My Gramma Said

A Nook (Case) of One's Own

2011-09-28T16:23:00.009-04:00

Only a few months ago, annoyed by all of the Interweb chatter that made it sound like everyone on the planet either had an e-reader or wanted one, I wrote an article about how I did not desire an e-reader. I waxed rhapsodic about all of the reasons they were inferior to books (no book smell, expensive, easy to damage, no tactile experience...you've heard it all before, from embittered, old-school English teachers like me). Then, over the summer, I downloaded the Kindle and the Nook apps for my iPod out of curiosity, to see what all of the fuss was about.

Lucky for me, my procrastinator tendencies worked in my favor this time, since I never did shop the article around for publication. I say "lucky" because, of course, as soon as I tried an e-reader, I knew I wanted one. Had that article been published, I would have had to eat crow. Or maybe even an entire vulture, since I really liked the apps.

After reading most of The Hunger Games during a screening of Rio with my kids, I was hooked (how can you not love something that helps you avoid watching yet another animated piece of kid-centric nonsense at the theater?). I played with both apps for a couple of months, researching which was "better" (a hard question to answer, since both devices have passionate supporters and equally passionate haters), and I decided in August that the Nook was probably the way to go for me. My husband bought me one for my birthday.

Nook, where have you been all my life?

I love that the Nook has a touch screen and not a separate keyboard. I love that Barnes and Noble still has physical, brick-and-mortar stores that can provide customer support if need be (bonus: you can read books for free in-store on your Nook, as well as be alerted to bookstore and coffee specials. Starbucks, how I have loved thee, too). I love that it's light. I love that I can borrow e-books from the library and read them on my Nook (which is true of the Kindle now, too, but only as of a few days ago). I love that there are lots of FREE books on it, and every Friday they have a Free Friday feature so I can download tons of free books by others I might not otherwise discover. I love everything about it.

But it didn't come with a case.

I was unwilling to spend $30+ on the poorly-made, cheap covers I saw in the stores. I knew, however, that I needed a case, since my Nook goes with me everywhere and is bound to get beat up in my bag. I also knew I had a hankering to go to Goodwill, since I hadn't been in a while. A woman knows what a woman knows. And I was not disappointed. No, I didn't find a Nook case. But what I found was better.

I found a mint-condition Mary Kay mirror case, complete with like-new mirror inside.

I knew K would love the makeup mirror, and the case itself looked to be exactly the right size for my Nook. I gave the mirror to an ever-grateful K and measured the case against my Nook.

Perfect! And it even has these little markings on the inside, which I didn't need to build my case, but make it look even more like it was meant to be my Nook cover.

The process itself was so simple - and, frankly, so satisfying, and I JUST WANTED MY NOOK CASE TO BE DONE - that I didn't take pictures. I just:

1. Added some cardboard, which I measured to fit the back panel.

2. Covered that cardboard with some spray adhesive and some non-slip rubberized shelf liner and added some elastic (about 3" pieces) to the corners with hot glue, to hold the Book in place (see photos). I glued that piece to the case with hot glue.

2. Had K cut out some shapes from felt, using the Sizzix machine, so the case would be all prettied up. I glued them on (later, I did go back and decoupage them, so they'd be sturdier on the case).

3. Added a simple pocket to the inside so I can jot down notes or book suggestions when I'm not in WiFi range. The pocket is made from a vintage sheet and an upcycled curtain and glued to the inside.

All done!

Chances are you won't find this exact same Mary Kay mirror case in your Goodwill, but the possibilities for what you can find are endless. There are cases and pouches of all kinds there that, with just a little tweaking, would make perfect cases for e-readers, tablets, phones, laptops...I feel like making cases for gadgets I don't even have, just because there's so much out there.

So who needs the overpriced, commercially-sold cases? I love this one. It's durable, it has a pocket I need (which none of the retail ones I saw had), it's upcycled, and it's all me.

Funeral for a Friend

2011-07-28T14:32:00.010-04:00

OK, "friend" may be overstating it somewhat, since we just met him this morning. "He" is the beautiful, blue-tailed lizard (gecko?) we found this morning. He was laying smack in the middle of the mauve-colored carpet that belongs to our friends, for whom we are house sitting/cat feeding. I'm thinking he was the victim of the bored-all-day cat and was a welcome plaything for lonely Charlie, who must have had fun with him.

When the kids saw him, they immediately scooped him up and brought his lifeless little body home.

They planned an impromptu funeral in the backyard. Completely their idea. They even made little headstones out of some of our beach collection. New Jersey comes through again. Who would have thought?
It was wonderful to see them getting along with one another for so long. They had a common mission. A goal. And they worked toward it. Preparations were remarkably complete. They thought about what they should use to line his grave (toilet paper, natch), where they should dig the hole (in the pile of mulch behind the shed), and what they could use to honor his gravesite (a snail shell won).

They even invited me outside so I could say a few words in honor of Mr. Lizrd, since they have never been to a funeral and didn't know what to say. It was a very somber occasion. They were very serious about it. I wasn't quite sure what to say, either, never having been to a lizard funeral myself. I just said he was a brave lizard, doing his job, protecting other creatures from dangerous bugs. And I asked God to accept him into heaven and keep him safe.

R.I.P. indeed, Mr. Lizard. You certainly brought peace into my house this afternoon, and for that, I am thankful.

A (sort-of) tutorial: Upcycled Madras Madness Sundress in 60 Minutes

2011-07-18T13:37:00.011-04:00

I love madras plaids. I love the feel of the fabric, I love the way they look rich and complex, I love the way they conjure up the unmistakable feel of summer vacations. I always picture a photo that might appear in one of my mother-in-law's Yankee or Country Living magazines, portraying sophisticated madras-clad adults merrily drinking wine as they watch their ridiculously well-behaved and ridiculously well-dressed children frolicking on the ridiculously well-kept lawn. I have never been to Nantucket, but in my jealously-laden fantasies, this is what it's like.

So when I saw a madras skirt at the Goodwill during our annual trip to New Jersey last week, I snatched it up, knowing it would become something summery and wonderful. I might never live a life of luxury, even in the summer, on Nantucket, but I can still wear madras.

It's a size large, and I thought I'd just cut into it to make something entirely different, maybe a pillow or a new skirt for K. After all, there's a lot of fabric there, and since it usually costs over $10 a yard at the fabric store, I knew I had scored big. But when I tried it on and pulled it up right under my arms, I realized that it would make a perfect dress - for ME! I've heard people say that sometimes fabric just tells the seamstress what it wants to be, but I never understood what that meant until now. This skirt was clearly begging to become my newest sundress. I wasn't going to disappoint.

When I got home, I put it on Audrey

This is, in fact, the first time I've used Audrey in constructing clothes. I love the way she looks in my sewing room and she makes me feel like an authentic seamstress, but I have to admit that even though I got her last summer to celebrate the new season of Project Runway, I have never actually fitted clothes with her. Until now. I used her for the whole project, and I have to say, it was wonderful to not have to try on the dress myself, mid-construction, with it full of pins, to get a good fit. I just trusted Audrey, and I was not disappointed in the final result.

I didn't take pictures of my process (I was anxious to get it done and didn't realize how much I've love it, so I wasn't planning on sharing it), but it was one of the simplest and most rewarding refashions I've completed; the whole dress was done in under an hour.

In a nutshell, this is what I did:

1. Made the straps from a scrap of heavyweight, yellow, upcycled cotton from my stash. I made 4-ply straps, much like I'd make bias tape, but I cut the fabric in straight strips instead of on the bias. Here's how I did it:

a. cut two 15" x 4" pieces
b. folded them in half the long way and ironed them
c. opened them up, and then folded in the raw edges to meet the fold and then ironed again
d. folded in the ends about 1/2" and ironed them
e. re-folded the entire strip to enclose all of the raw edges
f. topstitched all the way around

Viola! Straps! I used this same method to make the belt and the belt loops, too.

2. Sewed the straps to the top (formerly the waistband).
3. Decided where I wanted the waist to be and shirred three rows around the middle, just to give the dress more shape. My shirring started at about 11" down from the top and the rows were about 1/4" apart.
4. Made the belt loops and sewed them on, right on the sides, centered over the shirring. The belt loops are not absolutely necessary, but I think I'm just belt-impaired, since non-secured belts tend to slip and slide all over me, so belt loops make life less frustrating. Whatever it takes.
5. Made the belt.

It just so happened that the skirt was exactly the right length for my dress (36"), and the "waist" of the skirt was exactly the right width to fit around the top of my bust comfortably, so I didn't need to address those two areas at all. Even if I had to, though, it would have meant a simple hem at the bottom and/or a simple casing at the top for new elastic. I could have made it shorter, but the length means I can wear it even on occasions when I'd rather not have bare shoulders; I can just add a sweater or shrug and it will be just fine.

I think I have some other skirts in my refashion stash that I'm going to use for the same thing. This one, though, is perfect for right now. I think maybe I'll sip a cool beverage at sunset tonight so that before our simple, un-gourmet dinner, I can sit on the deck and watch my loveable-but-muddy-and-not-always-behaved kids wrestle each other in our unmowed back yard. That's summer. And it's perfect.

Blogging the Summer, Day 1: Crayon Tarts

2011-06-19T16:57:00.008-04:00

I'm not nesting, but lately I have been cleaning and organizing and straightening up the house like mad. Maybe I figure as long as I'm sweeping up so much white dog hair, I might as well go the distance and actually go through some of the stuff I've let pile up "until I have time."

Last night it was the dining room (or, as my husband calls it, "Your sewing room."). I'm always looking for ways to consolidate and get rid of useless supplies; last night, I came across a small bin of crayons that had to go. K loves art supplies and has a bunch of newer ones in her closet/art studio, so I knew she wouldn't miss these forlorn, broken crayons with the tattered wrappers. I can barely get J to stay still long enough for him to brush his own teeth, so it goes without saying that he couldn't care less what I do with a bucket of crayons.

I didn't want to throw them out, especially since we're so into recycling here, and I remembered an idea I had seen somewhere, sometime long ago: melt them down and make new crayons. Sounds like a plan.

I couldn't have guessed that J, of all people, would be so taken with this project. A kid who moves like the Flash and usually prefers electronic entertainment over all others actually sat down, peeled the wrappers off the old crayons, and went to town with our crayon tarts. He approached the entire project with gusto and even scoured the house for other old crayons when we were done, just to see if we could make more. It occupied us for a good hour and half. It was awesome to see him so into something like this.

Here's what we did:

1. Peel the crayons.
2. Break them up into small pieces that fit into mini muffin tins.
3. Bake at 250 degrees F for 15 minutes.
4. Cool for about 20 minutes in the freezer.

Our tarts, about halfway through baking. Don't let them bake too long, or all of the colors will blend together and you'll be left with cups of that dark green, grotesque green color you get when you're using watercolors and you wash out your bush in the same water over the over again.

Soon...presto! Crayon tarts.

We used mini muffin wrappers, which I happened to have here, so I could use my regular mini muffin tin and not have to throw it out when we were done. The wrappers make the outside edges a little more rugged and less smooth and pretty, but my kids like the way they look like rainbow versions of peanut butter cups, so it's all good. We had some leftover crayons after we made the mini versions, so J wanted to make some in bigger muffin cups.

I love how the back sides of these look like little world maps (pre-Continental Drift, perhaps?). J loved deciding what color pieces to put in which cup to make maximum color fun when they were done.

The big ones leaked into the actual muffin pan, which means I now I have a dedicated crayon/polymer clay/craft muffin pan, which is fine with me, since it was kind of yucky to begin with and now I have a valid reason for picking up another next time I'm at Goodwill. Win-win.

Packaged in a cute cello treat bag and tied with a ribbon and card from the kids, this is a perfect addition to our gift back for my niece when we see her next month.

Let the games begin!

2011-05-09T17:10:00.005-04:00

I'm participating in the Kids' Clothes Week Challenge over at Elsie Marley. The idea is to spend one hour sewing summer clothes for your kids every day this week. Easier said than done with a full-time job and two full-time kids, but I'm trying it out.

My first entry this week will not set the creative world on fire, but it is Monday and all...and the shirt is cute, even though I didn't have to sew any of it. It's a plain t-shirt embellished with a flowered peace symbol iron on. I love it, and K loves it, so win-win. The shirt is new, but this could just as easily have been done with an older shirt that just needs some sprucing up (just like I did last year here to cover up a stain on another shirt).

The iron on was only $3.99, full price, and with the 40%-off coupon it was a little more than half that. Well worth it, I think. Especially since K decided to wear several of her good t-shirts when she pained deck chairs with her dad a few weeks ago, so she was running pretty low on non-painted shirts. This certainly fits the bill. She wore it today with a pair of green capris (only a 7-year-old can get away with wearing a pair of lime green capris, I think).

I used these iron ons

which I really like. They're made with soy-based inks and they had lots of cute designs, which is what drew my eye to them.

Not too shabby for less than $7 and a few minutes of time. That's my kind of Monday project.

Adventures in Bias Taping

2011-04-21T18:37:00.010-04:00

I am participating in the Re-Purpose Along over on Greenstitch. I should have posted about it earlier, because the deadline is tomorrow (Earth Day), but I'm just getting my last item in tonight after our last day of school before Spring Break.

For my last item, I took a vintage sheet

and, using my new Clover bias tape maker, I turned it into gorgeous, multi-purpose bias tape:

I love the bias tape maker. I got the 1" one, which makes 1/2" double-fold bias tape. I will admit, however, that the bulk of the work comes not from folding and ironing the bias tape, anyway, but from cutting and sewing together the strips of bias fabric. This tool doesn't change that. But I love it, anyway. LOVE IT, I SAY! If it inspires me to make more bias tape, then it has done its job, I think. I don't have a specific use for this 164 inches yet, but I know I'll find lots of projects for it. I'm thinking I'll start with a skirt made from another upcycled sheet, and use this around the hem.

There are lots of bias-tape tutorials on the Internet, so I won't re-create the wheel. You can find a good one here from MADE, and a different technique here from the Quick Unpick.

As I was taking pictures on the deck, K could not wait to include two of her newest friends in the photo shoot:

Speaking of the deck, my husband recently re-stained the whole thing in a gorgeous, calming, retro-gray color and painted four Adirondack chairs to go with it:

I absolutely love it. It has transformed our deck from an extra, unloved space in our house into a space that is screaming with color. Added bonus: it's a great backdrop for photos. It's a wonderful place right now, before it gets to be 95 degrees and buggy out there.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief

2011-03-14T17:29:00.005-04:00

I am part of Artist Aid on Etsy. It's a group of artists who have banded together to offer goods for sale, with the proceeds to benefit different organizations helping Japan. I have one of my dresses up for sale

It's $38, and I'll give all of that to the Red Cross.

I keep watching the news and reading the updates. Part of me thinks, "What is my $38 going to do? How is that possibly going to help a woman who has lost her children and her husband, or the man who doesn't know if his kids are lying in the rubble of their school?" I don't know how it can. I don't know how the money will be used. But it's what I can do, from here, right now. If I can do more, I will. But for now, this is giving me the feeling that I'm not doing absolutely nothing but refreshing CNN.com every 10 minutes.

You can search almost any key word associated with the disaster - Japan, Artist Aid, tsunami, relief, earthquake - to find items for sale on Etsy to help Japan. If you can do a little bit, please consider it.

T-shirt Transformation #1

2011-02-28T17:11:00.006-05:00

My new blog header is a photo of all of my husband's worn baseball and football t-shirts he cleaned out of his dresser on Saturday. Judging by the logos on the shirts, you might surmise that he's from the New England area.

You'd be wrong.

He just loves the Red Sox; I feel obligated to point out that he's loved the Red Sox since he was 10 years old and he went to a Yankees game and bought his first Red Sox hat. So he's not a bandwaggoner, just someone who genuinely loves the team. Even so, he has a lot - a LOT - of Red Sox shirts, so imagine my genuine shock and gratitude when he handed them to me, solemnly, on Saturday, and asked, "Can you make me something out of these?"

I was a little choked up. There was my husband, Mr. Buy It New, asking me to upcycle something for him. Using his beloved baseball t-shirts. That's marital trust, in a big way.

So I made him something, and I'm making more of those somethings. I hope to post them into a tutorial soon. In the meantime, I made something for K, since, as I pointed out so gleefully yesterday, it is warm here, and she needs some spring pajamas. So one of the shirts there became this:

It's a simple nightgown, made just like the one I made a couple summers ago. In a nutshell, I used an existing nightgown for a guide and added a little bit of room all the way around, since my baby is getting bigger and taller. For this one, I also used a serger, since I now have one, but it's not necessary. I like the way the stitching around the outside reminds me of a baseball, though, so I'd probably do it again just for the look. And because I still love using my serger.

It's comfy, it's cozy, it's upcycled, and it's free (now...I don't know how much the shirt cost him originally, nor do I want to, I know). Plus, Daddy loves seeing his little girl wearing one of his beloved t-shirts. Everyone wins.

Dare I say it...spring is here!(?)

2011-02-27T14:41:00.005-05:00

I make no secret of the fact that I don't like winter. I am often reminded, by people who know me, that I grew up in Western New York, a place know worldwide for its brutal winters, biting cold, and massive amounts of snow. While it is true that I grew up there, it is also true that I don't live there anymore, and one of the reasons I have chosen to NOT live there is because I hate cold weather. I physically hate being cold, I know it affects my mood for the worse, and there's nothing nice about it. While appreciate the passing of the seasons, I am especially appreciative of the fact that winter does, indeed, pass (except for in The Day After Tomorrow...but that is a post for another day, perhaps when my chosen topic is "Cheesy Movies I Love.").

So it is with great enthusiasm that I declare, today, that SPRING IS HERE! Yes, I know the calendar indicates that the first day of spring is technically a few weeks away. I am also aware that other parts of the country are still experiencing what can only be described as winter weather, period. I'm sorry for that, I really am. But in the southeastern portion of the United States, we are experiencing a blissful mini heat wave. I hope I don't have to eat my words, as I remember seven years ago we experienced a massive winter storm right at the end of February, so I know we're not out of the woods yet. But today it is in the low 80s, the sun is bright, and the windows are open. Plus, the groundhog did tell us that spring would be right around the corner from the day he didn't see his shadow on February 2nd, and who am I to argue with a rodent who apparently is more into following the weather than I am?

