don't know what you've got till it's gone*

A while back, I found this vintage Horner's toffee tin in a local consignment shop and knew I had to have it. I love old confectionary tins in general, but to find one that features photos from Niagara Falls, my birthplace, seemed particularly serendipitous. So home it came where it has since been filled with vintage buttons from a couple of other recent antique store outings.

A few years ago I tried to find the house we lived in when I was born. I had the address, a map and this photo from the family album plus my mom's recollection that there was a cemetery a block or two away. After driving up and down the road several times, and watching the street numbers disappear where the house was supposed to be, I had to admit defeat. It appeared that the house with the beautiful rose bushes in the back yard that my mom loved had been torn down and replaced by a Quickie Mart.

Even though I have no actual memories of this house, the fact that it had been bulldozed to make way for a strip mall disturbed me a little. Since then I've kept my eyes open for vintage memorabilia from Niagara Falls. In addition to the tin I have a few travel brochures from the 70's that are pretty neat - I love the old illustrations.

*lyrics by Joni Mitchell 

Baby Roboto

I just found out that some dear friends welcomed their third baby boy at the beginning of January. An impressive seventeen days late, eleven pound bruiser of a baby boy, no less. Wow, just, wow.

Fortunately I always have some pre-washed cotton onsies on hand and ready for embellishment at a moment's notice. I pulled out one in size 6-9 months along with my just arrived stack of David Walker Robots fabric and set to work. I hadn't added an applique of this size on a onesie before and was a little worried that my hand-sewn blanket stitch wouldn't be enough to keep it attached, but it seems pretty sturdy. And really, it's only going to fit him for five minutes or so, right?

I added this pair of the stay-on baby booties that I seem to be obsessed with knitting and whipped up a monogrammed drawstring bag to wrap them in. Hopefully Baby E. won't have grown out of them by the time they arrive.

Recipe of the Week

Recipe: Feta, Garbanzo Bean, and Eggplant Pita Sandwiches
Source: Bon Appetit

Ingredients: ****
Eggplant, garbanzo beans, and feta are some of my favorite ingredients. Here they get used in a way that I wouldn’t normally use them. Typically, eggplant gets used as a pizza topper or roasted with peppers, onions, and mushrooms for a side dish. Garbanzo beans get whirled into hummus. Feta, well, feta can go anywhere. I’m also stretching myself by using an ingredient not typically found in my refrigerator, mint. Mint is something hard for me. Its flavor is never quite what I expect it to be and I’m often disappointed, except is the case of mojitos. Infer what you will.

Preparation: *****
They, the great chefs of the world, always say to prep your ingredients prior to beginning a recipe. I rarely do that, being in too much of a hurry to get food into my rumbling tummy. Here, however, it really is a good idea because the cooking just goes so quickly. I did greatly reduce the amount of mint I added at the end, using only about a tablespoon.

Taste: ***
The first stuffed pita half I had was really good. Reducing the amount of mint was a good call. It was just enough to add some flavor to the mix without being overpowering. By the time I neared the end of the second stuffed pita half though I had had enough. Not as in I’m bursting at the seams, couldn’t eat another bite enough. It was more like this is boring and it’s time to move on. So I don’t know what to recommend to you, dear reader. It’s a toss up. I can offer nothing further.

etsy Shopping Spree

I had a little etsy shopping spree two weeks ago. My focus was accessories with a thought towards spring. I’ve been eyeing these sellers for a while and finally splurged on their beautiful wares.

From monicajtwo I got this great copper and turquoise bracelet. I almost missed out on this. I had browsed rather frequently at this piece and when, at last, I made up my mind it was gone! Thank God for etsy conversations. I crossed my fingers as I typed a message asking if she’d consider making another like it. The reply back was perfect! She’d love to make one for me and she would make it that very day. That is some amazing service to go along with an amazing bracelet.

Not to leave my ears out I picked up two pairs of earrings from MDsparks. The prices on her pieces are absolutely unbelievable. I’m not sure how she does it. What I do know is she does it simply, beautifully, and very well.

This year I am bound and determined to find a new spring coat. On that coat’s lapel I’ve imagined a fantastic vintage pin. I had been thinking a bright enamel pin but then I saw this funky rhinestone pin at VermontJewelry and knew it would be perfect for whatever coat I end up with.

