Bluebirdbaby

Snowstorm and Shoe Gnomes

We finally got a snowstorm! We waited all December for King Winter to send several inches of snow our way, but instead we got freak 60 degree days, rain storms, and a light dusting of that powdery white stuff the little one loves so much. But not this weekend. We were hit not once, not twice, but for three straight days. Sasa thinks there's about 18 inches of that magical white stuff covering our yard. The little one was in heaven catching snowflakes on her tongue (most tasted like chocolate she claimed), making snowmen in the yard, and heading to town for errands on her sled. The streets were perfect for pulling a toddler around in a sled, and from the amount of sleds leaning against the sides of store doors, I guess the other parents around town agreed!

And just a little something the little one and I were up to back in November that I am just now writing about :: shoe gnomes! After seeing Amy's shoe gnomes, I remembered that the little one and I had made a jar full for our mudroom. There's enough for her shoes (and yes...she has quite the collection!) and for other tiny footed guests. They keep all her little shoes together and add the right amount of magic to one of the dirtiest rooms in the house! And they are just so darn cute...

I finally got around to adding a winter banner to this space. Yay for snow! I'll be sick of it soon enough, but right now I'm really enjoying it. And the excuse to get all cozy and curl up with some knitting or a book on the couch is nothing to complain about!! Until tomorrow...

Advent Week Four

The fourth light of Advent is the light of humankind.

The light of love, the light of thought, to give and to understand.

The little one was super excited about lighting the fourth candle this week. She could barely contain her excitement when I announced it was time to light our wreath. We added people to our Advent table to celebrate humankind. It was a wonderful night full of celebration and gratitude.

Sasa had to set up an event at work yesterday, so the little one and I spent some time setting up a little Winter Wonderland on top of the piano. We moved our Advent wreath to the center of the scene, and I think the result is quite magical. She was very thrilled about it. I spent some nights making fabric trees via this tutorial I've been eying for far too many holiday seasons. I'm so glad I finally got around to it!

When Sasa returned, it was time for some baking and holiday reading. The little one loves reading about Father Christmas. It was such a sweet scene to see them curled up together on the floor reading book after book on a cold, wintry afternoon while the smell of soup on the stove filled the room.

And after a long day at work, Sasa and I hit the kitchen for some holiday baking. Nothing beats melted dark chocolate. Especially when mint is added. Oh yea, and a glass of Malbec doesn't hurt either. Gosh, I love this season. I love food. And boy, oh boy, do I love this man.

And thank you all so very, very much for all your thoughtful, amazing, and touching comments. You seriously make my day. You have no idea how special your words are to me. I wish I had time to respond to everyone, but my computer time is so limited these days. I do read every one. So here's a collective thank you!!

I didn't get around to posting our Solstice celebration yesterday, so I'll save it for tomorrow (on the actual Solstice). For those of you who asked, the Winter Solstice celebrates the return of light. On December 21st, the sun will rise later and set earlier than any other day this year. It marks the shortest day of the year, yet the slow return of light and eventually the return of spring. So yay for Solstice! We give thanks to the Earth, the Sun, and all the wild animals out there surviving through a long, cold, dark season. More tomorrow!

A(nother) Day in Photos

:: Early morning reading ::

:: Christmas crafting ::

:: Jack Frost has been bringing us lots of frost flowers! ::

:: Afternoon play on the couch. I put my glasses on to read and she looked over and said, "Mama, take those glasses off!" I asked her why and she replied with, "Because you look so mysteeerious!" Then she asked me to take her picture. What a silly goose! ::

:: Apple crisp in the works. We wanted to surprise Sasa when he got home from work. I also had homemade vegetable pasta sauce on the stove. The kitchen smelled delicious! ::

:: Early Solstice/winter gifts ::

:: A spark of Father Sun's light ::

:: Finally, finally asleep ::

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Our day started at a bright and early (who am I kidding??....dark and waaay too early!) 4:30 a.m. It's dark, it's cold, it's nice and cozy in bed, but I awake to the pitter-patter of little feet running down the hall. The door creaks open and a little voice whispers, "Mama? Sasa? You awake?"

Um...we played the whole "sound asleep" card for a good five minutes, but that was clearly getting us nowhere. So it was a long day. A day I wasn't sure I would quite make it through. (I'm one of those "I could conquer the world if I sleep in until 8 a.m." kinda gals.) But regardless of the early wake up, we did indeed have a rather lovely day. It was full of more coffee than I care to admit, some Christmas crafting, three delicious meals with the two I adore most, and ended with a not-so-early bedtime (darn!) and plenty of snuggles.

Jack Frost has certainly been good to us. King Winter hasn't been sending any snow, but Jack Frost is making sure it's frigid out there. Almost every window in our house has frost flowers on it! So pretty, but I can't wait to see the yard again!

Stay warm! We're gearing up for a Solstice celebration this weekend. What do you do on Solstice?!

Ornaments and Snow

A couple of weeks ago we set to work making ornaments for our tree, friends and family. We used a simple recipe that I remembered doing when I was in preschool (I still have those ornaments and they still smell great!). I was reminded of the project when I saw my friend Heather had done them with her boys. The recipe is on her blog. We only used cinnamon in ours, as I had done as a child. The little one is beyond thrilled with the result. She takes her "horse" off the tree to play with it quite a bit, although she's still asking me when she can eat them!

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And today we enjoyed an afternoon outside, all bundled up in the cold, windy weather. We found a great sledding hill behind our house (mama had great fun!) and then we said hello to our chickens. They don't know what to think of the snow and often stay inside the barn all day. The little one checked for an egg, but we didn't have any luck today. Maybe tomorrow!

Hope your day was just as sweet!

Insert Big Sigh of Relief Here

Holiday shopping done (thank you, thank you, thank you Etsy). Photography work done. One sewing project out of five done. House cleaning done. Paperwork, flyers, and printed photographs for Saturday's show done. Packages to be mailed done. It was a good, productive, snow stormy day.

I worked a bit on the little one's Christmas present. Above is a sneak peak. I can't wait to show you more! It's been so much fun.

Sasa rocks. He got home from work early because of the storm and cleaned the entire refrigerator, shoveled, made soup, popped popcorn, and brought me wine while I was working away in my sewing room. Have I mentioned lately just how much I love this man? He constantly amazes me. He is the sweetest person I've ever met. I am so grateful that he is in my life. Now we're settling in, listening to Christmas music via Pandora (I admit, I love Christmas music...especially Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suites), eating soup, and doing holiday crafts.