Spring has sprung, ladies and gentlemen (do you think many gentlemen read this blog?) and for that, I am more grateful than you know.

Lately I have been more aware than usual of waste. Waste regarding money, waste regarding food, waste regarding actual garbage. I have been a pretty avid recycler for the past few years, but I'd say over the past two years I've become pretty passionate about it. The more I realize the impact our decisions have on our pocketbooks, the planet, and our children, the more I feel like it's my responsibility to do as much as I can about it. Today in the checkout line, I had a pretty meaningful conversation with the teenage cashier about the giant garbage pit currently floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. How, he wondered, could a cyclone of garbage the size of Texas get to be that big before anyone thought of doing anything about it?

I don't know.

I cannot, today, do much to rectify the situation with the garbage pit in the ocean. I can, however, do a little bit to make sure I don't add to it, and so I'm trying to do that. Baby steps, Bob.

I first heard about morsbags through the Greenstitch blog. Morsbags is a movement that aims to curb the world's rampant use of plastic grocery bags because of their harmful effects on the environment, specifically their effects on wildlife. Take a look at the site and I promise you'll look at your shopping bags in a new light. Inspired by the idea, this weekend I created the first two of what I hope will be many morsbags:

K will be taking these two to school tomorrow for her teachers. We're hoping to make it a bigger project involving other members of her class, since the pattern is simple and the goal is lofty. But we're committed to the project regardless of who is involved, so we'll be making more.

This one is bag number one, for Ms. Arshia:

And bag number two, younger than her sister by just a few minutes, is for Ms. Heather:

These are made from heavyweight fabric that I am often able to find for next to nothing at the thrift store. I love the bags themselves. The seams are strong and sturdy, and almost any fabric of any sort can be used, so they're a perfect project for upcycled fabric, remnants, stuff in your stash that's kind of ugly and won't be used for anything else, whatever. Plus, just making them has inspired me to remember my bags and not leave them in the car. I want to use my own bags. They're prettier, they feel good in my hand, and I know it's a good thing to not add to the number of plastic bags being used.

On our way back from running errands today, J became determined to count the number of discarded plastic bags he saw on the side of the road. So just on the way back from our errands, which was only a 12-mile trip, just one 8-year-old boy looking out just one car window on one side of the car found 104 bags. 104! In the bushes, up in trees, tangled among other garbage by the side of the road. Even I was surprised. I never noticed all of them before.

But it's amazing what you see once you're looking for it.

Favorite Things Friday: Podcasts

2011-01-14T19:07:00.002-05:00

I am not old. But every day - every day - I can't help but think about how technology has changed the world, radically, over the past five years. Five years!

It's easy to believe that we've always had the Internet, always had blogs, always had iTunes...but as I constantly tell my students, "back in the day" when I was in college, doing research meant going to the library (physically going there, trudging through the snow, paying for parking), checking out books, getting reading material off reserve (reserve? what's the Reserve Desk?), and actually reading the material, not on your time, but during the hours that the library was open, while you're at the library. Then, of course, there was citing the material, not using a plug-in source citation machine that you found online (because, remember, the Internet does not exist yet), but by looking at another book, finding an example of the material you needed to cite, and doing the labor. It was time-intensive. Along the same lines, sitting through a class meant sitting through a class, probably listening to a professor talk, maybe, once in a blue moon, watching a video to enrich the class discussion...

I am only 39.

Sigh.

Before I start going into a dark hole of How the World has Changed and Ways the World is Different and Why We're Going to Hell in a Handbasket (that one's for you, Gramma), let me talk about ways in which I love technology. One of my favorite pieces of technology to emerge over the past few years has been the podcast. I love me a good podcast. I love that information is out there, free, just for the taking, about any topic imaginable. What's even more amazing is that people take the time to write, record, and post their podcasts, which is often no easy feat. Still, they have enriched my life (and, by extension, my teaching) in amazing ways. Thank you, Podcasters of the World. Your efforts are not ignored.

Some of my favorite podcasts have become my companions as I drive to school in the mornings, which are currently very dark and very cold. Our new car has the capability of playing iPod selections through the car speakers, so I can just call up the podcasts and drive in peace for thirty minutes, all the while listening to a comforting voice talk about topics that interest me and keep my mind occupied. It is a luxury I do not take for granted.

My husband is always amazed that I listen to craft-themed podcasts. "How can you listen to someone talk about sewing?" he asks. "How much is there to say without you actually just seeing it or even doing it yourself?"

Gee, I don't know. How can you listen to someone talk about football on sports talk radio? Wouldn't you rather see a guy throw a football or, better yet, actually throw one with the guys? How entertaining can it be to just listen to someone talk about it? We all have our own thing. I cannot set up my sewing machine and sew while I'm driving to school, so the next best thing is to listen to a podcast about it. There isn't a (non-Sirius, at least) radio station totally devoted to crafting. There is no Craft Talk Radio (although I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it). But crafty podcasts? They're awesome.

Some of my current favorites, along with the links to their blogs and/or the podcast itself, so you can listen yourself. You don't need an iPod to listen; many of them stream right from their websites, and even for the ones that don't, iTunes is free. You can listen to it right on your computer.

1. Greenstitch. This podcast is Many of the Things I Adore, all rolled into one podcast. It's about sewing. It's about being eco-friendly. Anne is articulate, knowledgeable, and timely with her podcasts. I have learned about sewing, upcycling and recycling, all topics delivered in her soothing, calming voice. I look forward to her podcasts the way I look forward to having actual time at my sewing machine, which is saying a lot. I check for updates frequently.

2. Quilted Cupcake. You never knew a podcast about sewing and thrifting and quilting could be so entertaining, but it is.

3. CNN Student News. Surprise! This one is not a craft-related podcast. But if you can only listen to 10 minutes of news a day, make them these 10 minutes. Carl Azuz delivers the headlines in a way that even high schoolers love, which is no small task. He's a master of delivery, and you'll learn a lot. It's not dumbed-down; adults will get just as much out of this as students do. And I dare you not to laugh at his puns. Hats off to CNN for delivering this every day. You can download the video podcast every day from their website or directly from iTunes.

4. Craftypod. Anyone who delivers a podcast of this quality is a friend of mine. In-depth interviews, funny commentary...this one has it all. You'll learn a ton and have fun doing it.

5. Yarncraft. By Lion Brand Yarn. It's nice to know that other people have lots of Unfinished Objects, can take months to finish a project that is supposed to take "a few days," and have more ideas for crochet than they have time to actually tackle. Listening to this is like cozying up with my actual yarn basket.

If I had a podcast, my sign-off for each episode would be: When you can't actually craft yourself, the next best thing is to listen to someone else talk about doing it. That fits for listening to podcasts, too.

Love Note Pillows

2011-01-10T15:16:00.013-05:00

I did not plan on continuing my fascination with pillowmaking, but when inspiration calls, I try to listen. So...what do you get when you cross a snow day with a mom who is craving time to sew with two kids who are busy playing with neighbors outside in the winter wonderland?

How about Love Note Pillows?

I'm pretty sure I saw this project first (or one similar to it) in Amanda Blake Soule's Handmade Home book last spring. I don't own the book, but when I checked it out from the library I think I saw it in there. At the time, I had no need or desire to make the pillows. If I recall, hers were made from an upcycled wool blanket (like the banners I love) and were meant for families to leave little notes to each other in the pocket.

Until recently, my little people were not into leaving me notes. Suddenly, a few months ago, K, who loves to write, started writing notes to me and really wanted me to write her back. I remembered this project and knew it would be perfect for us.

Also, it gave me an opportunity to use the old, beautiful quilt that I procured from my gramma back when I was 12.

I used the quilt for years as a bedspread. It wasn't made by my gramma, but it belonged to her, and it brought me great comfort after she died. She was a big part of our lives; when she was gone, I really felt adrift, like one of the few normal adults in my life, and certainly the one who was my anchor, had left. The quilt was made by one of her sisters. I'm pretty sure it was made from pieces of other projects and scraps of "upcycled" fabric, way before upcycling was fashionable or even had a name. I love to think about where all of that fabric came from. Plus, I'm fairly certain that the entire quilt was sewn by hand, since I don't remember seeing a sewing machine in my great aunt's home during any of my visits. How long it must have taken to make this!

Unfortunately, until fairly recently I knew very little about caring for and preserving a quilt, so I just used to wash it with the normal clothes loads. As a result, it became threadbare and sorry-looking after many years, way beyond the help of even the most skilled quilt restorer. So it sat in our linen closet for the past several years, until I got the idea to use it for my Love Note Pillows.

I made a heart template from the newspaper (how fitting that it featured an article about how we were going to experience a pretty bitter cold spell...). Then I took the quilt, two pieces of ribbon, and a scrap of an upcycled sheet from my scrap basket:

My husband was surprised that I cut up the quilt, since he knows how much I love it, but I really had no qualms about it. It was either cut it up and make it into something else, or fold it up and put it into storage. It was an easy decision. Plus, I'm pretty fearless regarding taking scissors to things. I will cut up and re-do almost anything. The dogs better watch out if their hair gets too scraggly.

I simply made a pocket from the sheet scrap, sewed it on the front of one of the hearts, then sewed the hearts together, making sure I caught two pieces of ribbon at the top so I could hang it. I stuffed it, sewed the opening up with a whipstitch, and now they're ready to go:

The quilt was already pretty shabby-looking (in a good way!), so any imperfections in my whipstitching look like they're just part of the quilt.

Now one of these is hanging on my daughter's doorknob, and one is on my bedpost, waiting for the pocket to be filled with a note. I get to see K's writing every day, tell her how much I adore her, and look at this beautiful quilt, which is so important to me in so many ways. I love that it has been recycled into something to be filled with love; it won't sit in a dark linen closet for the next several years. It has a new life, in more ways than one.

Even J wants one of his own, which I'll get to tonight. When your 8-year-old son tells you he wants a special pillow so he can write you notes, you don't procrastinate. I've been told that he will grow up all too quickly. And if he wants his mom to make him a Love Note Pillow right now so he can tell her how much he loves her...I'm going to do it.

More Upcycled Pillow Power

2011-01-08T16:06:00.008-05:00

A thrift store near us sells fabric by the bag - the bag! - for $3.98. It's a giant bag, the size of a trash bag, packed with all sorts of goodness. Besides the fact that I love creating with recycled materials, it is a beautiful treasure hunt to go through those bags. I have found yards and yards of gorgeous cotton prints, half-finished fabric projects, quilt tops, curtains...everything. It's amazing. In one bag, there was a giant piece (3 yards? maybe more) of blue felt. Perfect for a project that required a lot of felt, so I didn't have to buy multiples of the small rectangles they sell at the craft store.

Last Sunday, my daughter spent time doing this for me

She cut dozens of felt scallops for me on the BigKick machine, which I got for Christmas, and which I adore. It makes cutting out shapes so much easier, since it cuts felt and fabric and even, according to the directions, thin sheet metal (which I have not tried). We used the scallope die. Anyhoo, she cut me a nice big pile

which I love seeing in a stack, too

I cut each felt scallop in half and pinned them in circles around a square of felt that was exactly the same size (14") as my Ikea pillow insert. I made a few rows of petals that way. For the center, I made some small buds with the same scallops (see this post from honeyscrap for a better description of that process) and hand-sewed 3 of them to the center. Then I finished my envelope pillow (see this post from Sparkle Power! for a great tutorial on how to do that) and PRESTO

You can't even tell this photo was taken in our cold, blustery backyard just this afternoon, as we await a winter storm and it is downright frigid and it is windier than I have seen it here in quite some time.

Good thing I have my cozy flower pillows to get me through the winter blast that's coming. What's that? You say spring is on the way? I'm good with that.

These are a few of my favorite things...

2011-01-07T19:09:00.004-05:00

I know this post won't generate nearly as much excitement as when Oprah does her Favorite Things show. I am not giving away cars. People won't pass out or get free piles of stuff. Nobody will become a bestselling author if I endorse her book on here. But there are a few things - blogs, in particular - that make me happy lately, and I want to make a list.

I used to make a Gratitude List every day; I would list at least five things for which I was grateful on that day. It really helped me through some dark times, and the simple exercise of writing down something positive really seemed to lift my spirits. I'm not necessarily doing this for that reason, but it can't hurt. Here, in no particular order, are my picks for Favorite Five Friday (theme: BLOGS):

1. Honeyscrap Crafts. Ever since I found this blog a couple of weeks ago, I check it every day. I don't just check it; I look forward to snuggling into bed, slathered in Vicks (ah, memories of my Gramma), and cozying up to this blog. I started reading it for the crafts (which are awesome - inexpensive, well-made, and well-explained) and ended up reading further for so much more. Plus, it's literally well-written. I don't mean to sound like a total grammar snob, but I am an English teacher, so it is important to me that the stuff I read not be so full of errors that it's distracting. Honeyscrap Crafts is good stuff.

I love Sparkle Power! for many of the same reasons I like Honeyscrap Crafts. Just read Sparkle Power! and you'll see what I mean. I think it's honest and simple and forthright. I love that.

MADE is the kind of craft blog to which we all aspire: incredible photography, great writing, and awesome projects. It makes me want to be a better craftsperson. Plus, Dana is funny and sincere, and I never feel like she's pretending to be someone she's not. She's the Real Deal.

4. New Dress A Day. The concept is amazing: the author refashioned a different dress every day for 365 days (only spending $365!), much in the same fashion that Julie cooked every recipe from Julia Childs' cookbook in Julie & Julia. The 365 days are over, but she is still going strong, and I can't wait to see where else this blog goes. Her dedication is amazing. Every day for 365 days she refashioned, photographed, detailed, and wrote about a garment she refashioned. She offers tutorials and instructions for a huge number of them. It puts part-time crafters to shame.

5. Crafterhours. The projects are great, but the writing is so sharp and funny that it's the real reason I read it. The fact that she's often writing about sewing is just an added bonus.

There's my Must List. That's how I spend most of my time on the Interwebs, looking at something from one of these blogs (or something they've linked to). Now if you'll excuse me, there's a tub of Vapo Rub upstairs with my name on it, and it's calling to me.

Green, in every way

2011-01-05T19:04:00.010-05:00

Inspired by this post on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, I knew I wanted to make myself a sweatshirt skirt right away. After school, the first thing I want to do when I get home is change into comfy, warm clothes. A skirt made from a sweatshirt is exactly the thing. Plus, since the knit jersey of a sweatshirt won't fray, I knew it would be relatively simple to sew.

I also knew one of my favorite thrift stores would be having a 50% off sale on New Year's Day, so I waited until then to pick up this little number:

I love that it's literally green, and that I'd be refashioning it into a new garment, so it would be ironic and perfectly fitting that it would also be eco-friendly, too. Plus, it had that adorable M&Ms applique on the front:

I didn't take pictures of my process, but here's what I did, in a nutshell:

1. Cut four equal-size trapezoid shapes (thank you, 2nd-grade math) from the sweatshirt. I used the front, the back, and each arm to get my four pieces. The top of each trapezoid was my waist size, divided by four. I did not leave any extra for ease or seam allowance, since this is a knit and I knew it would stretch, which it did. I even had extra room when I was done, which is why I added a drawstring later. The bottom of each trapezoid was about 2" wider than the top.

2. Serged the four trapezoid pieces together, into a circle. I heart you, serger.

3. Took what used to be the waistband, cut it to the size of the top of the skirt, and serged it on (again, let's hear some serger love). The waistband is still a double-thickness, which is important for the next step. It needs to be a tube.

4. Took some scraps and sewed them together to make a drawstring, about 36" long. Stretched it out and threaded it through that "waistband" casing at the top. I cut two small slits in the front of the skirt so the waistband could come out each side and I could tie it into a bow.

5. Cut the skirt to the length I wanted, and serged the bottom edge (have I mentioned how much I love that machine?).

5. Paired it with the leggings that I also got for 50% off (so I paid 50 cents for them), and here you go:

The whole process took a little over an hour, and I was so inspired to do it that I completed it the very day I bought the sweatshirt. I know I'll get a lot of wear out of it. I bet I'll even make a more lightweight one for the summer, to wear without leggings. But it will be hard to top Miss Green.

Tutorial: Flowers in Winter

2010-12-30T15:29:00.024-05:00

I have always been prone to the after-Christmas blahs. This year, they seem to be setting in earlier than usual. I know it's not even New Year's Eve yet, but I'm already a little bummed about our schedule returning to the hectic pace of school, activities, and work in a few days. Plus, it's cold. Really cold. Have I mentioned how cold it is? The cold weather really affects my mood, I think. Not the dark, which I kind of like, but the cold. Brrrr!

I need something to remind me of being warm, to get me excited about the prospect of spring (which arrives here pretty quickly - March, at the latest). What says SPRING more than FLOWERS? And what says COZY more than PILLOWS? So I combined the best of both worlds (you go, Hannah Montana!), the lingering winter when I need to be cozy and the upcoming spring when I'm looking forward to seeing flowers, and made something to tide me over.

I was inspired by these kinds of pillows:

The last two photos above are from Pier 1, where I haven't been in years (four little hands + lots of fragile stuff = NO!) but where we were the other day to look at their Christmas ornaments. These can easily be made from almost any fabric, including upcycled goodness or stuff in your stash. My white rose, on the left in my picture, is made from fleece that came from a giant thrifted bag of fabric we scored last spring (bonus: fabric stores are running sales on fleece lately, practically giving it away, so you'll be able to find some on the cheap). The carnation, on the right, is made from more thrifted fabric from that bag - I'm pretty sure it's the sheer fabric that filmy curtains are made of (you know - the kind of curtains that people without small kids and hyperactive dogs have, the kind of curtains that puddle gently on the floor and let soft light filter into the room, the kind of curtains that people probably have time to wash regularly. But I digress). I bet you could even use regular old cotton, or jersey, or even a t-shirt of two - whatever you have, use it!

