a handmade life

I believe in handmade. I believe that using your creativity to enrich the life around you can make you a happier person.  I believe that every person has the ability to hand make something. I believe that more people should buy handmade items even though they cost more.

Once you go handmade, it's awfully hard to go back to "made in China".  

Now. I can't cook a moist roast to save my life.  I guess I could, if I took the time to learn. But the interest isn't really there. And the Sugar Daddy is a great cooker of all things meat.

And I can't take a piece of wood and shape a surf board or build a book case. I could try, but, you know, again, the interest isn't there.

But I can draw. And I can embroider. And I can sew. (Assuming it is strait lines and I don't have to follow a pattern.)

So when the time came to sew pillows for my living room sofa, I knew I wanted to make them myself. And when I saw the price tags on the pillows I liked in home design shops, I really knew I wanted to do it myself. 

I've made seven pillows. It wasn't easy. I was actually sweating, actual sweat, sewing these pillows. I am working on the last one which I am embroidering. I am using all my handmade talents to make this pillow. I drew the monogram and the floral embellishments. I transferred my pattern onto my pillow fabric and I have begun to embroider it. When I'm done, I will sew it to the backing and put it on my couch and enjoy it for years.  It's just a pillow. But not really. It's much more.

Everybody can make something with their hands. Everybody can make something. And using your hands to create will help you find out who you really are and what you really love.

I promise.

Try it.

And then come tell my what you made.

amelie's dishtowel dress

"You're becoming quite a sew-er." the Sugar Daddy remarked the other day. Mostly because he doesn't use words like seamstress.

"Oh no no no." I replied. "What I'm doing isn't really sewing." I explained.

"Oh really? Cuz that dress looks like it was sewn to me."

He's such as smart aleck.

I guess I have been dabbling. And if I call it dabbling then my major mistakes don't count. And no one can expect anything really great from me.

So here's the scoop on the dishtowel dress. A person doesn't have to look very hard to find vintage embroidered dish towels in antique shops.  And they are cheap cheap cheap and oh so very sweet.

I bought the dishtowel for this dress for $3. It is a large gauzy cotton towel that is 30 X 34 inches. The embroidery is impeccable. It is in great condition.  I knew I wanted to find a way to turn it into something for the Bird to wear.

I sewed a linen ruffle along the edge of one end and a pink trim along the other end. I folded the towel in half with the linen end a little longer.  I sewed along the fold leaving a one inch seam to thread elastic through.  Then I placed right sides together and sewed the back seam together but I made sure the top layer with the pink trim was left open so the dress had a certain apron feel to it.

Then I found some fabric scraps and made ties. I sewed the ties onto the front of the dress and they tie behind the neck.  I used up the rest of my scraps and made a bow for the back.

It took me about a half hour. Maybe less. Again- I only sew super easy.  This is almost more simple than the pinafore dress.

And cheaper.

You could easily leave off the ties and use this for a skirt for an older girl or trim the fabric to make it shorter for a little girl.

It is going to make the prefect little beach dress this summer. I love that the whole project only cost around $4.  I'm itching to get out and find more dishtowels!

Happy sewing! Share your photos with me if you end up making one!

a heart"felt" valentine

I gotta be honest. Wooly week has been a little, well, hairy.  I would love for my life to be organized and inspired and all that good stuff, but my children have decided it will be otherwise.  It's really quite scary how these little people rule my life.

I have many more wool projects I would like to share, but a week really isn't that much time to get everything in.  I plan on posting my wool craft ideas every now and then, when my time allows. Or I guess I should say, when my children allow.

Here's a little Valentine idea for your sweety.  Embroidered felt slippers.  I paired them with some of my other favorite things- chocolate, a good read, pink lemonade and a vintage hanky.

You don't need much felt to make these slippers.  The pattern I used called for a double layer of felt, but if I make them again, I will just use a single layer of thicker felt.

I altered the pattern a little by cutting a notch in the top. I also cut my slippers a little more roomy in the toe so that they had a clog look to them and added pom pom to the back because, please, pom poms are always a must.  

