Somebody's eating cake today

Edited to add: that would be the other today, March 31st. Sorry for cheating you out of another day of staying young, Tory.



Hopefully it's her favorite. Here's to another great year of thrifting, crafting and blogging.

Happy birthday Tory!

A shopping story

I was minding my own business, checking a few blogs and thinking about what I'm going to make this weekend, when suddenly I remembered I needed to buy one of these. I clicked right on over to the Oliver & S website and put one in my cart. Then, realizing how much shipping was going to be, I quickly canceled the order because my cheapskate self wouldn't let me spend $5 to mail a single paper pattern. That's almost 40% of the price of the pattern, no way was I going to spend that.

So I dashed over here, thinking I might find a piece of fabric I didn't know I needed and the combined shipping would be a better deal. Imagine my delight upon discovering that Heather Ross has a new line of fabric in that great cotton/linen Japanese blend that is so nice to work with.

Race cars! Just when I was looking for some fabric suitable for boy baby gifts: a quilt, some appliquéd onsies, possibly a pair of overalls. "I'd better make sure I get enough," I thought to myself, "those half yards never go as far as I want them to."

Yes, better to get a little extra, and maybe some of this as well for good measure. Heaven knows there is never enough green flowered fabric around when one needs it.

That is the story of how I turned my reluctance to spend $5 for shipping into a substantial economic stimulus package of my very own making. The end.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Now that Spring might actually bring us some real-life green we thought we'd make a few changes around these here parts. Clean white palette to start, more to come.

Got Eggs?

Wondering what to do with all your prettily dyed Easter eggs now that the Easter bunny has gone? I've put together a few tried and true suggestions for turning those hard-boiled leftovers into something fabulous for dinner.

• Curried Egg Salad - minus the celery and mango chutney for me
• Nicoise Salad
• Potato and Blue Cheese Salad
• Cobb Salad
• Spinach Salad with crispy bacon and hard-boiled egg wedges drizzled with a tangy vinaigrette

Don't you just love a good makeover?

Sand it or strip it, that is the question

My dad found this chair in an old office building that was being renovated in the early 1970s. It was always either at the head of the table or in front of the telephone/office nook in his house. We have a lot of family pictures with my dad sitting in this chair. It is solid and stood up to four kids dragging it around and turning it upside down to build forts in the living room. When my dad died my brothers were incredibly gracious and let me take it and I am forever grateful to them.
It clearly needs to be refinished, but I'm not sure the best way to approach it. I've refinished (using that product that you just brush on over the original finish) and painted other wood furniture in the past but they were all garage sale finds and it really didn't matter how they turned out. This chair means a lot to me and I don't want to destroy it. I'm pretty sure it's oak and you can see that the original finish is quite brittle and completely worn off in some areas.

Should I sand off the finish or use a chemical stripper? How do I refresh the bare wood that has darkened? Advice welcomed, especially from you Ubercrafty folks out there.

No. 3

They say the third time is the charm. In this case the third pair is mine.

My first pair of wide-leg lounge pants, and clothing for that matter, was made nearly a year ago as a Mother's Day gift for my sister. As spring was in the air and summer was knocking on the door these were made to be capri length. The only other change made to the pattern was using the prettiest, palest yellow bias tape at the hem. My sister loved them and that is no small feat. The women in my family take lounge wear very seriously. After having worn them one night she did offer this bit of advice though. With a two year old running about who pulls at your pants when she wants to be picked up some elastic, in addition to the drawstring, would be a really good thing. Duly noted.

The second pair of wide-leg lounge pants came a month later. These pants were sent off to my good college friend, K, for her 30th birthday. I heeded my sister's advice and added some elastic to the waistband. I also played around a bit with the hem. I added a cuff and sandwiched bias tape between the cuff and the pant leg for a nice bit of contrast. A very fashionable finish for lounge pants featuring fashionable shopping ladies.

Now we jump forward to March 2008, the month where I'm willing spring into being through my sewing projects. The spring bags don't seem to have produced days in the 60's with bright sunshine. At best the sun has been intermittent with days in the 40's. Time for another nudge, my own capri length wide-leg lounge pants. What can be more appropriate than numbers? Perhaps they represent the inches of snow, the days of winter, the days until spring, the inches of April showers yet to come. (Actually, I just like numbers.)