Materials Needed:

fabric of your choice (see above)
2 12"-round circles for the pillow base and backing (again, another perfect use for upcycled fabric). I used cotton curtains. You could even use the same material you're using to make your petals, which would result in an even cleaner finish, so if you have enough of it to make 2 12" circles, go for it!
pillow stuffing (I was so eager to finish the project that I ALMOST took apart one of our gently-used bed pillows to finish stuffing the carnation when I ran out of new Poly Fil last night, but I held back and made myself wait until I could get to the fabric store to get some more pillow stuffing. My husband would thank me, if he knew)
coordinating thread
sewing machine and serger (the serger is not absolutely necessary, but I love the way it finishes the edges on the carnation)

Time required: 1-2 hours

The tutorial is written for the carnation pillow on the right, and the pictures are from that process; however, after each step, I've indicated how you would alter the instructions if you've chosen to make a fleece rose (which I hope you will...why not make an entire pillow bouquet?)

What to do:

Step 1:

Cut your fabric into 3"-wide strips. Depending on the width of your fabric, you'll have to cut several to total about 72" when all is said and done. You'll be piecing them together to make one long, continuous strip, so sew the short ends together on your machine or serger . I cut 3 strips of sheer fabric to make a strip totaling 72" when I was done sewing them together.

For the fleece rose: same as above, but you only have to make your strips 2" wide. Fleece won't fray, so there's no need to serge it or to leave fabric for that purpose.

Step 2:

Serge all four edges of your long strip. I usually keep four neutral-light colors on my serger because I hate re-threading it, but whatever colors you have in your serger at the time are fine. In fact, I think brighter, contrasting colors would look awesome on the edges and would add dimension to your flower.

When you're done, you'll have one long serged strip and pile of serged remnants (which you don't need at all, but which I love - just seeing it makes me feel productive).

For the fleece rose: no serging necessary. Carry on and be happy that you get to skip a step!

Step 3:
Fold your whole strip in half lengthwise, and iron it. If your fabric is sheer, like mine was, use a low setting your iron so you don't melt the fabric and/or ruin your iron.

Don't forget, your strip is pretty long, so it might take a while. But it's worth it!

For the fleece rose: no ironing necessary. Are you happy again that you chose the rose instead of the carnation?

Step 4:
My favorite part: ruffle! Open up your ironed strip. On your sewing machine, set your stitch length to the longest setting and your tension to the highest setting, and sew a line right down the center crease of your strip. If your fabric is sheer, watch it ruffle up quickly! When you're done, your fabric strip will be significantly smaller than it was - it will probably decrease in length by 1/2 to 2/3.

For the fleece rose: You also get to ruffle! Follow the same directions, but sew your stitch close to one edge, not down the middle. You won't see a lot of ruffling because the fleece is so thick, but it will be just enough to give your pillows some dimension.

Step 5:

Cut two 11" circles out of your fabric. I used dinner plates (yep, they're Mary Engelbreit, and I love them). One circle will be the base onto which you sew your ruffles, and one will be the back of your pillow.

For the fleece rose: Also cut two 11" circles.

Step 6:
Pin your ruffles in a concentric circle on your fabric, following that stitching line right down the middle pf the ruffle. Whether you start in the middle and work out or start on the outside and work in is up to you. Just be sure that each layer overlaps enough that you don't see the fabric circle underneath. Also, make sure your strip doesn't twist. All of the pinning will be worth it!

For the fleece rose: The same. But you'll pin close to the edge of your strip, right where you sewed your ruffling stitches, not in the middle of your strip.

Step 7:

Sew down your ruffles! This was, by far, the most time-consuming step, because there are SO many ruffles it's easy to lose your place, or have something twist, or have ruffles get jammed under your presser foot. If it's easier to NOT pin down all of your ruffles at once, it might be better to pin several inches at a time, sew, pin again, and sew. Regardless of how you do it, just take your time. I started on the outside and worked my way in. Just make sure you're not sewing down the frilly ruffles on your previous layer. Try not to sew your finger and get blood all over your sister's belated Christmas gift, either, and if you do bleed on it, make sure the ruffles cover up the blood spots. That's just sound sewing advice.

For the fleece rose: The same. Sew in a line over your ruffling stitches, so your "petal" edges are free to stand up.

Step 8:

Put your finished ruffle piece on your other 11" circle, right sides together. Sew around the edges, close to the last row of ruffles but not sewing down any of the ruffles into your seam. Leave a 2" opening, and turn it right side out. Stuff it, and sew the opening closed with a hand needle.

For the fleece rose: The same.

That's all! Now snuggle up with your new creations and dream of spring. It's almost here.

Holiday Surprises

2010-11-27T08:54:00.005-05:00

Sometimes when I upload pictures from the camera, I'm surprised by what's on there. There may be pictures I forgot I took. Before I began to upload pictures fairly frequently, sometimes weeks or even a couple months might go by before I attached the camera to the computer (yes, I constantly felt guilty, worried that I would lose the camera or that it would break before I had the opportunity to get the precious pictures of my children safely onto my frequently-backed-up hard drive). But sometimes, especially now that the kids are old enough to pick up the camera and take pictures of random things, I upload a picture like this one:

I cannot make out what this is. I'm assuming that J took it on Thursday, sometime while I was slaving away in the kitchen and he was watching football with his dad in the living room. What are those weird graphics at the bottom of the screen? Are they part of the ever-distracting graphics displayed by networks during every single program? Did he manage to capture a photo right at the exact second when the network was switching from a tv show to a commercial?

Let the Season of Perpetual Surprises begin.

The Awesomeness that is the day after Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T09:54:00.008-05:00

I have always loved the day after Thanksgiving.

LOVE it.

I am not a Black Friday shopper. I don't storm the mall at midnight. I don't plan on doing much holiday shopping at all; in fact, the little that I do will be done in locally-owned, small stores, to the largest extent possible. I saw some of the commercials last night for American Express, which is making a big push for local shopping tomorrow, and I plan on participating. I will also look online, shop local on Etsy, and do as much mail-order shopping as possible (you go, USPS!). So my day-after-Thanksgiving thing is not because of shopping. I just love being home. It's where I need to be on this day.

There's nothing monumental going on. It's not a big day. Today we're getting out Christmas decorations and watching Michael Jackson videos. We might rent a movie. I don't even know if we'll get in the car. Maybe I'll do a little sewing. Tonight we'll put up our tree (an artificial, pre-lit one, which I absolutely love, in every way I can love a tree. More on that another day).

Speaking of sewing, I completed a pretty quick refashion on Wednesday night. I'm sure lots of other people were peeling potatoes and making stuffing and preparing turkey, but I had a project that wouldn't leave my mind, thanks to the Greenstitch podcast, and I had to get it done. There was no point in trying to concentrate on food when an upcycled sewing project was beckoning.

Before:

Two years ago, a co-worker gave me several giant bags of her gently-used clothes. Many of them I wear as is - they're from Ann Taylor and other places too pricey for my budget. And, ironically, even two years ago I was not refashioning or cutting up clothes like I am now. My, how a couple of years can change things. Anyhoo, this dress is cute as is, but it's a lot longer than I would normally wear. I had just planned on chopping it off at the bottom, hemming it, and wearing it as a summer dress (which was clearly not a priority, since, like I said, she gave this to me over two years ago, and it's been in my closet ever since). But then I saw a project for the ruffle scarf at Greenstitch, which reminded me of Dana's tutorial several months ago on MADE, which made me feel like I was receiving a sign to make the project. So I did. Can't ignore a sign.

Now it's this:

(Picture courtesy of an enthusiastic 8-year-old who does not have the patience for auto focus to work).

Here's a close-up of the scarf:

The dress is 100% rayon, so it was the perfect lightweight material for the scarf. I did not do anything with the edges besides serge them, because of lazy (but, bonus, I think it makes it more lightweight and bouncy with no hem, and I like the deconstructed look in nearly everything, so win-win). I am often cold, year round, so this scarf is perfect. I wore it all day yesterday.

After chopping off the bottom of the dress to make the scarf, the original garment was too short to hem into a shorter dress, so now it's a tunic shirt, which I love. Today I'm wearing it layered over a white shirt, since it's cool, but it will be nice in the summer with a denim skirt. Two refashioned items from one original (which was free). That's a good return.

Now I have a whole day ahead of me of...doing nothing. At all. I am beyond excited.

A Banner Day

2010-10-30T15:33:00.009-04:00

Over the summer, Kate's Primary teacher called with a request. For an end-of-year gift last school year, I made her a PEACE banner from fabric scraps and pieces of an upcycled wool blanket. Of course, I finished it the night before we were going to give it to her, so I didn't take pictures. But I knew it went with the whole philosophy of her school, since it was recycled, simple, and promoted peace. I loved it. Kate said her teacher loved it and actually screamed when she opened it, and she hung it up right away.

So I was thrilled when she called over the summer and wanted to know if I could make her another one. This time, she wanted to know if I could make one that read "The Children's House" so they could hang it in the entryway to the Primary hall in her school. Of course I could! This is what I made:

The design and styling were totally up to me, and I added a tree at one end and a house at the other. It now hangs in a prominent place in her school; Kate sees it every day as she walks down the hall to her own classroom. I know it makes her feel good to know it was made in our dining room. She even told one of her friends, "My mom and I made that." Unfortunately, she said her friend just looked at her blankly and said nothing, so I don't know what she thought....I prefer to think her friend's thought was, "Wow! That is so amazing that I am not sure what you mean when you say you and your mom made it. Is such a thing possible? Are you also saying that you can make ponies and rainbows and butterflies from scratch on your dining room table, too?"

Anyhoo, I loved it so much, and I had so much of the blanket left over, that I made a similar one for our own living room a couple weeks ago:

I absolutely love the way the banners make something ordinary look festive and special. And I adore the way they can easily be made from upcycled and recycled materials.

Last night, I made a traditional collegiate-style banner using stuff from the scrap basket:

The "ribbon" is a piece of a sheet; I cut it about 3" wide and folded it like bias tape to enclose the flags, which are pieces from other sheets or my scraps from other projects. The back of each flag is a piece of upcycled white fabric that came in a giant bag we got from a thrift store in the spring.

I'll make a Christmas one for our house. The simple, uncluttered design of it is soothing to me. I want to say CHRISTMAS without being gaudy or overdone or glam. Like Kate said today, the best part of holidays is spending time together. I want a flag that reflects that.

An embarrassment of riches

2010-10-29T15:38:00.006-04:00

We've had a great day. There's no school for me or the kids today. We had a couple of parent/teacher conferences (I was the parent, not the teacher), and all is well. We made it to two different thrift stores, and both outings were massive successes. At the first, I picked up two pillowcases, two (brand new) Vera Bradley make up bags, and some sort of car racing, spring-loaded contraption that Joseph had his eye on. All for less than $5, total. I was feeling good. But then we went to the next store, killing a little time between conferences, and we spotted this:

What could be in the box? Someone's old bills? A severed head? It is, after all, almost Halloween, so anything seemed possible.

But it was even better.

I opened the box and discovered this:

Can you tell yet what it is? How about now?

Yep. It's a file box of over 60 (61, to be exact) vintage sewing patterns ranging from 1955 to 1990.

But it gets better.

ALL of the patterns are exactly my size. Every single one.

But it gets better.

The tag on the box said, "ALL IN BOX, $2.00."

Really? REALLY? I took it to the register to be sure. Just to make sure I was reading it right. The woman at the register said, "I think that's what it says, and that's what I'm going with." And to top it all off, I got a free Baby Ruth candy bar with my purchase, since it's almost Halloween.

So I got an entire box of vintage sewing patterns, all complete, all in my size, for only $2.00. And a candy bar, which I really appreciated, since I skipped breakfast. Plus, there's the bonus file box, which might come in handy for the bills I'm trying to organize. But that's neither here nor there right now. What's important here is my enormous, gigantic, fortuitous box of sewing patterns. Some of them have notations, in someone's actual handwriting, that say, "Pants fit great" or "Really uses 2 yards." The styles start out younger-looking with the styles from the 1960s and 1970s; as the patterns go through the 1980s, they look more like career wear, with more jackets and skirts and styles an older woman might wear. I feel like I've been given the opportunity to leaf through someone's whole life, via her sewing pattern catalog. What a privilege.

What a great afternoon.

Something new from something old: Mom & Me Circle Skirts

2010-10-09T16:53:00.006-04:00

It's a balmy 80+ degrees here today. We went house hunting (!) for a new place in an old, old section of town, closer to the kids' schools and my husband's job. We stocked up on organic food at Costco. And, in continuing my love affair with the circle skirt tutorial over at MADE, I made matching Mommy and Me skirts for me and K, using a sheet I bought at Goodwill just yesterday.

Sigh. It has been a good day.

K and I have never had matching outfits. Ever. As similar as we are in so many ways, we've never done it. Until today.

We twirled

And laughed
And created something new from something old.

Yep. It was a good day.

Folks Just Called Her "Yellow"

2010-10-01T20:10:00.008-04:00

(It's true...although I know you'd never guess it from outward appearances, I am a closet Kenny Rogers fan. In a big way. Thanks for the inspiration for the title of this post, Kenny)

If you've not yet checked out MADE, please do yourself a favor and do so, ASAP. It's a treat for all of your senses, with awesome photography, inspiring projects, and, most importantly for me, honest and detailed and humorous (but not snarky and sarcastic) writing that never fails to impress me.

Dana's latest tutorial is for this circle skirt, which, true to her word, I whipped up in no time - in between last night's bedtime chores and planning for J's 8th birthday today and (kind of) cleaning up the kitchen, in fact. Mine is made from a vintage sheet which, completely coincidentally, is in YELLOW, which just happens to be the very color being celebrated over at MADE.

In fact, this whole project was fortuitous, in every way:

1. I have a quickly-growing pile of vintage sheets on my shelves, and since this project takes a good bit of fabric, the sheets were perfect. I love looking at those sheets, but I love working with them - and wearing them - even more.

2. Dana also provides a great tutorial for dyeing elastic...it provided the opportunity for one of those "Duh! I can't believe you didn't think of this yourself, Michelle!" moments for me, but in a good way. I've been looking for wide (2" - 3") elastic in any color OTHER than white or black for months, and it never once occurred to me to dye my own, even when I absolutely could not find any other colors, even though I have used fabric dye for many other projects in the past. I wanted to make a gathered skirt with exposed elastic for quite a while, but my lack of elastic options was holding me back...well, that and my lack of motivation, and the fact that I don't have enough time to complete the hundreds of projects floating around in my head, and the fact that I promised to make two dresses for K's school auction last week, and the fact that the bathroom needs to be scrubbed. But I digress. Dyed elastic, you've opened up a whole new world for me. I thank you. My grungy bathroom, not so much.

3. I happened to have 2" wide white elastic, right here at the house, which meant I didn't have to go out to the fabric store (always a good thing, according to my husband). I also happened to have just one package of RIT dye in...you guessed it, yellow.

4. I made a skirt like this last fall for K, based on a project I saw on Stylelicious (you are sorely missed, HGTV favorite) a couple of years ago. I made a wrap-around, reversible version, which I really liked, but I wanted to simplify the project before I made another. Lo and behold, I came across the exposed-elastic tutorial, and I knew it was meant to be.

I am in love with it. Love, I say! I plan to make a couple more this weekend. I love the swing of it, the fact that I can use vintage sheets (or any upcycled, lightweight fabric) to make it, the retro look...everything. We're driving right past the fabric store tomorrow, which means I can pick up more elastic and more dye, too.

Some things are just meant to be.

It's still summer (and saying otherwise will make me not want to buy your brand of notebook when the time comes)

2010-08-08T17:08:00.007-04:00

I have been avoiding like the plague sales entitled Back to School. I have a week and a half before I go back to school, and my kids have two and a half weeks. I am not yet ready to even think about getting up when it's dark outside, packing lunches, making sure homework is done, and all of the other things that go along with the start of school. When I was a student, I used to absolutely love the start of school; I vividly remember all of the smells (new pencils, waxed floors, minty paste) and feelings (cool fall weather, anticipation in my stomach). I have always loved the routine that goes with school, and by the time the day rolls around, I'm ready for summer's carefree we-can-do-whatever-we-want days to come to an end. But I'm not ready for that until the school year actually gets here. Don't try to sell me on it in early August, when it's still hot outside and we still have some time left to be lazy. Don't rob me of that time.

One thing I've done, ironically, during all of this "lazy" time is to create the outfit that K will be wearing on the first day of school. She'll be wearing this camisole (which won last month's Carefree Clothes for Girls Sew Along - thank you!) as well as this skirt:

I made it all from repurposed materials. The main fabric, a pink and white gingham, started out as this dress, from my favorite antique store:

It was $2. It has no tags in it, so it's obviously handmade, and it has (had) a giant yellowish stain all the way up the back, which is why it only cost $2. I tried everything I knew how to get out the stain, including washing it with eco-friendly detergent in our front loader and letting the sun try to work its natural bleaching magic by hanging outside, but nothing worked. Still, I was determined to use it somehow, since someone put time into making this dress in a time long ago and I did not want her hard work to come to an end in 2010.

I cut it off at the waist, cut off the stained part of the skirt, and re-sewed the edges to form another tube. Then I just formed a casing in the top and inserted elastic. The trim at the bottom is a gorgeous two-layer trim (cotton and lace) that was part of a huge bag of textiles I bought at the thrift store last spring. It adds a nice little weight to the bottom of the skirt (and some length, which means K can wear this skirt for at least two more years). It's perfect!

She'll wear it with a cute pair of rose-embroidered knee highs I found at a kids' consignment shop this past weekend. I love that the whole outfit is girly and cute, but not matchy-matchy at all. I can't believe her back-to-school ensemble is already complete. It was, I must confess, a complete accident on my part, as I was just so excited to sew each piece that it never occurred to me that I was sewing her First Day Outfit. Still, I'm going to pat myself on the back for a job completed well ahead of deadline.

