Glorious Jones

January Garment - The Basic T

2012-02-03T09:31:00.000-05:00

Again - I may be in over my head, but here we go with taking a lot of measurements and making them into an actual pattern.

For real sewers this may seem like no big deal, but to us beginners - actually seeing something that looks like a pattern come together from our own body measurements is crazy exciting.


JoAnne's had no jersey cotton so I went online. I still haven't received the fabric yet so I am a bit behind. I will be using this cute hipster apple fabric from Funkalicious Fabrics. I really hope this turns out alright.

Rough photographs of knit mitts

2012-02-02T20:31:00.000-05:00

Emerald Green Handwarmers Pattern by Creative Yarn

Simple and fun pattern with worsted weight yarn. I kept these for myself.

These were intended to be gloves, but the ole man requested fingerless, so they were simply cast off a couple inches shorter. The yarn had this amazing black to charcoal grey variegation. You can see it kind of played out weird here. It went from grey to black on one glove, but never got to the grey on the other.

But he is a dad and loves me anyway so I recon he will continue to wear them despite the mismatch coloring.

Molly and I's White Eyelet Tank

2012-01-28T22:25:00.000-05:00

Molly and I worked on this tank top last spring, late at night, on a whim.

The goal was to complete one and then make improvements to the way it fits us and make another.

Alas - only mine was completed. Too cold during the winter to wear it as is here, but I like it.


The empire waist tends to cause a slight baby-bump-look when you got none. Also when we shaped the breast area it came to a sharp madonna-like point. I bet that had more to do with our bad sewing skills then the pattern itself. Don't worry - I am not cheating on my sewing challenge by just posting old things. I really will make something new this month.

Moravian Stars

2012-01-25T23:52:00.000-05:00

Alas, we gave all them away, but Brenna hasn't picked hers up yet so I have a few photos. I posted on these a long time ago, but was never able to discuss the waxing technique, which is actually a big part of all this. I couldn't find it online so here is what I did (sorry - no pictures of the waxing process).

Double boiler made by placing pie tin with water on the burner and then adding another pie tin to the top. Medium heat works just fine. Place a block of parrafin wax in it to melt. Put your star right in the pan too and ladle melted wax on top. Pull out and glitter quickly over the pan. Totally fine if it mixes in with the other wax because you want it all glittery anyway. Take it out and put it on wax paper to dry. This takes maybe 4 minutes. EASY BREEZY!

They make wonderful ornaments, gift tags, or parts to mobiles.

Sewing Challenge

2012-01-24T20:53:00.000-05:00

Someone pointed out (Teresa!) that I did not commit to any challenges in the New Years Resolution Post. I have a found a perfect challenge for me however that I would like to share with you all.
The Monthly Apparel Challenge!
The challenge is to complete a new garment every single month of 2012. Why? Well it gives you a great sense of pride to create yourself, overtime you save money, you have the ability to wear things that fit you exactly, you are challenging yourself to grow your skills, and you get pretty clothes.
While I have been messing with some fitted garments I will not limit myself to this type of sewing. It is extremely time consuming and seeing as I only work part-time (and a lot of that work is outside), I don't feel I will get as much use out of these. So I want some comfy tops and skirts that I feel confident in to wear when I am being a mother, neighbor, and friend. I may even add a pair of pants.
So here's to mastering my pattern making skills, sewing with knits skills, making clothes that correctly fit skills. Even if the clothes don't come out perfect, it will be great learning opportunity (this is something I struggle with big time... but you know what, you have to fail sometimes to get better... sad truth).
I will be sewing other things too and still knitting along the way, but this way I have some pressure put on for actually completing 12 new items of clothing this year. How fun is that!
My hope too is in this challenge I will have created base patterns for my size. I will be more confident in looking at something and then actually making it myself.

My book collection about clothes sewing, so far time spent reading has exceeded time sewing.

Basic T Pattern from Design-It-Yourself Clothes

You really have to prep for these types of things. I have so many books so most, if not all, of my patterns will be from my at home resources. I will be starting with a basic knit T. Wish me luck.

Junk Mail Mail #2

2012-01-21T15:25:00.000-05:00

Junk Mail #1 Here.

Here we will be utilizing the scrap box for some homemade gift cards. I pretty much keep all paper that has a color or print I like on it. That includes the beautiful cards you all send my way generous friends! Baby girl is looking adorable in her pigtails so I will include her too. If you don't have a scrap box, get one! Your gift tags, envelopes, cards will be much improved if you just glue something from your scrap box on it. Try it! I am telling you it is true.

Nothing life-changing here, but I really liked the way it looked. My sisters will tell you that I only give what I would like to receive. It is true. So I decided this card would make me happy, so off to the mail it goes to Jeff with some niece scribbles on the back. I think you can tell how it is made, but in case you can't keep reading.

Strips and strips of card backings and paper glue. That is it. Cover as much of the base sheet as possible. Then top the chunky background with their name using scrap strips.

Baby Shower gift

2012-01-20T09:59:00.000-05:00

So I think I broke blog-photograph-rule #1 here. No night time flash photographs.

But I had to pack this baby up and send it off to Melissa in Cali.

You can't tell from the photograph, but this is quilted and also has some stabilizer. This is a change mat with pockets on the side to put in a couple diapers, baby wipes, and other baby basics. Roll it up and throw it in the stroller for trips to the park.

She is happily expecting a girl, but a tough one... so no girly ruffles here. I do like the hearts. A bit of femininity.

This is an old close up of the leg warmers made from other left-over yarn. The booties I posted before.

Not my pattern - Liss directed me to this one. Baby-on-the-go kit - Nicole M Design

My first collar shirt

2012-01-05T20:13:00.000-05:00

I used the collar shirt pattern from Sew U by Wendy Mullin. I was pretty sure I got in over my head.

But then I finished it at 1:00 am, two days before christmas (it was a gift) and my sleepless self thought "Hey, not too shabby Jones. Lets re-examine when we have daylight".

Then with the daylight I realize "I DID IT!" It looks like a real shirt that real people would actually wear. Additionally the darts are slimming and best of all...


the sleeves are long enough to be comfortable and stylish (in my not-so-humble opinion). I am very pleased with the final product and hope to make this again in some other types of material. Cassie looks beautiful in it too, but she left the state before I got a good photo of her in it.

Want a resolution?

2012-01-03T22:05:00.001-05:00

Happy New Years Everyone!
In case you don't have a new year's resolution or just straight don't like them, I would like to offer some inspiring blogs that present some interesting challenges for you to try at home! Who doesn't love a good challenge or self improvement?

1) 100 Days of Real Food - A mother shares her journey in providing whole, nutritious food for her family for 100 days! She invites you to join her challenge by doing the same for 10 days. Read up on her blog for additional information about why this is so important.

2) Six Items or Less - Pick only six items from your wardrobe and wear them for an entire month. I loved reading about how little others even notice you have been wearing the same things over and over again. The challenge can be taken on for whatever reason you would like it. Some do it to reduce clothing consumption, some for a challenge in fiscal responsibility, and some for a challenge in creativity.

3) Reading Challenges - So this site links to many others, but the idea is basically a year long goal to complete so many books surrounding a particular genre or subject. Super fun. I love the way you share your passion and reviews with so many others during the process. There may also be a local book challenge where the community invites the author to discuss their book in an open forum. Her is Ann Arbor's 2012 book.

4) 30 Days of Gratitude - Focusing on one thing a day that you are grateful or thankful for can change your entire life outlook. The site offers a daily theme and place to post your "gratitudes".

5) Craft and Create Challenges - So I run into these all the time and they are awesome, but you will have to take my word for it, because right now I can't find any that seem worth posting. Sorry!

This is a great list too, but doesn't really go with the theme... 20 New Year's Resolutions for 20 -Somethings.

A bit of local love

2011-12-03T17:37:00.000-05:00

Kev and I really enjoyed the DUCF today. Unfortunately I can't show you any pictures yet of our goods for fear the Christmas recipients may be watching. This was followed by our second great meal at the Cass Cafe. We even met some Ann Arbor artists displaying their goods and a classmate from highschool (small world). If you didn't make it to Detroit, never fear, more local art sales next weekend. Seriously, this is such a wonderful way to shop for the holidays. Very small lines, very happy workers, very beautiful merchandise.

Upcoming local events...
Tiny Expo | Ann Arbor | 12-10-11 | 10am - 7pm | "Tiny Expo features local artists and crafters selling their wares along side displays of unusual merit, food and libations"
and
D.I.Ypsi | Ypsilanti | 12-10 and 12-11-11 | 11am - 8pm & 12:00 - 6:00 respectively | " 35 Indie Artists, jewelery, home goods, apparel, accessories, and art of all kinds"

I really liked the needlework at Little Gold Poppy, the whale pillows by Knitter Who, kimono shoes by Hip to Piece Squares, and birch jewelery from Bettula.

Detroit has some of the most gorgeous buildings. While I have only known these buildings in decay, I often imagine how amazing Detroit was in the 40's and 50's. The husband brought me to a great site today. DetroitUrbex.com The site contains photographs of some of Detroit's most gorgeous buildings and neighborhoods now. The pics include a bit of history about the buildings and even some old historic buildings.

Christmas Time!

2011-12-02T19:54:00.000-05:00

Almost here... finally made Isla a stocking. I really like the way it turned out. I like that it was free. I like that all the fabric was from scraps around the house. When she is a bit older I think that she will like it too.
"Use it up. Wear it Out. Make it do or do without."
Sarah Jane Studios has this mantra as an adorable embroidery pattern here.
On a separate note, I am looking forward to the Detroit Urban Craft Fair tomorrow. Have a good weekend everyone.

Circle Skirt with Knits

2011-11-27T13:20:00.000-05:00

This circle skirt will be great for summer, but I was excited to wear it in the winter so I tried to make an outfit from it.

The skirt was inspired from a book I purchased at JoAnne's called Make Your Own Patterns by Rene Bergh.

I also enjoyed this circle skirt tutorial from MADE. If this was thicker fabric the skirt would go out more than down. This was clearance fabric and the skirt was made in under an hour. And most importantly it fits me. A good quick project.

I want to get better at having a vision for something and then being able to create it from there. Right now I can see what I want, but once I go to create the vision, the end result surprises me! This isn't always a bad thing. There are times the end result was better than anticipated, like these birthday cupcakes.

My daughter loves the Fantastic Mr. Fox and of course Elmo. My sister and I made some appropriate vanilla and chocolate cupcakes in honor of her birthday. I am so pleased with the way they turned out.

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving! We have so much to be grateful for.

Homemade Birthdays

2011-11-23T00:12:00.001-05:00

I don't know why it did not occur to me to do this sooner. This year for Isla's birthday I made the invitations from my scrap box and simply scanned the invite and posted it to facebook.

It worked out perfectly. I get to make something in honor of the little one, the invite gets a bit of the homemade touch, paper is not wasted, and the RSVP management is minimal. Plus I like the look of the hand written paper product (like this one).

Please don't mind the smearing. That was done digitally so no creepers call me. Notice all the pom-poms in the background. I have big plans for some birthday garland for the 2 year old beauty. Another way to use up those little end bits of yarn.