Here is the pattern and directions for making these slippers.

hoopla

click here for credits

I'm seriously loving the idea of embroidery hoops as wall decor. The possibilities are endless. And you don't even have to actually embroider to make them beautiful. If you have only a scrap of your most favorite vintage fabric that you know you will never ever find again because it's like, fifty years old, and soooo special, I say hoop it and hang it on the wall.

Having said that, I must add that anything hand embroidered is special and unique and just why on Earth would anyone want to pass on embroidery anyway?

Here's my latest project.  I hand carved the stamp and used it on ivory cotton as a pattern.

There is something about embroidery. I just can't put my finger on it. It's like down home and comforting to me.  I can't wait till the Bird is old enough to wield a needle.

finally

Well it came. I've been waiting for this book for like for. ever. 

There are several blogs that I follow religiously. Humm, probably more than religiously. Every once in a while I take a mental health Sunday off of church. I don't miss my blog reads. Ever.

Alicia Paulson writes Posy Gets Cozy. I love to peek into her life and watch her create. She is also adopting a baby girl. I'm so excited for her and I love the little projects she is working on for her baby while she waits.

I thumbed through my book while I feed the Little Mister a bottle. I love this project using crewel wool. As you can see I got out my embroidery hoops and started planning.

Now, generally speaking, I don't get into any type of needle work in the Summer. It just seems too hot to sit with something in my lap. However. Summer skipped us down her in San Diego this year. Honestly, we have only had a couple of hot days and every morning is cold and overcast. And now that I have Alicia's book to get me in the mood, I'm considering a project. Something to do in the last few minutes before we call it a day.

Michael's Craft was having a sale on cotton yarn. I thought a light weight summer afghan would be just the thing to keep my fingers nimble. I picked these three bright fun colors and I'm planning on using double crochet to keep it loose and airy. I may try a zig-zag pattern to make it look like candy.

To be fair, I should probably just say that I might be full of a lot of crap and never even start this blanket. I've got, like, a kabillion projects going right now, two of which are needy little babies. I also have an illustration project that I'm working on that I simply can't wait to share when it's finished. And then there's SPARK. It's only a month away. I'm so excited to be teaching and I'm trying to plan a class that will knock your socks off. And the Winter Secondsister collection needs to be finished off. Hopefully, that will knock your socks off as well. Bring your cash stash from your underwear drawer.

I'm trying to keep up. I'm stressed and having fun all at the same time. Did you read the previous post? My life is a circus.

idea

1. Good Morning Friday, 2. close up doodles, 3. no. 6, 4. red stitches, 5. aqua pincushion | detail, 6. Cute Cupcake, 7. penelope waits bunting 3, 8. Gardenia/ Indigo Dyed, 9. teapot close-up, 10. Russian doll, 11. a quarter purse for Olivia, 12. Les Coquelicots Peu Sous Le Nuage Gris 03

I have a little idea rattling around in my brain. It's been brewing, cooking and bubbling, percolating to the surface for some time now.  It involves embroidery and my own little illustrations. 


Stay tuned.

buzz off

So.


Summer is here in full swing. There is swimming. There is neighborhood night games. There is ice cream. Best of all, there are barbeques. Oh my I do love a good dinner party on a warm Summer night. 


If I were a drinkin' gal, I'd bring my host a cold six pack and a bag of peanuts, but I'm not. A drinkin' gal that is. I'm a crafty gal. And here is what I will be making for hostess gifts over the next few months.


I call them "Buzz Off Drink Covers".  Not only are they super cute, they also keep bugs out of your drink and if you make each cover in your set a little different, you can use them to tell who's drink belongs to who.


Here's the super easy how to:


Step one:


Cut two pieces of fabric into six inch squares.  Adorn one piece of fabric. I embroidered some of my covers with mendhi style designs that I drew. You can find them here. On the other set, I ruffled some contrasting fabric and sewed that on.  I plan to embroider a set to keep with our monogram on them. You can make them as fancy or as plain as your little heart desires.


Step two:


For each cover you will need four beads. One for each corner. I suggest using beads that have a little weight to them. They will keep the cover on your drink better if there is a breeze. Tie each bead onto a length of string and tie a knot an inch away from the bead.

