Mid-year Review

The end of June seems like a good time for reflection on those goals so brazenly set in January. Let's see how I'm doing.

A more funky & delightful wardrobe in my closet

The winter and summer closets have been rid of all boring, synthetic, and never worn pieces of clothing. I've purchased fabric and zippers for four summer, into fall, skirts.

Be gift ready for every occasion

On this one I fail outright. I've really been gift just-in-time, or gift slightly late, or gift not even begun nearly two months later. I have thought of the ideal Christmas gift for all family and friends though. It even relates to my goal of being more green. Do I get any points for that?

Learn to crochet

You've seen proof of my progress on this goal. I am in no manner proficient but I've made a good start. The next step of this goal is to branch out beyond the single crochet.

Tackle a quilt project

You've also seen proof that this goal has been complete. I'm so pleased I'm even contemplating exceeding this goal.

Write regularly

What do you think, readers? How am I doing on this one?

Take more weekend trips

This goal needs work. I did attempt a weekend day trip but Mother Nature thwarted my plans. This goal should be easier. It only requires having fun.

Be more green

I'm doing great on this one. I am happy to say that not a single plastic shopping bag has been brought home this year. Some cashiers do look at me strangely when I tell them I brought my own bags. These particular cashiers also think that means I am going to bag my own purchases, but I digress. I have also switched to phosphate free laundry and dishwasher detergent. At work I use my fashionable tea cup rather than the disposable paper cups provided.

All in all I'd say it has been a successful six months. More progress to be made but where would I be without a goal?

And my Saturday

The cool, gray, threatening weather in the Northeast thwarted our original plan of day tripping to Portland. So we went with the next best thing, staying home for a rare day of complete, quiet relaxation. For me that meant episodes of Everyday Baking, reading cookbooks, studying a pattern for upcoming projects, and the all important napping. I did manage to get off the couch for nourishment. If you can call making a tray of caramel corn with peanuts nourishment, which I do by the way.

It may not be classic nourishment but it was the perfect snack to power us through the last disc of Weeds: Season 3. If you're looking for a great original series I highly recommend adding Weeds to your Netflix list. Truth in advertising warning: This series is not for everyone.

Saturday

Summer cherries, consumed with much lip-smacking and head nodding by our youngest guest.

My favorite thrifted table cloth.

Apricot Dream Bars (gluten-free, of course) on my favorite vintage cake stand.

Homemade lemonade, sweetened just enough.

Add friends you haven't seen in a while, charming antics of a one year-old, some homemade ice cream and plenty of conversation and you have the recipe for a perfect summer afternoon.

How did you spend your Saturday?

Summer Play

A girl definitely needs her party dress but sometimes she just wants to let her hair down. However, it’s still important to maintain her unique style while swinging, scaling the play structures, or sailing head first down the slides at the local parks. Luckily, the Oliver + S patterns allow for the wildly varying days of a three year old.

Because play days outnumber garden parties for a three year old I decided to make two playsuits. The blue playsuit uses fabrics from Katie Jump Rope by Denyse Schmidt. I was a bit worried that this fabric felt so much lighter than other quilting cottons. Not to worry though because it washed and sewed up beautifully, a really wonderful weight for summer clothing. The other fabrics are of unknown, or more correctly forgotten, origin.

As with the tea party dress, the playsuits went together easily. So easily in fact I took the extra time to finish all the seams with the overlock stitch found on my Bernina. It’s a really nice stitch feature to have in the absence of a serger. I have to say I’m pretty impressed with how professional these two garments look because of it.

I did make one minor change to the pattern. Rather than using operable buttons on the bodice I used Velcro. After talking to a very wise Nana I came to the realization that this would be very important when it came to potty time. It seems that at three there isn’t a lot of warning. I have to go potty means I should have told you ten minutes ago. Well, ahem.

So out the door goes this pretty little package. I wish I could be there to see her face when she opens it. I’m hoping it’s the same response I got when I showed her the tea party dress, “That’s so cool! So cool! Thanks Auntie J.”

And that is why little Miss Lou is my number one customer.

There are boy babies too

Lately it seems like I've only been sewing for little girls. Which is wonderful, but little boys need great clothes too, don't they? Fortunately one of my coworkers just became a first time grandmother and commissioned some things for her new grandson. Of course I made an Oliver & S playsuit; I cannot get enough of these patterns. It turns out little Isaac isn't so little, weighing in a 9.5 pounds, so I hope it fits!

