007-04:00

My new quilt. I think this is the first quilt I've ever made just for me. I've made several baby quilts as gifts, but it always seemed like too much effort to make a whole quilt just for myself. But there is really nothing cozier or prettier than a lap quilt for the sofa, and now I have one. It's a simple flying geese pattern that came together very easily. I loved mixing some traditional prints with a more modern color scheme. And the white just sets everything off so nicely.

It's hand-quilted, but I was lazy and only quilted in the ditch in one direction. I contemplated adding more quilting, but then I just wanted to have it done so I could cozy up with it on the couch.

I chose a dark gray cotton chambray for the backing, but I didn't have enough so I pieced a brilliant blue on each end. I likey. I think I got both of them at Purl and they are still selling the azure. (oh and they are from the "Carolina Chambray" collection. How fitting.)

Why is it that simple 1/4" binding makes such a visual impact on a quilt? I'm glad I went with one of the small prints in a dark color for the binding--it really adds so much.

And oh, the sun today! When I first woke up, it was absolutely pouring down rain, as it has been for about the past week. And then just as I was heading to work, the sun broke through. I walk through a beautiful old cemetery between the bus stop and my office on campus, and it's full of gnarled old trees and delicate dogwoods. It's a nice way to start my day, especially in spring.

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend!

hello there!

2009-03-31T22:08:00.006-04:00

Someone asked me recently why I stopped blogging. I had a hard time explaining it. I'm sure it has something to do with cycles and seasons, life changes and shifting priorities. I like letting life take me where it will, and it just seemed to lead me away from my blog for a while. But I miss it. The kind comments from friends, the inspiration I get from fellow blogs, the drive to create and explore and share.

So, here goes. But I should probably catch you up on some stuff first. There are all kinds of new people for you to meet:

I met Matt about a year ago. It’s very good. He’s true and kind and genuine. He aspires to have a beard like Mr. Twit and doesn't really like bathing all that much, though he makes an effort when I am around. Doesn't talk when he doesn't have anything to say, but when he does, it’s always something worth hearing. Writes beautiful poetry, loves horror films, and does the best impressions (my favorite is barfing dog). At age 34, he still thinks the best birthday presents come from the toy store. With him around, I laugh a lot and am reminded of all the good, true things in life.

With Matt comes Scout, who is the smartest and sweetest dog you ever met. The puppy in the picture is Abby, a little five-week-old lab mix who will be coming home with us this weekend. Difficult to predict how Scout will like being a big sister. I'm thinking she'll take to it with her usual good grace, because that's just how she is.

I adopted two kittens last fall. Max purrs like a diesel engine and is a bit daft, but very loving. He's also very pretty.

Guthrie has a quiet dignity, the kind you would expect from a Southern gentleman and a cat. His purr is a very low rumble, and he reserves it for extra-special moments, making it quite the compliment if you are so lucky as to inspire it. He is much more careful with his personal hygiene than Max.

Now you've met the menagerie. There will be a quiz later. I am still amazed that somehow I have acquired a whole little family.

It’s full-on spring here. Dogwoods just coming out. I can’t wait for it to get sizzling hot. I have all kinds of plans for summer. It feels good to be back.

green bag lady bags

2008-09-04T21:24:00.004-04:00

Fabric shopping bags! Hooray! I recently met a wonderful woman who works with the "Green Bag Lady" in Nashville. The Green Bag Lady is Teresa, an artist who began sewing fabric shopping bags and giving them away to anyone who requested them. Her project has now expanded so much that she has a small network of women who sew bags with her, and she's had so many requests that she can't keep up with demand. They use mostly donated (and consequently mostly vintage) fabric. My friend Anna made these two bags for me, and I love them so more than the plain beige canvas bags you can buy in the grocery store.

The Green Bag Lady has posted the pattern for her bags on the blog, in case you're interested in making your own bags!

holga roll #1

2008-08-21T12:54:00.005-04:00

I am attempting to embrace the unpredictability of the Holga. This is a "toy" camera that has a huge cult following. It's plastic and rudimentary, but has the potential to produce all kinds of breathtaking and unusual photos. Check out the Holga galleries to see far better examples than my first attempt above. I ordered the starter kit off Amazon, as well as a variety of films. Loading film! Dropping the film off at the photo lab! Coming back the next day to see what came out! Oh, the anticipation! And holding physical, glossy prints in your hand. What an experience. I'd almost forgotten.

