mama unraveled 2

hi there...now go somewhere else

2005-06-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

I'M MOVING! Good bye mama unraveled . Hello little birds. Come on over!

What are you waiting for? I'm over here and I'm not coming back!

inez

2005-06-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

I'm calling this bag "Inez" because I designed and cut it out last night while watching one of my very favorite movies, Bottle Rocket. Used some of the beautiful leaf fabric my mom bought for me a while back. I've been scared to use this fabric because I love it so much! There's a couple little flubs from when I rushed to finish it (I knew Miles' patience was running out while I sewed), but, overall, I'm happy. Miles thought it was a chef's hat:

another one

2005-06-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

Another vintage child's apron found thrifting. I saw so many amazing aprons today, but I am on an apron diet. I just couldn't resist this one with the peaked middle and red organza. A totally impractical apron for a child, but fun to wear!

a cool thing

2005-06-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

Check out bzzzpeek. From their site:
bzzzpeek is presenting a collection of 'onomatopoeia' from around the world using sound recordings from native speakers imitating the sounds of mainly animals and vehicles.

My kids don't watch any TV or (usually) play computer games, but they were cracking up at this for half an hour. Fire engines were the favorite. Beautifully designed too.

lamb #2

2005-06-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

This little lamb is going to San Francisco.

self-portrait tuesday

2005-06-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

In the window of my minivan. Yes, I drive a minivan. Or rather, I try not to drive at all, but when I do, it's in a minivan.

bits & pieces

2005-06-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Kelly at buzzville for this great Japanese quilted bag book that came with a supercute fuzzy peach she made. I *thought* I was going to use it as a pin cushion, but Mia was horrified, so it lives in her room now.

I found these wonderful Heath Ceramics salt and pepper shakers at the Goodwill and am in love. They have markings from the original pottery. I have never seen any Heath with this glaze pattern on it. Any other mid-century pottery lovers know about these? I might be willing to part with them if it would mean a lot to a collector!

Also, I am working on a special order lamb which is exciting. Lambs, fawns, and other animals will be available at the online shop my sister and I will be opening over the summer. In the meantime, email me if you're interested in a special order ($40 for a lamb with yoke of flowers, $35 for a fawn, more animals to come).

swashbucklers

2005-06-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

On our way to a pirate party.

A super-quicky skull applique (with some lollipop stuck to it).

stash basket

2005-06-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

I've been loving the ever-inspirational Hillary's basket bags as well as those that I've seen in Japanese craft books (well, not the actual books, but the photos of books on ebay).

Here's my attempt at a basket bag which I made to store my yarn stash/projects. Didn't turn out exactly as planned, but I learned a few things along the way and would be willing to take another stab at it (and, yes, there was some stabbing of fingers).

I may even end my knitting sabbatical now that I have such handy storage!

little fawn

2005-06-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

An adaptation of the the lamb. Smaller (about 6 inches tall), 100% wool felt, embroidery floss, velvet ribbon.

papier-mache

2005-05-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

I don't know who is more excited when the Martha Stewart Kids Magazine arrives, me or Mia, but we always have to do a project right away. This weekend we made papier-mache (or as Mia calls it, "paper-crochet") vehicles.

Mia and I collaborated on these hot-air balloons.

going for a ride...

and Miles made this spaceship

Mia added the pirate flag.

Now if only Mia's birthday wasn't in December, so we could throw that beautiful Midsummer's Night Dream pixie party.

self-portrait tuesday

2005-05-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

In an apron (of course) and headless (of course). Self-timer with camera sitting on the potty.

Our upstairs bathroom is my favorite room in the house. I like to lie in the tub and dream of it redone in white wainscotting, free of the vinyl floor. You've heard the expression "the cobbler's family has no shoes"? Well, the architect's family has no remodel. We do, however, have a lot of shoes.

mama's got a brand new bag

2005-05-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

I had finally "lived" long enough with the great fabric I received from Hillary and decided I was ready to make a bag.

