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.

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!

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.

Betsey Johnson knitting designs

Betsy Johnson knitting designs, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

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?

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!

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?

What I've Been Doing

I have been sewing quite a lot and enjoying my new serger. Pillowcases, bags, curtains and gifts. But I'm also busy training for a triathlon, the Philly Women's Triathlon to be exact. It seemed like a good idea a few months ago - a way to motivate (scare) me into getting to the gym. Now that it's coming up in 6 weeks I'm a bit terrified and spending most of my free time swimming, biking or running. The process of training has been inspiring. Each day I am a bit surprised at what I am able to do and how much stronger I seem. My amazing trainer has really helped in this process as well. My body seems to be doing what it wants to do - work and work hard. One day he told me that the human body is one of the few things that will actually breakdown from lack of use. We were meant to walk, reach, carry, jump, run.

I wish that I could report that my body has turned into some version of Sarah Conner from Terminator but that hasn't happened and I'm ok with it. I'm doing this not to look like an amazonian women, but rather to better myself for now and going forward. I have a lot of things I want to do in the coming years and I need to take better care of myself in order to make that happen. Plus, I have to get in better shape to keep up with Lucy! I swear, at four, that she can run faster than I can.

So, I will be back with pictures and knitting and sewing projects. After the tri, if I survive, I will write more. Plus, I want to get a jump on my holiday projects and not wait until the very last minute.....

Latest Book Obsession

I love this book! Especially the cover quilt though I'm pretty sure that I don't have the time or patience to make it right now. Still this is a great book - full of inspiration and ideas based on classic quilt designs. The quilters are based in Australia though one of them, Kathy Doughty, hales from Ohio! And Kaffe Fasset wrote the intro so you know it has to be interesting.

And while we're on the topic of reading material, check out the latest issue of "Stitch" from Quilting Arts. I have to admit that I wasn't too impressed with the first issue last Winter but this one is better - great colors and a range of projects. In fact, I'm heading to the quilt store on Monday to purchase materials to make one of the bags.

Anything else, hmm. I did make this cute little project as a shop sample. Great for recessionista lunches. I used Anna Maria Horner's oilcloth version of her latest collection. Perfect. My friend Jess recommended that I make a coordinating reusable sandwich wrap and placement like this. I'd like to design something I can make with my lovely new serger.

Serger Love

The serger is here. In my house. Threaded and ready for use. I promise to post projects and updates soon. The sewing room is nearly complete - I just need to finish and hang the curtains as well as buy a simple bed frame for the daybed. This one from West Elm is the primary contender.

The little one is upstairs in bed sick so I need to get back to her. More in the coming weeks....

Spring Birds

Birds for Hadley, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

I bought this book a while back and was so enchanted by the birds on the front cover. My intention has been to make them for quite a while and I finally got an inspiration - Lucy's friend, Hadley, was having a bird birthday party. My first one was a bit wonky but the next three were lovely. I have cut out quite a few more - all from 30's fabric - and hope to get to them after my sewing room is put back together.

And, then today I came across this post which led me to this blog. Given my work at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, I found the mission for 100 birds in Cooper's memory particularly touching. Please read her story. If you can sew, sew birds, if you can knit, knit birds. If you can't do either, just feel comforted in knowing that there are people out there who turn horrible losses into beautiful gifts.

Quick houses

A quick post with a quick link! I love love love this tutorial for making free-style houses. Check it out here. Tomorrow I was planning on sewing another shirt for me but I made need to make one (or two) of these instead!

Skirts for Lucy

Seams to Me Bo Peep Skirt, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

The quilt store recently started carrying Bernina sewing machines and sergers. I've been drooling over them since their arrival, particularly the sergers. I have no need for another machine but a serger - well I would happily add one to my sewing room.

I wanted to try them out so I chose this project from "Seams to Me" by Anna Maria Horner. I finished the seams and the edges with the serger and then completed this skirt using a Bernette 56 which is a lovely and simple first sewing machine. I used leftover scraps from my samples of the Portobello Pixie patterns. The skirt is adorable! Even Lucy loves it but for now it is hanging in the shop as a sample.

I also made the following skirt for Lucy quite a while back. It's made using this super-easy pattern - it probably took only an hour from start to finish. I would be much much faster with a serger! My favorite part of the pic is the "matching" tights and Smurfette t-shirt.

So, I'm saving for a serger. My hope is to have it in my hot stitching hands by mid-summer, just in time to sew for the holidays and create my own winter wardrobe....

Sewing Room Inspiration

Currently I'm hard at work picking colors to paint the upstairs and just get everything pulled together. Almost 5 years ago we moved into this house while I mas 6 months pregnant. My priority was Lucy's room and the downstairs. We just have never gotten around to painting and decorating the upstairs - mainly our room and the extra/sewing room. Mitch has finally conceded the extra room to me but it will still need to serve the function of a guest room. My plan is to convert the closet into a sewing/craft storage space and buy a sewing table that I can fold up and roll into the closet so that when guests are here, they don't have to look at (admire) my sewing projects.

I have bought two wonderful books to help me along the process and also discovered the magazine above, which doesn't come out until next month. The books can be found here and here on amazon and you can visit the crafter whose room is on the cover of the magazine here.