Notes to self for next roll: Remember to take off the lens cap. Colored flash filters are dang powerful. Use the "12" frame setting so the frames don't overlap. Try winking at the photo lab tech so he might start giving me a discount.

new toy

2008-08-21T12:53:00.001-04:00

Julie to Twin: "Leave me alone, I'm playing with my new Holga camera. Wheeeeeeee!"

my friend mandy

2008-06-30T18:24:00.006-04:00

*ahem* Please excuse the abrupt emergence from my blogging sabbatical but LOOK WHAT I BOUGHT ON EBAY!!! Hillary blogged about her Mandy doll a couple months ago and ever since then I have been just yearning for a Mandy doll. I had a Mandy doll when I was little and my Mom and Grandma sewed us all kinds of clothes for her. I don't have a clue what happened to my old Mandy doll, but the one I got on eBay is perfect, down to her polyester polka dot dress and red plastic shoes. Rockin.

Here is the full view. She's standing on my new cake plate (why? I don't know. She looked good there. And I am quite fond of my new cake plate. I was going to give you the link, but Crate and Barrel doesn't seem to be selling it anymore. But that's where I got it.)

I also bought a batch of about 16 patterns, all groovy 70s style clothes. Mandy is choosing her fabrics now. We've got a wardrobe to make. I could try to analyze why at the age of 29 I am so excited about a new doll, but I won't try. I'll just enjoy her. She's pretty!

gray from the runway

2008-02-14T21:36:00.004-05:00

Thumbs up on the Project Runway patterns. This one is pattern 3507 and is actually a junior pattern (though the sizing goes all the way up to Junior size 25/26 so those of us who like to dress like teenagers but no longer actually qualify as such are in luck).

This is actually a practice dress. I bought the pattern for Twin, as well as a cheery tropical cotton print for the dress. Twin thought it would be wise to practice with a less special fabric to make sure we like the cut of the dress. So wise is Twin. I picked this lovely gray and I really like the minimalist feel. We both think that the sleeves are a little poofy. Twin's dress might have the alternate sleeve in the pattern...the debate is still out on that.

Let's see, tips for anyone who makes this pattern:

Measure and mark your pintucks carefully or else they won't line up at the sleeve seams. Mine don't. But then, you can't really tell, so maybe it's not a big deal unless you are really a perfectionist. It kind of bothers me.
Baste down the flaps on your pressed seams when you make the casing for the elastic. I always forget this step and the stupid safety pin gets stuck at the seam every single time. There is much less cursing involved if you baste down the edges.

That's about all I can think of. It's a pretty straightforward pattern. People ask me sometimes if I actually wear the clothes I make. Umm...not very often. Most of them are sightly wonky or don't fit quite right or are kind of fugly when they are actually on my body. For instance, this one is a bit short. I realize this is the fashion. And anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a very hip person. Unfortunately I also have an irrational fear of people seeing my bum. Or really anything above my knees.

So I'm not sure how much wear I will get out of this dress. It may hang in my closet alongside some of the other clothes I have made but never wear. But I distinctly feel that there is going to be a breakthrough very soon when my homemade clothes will suddenly start being just right. Right fit, right patterns, right fabrics. All converging to make clothes that are just right and uniquely me.

Well, maybe some of them will be, anyway. And until then, I'll just enjoy the making and sewing, which is really what it's all about for me anyway.

mother blogs: quilted oven mitts

2008-01-30T21:46:00.000-05:00

Hello! I'm still here. In the chill of winter I've actually been doing a lot of crafting, so I'll be trying to post about some of it over the next few days. There's a quilt in progress, and a new embroidery project, and some also clothes-sewing. (Have you seen the new Simplicity line of Project Runway patterns? I find this very exciting. I've already made a dress. More on that soon.)

I asked my mom to do a little guest-blogging because she made us the most incredible oven mitts ever for Christmas. (that sounds a little funny. best. oven. mitts. EVER. But it's true. Trust me.) So without further ado, here's the super-talented marmee:

I decided on a trip to visit the girls in July that I’d try to make Christmas gifts this year, and at the same time try to learn to machine quilt.

I’d bought Harriet Hargrave’s Heirloom Machine Quilting and had read it, but I’d never dropped the feed dog on my machine or done anything with a darning foot before.

So I thought I would try stitching around the designs on fabric first to see if I could learn in baby steps. Tracing was always a big save for me in art projects – I can copy almost anything!