Lined in pink:

and embellished with vintage buttons from my collection and one I received from Amy:

This was my first bag of my own design that wasn't a straight-up tote bag and I'm pretty pleased with how it came out. Best of all, I have some of that great fabric left over!

photo friday: symbol

2005-05-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

Miles' favorite vintage Izod red gingham shirt. photo friday.

thank you hillary!

2005-05-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Ever generous, Hillary found this smock while thrifting and sent it to Mia! She was thrilled with the smock and the little penguin spirograph-drawing-thingy that arrived with it and set to work right away.

The smock looks especially great with our mod vintage child's chair.

Thanks Hillary! I am loving the internet connection this week!

small pleasures

2005-05-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

Purple radishes.

Going out for coffee, scones, and the fluff sections of the Thursday NY Times alone with my husband.

Driving by my children's school and spotting them weeding the garden in their bare feet.

Seeing a giant white yoga ball blowing around the neighborhood, like an urban tumbleweed.

Planning a picnic for dinner.

lucky me

2005-05-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

Well, real-life and blog-life intersected this morning when Amy of angry chicken and I finally met.

Some things I learned about Amy:
1. She has a beautiful smile, and now I will always think of it when I read her posts.
2. Her small quilts are a-friggin-mazing. Photos do not do them justice.
3. She is a warm and loving mother (and Sadie was awesome to so patiently entertain herself while we gabbed).
4. She has a charming, art-filled home. Beautiful, subtle color everywhere.
5. She is brimming with great ideas that I can't wait for her to pursue!

And it wasn't MY birthday, but I got a parting gift!

Thanks Amy! I had a wonderful time.

and more aprons

2005-05-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Another tip for the Stumptown readers: the best vintage aprons for under $3 (among other goodies) can be found at Red, White, & Blue Thrift in Gladstone. Today I found the child-size gem that Mia is wearing (mine came from there too).

more on the lamb

2005-05-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

Many people were wondering about a pattern for the lamb. I adapted it from this book:

(one of my many thrifted craft books from the 60/70s)
It's a really simple pattern with thorough instructions.

I made some minor changes to the pattern and did not follow the instructions for the flower yoke, but created mine of individual flowers and leaves made from wool felt and wool beads.

Email me if you're interested in a copy of the pattern. I am going to try to adapt it further to make other animals, stay tuned.

pssssst: Happy birthday to Amy. We are finally going to meet tomorrow!

paper art

2005-05-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Nikki McClure. I love my calendar. The chicken book is so charming.

Japanese paper cut-out book.

My mom sent me this link: the paper moon. Cut paper collages by Ida Pearle. Ms. Pearle designs and plays violin for the band Ida. Also from Ida, is Elizabeth Mitchell who makes great kid music.

edited to add: that's a drawing by Mia (age 5) and, yes, she is an artistic genius! (in my, totally non-objective, mind). The birds have bows on their heads.

month of softies: may flowers

2005-05-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

Mia had a little lamb.

Whose fleece (well, sherpa wool felt) was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mia went, that lamb was sure to go.

(and it's fleece is no longer white as snow)

for the puddletown folks

2005-05-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

Contribute your story of your Portland experience here.

I am determined to cross the river to see motel gallery's new show.

A new fabric and craft thrift store. I checked it out over the weekend and found some goodies like a half yard of Kaffe Fassett for 65 cents and some vintage trims and embroidery transfers (all under a dollar).

I've been house-bound with feverish kids, so my May month-of-softies is nearly finished!

robot man

2005-05-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

Jack and I are so excited it is yard sale season. Every weekend we find all the ones in our neighborhood, and walk to them with the kids, looking for treasure. This weekend Mia found a bag of old tinker toys, Miles found a space shuttle placemat, and I found a piece of Alexander Henry robot flannel from which I made this applique for my little robot man.

something to see

2005-05-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you Martha at Naive Knitting for the amazing Studio Confidante Slideshow.