I hope you had a day just as productive and cozy. Stay warm!!

An Advent Candle Decoration

Wednesday is our craft day. I try to have everything set up beforehand. Today we were making Advent candle decorations. We use this candle at every meal and before bedtime, so it was nice to have something festive to add to it.

The little one is really into drawing letters lately. She likes to trace my letters, so I had written "ADVENT" in big letters for her to trace underneath. She had such fun! We cut out leaves, felted some "berries," and gathered some bells to string together. When it was all finished, we put it around our candle. Such an easy, fun little project!

And just something the little one wanted to share with everyone today...she has shoes "just like mama!" Found at a thrift shop, these Hanna Andersson clogs were almost brand new and super cheap. Oh my! They're a bit big for her, but that didn't stop her from wearing them all over town. She is just too cute!

Oh, and have you seen Grace's amazing shop? She just opened it up. Go check out her lovely dolls!!

My First Project

So, I took all your advice and started on a scarf. I've always wanted to knit, but every time I've started I always run into some problem and haven't had anyone close by to help. But now? Now I seem to be surrounded by knitters! Many thanks to Ann, Melissa, and Ananda for all their help!

I bought some super soft alpaca from a local yarn shop and started a scarf for the little one. It was done in no time at all and I've already moved on to the next one. I think that wool sweater vest for the little one isn't too far off now!

And the little one likes it enough to keep it on, which is saying a lot. She got hot halfway through our walk and promptly handed the scarf to Sasa who, I might add, looks very handsome in purple. (Oh, and the piggy hat was mine as a kid. It's way too big for her little head, but she just adores it and it draws quite a bit of attention...)

I hope you had a lovely day! I'm happy to announce there will be a super great giveaway in this space on Friday. Stay tuned!!

Little Bits

Here are some little bits of our day today. It was rainy, windy, stormy, and cold. We slept, played, read, braved the storm for some lattes, painted, ate, thrifted, knitted (oh my...how I'm hooked!), visited friends, went on a horse carriage ride, ate dinner at a super cool place, came home to snuggle in for the night, and now Sasa and I are now relaxing and drinking wine, while looking up ways to attract fairies to your home in a rather interesting book. (I actually asked if they honestly meant "real fairies" and Sasa replied with, "Well, yea...!") Um...cool!

I hope you had a good Saturday as well. I have my first Sunday off tomorrow in almost a year and am really looking forward to it!!

Oh, and I am so asbolutely way behind on e-mails. So sorry! So please, please, please know that I will indeed reply to them all soon. Sorry to keep some of you waiting!

A Gratitude Tree

After all the suggestions to my post inquiring about seasonal crafts, I decided the "Gratitude Tree" was going to be at the top of our list. Just in time for Thanksgiving! The little one and I searched our backyard yesterday for the perfect branch, and today we cut out the leaves (I save all her watercolor paintings because they come in handy for so many things!!) to put on our tree.

We talked a little bit about Thanksgiving and how it's a good time to be thankful for all that we have. I asked her what people do on Thanksgiving and she said, "They have lots of snacks!" When asked what she was thankful for, she listed Kiwi and Doggie Fly at the top of her list, then went on to name every single person who worked at the local bookshop, and every single person who I work with at the co-op. Super cute!

We decided to draw pictures of what we are thankful for, which was much easier for the little one than words and so fun to look at! When it was all done, we put it on a little table by our front door to see every time we come in and out. The little one wanted to add a "name tag" for the tree, so we wrote "Gratitude Tree" on a piece of paper to place in front of the vase. Thank you all so much for this wonderful idea!! It was so much fun!

And just a little peek at a corner of our bedroom. This room is turning into the "bird room" and is so much fun to decorate! Tweet, tweet!

I hope you all enjoyed your Thursday too!

What We Do on a Wednesday

Just a little peek into our day today ::

Craft for the morning :: felting bars of soap and two little "worms"

A little water play after the felting and some window washing.

Then it was off on our nature walk. (We took three today!) Of course, her baby and bunny had to go in her sling and accompanied us all over town today.

Back home to hang laundry on the line. It was so nice today!

A little snack inside. The goat cheese was mixed with a little honey and cranberries, and the raspberries were an extra special treat!

We finished up the late afternoon with some backyard play. It was warm enough to uncover the sandbox and get all the toys out again. So lovely!

What does your Wednesday typically look like?!

What a Good Day (again!)

Oh, what a fun day! And it's not even over. I sit here at 4 p.m., already having fixed dinner, the little one is completely engrossed in creative play, and I have a moment. I have a moment! I went through the photos of our day and couldn't help but feel so inspired. It was a good day. A really good day. The little one and I started off our day with the above :: a little snuggling in the morning sunlight with some good books and tea. What a great way to start the day!

After our snuggling it was time for our nature walk. We had a very special activity planned for this afternoon, so we were on a leaf collecting hunt. We wanted to find the prettiest leaves we could to dip in melted beeswax and preserve them for future crafts and our nature table. So we went all over town looking for the best leaves ever, and we found them! We also had to stop for a hot cocoa and a pink balloon (oh no...please tell me pink is not after purple!).

We got home and spread our loot out on the table. The beeswax was melted in a pot and placed on the table ready for dipping. The little one and I took turns dipping our leaves in the wax. The end result was so pretty! We also tried a couple of flowers which turned out lovely as well. We'll save these leaves for our nature table and maybe a leaf wreath too! Such a fun and easy activity. We plan on making candles with the extra beeswax to use at our meals.

And look what the fairies brought the little one today :: fences for her barn scene! We just love Zoo Loo Naturals! You can find their Etsy shop here! (The animals are from there too!)

What a good day, eh?! And coming up for Friday...a giveaway for the little ones! Yay!

Painting Day

Saturday is our official painting day. We start off our morning with some homemade pancakes (monkey-George style!) and the rest of the morning is filled with fun activities. By lunch, we are all ready for a quiet activity and painting seems to be just the ticket. We clean up, get our painting supplies, and set to work.