Basically, I need to get a painter hired and going so that I can keep my momentum. I'll post updates as they happen.

Another one bites the dust

Goodbye CRAFT. See you online.

Gratuitous Lucy Photo and Lily Allen

I'm posting this picture for no reason other that I think it's a fabulous photo of Lucy. We were at the airport eating a bit of breakfast before getting on the plane. She has this sassy, bored and just-so-Lucy look on her face. I love it!

And if you haven't bought it yet - go buy Lily Allen's latest album RIGHT NOW! I love her. I woke up this morning with a huge smile on my face knowing that her album would be waiting for me to download on itunes - I bought it a few weeks ago so that I could have it today. Can't remember the last time I did that. Probably Pink's sophomore release in 2001 - it came out on my birthday (November 15th for the record.)

So, what are you waiting for, head over to itunes or amazon and get that album. You will love it!

A Finished Project!!

"Claire" Dress, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

This dress was made using the "Claire" Pattern from PortabelloPixie Boutique Patterns. the fabrics are Heather Bailey of course. Overall, it's an easy pattern - my only source of frustration was the machine applique of the flowers on the apron but that has less to do with the pattern and more to do with me and my machine (more on that later in this post.) I wish that I could show you a picture of Lucy modeling the dress but she refused to try it on for no apparent reason other than that I asked her to. Now it is hanging in the shop to inspire others. I hope they don't look too closely at my applique....

Now to my machine. Grrr. I can't get the tension to be right. I've messed with the bobbin and the tension on the top thread with no success. I broke down and took it in for a service which I know is the right thing to do but really I want a new machine. The shop is going to start carrying them in a month (yeah!) which is great for the owner but bad for me - too much temptation. I am trying to stay focused on my quest for a serger. I may just have to put blinders on when I walk in and ignore the whole machine section. ha! That will never happen.

I bought this pattern from Wee Wonderfuls hoping that Lucy and I can work on them together. My mother made me Raggedy Ann and Andy as a kid and they are still my favorites, aside from Mandy and Jenny of course. So, once my machine returns from the sewing machine "hospital" Lucy and I will get to work.

The written word

I really miss receiving and sending mail. Also, I love the concept of calling cards. Whenever I read Jane Austen or watch Masterpiece Theater, I wish that I had a few calling cards in my back pocket. Or even just little cards to jot down a website or phone number for a friend or new acquaintance. Well, at last I think I have found the perfect solution. These notecards and little cards from the Small Object are just adorable. And better yet, they're available as a PDF so you can print as many as you like. So, if you are my friend or relative, get ready. I have cards and I am prepared to use them!

Bacon

Check this site out! I love it! Click here to see it in action.

On a Happier Note

Yesterday I picked up this little book and have been pleasantly surprised by its contents. The pictures are crisp and the projects are inviting. Plus, Jenny Ryan writes for BUST, my new favorite magazine so the book has to be great. In theory, I don't need a book of patterns to make the projects she describes but that's really not the point. What's nice here is the inspiration and the way that she uses notions such as ribbons, ric-rac and buttons. Also the vintage towels and sheets look modern and fresh as purses, sewing machine covers and baby doll blankets. Very recessionista. I recommend it for new sewers and old (read experienced) who are looking for something different and an excuse to stay up late reading sewing books. In fact, that is what I'm going to do right now. Ta ta.

Magazine Blues

First Martha Stewart Kids, then Blueprint, then Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion and now Domino! I can't believe it. All that's left is Martha Stewart Living and some random Euro design magazines. Plus all the Better Homes and Gardens Special Decorating Issues. Oh, and dwell - that will probably be cancelled too. I guess I will have to start reading Real Simple again though I swear their target audience is a divorced 40 year-old executive mom. Not a chocolate-eating-crafty-part-time nurse-midwife-married-mother. Come to think of it, Bust sounds like it's more my style. I just got a subscription which sadly means that it will probably be discontinued in a month or two. Sorry.

PS - I love Atomic Ranch but I don't dare get a subscription to that. It contains all my hopes and dreams for my perfect 50's ranch-style home. I need something to look forward to at the bookstore!

Hello

I'm still around just not blogging much. We went on vacation for a week and since then I've been trying to recover from it. Why is that? It is so true that I feel like I need a vacation after vacation to recover from vacation!

Currently I am working on one of Sandi Henderson's dress patterns and hope to have the dress finished this week. It's adorable. In the meantime, here's a link to my friend's finished dresses. She did a great job - can you believe these were her first dress projects? Go Candace!

I'll be back soon with pics.

Lucy's cupcake

Lucy's cupcake, originally uploaded by stitchingpink.

Lucy gave me the book Hello Cupcake for the holidays and has been asking to make cupcakes everyday since then. We made these this past Sunday and it really was fun. I used this Vanilla Vanilla recipe on the MSL website, courtesy of Billy's Bakery. I also used the butter cream recipe that went with the cupcakes, just adding more powdered sugar to thicken the icing. Then we decorated much to Lucy's delight and my own. These are covered with sprinkles and twizzlers cut into small pieces.

Our other cupcakes may not look perfect but they are tasty and weren't around for long!