For all you apron lovers, via my friend Kim at Rollerskates and an Apron, check out The Apron Chronicles.

My favorite new blog: port2port.

chicken

2005-05-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

A sweet chicken postcard from my mom.

My love affair with chickens and chicken imagery began when I was a student at UC Santa Cruz and I moved into a house that came with a flock. How I loved those hens! The rooster, I must admit, was a bit intimidating. I loved collecting the beautiful brown eggs. And the hatchlings? I never tired of holding those fuzzy chicks and watching them grow into gawky pullets.

When I am trying to sleep (doesn't come easy for me), and I want to take myself to a safe and comfortable place, there are two sensory memories which I summon. The first is the sound of the water lapping along the canal in Venice, Italy heard from the twin bed of our pensione when Jack and I were honeymooning. The second is the tweet-tweeting of my baby chicks waking me every morning at sunrise (I brought the chicks to my bedroom every night to keep them safe from foxes, cats, feral dogs and all the other predators of the Santa Cruz mountains).

I am lucky to live in an urban area that is very chicken-friendly. Maybe some will join us soon?

self portrait with gigantic hand, camera, and felt bead necklace

2005-05-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

because people are talking about self portraits and because I never showed you the felt beads we made.

manifesto

2005-05-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

My sister and I are collaborating on a site (more on that later), and we've been brainstorming a bit about what will be included, as well as the look and spririt. It made me think of Jonathan Adler's brilliant manifesto. I have long been a fan of Jon Adler's pottery and textiles. I love his mix of the graphically beautiful

and the campy kitsch.

His manifesto is great. Some gems:
We believe handcrafted tchotchkes are life-enhancing.
We believe in dorky enthusiasm.
We believe colors can't clash.

What would go on your manifesto?

studio confidante

2005-05-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hey, send in a photo of your studio confidante.

(I'm giving everyone a kick in the pants, Martha)

happy mother's day

2005-05-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

to my mom and all the other crafty moms out there. Have a great day!

tiered skirt

2005-05-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

This tiered skirt has been languishing in the unfinished pile for months, but I tackled it, gathers and all, last night.

It passes the twirl test.

a wee swap

2005-05-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

My new camera is finally here! That makes two great packages I've received in as many days. When Hillary offered up some fabric for swap, I jumped, and my yard arrived in this wonderful color-coordinated package yesterday.

Love the Lotta Jansdotter postcard. It went right on my bulletin board.
And the fabric? It is even better in person. Beautiful colors and motifs. I'm not sure which is my favorite:
I'm always a sucker for chickens...

then there's the fruit...

who can resist this sly cat?

What to do with it? One big project? Many little appliques? I think I'll just admire it for a while.

Thank you Hillary! You were so generous to share your fab vintage find.

still waiting for my camera...

2005-05-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

but I do have a scanner!

Last Christmas, in an effort to make the holidays more about relationships and togetherness and less about "stuff", I asked family and friends to give my kids handmade gifts instead of store-bought toys. They received some amazing things. My mom made Mia a quilt, my dad made Miles a hand-painted train table, my in-laws made a deck of cards with pictures of family members, and my sister made Mia this wonderful book. It is all about me! Mia loves to look through the pictures of me as a baby, child, and young adult and read Lisa's memories of those times.

Lisa's on the left and I'm on the right.

Isn't my sister great?

sunbonnet sue help

2005-05-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

That title is there just to freak out my mom who has serious issues with Sunbonnet Sue quilts.

We're reading Little House on the Prairie at our house (with some effort by me to put everything into a cultural context), and Mia wanted to see a covered wagon so we went out to the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center yesterday. She was absolutely thrilled and loved every minute, corny multi-media presentation and all, but what she keeps talking about are the sunbonnets she tried on in the gift shop.

Does anyone know of a free child's sunbonnet pattern? I've googled to no avail. Thanks!

for the birds

2005-04-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

My daughter has always risen with the sun. No matter how dark we make her room, she is awake at dawn. "I can hear the birds," she says.