At least when spring does finally arrive I'll be well prepared. I'll also be well dressed for some hours spent lounging in front of the sewing machine. Hopefully the windows will be open and a crisp, refreshing spring breeze will be filling the room.

All fabrics are from Alexander Henry. The wide-leg lounge pants pattern can be found in Amy Butler's In Stitches.

I Won!

I am so beside myself with excitement I don't even know where to begin. Deep breath. Ok, let's start at the beginning. Hopefully most of this will sound something like English.

A few weeks ago I was dropping in on some favorite blog reads. This included a stop by Anna Maria's to see what was new. New to me was a teaser for a CraftSanity interview and fabric giveaway. Fabric giveaway? I'll happily be a contestant in that game so over to CraftSanity I went. And thank goodness I did. I had a mere 10 minutes to enter the contest. Entry was simple...ask Anna Maria a question. Two minutes of thought and suddenly a question popped into my head and right out my rapidly moving fingers. The four winners would be revealed by having their question asked during the interview.

Fast forward to today. I had planned a very relaxing evening for myself: a few hours of sewing while listening to the latest CraftSanity podcast, an interview with Anna Maria Horner, followed by some blog posting and blog reading. Yes, a perfect Monday night that was about to become unbelievable.

Just as my back was starting to tell me I needed to take a break question #4 was posed to Anna Maria....from Tory....in Massachusetts. I don't think I would have believed it if my dudely hadn't just come in the room and heard the exact same thing my ears did. Wow! And that is an understatement. It was Christmas, my birthday, and summer vacation all rolled into one. My question, my little question, was being asked of Anna Maria! I was happily jumping up and down in the studio/den/guest room. (Not the kitchen Jennifer and Anna Maria!) I listened to the answer and the wrap-up and that's when it hit me. I'm getting my very own stash of Drawing Room!

I can't say it enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you! To Jennifer for letting the crafting world eavesdrop on her conversations with such amazing people. To Anna Maria for sharing such amazing pieces of herself with us.

Refreshed

That was a good vacation. It was my first visit to the desert in the spring and I was surprised by how many shades of green it was. So inspiring. We were cut off from the internet for most of the trip and it was awesome. Somehow we managed to get where we were going and find what we needed without Google. I've already made a resolution to take a step back and be more conscious of my internet usage.

While we were in Phoenix we visited Taliesin West which was very cool, though I was left with the impression that Frank Lloyd Wright was quite the tyrant. And who knew that Anthony Quinn was an apprentice at Taliesin before he made his break in film? Speaking of celebrity artists, I happened upon an exhibition of Anthony Hopkins' paintings at a gallery in Sedona. Not my thing, but see what you think. We liked Sedona so much that we made a point of passing through a second time on our way back from the Grand Canyon. Good thing, because we discovered Picazzo's, home of the most amazing gluten-free pizza I could ever have imagined. Fantastic.

The Grand Canyon: I expected to experience that mild disappointment that I often feel when finally seeing something that gets a lot of hype. But when we rounded the corner at the first viewpoint, and the earth fell away to nothing, I was speechless. Dumbfounded. Without words. There really is no way to comprehend the scope of that enormous chasm without seeing it for yourself. We stayed a night in the park and I couldn't sleep knowing that we were only a few hundred yards from the rim. I could feel it pulling me towards the edge; it was a very primal experience. The only other time I've felt that kind of energy was when I visited Viking burial grounds in Norway. Freaky.

Photos here.

Your Kids Need This

I may have mentioned my absolute, undying love for Barenaked Ladies in the past. Well, they sent me the most wonderful news last week. Yes, they regularly send me updates about what's going on in their lives. I choose to ignore the fact that other people receive them, too.

Now drumroll, please, Tyler.

BNL is set to release a new album on May 6. Mark it in your calendars. Take a day off work if necessary. You'll want to be the first on your block to have this. This release marks a dramatic departure from past work. It's a kids album!

It arrives just in time for Little Miss Lou's 3rd birthday so you know what will be part of her gift. There was a period of time where Lou and Nana liked to rock out to Intermittently together. I'm just nurturing this next generation's love of BNL, you see. To ensure the appropriateness of the material for 3 year old consumption, though, I will have to get a copy. Purely research, of course.