Tutorial: Lighter Than Air Peasant Top

2010-07-30T17:05:00.033-04:00

It's still really warm here. It is, after all, early August in North Carolina, and I'm not complaining; if I wanted cool weather, I'd live in a different part of the country. But my mind has been wandering more frequently to the quickly-approaching end of summer, when I'll go back to school and will have to wear more subdued, school-appropriate clothing, and fewer strappy dresses and summery frocks. Determined, however, that "professional" doesn't have to mean "boring," I wanted to come up with something that I could wear now (when it's hot and I'm more casual) and then (when it's cooler and I have to look more..with-it). So I came up with The Lighter Than Air Peasant Top.

It's made from an upcycled t-shirt, so it's cheap, eco-friendly, and comfortable. Plus, the options are endless, which means you can make it all yours. Here's how you do it!

Materials Needed:

upcycled man's t-shirt (I used a size L)
1/4" elastic, in a length to be determined (I used about 29", which let the top have a gather of about 1/2 of the original shirt size when all was said and done)
safety pin
coordinating thread
sewing machine

Time required: 1-2 hours

Just like with the Heat Wave Halter, I've given instructions for optional or alternative steps, so you can pick and choose to make the kind of shirt that's ideal for you, based on your preferences and the amount of time you have to spend on the project.

What to do:

Step 1:
Start with a t-shirt that's about 2 sizes too big for you.

Tip: This would even work with a printed t-shirt, so it's a great project to give new life to one of your husband's old tees...as long as you love it and it's not really gross from yard work and other Manly Responsibilities, as most of my husband's are. If you don't have a shirt big enough to use, it's time to hit the thrift store, where the selection is huge. Huge. A long-sleeved shirt would make a great alternative for cooler, winter weather; you could make 3/4-length sleeves.

Step 2:

With chalk (you can kind of see the light-purple chalk line in the picture above), draw a chalk arc right below the neck of your shirt, extending about 2"-3" down on the shoulder on each side. Cut off this top part.

Step 3:
Cut off the edges of the sleeves, right inside of the existing stitching lines. Do the same thing on the bottom hem of the shirt, being sure that you DON'T cut into the stitching, especially on the bottom tube. Set these aside, as you'll use them later.

When you're through with these steps, your shirt will look like this:

Step 4:
Cut a vertical 3-inch slit at the top of the neckline of your shirt. We'll work more on this later.

Step 5:

This next step is fun. It's magic, like shirring ;-). On the hem, sleeves, and collar, which are all cut, raw edges now after you sliced them off, you're going to make them into lettuce edges. Basically you're going to make them a little ruffly and finish them at the same time. So set your machine for a normal zig zag stitch, normal stitch length and width with regular tension, stretch the fabric gently as you feed it through the machine. When the needle comes down on the left, it will land on the fabric, and when it comes down on the right, it will land just off of the fabric. Do this on all of those edges. When you're done, the edges will be a little ruffly (bonus: when you wash your shirt, those edges will be less likely to roll). Be sure not to sew over that slit in the front. We want that little gap for later.

Step 6:

Take what was once the waistband, which you cut off earlier. Cut open the loop, so it is now one long piece of fabric (but don't cut through those existing stitches that actually make it a long tube of fabric). Iron it so that the raw edge (the edge that you cut) is on the bottom, and you have a smooth tube on top. It's hard to see in the picture, but basically you'll have a smooth casing, with the sewn/cut edge ironed on the bottom.

Step 7:
Stretch this tube gently so that it fits all the way around the neckline of your shirt, and pin it down on the outside of the shirt, about 1/2" from your newly-ruffled top edge of your shirt.

Edge stitch down both sides of your tube to attach it to your shirt. This will be the casing for your elastic.

Step 8:
Using a safety pin, thread your elastic through this casing. My elastic was about 29" long, or the width of the front of my shirt from shoulder to shoulder. This was a great length for me and it gathered the shirt just enough, but you might want to play around with the measurement to get a length you like. Sew each end of the elastic down at the edge of the slit you cut in step 4.

Tip: don't let it slip all the way through the casing, or you'll lose the ends of the elastic and have to fish for it with a safety pin and you'll poke yourself and get blood all over your newly-created shirt. Not that I know anything about that. Or that I did that here. But it could happen.

Step 9:
Take the arm bands that you cut off and cut off the stitching line. Cut open the tube so you have one longer piece of fabric, stretch it gently, and tie a small knot close to the end of each of them.

Step 10:
Using a zig zag stitch, sew one of these strips to each side of that slit in the front, just under (or just in or even on top of, if you don't have room otherwise) the casing. They will be ties for the front of the shirt.

You're done!

You might want to adjust the length when you're done. If you do, just cut off the shirt and re-ruffle it, the way you did in step 5.

Another one done!

Audrey is here! (and so is the new Project Runway season)

2010-07-29T16:05:00.008-04:00

In what has to be a fantastic example of great timing, my new dress form, Audrey, arrived yesterday!

That's her. I dressed her up in some of my favorite clothes, dragged her outside into the natural light, and set her up (yep, I felt a little weird dragging a dress dummy into the yard, but so be it). She was a perfect model, very patient and understanding as I re-positioned her and asked her to stand still for different shots. She's a true professional. She has a permanent place of honor inside, in the dining room:
She appears to be unscathed by her journey, via the USPS, across the country. She's my size, she's in great shape, and she cost $74, including shipping, from a eBay seller. My husband, who encouraged me to buy her, is an awesome supporter. He's my biggest fan (and I mean that in a totally non-creepy way). I feel like a real designer now.

A totally unexpected (but totally welcome) benefit of Audrey's arrival is that she came in a large, perfectly usable box. And a 6-year-old and a 7-year-old certainly know how to put that to use on a rainy afternoon
So far, she has been a tv-watching box, a resting spot, a hiding place, a beanbag portal, and a boat. Pretty good for a free, recyclable toy that was responsible for letting me have an hour or so of peace. I love you, Box.

Speaking of real designers...the reason Audrey's arrival is timely is because the new season of Project Runway begins tonight! I have never been anticipating a season as much as I am this one, for some reason. As my sewing skills become more advanced, I find I become more engrossed in the show. And the episodes are 90 minutes long now, which is even better.

What a good day, really. I'm stressed about a couple of things, letting some relatively minor issues weigh on my mind when I should let them go, but really, it's a good day. I'm home with my kids. My husband is on his way home. One of my favorite shows is on tonight. I have it good.

In the next couple days, I'll be debuting the tutorial for the shirt that Audrey is wearing above. Here's a sneak peek:

Now...carry on!

Yogurt Pops from Danonino Cups

2010-07-27T12:42:00.010-04:00

I do not begrudge the ice cream man the right to drive down our street, Christmas carols blaring from his van at full volume (I'm not kidding), trying to entice kids to go to the curb with loose change in their grimy fists. The kids get very excited, and a few times every year we really do go out and buy something from him. But it's all artificially-colored, artificially-flavored, high fructose corn syrup-sweetened stuff. I cringe when I see them eating it. So last week we made yogurt pops from Danonino yogurt mini cups. I buy this yogurt a lot, anyway, since the cups are the perfect size for K's lunch box, and they're way better than most of the other yogurt out there. Check out the nutrition information on their website. They are naturally colored, use real sugar, and are healthy.

It was super-easy, super-cheap, and very healthy. This is what we did:

1. Start with a 6-pack of Danonio yogurt cups

These were on sale for $2, I think, and I used a coupon, which made them a grand total of $1. Can't beat that.

2. Insert popsicle sticks.
Good thing J is a hoarder (ahem, I mean recycler) and has been saving the popsicle sticks from his store-bought treats for the past few months. We borrowed 6 of them (they were clean), I cut a small slit in the top of each unopened yogurt cup, we inserted popsicle sticks and the cups went into the freezer.

3. Less than 24 hours later, we had yogurt pops! K likes these so much that she requested one over going out for ice cream the other day. They're perfect for us. The possibilities for variation are endless, too - organic pudding cups, natural gelatin cups (they have them at Trader Joe's), etc. You could even re-use the plastic cups and fill them with your own concoction later, thus making them environmentally-friendly (no plastic in the landfill) and even cheaper.

It's a balmy 89 degrees here today. Do I feel an arctic chill coming on? I better go have a yogurt pop before it freezes over outside.

Tutorial: Heat Wave Halter

2010-07-25T13:53:00.029-04:00

It's 100 degrees here today. I'm not even kidding, people. I'm hot, and I'm never hot. We need things to keep us cool, to keep our minds off of the weather, and to help lessen our carbon footprint that might be contributing to the heat wave that is gripping a lot of the country (or might not be contributing...depends who you ask). So without further ad0, let me introduce the Heat Wave Halter:

I was inspired by this tunic, from Forever 21:

My version is made from an upcycled man's shirt - readily available from any thrift store, or even from your favorite guy's closet - and is customizable with myriad options, so you can make exactly the kind of shirt that's right for you.

Materials Needed:

upcycled man's shirt (short-sleeved is fine...I used a size XL.) Note: this size fit me perfectly when I was done, and I have a small frame. If you think you might need a larger size when you're done, start with a 2XL or 3XL. There are plenty of those out there, too, and it's better to guestimate on the larger side from the get go, rather than go through all of your steps and find out that your final product is too small)
1/4" elastic, in a length 3" smaller than your upper bust measurement (the measurement right above your breasts, almost around your torso under your underarms, where a halter top would rest)
cording, long t-shirt scrap or crocheted chain, to use as a tie
safety pin
coordinating thread
elastic thread
sewing machine
serger (optional, but nice)

Time required: 1-2 hours

When possible, I've given instructions for optional or alternative steps, so you can pick and choose to make the kind of shirt that's ideal for you, based on your preferences and the amount of time you have to spend on the project.

Step 1:

Start with your average, garden-variety discarded (or soon-to-be-discarded, if your boyfriend doesn't yet realize that you took it from his closet) shirt. Feel good that you're creating something new and functional and trendy from something that is otherwise unloved and would be unworn. Pat yourself on the back, and keep on keepin' on.

Optional: Regular fabric, in a width that is a comfortable circumference of your upper bust (plus about 5") and the length from your underarms to your desired shirt length (plus hem) is fine, too. Example: if your upper bust measures 35 inches around, make sure you have two 20" wide pieces of material.

Step 2:

Using a seam ripper, take off the breast pocket, if there is one. If you want, you can take time to admire the Silly Bandz on my wrist. They're from my kids and have been on my wrist all summer.

Also, take your time and don't tug too much at the material during this step, or you'll create a hole, like I did (you'll see it later, if you look hard). If you do make a hole, it's fine; you can just take a few stitches to mend the hole, and no one will be the wiser because the top of the final shirt will have a little gathering and blousing to camouflage the mended hole, but it's easier to not make a hole to begin with. Lesson learned.

Optional: Leave the pocket on, as is. Or if you're worried about it sagging on the finished shirt, leave it on but sew the top of the pocket shut.

Step 3:

Chalk marks might help you with this (like in the picture above), but they're not absolutely necessary. Cut off the bottom of the shirt, right above the curved hem; cut the top, right below the collar (about 1" above that second button); cut the sides right inside the arms. Cut through both layers of the shirt. When you're done, you will have two layers of this:

Note: the back of your shirt might have a pleat right in the middle, like mine did, as part of its pre-transformation construction. This is fine; just treat it like it's not there, and keep going. It actually adds a nice little bit of extra room in the back, which is nice .

Step 4:

Sew the front shut, right down the edge of the botton holes. You could use a zipper foot for this, if you're worried about your presser foot hitting the buttons, but my regular foot worked fine. Which is a good thing, since I didn't want to change my presser foot. Because of feeling lazy.

Optional: You could skip this step entirely. The buttons will still be there to hold it shut, and it won't fly open. I just think it looks nicer with everything sewn down.

Step 5:

Right sides together, sew the front and the back of the shirt together at the side seams. Use a serger or a sewing machine. If you're using a sewing machine, you can zig zag the edges, use pinking shears, or leave them raw.

Step 6:

Serge the top and bottom edges (don't sew them together, just finish the edges).

Your tube of fabric should now look something like this, open at the top and the bottom:

Optional: You could skip the serging if you don't have a serger. You can zig zag the edges on your machine, pink them, or leave them raw.

Step 7:

Cut off the very top button. IMPORTANT: After you remove the button, use an Exact-O knife or a sharp pair of small scissors to go through the button hole and cut through the layer of fabric right behind the button hole. You should have a "button hole" that goes all the way through both layers of fabric (the original button hole, and the one you just cut behind it, parallel to it, in the other layer of fabric). This is going to be important when you insert the elastic later on, since we'll be using the button hole as an opening for the elastic and the tie. It will make sense later, I promise. This is just a small slit (less than 1/2"), and I do not worry about fray. It will be covered, anyway, as it will be well behind the tie.

Step 8:

Fold down the top edge, right above the now-buttonless button hole. Iron and sew this hem. The fabric should come to rest below the button hole, so you can sew it down and still have access to the button hole:

Step 9:

Using a safety pin, thread your elastic through the button hole and through the casing you made.

Sew each end of the elastic on the side of the column of buttons (one edge of the elastic on each side of that 1" or so strip that is the button strip). The elastic will not overlap; in fact, you will have a gap of approximately 1", right where the button strip is.

Tip: make sure you catch that first end of the elastic and sew it down before it scooches through the casing and you have to dig around for it. That's never any fun. Sew down the one end, finish threading the rest through, and sew down the other edge on the other side of the button strip. I used a zig-zag stitch.

Step 10:

Thread your cording or other tie through the button hole in this same casing, right over the elastic. Bring the other end back out through that same button hole.

Optional: I crocheted a chain from all-cotton thread and used it; you could also use a 3/4"-wide scrap of long t-shirt material, stretched to the length you need to go around your chest. Use what you have! Be creative!

Step 11:

Try on the shirt. With chalk, mark your waist. You are going to make 3 or 4 lines of stitching (the line you drew, plus 2 or 3 lines right below it), using elastic thread in your bobbin, to cinch the waist. Make your lines about 1/2" apart. You may want to chalk out your lines before you start sewing, to make sure you don't come across a button when you get to the front. DON'T SEW OVER A BUTTON OR YOU'LL BREAK YOUR NEEDLE! Worst-case scenario, just go AROUND the button (top or bottom, it doesn't matter) and keep on sewing.

Shirring, or sewing with elastic thread, is EASY! You can find a great tutorial on the Ruffles and Stuff blog. Once you try it, you'll be hooked.

Optional: You can add some simple straps, made from the scraps you cut off in step three, if you'd like a more covered look or are worried about it falling down. But I've worn mine all day and have had no problems at all.

Step 12:

Hem the bottom. I used a 1 1/2" inch hem, to add a little weight to the bottom, but try on your shirt and hem it at your desired length.

You're done! Put it on. Tie the top. Eat a popsicle. Show the heat who's boss.

2010-07-24T19:46:00.004-04:00

I just finished a new project and I hope to post the tutorial tomorrow. I remembered to take pictures of each step during the process, but now I need my husband to take photos of me wearing the final product. I love the way it turned out! I compared my item to the photo I was trying to emulate, and even my husband said mine looked just as good, if not better. And I don't even think he's saying that just because he's my husband and wants to be in my good graces on a Saturday night.

Here's a sneak peek of what I started with:

Hmmm...what will it be?

I feel like the evening news, with teasers and hype and mystery...but I promise, this won't dramatically change your life, and it doesn't affect your health, and your kids are not in danger if you don't tune in tomorrow. But you'll want to see what it is, anyway. See you tomorrow!

If I were going to re-name my blog,

2010-07-23T16:29:00.005-04:00

which I'm not, I would name it something along the lines of I'm on the Crazy Bus. Or Our Crazy Bus. Or some other Crazy Bus name that isn't being used by a blogger. I'd use it just so I could use one of these pictures in my header:

They're pictures I took on the boardwalk in New Jersey last week, and I love them. Plus, the whole "Crazy Bus" theme has so much going for us here. Our house is certainly a little nuts, what with two kids and two barky dogs and one bird that chirps all day long but hates people. Sometimes I feel like I drive the crazy bus.

J asks me frequently during the school year if/when he can ride the bus (my standard response: never. Your dad works close to your school, and he has the same hours, and you'd have a really long bus ride if you rode the bus, and I think school problems can start on the bus...). My own bus rides when I was in school were pretty nice. Our bus driver, Jerry, would play music all the time...music that, in retrospect, was probably not totally appropriate for a bus filled with elementary-school kids. Lyrics like

Could have been the whiskey,
Might have been the gin.
Could have been the three or four six packs,
I don't know,
But look at the mess I'm in!
My head's a like a football.
I think I'm gonna die!
Tell me, me oh me oh my,
Wasn't that a party!

So, yeah, J won't be riding the bus anytime soon. We'll just keep on truckin' in our own crazy bus right here. Minus the three or four six packs.

Little Tiny Chemise

2010-07-22T09:01:00.003-04:00

I made this chemise from Carefree Clothes for Girls. It's part of a sew along project I'm participating in (did I just end a sentence with a preposition? Yes, I did).

I wrote about it over on Wardrobe Refashion.

I'm also looking for ideas regarding a sew along I'd like to host starting this fall. I have some ideas regarding what to do, but I'm always on the lookout for others as well. Any suggestions for how to keep my sewing mojo once school starts again in the fall would be appreciated!

Tutorial: Pillowcase summer skirt

2010-07-20T11:45:00.007-04:00

The Goodwill in Virginia, which just happened to be right across the street from our hotel on vacation, supplied me with an embarrassment of riches. It looks all small and piddly from the front, which is why I never stopped in before, even though we've driven past it multiple times, but it's truly hiding a treasure trove of thrift. It was massive. Rows and rows of clothes and linens and purses and fabric waiting to be fashioned and refashioned. Really, I was only in there for 10 minutes (the first time, I mean), and I found several things to feed my sewing addiction. I'll touch on all of them later, but let me introduce you to the first one:
An unassuming, jersey-knit sock monkey pillowcase, right?

Wrong.