Now that she is older (well, 5), she usually lets us sleep in and reads to herself in her room or comes downstairs to draw at her art table. She must have been hearing the birds again, because here's what she drew this morning:

She had Ed Emberley's Drawing Book open for inspiration. This one is in her nest of eggs:

And I'm particularly fond of this striped beak:

I'm thinking these might appear as applique somewhere soon!

unraveling

2005-04-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

A Nikon Coolpix 2100 digital camera is on it's way! (Where are you Brown?) My apologies to everyone who thought I was going to simply disappear. When a few different readers suggested taking up a collection to buy a new camera, I figured I better get my bottom in gear and start posting.

I've had Weezer's "Undone-The Sweater Song" in my head all day as I've been busy happily unraveling a gigantic hand-crocheted poncho I found at the Goodwill. It is providing me with a wealth of beautiful yarn (six balls so far with more to come). My frugal nature and commitment to reuse attracted me to the salvaging of yarn, but my previous experiences have been less than positive. Primarily, it is difficult to find a knitted garment appropriate for unraveling. Most have serged seams, are too worn, or are made of an undesirable acrylic yarn. Even with a sweater that looks like a good candidate, the process is tedious and aggravating with only moments of bliss when the yarn flows freely. This poncho, however, was a breeze.

If you'd like to give it a try, here's a good tutorial.

felt beads/the day my camera died

2005-04-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

This post was supposed to be about the felt beads my kids and I made from wool roving this afternoon, but when I went to upload my photos this is what I found:

followed by picture after picture of total blackness.

sigh. I don't know if this is fixable (it's already a hand-me-down camera), and I don't know when we'll be able to get a new one, so don't expect much at mama unraveled for the next little bit.

I can't show you mine, but here's a few felt bead tutorials:
Lili la Malice
Martha Stewart Kids
I'd like to try this:

(at a Japanese craft site found via craftlog.)
Time to buy a trinket out of the gumball machine, I guess!

no happy books for me

2005-04-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ever since Angry Chicken posted about her great book finds at the Uwajimaya Japanese super-store in the suburbs of Portland, I have been determined to go check it out. It should be known that while I have lived in Portland for nearly 6 years, I have stuck to the metro area. My attempts at finding things in the suburbs often end in tears. There is something about strip malls and car dealerships that sends me into panic mode.

Mapquest in hand, I set out this morning...got lost, found my way again, and arrived at Uwajimaya. Oh, all the cuteness! Japanese kitchen supplies and housewares, beautiful stationery, office supplies, all my favorite stuff. There were, however, no craft books of interest to me (Amy did say it was hit and miss). I did some grocery shopping and picked up some great stuff for packing my kids' lunches like little fish and pig-shaped containers that we'll use to hold soy sauce.

and porcelain spoons for noodle-eatin'.

embroidered octopus tee

2005-04-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

My three-year-old son just began doing representative drawings after years of being frustrated that he couldn't draw "the way Mia (his big sister) does". He was quite proud of one particular drawing ("an octopus"), so I thought I'd memorialize it for him on a t-shirt.

I added some iron-on interfacing to the front of the shirt and used transfer paper to trace the image. Not the best embroidery job, but it gave me something to do while I watched The Amazing Race last night.

Miles was thrilled with his shirt this morning, but not really in the mood for a photo shoot.

apron strings

2005-04-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

There is something about putting on an apron that makes me feel like getting things done. I have collected quite a few vintage aprons over the years, and I love to wear them all. They are a ritual, "I'm putting on my apron; let's get to work!". They are also practical, providing me with pockets, protecting my clothing from splashes, acting as a hand towel, folding up to carry loads of tiny toys across the house.
Here is my "lucky" apron.