Julie gave me some charming retro kitchen fabric that she’d been saving in her stash, and we picked out a gold cotton for binding. [The cool retro print was purchased from Superbuzzy. Looks like they're out of the blue, but still have it in light brown.]

The first issue was what batting to use. Julie said she’d seen a reference to insulated batting on some of the blogs she reads, so I dived into Google and came up with Insulbright. I used two thicknesses of cotton quilt batting (I bought a crib bat) and then one layer of Insulbright, and used a cotton duck that matched the background for the reverse. It was quite a sandwich.

I started sewing on the motifs at the center, working out toward the edges. As my book had suggested, I tried using my fingertips on both sides of the fabric to guide the fabric under the needle to “trace” the design with the sewing machine. At first I went through a ton of thread and made tiny, tiny stitches, but as I continued I was able to push the material faster and gain more confidence that I wasn’t going to fail to follow the pattern.

I also cheated (I am old enough to be entitled to cheat, I’ll have you know) because I used a Daylight lamp with a 5-inch diopter magnifying lens, which I shoved right in front of the needle. It made it a lot easier to see what I was doing.

It took a lot of time, but I find any kind of repetitive work like this soothing. We turned up the Big Band/Swing on the house stereo system, and I sat there and quilted. Is it because it’s sort of meditative? I don’t know – but I get a lot of thinking done when I do stuff like this.

Plus I really liked the way it turned out.

Then it was time to do gifts for everybody else in the family.

For my sister and sister-in-law, I used Moda quilting fabrics – I love the prints and the feel of the fabric. My sis has an elegant Provencal kitchen, so I used this brown paisley print with a smaller companion print on the back, and a third print for the binding. I also made a set for my sister-in-law, using some complementing Moda prints in blue.

Now to make some mitts and potholders for me! I’m my toughest client, that’s for sure, and I’ve been looking for something in blue and natural that will go with the Silestone countertops I got last Christmas. I think Julie found me the right fabric, though – this new Williamsburg quilt fabric she saw at PurlSoho’s website. I’ve never been big on birds, but I think I can center my design to focus on the flowers, not the birds. If my local quilt shop ever gets the blue back in stock, that is.

In the meantime, the girls gave me a wonderful gift: a machine quilting class, with them, in February. Something to look forward to, for sure!

From Julie: The mitts really are amazing. They are perfect in my tiny kitchen. And they are just so perfectly detailed. Now you know where my perfectionism comes from...it runs a bit rampant in our family!

Mama, you forgot to mention the great dishtowels you made to match! Yes, that's right. I have matching homemade dishtowel oven-door hangy things. Mom bought a single handtowel, cut it in half, and attached tops and tabs to them. Love.

Thanks mama for blogging!! xo

brother blogs

2008-01-01T18:21:00.001-05:00

Lest Julie and Twin retain their monopoly on thoughtful handmade gifts, their brother decided to build his girlfriend a jewelry box for Christmas, and Julie was kind enough to ask him to guest-blog about it.

The main box is made of cherry and measures 16” wide by 10” deep and about 4 1/2” high. The inside is lined with 1/4”-thick curly maple (a really cool wood with a distinctive figure that’s often used in musical instruments, particularly guitars) that I stained golden yellow to complement the dark red cherry. In the bottom of the box, the lining serves as a shelf for two removable trays, which sit just above (or “proud of” in woodworking-speak) the seam between box and lid. The lid is a simple raised panel with an unassuming 5/16” brass pull.

The design is largely based on an article from Fine Woodworking, available here with a subscription. I omitted several details, most noticeably the 1/8” hand-cut dovetails with mitered corners, which struck me as needlessly over-engineered and impossible for a woodworking mortal to build. (I admit the latter consideration was more important.)

I added a few details of my own: in addition to selecting different lumber, I used side rail hinges that screw into the sides of the box and have stays to keep the lid from opening past 95 degrees. They were a pain to install, but they’re much more mechanically stable than the itty-bitty box hinges with positive stops the FW author screwed precariously into the rear edge of his box. It’s simple physics: a box whose lid is attached with a stopped hinge behaves like a lever, so a light push on the top of the open lid produces a much larger force on the hinged joint. The hinges I used will withstand a lot more force before the screws fail or--worse yet--the wood into which they’re secured splinters out.

I also designed dividers for the trays and put fabric-covered foam inserts in the bottom of each compartment, a detail that makes the box a lot more useful and nicer to look at.