As of last night, it became a summer skirt for Kate:

It was such a simple refashion! Here's what I did:

Materials needed:
- pillowcase (mine was a jersey knit, thrifted for 39 cents)
- 3/4" elastic (I used natural, unbleached elastic, just because that's what I had, and I love the soft ease it adds)
- sewing machine, thread

1. Cut the pillowcase apart so that you essentially have two rectangles of fabric. Also, cut off the edges so that the hemmed edges are gone on the sides, and you have clean lines at the top and bottom.
2. Sew the short edges, right sides together, so you have one wide tube of fabric.
3. Turn the tube right side out and serge the top and bottom edges (not entirely necessary, especially on this jersey-knit pillowcase, but since my serger and I are still in the midst of a hot and heavy infatuation, I used it. And I loved it).
4. Fold down the top edge about 1" and sew to make a casing for the elastic. Leave a 2" opening to insert the elastic.
5. Using a big safety pin, insert the elastic (measured to fit your intended wearer's waist), and sew up the opening.

That's it!

This skirt is so soft, Kate would wear it to bed if she could. It hangs perfectly, it's easy to wash and it's cool. It's summer.

2010-07-20T10:45:00.004-04:00

This morning, while we scoured the shelves of the thrift store and waded through the copious amounts of children's books (thank you, Value Village!), I found this:

I had never heard of it, but it looked old and vintage-y and was about sewing, and it was only 20 cents (20 cents, people!), so I snatched it up. It looks delightfully fun and I can't wait to delve into it. I don't think it's a new-meant-to-look-old thing; I think it's genuinely old. If I had any doubts, they were put to rest when I found tucked inside two leaflets. One is Butterick says LEARN HOW TO SEW the easy way (also no publication date) and one is Sewing Tips from Sears Fabric Department (ditto). The leaflets also look to be old; the Sears leaflet has an address for the Sears store that's in uptown Charlotte, and I know it is definitely not there anymore and hasn't been since I've lived here, so it has to have been closed for a while. Plus, when did Sears ever have fabric departments?

Maybe I was born in the wrong era.

I Smell Fruit

2010-07-08T11:57:00.011-04:00

I do not consider tissues to be a necessity. I know this is a shock to my husband, who believes that people need tissues like people need food and water, but really, until I was an adult, I never never bought tissues, Band-Aids or paper plates. Now, as a mom, I believe in the immense healing power that one Band-Aid can bring to a minor boo boo, and I do buy those. But I have never been an adult fan of paper plates, especially since we have a whole cabinet of perfectly good, washable dishes to use. I also never think to buy tissues (use some toilet paper, if you have to...how often do most people blow their noses, anyway?).

Until now.

I discovered these Kleenex tissues, and I'm in love (no, this is not a paid post...the Kleenex people don't know how geekily in love I am with their tissues). We found the watermelon box at the grocery store a couple weeks ago, and Kevin was surprised when I bought them, no coupon or anything, just because they were cute. Then when I was at Target last week with the kids, we found them on clearance ($1.47 a box) and picked up several boxes, including the kiwi and the pineapple. We were so taken by them that Joseph and I spent about a half an hour on the deck, fiddling with settings on the camera to get the best shots of them.

Joseph came up with different ways to stack and configure them:

I just love how they look like giant wedges of real, juicy fruit. I cannot explain why I like to see giant wedges of juicy fruit on the back of the toilets, which is where we keep the open tissues, but I like it. The colors of these are really vivid (they look even better against that purple Adirondack chair), and they just make me happy. Not bad for $1.47.

We have gone totally the route of fabric napkins for the past month or so. I am not, however, prepared to go to reusable handkerchiefs. I do the laundry here, and I actually enjoy it (thank you, new front loader. I love you). But Kevin blows his nose quite a bit, and I don't want to wash reusable tissues. These boxes will last us quite a while, since he is really the main (or only, really) tissue user in the house. The rest of us just get to enjoy the beautiful colors. And I know I will find some use for those beautiful boxes when they're gone. That's recycling.

The only box we couldn't find, which I know they make, is the orange wedge. Now Joseph is obsessed with finding the orange wedge box, and he looks for it every time we go out. I told Kevin that if we find it on our vacation, be prepared to make room for several boxes of the orange wedge in the Meredith Van, since we're buying them. The collection feels incomplete without it.

I'm greedy for more color.

Scooby Doo, You're Red, White & Blue: Summer Halter Tutorial

2010-07-07T14:39:00.018-04:00

The other day in the thrift store, I was reminded of how much of an influence I have on Kate when she walked up to me, shirt in hand, and said, "Mommy, can you make me a dress out of this?" She didn't ask for a new dress. She didn't even ask for a thrifted dress. She asked, with the clear expectation that it was totally do-able, if I would make her a dress from a second-hand man's t-shirt.

Yes, kids are always watching. And listening. She sees me cutting, sewing, reconstructing, and she thinks, "This is just what people do." I couldn't be more proud.

We came home from the store, and I got to work immediately. Not only did I want to make her a dress, but her enthusiasm inspired me to do what I've been meaning to do for a while: write my first tutorial. So without any delay, I began cutting and photographing and sewing, and within an hour (I'm not kidding), I had finished her dress:

It was so easy to do, and I LOVE it. She's worn it three times within a week, so I know she loves it, too. Easy, inexpensive, upcycled, and adored. Doesn't get better than that! Here's how to make your own:

Materials:

t-shirt (I used a size L to make a dress that fit my fairly tall 6-year-old)

scissors

needle, thread

Directions:

1. Start with an upcycled man's shirt.

The thrift store was having a 50%-off sale last week on clothes (my husband swears I'm the only person in the world who gets excited by sales at thrift stores, but I know that's not true. You can all attest to that). I couldn't believe it when we found this one, since Kate loves Scooby Doo AND this one had a patriotic theme, which was perfect for July 4th. The shirt was regularly $3.50, so we got it for $1.75.

2. Do some eyeball measuring (my preferred method) or use a tape measure to determine the desired length. You will be using the length of the shirt, from right under the collar band. For Kate, the length from right under this band to the hem was one inch longer than we needed, which was actually the perfect length, since you'll need exactly one inch to create the casing for the straps at the top (more on that later). If your shirt is too long, you can cut it at the bottom and either re-hem it, which is a snap, or leave a raw edge, since jersey won't fray (I love the raw-edge look on jersey, but if you don't, just hem). You could also choose a smaller size shirt to avoid cutting or hemming for length.

3. You'll be cutting a trapezoid shape (thanks, otherwise-long-forgotten geometry class) to make the dress. To cut mine, I made a three-inch mark in from the bottom of the sleeve, as shown below.

4. From the bottom corner of the t-shirt, use a straight edge to make a line up to the top of your shirt, making sure your straight line goes right through the little chalk mark you made.

5. Go all the way through to the top of the shirt, like so. Do this on both sides of the shirt.

6. Using your straight edge along the top, right under the collar band, from one side to the other.

7. Since you've cut through both layers of the shirt for all of these steps, you will have two identical trapezoids, which are the front and back of your dress.

Believe it or not, you're through the most difficult part of your dress! From here on out, it's simple assembly. I used a serger for the decorative edges, but since this is purely decorative on jersey, you can skip the serging instructions and just sew your dress together. Since I'm still in love with my serger and find any excuse I can to use it, I did so here. Plus, the edges really do look nice when they're serged (and tend to roll less). Let's keep going...

8. If desired, serge down the outer edge, from the top of the dress to the chalk X you made to mark where the sleeve opening will be. This will make a nice edge for what will be the armhole of the dress. Do this a total of four times (one on each side of the front piece, one on each side of the back piece). I also serged across the top of each piece, although this is also optional.

9. Fold the top edge of each piece down one inch. Pin and sew straight across on your machine (make sure you use a ball point needle for knits). This will become the casing for your tie.

10. Place the front and back pieces together, right sides facing, and on your machine or serger sew down each side from the BOTTOM of each armhole (which you marked with an X and possibly serged). Don't sew closed the armhole ;-).

12. Cut two strips of jersey from another shirt, or raid your scrap basket. My strips were 2" by 21" and cut from the top of a shirt from my scrap bag. Stretch the strips (don't be afraid to tug that jersey!) so they're about twice the length of when you started.

13. Using a safety pin, thread one strap through the casing on the front, and one through the casing on the back.

14. Tie the straps together at the shoulders, and you're done!

Easy-peasy, and fun to wear!

Variations:

- This could be almost an entirely no-sew project; just use a more fitted shirt so you don't have to cut and re-sew the side seams, use small scissors to snip small slits at the top to weave through the drawstring through the fabric instead of making the casing, and you have a dress!

- Make it shorter and make a summer top for yourself.

Happy heat wave!

Payback feels awesome

2010-07-06T13:10:00.003-04:00

Inspired by having my pillow included on Etsy's front page yesterday, I decided to create a Treasury of my own on Etsy. I've read about sellers waiting anxiously by the computer, counting down the minutes until Treasuries open up, since Etsy only allows for a certain number of them to exist at one time and competition to curate them can be fierce. But I just randomly clicked on the Treasury button and, lo and behold, the Treasury was open and ready for new submissions. Taking a cue from the intense heat that has hit here and is apparently blanketing much of the East Coast, I made a treasury entitled Heat Wave:

It's full of items that will help you stay cool and beat the heat. Even if you don't buy anything, I know the sellers appreciate the love of comments and the views, so spend a little time perusing the goods over there.

It was so much fun picking items for the Treasury, knowing they might end up on the front page. I understand now why people like putting them together. It's like being a personal shopper for the Interwebs, and it gives you an excuse to window shop all of the beautiful things on the site. It's made me look at Etsy a little differently, too; having your item in a Treasury that could land it on the front page definitely increases your product views, which increases the people who heart your shop, which increases the likelihood of sales. The importance of great pictures and titles can't be overstated in terms of drawing people into your shop (and, obviously, having your item picked for a Treasury). I'll be focusing on that in the future when creating, photographing and listing items there.

2010-07-05T12:53:00.003-04:00

I'm on the front page of etsy! That's my rocking chair pillow. Unless I missed it before, this is the first time I'm on the front page there; so far, I've had three people e-mail me to let me know my pillow is on there. What a great feeling! I know I'm supposed to play it all cool and say, "That's a really nice thing, but it doesn't change what I do..." but I'm excited! I've been in a bit of a selling slump lately, and I've been kind of discouraged, so this is a nice shot in the arm. I was surprised to log onto the site and see one of my items. It even took me a couple of seconds to really understand that, yes, that's my item right there! Now I'll be able to use one of those etsy images that reads, "This item was featured on the front page of etsy." It's a good feeling.

Thanks to pineapplepinks for including me in the awesome treasury that made it to the front page!

Saturday with Aunt Sue

2010-04-10T16:54:00.011-04:00

Aunt Sue is here for the next few days, and we've had a great time. Here are some of our Simple Saturday pictures. I'm posting them here not just because I like the photos - which I do - but also because if the hard drive crashes again, I don't want to lose these.
I love this picture of Joseph and Murphy.

Of course, once she saw me take one of her brother, Kate wanted in on the action, too.

So why not get all of them together? By the way, Murphy is not the smartest dog in the world, but he doesn't usually walk around with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, either. I think in this case it had to do with the fact that the kids were sort of strangling him.

After lunch, we went for a walk around the water at University Place. These beautiful ducks have ganged up on this bird and they are either doing something to the other bird that I do not want to have to explain to my 6-year-old and 7-year-old, or they're just playing in a very rough way. I don't really know.

On the cool playground we found right in the middle of nowhere.

Ice cream works as a great bribe to leave the playground.

The first caterpillar sighting of the spring, right on the side of the house!

Plus, I got some purple striped socks for Kate at Old Navy for $1. It has been a good day.

I want to win!

2010-02-03T21:02:00.005-05:00

I have never won anything on a blog giveaway. I have not entered a ton, but still. Anyhoo, I really want to win this skirt from Brown Paper Packages:

I do love the blue one, but I would adore any one of the rainbow colors she made

Kate loves ruffles, and the skirt looks springy and flouncy and fun. It's February. It's cold. That giant rodent saw his shadow yesterday. Who doesn't need something springy and flouncy and fun right now? Bring on the fluffy ruffles!

28 Days Project: Binge and Purge

2010-01-19T20:33:00.005-05:00

I hit a small stumbling block with the box: for the past few days, I simply haven't been inspired to complete anything from it. At all. I feel good - lots of energy, good mood, not stressed - but I don't feel like revisiting projects that, in many cases, didn't hold my attention long enough to make me want to complete them to begin with. The fact is, some of the projects were started quite some time ago, and I am no longer the same person I was then. I haven't changed dramatically, but some things just don't float my boat the way they used to. Or I have no need for them now. Or my style has changed. So my impetus to complete these projects is gone.

Since I haven't posted in a few days, I've imposed a penalty for myself, (or, strangely, maybe I'm rewarding myself): I am ridding the box of some projects that are, obviously, not completed, and are now headed for greener pastures with another crafter because I don't really want to fix them up. Perhaps a hoarder will find some of this stuff useful (not that I'm enabling, but it's stuff I don't want here, so whatever. I can't be responsible for where it ends up once it hits Goodwill). I've weeded through the box and come up with the following projects that have hit the road and are now in the back of the van, ready and waiting for the next Goodwill dropoff:

Placemats

Original Plan: Purses. I found the placemats in various places - Target, ReStore - for next to nothing and planned to make purses. Sew them up the sides, add cute handles of some sort, and there's a cute bag.

Why I haven't finished them: I hardly ever carry a purse. Of any kind. And certainly not a purse that needs to be carried by two handles, since my hands have usually been full (babies, groceries, car keys...I don't need something else to carry). I often lose purses, anyway. Plus, even if I DID need a purse...do I need six or seven of them?

New Plan: I kept two of the Madras plaid, the red one (Christmas) and the funky striped one on the end (looks very Pier 1-ish). I'll use them for - gasp! - placemats. They'll go in the linen closet. The rest will find a better home.

Crochet Square

Original Plan: There are many charities that collect 12' crochet squares, to sew into blankets for various groups who need extra comfort (abused women, people suffering through illness, etc.). I was going to contribute to one or two of them. When I realized that I don't crochet quickly enough to contribute to this project, I was going to make a pillow of my one square.

Why I haven't finished it: I hate the color of this yarn. It feels good, it's super-soft...but what's up with this color scheme? Why did I ever even buy that yarn? Plus, the white border is just fugly. I added it when I realized that my square was too small to fit the 12' requirement for the blanket project, and I needed to add more area. I had white yarn here. That's all.

New Plan: I'm just giving it to Goodwill (does Goodwill even accept stuff like this? I bet so. It looks like a washcloth). I don't want to finish it. I certainly don't want a finished pillow of this sort in my house.

Mary Engelbreit Peasant Dress

Original Plan: A peasant dress for Kate, from this awesome Mary Engelbreit fabric that I found, of all places, at Wal-Mart.

Why I haven't finished it: I have done a lot of sewing for Kate over the past few months. She has five peasant dresses in her closet right now, along with all of the other goodies I've found/made for her. She has plenty of clothes right now. Really. She does.

New Plan: I'm putting the fabric (and that cute button) away for now, to be reabsorbed into my stash. I really love that fabric. There's nothing saying I can't make the dress at some point down the road, when she could actually use a new dress. In the meantime, no need for the materials to sit in a Ziploc bag, taunting me, a constant reminder of another unfinished project.

Simply deciding NOT to do certain things and to actually get them out of the house feels really liberating. I don't mean to sound all Feng Shui about it, but I really feel like it's getting rid of some negative energy in the dining room. I don't want to spend time completing projects that I don't want or need right now, and to have them just sitting around, half done, is dragging me down. I'm going to go through the box again tomorrow. Trash, be gone!

Manic Monday

2010-01-11T19:55:00.006-05:00

Nothing new today - I know I'm a couple of days behind on my schedule, but I'll make it up, I'm sure. I should have planned on EVERY Monday being an "I'm not posting anything new today" kind of day. But to make up for it, I'm posting several pictures of projects that did not come from The Box. Rather, these are some of the things I worked on while I let the projects in The Box gather dust (not really, the box has a lid) and grow mold (definitely not) and sit unloved (that one might be true). Let's hear it for the Procrastination Enablers!
Dress I made for Kate, so she'd have something to wear for the heralded Holiday Luncheon at school. It's the peasant style I love so much, and it's perfect with leggings and a turtleneck. I love this batik fabric, too. It's the first time I worked with it, and the colors are mesmerizing.
Beanbags, for Joseph's new (to him) Toss Across game, which came with no beanbags. These were fun to make, too, and I made some for my niece for Christmas. They're filled with rice and are VERY popular in our house.

Another dress for Kate, this one made from a shirt that was getting a little small for her, and two cut-up adult t-shirts. I love this one. She wears it a lot, and it's even a great summer vacation dress.

So I'm not a total slackass, as I have been DOING things. But now that I'm committed to finishing unfinished projects, I feel a real sense of resolution. Still, I'm itching for that "let's start a NEW project!" excitement again. I guess now's the real true test. Will I stick with the 28 Days Project? Definitely. But it's a challenge.

28 Days Project, Day 7 and Day 8: Workspace skirt & valance

2010-01-10T20:22:00.005-05:00

The story behind the project: We reorganized the dining room last summer. I usually use the dining room table as an actual sewing table, which means there's fairly little "work" area to lay out fabric, etc. I thought it would be nice to have some extra space, so I made a work table/side table (under the pretense that we may, someday, use the dining room to dine again) out of two filing cabinets and a slender wooden door, purchased at the ReStore store and painted white. I LOVE it. It provides the storage of the file cabinets and even some extra space between the cabinets. It was always my intention to make a skirt for it, to cover up everything and make it look cohesive, but then summer ran out, and work started again, and it just...never happened.

The materials: fabric, thread, furniture tacks.

The process: I cut a long piece of fabric into two lengths; I wanted an overlap in the middle, to make accessing the materials underneath easier. I basically just make two large rectangles of fabric with hemmed edges on all sides. Then I tacked it to the edge of the door/table top. I had enough fabric left over to make a simple valance to hang in the dining room, too. The rod and clips came from IKEA. It just requires a simple piece of fabric, no pockets for a curtain rod or anything, since it is literally just clipped to it. Simple! I love that IKEA mentality. Love it.