Thanks to Whip-Up for the great garland idea.

This is a photo of Isla's 1st Birthday. These tissue paper balls were made from recycled wrappings from my baby shower. They are super easy to make and very festive. Tutorial here.

Felting seems fun

2011-11-18T14:27:00.000-05:00

Between these soaps from SoFino and...

These gorgeous acorns from PipandOlive...

I am pretty sure felting is calling my name. I may make some acorn garland or maybe some soaps myself. I started by buying the roving below from ColorBugYarns.

Please let me know if you have tried felting before and have some great resources for project ideas, otherwise I am just going to jump in myself and potentially ruin the gorgeous wool I just bought myself for my bday.

Reminders for the Michigan kids... Detroit Urban Craft Fair is coming December 3rd and 4th. Also,

I just received this beautiful necklace from my in-laws from Motawi. This local tile company is right here in Ann Arbor! Their jewelery is reasonably priced and very pretty so please take a look. Holidays are right around the corner. Enjoy your local shops.

I have more randomness. My husband had two great music videos he cut this past year... here and here. Enjoy.

Peace

2011-11-12T19:42:00.001-05:00

A beautiful watercolor from Avtomobile in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Today is my 28th birthday.

My plan was to type something wonderful here about how happy and blessed I feel about the past 28 years and how I am looking forward to the coming years with great anticipation. But I really feel like I have nothing to type.

Feeling great peace and certainty today.

"There are some days when I think I'm going to die from an overdose of satisfaction." -Salvador Dali

Crafting Hair

2011-11-09T20:23:00.000-05:00

I love interesting looking, complicated hair. Growing up in my all girl family meant lots of formal dance hair. The first prom I went to, I paid big bucks to have a hairdresser contort my massive hair into something sleek and elegant. She failed... I cried... I re-did at home. Never again have I had a formal hair-do by a professional and my sisters followed suit. Often on formal dance night, I would come home (from college or wherever) and do their hair too. So fun. It is basically knitting or crocheting hair.
A friend sent me this link and I have been crazy braiding ever since. I wanted to share some of the good ones with you.

A couple how-to's to complete on your own sister's hair.

FISH TAIL BRAID

FIVE STRAND BRAID

WRAP AROUND BRAID

Quilted Bag from Amy Butler

2011-10-30T21:39:00.000-04:00

I gifted the bag to my mother for her birthday. Not sure if I am crazy about the piecework along the sides. However, I dig the square bag design, the yellow zipper, the little tabs on the ends, the fact that I only had to buy one zipper to complete this bag, and the fact it is quilted. Makes it feel really substantial. Home decor weight fabric was used for the exterior.

From In Stitches by Amy Butler

The First Sweater

2011-10-20T14:15:00.000-04:00

ravelry

Ambrosia pattern by Katya Frankel

Pillow Cases

2011-10-18T20:44:00.000-04:00

Love em!

Some cute pillow cases that are going out to friends in honor of their weddings. This takes very little time and is a great way to use up thread and make use of all those stitches on your machine!

Weaving

2011-08-15T20:31:00.001-04:00

Woven textiles by Holly Berry - you should also check out her blankets! Each piece has a morse code message in it.

A Poem by Marge Piercy

2011-08-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

To be of use

"The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without the dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.

"I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

"I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

"The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real."

by Marge Piercy
(a Detroit native too!)

Pretty Things for Pretty Sisters

2011-07-24T20:55:00.000-04:00

I made this for Baby Sister #4 for Christmas, but forgot to photograph. Luckily she brought it with her this weekend as we went on our first visit to the Rust Belt Market.

Amy Butler's High Street Messenger Tote.

I made this skirt for said sister this weekend. A very late birthday gift. This one looks better than the first.

It took us a while to get just the right fabric. Thank you Haberman Fabrics.

A cute model, no?

The bag is entirely decor weight fabrics, so while she uses it to carry a couple books and her laptop... she could be using it to carry 250 lb weights.

Thanks for a wonderful weekend Cass! You are a beautiful Sunday morning model.

I want to be Deliberate

2011-07-09T22:14:00.000-04:00

Who is with me?!!!

Exhausting to do so many things in life, but only do them half way. To be so busy that you don't have time to make that homemade gift you wanted to or the phone call to a far away friend or create the meal you wanted with good for you food or to be constantly missing something better happening else where because you are sooo bogged down with your day to day home routine. I just read a blog post about living life on purpose. It reminded me that I started this post four months ago and didn't finish it.

I have mentioned before how important I feel it is to honor your own values through your actions and lifestyle. This does not have to be dramatic by any means. Little things, right?... like you may go a little bit out of your way to talk to your neighbors, because building community around you is a big deal. Or maybe you spend a bit more at a local grocery store because you know they support more local farms. The little things add up quickly and before you know it your life kinda shapes into a positive reflection of your choices. Trust the process, right?

Now, I am a grass-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side gal, for sure. But lately (maybe it is the mom thing), I feel like my grass is the greenest (no pot references, just regular lawn grass people)! I used to get jealous of independent business owners. I used to get jealous of illustrators. I used to get jealous of phD scientists who got to travel the world to learn (while getting paid). I used to get jealous of other moms. I used to get jealous of professional dancers. I used to get jealous of people that made their own clothes. I used to get jealous of farmers. And there were even more things then that, but I think you get the point. I was jealous of everything. That is no good...

So here are my thoughts today about the good life:
- I am not a dancer anymore and I may have missed my window of opportunity on that one. I can still shuffle whenever I want to (and so can you)!
- I do not own my own creative-based company. I can and may someday still. I love design and textiles and DIY. In the mean time I will purposefully and deliberately celebrate those that do. Check out these gorgeous lace earrings (how-to) and wonderful knit patterns (while we are talking about jealousy, is that not one of the most gorgeous models you have ever seen?)
- I am not a world traveler, but if I buckle down I can afford to go a couple of places in the next few years. I am not broke like a joke, just conservative with my money (you gotta be, right michiganders?)
- I don't have a phD. Yet... I still get paid to do science of all sorts. And on a part-time basis never-the-less with a group of very intelligent, hard working people (who lives like this?) Plus - I can still get a phD. I am young for gosh sakes!
- Not an illustrator, but I make some damn nice maps if you ask me because I think I have the touch.
- I don't make all my own clothes, but I have made some for the little one and a few things for me. I think I am on my way to something here.

Life is definitely feeling like it is a result of the choices I have made. It isn't perfect by any means, but I hold the power to making it better when I need to. And like so many others, we are just trying our best.

At a local environmental conference a couple years back, the past Sustainability Director of MSU, Terry Link, gave a talk about aligning your lifestyle with your values. I raised my hand, "How do you live sustainably without it totally overwhelming you? One can't possibly do everything right all the time."

Dr. Link said he gets that question all the time, "I always suggest giving yourself time. When you are not rushed, it is easier to make good choices".

What great advise! If you want to live deliberately, purposefully, whatever, then you have to make time to plan, time to think about what you are doing, time to understand some of the impacts it may have, etc.

And when we are all purposeful and deliberate (not just breezing through life) we are our best, most unique selves. That is my pep talk for tonight, mostly for myself as I think of all the stuff still left on the to-do list. Purposefully move forward and do not just freak out. Slow it down and do your best... unless you are shuffling, in which case you should speed it up.

All types of balls

2011-07-01T22:33:00.000-04:00

I am digging some of these patterns and thought I would share.

For the knitters - Oh Balls! Pattern by Marcie Nishioka available here.

For the crocheters - Sylish hair elastics Pattern available from Pickles here.

For the sewers - Patchwork Soccer Ball Pattern available from Anna Maria Horner in her book Seams to Me.

We made the one above for a friend's' first birthday. I remember Isla really being into balls at the one year mark. Actually, as you can see by this photo she is still really into them. I have cut fabric to make her one too (a great way to use up old fabric), but the hand sewing took longer than expected. Although I can't imagine trying to match up those corners using a machine.

While we are on the topic of balls... these are disgusting. I have seen them at least 10 times in my life and to me that is 10 times too many. I get it. You have a big truck. Freak nasties. :) Article. Have a happy forth!

Our Home

2011-06-26T09:17:00.000-04:00

If you use something, anything a lot, you have a certain awareness about its shape, its place, its value that you don't have with things packed away or stored up. Like my sewing machine or knitting supplies. I use them often so I get a chance to re-org the materials every time I clean up .
My home never followed this pattern until recently. Kevin and I both worked full time and long hours. Since I wasn't there much I didn't care much if things got dirty or not. It was a place to watch a movie with your man and sleep.

With Isla at home now, I have three separate groups of people coming over to assist with her care. This house gets used. It feels like a real home. I have this romantic 1950's vision of families using their space to the fullest. Raising a family of six in a 2-3 bedroom home with a small kitchen. Due to cost, most families repaired their own homes, but I bet it was also because of love. It was once a lot more challenging to purchase a home to begin with so I feel like you would really appreciate one if you had it. The best part of my home is that it has been around so long that I bet one of those families has lived here and raised a family here.
This house is small by most people's standards, but that allows for no wasted space. That allows a certain warmth in my opinion. It allows for every room to have some art work and attention. It allows for most rooms to be special and purposeful. It allows for hearing your baby from any place in the house without a monitor be it giggling or crying. It allows for a certain feeling of resourcefulness, especially when we have guests and I love that. Truly less is more.

One of my favorite pictures of all time!

I feel blessed to own my own shelter and share it with the people I love. Having more would be too overwhelming for me, not to mention too expensive. At least at this point in time, everything fits perfectly. I am very grateful.

Plants of all Sorts

2011-06-23T21:40:00.001-04:00

My Mother-in-law made me a beautiful garden! I didn't know how to do it or even that I wanted to do it at all.

But now I love it! Every time she is here she pops something else into the ground. And now I am doing the same which is allowing for an impressive garden relatively quickly. I have caught the bug for sure.

Whenever I mention the type of flower I like, Denise brings it the next week. This year my first poppies came up! And I am also looking forward to my cone flowers and tiger lilies blooming soon.

As I enter my third year as a yard owner, many of my plants are looking full, healthy, and happy. There is nothing fancy or landscaped about it. Just a ton of gorgeous (almost all free) plants weaving in, out and around each other. I LOVE PERENNIALS!

Unfortunately I am still not growing my own food. We are however, taking part in a local CSA this year. I got my first box a couple weeks ago! So exciting. I love it. I hope to do it next year too. We had stinging nettles in there!!! WHAT!?! I looked up what I was supposed to do with those plants and came across many delicious recipes for nettles here.

Gotta get that sting out first!

What a great blog. I love his love for Michigan and his passion for food. Check it out if you have time.

And I got to try my hand at a bit more wetland plant identification last week. Love it. I am appreciating plants in a way I haven't done since college. Speaking of which, I need to get back at some point.

Paper Bag Skirt (my first pattern that fits me!)

2011-05-26T23:26:00.000-04:00

First, credit where it is due. This pattern was found on Grosgrain, made by Adventures in Dressmaking. I thought the pattern was very beautiful and it looked simple. I am very pleased with the end result.