I used another favorite Heather Ross fabric that I will commence hoarding for those extra-special projects now that it's been discontinued (sob). Those mermaids had better be worth giving up the goldfish and hippie buses for, that's all I'm saying.

I also embellished a few onsies, some for the new arrival and a few extras to stock the gift cupboard. My hypothetical future gift cupboard, that is. There is going to be some serious re-organizing and redecorating of my craft area this summer, stay tuned.

Oh, just in case you decide to make some of these onsies, both the machine stitched and hand stitched versions hold up well to washing. Just turn them inside-out to when you put them in the dryer.

A little disappointed

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t a little disappointed when I saw my mood board hadn’t been chosen as a finalist in the Amy Butler/decor8 design contest this morning. Looking through the finalists, with a strong cup of tea in hand, I decided to look on the bright side.

* On two peacefully quiet Saturday mornings I had a great time internet window shopping.
* Of all the people in the world who could have entered only 118 did and I was one of them.
* With a bit of experience under my belt, next year will be even better.
* I put together a dining room that is a perfect reflection of me, classic and modern.

The voting is open now to determine the winner of the mood board contest. I voted for my favorite, well my second favorite anyway. I may be looking on the bright side but I am still human.

Matte Art

At least once a week for the last several months I have been eyeing prints in Matte Stephen’s etsy shop. It was the double sided Vivienne beehive print that first caught my eye. I just loved that great pile of pink hair with the toothy happy and sad girl beneath it. For some reason, though, I held off on buying her.

Then one day the new double sided Vivienne print found its way into the shop and across my screen. I immediately loved this print. The blonde flippy hair, shiny cheeks, and expressions of petulance and utter joy are perfect. She is me on any given morning.

That is why I love art. Meaning is so personal and can never be right or wrong. You just love it and know that it has to come live with you. So it was that after many, many views the new double sided Vivienne finally came to be added to my etsy cart last week. I'm so glad I did.

Squeezing lemons

My Lemonade Stand Swap doll quilt is this close to being done (imagine my fingers indicating a teen-tiny distance) and I royally messed up the last step. I attached the binding to the front side and was so proud of myself because I nailed all four of the mitred corners. Not a stitch out of place, it was a thing of beauty. Then, I made the fatal mistake of deciding to trim the seam allowance a bit before I stitched the binding to the reverse side. Four quick passes with the rotary cutter and I turned it over to discover I had cut off all four of my perfect corners (insert howl of outrage). How could I have done such a dumb thing? At least it can be salvaged but I hate ripping out seams. Did I mention that the quilt is three weeks late and I have an extension? Or that my swap partner makes gorgeous doll quilts and is a veteran and punctual swapper while I am a tardy amateur? Oy, the pressure.

In the Mood

Two of my very favorite things came together in one very cool contest, fabric and interior design. Amy Butler and decor8 joined forces once again to present their annual mood board inspiration contest. Instructions for entering were simple: design a room around one or more of Amy’s fabrics from the Midwest Modern line. It sounded like a challenge my secret inner interior designer was up for.

I decided to design a dining room, a luxury I don’t have in my current home. From there the entire room suddenly materialized in my head. Fabrics would be from the Ohio Sky colorway and include fresh poppies, martini, honeycomb, and happy dots. Window treatments would have a slightly modern edge with grommet topped drapery panels on shiny metal rods with fabric roller shades for privacy. The table would recall traditional farmhouse style but be kept fresh and modern with both aluminum chairs and Louis ghost armchairs. Lighting had to be mid-century modern.

Paint colors would be pulled from the fabrics. A lovely soft shade of blue for the walls, a silvery white for the trim, and a bold green to dress up the interior of what might otherwise be seen as a boring white cabinet. A chic glass and metal bar cart with an old Hollywood feel would provide additional storage. Hardwood flooring was a must with a deep cocoa stain to visually ground the space. An indoor/outdoor rug provides durability while defining the seating area.

And oh the accessories! The tabletop would incorporate blues and yellows with classic and modern elements playing off of each other. Every table needs place settings, glasses, serving bowls, salt and pepper mills, and a wine decanter. The art would be photographs that evoked a feeling of days gone by.

I present to you Dining in Relaxed Elegance:

In case I’ve inspired you to re-create this room in your own home here is the shopping list.

