A peek at right now

I've missed sharing here. We've had huge family things going on that changed my mood about blogging, and once you're away, it's hard to come back.  Even now, I'm not sure I can commit to being back regularly, but I can say, today I'm here.  The easiest way, for me, I think, is to just jump in with now, rather than trying to catch up.

Right now, we're having a sick day. It's just what we needed--some slow time and no pressure to do anything but rest. 

Right now, I'm crocheting some African Flower Hexagons.  (And looking at that photo as I posted it, I realize I made a glaring mistake in that top one!  How funny.  I've looked at it again and again in person, but never noticed.  Will have to fix that.)  I've been up way too late at night, addicted to working on these (while watching Downton Abby on Hulu.)

Right now, Lucy (age 3.10) is appliqueing a mushroom of her own design.  It's to become a pillow for our couch.  She is constantly planning projects these days, inspired by everything around her.  This one was inspired by a candy-cane appliqued sachet I helped her make as a Christmas gift, and by some modeling wax I'd been playing with, ultimately ending up with a little mushroom. 

Bird cat toy: Lucy's project

Lucy (observing our cat, Eliot, at the window, birdwatching): "Cats like watching birds, just like I do! We should make a toy bird for the cats. And put that stuff that cats like in it."
me: "Catnip?"
Lucy: "Yes!"
me (rummaging around in the cabinet): "It looks like we don't have any catnip right now. I can put it on the grocery list."
Lucy: (going into the studio, and finding some colored cellophane): "We can use this."
me: "That would make a good sound inside the bird. I think the cats would like that."
me: "Can you draw what you want your bird to look like?"
Lucy:

(the drawing picked up a few stray squished water beads along the way)
I lay Lucy's drawing on the light box, with fabric on top, and traced her design. With her permission, I added a line to the beak (the line on the far right), to make it more triangular, explaining that it needed to be wider for us to be able to cut it out and sew it. I cut out two bird shapes, pinned them together, and showed her how to sew the edges together. She sewed some, I sewed some, and we passed it back and forth until it was mostly sewn together. We were careful not to sew the beak shut, as she wanted it to be able to open. A friend helped her cut the cellophane and stuff it in.

The finished bird (now with an eye she added after watching me trace her drawing:

Proud of her finished toy, Lucy offered it to Austen:

He showed his approval by rubbing it with his head.

Afterward, Lucy had second thoughts. She didn't want the cats to tear her bird, so she decided that instead, it could be a "band for cats" (as in, it makes music, so we can play it for them like a band). She offered me pots to clang together and paraded me through the house, crinkling the bird, a band for cats.

A plain white slip

Before(ish):

During:

After:

Whoo, hoo! I finished a project I've been wanting to do for years!

This free-to-us chair is super-comfy, has simple lines, and is nicely-scaled for our little rooms. But it's ugly!

Don't worry, it never looked quite that awful in our house; we kept it draped with a white chenille bedspread, which looked lovely for about five minutes each morning before the kids started climbing all over it. But all that drapey fabric took up so much visual space, and hid so many dust bunnies and long-lost toys. I've always wanted a nice tidy slipcover, but the estimate we got was for $350, not including fabric!

Then I was given a gift of 4 hours sewing time (thanks, Karen!), and it was just the motivation I needed to finally tackle it. A $25 painter's dropcloth, a morning sewing with her, several late nights by myself, a few choice words for the sewing machine and my ineptitude, and we have a slipcover!

Now to tackle the other chair, and then the couch... (just hoping it gets easier each time!)

Long-awaited Advent calendar

I've been wanting to make an Advent calendar for years, and this was the year that I finally did it. Rather than look at all the beautiful options out there and try to create the perfect design and fabric choices for us, I decided to just get it done. I remembered that somewhere I had a red corduroy pillowcase I'd gotten once at a thrift store, and I envisioned maybe linen pockets, or maybe vintage tablecloth bits? While I was fighting my way through the heaps of mess blocking my sewing closet door, I found a linen napkin I'd pulled out for another project last Christmas (yes, it takes us that long to put things away sometimes!). Hmmm... That got the ball rolling, and I began to cut and stitch, taking sizing cues from the already-cut-into pillowcase (what did I use that for?) and from the smaller-than-originally-envisioned tags I bought. As I began to sew, I realized the pockets were going on crooked and un-symmetrically, but I just kept on, telling myself when it was all done, the overall effect would be fine.

And you know what? It is. Done and ready to use is what I really needed--not perfection. (Might be a little more perfect with some paint touch-ups behind it though, huh?)

The tags are simple, too. My goal was to make sure we scheduled in all the things that matter most to us, so that the things that matter less won't crowd them out. The activities are mostly things we'd do anyway, but ritualizing them by putting them on our calendar and treating them as special changes them from to-do-list items to family events.