I will be making another one soon for Cassie for a late birthday gift, hopefully in pale yellow (although that was the original color I wanted and was unable to find it). I hope she has better luck.

Differences to the pattern:
- a longer belt so I could make the whole bow instead of just the knot,
- pleats leaning away from center instead of towards, and
- two inches in length added to the bottom (the maker is one of those cute, tiny girls).

For Cassie's:
- same changes made above and
- move pleats closer to the center of the body.

This is a simple pattern if like me, you are new to clothes making. It is great for hour glass figures as it hugs the waist and blooms over the booty.

I haven't told you all of my new secret plan. It is kind of selfish, but I would like to make me a copy of all the things I sew. I realize that most of my favorite crafted things are far from me (hopefully with people loving them as much as I would). But yeah, I like homemade stuff so I am going to start getting some.

Knitted Jumper for Isla

2011-05-22T23:30:00.000-04:00

I surely captured a moment in these photographs. A moment where Isla wore her sweater jumper. Haven't been able to get in on her since... even when she is cold. I tell myself she is only 18 months. Don't take it too personally. Maybe someday the next baby will like it. ;)

Bathing Suits for Curvy Girls

2011-05-17T18:57:00.004-04:00

My friend Brenna and I were looking for some good bathing suits the other night. I wanted to share with you a few of our findings. I am that excited about the prospect of a suit that may actually fit me. Now to get my body looking like theirs...

BRAVISSIMO


PINUP GIRL CLOTHING

KIYONNA

Beautiful brown suit from LANDS END (I can't figure out how to get the picture).

Comfy T-shirt Dress

2011-05-16T17:30:00.002-04:00

Before: This style shirt picked up from a thrift store. I wanted to make more tights out of it since the stretch content was so high, but instead inspired by this woman's work.

After: The banding used for the top of the dress and the straps. The only measuring involved was wrapping this around the baby's chest and it made her so angry!

So the t-shirt tube was left in tact (basically a hug tube top) and simply scrunched to become the same length as the chest strap and sewn in. I think it was a girls size medium top. Napping baby so I couldn't measure an appropriate length, so it was guessed instead and a ruffle was added to the bottom to complete the look.

We have been freezing in Michigan, so the cute summer dress must be layered over actual warm clothes.

But good success with the length. Not only does it look good as a dress, but with appropriate leggings and a top it makes a cute skirt too! Most importantly, it is comfortable.

Jenae's Pillow

2011-05-15T12:46:00.000-04:00

For christmas my cousin Jenae made me a beautiful water color painting. In exchange I made her this pillow for her new vintage style bedroom. I was inspired by the hand quilting completed by Anna Maria here.

The fabric was a Christmas gift from my husband. He has great taste no? The embroidery pattern was free from Polka & Bloom. Her patterns are nothing short of gorgeous and inspiring.

And I love this tutorial on making these circular fabric holes. I will be using these again for sure.

More fun with knits!

2011-05-09T16:15:00.000-04:00

BEFORE: Stretch cotton shirt and old cotton t-shirt sleeves

AFTER: More ruffle butt pants for little ones

Using the sleeve seam for the ruffle makes a nice fluffy ruffle

A nice bow handmade bow from Aunt Jen matches perfectly.

Cute to Boot!

Why didn't they have these leotards when I was in dance?

2011-03-22T22:24:00.000-04:00

Detroit Designer Angela McBride presents some impressive, fun, and creative work with spandex. Sewing anything with stretch can be complicated, but this girl has entire spandex collections! Uber impressive Angela. Your work is really fun. Always happy to see the talent stick around in Michigan.

What I am into this week

2011-03-18T22:37:00.000-04:00

Well I should start by mentioning what I am not into... natural disasters. While I have the utmost respect for nature and her power, I am deeply saddened by those struggling in Japan.

This leads me to one thing I am into that I don't practice enough of... charity. Some of my favorite international non-profits are Doctors without Borders and Heifer Project International. Practicing Catholics are taught to give tithing, or as I understood it at the time, 10% of your income to the church. Although I did not actively participate in the religion after college, I decided that I would donate to charities of my choice each month. I think at the time I was making about a thousand a month, so I decided $50 each month could go somewhere great. I loved it! This only worked out for about five months.
Then
Americorp - no money, but I figured I was giving with my time
Part-time - saving for my wedding
Unemployed - slightly depressed and a little too self focused to give to others
Non-profit work again - doing the marriage budget and just gave periodically when the mood striked me
For-profit - practically forgot about giving financially altogether, found myself with many more material "needs". Basically tried to match what I perceived as the living standard of the successful white collar folks who surrounded me.

So now I am a mother and a part-time worker which has allowed for some serious reflection time. I am reminded of this study which basically reveals that the lowest fifth income level in America gives the highest percentage to charity when compared to the other four. The wealthiest gives the least (percent wise). My life matches this pretty much exactly. Now that I have steady work, I give only as asked, to support family, friends, and co-workers. I started volunteering a couple weeks ago and it feels so great to even help a little bit (I am only doing 1-2 hours a week).

A call to my other 10 readers I guess to spend a couple hours of your time or a couple dollars of your money to help a worthy cause if you don't already. It allows for some much needed focus on things that are important to you. So I am into it this week, and I would like to be into it every week.

Okay - less serious. Isla likes Sesame Street YouTube videos. Here are my favorites

Will I Am

Jason Mraz

Patti Labelle

Found the mother-art below on google by David G Baker. I love it and would like an original. Please... any wealthy secret admirers out there? Be sure to look at his other work on the website.

Okay, I know I am way behind on the BANKSY knowledge, but how fun is this guy!?! I really enjoyed the film Exit Through the Giftshop, and the talent of many of the artists in the movie. The dedication to the craft is what wins me over every time. Even more enjoyable is some of the follow up commentary on what the movie is actually about.

Finally, the moon. Be sure to check it out tomorrow.

Recycling Knits

2011-03-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

Cute Isla tights that are too small for her. Cut out old cotton/spandex blend shirt a couple inches longer. Basic baby tight pattern available by Rae here.

What are baby tights without a bit of booty ruffle? Stretch cotton scraps cut into long rectangles and folded over. I went for an inch thick ruffle.

Sew sides of rectangles and turn inside out for clean look. Ruffle by using a basting stitch and then pulling thread until ruffle has desired fluff and length.

For me that was about six inches. All rectangles are ruffled to six inches. They are attached on with the zigzag stitch while the booty of the pants are stretched out. This way the stretch of the pants is not compromised.

So I was very pleased with the turn out, but I had a napping baby so no one to try it out on. Yes, that is a Christmas decoration you see in the back ground. Until I get something else over the stairway that lights up so nicely in the evening without being obnoxious, the Christmas decoration is staying up. :)


They fit! Next time I will certainly be making the ruffles higher. I should add that with a rotary cutter, these were uber fast. You could whip a pair of these out in less than an hour and they make a wonderful gift.

Feeling a little more confident with the knits, I did some reverse applique on this plain tee with the scraps from the Isla project. Sunday morning shots while lazying on the couch does not really do this shirt or my bed hair justice, but it is what it is.

My Favorite Baby Fashions

2011-02-22T20:39:00.001-05:00

Let's talk baby fashion. Is there such a thing? Aren't all babies beautiful?
Well sort of... okay I am kidding about that last part. All babies are beautiful. No harm in accentuating the cuteness.

My favorite baby fashions:

Cloth Diapers - Eco-friendly, affordable, and they come in the most adorable prints ever. They also give your baby the most adorable baby bum. On this note, mass cloth diaper changing event happening. Join in please.

Big Butt Baby Pants - I still haven't bought this pattern, but I should. Check out Rae's kimono style jammies for her little girl. Precious.

Leg warmers - Every baby in a cold climate deserves these! They are as cute as they are practical. Thanks Jen for passing along this how-to.

Clothes that you would wear - Every baby looks adorable with a duck or puppy on them, but something about toddlers wearing a pair of cords and a comfy tee makes my heart melt.

Jumpers - I love this one I found on Ravelry. I am making Isla the one below. It is a bad picture, but I look forward to the finished project with buttons.

Anything knitted or crocheted - I think I am just partial on this one.

I have a baby shower coming up and have just finished sewing these newborn booties.

I really like the way they turned out. They will be gifted with some pink and blue cloth diapers and of course some legwarmers. They are also on-sale at my etsy shop.

What I am into this week

2011-02-05T15:04:00.003-05:00

I should make an entire blog called "What I am into this Week" seeings how I am easily excited by everything, but lack the patience to see any of those things through to the end.
So with no further ado, the things I am into this week...

1) Bikram Yoga - got a great deal on groupon. After my 10 classes are up I can probably not afford to continue, but in the mean time this 90 minute workout in a room set to 105 degrees is crazy intense and makes me feel uber powerful every time I leave. My favorite pose is the Dandayamana–Dhanurasana.

2) Snow Days - The whole country has been hit hard. Most people in my area got Wednesday off including my husband. It is wonderful spending a day indoors with your whole family. Plus babies in snow suits are pretty stinkin adorable.

3) Ravelry - Knitters unite to showoff their most beautiful projects. I like finding patterns by cyber stalking people with more style than I and seeing what patterns have been worth their time. So much good stuff out there. It also is inspiring me to finish my own projects.

4) Origami - I will buy the paper strips this week to start making moravian stars. Aren't they beautiful? I love the mobiles (like the one below from theStarcraft) available on Etsy.
Papercraft madness.

Also I found this origami tea bag by Russian designer Natalia Ponomareva. Not for sale, just a concept, but amazing never-the-less.

Love this guy's work! Wish I could see this in person.

5) Science Friday on NPR - this week's article on daphnia is fascinating. A pleasant reminder of our place on earth.

Have a great week!

PA and lots to say...

2010-11-08T20:21:00.006-05:00

The only thing better than one clothed-adorable-big-eyed-baby girl is three of them! Kevin and I just got back from a long weekend in Pennsylvania visiting my college roommate Jennifer. Jenny and Nick make the most beautiful babies and ever since they moved to the east coast we only see them sporadically. It was time for a catch up.
We met the first day of our backpacking biology cluster (sounds lame, but actually awesome) and have been close since. This is us in 2003 in our first rental house. It isn't the best picture, but it is the only college shot I really had that was digital. To appropriately date us I will mention I got my first cell phone that year. Another roommate of ours, Jessica, is in the middle. While she doesn't have any babies yet, you can be sure that the minute she does we are throwing them in the tub with ours!!
Isla did well with the 10 hour drive. Kevin drove the entire time and we listened to our favorite podcasts including Knockin Boots, Stuff you Should Know, and stories from the Moth. Check out all of them. They are awesome. Unless you have children over a year old... in which case the Knockin Boots podcast would be largely inappropriate. Anyway, Nick made us Indian food from scratch. I am talking pressed-his-own-paneer scratch. It was delicious. I was able to assist with the Mulligatawny (a creamy broth soup with delicious depth). Both Jen and Nick don't realize how in their own way they are so often doing incredible things. I want to try making my own Thai food (but not my own fish sauce, that is brave).
Here are two of my closest college friends, six years after college is out, taking at walk at Ursinus where Nick is now working. Look how beautiful!