It's always been one of my favorites, but it became "lucky" last Christmas Eve. I used to have a children's resale business and held periodic sales at my house. I had my last sale in November and wore my apron to hold supplies and serve as my cash box. I was slightly disappointed with sales at the end of the day, but didn't give it much thought. Fast forward to Christmas Eve. I put on "lucky" to do some baking and reached in to find a stack of checks in one of the pockets! I abandoned my baking and ran out to deposit the checks in the ATM and grab a few more gifts for my husband. Now I smile everytime I tie "lucky" around my waist.

month of softies: recycled monster

2005-04-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

I usually like doing a month of softies because it challenges me to create something I wouldn't ordinarily be making. Recycled monsters are kinda my thing though...and here's another one. This is Aster. She's made from a felted sweater and stuffing from a discarded pillow. Her skirt is from a vintage sheet (the rest of which was made into a duvet cover for Mia).

The last few days I have felt like I was under a "crafter's curse". Everything I attempt seems disappointing, my normally trustworthy sewing machine has been acting tempermental, I have started and abandoned several projects. I had to force myself not to toss Aster! It was Mia who saved her from the trash heap.

fabric cards

2005-04-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

I made these after my sister-in-law sent me a beautiful card for my birthday that was simply fabric adhered to a plain card. It's a great way to use up fabric scraps and create original cards.

I used Heat n' Bond Lite (of which I am not a big fan...but this was a good way to use it up) to adhere the fabric to a blank card. My favorite was this vintage silky fabric that I was able to cut such that it had a unique front

and back.

placemat pillow

2005-04-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

When my mom was visiting we went to Crate and Barrel and I bought one of these placemats just because I loved the colors and construction. I soon discovered how easy it would be to transform it into a pillow.

Rip the seam open a few inches between the front and backing. Cut two pieces of batting the size of the placemat and place inside, fill between the batting with polyfill, and blindstitch closed.
Tada!

2005-04-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

My kids have been sick with the flu this week, so I haven't accomplished much, although I did manage to acquire more fabric (on sale at Jo-ann and at a great vintage sale).

cool stuff

2005-04-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks Karen at Kraf-o-la, for reminding me how cool Blu Dot's website is. Go watch their short film and get yourself a free desk top clock.

Via design*sponge, thwart design's "Design w/o Reach" project which includes a mini Wassily chair made from paperclips and electrical tape and the Nelson ball clock made from tootsie-pops.

more goodwill hunting

2005-04-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's just in Portland, but all sweaters are 50% off at Goodwill. It's a good time to stock up on wool sweaters to felt (or just buy yourself a new sweater, we've been doing some of each around here). This one will probably become a monster:

I also found this beautiful tatami mat for $10. It's going in my dining room.

See the leaves?

birthday bounty

2005-03-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

The most wonderful birthday package arrived today from my sister. My very own modbird which she had posted before (and wouldn't ya know, it was my favorite one thus far).

Also in the package, a beautiful collage-card and a chicken napkin (because I'm crazy for chickens).

Miles found his own bounty (bubble wrap):

From my mom, this gorgeous fabric postcard that I would like to frame:

Bonus photo of Mom and Mia:

monster in a skirt

2005-03-26T07:53:00.000-08:00

This one is a birthday gift for a three-year-old girl who has a penchant for both monsters and twirly skirts.

home

2005-03-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

We're home again and I'm trying to get back in the posting mood. Here's a few images from the trip which began with snow and ended at the beach.

more soon...

prepared

2005-03-15T09:06:00.000-08:00

We're off tomorrow to visit my husband's family in Raleigh for a week. I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to post or not. I'll be taking some knitting which is something I've neglected this month (all this beautiful spring weather, I wasn't in the mood, but it's cold and maybe even snowy (!) in Raleigh).

Here's a reversible tote bag I made for the trip. The dots are a napkin my sister and I found thrifting (there were two, we each got one) and the other side is vintage fabric.

While I was whipping up this bag, Jack went out to pick up an early birthday surprise for me which just happens to match perfectly:

WOW, whooppee! I've been waiting for an iPod to come into my life for a long time! Jack and I had been commiserating that our problems with travel involved not having access to good coffee and not having our music. Amazing guy that he is, Jack solved both problems by suggesting we bring our own coffee and camping french press and giving me my b-day present early! Now I can listen to M. Ward's "Carolina" while I'm in the north one.

