made 2…

i made something else too. plus, you get to see my awkward selfies. this is my scoop top from this free pattern over here at skirt as top. my favorite thing about this shirt is that there is really nothing special about it at all. i always seem to have trouble finding really basic, well made shirts that don’t cling. this came together in under half an hour – i used a fabric that can be left raw at the edge, so there are no hems (i think hemming stretch knits can make them look really handmade, in a bad way, so i try to avoid it all together). i’m tall, so i lengthened the pattern by at least 4-5″.  i have to work on getting the necklines to lie flat, but this is a good start. another definite recommend!

made…

oh hi! so, i feel a little funny creating this post about some underwear i made for my kid. but i’m doing it anyway, i think because it may have less to do with underwear, and everything to do with the fact that i made something! i consider sewing my job (the best job), but it means that i don’t often take the time to make things that stay in our own home.

i know i could have gone out to any old place and bought underwear, but girl’s underthings are strange – they don’t ever seem to fit well and it’s hard to get away from those licenced characters we all love so much. plus, i’d rather spend an hour in front of my sewing machine than an hour at, um, any shopping place. anyway, i have lots of scrap knit fabric around (and i thrifted some pieces just for the prints), found this pattern (i am always happy to buy patterns, especially printable ones. i would much rather support someone who has already figured it out than take the frustrating time to do it myself), and gave it a try. i made a very big deal about these when they were done because i think they are amazing and want a whole bunch for myself. and they actually get worn! hugely satisfying.

these are so easy, no serger required – a definite recommend…

Umbrella Prints Trimmings…

Deer to the Party!

This photograph is my entry in the 2013 Umbrella Prints Trimmings Competition. I received this assortment of their lovely printed fabrics to create, well, whatever I liked. The hat, scarf, and polka dot garland in the background are all made from these fabrics – I loved creating something that was a little different for me, and the process of making this photo. I think the colors came together beautifully in the end. Here below is a close-up and a look into my hilarious-precarious photo shoot!

The competition is based on votes/repins over on Pinterest – so you can hop over to the competition board and vote for me (if you like!) and see the other entries beginning June 1st. Thanks!

for j…

my dear friend had a baby girl some months back – i was in the middle of making a million dolls before a show, but i needed to stop and make this blanket. sometimes after a baby is born i feel almost desperate to find a way of telling those people that i’ve been thinking of them non-stop.

i love this color combination and the purple polka dot back. thank goodness my mom helped me at the end when i got all confused, and suddenly poof! we had a blanket.

i can’t wait to meet you sweet j.

display shelves…

I’ve been loving these simple display shelves that have gone up in our house. just another one of the projects that i think we need, and make t help me with…(i looove you!). anyway, if you have trouble deciding where to hang things on a wall or don’t like the commitment, but still like the look of grouped artwork, this might be the thing for you too. actually, i think the whole reason t went along with this was because i am constantly changing things around in our house and he hates helping to hang something only to have me decide that i don’t like it a month later (oops!).

these shelves are simple and you probably won’t even need help, i’m just not so handy with the power tools. they are adapted from the plans here – and what’s nice is that you can choose any length and depth. the wood is cheap and easy to find at the hardware store. the two shelves above were originally for our living room – until we realized that there was electrical running right behind where i wanted to put them (probably good to have a stud finder for this job, by the way). i had t cut them in half and put them in this little corner of our bedroom.

happy building – and happy no-commitment art displays!

{art on these shelves by carole epp, artquirk, my brother when he was little, crystal klassen, my dear cousin megan, shauna buck, yuka yamaguchi, and my dear sisterinlaw susie}

newspaper…

{read the article here….can i just say it again? i love this town.}

wiksten, one…

i don’t have very many clothes. partly because each time i was pregnant i just gave away all my clothes thinking that i would never fit them or want to wear them ever again (gaining and losing a bunch of weight – baby related or not – probably will always do some strange damage to your closet, right?). i am good at getting rid of clothes – if it doesn’t fit me right now? gone. if the fabric is too clingy (especially around the middle…gack!) – gone. but the thing is, i really don’t like shopping for clothes…i mean, it’s a dreaded experience. so, it’s getting to the point where i really have nothing to wear.

i’ve had this theory for years that if i could just find my uniform (i loved having to wear a uniform in high school – you had about three choices in the morning, it was great) – then i would just buy whatever that was in several colors and be set. i’m just having trouble finding what that might be, and every time i do find something i like, it seems so cheaply made. anyway. i came across this pattern, which is sort of an ideal shirt for me. so i sewed one up, but didn’t realize until i tried it on when it was mostly done that the fabric i picked was sort of…scratchy. i’m not used to choosing fabric for clothes. so, since i have a thing for tunic-y type tops, i chopped off the sleeves, and dare say i might even like it better. this is a great pattern – really easy to follow (you know, the first time is always sort of painful, and then the second one you can whip up in an hour), plus you print it out yourself. i want to make ten versions of this…

around here…

little pots of paint, christmas crafting in the works

the last dolls make their way to the store before christmas (i might finally be on holidays!)

an elf and reindeer in one, golden jars of sticky honey in our tea and granola

re-potting plants is a messy business

knee high snow (my boots are still drying)

a found decoration that i made last christmas…

happy tuesday friends~

post-sale…

ooo0eee!

a crazy amount of work went into our sale this weekend. decorations, food, volunteers, organizing, and more organizing. on top of it, there was all the making we each did to stock our own tables. i had a great time, i loved seeing the crowds, and i always enjoy the little conversations i have with my customers – that said, i feel like i can breathe a little easier these days with not so much on my mind and to-do list. big thanks to my family who held down the fort so i could go-to-work this weekend…

here’s to the rest of december!!

last minute cute…

{cute stuff all packed up – come say hi tonight and tomorrow!}