Thank you guys for an awesome weekend. Jen is super crafty and whipped up some amazing costumes quite early this year for her daughters. It inspired Kev and I to do the same.
My beautiful baby girl dressed as a disgruntled older man. We love it. There will be plenty of time to make her a princess, but I had to get this in before she was old enough to make her own decisions.

All the supplies for her awesome little front loader were purchased from the scrap box in Ann Arbor. I believe I spent like 4 bucks for all this. These stores (Lansing and Detroit) are such a great way to get rid of things that aren't easily recyclable and to pick up things for costumes. They often have yarn and fabric scraps galore for cheap cheap. I love the the vintage colors of some of the fabric.
Hope you had a great Halloween. I am already looking forward to Thanksgiving and Isla's first birthday!

Mittens and More!

2010-11-02T20:45:00.007-04:00

My baby sister got in a car crash this past week. She walked away from her second totaled car in three years! It is crazy. We are so happy she is healthy and happy and with us. Amazing!

My mom lost her Christmas mittens in the first accident with Cassandra. She keeps talking about them. So I made her some cool socks instead. These she never wears and mentions again that she really loved the mittens. So to honor her love of warmth we are making the mittens above again for handmade Christmas this year. I want a pair of these, but haven't had time to make them. Every little color dot you see is a four inch wool chunk lining the inside of the mitten so it is uber warm! Eventually the extra wool will mat to the wool mittens and become a nice felted layer.

While I was searching for that photograph I found all sorts of random crafts that I have made, but never posted about... so here is some random crafting projects from the first year of my marriage. Above - the Kevin and Gloria stockings. My machine can stitch some lettering so I top stitched Kevin's on the top. I did not use a pattern and should of. We still hang these at christmas, however we are unable to fit more then one small thing in them. Isla's will have to be much larger. :)
Purple is my favorite color, especially for baby girls! This is a bib made for Gianna. It is gender neutral with the little trains and sailboats on it. The binding is was picked up at a scrap store in Lansing and I love it!
Probably shouldn't be posting this flattering picture, but it makes me happy. It perfectly sums up our first months as a married couple. We didn't have any friends in the area and I hadn't found work yet. Our evenings were spent in this little apartment with Kevin playing video games and me crafting (we only had one chair which we shared during movie nights). I had big plans to sell my work online and redecorate everything! The pillow I am making here is gaudy as all get-out. I don't really have a style yet so I am just trying my hand at everything!

Colorful Love for Babies

2010-10-22T12:03:00.008-04:00

Lately Isla is crawling underneath everything! It occurs to me I have not yet built her a fort of any kind at all. I open her blanket bin and realize how many gorgeous handmade blankets this girl owns! They must be showcased. And since she didn't really dig climbing under the fort as much as she dug ripping it down, I was able to fold them and bring them downstairs for their photo debut. (Not Photographed: Extra blankets from G Grandma Ritchie, G Grandma Robbins, and a crocheted blanket from Great Aunt Judy)
From top to bottom the Family Member (relation to Isla) and the craft:
Aunt Jen - Fleece tied
Great Grandma Ritchie - Crochet
Great Great Grandma Robbins - Knitted
Great Grandma Robbins - Sewn
Great Cousin Chris - Crochet
Great Grandma Jones - Knitted
Great Aunt Linda - Sewn Quilt

So right away you notice all the 'Great's in there. Two comments here, one; the value of a homemade gift seems highest in these older generations and two; Isla has a large loving family. I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but when she was born Isla completed two five generation links.Here we all are on the Robbins' side. Grandpa, Mom, Great Grandma, Isla, and I. Great Grandma has recently passed and I am so grateful we took the time to photograph. As cliche as it sounds, having a child really changes the way you view your family and your place in it. I love being a part of such a large loving family. I have another wonderful picture from my Grandmother's side, but it isn't digital yet.
And veering from that slightly, ok not so slightly, I would like to talk about baby food. So cute, right!? Making your own baby food is fun, affordable, healthy, and smart. This was another great baby shower gift, Cooking for Baby. Basically, all you need is a food processor and some ice cube trays. They are perfect serving sizes and blended to whatever consistency you would like. Above are some of Isla's favorites... peas, brown rice, sweet potato, peach/plums, and whipped cauliflower. I made the peas first. It was a smart plan because the minute you see the color difference between your home blended peas and store bought, you will be convinced to put in the extra time.

Trying to do the right things or the best things all the time can be particularly challenging when you are a new mom. So this is my general opinion... spend your time doing the cost saving, handmade, eco way as often as you are able (if this aligns with your values obviously). With the money you save, cut yourself a break every once in a while. Isla is mostly cloth diapered, but our dryer just broke so I used high end all natural disposable brand in the interim. I did not try to go out every couple days to the laundry mat to dry them. I don't know that Kevin and I could afford this diaper brand all the time, but we can every once and a while. The healthiest commercial baby food also comes at a cost. But since she is mostly fed from food at home we can get her a bit of the nice stuff to supplement when I work a full work week or something like that.

It does take a village. Denise makes baby food when she has extra produce and my mom gets food for her too. Family (or Pepsi) - Gotta have it.

Gifts for Isla Friends

2010-10-20T20:10:00.009-04:00

If you live in the States you are going to find that by the time a baby reaches one year, most people of my socio-economic status have everything they need (not want necessarily, but need). Consequently, those of us who have the gift giving love language (Don't know your love language you say?! Take the QUIZ.), are truly stumped by what to give these family's that could possibly feel special.

LOVE LANGUAGE SIDE NOTE: My parents used to head up the Marriage Prep classes at my church when I was young. The love languages book I still remember. It is just one more of those self awareness things that helps you not get pissed at people (we are all different, duh). Important to note is that you can give in one language and accept in a different love language. I give in gifts and quality time, but receiving gifts doesn't make me feel loved. I would rather have quality time or acts of service <-- good friends, please note :).

So I tend to lean towards the experience gifts (nature center passes, fun new class, play area passes, etc), the book (something you can use over and over, envokes thought and possibly inspiration), or of course the handmade gift (Thoughtful, often more beautiful than things at the stores and unique).

Well Dillon got the experience gift, 2nd cousin Andrew got the hat below (Isla modeled it beautifully), and Henry got the pillow case beneath that (not yet finished, his bday was celebrated early). She has no girl friends yet for which to make adorable things, but hopefully that will come.

Andrew's cap does kind of look like Where the Wild Things Are made with leftover yarn from Bethany's Vintage Wool Warmers (her gift for turning 21 - pattern and pic coming soon). The pattern is from a family circle magazine called Easy Knitting from 2002 and was supposed to be one color with tassles (glad those were ditched).

Henry's gift is awesome because this is all re purposed fabric (roommate Jenny made me these long fabric panels for my college dorm room 7 years ago)! Henry has a great passion for frogs so we will see what we can whip up.

PS. My sweater is complete. I will have WeakyKnee take some awesome fall pictures of it and then give that a post too.

Magazines and Mohlenbrocks

2010-08-25T22:45:00.003-04:00

You may be asking yourself if I ever craft anymore at all... I do. Actually I am working on the sweater above right now (Interweave Knits, Summer 2010), but I like to use the blog sometimes to showcase some other stuff I enjoy. My sweater is a light pea green, and I need to add the sleeves still. If it turns out to be cute, I will definitely post.

Pg 54 of WIRED sent me to zilok.com to check out peer to peer renting - what a great concept! Let people borrow things you aren't using and make some cash. You can also avoid having way to much crap by just borrowing something for a couple bucks a day instead of buying something you may only use twice. Point-in-case is the ice cream maker we have had forever that we have only used twice, straight to goodwill. It currently only has a few things on the the US version although in Europe I think it is doing very well.

And finally, I have just come back to Ann Arbor after a wonderful week in Lansing at a Wetland Plant Identification Class with Dr. Robert Mohlenbrock (this guy is the real deal). It was awesome to see some great nature so close to where I grew up. I also love being in a situation where you realize you know so little. As a know-it-all type, I appreciate being respectfully humbled by other more educated people every now and then. There were a lot of amazing plant lovers in the class. It was put on by the Michigan Wetlands Association (newly formed so they only have a facebook page right now).

I am pretty sure I want to be Bob now after reading this interview. I would be happy to do half the things he did by the time I am 80. Inspiring.

Spend Less - Friday thoughts about money

2010-08-06T22:50:00.009-04:00

I read another great article about ditching the car. It happened to be the same day I was doing the family bills so I was enticed again. Especially after I determined how much cash flow daily goes to our mortgage interest. Yeah interest, not principal... if you are prone to having large panic attacks DO NOT calculate. No details about our personal numbers (not classy), but I will tell you it can leave you with a feeling of hopelessness and anger at the so called 'system'.

Debt makes me uneasy. In fact, my general disdain for spending money has brought me to crafting. I can create things at home that I can't afford to purchase in stores. I think it is safe to say that now I like what I make better than what I can afford in stores. However, with the birth of baby Isla (the most adorable goompa) my free time is at an all new low. So I purchase instead of make sometimes, even though now more than ever we should be saving.

I just want to owe people nothing! Can you imagine my fellow Americans... Working just enough to cover your utilities, food, health insurance, and savings? Spending the extra time you have with your friends, family, babies. Exercising, cooking delicious meals at home, volunteering for something you feel passionate about. Sounds a bit too good to be true, doesn't it?

Kevin is a fan of Get Rich Slowly. He used one of their budgeting programs to pull himself completely out of credit card debt when he was a mere 24 years old. Nice Work Kevin! My parents are really into financial planning as well and I heed their advice as necessary. They remind me it is possible to own your own home outright at 30, make millions by the age of 35, and retire at 40, but that isn't exactly what I am looking for.

I want to live within my means and thrive. Not just scrape by. Not compromise my values and morals by simply buying whatever is cheapest and leaves ME the most cash at the end of the day (but consequently has long term impacts for my baby's babies among others... another post another day). I don't want to work endless hours to avoid debt, but then have no time with Isla. I want to be happy and responsible and respected and not in debt. I want to have money to spend on things I deem important (great childcare, local art, food food food, well made fabrics and yarns) and get to avoid spending money on things that blow (that means you big banks with shitty hours, that means you insurance companies with your crappy customer service and stupid ineffective policies, that means you car with your gas guzzling and always needing one-more fix). This is my hope.

I am not trying to get all Generation Debt on your booties, but really, this american spending is out of control. Everyone agrees, but we don't change it. Terrible system.

Kevin and I will be spending the next couple weeks focusing on doing what we can alone to our house to make it a better house for us and the next people who take it. We are re-addressing our budget again now that I am part-time. We are simply getting stuff done which feels so good.

I leave you with some recent inspiration
- Young House Love - an inspiring blog about a DIY couple making their home perfect without spending a ton of money
- The first portion of This American Life (nothing is quite as romantic as we would like to believe, especially when it comes to becoming a millionaire)
- New York Times Discussion - Why don't American's have longer vacation times? Jealous.

PS. If this post seems unconnected it is only because I suck at writing... these things are all related... right? Lifestyle choices, debt, quality of life, etc...? I think they are. I have more opinions on it too, but good articulation is challenging for me this late at night!