The outcome: I love the table skirt. It turned out exactly the way I had envisioned, and we really will be able to use that sideboard as a food-serving area, if that's ever required. I am less enamored with the valance, and I'll probably change that out. For some reason, the solid blue doesn't look good on the window. However, it is nice to have some sort of curtain there, since that side of the house gets all of the afternoon sun and can get really warm in the summer when I refuse to turn on the air conditioning. I'm thinking maybe a simple white.

The cost: I don't remember where I got the giant piece of fabric, but it must have been cheap or I wouldn't have bought it. The tacks were 99 cents, and the curtain rod and clips were under $10 at IKEA. Definitely a worthwhile project. The space is on its way to feeling complete, and I'm eager for that.

28 Days Project, Day 6: Necessary Winter Coat Refashion

2010-01-09T17:49:00.004-05:00

The story behind the project: I won't lie; this project was not a member of The Box, but it had to be done, so I'm counting it for this project because I'm pretty proud of myself for completing it so quickly.

Temperatures here have been frigid lately - 20 degrees when I woke up this morning - and Kate's winter coat, which we just bought in the fall, had a bum zipper that got caught every time she tried to zip it up. Given that Kate is an "I CAN DO IT MYSELF" kind of girl, and given that her school highly encourages kids to do things by themselves, this situation was challenging for all involved (plus, it was difficult for an adult to get that zipper up, which only added to the frustration). I had to get her a new one. Stores here stop selling winter jackets in December (I'm not kidding - they already have swimsuits and beach towels out), so we had few options (which did not bother me, really - I was not looking forward to paying $30+ for a jacket she'll only wear a few times). We stopped at Goodwill on our way home from school Thursday afternoon and found a perfect purple one for her. Great! And when we got in the car, Kate said, "I hope this one doesn't have the same zipper problem the other one had."

Dum, dah dum dum DUM!

I didn't even think to check the zipper while we were there. But sure enough, when we got it home and I tested the zipper, it didn't work. Part of the little plastic teeth were missing, and it could not be fixed (believe me, I tried). So I used...velcro!

The materials: jacket, velcro tape, thread.

The process: I cut off the existing zipper on both sides. I didn't pick out the seam, just cut it off as close to the teeth as I could. She won't wear this much longer this year, and it's not often that we need heavy winter coats here, so it doesn't have to hold up forever.

The outcome: Perfect! Now she can fasten her own jacket. It looks cute, too, and keeps her warm.

The cost: $2.50 for the jacket at Goodwill, plus the velcro tape and cotton thread I had here. Pretty good for a winter coat, I think.

Feeling Greedy

2010-01-07T17:01:00.002-05:00

I want this cape from My Mama Made It. I love her stuff, and she takes great photos. I fully expect to see her on Project Runway soon!

28 Days Project, Day 5: Erin's Beach & Beauty Bag

2010-01-06T20:29:00.004-05:00

My niece loves putting on makeup even more than my daughter does...which is saying a lot. And since I don't have to clean it off of her walls, I'm going to send her a bunch of it for her birthday in April! I'm putting it all into a little bag, embellished by me with some flowers; I'm also going to include a pair of flip flops (also from The Box), on which I'm crocheting flowers. TWO items from The Box, going toward one gift. Thanks, Erin!

The story behind the project: Bag from the Dollar Spot at Target, two crocheted flowers purchased from Etsy before I knew how to crochet flowers...I always intended to put them together to make this, but I hadn't...until now.

The materials: Bag, flowers, button, thread.

The process: I just sewed the flowers on, using buttons for centers. That's it. Embarrassingly simple.

The outcome: I love that I have a head start on a specific birthday gift, and it will be perfect for her. Although there's no "after" picture posted here, it's done, I swear. The camera is all wonky, so I'll post a picture with the flip flops when I get those done.

The cost: $1 for the purse, about 40 cents each for the flowers, plus the cost of whatever I put into it.

I'll post the flip flops when they're finished!

28 Days Project, Day 4: Baby, it's cold outside, but at least my cell phone is cozy

2010-01-05T20:32:00.005-05:00

The story behind the project: Once upon a time, I had the idea to crochet wrist cuffs. I even improvised my own pattern. Unfortunately, this is one time I probably should have used acrylic yarn, not 100% cotton yarn. Cotton yarn, as I discovered, has no stretch, so it was impossible to fit over my hand onto my wrist. Then, obviously, once I realized it didn't fit, I lost enthusiasm for the project. But in looking at it, I realized my cell phone would fit perfectly in it.

The materials: Cotton yarn (hot green, my favorite color, and lavender), funky Wal-Mart button in my stash forever, and thread.

The process: I had to crochet the bottom of the "cuff" together, which I did with a simple single crochet. Then I made the loop closure with a chain stitch, sewed on the button, and voila! Now my cell phone is cozier than I am.

The outcome: I am not normally a fan of "cozies" for anything, but I like this. The color makes me happy, and it will be easier to find my cell phone, which up until how has bounced, unprotected, around my ginormous school bag while I searched for it.

The cost: Pennies.

Maybe with the ridiculously cold temperatures we've been having, my cell phone needs a cozy. Check another thing off of the list, too. I like it!

A Day Off (plus, my Clean House, and why I'm glad I'm not on Hoarders)

2010-01-04T20:03:00.003-05:00

I thought about pulling out a project I completed recently and passing it off as a project from The Box, since I'm not completing one today. I thought I could keep the continuity of the blog, not have to cash in one of my self-issued Get Out of Jail Free Cards, and resume business tomorrow. But then I thought, "Just keep it real, Michelle." (what I really thought, honestly, was, "Why would you lie about that? What's the point? Doesn't that dilute the whole project?"). So...no new project today. This is the first day back to school after Christmas break; it's 8:00 pm, and I am exhausted. I will be sound asleep by 10 pm, if not before. I thought this would be one of my days off from The 28 Days Project, even before I began it, because I knew I'd be tired and pressed for time. So instead of beating myself over not doing something new, I am giving myself a little pat on the back for recognizing ahead of time that I have limitations. Plus, it's January...nothing good can come from not getting enough sleep, running down your body, and being inside with germy germs all day long.

I did, however, go through The Box and look through things. I have plenty of projects in there that could go beyond January and well into February, if I want to. I sorted out some stuff, repurposed some supplies that I knew I would never make into anything, and pared down. I also came up with a list of "second tier" projects, things I can tackle if I have a burst of energy (and a bunch of time). We'll see where that goes. It was fun to take a look at the work ahead of me.

Part of this project is the result, I think, of being hooked on the show Clean House. My house is nothing - NOTHING - like the ones on there, but since watching it I've been very motivated to clean things out, get rid of clutter, and enjoy empty space. Thus, getting rid of The Box. And just when I thought the families profiled on Clean House were living in clutter....last night when we couldn't sleep, Kate and I watched part of an episode of Hoarders on A&E. Holy crap. I mean...wow. Just, wow. Some of those people make the Clean House people look like neat freaks. One of the women last night had so much stuff, she had a narrow pathway she had created to get to the small cubby/clearing on the floor she had created to sleep. It was amazing and horrifying. That show does what I think is missing on Clean House, which is offer counseling (heavy-duty, if needed) and long-term help. It made me feel better about my life.

That being said, I'm off to sleep in my bed. Which is not piled with crap. And I don't have to forge a path to find it, either. What a bonus.

28 Days Project, Day 3 (Part II): Pinup Girl Hair Ties

2010-01-03T15:28:00.004-05:00

The story behind the project: Two simple rectangles of fabric, sitting in The Box. I know I had intended to make hair elastics from them, sort of like the scarves that pinup beach girls used to wear in the 1950s. I don't know what derailed my plans, but there sat the fabric, in The Box, for about two years. I especially love the pink and blue flowered one, which is called Groovy Daisy and is by Michael Miller.

The materials: cotton fabric, thread, hair elastics

The process: All these needed were one 3-inch seam each, up the short side. Then I had to tie them to the hair elastic with a simple knot. Makes me wonder why I didn't get to them sooner. Maybe I cut my hair and didn't need them, so I wasn't motivated to finish them.

The outcome: These will be perfect to stash as last-minute gifts for someone. I like them, but I don't know if my hair is right for them now.

The cost: Pennies, literally. I don't even remember how much I paid for the fabric, but so little of it is used in these that the cost must be minimal.

This was a great Sunday afternoon project, too - big payoff for relatively little work. I am feeling a real sense of accomplishment from the 28 Days Project so far. It has kept me motivated to empty that box. Every morning when I wake up, I think about what I'm going to tackle that day. It feels really good to wrap up projects that have just been hanging around. And it will feel even better when, at the end of the month, I'll have a stash of handmade stuff waiting to be given as gifts or sold in my Etsy store.

28 Days Project, Day 3: More Stain Coverage

2010-01-03T13:51:00.004-05:00

My favorite thrift store had a 50% off sale on New Year's Day. I wish I could have bought out the entire place - who knows when I might need a set of gilded drapes, someday? - but then I would have ended up like the families on Clean House, with clutter and crap everywhere. Anyhoo, I did well and bought some really nice stuff for everyone in the family. I got polo shirts for Kevin for about $1 each, a pair of Carolina warm-up pants that snap up the sides for Joseph, and I even bought myself a sundress from The White House. Of course, Kate made out the best, because she's so EASY to buy for. Everywhere I go, there is a ton of cute stuff in her size; plus I love making things for her, so her closet is bulging.

Even so, I could not pass up a Land's End dress for 50 cents. Fifty cents, I say! When I got it home, I noticed two faint stains on the front, which were easily covered by the flowers I crocheted on the spot, using a pattern from Tip Top Applesauce (her patterns are adorable and turn out every single time. Can't beat that. I own several of them).

The story behind the project: Thrift-store dress, too cute to pass up, has a couple of stains on it. We can fix that!

The materials: 100% cotton Land's End dress, 100% cotton Sugar 'n Cream yarn, button, thread.

The process: Crocheted three flowers, using the pattern from Tip Top Applesauce (one three-layer flower for the bottom, two single small ones for the top).

The outcome: Another winner. The colors are perfect, and it's a perfect dress to pair with leggings and an undershirt for cold days like today. The three-layer flower on the bottom probably needs to be sewn down a little more to prevent it from drooping, but that's easy to do.

The cost: 50 cents for the dress, leftover yarn.

I want to get in a couple of smaller projects today, if time permits. We're all getting ready for the Return to School tomorrow, so we'll see how we do with the time. Plus, Kate wants me to teach her how to mend. Power to the women!

28 Days Project, Day 2: Simple Mending

2010-01-02T19:30:00.005-05:00

Not everything in The Box is a big project. Case in point, the weird little kids' meal stuffed toy guy here:

The story behind the project: Joseph asked me to fix this hole a couple days ago. This little guy is probably the newest addition to The Box, as he's only been there that long.

The materials: You're looking at it.

The process: Mend a hole in the back leg. This, ironically, is the only kind of sewing I ever remember my gramma doing. In fact, I don't have any memories of her actually holding a needle and thread. But I do know that she didn't have a sewing machine, so she didn't make clothes or quilt or anything at all. Mending must have been the extent of it. And I don't remember ever wearing clothes with holes in them or with missing buttons, so she must have done that.

The outcome: This is about as simple as it gets. I'm sure the little guy will end up buried in Joseph's room, under all of the other stuff that accumulates in there. But at least I got it DONE, and I even received a "thank you" from Joseph, so win-win.

The cost: It was a prize in the Burger King kids' meal. So besides the twinge of Mom Guilt I suffered as the result of giving my kids sodium and fat for dinner (and I don't even remember when we went there - maybe Kevin took them one day?), it was free.

28 Days Project, Bonus Project: Kindergarten Goth

2010-01-02T11:55:00.005-05:00

I say "bonus" because, technically, this shirt was not already in The Bin. As I was folding laundry this morning, I looked at everything with a critical eye. I threw out all of Joseph's cruddy socks (we bought new ones yesterday) and saw this shirt, which belongs to Kate:

(no, that shot was not taken on a gorgeous stone patio in Tuscany; rather, it was taken on our NEW kitchen floor, which is vinyl tile. Fooled ya, didn't I?)

I transformed it into this:

The story behind the project: I got the shirt at Target last year sometime for about $2. It's great - Champion, I think - but it had two small but visible stains in the front. When I told Kate she could wear it as an undershirt this morning, she said, "Why don't we just cover up the stains with some flowers or something?" That's my girl.

The materials: I used transfer-mations heat transfers, which I got at Michael's on clearance sometime last year. I love these things. They're not plasticky, like most iron-on transfers. They feel like regular paper, and I think the ink just literally transfers from the paper to the fabric when it's ironed. You can't feel it at all. I'm definitely going to look for more of these things.

The process: Plug in the iron. Cut out the transfer. Iron it on. That's it.

The outcome: Exactly what it needed! The whole project took about 5 minutes, from "Hey, why don't we do this?" to "Hey, look! It's done!" She can wear the shirt by itself now, or she can wear it as an undershirt.

The cost: Shirt: $2. Transfers: $2 for a whole sheet, and I just used the big one in the center. There are two or three dozen smaller ones left for small stains on other stuff I see.

28 Days Project, Day 1: Gap Shirt Transformed into Skirt

2010-01-02T10:16:00.005-05:00

I actually finished this project last night, but by the time I was done it was too dark to take pictures outside in natural light, which always looks better. So it counts as Day #1's project.

I took this shirt:

Which was at the top of my project box.

I made it into this:

The story behind the project: I bought this shirt at a yard sale up the street last summer or fall. My original intention was to make a dress or a skirt for Kate from it, but I really love the fabric, and Kate has lots of clothes in her closet, most made by me. I sew a lot for other people and decided that it was time for me to make something for myself. So much for the selflessness that usually accompanies New Year's Resolutions.

The materials: The shirt is a heavy-duty plaid from The Gap. It goes without saying that I don't shop at The Gap, because I'm not into paying $35+ for a shirt like this. Still, I do like it, and I think I paid $1 for it at the yard sale. It still had dry cleaning tags on it and everything, and it was in great shape.

The process: I cut off the top of the shirt, made a simple casing, and inserted my 3/4" elastic in the small gap I left. I sewed up the whole thing and added my bird applique on the bottom (that bird is showing up on more and more of my projects lately - Kevin said it's like my trademark, but I just really like the way it looks). I even used one of those little "extra" buttons, sewn to the inside of the shirt to replace lost buttons, as the bird's eye, so I really incorporated part of the shirt I didn't even intend to (plus, bonus, his eye matches the other buttons on the skirt). I originally wanted to make belt loops and use the sleeves, sewn together, as a sort of tie belt, but I tried it and the sleeves were too short for something like that. Maybe a larger shirt would work better (this was a large), or maybe if I cut them closer to the seam it would look better. So I left off the loops and the belt.

The outcome: I love it! It is shorter than I originally wanted, but I think it's fine. And I love the way it looks with black tights and boots. It's pretty lightweight for a skirt, so I probably won't be wearing it much until it warms up, but this is definitely a keeper.

The 28 Days Project

2010-01-01T21:22:00.005-05:00

There was an article in the paper yesterday about New Year's Resolutions. About how New Year's Day is sort of an artificial construct, and how people put too much pressure and stress on themselves to change things on THAT day, when there's nothing saying that they can't choose a random day in March to do exactly the same thing. On one hand, I agree with that; people stress out about it and seem less likely to carry out their plans when there's so much at stake. On the other hand, it just feeds into the rationalization I have for putting off until tomorrow (or next week, or six months from now) what I intend to do today. So I had in my mind that January 1st would be THE DAY to start my new endeavors, and after I read that article, for a split second, I thought, "Well, maybe I can wait..."

But NO! That would be continuing the very same behaviors that have been dragging me into a hole for the past few months. So today I begin THE 28 DAYS PROJECT.

Nothing big and fancy, really. In a nutshell, the plan is this: I have a Rubbermaid tub of half-finished craft and sewing projects in the dining room. It looks like this:

The box contains cut-out patterns, fabric that I've been meaning to turn into something specific, materials to make projects I've had in my head, things that just need to be mended...basically, all sorts of projects in all stages of being done and undone. Many are even neatly encased in Ziploc freezer bags, with all of the little parts stored together, to make me feel more organized about the entire mess. Sometimes I start something and hit a rough patch or don't understand the directions for it or just lose enthusiasm for it, and it ends up in this box. I should call it the Good Intentions box, because I really DO mean to finish everything in it. Well, this is the month. By the end of the month, the box will be empty. Or nearly empty. And I will post a completed project every day for 28 days. I will have 28 completed projects (maybe even a head start on some gifts for occasions throughout the year), a clean conscience, and a bunch of stuff to keep me busy in the dark, cold month of January. Plus, a little more room in the dining room. Win-win.

Why 28 days? I understand that January really has 31 days. But I figure that by giving myself three days of leeway, I'm less likely to get discouraged and quit the project entirely. There's bound to be at least one day in the month when I don't feel like doing anything. Or some project in there that takes more than one day to complete. I don't want to miss a day and have an excuse to throw up my hands and just say, "OK, I've failed, I'm done." Plus, 28 Days just sounds cool. Like 500 Days of Summer. It's a specific time frame. There are boundaries. There are limits. I like that, and it makes me feel like there are rules, which always makes me feel better. And, speaking of movie titles (which I was), 28 Days is a movie, too. It all fits together.

And I'm not even behind. I did complete a project today, but it was dark before I finished and I couldn't take it outside to get a good after photo in natural light, so I'll post it tomorrow, instead. So I'm 1 for 1. That's a good feeling on New Year's Day, artificial holiday or not.

Keeping my feet on the ground, but reaching for the stars...again

2009-12-09T17:54:00.000-05:00

I used to have a pen pal when I was twelve. Actually I had TWO pen pals when I was 12; I made reference to one when I was writing a letter to the other (as in, "I got a letter from Ann, my other pen pal, last week...") and the one to whom I was writing a letter was furious that I would have another pen pal besides her. It was rough. She wrote me a nasty note about two timing her and I took it very personally.