Oh, and I have to craft an iPod cozy, of course.

kitty cat messenger bag

2005-03-13T09:30:00.000-08:00

I didn't make this messenger bag (found it at the Goodwill), but I did add the kitty cat applique to up the "Mia-factor". Mia had asked for a bag to hold her knitting, but it's currently being used to collect specimens in the backyard.

baby blue attempt #1

2005-03-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

My sister and I gave ourselves the challenge to come up with a little round bird design. She sent me this for inspiration:

Baby blue is my first attempt. He lost his roundness in stuffing. I think I'm going back to the drawing board on this one.

early morning happy drawing by mia

2005-03-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

uncle monster

2005-03-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

That's "Uncle Monster" (so named by Miles). My brother had so much fun with the "BuzzyBuzzy Monster" I made Miles for Christmas that I thought I'd make him his own monster for his birthday. They are both made with felted sweaters and wool felt. Here's Uncle with his nephew BuzzyBuzzy.

february month of softies

2005-02-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

Vintage pillowcase, wool felt. Well, I made this pigeon a while ago for Loobylu's month of softies. The theme is Alice in Wonderland. I thought I'd try the less popularized character of the pigeon who accuses Alice of being a serpent.

She's "hasn't had a wink of sleep in three weeks" protecting her eggs. I could relate. She's meant to have some eggs, but I didn't make any in time. Honestly, I was never really pleased with her and intended to make something else entirely, but didn't make the deadline!

project lazea-way

2005-02-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

I've been under the weather this week and have been moving around at tortoise speed, not accomplishing much. My crafty evening hours have been taken over by Project Runway. I don't have cable, but a friend knew this was up my alley and taped the marathon over the weekend. We've watched an average of three episodes a night every night this week. We? Yeah. It's Jack slyly suggesting "how about just one more?" every night. (Not that I need much inducement...after all, I did watch the entire Brideshead Revisited miniseries (11 hours) in one day when I was in junior high.)

The only thing I accomplished during my time on the couch cringing at Wendy and enjoying Jay was to embroider a bit on the felt slipcover I made for our TV (to keep me from watching TV, ha, ha!).

I still haven't seen the finale (or the last episode preceding it), but it would be impossible for me to move about in my blogosphere and not know. I won't comment though as I know Jack would prefer to remain in the dark!

plates du jour

2005-02-22T20:01:00.000-08:00

When will I learn to stop making promises (about posting) that I can not keep?

Some inspiration for your table:

Dishwasher Safe at the ever-cool wurst gallery (check out vintage vandals too).

And continuing the spirit of vintage redux are these wonderful plates by Sarah Cihat.

robot hat

2005-02-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

If Miles agreed to take it off, I would get a better picture. Recycled wool sweater, wool felt, vintage buttons (which I found thrifting and they just screamed "robot eyes!").

reproduction

2005-02-18T16:35:00.000-08:00

I am working on some stuffeds based on Mia's drawings, and, man, it's hard! It's so different than what I usually do which is to create as I go. Mia and I are both excited as these projects take shape and her imaginings become three dimensional. She has created a wealth of characters for my inspiration...let's hope I can find the discipline to finish a few.

confessions of a dilettante

2005-02-17T09:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I missed the deadline for the Schmancy plush show. I've spent way too much time this week enjoying my new computer and looking at the amazing things everyone else is doing. It's really time for me to get disciplined and organized and start creating. I am going to try to start posting everyday as an incentive (how embarrassing will it be tomorrow when I still have nothing to show you?) First up is to get organized which is no small feat in this household. Off I go!

amorously

2005-02-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

Last night was "date night" (parents take turns hosting kids, other couples get a night out). Jack and I celebrated Valentine's with a visit to motel gallery, followed by sushi, followed by an attempt to get dessert at Pix Patisserie (too crowded), followed by crepes at Chez Machin, whew! (we also fit in a trip to Office Depot for a new mouse).

motel was having the amorously group show which was very sweet! There were works by my sister's friend Jill Bliss:

as well as some of my other favorite artists like Caroline Hwang (it was great to investigate her work up close):

and the lovely and delicate illustrations of Jen Corace:

Jack picked out this wee handpainted necklace by Jen for me. I LOVE it!

lookkee!