This week's great things

2010-07-09T22:00:00.003-04:00

"Gary, I just can’t believe that after months of research that’s the chair you chose."
Hubby and I are reading Catalog Living all the time and laughing our booties off. Please enjoy.

My husband's ex-co-worker's wife (did you follow that?) has opened her own crafting business full time called GUSSY!! Kevin knows I love my crafting, so when he heard he sent me the link. I don't own any of her bags yet, but saddled down to her blog the other day and she has got an inspirational story. Nice work Maggie. It looks like you are becoming quite the success story.

While pumping at work, I read this incredible story in the New Yorker about wikileaks.org. This site leaks classified information to the public (that's you so go to the site and get some). I had heard about the site, but the back story is as good as anything you will find on the site itself. Exposed corruption!? I love that stuff.

Happiness and Updates

2010-05-30T23:29:00.004-04:00

Above is my baby girl in the only thing I have really made for her, some knitted purple baby booties. Bethany snapped this shot when Isla and I were crazy tired from the whole birthing process. One thing I very much appreciate about Bethany is her ability to document the specialness of a situation, either mentally or digitally, that others forget to notice. There is also an ever so short video of Isla and I in the hospital after the birth just sleeping. That was beth too. Even though she is only 7 months old, I still watch that quick video and it reminds me how incredibly overwhelming all of this was and how pleased I was to birth a healthy baby. Yay for Isla! She is more fun than ever.
This is Isla's room. Don't worry, I have changed the light switch :). I didn't too much care for the blue and pink rooms. Plus, I want her to grow with it and I am too lazy to re-paint it again. Sometimes I feel like we have done enough with this house and I don't want to do anymore, then I realize how gross everything is and that I certainly must do something with it.
Anywho... let me post what I do care about.
A) Feminine, hand sewn lace curtains from world market! I love them.
B) Embroidered Mirror - this was my contribution to the room (and the baby of course, we made her too)
C) Star wars toys - that is thanks to Dad and her Great Uncle Kevin
D) Best of all - love note from grandma.

This is worth a note all of its own. Grandma Ritchie created a container for Kevin that wasn't to be given to him until he had his first baby. She passed away when Kevin was in his sophomore year of college and as I understand it, they were very close. She had only met me once, and Kevin and I were not even dating yet! So you can imagine how touched we felt when my mother-in-law brought over a large crocheted blanket for Kevin and I, a small crocheted blanket for Isla, and a small quilt for Isla. In the bin was a simple note that read "Take me along with you. You have made my life happy. Love Grandma". Things have been so good with us now having Isla here and it was as though she knew long before we did that that day would come.

Cassandra's Tote

2010-01-29T15:04:00.004-05:00

Hand cut cork stamp (how-to here) and fabric paint heart tote for my smallest sis. She is girly and fun. I can't wait to do some more stuff with fabric paint. Small embroidered word at the top of the bag makes it just a bit more special.

Bethany's Tote

2010-01-17T12:03:00.004-05:00

So Bethany's late x-mas gift has embroidered monsters. I copied them onto the bag with a fabric pen from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby. This book was one of my favorite baby shower gifts. I hope someone else gets pregnant soon so I can make something beautiful from this book. That seems like an excuse... I should make something anyway.

Cassie, you should have just gotten yours today... post to follow!

2010 Blogs to follow

2010-01-14T13:44:00.004-05:00

I love the patterns found at Pickles. Knitting, sewing, and other crafts... all with gorgeous photographs. I hope to make the set above for myself or a friend using different shades of purple.

Ruth Singer's blog I just found today while cruising whip-up (Mantua Maker). Lots of good stuff and updated often. The above picture was inspiring. I love colorful things made from scraps, so simple yet so awesome. Some of her applique work is really fun as well so be sure to check it out.

Trying to care for the baby and craft has been challenging, however I am getting to those tote-bag embroideries and I like the way they are turning out. So Beth, get ready... your's is first.

2009 Check Back

2010-01-12T09:53:00.003-05:00

Combining my love of lists and the importance of big picture life outlook...
The 2009 Significant Events List

- I started living in a house my husband and I flipped. This is a very satisfying feeling.

- Kevin and I lived with another person here. Since we had been married it had just been the two of us so this was something to get used to. She was a fabulous cook and terrifically clean.

- We got pregnant!

- I completed my post graduate GIS certificate from Penn State.

- As the economy grew worse in Michigan I experienced and watched layoffs of friends and family. Kevin and I have been lucky to remain employed this year. It seems every month is a gift in this regard.

- Running regularly at work up to four miles and regularly attending prenatal yoga (not at the same time... you think I could run that far when I was preggers!?!)

- Seeing the west coast twice! Once with my husband and once with his entire family as we watched Liss and Larry tie the knot. Family full vacations are way less challenging then I would have expected and extremely fun.

- Touring Alcatraz island at night. Amazing.

- Watching Kevin complete his motorcycle training.

- Birthing our third family member with no complications and falling in love with her.

- Breast feeding for the first time.

- Experiencing hospital thanksgiving food... don't do it.

- Spending two weeks with no work with my husband while we tried to conquer this whole parenting thing.

- Living without my own car for at least a month and depending on others for rides.

All in all this was as significant of a year as any other. We are glad to bring Isla to the world! On to a successful and significant 2010.

Baby Isla

2009-12-30T14:55:00.002-05:00

Well here is my little dream boat at three weeks - Isla Denise. Dad headed back to work and it is just the two of us for another seven weeks. She is healthy, smart, and beautiful. Not much more you could ask for. The birth went well too. Birth plan was honored completely thanks to Uof M midwives. If you are pregnant and in the area, I highly recommend the midwives here. They were fantastic!

I only crafted one gift this year and with the new baby, I didn't even finish them in time and are sending them out this week. The reusable grocery tote... simple good pattern here. Pictures to come.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2009-11-08T07:52:00.007-05:00

Randomness to follow, I will use each pic as a starting point for blabbing about something else... why you may ask??? I don't know, this is how my mind works.
So some of my favorite things...
Embroidery! - I went on a wonderful weekend trip to visit my friend Teresa in Madison. They have a fantastic farmers market, friendly people, bike lanes everywhere, lakes on both sides of the city, and some really cute crafting boutiques. Others who have been there would certainly agree that this is one of the great Midwest towns. While there I picked up this great Craft Pad by Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching. You can iron these patterns onto anything (multiple times never-the-less) which means Kevin and I finally have some reusable napkins. I think those little guys are partridges. Either way I love them and I aim to make more.
Rugs! - With a home filled with hardwood floors and winter (plus cuddly baby) on the way... I know we need to be looking forward to more floor comfort. The rug above started with a t-shirt I bought Kevin in college that had been completely worn out. I have torn it up and used the long cotton strips as yarn. I will continue with old t-shirts we have lying around the house until this guy is big enough to put somewhere. The only challenge for me is the coloring. It matches nothing, but all that cotton underfoot does feel pretty nice. I am considering this rug, for the baby's room. Oooh I love color.
Baked goods and fresh food - This is related to the last trimester of pregnancy. I can't get enough fruits. I crave them in baked things, frozen popsicles, fresh, in desserts... any way I can have them mostly. With the plethora of fresh picked blueberries we gathered in august we made some awesome muffins from this book (perfect, not too sweet) and I could still continue to eat a handful every morning on my way to work until about a week ago. If you are also craving some delicious fruity baked goods, please go to the farmer's daughter blog. I have made her strawberry pie and her apple walnut bread. Simple, straight forward, and stinking delicious.
First Generation Prius! - Yep, a car... for all my discussion of sustainability, being outside, spending quality time with others, making and creating... I was kinda in love with a car. I generally hate cars... the quickly loose their value, are costly with repairs, cost you monthly fees for insurance (or car loans), and you almost have to have one if you are living in Michigan. Public transit is nowhere where it needs to be. Well this little guy was driving like a new car with 171,000 miles on it when a flashing light came on my touch screen. After the repair shop told me it was nine grand to repair this bad boy, I had to cry a little and pass it on to the next person. The summers were getting us 50 miles per a gallon! I just hate that I have to invest in another car so soon (spending money sometimes makes me sad). Hybrid parts are way expensive to replace. I don't care what anyone says, it feels great to drive those cars.In-Laws and Alcatraz Prison - I enjoyed another extended weekend in San Francisco with my husband's family to celebrate Melissa and Larry's wedding. Two words to describe my in-laws - giving and fun... all of them! If you make it to San Fran, you have to go on a night tour of the old Alcatraz Prison, it has the potential to be completely touristy, but the parks service there makes it an amazing experience. Stepping onto the island felt like stepping into a post apocalyptic video game, with an old rusty water tower, abandoned and crumbling buildings, and graffiti. A well put together audio tour makes you feel like you are there with the prisoners and the island offers a beautiful view of the city skyline. Really, go there.Intertidal Species! - Some of creation's (meaning evolution's, mother nature's, God's, whatever your belief system's) most amazing organisms. I studied these a lot while in New Zealand and everytime I get to be near an ocean it is time to show a little appreciation for these critters. They're amazing in that they can live in salt water... high tide comes in and they are submerged in it. Sure many things live it salt water, but do they live outside of the salt water as well? Intertidal plants and animals can also live in fresh water (when rain fills in little pools during the low tides) and in straight up dry conditions (with some California beaming sunshine)! They are adapted for all three living conditions and yet barnacles are often passed quickly over as boring. Don't even get me started on limpets. They feed by scraping a little teethy tongue over the rock face to collect algae, but then return to the exact spot from where they came from. Their shell actually grows to fit this shape of the rock crevice so when that beaming sun comes down, they can seal themselves to the rock and stay moist and alive. This seal is incredible. A human can not pull this 2 cm creature off the rock with their hands alone. For lab when collecting a few I had to carefully attempt prying them from the rock with a knife. Scientists are still trying to figure out how they can find their way back to that one spot... complex pheremones? internal compasses? Lots of hypotheses... no answers. Enough biology for the day. Time to rest this cold away.

Baby girl...

2009-07-17T19:13:00.007-04:00

Anyone who danced through highschool in the late 90's will struggle saying "baby girl" without immediately saying after "better known as Aaliyah". Thank you Timberland. And thank you Aaliyah for reminding me why I love belly chains so much (everyone else thought I was crazy, but you make them look so sexy*).
This rockin michigan tee (you can't tell, but trust me, its awesome) was purchased at the comerica city fest in detroit from 323East. There is a lot of local art so check it out.

Okay, back to bellies... I am 20 weeks along this week and it has really popped! My belly and unfortunately my back, yikes. But with some Arika therapy and some chiropractic tapping the spine is back where it should be. Hopefully it stays there.This is my baby girl! I just saw her looking not like a cumulonimbus cloud for the first time with some first time grandmas. It was very exciting seeing her move around. She also has all her limbs. I am more than pleased.

Here is my other baby at 10 weeks (I can't be the only one in all the photos). And last, but not least... check out what could be our newest cloud.