But I digress. My point is that as much as I loved having pen pals (and I did love it, as is evidenced by the fact that I had more than one), I seem to remember almost every one of my letters beginning something like, "I'm sorry it's been so long since I wrote..." That's what I feel like I should do here with this post, since I haven't written since August. I am sorry because writing clears my head, and I'm always sorry when I don't do it more, and it's just another thing for me to add to my Guilt List when I tell myself I'm going to do it and I don't. I do have valid reasons for not writing, of course (I work 40 hours a week, I have two small kids, I'm trying to be a wife, etc.). But the truth is that I could be doing it, and I'm just not. More on that in days to come, I'm sure.

But I digress again.

Here I am. Today.

In more positive news, LOOK AT THIS!

I am selling some headbands there this holiday. They've been on display since the store opened at the end of November. Truth be told, I wish they were selling in a more wildly successful way, but I'll take what I can get right now. It's a start. And I need that right now.

I used to listen to Kasey Kasem's American Top 40 EVERY Sunday when I was growing up. His sign off was, "Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars." That's what I'm doing. I'm not quitting my day job (yet). I'm not doing anything radical or rash. But I am reaching for the stars. And to keep the metaphor going, it feels good to stretch.

The Kindergarten MuMu

2009-08-05T16:41:00.001-04:00

I'm not even sure that's exactly the way you spell mumu (is there a correct spelling for such a word?), but that's the perfect description for the peasant dress I made Kate this afternoon:

I do not completely dislike it. I like the style of it; I just think that the fabric choice (although I like the fabric on the bolt) and the length makes it look dowdy, and with the flower appliques I so painstakingly sewed close to the bottom hem, I can't take it up without a lot of work. Since I've already invested over two hours in Simplicity Sewing for Dummies (yep) pattern #4206, I'm just going to leave this as it is. The pattern is technically not even for a dress, but rather for a shirt, and I just added a little length and flared it out a little to make a dress.

I have a stack of fabric waiting to be made into this kind of dress for her. Today at Mary Jo's, I got some clearanced Wizard of Oz fabric for $1.99 a yard, and some Project Runway Carnaby Street fabric for $3.99 a yard. That will all become this kind of dress...someday. Until it gets cold, she can wear them as is. In the winter, she can wear them as tunics with a turtleneck and leggings (which I am also in the process of making). In the meantime, she loves this, which I think my gramma used to refer to as a housedress. It's perfect for wearing at home, and today she even proudly wore it to the grocery store. She's strongly into an "I only want to wear dresses" phase, so this fits.

Next time I will:

1. make it shorter

2. sew on the applique after I make the whole dress, so I'm free to make alterations

3. remember that I need to cut one sleeve from the right side of the fabric and one from the wrong side of the fabric, so they line up on the arm (I did it correctly in this version, but I had to cut one extra sleeve because I messed up and cut two from the right side of the fabric).

I am proud of myself for seeing an entire project through, from beginning to end. I started cutting the fabric at around noon and didn't stop until I finished the whole dress, a little after 2:00. That's unusual, for me. Hurray for perseverance!

Kate loves it, and so does Murphy (pictures of him being held hostage not withstanding), so it's a success!

Gramma Photo, Part II

2009-07-29T14:48:00.001-04:00

The second - and only other - picture of my gramma.

I'll write more about it later, since Murphy just went outside to pee and ended up rolling up in another dog's poop in our own backyard. Nice.

Photos of my Gramma!

2009-07-28T16:34:00.000-04:00

Brenda came over last night and brought with her:

1. a wild 2-year-old in the midst of potty training, so she was running around my house sans underwear showing her butt (and more) to everyone here (by "her" I mean Vivian, my niece, not my sister, who has been potty trained for quite some time)

and

2. pictures of my Gramma!

Here is the first one:

I think I'll use this in my header somewhere.

Here's what I know about the picture:

Left to right, that's me, my sister Donna (now 36), my gramma (who was probably about 54 at the time), Brenda (now 35) is on her lap, and my cousin Roberta is at the end. My youngest cousin, Chad, was not there (maybe not born yet?). We're on the couch in the house on Dove Street in Dunkirk. I must be 4 years old in this picture, which makes it around 1975. That big picture above the couch is a LARGE, crushed-velvet picture of The Last Supper, which followed us from apartment to apartment for years (my mother asked me yesterday where that picture ended up; I don't know, but I think it's a good thing that no one knows). I remember the shoes I was wearing; they're dark blue canvas on the top. I also remember the orange barrettes in my hair.

That's all I got.

Ironically, I think this photo was originally in my album. My mom took it from me, and my sister Brenda (the fat baby in the photo above) had the foresight to take it before she left for college. I know that some people would consider that to be stealing, but in this case it goes to show you that there is no black or white, only shades of gray. Had she not taken this photo with her, it would have ended up lost, or my father would have destroyed it, or a cat would have peed on it, and a piece of my history would have been lost. I guess the moral of that story is that sometimes, theft is a good thing.

I haven't seen even a photo of my gramma in a long time. I wonder, now, what kind of person she was in that photo. Was she like me t all? What was her personality like then, as an adult? Was she an alcoholic, even then? (I think so). I'm going to look at it more to see what I can come up with.

Life Is Good

2009-07-24T17:14:00.000-04:00

I have recently stumbled across the vast, talented community of women who generously share their talents and trade secrets over the Internet via their blogs. These women (I have not yet come across any male-authored blogs of this sort) tirelessly take photos, post tutorials, and offer encouragement for any number of projects one might be looking to complete (or, as is often the case with me, to start and leave, forlornly, somewhere in the dining room for several months, uncompleted. But that's another post). My latest find, and my favorite so far, is the blog Made. I was looking for instructions for how to make a child's dress out of a man's dress shirt for Kate, and this blog had that...and so much more. Dana, Made's mom, is creative and friendly and generous with her time and has so many projects I want to try that I'm worried I will begin neglecting my family in my pursuit of reconstructive sewing. Many of her projects are creative journeys of the recycled/reconstructed kind, which is even better than having to buy new fabric and such, since it's cheap and good for the planet.

So speaking of cheap, I do not like buying pajamas for Kate. If I don't really like spending money on clothes she wears on the outside of the house, where people can "ooh" and "aah" over her, imagine how much I dislike spending money on clothes she will only wear to bed. I get most of her pajamas from yard sales or consignment sales; lately, she's started wearing little-girl camisoles (more like t-shirts) and elasticized shorts to bed, because I found them at Walmart and they're comfortable and cheap. But when Kevin went through his dresser and came up with a whole pile of t-shirts for me to give to Goodwill, I couldn't bear to do it. T-shirts can be made into almost anything. Plus, one of them was a Life is Good t-shirt, which I'm pretty sure I bought for him just last Christmas but he said "fits weird." Life is Good t-shirts aren't cheap, and if I paid $20+ for the shirt, I'm going to get more wear out of it than six of seven months. I got to cut it up! They're heavy, quality cotton with cute graphics and they even have that small area of striped "lining" around the back of the neck. So I made Kate...

A t-shirt nightgown!

I am not organized enough to think about taking pictures while I'm doing something, step by step. I usually don't even remember to take before and after shots of the garment I'm altering, and that's definitely true in this case. But if you can picture a standard man's t-shirt, XL, that's what this was. And in a nutshell:

1. I traced one of her old jumper dresses onto the shirt (using a Sharpie) and left about 1/2" for seam allowances on each side.

2. I cut it out.

3. I sewed it up, wrong sides together, and turned it right side out. I didn't finish the seams.

4. I zig-zagged around the neck and arm holes, but this step is not really necessary, since jersey material will not ravel, as it just rolls up, so the seams don't have to be finished. But I like the look of it.

And that's it!

I big shout out to Kate, who seriously got about 10 mosquito bites while she stood outside on the deck so I could get photos of this last night right before it started to rain. She's a trooper. She said she even wants to wear it as a dress, not just as a nightgown, which I think is a cute idea. Plus, it's summer, so why does it matter?

And now we're all happy. What's more comfortable to sleep in than a worn t-shirt? Plus, it was almost free, it was easy to make, and it is cute. I have 6 or 7 more t-shirts in the dining room right now, waiting for my scissors. Let the refashioning continue!

Vacation Is Done

2009-07-20T21:18:00.000-04:00

Of course, my husband is here to remind me that my vacation is not done, since I don't return to school until August 17th and I still have few weeks left of vacation. But our family vacation is over. I plan to write about it in the next couple days. In the meantime, I'm going to post a picture I took of Joseph on the boardwalk on the Jersey Shore:

My father-in-law once said that Joseph could test the patience of Jesus Christ himself. I don't remember why he said it or what the circumstances were at the time, but he didn't mean it in a nasty way, and besides, he's right. Even so, that picture is all Joseph in that it epitomizes how I love him even on days like today - especially days like today - when he's a real pisser who challenges every word that comes out of everyone's mouth and won't sit still long enough to slip on a flip flop.

Enough waxing rhapsodic about my son. I have a kitchen to paint. And I imagine there will be much more Joseph love on this blog in the future, anyway.

Ice Is Nice

2009-07-03T15:42:00.000-04:00

I do not have a big sweet tooth. I don't normally have dessert; it's not a health-related thing, it's just that I don't normally have a taste for it, especially after I've had a full meal. But this place has changed the way I feel about sugar.

They recently built one in the same small shopping center that is home to Trader Joe's. That means I have reason to drive there quite frequently. And it is...yummy. They have about 20 different kinds of Italian Ice on tap all the time, which sometimes makes it difficult to choose. Plus, the last time I was there, I discovered their Gelati. No, not gelatto, Gelati. It's a layer of their custard ice cream (which is the smoothest and creamiest custard I've ever had, a layer of Italian Ice in the middle, and topped with another dallop of custard. It's heavenly. And it has put an end to the ever-present dilemma I face every time we go to other ice cream places: If I get ice cream, then a few bites into it I wish I had ordered something less rich and sweet because I want something more refreshing, and if I order something non-ice cream based then everyone else's ice cream starts to look really good and I regret my choice. But the Gelati is the best of both worlds.

When Kevin gets home from work in about 20 minutes, we're going to Rita's. What a start to the holiday weekend.

White-Lie Wednesday

2009-07-01T16:23:00.000-04:00

My Gramma Said: Liberally slathering baby oil onto your skin will prevent sunburn.

Yep, she really said that. Even back in 1976, the logic was clearly flawed: if you rubbed butter onto a turkey before roasting to make its skin brown and crispy, why would using a similar kind of greasy product on human skin have the opposite effect? Still, before we would head off to Community Park, we would basically hose off in baby oil. And Off insect repellent. Between the skin cancer I am sure to develop as the result of basting my skin in petroleum and the unknown other cancers I am sure to develop as the result of showering in toxic chemicals just to avoid a mosquito bite, I can't imagine this was the wisest course of action for a 5-year-old.

I know that many people did things like this back in the day, before the dangers of the sun and the lack of ozone and DEET were well-known among pedestrian summer lovers. But...my gramma said she was a nurse. A genuine, certified R.N., to be exact. Never mind that in the entire time I knew her, she never worked in a hospital. Never worked at all, in fact. I heard volumes about her stint owning a John Deere dealership, about how she owned the Hotel restaurant/bar in Brocton (a story for another day) and about a host of other jobs she supposedly held. But I never heard a peep about her professional career as a nurse. At the time it didn't seem at all odd to me; she told us she had been a nurse, and she was the central figure in my life, and I trusted her implicitly, and that was that. Come to think of it, I don't remember when she actually told us she was a nurse. It was just a given, and we understood it to be the truth, forever.

Brenda and I have discussed this at length and can arrive at no solid conclusion. Was she ever a nurse? If not, why lie? If so, why wasn't she working as a nurse? Was there a big cover up of some sort? Regardless, the bigger question remains:

Why did a woman who said she was a Registered Nurse tell us to bake our bodies in baby oil? I think it was the poor man's sunscreen. Baby oil costs less than $2 a bottle and lasts forever. I have a bottle in my medicine cabinet right now that has been there for years; I don't even remember where I got it. Sunscreen, on the other hand, is way more expensive. And did they even have sunscreen in 1976? I don't know. My gramma probably thought she was doing something good for our skin by having us put something on it, rather than send us out into the open air with bare skin. She was trying. The R.N. thing...I have way fewer pat answers for that.

Some people lie awake at night wondering if Oswald acted alone on the grassy knoll. But I wonder about my gramma's supposed medical career. And I wonder why the facts are so skewed, and why I didn't think to question any of them until after I graduated from college, and what else was an exaggeration of the facts or a blatant fabrication of reality?

I bet I have enough for an amazing number of White-Lie Wednesday entries. I don't have deeply repressed memories of horrific events, but I do sometimes remember things that have remained dormant for years and years. The oddly-shaped mole on my shoulder reminded me of the baby oil thing. It sounds Freudian - I'm questioning my upbringing because of the shape of a mole - but there's a lot to think about.

2009-06-30T22:27:00.000-04:00

This sign was displayed in my favorite coffee shop recently:
Kate was pretty excited when she saw it: "We really get a free puppy?" Joseph was more concerned: "What does it mean we'll get shot?" I was just amused by the whole thing. And hats off to the coffee shop for having the audacity to display the sign. It's not a trendy, snarky, cold place run by indifferent coffee snobs. It's a comfortable place with big armchairs and BOOKS and board games, and the staff is always friendly.

I love my kids. They are smart and witty and wonderful and genuinely two of my favorite people in the world. But if I were in a coffee store sans my own children, it would be a rare day indeed; I certainly wouldn't want my one hour of precious peace and quiet mucked up by other people's unruly children running around and screaming, parents sitting idly by, while I was reading. Or sipping coffee. Or staring into space doing nothing.

So...parents, take responsibility for your kids.

It's Summertime, and the Livin' is Easy

2009-06-27T14:56:00.000-04:00

It is June 27, and I have the entire summer out in front of me. Were I someone else, I would be jealous of me. I return to school on August 17th, and students arrive on August 25th. I have not one single obligation in front of me, not even any plans (with the exception of our trip up north in a couple of weeks; since this is a Happy Blog Entry, that topic is neither here nor there). If I did not have kids, I could literally do nothing - NOTHING - for the next several weeks, and no one would know. I could sleep or leave the county or crawl into a hole, and I would miss nothing. However, being that I am not the governor of South Carolina, I won't be doing that. Still, my plans are light. For example, this afternoon, my plans consist of:

1. buying my GPS, which I have researched

2. getting some Italian ice at Rita's

3. if I am motivated, sewing Kate another sundress with the fabric that just arrived in the mail today

Yes, my life is good today. All that I have is all that I need.

I was in my 20s before I understood who Billie Jean was and what her song meant

2009-06-26T15:23:00.001-04:00

One of my best friends is a Michael Jackson fan. Has been forever. I remember vegging on his couch in December of 1993, watching Michael Jackson's press conference addressing the then-current charges pending against him. D.J. never wavered in his support of Michael Jackson, never took the easy road and went along with all of the jokes that were flying at the time, never stopped liking his music and doing one of the best moonwalk impersonations I've ever seen. When news started coming out yesterday afternoon regarding Michael Jackson' emergency/coma/death (depending on your news source of choice, and exactly when you were being updated), the very first person I thought of was D.J. It takes guts to stand your ground when everyone around you is making jokes and derogatory comments. I admire that.

I am not a non-fan of Michael Jackson, nor would I call myself a fan. I don't know what to make of the charges against him before - I know he was cleared, but that doesn't make things clear, really. Perhaps he was just a lonely man who really never did grow up and was genuinely just happy to be around kids. Perhaps there was more to it. I don't know. But I, like everyone else in my generation, can mark specific milestones in my life by remembering what Michael Jackson songs were popular at the time:

1. 1983 - my best friend, Lori, was the only person I knew who had MTV (she was also the only person I knew at the time who had a VCR and/or a microwave oven, thus lending credence to my belief that her family was rich. They were not). We watched the video for Beat It repeatedly. It was magical.

2. 1991 - I lived in an apartment by myself during part of college. I loved it. Black and White was popular at the time, and MTV played it all the time. Yes, I had MTV myself by that point. I was definitely movin' on up in the world. I remember being in my living room, reading by the light of the little white lights I had strung around the walls, being very content with the little life I had built for myself.

3. April, 2004 - Thriller was featured in the movie 13 Going on 30, when everyone at the stuffy party knows all of the line-dancing moves to the song and they stage an impromptu dance along. Jennifer Garner is an under-rated actress, and the movie also featured Mark Ruffalo, who is many things, all of them good. More importantly, it was one of the first times after the birth of my daughter, almost six months before this, that I went out without my kids and husband. Brenda and I went to see it while Kevin stayed home with Joseph and Kate. I was nervous and, of course, I had an amazing time.

It's hard not to be affected at all by the death of someone who has provided some of the soundtrack for your life.

It's My Perogative (Gonna Do What I Wanna Do)

2009-06-25T21:18:00.000-04:00

I cannot get my blog to look exactly the way I want it. I keep fiddling with it. Are the colors right? Are the fonts the way I want them? Too big? Too small? I think right now, for today, it's the way I want it. I look out the flowers on the background - too cutesy, the more I looked at them - and am not using my signature. I still like the header a lot: no-nonsense, kind of rough around the edges. Like my gramma.

I feel shallow, worrying to much about the look of my blog, but really, if the look of it is keeping me from wanting to visit it and therefore write - which is exactly what was happening - then I need to change it. I imagine I'll keep changing it as the mood strikes me. But today, it's fine. Which is what I need to remember in regard to many things. Not just my blog. Everything is fine, today.

A bird horror of a different sort, and some nice bird stuff, too

2009-06-24T21:28:00.000-04:00

Jackson, Kate's first bird, died over Spring Break this year. I remember the day vividly: it was a Thursday, around 4:30, and I was in the kitchen cutting vegetables. Kate came downstairs, all excited, and said, "Mom! Jackson is taking a nap on the floor of his cage, and he's reading the papers you put in the bottom of it!"

I knew right away, obviously, what was going on. I sighed, put down the knife, and walked upstairs. There was no getting around it. He was dead, clearly. I looked at Kate, who was jumping on her bed, oblivious to the death in the cage only a few feet from her, and I said, quietly, "Jackson died, Kate. I'm so sorry. He's dead."

