Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Coffee Cozy and Sandwich Bag

I wanted to prove that I actually have been sewing, not just talking about it. The coffee cozy pattern can be found here and the lunch/gift bag pattern can be found here. Both are super easy and would be perfect as gifts, particularly for the holidays. I could see giving a matched set of one cozy, one bag, maybe one matching large tote and perhaps a little cosmetic bag. That would be a nice gift, don't you think? I'd sure like to receive it!

As for the fabric, the coffee cozies are Heather Bailey Pop Garden and the lunch bag is Anna Maria Horner's latest oilcoth! It was actually pretty easy to work with, I just used a denim needle and a longer stitch length.

Tomorrow I'll post a pic of the bag kit. I'm going to finish putting the kits together right now while watching this chick flick.

Good night.

Retro Knitting Bag


Retro Knitting Bag, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

This is yet another find from my mom's garage. She used it in college and then my grandmother used it to store her projects. We're using it to hold library books as I don't need another vessel for yarn! The colors are perfect in my living room though I'm sure that at some point, I thought the colors were putrid. Amazing how colors can come back into fashion. Another blogger found a similar one at a garage sale - love the fabric!

Retro Knitting Bag

I'm headed to the quilt store this afternoon to put together a really cute bag kit. I'm hoping that the kits sell quickly as I'd like to carry the bag before summer's end! I'll post a picture of it tomorrow.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

More Found Stuff


Vintage Valentine's Cards, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

This morning I opened the rest of the boxes that I sent back from OKC. There's all sorts of stuff in them - books, toys, my grandmother's wedding dress (the first one, she was married 4 times.) Anyway, I found this set of Valentines sitting on top of a pile of stuff in my mom's garage. They're just too precious. The plastic wrap is open just a little so I think that Dorothy used a few of them. There are two sheets intact. I plan to just admire them for a while and then maybe frame a few or send them to very very special friends.

Vintage Valentine's Cards

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Dress-Up Tea Party


Tea Party, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

A couple of weeks ago, Lucy and I hosted her very first tea party. It was a truly delightful event. Lucy's little friends came dressed in their very best and displayed their best manners. We read two books: "Tea for Ruby" and "When I Have a Little Girl" then the children did crafts and played with tea sets, including my grandmother's silver tea service! Here's the menu:

Cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches
Cream cheese and maraschino cherry sandwiches
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Mellon balls
Mini chocolate muffins
Petit Fours
Madeleines
Gingerbread cookies and
Pink sparkling lemonade!

Getting ready for tea

I loved setting the table with family heirlooms, vintage finds and wedding presents. Entertaining provides a wonderful opportunity to share with others your creativity but most of all, I enjoy hosting friends in our home. I hope that Lucy will learn to enjoy this too.

Lucy at her tea party

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Betsey Johnson knitting designs

So here is the first of future posts of stuff I found in my mom's house. I love these Betsey Johnson patterns! Can't believe how young Lulu is here in these pics! The article comes from the July/August 1981 McCall's Needlework and Crafts Magazine. Don't you think Lucy and I need those matching sweaters?

Betsy Johnson knitting designs

And I love love love this pattern with the telephone!! Phone number on cap is "411." Totally fabulous, don't you think? And those roller skates that Lulu is wearing in the other picture - great! And those yarn braids - oh, my!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Checking In

Still training. This triathlon is starting to seem like a very very bad idea....

Just got back from OKC. I sent almost all of my childhood books back to Princeton as well as some seriously awesome craft magazines from the early 1980's. And I found some fabulous fabric and unfinished sewing projects including a Liberty peasant blouse ready to be sewn together!

On the way back home, Lucy and I ran into Dan Zanes in the Memphis airport. Very random. He is quite nice and even gave Lucy a guitar pick. I admit, I felt a bit like a silly suburban mom, particularly when I told him that we've been to all his concerts in Princeton. Really silly.

I'm missing flickr and blogging so I'm planning to be back very soon. Plus I have so much to post - I just finished my first shirt made on the serger. Loved it! How did I ever function without one?