For anyone new to Waldorf education, I would highly recommended this book. It has a great section on painting with young children. Our painting board and watercolor paints came from here. We've had the watercolor paints since she was just a year old and they are only now running out! It's a good investment and they are very good quality.

We use the wet-on-wet method. Soak your watercolor paper for a few minutes prior to painting. When it's all ready to go, wipe off any excess water with a dry sponge. The wet paper really allows colors to mix and blend, remaining vibrant or muted depending on how your child paints. The little one paints vibrant paintings, while I tend to have a softer technique. Sasa is right in between!

I just love sitting down together and connecting through an activity we are all participating in. There's nothing like it. I am really looking forward to future painting days! And I just love Ella's idea of an "art installation" and think we will definitely have to try that with the little one soon!

A Happy Halloween

Over the summer, the little one requested to be a "purple flower fairy" for Halloween. I ordered the wool felt for her skirt and crown back in August and started working on the whole thing in September. The tutu was so easy and required no sewing at all! The flower petal skirt took the longest because of the hand embroidery, but the crown went together rather quickly too. All in all, it was an easy costume! She had no wings because she didn't want them. The costume didn't stay on too long. For a little one with sensory issues, the "itchy" fabrics and extra layers were just not something she was into. But that's okay. It will fit for years and into the dress up box it goes!

Early this evening we headed up to the annual All Hallow's Eve walk that the local Waldorf school puts on. It was a magical evening, full of forest fairies, knights and dragons, and ended with a story about jack-o-lanterns. The children walked quietly for a quarter of a mile through the woods, completely enchanted by the magical creatures. It was just beautiful. I snapped some photos from the walk so you could "join in" too! Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!!

A New Scarf and a Rose

Just a heads up...at a photo shoot yesterday, my camera suffered a "shutter death." Apparently at four years old, it's an antique and can only take so many clicks. I definitely over-clicked it! I was able to squeeze the below photos out of it today before it promptly freaked out and died again. Nikon is being very helpful and is repairing it for me, but it will take a couple of weeks. This pushed me to finally purchase a second camera to have as back-up (it will be my primary camera now) and it doesn't arrive until Thursday or Friday. So posting may be scarce...

One night last week while the little one was up coughing, I found that after being awakened repeatedly I could no longer fall back asleep! So I took the extra late night hours and decided to at least do something exciting. I went to my sewing room and took out all my Japanese crafting books. This is one of my favorites, and I knew the scarf was top on my list.

So after scoring some great plaid flannel at the rummage sale, I set to work making this sweet little scarf. I used linen for the other side and some decorative buttons from my friend Ann (thanks Ann!), and that antique lace? Oh, I love it so much. I left a frayed edge on each end using the plaid, and decoratively stitched the ends closed.

I'm really pleased with the fit, although I think I would make it narrower next time. It kept me warm and cozy at work today and I can tell it will get a lot of use this winter!

And just something that made me so very happy...

I decided at work today that I would go buy a single rose at the florist and surprise Sasa at work, just to tell him how much I love him. Well, by the end of my work shift I had a horrible migraine and couldn't imagine stopping at the florist anymore. I walked out to the parking lot and there on the ground was a single pink rose. So pretty! I picked it up and stuck it in some water in an empty pill bottle in the car. Perfect! The universe can be pretty awesome sometimes!

Happy Monday! Enjoy the start to your week!

The 411 :: Our Style

I get a lot of people asking me about my clothes, or rather my look. I buy mostly thrifted items, but staples usually are bought new like jeans and tank tops. So here's a little glimpse into my style and how to achieve the Bluebirdbaby look ::

• layer, layer, layer
• leggings are very handy
• skirts (the comfier the better) over leggings or jeans
• long tank tops under all shirts
• comfy top over tank top
• finish off with a sweater
• scarves (knit for colder weather or silk/cotton for inside)
• long necklaces
• funky earrings (for locals...try Mexicali Blues)
• hats, hats, and more hats (I am a wicked hat gal. The one above is from Kindred)
• my "leggings" above were made from an old shirt. I just hacked off the arms and put them on my legs. Cozy, upcycled, and funky at the same time. Yay!
• shoes (I prefer Keens, my vintage cowboy boots, and Simple. They are all super comfy and last forever and can be worn with anything.)
• long jersey or sweater dresses over leggings or jeans is another fav of mine
• short style sweaters over long shirts, or short sleeve sweaters over long sleeved shirts is something I often adorn
• I really want to add these and these to my wardrobe

To achieve the mini Bluebirdbaby style ::

• anything purple
• anything striped
• anything polka-dotted
• preferably all three together

I guess the little one has an easier time getting dressed in the morning. But at least I'm guaranteed to be warmer with all those layers!

Our Day

We spent the day taking it easy. A croupy toddler prompted this "wellness tray" that could be carried from room to room. It was packed with everything to make croup a little more tolerable, lots of miso soup, and some chamomile tea with honey.

Lots of laundry. I always get a kick out of folding the little one's clothes...one pile of purple, another of stripes and polka-dots.

Working on the little one's costume during some quiet time. Any guesses as to what she requested to be?! And finally, the book I've had on pre-order for months has finally arrived! Yay! Now if I can figure out a way to re-size all the patterns to fit me!

Taking pictures of the little one while she takes pictures of me. I bought her this very cheap digital camera to see how she liked having her own. It's definitely a hit, although I'm not too thrilled with the quality. She sure is a budding photographer despite lack of megapixels!

And lastly, Kiwi stole the little one's laundry basket, so she naturally had to steal mine.

We ended the day with a yummy spaghetti supper. Have you ever tried this sauce? It has whole cloves of garlic in it! Yum! After supper was a new favorite game, designed by Sasa's sister. Have you ever checked out eeboo? I just adore this. It's on my wish list for the little one.

Have a happy rest of the week!!

30 Days of Happiness :: Felted Acorns

The little one and I plunked down on the back porch this afternoon for a little tea and some wool felting. With fall fast approaching, I needed to gather some new materials for our nature table. I saw Ella's acorns recently on flickr and was so inspired. They are just too cute!

So we set to work after some tea (anise and peppermint with honey...yum!) and put our new enamel pots to good use. The little one felted a couple of acorns, but after that she made "felt people" who liked to "swim." It was much fun to watch and I was thoroughly entertained for the rest of my felting project.