*Thien, I couldn't write this without thinking of you and highschool dances. I hope you are doing well :)

Stairwell Before and After

2009-06-07T11:10:00.007-04:00

Inspired by The Alabama Stitch Book and this beautiful Heather Bailey fabric (thanks KEVIN!), I finally made a basic window covering for my stairwell. Naturally, my favorite part is the least noticeable (bottom left), some decorative stitching placed with a wing needle to add that slight heirloom stitching feel.
Just enough covering to stop TV glare and still allow light into that beautiful entryway. It had been kinda fun creating a house that balances Kevin and I's complimenting styles. He likes modern and bold, while I think I am more attracted to a cottage look, a crafty look, and an eco look all at once. I think they can balance each other.

And because I love before and after shots, here are a few of the entry way after the home sat in foreclosure a year.
BEFOREBEFORE

AFTER

As we begin to slowly add to the house, I find that I am loving our home more and more. Next entry to come... bedroom before, during, and after.

For Arika

2009-05-28T20:33:00.004-04:00

A reminder from Arika today... "post some belly pics!" Thank you Kevin for taking and cropping. I actually did not know that I was actually this big today until the picture was taken. Yikes! Blowing up like a blimp as they say... Are you supposed to show this much this early? Maybe not, but my baby does what he/she wants!

At ten weeks a few close friends started noticing, so we took a picture to mark the occasion.

I am very excited to have a little one in my home soon. Last weekend I was able to entertain two friends for most of the weekend and it was so nice. I really enjoy having a full house. Kev and I also went to visit some grandparents from his side of the family. I enjoyed an evening of looking through family photos, what a beautiful family he comes from.

This past week Kevin and I attended a meeting held by the MDEQ for public comment of some severe groundwater pollution working it's way east through AA.
If you are from Ann Arbor please focus in on the Gelman/Pall Plume. This 1,4 Dioxane plume (carcinogen) is already present on the west side of ann arbor and has the potential to contaminate Barton Pond (also where 80% of Ann Arbor residents get their drinking water from). Kev and I live at the tip of the plume right now and are hoping our representatives get their act together and require proper clean up from Pall Life Sciences, before it hits us too.

If I may rant for one moment, Michigan has an abundance of fresh water. The world population is increasing. We need water to live. It isn't a free comodity. There is a limited amount of clean water available. In michigan we have it, but we are polluting it. We have huge aquifers capable of providing clean water to many, but we are polluting it. I say we because it isn't one company. Many companies discharge to the ground. We buy their products, because we expect people to be honest and righteous and understand the impacts of their actions. But when they don't, we don't hold people accountable in the manner they should be. There are plenty of brilliant people out there who can help prevent this and effectively remediate some of the damage already done. I know this for a fact because I work with some of them. Bad companies... please pay the scientists to make your liability go away. It will save you the bad press and the money, not to mention the ability to sleep at night knowing you are doing the right thing.

That is my opinion of the evening. On a positive bedtime note, I would like to say thank you to the CARD group for all of your unpaid efforts to keep our water clean and to keep the public educated. It was wonderful to see so many passionate intelligent people gathered on Wednesday night!

Kitchen Remodel

2009-04-19T20:43:00.008-04:00

I think I will slowly post the house remodeling pics, room by room so I can have a log of what we did and so you guys can see the results. We are very pleased with how everything turned out. This is Kevin and I's first home flip. We worked with Old School Construction (out of Ann Arbor) and a whole lot of friends and family (Thanks JONES', BENSONS, ROBBINS, Emily, Brenna, Caroline, Teresa, and Steve).

Before - All appliances removed, cabinetry sloppily put together, linoleum floors, the only entrance into the kitchen is the one you are looking at, strange staining all over the walls, chimney behind multiple layers of plaster and drywall, no ventilation

During - Three separate layers of floor removed to even floor bottom and add to space, all plumbing was found to be out of date and needed replacement, while walls where open - new insulation added and electrical completed, windows were replaced and chimney was cleared off, wall to the left taken out, new entrance added to living room, and ceiling opened up as well.In this pic a ventilation hood is still not connected, but above the stove is where it will go... with Kevin's cooking it seemed like a good idea to add one. Cork floor is added here, and appliances are moved in. Chimney is clear.

New windows and new trim thanks to some serious assistance from my mom and uncle rick, concrete countertops are added here. Water from sink is heated by a tankless water heater for energy efficiency.

Woodblock used for areas that we would like to be warmer.
Open shelving located just above the dishwasher for easy after meal cleaning. And the entire thing painted a lovely shade of purple! We love it.

A Belly Shot

2009-04-19T20:25:00.004-04:00

So here is what I can tell you so far...

At five and a half weeks I have a rice grain baby that has a healthy beating heart!
As small as the little guy/gal is, it is growing in my uterus and not my fallopian tubes or anywhere else where it or myself could get hurt.

I am bulging already... not because of the size of the baby, but because of the uterus that has doubled in size the past few weeks. I did not expect to show so soon. I am not eating as healthy as I would like because most foods sound awful to me, and I just keep sleeping. That is the news in baby world.

News!

2009-04-17T11:35:00.002-04:00

Baby on the way! This is where I would like to upload baby belly pics, some ultrasound stuff, and info on the baby.

This will have to come next week as I am in San Francisco right now with Kev's sister and fiance (great times), but for now check out how creepy this little embryo is.

Baby at Seven Weeks

Where is your water from?

2009-03-15T10:07:00.005-04:00

House is wrapping up, winter is wrapping up, GIS classes wrapping up... blogging again...? I hope so. With the internet hooked up again there is an increased likely hood of new posts.

Awesome display of important info above, found at GOOD magazine.

I also enjoyed the Huron River Watershed Council Film Festival. Keep it up HRWC!
Maybe with my increased amount of free time I can do some more volunteering.

Why this week has been wonderful

2008-11-09T09:54:00.004-05:00

I am so pleased that other countries were able to watch us elect this man last Tuesday. I am very excited for what he means for our future. When he speaks I am overwhelmed with a great sense of pride. I am honored to have him representing all of us in our relationships abroad and home. Congratulations to the Obama's and to us. Our country is a better place today.

That of course is the big news.

In house news we would like to update that we have picked cork flooring for the kitchen. Natural and I guess you can drop a lot more glass on it with minimal breaking.
The photo below is the slate tiles that are going in the bathroom.
And all of our appliances are in...

Kevin's sister and fiance came in this weekend from San Francisco. We are still trying to convince them to move to Ann Arbor although we love visiting them. It has been decided that due to all of our new homes, apartments, the economy, etc., we will all be making our Christmas gifts. Sweet. So I will be updating on that after christmas on the off chance those guys are reading this right now.

Here's to this week being as good as the last.

Give me something better than that, Chimney

2008-11-03T19:20:00.007-05:00

Before
Nasty fridge compartment off of kitchen.

A Little Before
Try to open up the space by adding a half counter top and a new opening to the living room. Our goal now: Find the chimney underneath piles of horse hair plaster.

Now
Almost finished exposing the brick, Kevin scrubs so fast his own arm is barely visible to the shutter.

As we are seeing the results of hours and weekends of hard labor I ask Kev "So do you think it was all worth it?"

"Uhh... not really."

I may agree, I love character and aesthetics, but I am not sure I would do this again by hand unless my back became much stronger and I was exceptionally bored. I do have to say that I like the fact it is all lumpy and uneven. It will give the kitchen some fun texture and the bathroom as well. Posts on that to come next.

Please view these inspiring kitchen pictures.

Ultimate Craft Project

2008-11-02T07:48:00.002-05:00

Crafting just got taken up a notch. Professional crafters (plumbers, electricians, carpenters) are assisting my husband and I in turning over an old 1940s home. Our first home never the less and it is quite the job. We have been busy busy busy trying to get this place ready for move in.
When will it be move-in ready you may ask? As soon as there is a working toilet I am in this place. I have lots to show everyone about progress made. Always take photos in the prep stages so you can be reminded of progress even when it feels like things aren't being completed as fast as you would like.
I think I will make posts by room as that would be easiest for those of you who haven't seen the interior yet. This is a foreclosed property that sat uninhabited for over a year. For those of you into home improvements, the repairs that have and/or will be completed include the following:
- New high efficiency heater
- Tankless water heater
- New Kitchen layout
- Exposing and Restoring old chimney
- new toilet, tub, and tiling in the bathroom
- carpet pulled and hardwood floors buffed up and refinished
- painting
- lifting kitchen ceilings
- Replacing old windows
- chopping down the jungle that is my backyard
- installing new appliances
- concrete countertops
- IKEA cabinets
- new lighting fixtures in kitchen, dining, bathroom, and hallway
- patching wall holes
- reparing trim
- Replace missing door

And there is probably more, whew... that was theraputic. That actually is a lot of stuff which would explain the general state of stressed out I have been feeling the past month in a half. We are making lots of progress right now though thanks to the following... Doug, Dale, Denise, Deb, Grandma Gloria, Bethany, Brenna, Caroline, Steve, Amanda, Emily, Grandpa, Bill, Uncle Rick, Smith, and our contractors.
I really appreciate the help that all of you have given us and for the help I know will continue to come.As Kevin says "Look, you can actually see the front of our house now!" We are getting there. Have a good one. More home repairs to do today. I look forward to showing you next, the chimney.

Christmas for Crafters begins in July

2008-09-07T16:40:00.005-04:00

I started making the christmas list today, which included so many handmade gifts that I really should have thought about starting in July. I am feeling overwhelmed, but excited to knock out some sweet stuff (hopefully...).

Today, for the first time ever, I organized all my knitting stuff. It was good to finally pull out the acrylic yarns and find all the good stuff beneath. I am feeling inspired and am ready to create something. Let me know if you have a need for tons of acrylic yarn or have a good project pattern that requires acrylic.

If you are also feeling inspired to knit a great link for finding knitting shops here and a knitter's blog I just found and really enjoy here.

Amy Butler Big Dot Pillow

2008-09-05T14:17:00.002-04:00

I decided to make the Big Dot pillow from inStitches with lots of little leftover fabric chunks. I really like the way it turned out. I still haven't found any great fabric stores in Ann Arbor so I had to go to JoAnn's for the gray cotton on the back. I was pleased to find a small amount of solid-colored, organic fabrics!

I made a 20" b 20" pillow instead with 7" diameter circles. I used metalic thread to applique, which looks good in the end, but generally caused more trouble then maybe it was worth (hint: metallic thread = metallic thread needle). Check out Amy Butler's Inspiration page. Enjoy.

Old Hippy Quilts

2008-09-03T09:09:00.007-04:00

Bethany joined Kevin and I this weekend for some Ann Arbor fun. We enjoyed the last days of the pool being opened, picking some rasberries, cooking lots, a long night at the casino (mostly to prove we can still have last minute fun), and crafting.
Everytime Bethany comes over she sleeps with this quilt I made Kevin while we were dating (above). I really like that she always grabs that one first and then tells me how nice it is, even though I still largely find it tacky.
I was largely inspired during that time to make my own green crafting book. In fact I think I have a picture somewhere of this...
So here are the pants that I purchased from Salvation Army. Crazy colored corderoys! I chopped them all up into little squares and made a boy quilt.