Step three:


Pin each bead onto the right side of your fabric making sure that the beads fall towards the center of the cover. The end of the string should poke directly out from the corner.

Step four:


Pin the right sides of your fabric together. The beads will be sandwiched between your fabric.

Step five:


Using a quarter inch seam allowance, sew around the outside edge of the square. Make sure the knots from the strings are on the outside of the seam (the salvage edge).  Leave an inch of the square open. Turn the square right side out.  Turn the edges of the hole together and press the entire square. Now you can sew around the edge again with a decorative stitch making sure to close off the inch that was left open.

Don't forget to present your gift with flare. Presentation is everything darling.  I will be gifting mine stacked together with a package of lemonade mix and a large bow.

Happy Summer! Happy crafting!

history embodied, embroidered

I love the quiet rhythm of embroidery. The sound of the needle piercing the cloth makes me entirely happy. I feel connected to mankind when I embroider. It is a craft that has lasted thousands of years. I may be using my light board to transfer my designs onto the fabric with my iPhone and laptop close by, but the fundamentals of the craft have been unchanged. My great-great grandmother threaded her needle the same way I thread mine.

And I have no doubt she sat near a window just the way I do, for optimum light. And she probably watched her babies toddle around the room and she probably rose every once in a while to stir the soup on the stove. In this we are the same.

"It is a token of healthy and gentle characteristics when women of high thoughts and accomplishments love to sew; especially as they are never more at home with their own hearts than while so occupied." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorn

this ain't your grandma's embroidery

I'm ready. The nursery is done. The stroller is sitting by the front door. The clothes are all washed and put into her drawers. Diapers- check. Lotion- check. Bum balm- check. The bags are packed. Check, check, check.


And yet. . .


I can't be done. I must be doing. . . something.


So there is this little embroidery project I started. A custom lampshade for the nursery.

If you know me at all you know that I must, MUST be doing something creative or my leg starts to shake and my fingers fumble. And it get irritable in the most inconvenient way.

Have you seen these books? Are you aware that embroidery has made a huge comeback thanks in part to Jenny Hart. All the cool people (a.k.a. stay-at-home wanna be crafters) are doing it.

My next challenge. Crewel.

I used to facilitate several book groups but I find that book groups breed contention and so I've given them up. I can't listen to one more person complain because the book had a swear word or touched on a politically charged topic.

I'm going to start an embroidery group. Who wants to join? We will meet at my house once a month. I will serve rich chocolate desserts and we will give out free therapy to each other. This will be our first project to set the tone for the group.

If you can't fly with this, you best stay home.

P.S. I'm up four runs and down three pounds!

couch crafting

Tell me. What is about cold weather that makes me want to needle craft? Is is that my work bench in the garage seems such a cold place to be? Is it the warmth of a project laying across my lap? Is it the quiet pull of the string that reminds me of the snow falling softly on my parents home in the mountains?

I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this embroidery project. It will most likely end up incorporated into an apron.

If you are interested in vintage embroidery, there are many free patterns to be found online. This little scottie dog appeared in Women's Weekly on October 30th, 1937.

I started this baby blanket on the ride to Utah. I'm thinking of adding a little embroidered squirrel to one corner. If I'm lucky, someone I know will have a baby next fall to gift it to.

hello sam i am

Let me first just say that I realized I have become a true Californian when this morning's earthquake (5.8) caused me no concern, just irritation for making me smudge my mascara.

I have a wonderful friend that just had her second son on Friday. They named him Sam. Good name don't you think? It's a strong name. It says, "I'm capable." Anywho- I crocheted around the edge of two pieces of flannel and embroidered a matching onesie. Because losing the lime light so startling quick can be rather tumultuous for older siblings, we thought we would ease the way with a stuffed sock monkey for older brother Jack. I think he liked it. I have a thing for classic toys. They seem somehow, better, more reliable than the toys kids have now.