Once that last drop of tea had vanished (and trust me, I mean the very last drop!), we had finished up the majority of the acorns. The little one helped picked all the colors and I glued the acorn tops on once they were dry. The end result is rather sweet, and I'm excited to add them to our nature table.

I would love to know any tricks to wet felting. I always seem to get "seams" in it. Does anyone have any tips?! They would be much appreciated!!

30 Days of Happiness :: Making

We all spent the day making. It was a wonderful, wonderful making day. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the air was warm with a tinge of fall, and we started the day with a great breakfast on the porch complete with a latte delivered by my two loves. How perfect!

We started the morning with a stone for Roxanne. We wanted to paint a special rock for her for the spot she was buried. Sasa found this nice flat rock in our backyard, and the little one and I painted it this morning. I really like the finished result and it was a great way to add something special to our goodbye.

I've been working on pants for the little one. She's grown a good two or three inches since last fall and all of her pants are much too short. So she helped me pick out fabric, told me what she wanted, and I set to work. Her favorite color is purple (as of this summer), so now everything has to not only have stripes or polka dots, but it also has to be purple! So that kind of narrows down our choices. She gladly opted for purple elephants when I told her no purple polka dots could be found, and I turned out these "jammy pants" in about an hour. I drafted my own pattern and was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I made a test pair and altered the rise from the original, but finally worked out a great pattern I think will last until next spring! Yay!

While we were working away on pants and rocks, Sasa was making a sweet little tea table for our yard. He had this put together in no time at all, and it was perfect for play, snack, and dinner! Add some buckwheat cushions, a couple of yards of oil cloth, and it is just the perfect little dining spot! I foresee many tea parties in our future...

And the final "making" of the day was some homemade pizza. Sasa (the baker of the household) has finally perfected his gluten-free pizza crust. And oh my...was it delicious!!! The best pizza I've had in my entire life! And the little one (who can be pretty picky) ate two pieces! It was amazing and we are so thankful for such a fabulous baker in our household.

We hope you're enjoying the weekend!

30 Days of Happiness :: Sewing With My Girl

It was a rainy day today. I guess we're getting the tail end of a hurricane. It's been dark, gloomy, and wet all day long. But after a birthday party, some errands, and a yummy lunch, the little one and I headed to my sewing room for a bit of quiet time while Sasa baked in the kitchen.

I had made two floor pillows for the birthday boy and girl. The little one was completely involved in the process, from picking the fabrics to filling the pillows with buckwheat hulls and lavender flowers, to wrapping them up with pretty ribbon. She's becoming quite the little crafty gal herself! So we set up her little "quiet, cozy corner" that we started doing after lunch everyday and set to work.

She likes to take the fabric scraps and make something out of them. Yesterday it was bows for my chair, today it was a little scene taped to a piece of wool felt. (Scotch-tape and scissors are huge hits over here!)

She chose her fabrics well and in less than 45 minutes, she had her own little play pillow. She even chose a ribbon to use as a handle for carrying the pillow around. Clever girl! The buckwheat hulls give it a lot of height, so it also doubles as a "booster" for our kitchen chairs.

I'm so happy to have memories like these of our time spent together. It fills me with such warmth and joy!

And I'm really enjoying all of your happiness posts too! Keep them coming! I fixed the list on the sidebar, so everyone who e-mailed me should see their blog added now. Thanks so much for joining me in this journey!

For Us :: A Little Bit of Sunshine

Our room was in desperate need of a little pick-me-up. We've been lacking pillowcases, and after flipping through Weekend Sewing, I knew the pillowcases would be on the top of my list.

I chose some of the very breathable and soft flour sack material for the bulk of the pillowcases. Matched with a sunny yellow strip and some leftover material from an old sheet, I had two very cheerful pillowcases in less than an hour. Gotta love instant gratification!

I'm sure the little one will be wanting her own, so I think that's next on my list. And after that? A skirt, shirt, dress, birthday presents for the little one, party favors for her friends, and a new tablecloth for our outside table. Oh my! I may be reaching for the stars here, but it's nice to have goals, isn't it?

What have you all been making lately?! I'd love to hear!

Etsy Update :: Sweet Dreams

Remember that pillow I made ages ago for the little one? Well, many of you requested some for the shop and I made a mental note to make that happen some day. I got the urge to put a few together using different color combos, and really adore the end result.

The little one uses her pillow every night. It's become a security object for her, so it gets a lot of use. The original pillow was stuffed with organic cotton, but after a couple of months of use, the cotton was squished down and flattened out. And after a stomach bug we survived a couple of weeks ago, the pillow was subjected to six washes in two days! So for these shop pillows, I opted for something a bit more washable and a desired fluffiness. After much debating, I used poly fill. The end result is great and they are so comfy!

I embroidered "sweet dreams" on each pillow and used coordinating cotton prints and vintage or Japanese trim on the fronts. I really love how they came out and whether they're used for decoration or for sleeping, they will add some color and fun to any room!

So go check them out in my shop! And stay tuned this week for some words from Sasa and a giveaway this Friday. Yay!

My New Dress

Sasa's sister took a trip to New York recently and brought me back this wonderful book. I was so overwhelmed with the number of things I marked to make out of it. Every page is full of beautiful and simple styles. The one problem? It's in Japanese. All Japanese. I know I tackled this shirt, but that was out of a book with step by step instructions in full colored pictures. This book has a few drawings, and that's about it.

So I picked one of the easiest (looking) dresses and after some initial confusion on how to find the actual pattern pieces amongst the jumbled pattern pages, I turned this dress out in a little under two hours.

I used some light-weight denim chambray I had been saving since last summer for myself, and an Amy Butler print I received in a fabric swap from Ella for the bias and ruffle. I've found that I really like Japanese patterns. Just two winters ago, I found myself using one of my very first patterns (in English!) and had so many problems that I enlisted the help of many experienced sewers. But in Japanese? Well, you have the basics and a template to work from, and you get to make up the steps yourself. And for me, that's way easier!

And the vintage boots? Well, let's just say that somebody loves me...a lot!

A New Shirt

I woke up Saturday morning and realized I didn't really have anything to wear to the wedding. Since I would be contorting myself into all different shapes trying to get the shots I wanted, I knew I needed a comfy shirt that was loose enough to allow lots of movement.