First, the divided trays: after laying out a sensible arrangement on graph paper, I cut the dividers to length from one-inch wide cherry that I planed to the same thickness as the kerf (i.e., blade width) of my tablesaw (about 1/8”). That way, the horizontal dividers could be interlocked with the vertical ones using notched half-lap joints cut on the tablesaw, which makes them more sturdy and easier to keep square during assembly. (An overview of the basic technique is available here. But one note of caution: the joints should fit tightly, and 1/8” stock is very easy to split if you’re not careful putting the pieces together.)

I prefinished the components before final assembly and then secured them into the trays with simple yellow glue. This process wasn’t as difficult as it looks, although it did require careful setup and accurate cutting.

Once the divided trays were built, I set about finding a way to line them with fabric. The technique described below is a variation of the one presented here. I settled on faux suede in a shade of green that looked nice with the wood. (I wanted something with a nap, but real suede is purported to tarnish silver and I didn’t think it would be as easy to work with.)

So that each compartment would have a cushioned surface, I cut padded inserts out of a product called Darice Foamies, which are 2mm thick foam pads with paper backing, available at Michael’s for around $0.80 per 8 1/2” x 11” sheet.

I cut the foam pads just slightly smaller than the compartments, leaving a gap of about 1/32” on all four sides so they’d fit snugly after being covered with fabric.

After the foam inserts were cut to size, I retained the services of a sewing / fabric consultant known on this blog as Marmee for instruction on how to create a pattern for cutting the fabric. (The two trays are divided into 28 compartments, but there are only four unique shapes, so making a pattern for each shape saves time).

Here’s the basic procedure: first, cut a piece of paper to just under twice the width and about one-and-a-half times the length of a foam insert. Place the foam insert in the center of the paper and trim the corners of the pattern off at 45 degrees, leaving about 1/16” between each corner of the insert and the angled edge of the pattern. The idea is to wrap the fabric around the insert like an envelope so the foam is completely covered and the fabric doesn’t bunch up sloppily at the corners or underneath.

Once all the cutting has been done, assembly is easy: just coat the back of each insert and its fabric cover with spray adhesive, move them to a clean surface, and fold the fabric around the four edges of the foam insert. If you’ve measured and cut everything carefully, the pieces should fit snugly in their compartments and won’t need to be glued in. I didn’t make the inserts permanent because I wasn’t sure how well they’d hold up over time and I wanted them to be removable so they could be replaced easily.

From Julie: How cool is my big bro? It's really even more gorgeous in person. I've put in an order for a box of my own, though I don't know when I'll get it... ;) Although the lovely recipient of this jewelry box certainly deserves it, both for putting up with my brother and for being such a sweet person.

christmas roundup

2007-12-21T16:54:00.000-05:00

We are getting ready to hop in the car and head to VA. Yippee! But before we head out, here's a quick roundup of some of our holiday activities. We made a new gingerbread village; it's becoming a bit of a tradition. See our village from last year. This time we wanted a whole town, with a town square. Some of our buildings were more successful than others, but we definitely had a lot of fun.

Town hall.

Shops. Grocer in the middle, barber shop on the end.

This is obviously some kind of posh shop. Dressmakers, maybe.

Townhouses opposite the shops.

Church in the corner of the square. Ice cream cone steeple was a bit tricky.

Beyond the square, there is a lake and Twin's estate. Mostly red, of course.

Minty little house.

We had a live tree this year. We also inherited some great old decorations from our great-aunt including this little angel:
and these cool glass ornaments:
I made a tree skirt for the little tree out of some crazy thrifted pillowcases. I think the whole effect is pretty cool.
And while I've been sitting here, Twin has gotten the car completely packed and now is tapping her toe. We're off!

Wishing everyone a very very very merry Christmas. Lots of peace and joy and a heck of a lot of candy, cookies, and roast beast.

wreath and advent and hello!

2007-11-30T19:36:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the long blogging absence! I just haven't had the brain space for crafting or blogging lately. Living in a new place, with a new job and new people, I'm finding that different priorities, needs, and plans are filling my head. I don't know yet whether the blog will grind to a halt, or limp along in a sad sort of fashion until it again becomes a larger part of my life, as it used to be. But regardless of the future of my little blog, I do want to say how much I have valued these friendships, and how big a role they have played in my growth, both artistically and personally, over the last couple years. This crafty blogosphere is a really really really really special place (really really). really.