Here I am late at night at americorp quilting with my first sewing machine, courtesy of my current boyfriend (now husband), Kevin.
Too funny, this was only 2 and a half years ago, but it feels like a long time ago. Anyway, the quilt stays in the blanket box nowadays unless we have guests. Thanks for the fun weekend Beth and Kev!

Missing the outdoor time...

2008-08-16T09:54:00.009-04:00

Michigan Summers

2004 Vacation with Family - Harbor Springs

2005 Vacation - Traverse City

2006 Wedding - Backyard

2007 Vacation - Lake Superior

2007 hanging with family - Lake Huron

2008 Hiking with Friends - Ann Arbor

Crafting is good, but getting outside is key to a happy life. Before we get to the grind of fall and winter, GET OUTSIDE! Visit a state park for an afternoon, go swimming at a city park, go golfing with your old man, take your mom on a hike, volunteer at a nature center, something that ensures you get a taste of this wonderful season. Makes ya feel good! Enjoy the weekend...

What to do with these sheep?

2008-08-10T19:05:00.006-04:00

One of the better photos I have taken of a slightly funky, but oh so fragrant flower arrangement for Pam's Baby Potluck this past Friday. When you arrange them yourself you can get enough flowers to make a couple vases (only eight bucks!).
These sheep were inspired from KYUUTO! Japanese Crafts: Woolly Embroidery. I made it from left over cotton thread, but I love them just the same.
Even the one with the small head. Now to figure out where to put these little guys? I am open to suggestions.

Baby knittin' - Gotta Try It!

2008-08-02T20:56:00.004-04:00

Little things for little people. Knitted footwear generally takes me a long time (see post below), but making footwear for newborns is a whole other story. I made these in my spare time over the last couple days. A pattern for the adult version is online here from Lynn Hershberger of Lansing, Michigan. I enjoyed reading through her blog too (make sure to check out the 'Shake that Thing' uTube video).

Pam's (a coworker friend of mine) first baby is due in September. We have been so very busy at work that we rarely have time to focus on Pam's increasingly large baby bump and the new life that will greet her in a month. Knitting allowed me to focus on just her baby for a short time. I hope he enjoys his bamboo booties and that they fit him well. The yarn is about 10% elastic so they should be quite comfy. I think of how small this little boy will be and how excited his family is to be receiving him. Congratulations Pam.

Mom's Socks... finally

2008-07-27T10:59:00.004-04:00

Knitted socks always begin with excitement for me. I hurriedly complete the top of the first sock and then the boredom kicks in. So whenever I finish an actual pair, it is reason for excitement (only three completed pairs ever).

I told my mom eight months ago that I was knitting her socks. When I was looking for a pattern for Jenny's socks, my mom looked over my shoulder and said "oh, how beautiful" to these. So off-white lace it is for her. Thanks again to Stitches of Vi olet for the shared patterns and to my mother for her patience. I hope you like them and I will get them to you soon. Love you!

Crafty Family

2008-07-07T09:31:00.005-04:00

This beautiful quilt was created my husbands grandmother. She created quilts and blankets for all the grandkids and even their significant others. I remember while dating my husband in college, this blanket he used every night that was worn to shreds that he still refused to give up. After she passed, I was gifted one of these quilts by my mother-in-law before I left for Americorp. It was so thoughtful and I aimed to appreciate by handmade art as my husband did. Love it until its worn. I believe this is the best way to show appreciation.

Grandma Ritchie certainly passed on her crafting skills. Both my mother-in-law and her sister are exceptional crafters, who both used to create their own clothes. Linda still sews quite often and Denise dabbles in all sorts of crafts. Due to this blog's focus on crafting, sustainability, and things I love I must show these candles.

My mother-in-law creates these candles with left over wax! Aren't they awesome? I love the blend of colors. She first gave these as a christmas gifts. I began to save all my old candle wax that didn't burn and pass it back to her. She spent the time to create the old wax into 10 additional candles for me. Thank you Denise.

Please also notice the link I have added to the blog on the top right. This is a wonderful blog currently based out of Ludington Michigan. It focuses on the positive in Michigan. This is such a unique and special place, her blog and mine aim to remind others about all we have here in Michigan to be thankful for. Please spend sometime looking it over and maybe even donating an article, picture, or story about your favorite things about this state.

Sustainability Style

2008-07-04T09:55:00.004-04:00

Impressive trip to Philly last weekend to visit some old friends at my americorp site, Camphill Soltane. I would first off like to say thank you to Benjamin, Maja, Mia, Sara, Gry, Sylvia, Freddie, Eira, Zalene, Utpal, Jen, Sarah, Carolyn, Nate, Shawn, Matthew, and more and more and more. The hospitality here is phenomenal and I have been out of the loop for over 2 years it seems.

Soltane is a small community where adults with dissabilities and mentors work and live side by side so that the students may develop life skills and a sense of independence and purpose. They also learn to advocate for themselves and communicate their needs. It is a special place and I would recommend if anyone is looking for a break from the 9-5 to consider spending a half year or a year at this location. Organic food, beautiful homes, good people, and a great learning opportunity (I learned how to cook, weave, and sing here).
At the time the Soltane weavery only made napkins and rugs really for the homes in the community, still cool. Since then the weavery has become its own enterprise called in good company. Mia, Maja, and Sara have really pushed to make this an increadible venture. All workers create a fabric inspired from a focus theme. These fabrics are turned into hats, skirts, pillows, etc.! Hand drawings from Soltane residents are purposed into screen printed bags and soon to be tees. No website yet so I will promote it here. If you like the cap I am sporting on the top or the bag Mia is pulling off here then please contact ingoodcompany@camphillsoltane.org or 484-986-4445 for more info. They make amazing gifts, no detail is missed... event the button is created by soltane potters. So Sweet.

Spring is in the air, orange is everywhere

2008-05-04T10:59:00.006-04:00

I don't know what my deal is, every art project I see and want to create at home begins in my head with orange. Last year it was a 1950's shade of light blue. So I guess the color fixation is only temporary. Anyway, I would like to highlight the orange in my life, because I love it.
An exhibit on time and place at an Ann Arbor downtown art gallery featured underground artists from Detroit. They spray paint abandoned buildings bright orange to bring attention to all the blight in the area. It has certainly grabbed the attention of the city council. Two homes have already been demolished.

I love this form of activism. They make the ugly interesting and also inspire positive change. Detroit has more brown fields than any other place in the nation. The city seems to be rotting from the inside out. I hope that in my lifetime we can see some sort of turnaround here. Anyway, props to the 4 annonymous artists. Keep it up and to the city for finally knocking some of that nastiness down.

Caroline let me have this watering can for some leftover cork board. I love the brightness. And since I have a real knack for killing apartment plants by forgetting to water them this could prove to be as helpful as it is beautiful.

I saw a pillow I liked at anthropologie that was $100.00. I am hoping to make a similar one with my own scrap fabrics for about $10.00.

My favorite shoes. They are pretty, the soles are partially recycled, and you can play outside with them. They were mine a day after I laid eyes on them. However, I have to admit that I way overpaid for these. They should be 30-40 bucks, but they were 80! I can happily admit this is the only impulse buy of the last year so I am just enjoying it.

Not so Ugly, but still made of leftovers

2008-03-16T11:26:00.004-04:00

We have an interesting store in Ann Arbor called the Treasure Mart. It is more like one large garage sale, than a flea market. I even think it is too pricey, but I will tell you it is fun and that I always find something.
Beautiful thumbtacks need a beautiful place to call home. The old frame was sanded. I purchased some 1/2 inch thick cork board to place inside it.

Painted both with a mixture of milk paint (mixed the paints with different amounts of white). Here in Ann Arbor you can buy it at Naked Furniture, but their online shop is pretty cool too.
This paint is especially nice because it has no volatile organic compounds. If you have a painting job coming up soon it may be something to consider. Let me know what you all think about the project. I am considering the creation of more.

Circus, Ugly, and Leftovers

2008-03-16T11:18:00.002-04:00

These mittens are all wool, but just screaming ugly. I mean I don't want to offend anyone that thinks these are wearable fashion for the 2008 fall season, but I enjoy creating things that are appealing to the eyes.
I also am not loaded with cash flow and out of mittens... so the left-over-wool-circus-inspired-ugly mits may be what I am sporting for the next few weeks until it warms up around here. Though spring is in the air.

New Camera and Pillows

2008-02-26T11:01:00.011-05:00

Chunky yarn for the new couch pillow was a gift from my husband last christmas. I encourage you to buy from this spinner handspunanddyedtoo. The yarn is exceptionally soft and always colored beautiful. The back two pillows are hand embroidered on some random branches and flowers for a particular homemade look.

I still have to add more pillows as this couch is huge. I have a few inspirations, but in the mean time I am working on some other things. Look forward to a before picture and some mittens made with left overs that are just rediculous.

Push Pin Joy

2008-02-09T09:03:00.000-05:00

As soon as I read this thumbtack tutorial, I left the house. For whatever reason I was extremely excited to try this craft at home. Another way to take old-boring things and make them into new beautiful things.
Grandma was equally excited, as she loves trying out new crafts. If you have fabric and some plain metal push pins you are halfway there. The kits for fabric covered buttons are at any fabric store and they are cheap (2 bucks). Or you can get them online here.

Christmas Time continues...

2008-01-15T17:49:00.000-05:00

Before I begin I must give credit where it is due. This gorgeous headband was gifted to me by my very crafty sister-in-law Melissa. She committed to buying all her christmas gifts from artists, making each gift truly unique. If you love this headband as much as I do, click on the picture to head to "the candy thief" etsy shop.

My busted camera keeps stopping me from posting, but I am going to try and get creative. Post a little bit with pics that are already out there on the web.

My husband bought me beautiful Heather Bailey fabric by Freshcut as well. Sometimes the fabric he gets me is so nice, that I fear my sewing will destroy it. It looks so beautiful just folded up!

I am digging these trash ties Ms. Bailey has created, they seem simple enough, but if you have thick hair it could be a god-send.

In other news, we finally have made the plunge to purchase a couch. This bad boy is wonderful. How I wish I could show you the throws I made for it! Long life chunky knitting and embroidery. You will all enjoy them. Pics to come soon I hope.

Also, the hubby has a new blog. Enjoy!

First Pattern!

2007-11-04T17:06:00.001-05:00

I have spent way more time likely then I should have on this, but here it is... a one page pattern for making your own costume vest for next year. This is a very easy pattern. Click on it to get it full size and then print that bad boy out.

And then write me if any of it doesn't make sense. My inspiration is Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook. Thank you Mollie Katzen.

Wonderfully written financial advise

2007-11-03T09:38:00.000-04:00

Some might say this has nothing to do with crafting, but I say see tip#1!!!

Seven Tips For Avoiding Boredom During A Financial Turnaround
October 31, 2007 @ 12:30 pm - Written by Trent @ www.thesimpledollar.com

"One strong undercurrent of sentiment among commenters on this blog is that living a financially sensible lifestyle - spending far less than you earn, investing, not spending money foolishly, and so on - is boring. Incredibly boring, in fact. So boring that I get numerous comments along the lines of “WHY DON’T YOU GET A LIFE?”