Enter this blue linen blend from here and this Japanese dress and tunic book from here. Two hours before I needed to be at the wedding, I sat down at my machine and started to work on it. The best thing about this book is that they have step by step pictorial instructions. The bad thing about the book is that everything (even the measurements) are in Japanese.

But after only a couple of moments of scratching my head in bewilderment, I dove in and produced this shirt less than two hours later. It was pretty easy (no joke!) and is so amazingly comfortable. I got loads of compliments on it at the wedding, and again yesterday when I wore it to work. It's just one of those cute shirts in a style that would suit anyone.

Now I'm getting ready to tackle another shirt out of some old sheer French fabric, and a dress out of more linen. Handmade summer wardrobe here I come!

A Garden Apron

Recently, a very loyal customer requested a garden apron. I told her it might be a couple of weeks until I got to it because I'm bogged down with requests from co-workers and photography gigs. But by Sunday night, I just couldn't wait any longer. I was inspired after a day full of gardening and knew exactly how I wanted it to be.

I chose some simple linen for the main section and tie piece, then used various fabrics to make the pockets. There are four pockets in all, and I bordered the top with some vintage trim.

It's super comfortable to wear and fits small gardening tools in the pockets quite nicely. The top can fold down if you like it to sit low on your hips, or can be worn slightly higher.

So I guess I'm going to have to make another one. After this little photo shoot, I realized gardening would be much more fun (and stylish) with an apron on!

Teepee

First off...thank you for all the recent bag and photo love! You guys rock and I love, love, love reading your comments. I wish I had time to reply to everyone, but just know that I adore reading what you have to say and this is my big, massive THANK YOU!

What do three big sticks, some green twine, an old thrifted sheet, and an hour spent outside in the sunshine get you? A teepee and the best little playhouse for a toddler!

We literally made this in less than an hour (even with a trip to the hardware store thrown in for some twine) and by dinner time, we were eating in the teepee!

I have grand visions of fairy gardens, fun little outdoor play spaces created from old sticks and twigs, and a kid-sized veggie and herb garden. I think this teepee is just the jump start I needed!

I hope you are enjoying some beautiful sunshine today!

One For the Guys

Do you know a guy who tends to grab any kind of bag he can find before leaving the house? Does he stuff books in plastic shopping bags, bring his lunch to work in a canvas bag big enough to fit a small child, or just lug everything in his bare arms?  If you do, then this tutorial is for you! My guy was in desperate need of a "lug anything anywhere and look good while doing it" bag, so one morning I got down to business and came up with this.

It's a messenger style bag, complete with pockets to hold mason jars full of tea and a key ring, so the keys will never be lost at the bottom of the bag again. It can hold a few books because of its depth and the front flap keeps everything nice and secure. You'll find the tutorial on the left hand sidebar. I hope the steps are easy to follow, but if you have any questions, just e-mail me!

This would make a lovely Father's Day gift as well! If you attempt it, I'd love to see the finished results!

In other news, I've been whipping out these like crazy. Most for gifts. They are super fun to make and I'm working on some for our kitchen now. I've always wanted fun pot holders!

I hope you enjoy the start to your week!

The Winner *and* Oh-my-gosh-it's-finally-DONE!

Thank you all for your lovely comments on the giveaway. Mandi is so awesome and her products are too! I read through lots of great ideas, so we both want to send out a big "thank you" for entering!

Well, random.org picked number 99. So that would be:

Oooo, everything looks so good. And that packaging is so pretty I would have a hard time tearing into anything!

How about a body cream for the little ones?

Posted by: Jennie F. | May 10, 2009 at 12:39 PM

So Jennie...please contact me and we'll get your goodies sent out to you!

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Oh my gosh it's finally done. There. I said it. The picnic blanket that I've been talking about sewing since last spring finally made it on the to-do list. I had the top pieced together for ages, but was so intimated by batting and having a massive hunk of fabric I had to edge, that I just let it sit around. But last Friday I enlisted the help of Sasa's mom, an experienced quilter, and together we managed to get it done.



I just made the quilt top up myself. It's 60"x60", the perfect size for three or four people to sit on for a picnic. I backed it with a vintage table cloth, added rock pockets in the corners using Erin's tutorial and pieced it all together using her recommendations as well. It was a really fun project and I feel like I might finally be ready to tackle a quilt for the little one's bed.



Quilting is definitely not for the kind of people who like instant gratification. Kind of like me... Oh, getting those pieces lined up and painstakingly pinning and measuring and double-checking, only to find out that they really don't line up after all?!! But it was so worth every little mistake and stitch rip. I mean, this thing will be around forever! I kind of picture toting it around to have picnics with my grandchildren one day.

So I am very pleased it is done and finished just in time for a season of picnics by the river, lunches at the beach, and laying on the hill watching the sun go down. Thank you all for being a huge motivation. Enjoy the start to your week!

Flour Sack Skirt

A couple of weeks ago I was walking around our local "department store" and noticed a pack of flour sacks on the shelf. The sheer, white cotton immediately drew me in and I suddenly began picturing summery blouses and flowing skirts. I ended up buying three packs and tucked them away until the warmer weather inspired me to make something out of them.

Last weekend I was inspired. The sacks washed up nicely and I began messing around with a couple to make a blouse. I was halfway through the blouse making when I realized the pattern I had made up was the same as two shirts I already own. So I decided perhaps a skirt would be better.

Two flour sacks, a few mismatched vintage buttons, and one hour later, I had a new skirt. And it was easy. So easy, in fact, that I wanted to share it with you! So you'll notice a new tutorial in the upper left hand sidebar. Hopefully you'll be able to find flour sacks near you, but if not, just use the flour sack measurements for any fabric you'd like to use! This skirt has just the right about of twirl to it, and is perfect layered over leggings, jeans, or a longer skirt. It has definitely become a staple in my wardrobe.

I hope you enjoy the tutorial. I will try to answer questions as best as I can if something is not clear. And if you make it, let me know. I'd love to see it! Oh, and thanks for all the bag love. You guys are so sweet!

A New Bag

You probably all know I have a thing for sewing bags. Lots of them. So many that I can't possibly use them all. Then there's the part about really enjoying the process, but the end result? Not so much... I think I've only made one bag I've really gotten a lot of use out of. Somehow when the bags are finished, they just don't feel like me anymore, so I pass them along or store them in a closet. But after seeing the above bag in the book Linen, Wool, Cotton, I knew I wanted to attempt my own version.