Paint light touch (walls), ice mist (trim), and meadowlands green (cabinet), Benjamin Moore
Granemo white glass-door cabinet, Ikea

Estate metal finials and extension rod, Restoration Hardware

Nelson criss cross pendant, Room & Board
Alicia Bock fine art photography Teasle, Of The Way We Were, and The Queen

Duncan bar cart, Restoration Hardware
Harvest dining table in espresso stain, Pottery Barn

Alston aluminum dining chair, Dining Rooms Direct

Louis ghost armchair, DWR
Turquoise hobnail juice glass, Anthropologie

Marcel wine glass, Crate & Barrel
Gerbera daisies low centerpiece, 1800Flowers.com

Absinthe bone china, Target

Flair bamboo bowls, Crate & Barrel
Bubble acrylic flatware set in blue, Target
Carina mini salt/pepper mills, Crate & Barrel

Nola decanter, Crate & Barrel

Walnut flooring in cocoa brown, Lowes

Solara indoor/outdoor rug in yellow, Crate & Barrel

Inspired

Last night the Funky & Delightful staff (ahem, Tory and Elise) attended the Bloggers' Ball, the latest networking/educational event held by the Boston Design Salon Group. It was a great event and we were delighted to meet the amazing women behind some of our favorite blogs. We were a little star-struck, truth be told, but somehow we managed to make our way around the room and chat with as many people as we could. The panelists (Grace, Traci & Shannon) gave a great overview of how a blog can help a creative person share their work, emphasizing the importance of maintaining authenticity and allowing one's audience to grow organically. There was also helpful information on advertising and how to make it work from the perspective of both the blog author and the artist. Afterwards we chatted with Grace from Design*Sponge who was very gracious about indulging our craving for insider gossip regarding certain Blogosphere celebrities. And while we were talking with Shannon from Make It we met her former colleague Lisa from Mod Green Pod and were thrilled to learn about their organic fabrics and wallpapers. Overall, it was really inspiring to be in the company of so many talented women who were clearly equally passionate about creating, running their businesses and sharing their experiences with other women. Thank you to Jennifer for organizing such a fun event - we'll be back for more.

Making the evening even better, the location of the event was conveniently located steps away from Gaslight, so we stopped by for an early dinner before the Ball. It was delicious and we loved the ambiance and are already planning our next trip. Take a look:

A First

Sewing is my craft of choice. However, it is fairly limited by where you can easily take it. A friend’s house for the day is not a problem but vacationing in a Berkshires cabin for a week is a problem. For that reason I decided I needed to work on developing some skills in the mobile crafting area.

Embroidery seemed like the perfect option to explore. A small hoop, collection of threads, small scissors, fabric pieces, and a needle can all easily fit in a small drawstring bag. It then very nicely tucks into those last remaining inches of your suitcase. So it was that last fall I picked up Jenny Hart’s Sublime Stitching book. During that glorious week in the Berkshires last September I read the book and embarked on my first embroidery project, a simple car.

I lightly traced it onto my fabric in pencil and placed it into my hoop. I decided to keep it simple, mostly using the backstitch, so I could get my rhythm and spacing down. In went the light yellow headlight, then the orange outline, and finally the black tires. It was there that the project sat in limbo for many, many months. (I did mention the glorious week, right?)

Recently I dug out the piece and added the bumpers thus officially completing my first embroidery project. I think I am going to turn it into an oh-so-funky-and-delightful car air freshener filled with dried lavender. I’m hoping the presence of lavender in the car during the commute will have a calming effect on me. Realistically, my car will just smell nice as the impatient person waiting to make a left hand turn out of the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot pulls out in front of me, steaming coffee and cell phone in hand. Hmm, maybe I should make one for their car, too? It’s good to spread the calm.

Fresh, simple, delicious

If you’re looking for an easy summer recipe to impress your friends I highly recommend Strawberry-Buttermilk Gelato. To celebrate the end of the oppressive heat and humidity last week (or because I was looking for an excuse to break out my new ice cream maker) I made a batch.

The recipe was a breeze to assemble. I prepared the simple syrup in the morning to allow time to thoroughly chill. That night I just added some fresh strawberries and buttermilk, pureed the mixture, and poured it into the freezer container. Thirty minutes of hands-free churning and chilling later I had a delicious, creamy gelato.

Fresh, simple, delicious, it’s my new summer food mantra.

It could be you!

The wonderfully inspiring design blog Creature Comforts is about to turn one! To celebrate this milestone Ez has rounded up a slew of amazing goodies from some very talented people (including some of my personal favorites) to give to one lucky reader. To enter the drawing all you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite quote. The winner will be randomly selected on June 28.

Why are you still reading this? Get over and comment!

Happy Feet

Something other than a bill or junk mail making an appearance in my mailbox constitutes a good mail day. Yesterday happened to be an exceptional mail day. My walking foot arrived!