Yep, a little retail therapy goes a long way to improving winter moods.

(photos by shop owners)

My Funny Valentine

Now in case you got the wrong idea, I did not forget Little Miss Lou on Valentine’s Day. Tiny embroidered dolls are not her idea of fun though. In fact, for some strange reason, she thought they were socks. In her defense I guess they do (kind of) resemble a pair of rolled up socks. I do think she was relieved when Daddy told her he had given her the wrong wrapped package from the box.

More to Little Miss Lou’s liking was the Swing, Swing Smock. In fact, the story goes she immediately put it on and wore it the entire day. Also a big hit were the little notebooks I made her. We must be on the same wavelength because we had the exact same idea as to their purpose. “For menus, you know, when you take orders for playing restaurant.” That girl makes my heart smile.

Baby Dolls

Last summer, sitting in the sun, I began and completed my first Stitchette. Things happened, time passed, and snow began to fly. It was the perfect time to get back to stitching the remaining girls of summer. And complete them I did on quiet Michigan mornings before Christmas, where tons of snow was flying both from the sky and the ends of shovels.

I knew what these girls would become then but they sat in the bottom of my project bag until the weekend before Valentine’s Day. Out they came to be ironed, matched with fabrics, and sewn into rough doll outlines. A bit of stuffing was added and they became the cutest little baby-sized dolls I’ve ever seen.

Baby B, at just two months old, doesn’t quite have the ability to grasp more than a handful of hair. I’m hoping, though, that soon these will be loved, waved about, and slobbered all over. For now I’m so happy to know that Mommy thinks they are the most perfect baby toy ever.

Geekfest 2009

We had a mini craft fair on Saturday at a ham radio club flea market (the president is a friend). "Ham radios?" you may be asking yourselves, "how do Tory and Elise expect Funky & Delightful to go over in this world? These girls are wack!" Well, dear readers, we have a confession to make. Not to reveal too much about our real life identities, but Tory and I are pretty comfortable in the world of precision instrumentation; one might say we speak near fluent geek ourselves. So, when offered an exclusive gig selling our handmade wares at an event where 200+ men would be in desperate need of last-minute gifts in attendance on Valentine's Day we couldn't resist.

Given our last experience with local craft fairs, we had pretty low expectations for this one so we decided not to go to town putting together an entirely new collection. We managed to cobble together quite a few odds and ends left over from past events: bibs, onsies, wallets etc. Of course, we did add a few new items: Tory whipped up a few charming handbags and some coffee cup cozies and I put together a handful of patchwork scarves and some fabric flower pins. There were a few late nights and weekends spent in our respective sewing rooms, but overall it was a pretty low-key effort.

Saturday morning found us in a middle school cafeteria surrounded by vendors and collectors offering a huge array of vacuum tubes, resistors, radios and computer parts. It was really fun, we had lots of people stopping by to chat with us and just about everyone was friendly and interesting. I'd like to think that our amazing table drew people over, but I'm sure it helped that we were the only two women under 50. Someone, assuming that we were students at the school, asked us where the bathrooms were; it was pretty funny. As for sales, we exceeded our goal and are pretty sure we saved a few husbands from the dog house by making sure they didn't go home empty-handed. We even sold the one remaining apron from our very first craft fair which was a bit of a relief. As an added bonus, I managed to score a few cool items for myself. On a table of mostly technical manuals, I found a 1969 Sears Roebuck catalogue in mint condition plus a handful of vintage travel brochures. All-in-all, Geekfest 2009 was a roaring success.

In closing, here are a few photos from the day:

Recipe of (This) Week

Recipe: Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Source: Martha Stewart Cookies

Ingredients: *** OR *****
I made a double batch of these cookies. That means 2 sticks of butter and 3 cups of sugar met 1 cup of shortening. So depending on who you ask that translates into a fabulous 5 stars or a horrifying 3 stars. We are talking cookies here so moderation is certainly key. I'll try to remember that.