And this bag? Well, this bag rocks my world. It is so completely me in every way imaginable. The colors, the feel, the style...all scream "This is Erin's perfect bag!!" I was given a large amount of plain linen and ended up dying a portion of it that pumpkin orange color. It was fun and super easy. I used the iDye by Jacquard. I paired that with an old table cloth I'd been carrying around forever.

The bag itself varies slightly from the book pattern. I shortened it by 8 inches, lengthened the straps, and made it reversible. The other side is the pumpkin orange linen, for those days I'm feeling a bit more plain. The pattern was very easy to follow, although I think somewhere in the translation from Japanese to English, a few steps were left out. But this is a very beginner pattern and I would recommend it for someone just starting out. (Okay, the gathering thing would have thrown me off in my beginner days, but other than that, it's really easy!)

It's fun to finally make a bag I love; one that I would have grabbed right away in a thrift shop or store. And the fact that I was able to make something I love so much just adds to my giddiness for this bag. And do you recognize that brown dress I'm wearing? It finally made its way out of the closet...

Stay tuned for a great little tutorial I'll share later this week! Happy Monday!

Rainy Days Are Good For Making

After a long stretch of gorgeous weather, we welcomed this rainy day and the break it gave us from our normal inside-outside, inside-outside, (and on and on) routine. We were stuck inside. And being stuck inside can be a marvelous thing.

First there was the breakfast making, which resulted in a lot of really yummy food. But it's breakfast, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So why not go overboard?!

Then there was the slow, but sure, progress on the picnic blanket I keep mentioning. It felt so good to actually start it. I'm still debating on whether or not I should use any type of batting. But the above is a sneak peak at the finished top. I'm backing it with a vintage table cloth and hopefully I'll have action shots to show you soon.

And I've been absolutely loving this book lately. The fruit bags were first on my list. Our counter top space is so limited, and with our massive consumption of fruit, the fruit bowl was taking up an enormous amount of space. So I knew these bags would really come in handy and eliminate a lot of clutter.

The cheese cloth I used was from the natural foods co-op I work at. It's unbleached cotton and a pack was enough to make three bags. It's a horror to work with, I tell you. And this stuff unravels with a mere touch of a finger, so trying to sew through 4 layers of the stuff was a bit tricky.

But I'm pretty excited about the end result. I cut a piece of scrap linen and stamped "fruit" on it to add a unique touch to the bags. I've got three more in the works, which will probably accompany me to the co-op when I buy more fruit.

So rainy days can be blessings in disguise. We've got homemade graham crackers, chicken soup bubbling away on the stove, a good movie for tonight, and lots of books to keep the little one entertained until bedtime. Yes, I think I kind of like rainy days. They are most definitely good for making.

Hippity Hoppity

As a child, Easter was my favorite holiday. Way better than Christmas in my book. I mean, you've got the warm weather, the family gathering, flowers sprouting up all over, a special egg hunt, the anticipation of a basket filled with goodies, and a new, fancy dress. It was no surprise that the little one enjoyed it just as much as I remember enjoying it too.

The favorite part? The trail the Easter bunny left from her bed to the hidden basket, complete with new books along the way.

Her basket was filled with some homemade goodies (wool felt balls filled with organic cotton stuffing), some Bento boxes from here (a local store), organic jelly beans, and super soft stuffed animals.

Then there was the Easter dress I decided to make the night before. Only after telling her the Easter bunny made it would she try it on. I used a vintage pattern, modified the fit just a bit, and added the front pocket. It's a simple style and is great for layering. The apple print corduroy has been sitting in my stash for over a year and I was thrilled to finally use it.

Then there was the great egg hunt. Only challenging for the knee-high group. Twenty eggs were hidden, and thankfully, all recovered.

After a late lunch of sushi (platters and platters full!) we headed out for a walk and ended up at a favorite place for some hide and seek.

And what could beat this perfect Easter sunset? I hope you all enjoyed the day too. Stay tuned for a giveaway tomorrow!

Makin' Stuff

Making a favorite dinner around here. One that's enjoyed by everyone. And yes, that platter will be consumed by three hungry bellies. I won't even mention the delicious dessert that followed...

And I've been busy making Easter goodies for the little one. She is so darn excited about an egg hunt, more "Easter" sushi, dying Easter eggs using foods and spices, and finding a special basket loaded with fun things on Easter morning. Gosh, it's so fun being a mama.

 I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Stop by next week for a fantastic giveaway!!

You're Never Fully Dressed...

Okay, so it's probably a little obvious that the sewing bug has bit...hard. My sewing room is all organized and is just so inviting that I find myself unable to walk past the door without stopping in. While at a resale shop recently, I found myself with an almost impossible task: to find something striped, to be matched with something polka-dot, with a comfy waist band that wouldn't fall off of my petite gal. Phew! Did I find anything? Nope. (Okay, other than a vintage wool coat with a lace collar that she will most likely refuse to wear.)

So on my way past the sewing room last weekend, I suddenly realized that I have loads of corduroy, linen, and cotton that would be perfect for her specific tastes. And with my favorite pattern that I came up with last fall (of course, with an adjusted rise and inseam to suit her many growth spurts!) that fits the little one perfectly, I whipped up two pair of pants in under two hours. Nothing beats some pretty sweet results without a lot of time and effort involved.

I used the other bit of polka-dot, light-weight corduroy I purchased recently for one pair. And for the other, I used a heavy-weight charcoal gray corduroy and my new favorite cotton print. "It's just like the trees, Mama!" she says. She, of course, put the polka-dot pair on right away and has worn them the past two days in a row. The other pair was made big enough for next fall too, in hopes she will expand her tastes just a bit...!

Adding Some Fun

With a very unoffensive, yet still flowery, wallpaper coating the walls, it's hard to come up with ways to really decorate the space. I found that if I add some bold, funky colors, it really dresses up the wallpaper without clashing a whole lot. This fabric banner adds a lot of fun to the sleeping corner and it was a breeze to whip up! I love using vintage trim to string it all together.

After finding a lot of old embroidery hoops at thrift shops, I've been meaning to do this for a while. My friend Mandi came over one morning and we managed to finally pick out some fabrics and get them finished. It was a fun (and very easy) project to do together.