After my great experience with quilting the Hop, Skip, & A Jump quilt without a walking foot I had pushed the thought of buying one to the back of my mind. That thought lasted until the sales flyer from my Bernina dealer showed up. They were celebrating their 26th anniversary by offering me 26% off. I couldn’t pass up that opportunity. The next day I was on the phone ordering one. They were even nice enough to ship it to me for only $2 since I live more than an hour from their store.

The walking foot joins another recent foot purchase, a gathering foot. The time at the flea market may have been a bust but the fact that a Bernina sewing center was directly across the street more than made up for it. Luckily, my hot and tired family indulged my request to stop in for a quick peak. And quick it was as I zeroed in on that gathering foot.

I have no immediate plans for it. I just know I hate the process of putting in two rows of basting stitches, trying to pull in gathers across the entire piece, and finally attaching it to my fabric. Now I will be so efficient since my gathering foot does it all in one little step. It makes my $28 investment priceless.

Hard to argue with the logic of those great deals, right?

The Year of the Owl

Last year it was the bird silhouette. This year it is the owl. These wise little creatures are showing up everywhere, from fabric to fashion to toys to home décor. A recent search of etsy showed just how big the craze is. Here’s a peek at some that caught my eye.

Clockwise from top left: notecards from polkadotshop, softie from rabbitsmoon, pendant from ItsAllAboutThePrint, onesie from veryKIKI

Clockwise from top left: vase from fruitflypie, print from yumiyumi, pillow from Cuore, paper sculpture from matteart

Without knowing it I was way ahead of the owl bandwagon. I found this owl cross stitch at the Grafton Flea Market last summer for the bargain price of a quarter. Originally, I just picked it up for the small wooden embroidery hoop but I liked the little fellow and decided to keep him. He now proudly sits above my sewing table, just over a painting of a wooded area. How appropriate.

That's better

I needed to counteract my first flea market visit of this year. I did that by heading to my local flea market this morning. It's not perfect. There are several imported goods booths near the entrance but over 90% of the market is good old fashioned junk. Just what I was looking for.

My first find of the morning was this vintage etiquette book titled Perfect Etiquette: Arlington Edition published in 1872, 1875. It was mine for $5. The book is divided into four sub-books the first of which is called Perfect Etiquette; or, How to Behave in Society. A Complete Manual for Ladies and Gentleman. This section contains helpful advice on such matters as making introductions, conversation, making and receiving presents, and courting.

The second sub-book is called Bashfulness Cured: Ease and Elegance of Manner Quickly Gained. It was from this section I pulled the illustration above with the helpful advice to bashful suitors "Rather than be a basful, blushing, stuttering booby, it would be much better for a young man to be over-confident and bold." Well, there you have it.

The third sub-book is Personal Beauty; The Whole Art of Attaining Bodily Vigor, Physical Development, Beauty of Feature and Symmetry of Form. Not only does this contain advice on the proper way to brush one's teeth, take a bath, and dress it provides recipes for home remedies. You will find recipes for face washes, wrinkles, hair-curling fluid and more.

Finally, the last sub-book is How to Write a Letter. A Complete Letter-Writer, For Ladies and Gentlemen. This is a lost art for sure that we'd all do well to re-visit. This section probably contains the most currently relevant information: grammar, spelling, punctuation. Also, a lost art!

My biggest score of the day was three pieces of glassware for $2. It included what could be a vase, a small glass, and sugar bowl. Or perhaps they are a decanter, pencil holder, and condiment bowl. The possibilities will only be limited by my imagination.

Next it was another book for just $1. This one, published in 1947, is Girl Alive! A book of helpful suggestions for girls who want to make the most of their teens. In Part I: Your Person, young girls are instructed in the proper hairstyle for their face shape, dressing for their figure, and appropriate colors for their complexion. Moving on to Part II: You and Your World, girls are instructed in dealing with friends, home life, and the all important subject of boys.

The final score of the day was two pair of vintage buttons for the price of $2. The lady selling these buttons was much sweeter than the first guy I came across selling buttons. I was rumaging through his bowl of buttons when he informed me he was not selling buttons, he was selling containers. Confused I asked him what that meant. It apparently meant that he was trying to sell the entire small container of mostly non-descript white buttons for the high price of $12. I thanked him and moved on. My patience paid off by finding the beauties above.