Here's what we have planned:
1. Let's write Christmas cards today.
2. Today, let's decorate the house for Christmas.
3. We're going to Boston today to buy books for gifts. (We do this every year, to visit good friends and shop at a huge bookstore that sells remainders.)
4. It's the second Sunday of Advent. We'll light 2 candles and add plants to our creche.
5. St. Nicholas comes tonight. We'll set out our wooden shoes.
6. It's St. Nicholas' Day. Let's surprise our neighbors with gifts.
7. Someone is coming to visit us today! (Uncle David, but I left the card open-ended so I could re-use it in future years.)
8. Christmas cards are coming. Let's find a place to put them.
9. Let's look for Christmas decorations today. (This might be a special walk or drive, or it may just be as-we-go-about-our-business, depending how busy life gets. I wanted to cut us some slack now and then.)
10. Today we will cut our Christmas tree.
11. It's the third Sunday of Advent. We'll light three candles and add animals to our creche.
and
Today we'll put up our tree and string it with lights. (I liked the idea of adding the Sundays of Advent to the calendar, but after I'd written up all the cards and tried to figure out how to work everything in, I realized that some projects only really work on weekends, and there are only so many weekend days! So sometimes, I put two cards in a pocket.)
12. Let's choose our gift for Project Heifer today. (We put this in here because this year, we want to include Lucy in the decision.)
13. Let's make chocolate-chip cookies today. (Andi's family's tradition.)
14. Let's wrap our gifts today.
15. Today we'll put ornaments on our tree. (Our tree sits ornament-less for a while, because I have so many young children playing here each day, and lots of fragile or precious-to-me ornaments. We like it just fine with only lights in the meantime.)
16. Time to mail our Christmas packages.
17. Tonight is the Florence Luminary celebration. Let's go.
18. It's the fourth Sunday of Advent. We'll light four candles, and add people to our creche.
and
Today, we'll go to the Messiah sing.
19. Let's write some more Christmas cards today. (We'll have to do a lot more than 2 evenings to get them all done, but I figured these would be the times we'd include Lucy in the project.)
20. Let's sing carols at the piano today. (I hope we'll do this often, but just in case, can't hurt to schedule it in!)
21. Let's wrap presents today.
22. It's the Winter Solstice. Let's celebrate with a fire. (Again, trying to allow for simplicity. Maybe we'll go to some event with a bonfire. Or maybe we'll just have a little one at home.)
23. Let's make vamino bars today. (My family's tradition.)
24. It's Christmas Eve! Let's read our favorite Christmas books. (We'll have read them all a zillion times by then. And we may do something else more exciting that day. But again, we're leaving room for last-minute craziness...)
25. Merry Christmas!

I finished it a couple nights ago, and am having a hard time not hanging it up yet (and by the way, it's just weird that Advent begins in November but Advent calendars begin in December). I still remember the Advent calendar my mom made when we were girls, and I hope this one will be as special to Lucy.

Whoo? Whoo?

Way after the fact (but really only a few days, if you consider that our town postponed Halloween by a week after a snowstorm left us powerless for several days...), but I just had to share some (terrible) pictures of Lucy in her owl costume.

(No glamor shots here. Random cooler? Peeling paint? Pile of farm totes? You get it all...)

It's not shown to its best advantage here, but I was really pleased with how this costume came out. I was inspired by this wonderful costume, by Lucy's love of birds, and by a recent visit to "see the hurt owls" (Lucy's summary) at a bird sanctuary. I used a felted adult sweater as the base (the sleeves long ago turned into longies), and sewed on lots of feathers from free-from-the-thrift-store pants. I tried four different hat styles before I made one I loved (thrifted sweater with more pants-feathers). The glasses were my mom's idea; she had a pair of Groucho Marx glasses and told us we could rip the nose off, so we added a beak cut from a plastic lid and we were all set.

At home, Lucy was the cutest owl, whooing all over the place (thus the face in the first picture). Out and about, she was more shy, but we still got a ton of compliments. Makes all the late-night sewing sessions worth it!

(I love the felted-sweater base for a costume, by the way, and will have to remember that for future costumes. She had several layers of clothes on under it with room to spare, and she was toasty warm all night.)

Brown birdie pants

Well, if I wait for the perfect photo of these pants, I'm never going to post about them. So let's go with these, and I'll do a better job photographing the next pair.

Please ignore the fact that her sweater's buttoned wrong, and that I hemmed them too long--sewing after bedtime--so we had to fold them up (still hoping to find a minute to fix that).

And I hope you'll trust me when I say they're way cuter in person!

What I like:

The goofy cute fabric. I went into Joann's one day on a mission for my mother, and couldn't walk past this sale fabric, perfect for my bird-loving Lucy (adorable little birds and peace signs). I love brown for little girls--perfect for playing in the dirt!