And I think they work wonders in the room. The little one walked in and said, "Mama, you're sewing circles are on the wall!" Why, yes dear...they are! But they are definitely a hit and I'm pretty sure some more will be in the works soon too...

Warm Weather Crafting

The weather is getting warmer. The porch is turning out to be our favorite spot. Meals are being eaten in the sun, interrupted by frequent trips to the swing. I had grand plans of making a picnic blanket last summer. Exactly how many times did I mention that in this space?! But the blanket never did make it into production. Maybe this summer. Now place mats...those are a little more manageable.

I started with three for everyday use. I think more will be in order for trips to the beach this summer with friends. The little one is very pleased with her new place mat. Meal times are a very important part of the day to me. They are a time for connecting and checking in with each other. Having a ritual for each meal time helps tremendously with focusing everyone after a hectic day. Setting the table (the little one has help from a picture diagram of a place setting I made her), arranging the place cards, lighting the candle, saying our blessing while holding hands, and cheering by clinking our glasses (the little one's favorite thing!) to another sweet day that has passed makes meal time very special.

I got the idea to add a little ribbon from Ella's marvelous creations. Rolling them up is the perfect way to fit them neatly into the picnic basket. And you know what? Just by writing this for you all, I am super inspired to make a matching picnic blanket! So thank you for being here. I love how this little space inspires and motivates me. What a gift!

Have you all seen the Sew, Mama, Sew! Easter tutorials? Can you guess what I'll be busy doing this weekend?!

Rainy Days

Rainy days are the best days for:

Early morning coloring.
It's fascinating to see children's artistic abilities change as they get older. Messy lines soon give way to circles with faces and legs, or a concentrated tracing of the hand.

Button necklaces.
A favorite activity while mama sews: making button necklaces. Doorknobs are the perfect place to hang them.

New pants for a special little guy.
Made from navy linen. They are so soft and super cute!

Spending time in the sewing room, trying to finish my grand list of "to-dos."
This is the new Oliver + S pattern. I hardly ever use patterns, and after I finished this one I remembered why...the fit is never right! But I love the front design on this pattern, which was the reason I bought it in the first place. I used the 2T size, but they are huge and might not fit until next year. I found the directions very easy to follow, which was nice because I usually feel pattern lingo is insanely hard to understand!
And the polka-dots? That sweet light-weight corduroy came from here.

Thanks for your ideas on my last post! I really appreciate it. Keep them coming!

Complete

Thanks for all your crafty suggestions on my last post! So far I have a list started of some neat projects I can't wait to try. A lot of you suggested knitting, and while I'd love to, my carpal tunnel prevents me from doing anything that repetitive. But I can't wait to try some of your sewing suggestions. Thank you again!!

My good friend Kat had a birthday recently. While she was over around Christmas, she remarked that she really liked some of the vintage ribbon I had hanging on our Christmas tree. I mentally took note of that and decided I would make her something with it. Kat loves wearing bandanas and headbands, so I pulled out my copy of Bend-The-Rules Sewing and found the headband pattern.

I tweaked it a little bit, using elastic instead of bias tape in the back. I figured tying a knot with bias tape would be uncomfortable and not hold as well. The elastic is very comfortable and the headbands stay on really well. Kat was quite pleased. And I couldn't resist making one for myself too!

And we have been slowly working on the house bit by bit. The living is the first room to be complete. We have debated what to do about the wallpaper, but everyone who comes to visit seems to fall in love with it. We think we'll leave it for a few years and eventually paint. But it's so nice to have one room done. Next we're working on the little one's room and eventually we'll tackle the huge job of the kitchen.

And now, I must go rest and lose myself in a good book!

Mondays and Sewing

Mondays are becoming quite special to me. It means I get to see the little one for the first time in three days. For a mother and daughter who were hardly ever apart, I can't tell you how odd this is for the both of us. It's hard to think of my baby wanting her mama and knowing that I'm not right there with her. I knew I wanted to make something special for her to take with her when she's away from me. This pattern on the Purlbee.com caught my eye.

It was very easy to do. It took me a couple of hours to complete, but went very smoothly. I used a linen/cotton blend and substituted some contrasting fabric for the insides of the ears. I wanted this bunny to have a special meaning for the little one; I wanted it to remind her of me. So instead of stuffing it with cotton, I used flax seeds to give it some weight and added some lavender flowers too. When she was a baby, I wore lavender hand cream daily and still do. Hopefully when she holds this bunny close, she will smell the lavender and feel like I'm right there with her. I named her Charlotte and plan on surprising the little one in just a few minutes with her when I pick her up from school. A weekly tradition of a surprise awaiting her in the car has started. Sometimes it's a small piece of dark chocolate, sometimes it's a baby pear, sometimes it's an orange. But I think today she'll be thrilled to find a bunny waiting in her seat!

There's been lots of sewing going on around here lately. I've been very sick (again) and have had to take two weeks off. Mostly I'm sleeping and getting lots of reading in, but when I'm feeling a bit more energetic, I head to the sewing room. I made these three handkerchiefs for Sasa for Valentine's Day. I started out with a simple 12x12 inch design, double sided with plaid on one side and a plain linen on the other. But instead, I realized how much "manly" fabric I had sitting on my shelves and decided to make something a bit fancier. Sasa adores them, but claims he couldn't possibly blow his nose in one. Instead, he'd rather frame them!

Do any of you have a simple pattern or project to make that would be good for someone with little energy? I'd love any suggestions! It doesn't have to involve sewing either. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Sewing For the Home

Well, I've been trying to squeeze in some sewing time here and there. The little one seems to finally be able to entertain herself while I cut and measure and sew. (I won't mention that by "entertaining" I mean "pulling fabric off the shelves, dumping jars of buttons on the floor, and emptying the suitcase full of trim"...but it's so worth the mess to have a bit of creating time!)
The first thing on my list was new pillow covers for the couch. The other ones I had made were 2 years old and I desperately needed a change. In the dead of winter I found myself drawn to very spring-like fabrics, so when I saw that floral print at my favorite little fabric store, I knew it was coming home with me. It reminds me of a vintage sheet and it's so soft. So the couch has had a makeover and I'm quite thrilled to have accomplished something crafty finally!