Preparation: *****
When I first picked out this recipe I was a bit hesitant. Sugar cookies can be a lengthy process. You make the dough, you chill the dough, you roll and cut the dough, you chill the dough. Then, finally, at long last, you bake the cookies. These cookies require absolutely no chilling. It's mixing bowl to baking sheet in one quick step. Now that's my kind of preparation. I did opt out of making these giant. Rather than using the 2.5" ice cream scoop to get 16 cookies I used my 1.5" scoop to get nearly 6 dozen. Just reduce the baking time to 12 minutes. This helps with the whole moderation thing.

Taste: ****
These are really nothing like a sugar cookie, the obvious departure being the chocolate. They have just the right amount of chocolate flavor, a crispy edge and a slightly chewy middle. Of the nearly four dozen I took to work, none survived. I don't know if that's a testament to the cookie or to their price (i.e. free). I do know that although good, they're not likely to replace my favorite chocolate chip pecan cookies when I need a cookie and chocolate fix. Nonetheless, they are worth a try.

Recipe of the (Last) Week

Recipe: Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients: *****
As far as dessert bars go these are pretty wholesome. These is oatmeal, orange juice and zest, and cranberries. There is a mere 6 tablespoons of butter which gets divided into 24 bars. It's like these isn't any butter in them at all. I even made them more wholesome by using reduced fat sour cream. I also reduced the sugar since the cranberries I had were sweetened.

Preparation: *****
Unlike the crust in some bar cookie recipes there was actually enough here to evenly and easily pat it into the bottom of the pan. I really appreciate that. I find it terribly aggravating when it's nearly impossible to get the crust into the entire pan's dimensions. The filling was just a matter of mixing and pouring. Dot the top with the reserved crust and into the oven it goes. Another thing to love about these bars is they bake for 40 minutes which is just enough time to squeeze in a Sunday afternoon nap.

Taste: ****
These have been described in my house as the taste of sunshine followed by the tanginess of cranberries. You'd think he was describing a fine wine. While these may not be fine wine, they are certainly a great little bar cookie. I think they belong on a brunch buffet somewhere in the fall but really they'd do anytime.

How excited am I?

Thanks to Beth at Sew, Mama, Sew! for featuring my mouse pad tutorial as part of their fat quarter month. If you're visiting for the first time, welcome to Funky & Delightful! We hope you'll be back!

Inspiring Quilts

I was browsing through my Crate and Barrel catalog earlier today and came across this beauty. The patchwork is rectangles of fabric in shades of blues, reds, and greens. The quilting is closely spaced horizontal lines. It manages to feel more gender neutral than most quilts. I like this. I like this alot.

Also inspiring me:
Orange quilt by cluckclucksew
Spider web blocks by handmadebyalissa
Whirly pinwheel quilt top by mayaeliseboutique

What's inspiring you today?

The Archives

Here’s something from the project archives. It was my Valentine to Little Miss Lou last year. I’m not sure how or why I missed posting it then because it’s a great project! (I think it has something to do with the horrible picture.) With just some fabric and trim scraps, a bit of heat-n-bond, some fiber-fil and a free evening I created a cute, toddler sized pillow.

It features two of my favorite things, ball trim and letter appliques. If it hadn’t been intended for my (then) favorite 2 year old, it would have been impossible to part with. I’m glad I did though. It became her most loved pillow and was dubbed “the Auntie J pillow”. Too sweet!

In the mail - finally

I had the best intentions for a handmade Christmas last year, I really did. But then school and rearranging our house to accomodate month-long visitors took over and my plans went up in smoke. Things got so out of hand that I didn't even manage to finish my gifts for my niece and nephew which I feel pretty guilty about. And they were going to be such good gifts.


For my sweet niece, a patchwork pillow in green and purple to coordinate with her bedroom. The center panel is an embroidery based on the Wee Wonderfuls Peppermint Fairy Stitchette. I swapped her candy cane for a bouquet of flowers and the peppermints for sparkles and gave her a coordinating outfit to the fabrics I wanted to use. The fairy tale print fabric is from Superbuzzy, as is the green umbrella print and the purple/orange flower print. I put a hidden zipper along the bottom seam and lined the patchwork panel with muslin to make it a little sturdier. Plans are in the works for a coordinating doll quilt for the gorgeous doll bed that my brother made for my niece's last birthday.