The pockets, made from the pockets of an old pair of corduroys that belonged to Lucy's beloved Tim (which makes them extra special to her). She likes big pockets on all her clothes, so she can have a place to stash her treasure (though I'm rethinking the wisdom of huge pockets on elastic-waist pants. Many treasures = falling-down pants!). I appliqued on some birds from the main fabric, in part to cover the old logo, but also because, when I described the pockets to Lucy, she asked if there would be birds on them (she's beginning to offer strong opinions on how things should be made).

The basic shape of the pants: wide and comfy, not too loose on her tiny-little behind.

What I don't like:

The low rise. I didn't expect them to sit quite so low. (I hate exposed bellies!) Next time, I'll add a bit more at the top.

I made these pants from a pattern in Emma Hardy's Making Children's Clothes. (Thanks, Julie!)

It was my first time tracing a pattern from a book with all those overlapping patterns, and it was a good starting place--just two pieces, no markings. The size was good, and the directions were easy and clear. I did, however, note an error in the description for how to make the elastic casing: you were to fold over 3/8", then 3/8" again, and somehow, that was supposed to leave room for 1/2" elastic. (I really hate that craft books nowadays are made so quickly that basic math mistakes like this slip right by!) That error, and my bigger casing to accommodate the elastic, might account for the too-short rise. Otherwise, I was very happy with the pattern, and will definitely be making more (the legs of those brown corduroys are destined to be the next pair).

I can't believe I finally sewed something again! I'm hoping I can keep up the momentum.

In the works

There's something about fall that gets my creative juices flowing. I can hardly believe it, but I finally pulled out my sewing machine after months of it gathering dust. I was up late last night, working on a pair of pants for Lucy. She woke calling for me before I could finish, but I'm close! I have lots of other plans, too, if I can just find the time. Can't wait to share a finished product here again soon!

Gifts, revealed: Lucy's sling

Lucy's been very interested in dolls lately, and having been a sling-worn baby herself, she of course asks me to tie those dolls up in a scarf so she can wear them, too. So a child-sized sling was an obvious Christmas gift.

For some reason, I struggled with the construction of this one. Can't tell you how many times I stitch-ripped and re-sewed this thing! But in the end, I'm happy with it (though I think I should have made it a bit bigger, or at least a bit stretchy).

It's reversible--one side is this blue silk-y former curtain, and the other is a blue floral vintage sheet, last seen here.

Lucy is not about to slow down long enough for a photo, so we have to settle for these in-action ones. And check out her sweater--that's the Tiny Tea Leaves cardigan Andi made for her (we were lucky enough to get an early version of the toddler pattern). It is so gorgeous!

The bumblebee dress

I finally finished my 2nd Charlotte Dress for Lucy. It's been mostly-finished for days, but I just couldn't find time to sew the neck (the sewing machine wakes her up, unfortunately!). I am so excited about this dress: I love it, love it, love it!

The fabric is vintage; it was a tablecloth, given to me by a friend. It's covered in bumblebees, ladybugs, apples, and flowers. I love it, so it's been hard to use; I wanted to find just the right project. When I finished the last dress, I liked the pattern so well I wanted to make another right away, and it seemed the perfect thing to show off this cute fabric. The yellow fabric was once curtains--and then a tablecloth--from another friend. And there's the cutest vintage flower button (sorry for the bad photos--it's grey and rainy here today).

And the pocket! I think all little girls' clothes should have pockets (why do only boys get them?). There are so many rocks and sticks and shells and acorns to collect! You have to have somewhere to put them. Lucy loves pockets, and is thrilled when she discovers them on a new outfit. Once upon a time, I'd seen a great pocket on Made by Rae. I filed it away in my brain, and actually remembered where to find it when I wanted it for this dress. ( I made my pieces one inch smaller all around to make a child-sized--but still very big--pocket.) Isn't it cute?

It's getting hard to take pictures of Lucy; she wants to be on the move! In these pictures, she was running full speed around our kitchen island, while in my mind, this song played over and over:

Dressing my baby for the 1960s

I almost forgot about the Sewing and Craft Exchange at the church around the corner, but luckily, we drove by at the right time, and I was able to run in for a few minutes. The first table had boxes and boxes of patterns for 10 cents!!! I wanted to just pick up the huge box of children's patterns and take them all home, but I showed great restraint and only bought 80 cents worth. (Oh, how I'm mourning those I didn't buy! But I have to be realistic about how much storage space and sewing time I have.) Look at these darling treasures:

I'm hoping that some day, I will be a good enough seamstress that I can make a coat, like that little yellow one up there. And that tulip hat to go with it? It's almost too cute--cheesy? But I like it.

I just love the sweet innocence of vintage baby clothes. Babies were allowed to be babies, rather than tiny teenagers.

I thought this top looked simple, comfortable, and versatile.