We are slowly getting in the holiday mood around here. Over Thanksgiving, my Mom, sister and I made a new wreath for our front door. We started with a $5 wreath from the craft store and then blingified it. My Mom is the master of wreath blingification, and has made some absolutely beautiful wreaths with fruit, greenery, and other natural kinds of stuff (mostly plastic of course but it looks real). We decided to go a bit less traditional with ours, using glass Christmas balls and candy cane ribbon along with the greenery.

Mom melts hot glue nuggets in an electric griddle, and then you just dip and stick. Voila, blingy. The little bird in the middle of the wreath is from the Martha Stewart Kmart tree-trimming section, as are the candy cane ribbon and folksy christmas balls. I put a pretty penny in Martha's pocket that weekend, between her awesome tree decorations at Kmart and her craft stuff at Michaels. She so has my number.

This weekend we are going to string popcorn and make tree decorations. We are also going to make a new advent calendar from the design I created last year. I don't have any green paper left so I am going to get creative with my Martha Stewart glitter. I am trying not to buy any more craft supplies because it was becoming increasingly obvious that my hobby is no longer crafting; instead it is craft supply-buying. I am a pro at it, I can tell you.

*Update November 2010: This year I've got a new design for my advent calendar and am selling the templates on etsy! Check it out!*

you can call me space boy

2007-10-07T20:27:00.000-04:00

Space Boy as superhero. Red cape, check. Ray gun, check. Debonair smirk, check.

And snazzy Space Boy badge. Ready to save the world, or the nearest damsel in distress...

note to self

2007-10-04T19:18:00.001-04:00

feet up, weekend time

2007-09-28T20:45:00.000-04:00

Happy weekend!

btw, have you seen Blogger Play? Strangely addictive. I think I could watch that thing for hours.

letter for my favorite peeps

2007-09-27T20:26:00.000-04:00

Twin and I have two dear friends that we've known since high school, but who live far away in other states now. It is a friendship that effortlessly survives long lapses of time spent apart, and the many miles that separate us. I fully expect it to last decades more. I have come to value this friendship even more in recent years as I have come to the slow realization that adult life can be, well, a little lonely.

We're not very good correspondents, and none of us are great phone-talkers. Several years ago, we started a "chain letter." At first we wrote by email, taking turns writing in an attempt to keep each other up-to-date on our lives. About a year ago, we decided to begin using real mail. More fun to get a package in the mail. And three letters in one package from your three best friends is about as good as it gets.

We always include little goodies and pretty stationery. I used one of my new port2port cards for my letter. I added new decorations to the envelope (we re-use the envelope, each adding new decorations as she sends the letter on).

And check out my new stamps. I usually just get the boring flag stamps, but my Mom had brought me these super cool stamps for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown. And then I was at the post office and I saw a sign for the Tiffany stamps. And then the Jimmy Stewart ones and the Disney ones. And I decided I just had to have them all. Who knows maybe I'll even become a philatelist (which is a word that sounds like it should be followed by an "excuse me").

The package is off to Texas (and I have been horribly slow with it this time--sorry guys!!) I think I will send it along its way with a row of Jimmy Stewarts. You can never have too much Jimmy Stewart.

my mama's rolls

2007-09-26T19:03:00.000-04:00

Did I say I was going to blog every day this week? I meant everyday except Tuesday. Because Tuesday, though it was not a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, did not have anything particularly to recommend itself and I am very happy to abandon it to the fogs of memory as soon as possible.

Wednesday, now wednesday is looking up. Twin had a potluck at work today so we made a batch of my Mom's rolls. These are holiday rolls in our house, and smell like Christmas to me. Buttery and delicate and completely delicious. They are especially good with a very thin layer of country ham inside.

In microwave-safe bowl, heat until hot:
2 cups milk

Add:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar

Let cool until butter has softened.

In mixing bowl, combine:
4 cups flour
3 pkg dry yeast (one strip)

Stir in milk mixture and beat for five minutes.
Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add more flour (1/2 to 1 cup) until dough holds together but is still very soft. (It is much gloopier than most bread doughs)

Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour over the top, cover, and let rise until doubled in volume.
Turn out 1/2 the dough onto a floured board. Pat it into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread 1/2 stick melted butter over the top. Cut into triangles (like a pizza) and roll from the wide end to the tip to form a crescent-shaped roll. The rolls should be the size of a baby's fist. Or a small mouse. (This is not an exact science. Most of mine come out looking like weird, oddly-sized lumps. They still taste good.)

Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Let rise until puffy.
Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown (about 10 minutes).