She looked shocked for a minute, then her face cracked and then, without any hint of melodrama, she started sobbing, "BUT I GAVE MY WHOLE HEART TO THAT BIRD!" Which she did. I really liked Jackson, too. He was one of the friendliest birds I'd ever seen. He was not people-shy at all. He sat on people's heads, perched on their hands, and walked around the floor when we let him. His favorite thing to do was perch on Kevin's foot and nibble on his sock. It was easy to grow attached to him, since he was so cuddly (for a bird, I mean). I was definitely a little sad myself.

Kevin came home from work, we spent several hours consoling Kate, and the very next day she and I went out to PetSmart and purchased Rose, the only parakeet left in the whole store. Rose is a dud of a bird who hates people and flies frantically to the other side of the cage if a human finger even comes near him - yes, Rose is a guy - so he's no Jackson, for sure. He will probably live for the next 25 years, just because I don't give a hoot about him and he will stay alive just out of spite so we have to clean out his cage once a week. But Kate loves him. And this? Kate loves to make her dad and brother happy).

So you can imagine my glee when I discovered I was recently featured in an Etsy treasury regarding bird-themed items:

That is my little bird pillow there in the lower left-hand corner. I made it because I liked the little bird I drew, and I saw a cardinal that morning with Joseph, and we do seem to be connected to birds here. I am honored to be in that Treasury. Etsy could not have known that Jackson died. And I do love that pillow.

The Case of the Disappearing Gramma

2009-06-23T22:51:00.000-04:00

So I thought it would be neat to put a picture of my actual gramma on my blog, given that it's named after her. I thought it would be great to have her up there in my header, sort of looking down on my writing sternly, like a guide from well beyond the grave (she's been dead for 25 years...the word "blog" would have sounded ridiculous to her, and she would have had no patience for it, since it would have sounded vulgar, like "fart"). Anyhoo, I even knew how I was going to do it and change the header up a little and everything. I figured out how to work the scanner, and I, in all of my technical widardry, was going to scan her right into the banner. I eagerly went to my closet, got out my old photo albums, and even remembered one specific picture of her that I thought would look absolutely fabulous in my blog. So I opened up the albums, and...

Nothing.

By that, I mean there was not a single picture of my gramma anywhere in any of my photo albums. I looked fantically through all of them, wondering for a minute or two if she had even existed or if I had imagined her Winston-smoking self and made up an entire person that lived only in my own head, like Russell Crowe's character in A Beautiful Mind. Then I remembered...

Many years ago - I can't even recall exactly when - my mother requested (no, demanded, at the time) that I let her "borrow" my photo albums so that she could make copies of pictures in there, since they were technically her pictures and she had a right to them (and if that sounds like something a 7-year-old would say, then I wrote it so that it sounds exactly like I meant it to). So she took my albums for a while, and I remember being upset when she returned them to me that she kept all of the originals and instead gave me the blurry, low-quality copies she had made. It never occured to me to take an inventory of the pictures in there or to make sure that they were returned. But now that I finally (years later - forgive me, Gramma) realized that every picture of my Gramma has been removed from my albums, and remembering that at the time she borrowed them my mom was going through one of her (many) "your father can do no wrong and I will absolutely follow through with every ridiculous thing he tells me to do" phases, it becomes increasingly clear that my mother took every picture of my gramma. Every. Single. One.

I have already arranged for my sister to scan her pictures of Gramma and e-mail them to me, so I can use them. In the meantime, I have that piece of clip art up there. That woman looks nothing like my gramma, who did not have a bun or even white hair. In fact, she looks a little more cheerful than I remember my gramma looking. But she looks like she means business, so she'll do, for now. And she will be a reminder, for now, of my gramma.

That's all I got.

2009-05-16T08:02:00.000-04:00

I am excited about my new blog look, which is from Erin at Designer Blogs. I've been trying to think of ways to inspire myself to write, and I may have stumbled across just the thing. She installed it last night, and this morning when I woke up, I couldn't wait to look at it. Maybe, at heart, I'm just a girl who wants things to look pretty. Regardless, I love it. I might find a picture of my gramma so I can scan it and ask her to add it to the header. But right now, I've loving it. I need coffee right now, but later I'm going to write more.

Coughing and sneezing and sleeping, oh my!

2009-05-06T21:05:00.000-04:00

Nothing like a few illnesses - strep, to be exact - and food poisoning and seasonal allergies (first timer, here!) to interrupt the flow I had of writing every day on my blog. No swine flu, no major problems, just my normal hypochondriac self refusing to go to the doctor until my scorching throat made it necessary to go to the CVS Minute Clinic (I love that place...the genius who came up with the idea should be promoted to The Head of Everything at CVS).

I knew last week at school would be jam packed, and it was, so I'm trying not to be too hard on myself. I've been getting lots of rest, like they (as in everyone) say, so I'm feeling fine. And since my blog is set to private right now and no one can see it but me at this point...don't worry about me, me, and thank you for your kind words about me. No comments necessary, since I know who you are.

Bugs Rule

2009-04-18T16:28:00.000-04:00

My Gramma said that bugs won't hurt you. Turns out, of course, that she was right.

For the fourth summer in a row, bugs look to be the

Best Free Entertainment Money Can't Buy at our house. It's a wonderful thing. Bugs are totally free, they're plentiful, they don't require batteries, they teach lots of things beyond what they appear to be (building communities, the cycle of life, caring for living creatures), and they're disposable, since at night we release them back into nature to they can go find their families (at first, Joseph didn't want to let them go; when I asked him how he'd feel if a giant hand from the sky plucked him out of his back yard and put him in a glass jar and wouldn't let him come back to his family, he relented). They don't clutter up my living room, they're not made of caustic, China-imported materials, and my kids love 'em. It doesn't get any better than that.

We are all about bugs here. I was worried that Joseph might outgrow his fascination with bugs this year as he's become more interested (OK, obsessed) with basketball, but he's still an amazingly enthusiastic collector of bugs. He and Kate spend hours hunting for bugs, making homes for them, talking about them. When they see a bug they don't recognize, they run into the house and look it up in the giant book about bugs that Kate got for Christmas a couple years ago (this, I must admit, makes me a Super Proud Mom. My 5- and 6-year-old are doing independent research - in books, no less. I know plenty of high-school students who would balk at this very notion). We color and draw pictures of bugs. We go the library and get out books about bugs. We look up information on the Internet. Last year, they even went to Bug Camp - a weeklong daycamp at one of the city parks here. It was a huge hit. If we can spare the cash, they'll go again this year.

Their utter lack of squeamishness about them amazes me. I'm not all girly and yippie about bugs, but neither am I an entymologist. Kate will, without thought, pick up any insect she sees and plop it into her bug house. Once, the mom of some kids with whom they used to spend a bit of time told me that she actively encourages her kids to be afraid of bugs, because she hates them herself. I was annoyed because it seems ridiculous to me that you'd pass on your irrational fears to your kids just because; also, I didn't want my kids to start fearing insects because they saw her kids fearing them. Luckily, that didn't happen.

Right now it's the beginning of caterpillar season. They're spending a great deal of time every evening collecting wooly caterpillars. Joseph is waiting for Kate to return from her friend Livia's house right now because Kate is The Best Caterpillar Hunter, according to him. I told him he should tell her that, because it would mean a lot to her to hear praise like that from her brother. I'm skeptical that he'll admit it to her, but he surprises me very often, so we'll see. In a few weeks, we'll move to ladybug collecting. It's all seasonal. Kate's school would be proud.
(I just want to point out here that I got a lot of dog poop on my shoe getting this picture of one of the first caterpillars we saw this year. I was squatting down to get a close up and, after warning Joseph to step around the dog poop, I stepped right in it. I'd like to give a big Thank You shout out to our neighbors for regularly letting your bighuge dogs wander the street by themselves so that they can take bighuge squats in other people's yards. How awesome is it that my kids get to play in a yard that may or may not have residue left by other people's dogs? How extra-awesome is it that this residue may get tracked through my house when my kids come inside? Thank you, thank you, thank you).

Long live the bugs! Not in my house, obvsiously, and nothing with stingers or poison, please, but all others are welcome here.

Envy Me, If You Must

2009-04-17T14:19:00.000-04:00

I only have a few minutes to write before we pick up Mr. J. from school. But I just wanted to post that, here on a sunny Friday afternoon as I sit and type and watch from the deck as Kate takes pictures of rocks and inchworms and trees, that I have the two most beautiful kids in the world:

Let the envying commence.

I am a good mom...really

2009-04-15T17:28:00.000-04:00

So given that I have the week off, I decided to spend it volunteering as much as I can in the kids' schools. I feel badly that it's April and I haven't done much to support the schools; I've been to Joseph's awards ceremonies and concerts and volunteered to help out however I can - from home, of course, since I'm no longer home during the day. This week was/is going to be my opportunity to be a star volunteer.

I planned to have lunch with Kate today, before I did Reading Buddies for her class. Being the great mom that I am, I knew she had lunch at 12:20. She was very worried that I wouldn't be there on time, even though I can't recall an occasion when I've ever been late for something - EVER - in my life. I assured her I'd be on time. Kevin assured her that, given the kind of person I am, I'd be early, even. So confident was I in my ability to arrive on time, I didn't even pack her a lunch to take with her, since I knew I'd be meeting her and I'd arrive with lunch for both of us. No need for bagged lunches. No sweat.

I left here at 10:30, lunch in hand. Tuna salad, crackers, cantaloupe, granola bars, soymilk...I was set. Not only was I meeting my child for lunch, I packed a healthy lunch, to boot.

I met Kevin at around 11:10 to make the big Key Hand-Off (who knew that new keys to electronic-entry minivans cost $135 to replace after they fell into the garbage can that resides right below the key rack?), and I went to the Re-Store store across the street from where he works. I had plenty of time. I browsed, I picked up some stuff, and I stood in line...only to get out of line once I realized that it was 11:50, and I didn't want to risk being late for lunch. I left with 30 minutes to spare, proud of my ability to think ahead and be early. I got to Kate's school at 12:05.

Ahem.

Lunch is at 11:50. By the time I got there to comfort my hungry, sobbing child in the office, there was about 15 minutes left to eat. After I got through reassuring her that her parents had not abandoned her and trying to convince her that I was a good person, we had about 10 minutes left.

I performed my duty as a Reading Buddy, guiltily thinking about my screw-up. After I was done, I collected my Mother of the Year award and I signed Kate out of school at 2:15. We went back to the Re-Store store and had coffee and pecan pie and a coconut cupcake with a red jellybean. Nothing assuages mommy guilt like sugar, you know. It was just the girls.

I think she forgave me. I'm having a more difficult time forgiving myself.

The Peace of Yarn

2009-04-14T12:37:00.000-04:00

Until about three weeks ago, there was a yarn shop near me with that name: The Peace of Yarn. Even the first time I heard it, I thought it was an absolutely perfect name for a yarn store. I didn't go there often because it was in Matthews, which is not a convenient drive, and my kids were younger and prone to running wildly through retail establishments, and also because it was a yarn store, meaning specialty yarn, meaning specialty price tags of sometimes $20+ for one ball of yarn (it is sometimes difficult to be both a penny-pincher and a lover of nice things...the penny pincher part of me usually wins these battles). But I love the name and the idea behind it: The Peace of Yarn. I'm also currently reading Friday Night Knitting Club, which has renewed my love affair with fibers and the joy they represent.

My mother used to crochet. I remember a chevron, zigzag-style throw that was on the back of our couch forever, stripes of white and rusty orange. It was very small - probably less than 3' by 2' - because I'm sure she was just using up yarn that someone had given to her from a project long-ago. Even now, though, I find it difficult to believe that my mother had the dexterity and the thought processes necessary to crochet. It's not incredibly difficult - die hard knitters, in fact, often scoff at how easy it is - but there is counting involved, and often it's difficult to gauge exactly where to insert the hook, especially at the beginning of a new project before the pattern has revealed itself. But somehow she did it. For Christmas last year, I sent her a box that contained several balls of yarn and a set of new hooks and a pattern book. I haven't asked her if she's made anything yet. I've seen how her hands shake sometimes and how she gets confused, and I don't want to make her feel bad if she hasn't made anything.

I crocheted a little bit about 10 years ago when I made my mother-in-law and my sister blankets; my sister sleeps with hers every night, and I don't know where my mother-in-law has the one I made for her. I started again about three years ago when I decided I wanted to make my daughter a hat and didn't want to pay $30 for one off of eBay. She must have 10 hats by now, plus some stuffed animals and even a blanket or two. I love the feel of the yarn in my fingers (organic cotton being the best in that regard; I love it for a lot of reasons, and it's definitely my yarn of choice). I love the idea that by just hooking and looping one strand of yarn in a certain way, I can create a real thing, something someone can use or wear.

What I love most of all, though, is that it is impossible - literally impossible - for anyone, including a master multi-tasker like myself, to do anything else while crocheting. This includes worrying and obsessing, which I've been doing quite a bit lately, so as my husband said, crocheting is a perfect thing for me to pick up again right now. There's so much counting and patterning and concentration involved that you can't think of anything else while you're doing it. For something that's relatively easy to master, it's also relatively consuming. The rhythm is hypnotic, the counting is relaxing, and even when I do it just for 10 minutes here and there, I always walk away feeling more relaxed then when I started. It's like I lose myself for a period of time, almost like sleeping, and when I'm done, things are just a little better.

I'm going to carry my yarn with me everywhere for a while. Today in carpool, tomorrow when I run errands...you never know when a few extra minutes will pop up, and since I'm used to having a book with me, anyway, this is not much different. I'm finding my inner peace with yarn right now. I expect that we'll have a linen closet full of washcloths and my daughter's hat collection will be growing rapidly over the next several weeks, but it's all good. Mama needs some relaxation.

The silence is coming from inside the house

2009-04-13T13:10:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day in about...6 1/2 years, I guess, that I have the house totally to myself, and I do not feel obligated to do anything, and no one is asking me to do anything, and I don't feel guilty. The kids are at school and my vacation has just started. Thus, the empty house.

I don't even have any worries hanging over me at the moment. I could even take a nap, I guess, were it not for the fact that I have to leave in a little over an hour to pick up the kiddos from school. It's been a quiet day, nothing special. I picked up some clearance Easter stuff at Target, made a couple of phone calls to clear up some pesky administrative things (i.e. money-related stuff), cleaned up Kate's room, put some stuff into storage, and completed a couple of pieces of business online. It's nice to not feel over-worked and stressed.

I am reading this book right now. I picked it up yesterday at Barnes & Noble during our annual "It's Easter and why isn't anything open and what are we going to do now?" journey in the car. Unlike some slef-help books I've picked up briefly and then tossed aside in disgust, this one has practical steps for finding peace. I've not yet put most of them into practice, of course, but it's a step. And I like looking by the side of my bed and having it next to me. It feels good. The copy I have is hardcover with a smooth dust jacket and it's a small book. It's nice to hold.

I'm going to enjoy some solitude right now, in fact. I can't promise that I've found the key to inner simplicity yet, but I have to believe that if I'm going to find it at all, the place to start is in a quiet house at 1:20 in the afternoon on a Monday when I have no obligations. I'm ready to discover it NOW, but I'm betting that impatience and inner simplicity don't go hand-in-hand, so I'll have to wait a bit, I'm sure. Maybe this really is one of those times when the joy is not in the destination, but in the journey. I don't know that I've ever actually had that be the case in my life, but as my gramma always said, there's a first time for everything. Let the journey begin.

Gardening Without Guilt

2009-04-12T14:06:00.001-04:00

I say "without guilt" because, for the first time I can remember, I have not committed to planting anything, anywhere, for any reason. Kate and Kevin have made the garden their own personal project; Kevin became fascinated with the Topsy-Turvy tomato planters when he saw them on TV, and Kate works in the garden a lot at school, so it worked out well. So far they've planted several different types of annuals, several different herbs, and even the biodegradable soap container (which contained baby's breath seeds, according to the package) that we got from Target yesterday. Kevin did a lot of research on the Internet and made a raised bed, since we mostly have red clay in the ground around our house. He broke it up into twelve 1'x1' sections.

It looks great, and they put a lot of time into it. My contribution thus far has been to make the marker in the upper right-hand corner for the baby's breath:

I have to admit, I feel really good about letting go of the idea of gardening. Every year before this, I would spend money on seeds and soil and plants, and every year my enthusiasm for it would wane and I would end up letting it all wither and die (all the while feelings guilty, of course). But now I can partake of the bounty of the garden without worrying about letting anyone down. It is not my garden. I just take the pictures of it.

I am totally fine with not having any responsibilities with the garden. A recovering control freak has no business working in a garden, anyway; so few things can be controlled with nature that it's sure to end badly.

This is a good day.

A New Day, A New Blog, A New Woobie

2009-04-11T10:46:00.000-04:00

In keeping with my time-honored tradition of putting things off, thinking about them, and re-tooling them until a great deal of time has passed before things come to fruition, this is my first post in my new blog. I've spent much time wondering what my first post will address: career crisis? family? I think I've realized that the more time I spend thinking about writing, the less likely I am to actually write, which has long been one of my troubles. My first post, after all, does not have to be momentous and incredibly important; as I often tell my students, "Just write. It doesn't matter what you say. Just write." And so here I am.

Yesterday at Ikea, Kate picked up a navy blue fleece blanket and immediately made it her own. She curled up in the shopping cart and used it as a pillow. Much to my surprise, she began calling it her "new woobie." This means, I'm thinking, that she's considering replacing her old, tired, tattered, stinky (despite her father's constant washing of it...which is what I'm thinking has contributed to the "tattered" adjective) woobie that she's had since shortly after her birth.

Her woobie is one of the last remnants of her babyhood and, like mothers everywhere, I am sad to let go of that last thread. She is still very much a baby - she's small and innocent and loves to cuddle - but she's 5. Or, as she began informing me a couple weeks ago, she's 5 1/2. She still loves that woobie, so I know it's not going anywhere soon, but the fact that she's considering retiring it makes me a little sad. But proud.

And if she can give up that woobie, then I can give up habits that have served me poorly (unlike the woobie, which has done nothing but provide warmth and comfort when needed).

Today is a new day. And this is my first post. Nothing big and fancy. But it's a start.