I love the side buttons on this one. I think that blue dress would look great as a winter jumper in wool or something else cozy and warm.

I love the little inverted pleats and the round opening at the back on this one.

That yellow dress with big pockets looks like a great layering basic to me. And that cape? Love it.

And, seriously. Lucy needs this chicken dress. She'd be thrilled. It has a chicken! And an egg-shaped pocket! (And a chick on a string to put in the pocket, but I think I'd skip that part.)

A peek

I'm not participating in this, but seeing others' work is clearly inspiring me to actually get around to some of the sewing I always fantasize about! This evening, I took a peek into my (overstuffed) sewing closet...

...and found further inspiration.

I hope I'll be able to show you more soon!

Garden Girl Dress

I sewed something! I can't quite believe it, since it feels like forever since I sat down at the sewing machine. But I saw this deal the other day, and I'd been feeling like Lucy needed a few more long-sleeved dresses, so it seemed too good to pass up. I bought this pattern right away*, and knew if I didn't get to it soon, it would join the giant projects-to-get-to-someday heap.

My first thought was to make it from an orange checked men's shirt I had on my to-refashion pile. I thought it would be cute with the buttons up the front. But that shirt was super-wrinkled, and I knew I would not be ironing Lucy's play dresses! But then I remembered some super-cute 30s-esque fabric I'd bought last summer (I googled it so you could see a close-up, and found some here), and decided the orange shirt would be great as an accent. Lucy loves to dig (any time we ask "what did you do today?" she answers "dig"), so the little gardening girls with shovels are a perfect choice for her right now. I re-used the shirt's pocket, but puckered the top for little-girl cuteness, and added a vintage button.

The dress went together easily (I especially loved the method of putting in the sleeves). If you make one, though, I'd advise two things. First, there was a 12-18 month size and then a 2T size. Lucy wears 12 or 18 month dresses, but I didn't want her to outgrow it too soon, so I made the 2T. You can see it fits just right (and she's short!) Second, I'm not quite sure why the pattern calls for you to make wider pieces for the back of the sash than for the front. I put a pucker in it as I sewed so the edges would line up, and that looks all right, I suppose, but I wonder what was intended. Otherwise, a great pattern, and well worth the price. I know I'll be making it again (it goes from 6 months to 5T). I've got a soft, fine-waled blue corduroy that I think would look great for the next one... (edited to add: turns out the sash difference was an error, and she's fixing it. Yay for responsive sellers!)

*I have no connection to this shop, just bought the pattern and liked it.

Treasure pocket

(Lucy and I looking for treasure at the pier in Bar Harbor, Maine.)

I finally made something crafty again...and I've been dying to show you! But we're on vacation with a lousy internet connection so it had to wait until today.

Lucy takes after me when it comes to picking up "treasures" on her journeys. Both of us stop frequently to pick up a special stone, an acorn, a feather, a stick... And just recently, Lucy discovered pockets. What a wonderful thing--a place to keep your treasures! But most of her clothes don't have any pockets. So I wanted to sew her a "pocket" she could wear at the beach (I knew we'd be doing lots of beach combing!)

Two days before we left--when I should have been packing or cleaning before our trip--I quickly sewed her a pocket. I used recycled linens for the bag (pinky-red ticking for the outside; orange and pink paisley for the lining) and a scrap of lace from an old pillowcase for the edging. The luckiest accident was the strap; I'd wanted something wide so the weight wouldn't dig into her shoulder, and when I sewed on this wide twill tape to this tiny bag, it made the bag stay open when hanging on her shoulder--perfect for a little hand to reach in easily.


Lucy loves it! Now if I ask her "do you want to look for treasures on the beach?" She says "Yeah. Poc" (pocket) and puts her hand down where her pocket should be.

(The best picture I got of the inside, as she's always on the go!)

(Looking for the perfect rock.)

(Tucking something into her pocket for safekeeping.)

(A collection of her treasures.)

I really can't imagine anything quite so wonderful as sharing this passion of mine with my equally passionate daughter. Now...what am I doing writing?? There's beachcombing to be done!

Because there are still cold days to come...

...I finally finished some new longies and a wool dress I cut out weeks ago. (Why, oh, why does it take so long to finish things sometimes? Sewing these together took less than 1/2 an hour, and yet, they'd sat waiting for weeks!) I've wanted to share them with you, but I've been having a hard time getting photos; Lucy is no longer an easy model. Here's what I get instead:

You wanted to take a picture of my new dress and longies?
But there are kids to chase! I can't stand still!


What do you mean, stand up to model my pants?
There's a step to climb!


And what's going on over there?


Come out? Don't be silly, mama. I have to eat this bread I found on the floor! And I like being in here!
(We call this spot behind the chairs "baby jail." Lucy puts herself in there all the time and hangs out there to play.)


You want a picture of my new longies?
You'll have to catch me first!

Bye-bye!