If you want to enter the Top Rockstar drawing (see previous post), but don't have a blog or web page, you can also add a link to your My Space page or any other networking site page. Just leave the link in the comments.

crazy

Our very best friends from law school have come to stay with us. We have shared a lot with them over the years. We became fast friends the first few weeks of school. We were both so poor and working like dogs. They were also suffering through infertility and childlessness. It was such a crazy time in all our lives. I was a god send to have close friends. There is a certain bond that you make with people who have been through the same hell as you. We are like war buddies. You just don't quit being friends with a war buddy, they are family.

Anyway, they brought the kids ( two absolutely hilarious, darling kids) out to do Disneyland and the whole shebang. It is so good to see them. I love to be around my friends to whom I never have to explain the back story. I can just start talking about any old thing, out of the blue, and they are up to speed.

So, people that know me, know that I love to make guest gift baskets. I love having people come stay and I have a ton of fun putting together little welcome gifts. For Jill and Kate, I made mother/daughter crazy aprons. I was really happy with how they turned out. I made little Josh an embroidered t-shirt- and well Greg- I couldn't think of anything manly that was embroidered so he got goodies from Trader Joe's.

Thomas and Josh have hit it off. They are both absolutely out of control crazy around each other. There has been a lot of chicken crossing the road jokes and fart sounds made with various body parts. I wish they lived closer....sigh.

If you are interested in ideas for making your own guest welcome baskets- you can see more photo on my flickr photostream.

holy smokes

We had a bit of a cultural experience last Sunday. My friend Rosa Rameriz invited us to her nephew's baptism. I had only ever been to a Catholic mass once before at Christmas time so I didn't really know what to expect. The sermon was in Spanish and it was standing room only. The chapel was warmed by all the bodies and smelled of incense. I had no idea what was going on most of the time. There were about six babies to be baptized. They all wore extravagant white outfits and the parents carried ornate candles and shells. Afterwards, we went to the party held in the baby's behalf. There were blue and white balloons, mariachi music and a massive cake. We had tacos and orange soda.




All day, we were the only Caucasian people around. Both Ben and I felt a little self conscious. At 6'5", Ben was substantially taller than any other person and I was taller than a lot of the men. Every where I looked, people were staring and I felt like an interloper. But the amazing thing was, we were treated like movie stars. At the party, people were warm and welcoming. They served us first and constantly checked to see if we needed anything. They even insisted we pose in their family photos!




And how does my son repay this kindness?




The party was held on a patio which overlooked a steep wooded embankment. Thom instantly made best friends, as he is so inclined to do where ever we go. The kids were playing cars when Thom spotted a pack of cigarettes. He instantly snatched them up, screamed "AHHHHHHH SMOKES!" and chucked them, grenade style, over the fence and down into the embankment. Like idiots, Ben and I both rushed over to see if we could somehow retrieve the package thirty feet down and semi hidden in shrubbery.




Now, I know we have been teaching him smoking is bad for your body and we don't smoke in our family. I'm not retracting that. But I also know that a pack of cigarettes isn't cheap. I was ready to reimburse whomever need be. No one ever claimed ownership and the incident was glossed over by our super nice hosts.




But here's what's been bothering me: Where in the world did my son learn to call cigarettes "smokes" like some kind of hardened criminal?




Here's the little rodent modeling my latest embroidery project. As you can tell, he is thrilled to have his picture taken.

Sugar Daddy thinks I am crazy for spending so much time on a T-shirt for our grubby son. Now that it's finished, I think he might be right.

broderie anglaise

When I just can't look at another bead or piece of silver, I come in from my work bench, put on my pajamas and break out the needle crafts. I have been working for some time on two crocheted blankets for Mei Mei. I love the rhythm of crochet. The in and out of the needle, the pull and tug of the yarn. I like to nestle in the corner of my large sofa and watch Nova or Project Runway, crochet and snack on things I shouldn't be eating at night- like sour patch kids or milk duds.

Sweet Pea Blanket

Spumoni Blanket

Recently, I have been dabbling in English embroidery (broderie anglaise). I find it very relaxing. My work tends to be less English and more modern American doodling. For my next project, I want to make a watch with an embroidered band. Keep an eye on my etsy shop!

Keep a green bough in your heart, and a singing bird will come!

-Chinese Proverb