Lamp Revamp

Remember the lamp shade mock-ups from (gasp) two months ago? At long last the finished product is revealed.

I decided to go with the grograin ribbons. Although I liked the band of Joel fabric I'm reserving that for another use that's nibbling at the back of my mind. I attached the ribbons to the shade using craft bond, a truly indispensable craft supply. No shades to embellish? Well, you'll love it if you're making covered buttons. Craft bond provides that extra hand you always wish you had when trying to get fabric neatly around that little metal dome.

Am I happy with the result? For now. I'm feeling the itch to do a bit of re-decorating in the living room. The big project brewing involves a wall, paint, and lots and lots of tape. I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of that one. I do know one thing....it would make a fantastic before and after if I can pull it off.

Handmade Goodness: Beads and Baubles

Some more handmade goodness picked up at the SOWA holiday market.

Hand blown glass beads from Roessler Glass. I think these would make funky zipper pulls on projects.

Porcelain bead necklace from Erin Moran Designs. This is awaiting the perfect spring blouse.

Earrings from Stonehouse Studio. I love all the greens present in these beads.

WHO bread, nearly

One of our very favorite bloggers, SouleMama, recently posted a recipe for Wheat Honey Oat bread. Or, as it is known in her house WHO bread. Last weekend in my Sunday morning puttering session I decided to try it.

There was one problem; not a drop of honey to be found anywhere in the cupboards. OK, time to improvise. I increased the brown sugar to 2 tablespoons, decreased the cinnamon slightly, and threw in a tablespoon of ground flaxseed. (I know what you're thinking...she has ground flaxseed lying around but no honey? Umm, yes.)

It was delicious...I think. Out of one 1.5 pound loaf I managed to have a slice. The rest of it? It was entirely consumed in less than 24 hours by the dudely. I'd say that is a ringing endorsement.

You're kidding, right?

I am a junkie, an interior design magazine junkie. I can't get enough of them. Within an hour of their removal from my mailbox I've devoured them. Some months are so bad I have to go out and buy additional magazines. I really hate those double month issues with a single month's content. There are plenty of gorgeous interiors just waiting to be photographed. I'm sure publishers could fill all twelve months of the year without breaking a sweat. But, I digress.

I really love articles featuring home owners who have made a personal stamp on their interiors by mixing the lowest end flea market finds with the highest end "to the trade" items. A glimpse into these interiors and you get a feeling you know who these people are. Now if that interior happens to be a small space, as mine is, the article will be poured over again and again for inspiration.

So I was quite excited to see this section in the March issue of a magazine:

And then my excitement was replaced with disbelief as I read the brief description of the article.

When exactly did 2,500 square feet become a small space? Nearly 4 of my condo could fit in a space that, dare I say, large. I must say the space was beautifully decorated and filled with the homeowners' character which I loved. I can also appreciate the need to downsize. However, I find the shifting definition of what is small a bit alarming.

Editors, please bring back the small spaces in your features. I'm even willing to compromise and call it anything less than 1,500 square feet. I have a love for all interior design work as evidenced by my insatiable magazine appetite. However, what I miss are the occasional articles featuring these small space design masters. They are truly inspirational.

Spring is in the Bag

Or perhaps that is the fever, the spring fever, talking. As I write this I'm listening to the roar of the wind outside, and through, my window. The sun is toying with me. It's just bright and clear enough to believe that spring could very suddenly appear. Then another roar reminds me that winter is still in charge around here.

On the bright side I have plenty of time to sew my new spring accessories. On the tops of my spring fashion list were two bags by two fabulous Amys: Amy Karol's pleated beauty bag and Amy Butler's Kimberly bag.

First to be completed was the pleated beauty bag in Heather Bailey's Freshcut fabric. I did make some modifications to the pattern after seeing Elise's pleated beauty. It was a bit on the large size for me for an everyday bag so I downsized the height by two inches. I used sew-in interfacing on both the exterior and lining fabrics. Although I like flannel facing in some applications this one just didn't work for me. I felt it added too much weight without enough structure.