And for my car and train obsessed nephew, a pillow based on one of the Christmas Wishes Stitchettes stitched on linen. The cars, stripes and blue/red fabrics were Superbuzzy purchases, but I'm sure I've seen these prints elsewhere. In all honesty, this didn't turn out exactly how I had imagined. I wanted to use train fabric instead of the cars, but it just didn't work so I swapped it out at the last minute. Also, I would have like to do the embroidery on black linen but for the life of me couldn't transfer the drawing satisfactorily. Anybody have any hints? Hopefully it's good enough to impress a four year-old boy.

I added an outfit for each of them and a couple of these awesome Glitter Balls to the box and sent it off this morning. Hopefully it will get there for Valentine's Day. Better late than never, right?

Recipe of the Week

Recipe: Avocado-Tomatillo Dip with Cumin Pita Chips
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients: ****
Having been Super Bowl weekend avocados were abundant and cheap at my local supermarket so I had to find an excuse to use them. (Not that I really needed an excuse.) And you already know how I love cilantro and cumin. This recipe does call for cumin in the seed form. However, I opted to use ground cumin because I always, always have ground cumin. I think it worked just fine.

Preparation: ****
All you need to do is boil the tomatillos, chuck everything into a blender, and ta da you’ve got dip. Making the pita chips was a bit trickier. The recipe suggests 15 minutes in the oven to achieve golden brown. I slid mine in for 10 minutes and had passed golden and was well on my way to dark brown. I’m sure this varies by oven so just keep an eye on it.

Taste: *****
Oh, my, oh, my. It was crunchy goodness topped with rich creaminess. Since eating the dip I haven’t been able to get the vision of a big pile of crisp romaine topped with salty, seasoned beef, cheese, tomatoes, and crushed tortilla chips out of my mind. At the top of the mound a generous serving of this dip sits alongside some salsa. You know a recipe is good when you envision other ways to ingest it. Make some. You won’t be sorry.

no. 14: Best of January

When I decided one of the 32 things I wanted to do this year was take a picture a day I thought it would be pretty easy. Well, January set me straight. Light in January is terrible when you have a full time job and need to take pictures either before or after work. I did feel like giving up about day 6 but I stuck with it and somehow managed to take 31 photos, some of questionable quality. I did have some favorites though. I think of them as the highlights of the low light.

For Baby

Pajamas and slippers are the best. Pajamas and slippers for a newborn are even better.

These are the Kimono pajamas and cutie booties from Amy Butler’s Little Stitches for Little Ones. The Kimono pajamas came together very quickly and easily. I did find the directions for putting on the bias trim a bit strange. You start by attaching the bias trim as you would on a quilt, then folding it over to the back. Rather than stitching in the ditch the directions have you create a visible stitching line all around the trim. Why see stitching when you don’t need to?

Now about those cutie booties. Upon first glance I thought they’d be an easy project. Wrong, but that’s partly my fault. You see I skim directions more often than I read them. This leads to more time spent with my seam ripper than is necessary. If you want to avoid attaching the velcro four times I highly recommend carefully reading the instructions. OK, so I corrected those mistakes only to reach the end and find you have to hand sew the lining bottom in. Ugh! I hate handsewing! After much pinning and cursing and stitching while listening to This American Life podcasts I finished them. And they were worth it! Along with the pajamas they make a stunning baby gift, don't you think?

A whole lot of pink

Another pair of the Stay-on Baby Booties from Knitting for Baby, again made using the Filatura Di Crosa Italian cotton. They are for my hair stylist, who is having a little girl in a few short weeks. Aren't they yummy? Every time I make a pair of these I bemoan the fact they they don't come in my size. But this time I actually did something about it.

Behold, my new MP superwash wool tights from Cambridge Clogs in Porter Square (formerly Vintage, etc.) I've been wanting some warm tights for winter skirt wearing but have never been able to wear wool next to my skin for more than, oh, ten minutes or so without serious consequences. These MP tights are lined with cotton and are not itchy at all (they even come in organic cotton for those of you who are so inclined). I might have to go back for the blue pair, one can never have too many pairs of striped tights, right?