"Well, the truth is that it’s not really boring at all and, in fact, I feel substantially more fulfilled after turning my financial situation around than I ever did before. Here are seven tips that I encourage you to try out if you’re trying out financially sensible living and finding it to be less exciting than you’d like.

"Re-evaluate your hobbies There are a lot of enjoyable hobbies out there that don’t require a fistful of cash. Read a book. Start a garden. Take a walk. Fully enjoy the DVDs/video games/CDs you already have. Teach yourself to cook. Then, focus on that hobby and really develop it - if you put in the time at any hobby, you will become more skilled at it. Since figuring out my financial situation, I’ve come to really enjoy cooking, something I didn’t enjoy nearly as much until I decided to actually learn how to do it with some modicum of skill. Not only is it fun, virtually everything I make is cheaper than eating out.

"Involve other people Being frugal doesn’t mean being a hermit. In fact, it’s quite often worthwhile to get others involved. Invite friends over and prepare a meal for them. Have a movie night where you watch some of your favorites from your collection. Don’t shy away from other people out of some kind of “shame” that you’re being frugal; instead, put your lifestyle choices out there.

"Go green Almost every environmentally friendly choice you make is also a frugal choice. Start recycling aluminum cans by having a separate storage container for them - and then take them to the recycling center yourself on occasion and make a few bucks. Reduce your energy use around the home and save on your electric and natural gas bills. Find ways to increase your car’s gas mileage and save on your gasoline bills. There are countless things you can do under the umbrella of going green that don’t involve spending money, plus it’s something you can discuss with others in a culturally relevant manner (while padding your pocket with the savings).

"Buy things for the long haul Financially sensible doesn’t mean cheap - in fact, I quite often buy very expensive things. The only caveat is that these purchases were made with reliability and the long haul in mind. I am quite willing to spend a lot up front for a reliable and energy efficient appliance. In other words, you don’t have to fill your house with cheap stuff to be “frugal” - I certainly don’t and I don’t recommend it either. Instead, buy just the stuff you need - but buy quality. If you’re concerned about appearances, most of the best choices for total cost of ownership are aesthetically pleasing, too - they’re usually rather expensive right off the bat, but they’re cheaper over time and last longer because of reduced energy and maintenance.

"Instead of buying ten frivolous items a month, focus on one quality item a month. A lot of people like to shop, and as a result they wind up buying a lot of stuff that’s completely unnecessary. To those folks, I generally recommend reducing but not eliminating your purchases. Instead of buying ten unnecessary things a month, cut that down to one, but make that item quality, allowing yourself to spend more than usual on that one item. This works particularly well for clothes shopping - I know one person who is addicted to buying shoes, buying several pairs a year, but I know she would get much more enjoyment out of one great pair of shoes than box after box of cheap pairs that are just worn a few times each.

"Fill your life with positive reminders of your choices. I like visual debt reminders; they perk me up quite often and make me realize that the choices I’m making really are transforming my life. Keeping one in my wallet has convinced me to keep my wallet closed many times - and feel really good about it.

"Give it time. Behavioral changes don’t come overnight. Spend some time trying out all of the other tips and slowly you’ll find yourself weaned from at least some of your financially irresponsible behavior. Once you’ve done that, it becomes much easier to start getting a grip on your situation and getting financially ahead."

Thank you Kevin for sending the link!

Busted Camera, but always time to share

2007-11-03T09:12:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday a sister, myself, and a hot husband celebrated Stoutoberfest. This party began a year ago when my friends started a festival to honor their delicious home brew (it is awesome). Caroline and Steve went to great ends this year to make sure their German costumes had some authenticity. Frankenmuth charged 600 bucks for some of their costumes! What to do?! Its craft time.
Both Caroline and I are novice sewers, but within a couple hours we whipped up some lovely little vests. Turns out their is no limit to what you can do with an automatic buttonhole maker. I have the Viking Platinum 770, it is an amazing machine with tons of beautiful stitches. Next year we will be adding embroidery. I would really like to make a how-to for these vests. They are simple and I think that you could use them for any costumes where you need a tiny waist... sucks ya right in.

A little embroidery for a little skirt

2007-10-01T19:21:00.000-04:00

Don't worry, you will never see my chunky thighs in this skirt. This is patch job number 400 for Cassandra. The worn-jean look is popular, however their strategically placed rips tend to give way to exposed botties and more. This skirt was brightened with some hand embroidery. I really like the way it turned out with the polka-dot fabric in the back.

In the past month I have moved, started a new job, started working out (I am always doing that) and bought a new car (well new for me). I thought about how to update my blog with so little creativity going on in my life, but then I realized all the projects I have started. Like decorating my new apartment, starting my Mom's socks, my husband's new creation "the man cave", etc. I have a philosophy on this cave of man that I would like to share soon. I really should start working on some of that, or at least do my dishes. Have a good one.

Letters make EVERYTHING Better!

2007-08-24T18:31:00.000-04:00

I am starting a new job this week and life seems really hectic as of late. The time I used to spend relaxing is now time I spend freaking out.

When I went into work for some of my last shifts at the Nature Center I found a beautiful letter and card in my mailbox from fellow employees saying how much they appreciated me! It felt so affirming and kind. I was inspired to write about it.

I tried to sell some of my "junkmail" cards online at an etsy shop I started a while ago. They didn't sell and I just stacked them up and forgot about them. What a waste. Last week I made more and filled in the ones I already made and sent them all out! You may be getting one soon. There is nothing more wonderful then getting mail when you least expect it. Send a thank you card, a congratulations card, a "hey you are the bomb diggity card", and sign it "sincerely" because nothing is better than sincerity. It will make the days feel a little brighter for someone you care about. If you aren't good with words, find a card that speaks through its art. Beauty comes in so many different ways.

Both cards pictured are cards made entirely from waste product. Extra bobbin yarn, fabric scraps, received cards, etc. So get rid of some trash, make someone's day, and as my dad would say "live the good life!"

That's a Whole Lotta Alpaca

2007-08-13T15:04:00.000-04:00

Expensive days purchasing those hand carders, but I am glad to have them. That alpaca isn't going to go and spin itself!

My sister Bethany and I went to the Spinning Loft last week for a day of crafting. Bethany is working on a beret from Interweave Knits Winter Issue (her first time with double pointed needles) and I practiced my crappy spinning skills with a small sampler pack of merino and silk.

I wanted to call it Cody yarn, because it reminds me so much of my only boy cousin growing up and we always watched Nickelodean together. Na na na na na na na na Nick-a-load-di-annn!

Saturday Fun for Everyone

2007-08-03T18:07:00.001-04:00

I heard about this on my ride home from work. Oooh woman, do I get jealous when I think of all the alternative crafting happening without me. I have to work tomorrow. :(

However, if you don't have to work tomorrow then go there! I have already checked out many of the vendors online and they look wonderful. Here is the DUCF website.

Support Michigan small business, Detroit's local economy, and of course crafters! Get someone a gift that doesn't come from the mall. Heck you could even get your christmas shopping started. Pay for just merchandise and talent. Make your life a little more colorful and get to the DURF!

If I notified you too late of this event (my three earnest blog readers) and it sounds like it would be of interest... consider the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago, September 15th and 16th. I am.

Spinning, Yahoo!

2007-07-30T20:29:00.001-04:00

Last friday I had the pleasure of learning how to spin my own yarn. A co-worker (who previously taught spinning) invited me over for a day of delicious eating and spinning. Such Generosity! We had vegan pancakes with fresh Michigan blueberries and for lunch we cooked a delicious vegan stir fry.
After those great meals, and my husband's delicious bread this week I have come to think I need more entries on cooking. This is certainly an art form of my husbands and I would love to share more on that.
Spinning is wonderful because it takes only seconds to learn yet probably years to master. I have a bag of wonderful alpaca fur from work and a co-worker's sheep wool. Anyone know where I can get a great hand-carder for cheap? Once I have that I should be set to spin sloppily on my own. If you are a knitter you have to try this. It makes you appreciate your yarns even more so. My next feat will be dyeing my homemade yarn with natural plant dyes.
Also, my camera is busted, but being sent in for a free repair by Canon. If you have a Canon digital then check this out. I would love to show you, how even my sloppy yarn has a wonderful homemade look to it!

Jenny's Socks

2007-07-25T09:59:00.000-04:00

My roommate from college is expecting! I love purple and she loves green. When I found this hand-dyed yarn inLouisville, Kentucky I thought it would be perfect for her. Jenny loves things for her feet. For a while she was even sporting strange things. Haha. During college she would ask me to make her a pair of knee or thigh-high socks. This would take me forever so instead I have opted for regular, cool-looking warm wool socks.

The "More fun than Cables" Sock Pattern can be found at Stitches of Violet. I will be making the Shetland Lace Rib Sock Pattern for my Mother hopefully sometime this year. They are easy-to-read and turn out beautifully.

While hand-dyed yarn is cool, you can never be sure what pattern will ensue. I thought this would appear more as a blend then as a stripe, but I guess that is the risk. They are certainly unique.

Weddings Are Coming!

2007-07-06T08:23:00.001-04:00

Empty Basket
Originally uploaded by Gloria KJ

I wouldn't consider myself a basket person, but when my sister-in-law asked me to come up with a card holder for her wedding this seemed to fit perfectly.
Katie is organized. In fact she asked me to get a bird cage for her cards about five months ago. But in my typical fashion I waited too last minute and now had to come up with something else.
Her wedding colors are black, white, and red (she's a classy gal). While the basket looked nice as it is we had to make sure that the cards went in, but not hands. Apparently a lot of card steeling happens at weddings.
The solution? A reinforced piece of black fabric with a card slit on the top hand sewn onto the top. This way when the wedding is done this can easily be removed and they can use this basket again somewhere in their home. Did I mention it was eight bucks!

NOTE TO OTHER CRAFTY BRIDESMAIDS: Even with a black, red, and white themed wedding you cannot embroid, write, or paint with bright red on black. Unless of course it is some sort of demon wedding. You can see what I am talking about here.

One Man's Trash

2007-05-21T18:30:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite christmas gift... a piano book bag for my youngest sister, Cassandra. At the time I was making little money, but I had a beautiful sewing machine, my husband's old jeans and lots of other saved goods.

I used a pattern suggested to me by my sister-in-law out of Bazaar Bizarre. The bottom of the bag is seemless and it is lined twice with iron-on stabilizer. No amount of heavy books nor use could crack this bag.

The fabric is all hand-me-downs. The embroidery is appliqued onto the outside from an old stained table cloth I found at a scrap store. Even the lace was bought for only 10 cents.

Creativity can help save big bucks.

Blogging Is Not for the Faint of Heart

2007-05-14T20:48:00.000-04:00

Well, I can take it no longer... I am jealous of all the wonderful blogs out and about in the world and I want to be a part of it. I have no clue what I am doing and it will likely be a disgrace for a couple months, but I feel like all of us must start somewhere.
Those of you who know me personally can expect the usual afair... crafting, camping, family, fun, opinions and generally ruling the world. You will like it. Trust me :)