Another deviation is that I didn't pleat the lining. Once I had constructed the exterior I used that as a pattern piece to cut my interior fabric to size plus seam allowances. I also added a magnetic tab closure and many, many interior pockets in varying sizes.

A major change was the construction of the bag bottom. I wanted the bag to be really sturdy; no drooping when full of a day's necessities. Having studied the Kimberly pattern I knew that was how I had to do the beauty bag. It involves a separate piece of exterior fabric with layered fusible interfacing-Peltex-fusible interfacing. This very sturdy bottom is then attached to the bag.

Next came the Kimberly bag in Amy Butler's Nigella fabric. This is going to by my perfect spring/summer night on the town bag. I didn't make any changes to this pattern. There are some things I'll be prepared for in the next Kimberly though.

First, watch the zipper installation. The instructions tell you to line up the zipper pull with a pleat. I'd probably go about 1/4 inch past the pleat. Second, watch the bar tack, the zig-zag you do at each end of the zipper to close the gap. At this point you've got a lot of layers (fabric, interfacing, fleece, zipper) and I found it a bit difficult to maneuver everything under the foot with the bulk. Third, check the size of the exterior bottom panel against the size of the exterior. Mine was a probably a tiny bit too large making sewing in the bottom a small exercise in frustration. (Oddly, I'd not had this problem with the beauty bag bottom.) Finally, by the time the bag has been turned out it's quite a wrinkly mess and it was very hard to get into the corners and crevices to iron everything out. If you're willing to put up with a few steam burns, however, it can be done.

Now all I need is a real spring day. And perhaps a new spring coat...and rain boots....and sunglasses. Oh my, it must be the fever talking.

Time for Change

Don't forget to spring forward.

A lost hour of sleep in exchange for an extra hour of daylight for the next several months. Almost seems worth it, doesn't it? At least until Monday morning, that is.

Phoenix or bust

I am headed to Arizona in the near future and would love suggestions for vintage/thrift stores, flea markets, shops I must visit, cool places to eat (especially gluten-free) and any other funky & delightful things I should do while I'm there. We'll be in Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff and various points in between. What I really want to do is stalk have tea with one of my idols, but I'm pretty sure that's not in the cards. One can dream.

Thanks in advance!

Fun

The picture says it all: it was a fun weekend. This morning Tory and I visited with the lovely Tricia and her daughter and two nieces. We had a girls only tea party complete with a variety of sweets, big and little tea sets and lots of interesting conversation. We learned a lot about fairies (they're real, you know) from the resident six-year old including the finer points of using strawberry stems for fairy fashion. Hula skirts and crowns are apparently typical fairy attire. The Project Runway designers have nothing on these girls.
And I finally found a use for all that snow. We tried out a method for cleaning carpets suggested by my mother-in-law. She told us to lay them out on fresh snow and walk on them and they would be like new. I'll be honest, I was pretty skeptical about this one but since H. was willing to do the leg work (sorry) I went along with it. It worked! All the dirt and cat hair was left behind in the snow and the carpet looked clean and fresh. So much easier than trying to shake out the dust. Give it a try, you'll be amazed and delighted.

Project Runner

My partner, normally very supportive of my crafting adventures, became a bit irritated that the big piece of patchwork I'd put together for the big dot pillows was destined to be cut up. It seems he thought it was to become a runner for our kitchen table. I can see how he became a bit confused. While still a work in progress the newly pieced fabric did indeed live on the table for an extended period of time while craft fair projects were in the works. Honestly, the table did need something more than our pot of rosemary to perk it up. With plenty more fabric scraps used in the big dot pillows I knew I could whip up a runner.

I wanted the patchwork to be the border so I just needed to figure out the measurements for the top piece and backing. With that done I set about making an enourmous strip of patchwork double the width of the intended borders. Once finished I cut the patchwork into strips for the sides and ends and attached to my center panel. I lined the runner with flannel for a bit of weight and backed with a cotton.

I'm quite pleased with the results and so is the dudely. He does find it odd that I'd place the runner between us at the table. However, that is purely practical. It means we have to fling the food farther to stain the runner. And believe me that is important with him at the table. He once flung lobster onto the back of my cream couch.