Rounding out the day were two finds that fall into the "if only" category. The first piece was small-ish pale blue painted hutch that I immediately envisioned in a little girl's room. It would make a perfect pantry for her play-sized kitchen or changing table for her doll collection. If only Miss Lou were closer or shipping were cheaper. The second piece was a vintage metal hamper painted in a pale green. If only my bathroom were larger this would have been mine.

I definitely improved upon my first flea market visit of the year. I had a glorious morning for only $10 and two hours of time. I can't wait to do it again!

Friday Archives: elephant evolution

Once again I'm joining the Friday Archive fun over at Loobylu with a project from my (not so distant) past.

A year or so ago, after seeing herds of little elephants on Etsy and this documentary, I decided I needed to make an elephant softie. I printed out some photos of elephants and traced a simplified outline as my pattern. There were a few aborted attempts as I worked through the proportions before I finished this little guy. He was a little skinny, and his trunk was kind of wonky, but I thought he was cute.

His sister turned out a little softer and rounder, although she was a little unsteady on her feet as her center of gravity wasn't quite right. More research was conducted into how other people made stuffed animals to determine the correct proportions for optimal "cuteness." Shorter and wider seemed to be a theme so a few more iterations of pattern adjustment along with a few more half-finished elephant carcass rejects.

Finally, this little girl emerged with all the softness and squat proportions that I was going for. Just in time to be given as a new baby gift along with a few embellished onsies. I was so thrilled to see my little elephant on the changing table when we went to visit a few weeks later. Sometimes I worry when giving a handmade gift that the recipient won't see it the way I do, but this gal seemed to be getting lots of love.

What happened?

Growing up our yearly pilgrimage to the Shipshewana Flea Market was a much anticipated summer tradition. Up and out the door early, we’d use the hour and a half car ride to plot our wish list. As kids our wishes mostly ran toward, what I know now to be, cheaply imported goods. We didn’t come across a $3 or $4 T-shirt proudly displaying a logo that we didn’t like. We were also embarrassingly fond of scrunchies and all other manner of hair accessory. On the practical side we might even have picked out a new backpack for the upcoming school year.

While there were certainly a fair number of these types of booths they were greatly outnumbered by what you’d traditionally find at a flea market. Many booths were dedicated to selling what was one man’s junk to those who could see the treasure. You could find old windows, vintage plates, glassware, Pyrex, old signage, books, tools, and the list goes on and on.

A good portion of the flea market was even dedicated to handcrafted items. You might find candles, hand painted pieces, and crocheted items or dried flowers and plants from local growers. One handiwork that sticks out in my mind were the booths selling handcrafted pine furniture. A lot of years found us taking home inexpensive yet quality bookcases, tables, or wall shelves for various rooms of the house.

Many years have passed since our last family Shipshewana trip and the years, at least eight of them, have not been kind to the flea market. The number of booths selling true flea market wares were outnumbered at least 10 to 1 (but probably more) by imported goods. There were knockoff bags and purses, luggage, and a never-ending list of what you could get for just $1.

Then there was what I can only describe as the truly strange. What do scooters or all-terrain vehicles, sunroom enclosures, and in-person infomercials for car wax, mops, and jewelry cleaner have to do with a flea market? In my humble opinion, that would be nothing.

Flea market, where have you gone?

Mission Accomplished

How do you know your first quilt is a success? Your niece immediately pulls it out of its wrapping, spreads it out, gets her new baby doll, and announces to the assembled birthday crowd that she is going to take a nap. With a three year old you get pure, unedited responses so it was obvious she really loved it. I was so excited to see her reaction; it was really more than I had hoped for.

As an added bonus she also got a matching pillowcase. This came about because of my rather significant over-purchase of backing fabric. To add a bit of detail to the edge I used one of the many decorative stitches available on my new machine.

The quilt ended up being 42”x 45”, a little smaller than the Hop, Skip, and a Jump pattern indicated. (Something in the pattern enlargement step was a bit off because this is the correct size based on my enlarged pieces.) I’m actually glad it ended up being this size though. It perfectly fit her new bed and is a great size for a throw as she gets older.

Also, I don’t know if I’d want to hand stitch binding on a quilt any bigger than this. It was four straight nights of hand stitching, several hours at a time. Hand sewing is definitely not something I enjoy and being a slow stitcher adds to my dislike. For my next quilt I may try attaching the binding to the back by stitching in the ditch on the front perhaps with an invisible thread in the bobbin. Then again maybe the next time would be faster as a result of all my practice on this quilt.

Yes, there will be another quilt of some sort in my future. And if the next recipient is half as happy as Little Miss Lou was that, too, will be another success story.