YUMMY!

new kid in town

2007-09-24T22:04:00.000-04:00

Olive is very excited. In fact, she has requested a new dress for the occasion. In red.

looks like autumn

2007-09-23T18:14:00.000-04:00

Our Mom was here for a visit this weekend and we had a lovely time. I am absolutely stuffed. So is my fridge. She made us creamed chicken and biscuits, which is the ultimate comfort food. I was going to take a picture of it, but I thought you might be jealous. I also felt a great need to get it into my mouth as soon as possible. Besides eating, we shopped, went to see Stardust (charming, I thought), and generally had an all-around good time.

My flowerpots on the front stoop had gotten completely out of control. Healthy, certainly, but they had grown so big and sprawling it made getting in the front door a bit of a challenge. Mom helped me prune and trim, and we added in a few fall-hardy plants. She made the beautiful bouquet in the top pic with the cuttings.

I seem to be emerging from my craft slump thanks to some excellent reading. Joelle Hoverson's new book is gorgeous. I want to make every single project in it. And to help me crawl out of my rather embarrassing blogging slump, I am going to post every day this week. Probably just photos, but it's a start.

(And if you ordered cards last week, they're in the mail! Thanks to all who ordered!! There are a few sets left, if anyone is still interested.)

need some stationery?

2007-09-19T18:50:00.000-04:00

It's the SALE OF THE CENTURY*. This is an event that is NOT TO BE MISSED.

Okay, not really. But I have SLASHED PRICES on all the cards in my etsy shop. I have a hankering for some new wall art and so I filled up my etsy shopping cart with lovely things that could be mine. But then I realized that my poor little PayPal account has only $11.01 in it. That will do little to sate my handmadegoodslust.

All card sets that were $10 are now HALF PRICE. Just $5. No joke, dudes. So you'd better get over there and ACT FAST. These fantastic prices just WON'T LAST.

;)

Get the dotty Thank Yous, the lady dolls, the magnolia cards, or the dark blue starry cards.

*Some restrictions may apply. The person doing business under the various pseudonyms of Marmee, MK, Mama, Mumsy, and She Who Must Be Obeyed is hereby restricted from further purchase from the juliemarie etsy shop. Complaints will not be entertained from said person. Said person should petition the craftsperson and proprietress for unlimited free goods ad finitum; this privilege being her just and proper due as giver of life and supporter numero uno.

dum de dum

2007-09-15T12:44:00.000-04:00

Taking it easy over here. Loving late summer. Loving the South. Not doing a lot of crafting, and consequently not blogging much either. (I have trouble blogging when I don't have projects to share. Probably because I rarely feel that my life, though I love it, is particularly interesting to outsiders.) But here's a quick summary of the last few weeks:

1. We spent a lovely weekend camping in the Blue Ridge with our dad. I love these mountains so much, and was happy to learn that the North Carolina part of the range is as beautiful as the Virginia part.

(My daddy has twinkling eyes, doesn't he?)

2. I've read some fantastic books. The great thing about having a novel-gobbling sister is that she weeds out the bad ones, and recommends the good ones. Some of my recent favorites have been The Countess Below Stairs, Mariana, The Morning Gift, Venetia, and Here Be Dragons (links to Twin's reviews).

3. Twin has instituted a new diet and fitness regimen. She is a slavedriver, I tell you. She wants me to eat fruit! And veggies! Like, more than once a day! eeep. We've been biking and walking. Playing tennis. It feels good.

4. Have I mentioned my love of professional tennis? I loved the US Open, though the final outcome was pretty predictable. My heart just about broke for my boy Andy, who played with his whole heart and still couldn't find a way to beat that Swiss machine.

Did anyone else notice this young man? Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina. He seemed somewhat familiar, and then I realized where I'd seen him. He's a Kouros statue, of course, who came to life atop his marble pedestal, walked right out of the Met, and picked up a tennis racket. It really is a shame he decided to put on clothes. Alas.

5. Slowly crocheting the Shawl that Swallows Time. It is now scarf-sized, and I'm tempted to just stop here. But I will persevere, and I'm sure I will enjoy it when I am 80 years old, which is probably about the time I will finish it.

6. We got Twin's pinboard made and hung over her desk. I love the dark background and the strip of vibrant print.

Our long long drought was broken yesterday by a brief and furious thunderstorm, following by a long drizzly soak. Today the weather is fresh and cool, and makes me think autumn might actually be on its way.

A wonderful weekend to all!