2005-02-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

I went to an amazing estate sale today. Holy packrat! Ceramics, textiles, owls and birds galore...I wished my sister was with me. However, if Lisa was there she surely would have walked away with this:

I think it is the same artist as the inspiration for her wonderful birds. I can not part with it though! It's going in our polka-dot bedroom!

It was an overwhelming sale, so I just concentrated on the fabric and came home with a grocery bag full of great vintage stuff.

gocco valentines

2005-02-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

No close-ups so as not to spoil it for those of you getting these in the mail. The kids and I made valentines with the gocco today and it went swimmingly. I designed Miles' and Mia drew her own. So much easier than my first gocco attempt which involved the fabric stamp and me screaming "ARGGGHHH!" a lot.

finger knittin' good

2005-02-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

Mia finally showed an interest in knitting, so she learned finger knitting today. She mastered that pretty quickly, and we moved on to needles. She almost had it. I think we'll take a step back and try the spool knitter my mom gave her.

A: a snake scarf!

2005-02-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

I needed something to knit while I sat around with sick kids last week and I remembered this scarf at Morehouse Farm. Miles is one of the rare breed of three-year-olds who LOVES to wear scarves and hats, and I just happened to have bright green (what else was I going to use it for?) and blue wool in my Goodwill-acquired stash. I cast on a couple of stitches, increased and decreased until I had my snake shape, and seamed it up the back. It showcases my totally wonky stockinette stitch.

ready and hable

2005-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

I have been a big fan of hable construction for a while and am so excited to see that they have some new (to me) stuff.

hable construction is the partnership of two sisters which makes them all the more appealing as it is my dream to be partners in craft with my sister one day.

And speaking of family, come see Mia's beautiful quilt made by my mom.

Q: what is it?

2005-02-06T10:53:00.000-08:00

baby bird chopsticks

2005-02-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

I love shopping with Mia because she always manages to find little cool things that I might miss on my own, like these Japanese kid's chopsticks with tiny baby birds on top (found at New Seasons). Too cute!

We've had a busy week, but I still managed to fit in some crafting. Some pictures of completed projects coming soon!

a month of softies: vintage catwalk

2005-01-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

Here's Rosie (or "Rose for short" named for her rosy cheeks by my daughter Mia).

About 10 inches tall, she's made from a felted brown wool sweater. Her striped legs and polka dot ears are from scraps left from the quilt that my mom made Mia. Her skirt is from some vintage kitty fabric that I found at a yard sale. I knit her up a fuzzy pink cardigan, and she's off for adventures with my kids!

This was my first constructed doll (with individual legs, arms, body and head) and I learned a lot! Her proportions are not totally what I intended, and I really struggled with her face as well. However, she is already well-loved and I had fun!

lil' felted maryjanes

2005-01-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

Just three inches long! I knit these in some Lamb's Pride Worsted that my mom gave me...felted up nice and fuzzy. It's my own super-simple pattern. They're off to North Carolina for our new little niece Claire.

launch

2005-01-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

So here it is, as promised, my craft-centric blog where I can share my creations and inspirations. I'll start with a preview of my entry for Loobylu's month of softies with the theme "vintage catwalk".

Here's the makings:

I should finish up this kitty tonight!

a wee bird told me...

2005-01-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

that pictures of some of my birds are up at wee wonderfuls, here and here

This was my coming out in the craft-blog world and the site's creator was oh-so-sweet. I am now going to scramble to get a cat done for Loobylu's month of softies.