Next it was a curtain for the bathroom. We have very, very large windows in this house and I felt that full-length curtains would just be too much. So I settled on a cafe-style curtain with a Heather Ross print.

And next on the list is a pair of corduroy pants for the little one inspired by this book, which is on her top 5 book list right now. She will be so thrilled to have a pair of pants "just like Emily" and maybe she'll even get a balloon too...!

 

Sweet Dreams

The little one started requesting a pillow in her bed a couple of months ago. I was using one from the couch because it was relatively flat, but I knew once my sewing room was in order, her very own pillow would be on the top of my list!

I embroidered the linen one snowy day at work, and finished putting the rest together yesterday while the little one "organized" my vintage trim collection. It sewed up really fast; taking me only about 20 minutes to do! I backed it with a soft cotton flannel, and stuffed it with organic cotton from NearSea Naturals. (I bought the stuffing from them about 3 years ago and had a bunch leftover to finish this pillow. I don't see that they still carry it, but they have other great organic fabrics available!)

And the verdict? Well, she loves it. I'd like to think it helps her sleep better too :)

In Progress

Well, the new sewing room is just about complete! I feel so lucky to have a whole room to call my own. We're working on Sasa's yoga room next!
I started on my first project this evening. It feels so amazing to be back. I can't wait to share more pictures with you. I have yet to get some artwork up on the walls, so I feel like waiting until it's complete to share more. But expect to see some more projects soon! My "to do" sewing list is growing and growing.

Have a great weekend. We've got more house projects in the works and a trip to the big city!

Catching Up

Sorry I've been MIA lately. Thank you all so much for your birthday wishes! I like being 25...it's a good number.

There has been so much going on lately. Not much sewing has been happening, although I did whip up a couple of bags for a local market day I participated in. It was a gorgeous fall day, but after sitting in the shade for 3 hours, I came home with blocks of ice for toes and numb fingers. It took me a good 2 hours to warm myself up! It's definitely fall in Maine.

My friend Mandi has a great Etsy shop called Long Winter Farm where she sells lovely soaps. I helped make the apple pie soap that will cure on the 19th. It was fun! Mandi and I shared a table at the market, and we were joined by Liza, another crafty gal in town. The three of us together make quite a team! I think we all enjoyed ourselves, even though I'm on my 6th day of a nasty cold and hardly had a voice yesterday...

And today, after I got out of work, I took a hike up in Camden. The weather was so very, very lovely. It was the first time I've actually smelled that fall smell, even with my stuffy nose. I wanted to bury my face in the leaves. It was a great hike up and at the top I was surprised by the most amazing view. Not only did I get to see acres of colorful fall trees, but the ocean was there and so beautiful. A rainbow emerged a few minutes later over one of the islands. Everything was just gorgeous! I look forward to my next hike. Fall in Maine is such a marvelous time!

And I will leave you with one of my new favorite photos of the little one. She really loves oranges right now and was quite pleased with herself for figuring out this silly trick!

A Little Bit of Everything

So much has been going on the last week that I haven't had a moment to sit down to post. First of all, I know a lot of you have asked how the little one is doing with preschool. Well, she's not too enthusiastic about it when I drop her off. The first day I got a call 3 hours later asking to come pick her up. Although I was at work, so she had to stick it out the whole day. The teachers tell me she's getting better and better, although why my normally social, outgoing, fearless little girl is the only one who puts on quite a show when mama leaves, is beyond me. She's going through a new phase (which started the week prior to preschool) where she is very clingy, needy, and whiny. So add that to being away from mama for 7 hours, two days a week, and you have a recipe for some hard moments. I'm sure with time it will get easier.
The food sensitivities have proved to be challenging. She's been exposed to gluten twice. We're still trying to figure out how to deal with that. Any suggestions?

I'm really enjoying my job at the natural food co-op. It's such a break for me and I adore the people working there. I also end up buying lots of yummy food and I'm pretty sure I've (unfortunately) now doubled our already high grocery bill. Oops. I have a weakness for their gluten-free turkey sandwiches that are (gulp) $7.

We supposedly had our first frost last night. The weather is so cool and crisp. It's definitely fall now. I cleared out the raised beds and picked all the basil, carrots, summer squash, and herbs. All that's left are the beets and onions. Apple picking is coming up and there will be applesauce and cider. Tomorrow I'm making a huge batch of pesto. Does anyone know if it's possible to can pesto? Those small canning jars are the perfect size for one meal and I love the thought of not dealing with frozen pesto.

I made this fall jacket for the little one last week. It's my own pattern. I lined it with soft flannel. I wanted to wait and get action shots, but it seems we are always in a rush when she has it on. I'll try again this week. It went together quite quickly, although I always have a hard time with the arms, especially when it is lined. The holes are too small to fit around the arm of the machine, so I don't get as neat of seam as I'd like. But thankfully the messy part is always the part you can't visibly see! I'm pleased with the end result though and the little one seems to enjoy it.

Tomorrow will be more birthday celebrating and Sunday starts another work week for me. I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

She's Two! (and the winners...)

Boy, what a morning! We had a little, laid-back party at her favorite hang out (the bookshop) after toddler time at the library. We just announced that there would be yummy cake and had quite a few toddlers that came to check it out.

So we officially have a two year old on our hands. The last year went by so quickly. She woke up to a table full of goodies, her birthday banner, and her Papa and I went in to her room this morning to sing "happy birthday" which she loved.

Her party at the bookshop was much fun! She got some great gifts, including a handmade wooden chair (thanks Lisa!) that I'll have to snap a picture of later today. The cake was amazing. Thanks to a fabulous co-worker at the co-op, we had a delicious gluten/dairy/sugar/egg-free cake. And quite possibly the best chocolate cake I've ever had.

And because there isn't enough to announce, there is a cute pair of pants in the shop today. I made the above pair for her on Sunday and completed a second pair for the shop. You can find them here!

And the winners...

The random number generator picked numbers 27, 26, 20, 11, 38, 13, and 22. So that's Mary-sue, Michelle, Pam, Torie, Kate, Tara, and Lee-Ann. The first three numbers will get the full-length c.d.'s and the last four will get the shorter selections. Please e-mail me with your addresses and I will mail them out to you!

Located In The Same Individual

Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual. ~Arthur Koestler

I spent some time sewing today. I made some more pants for the little one and one pair for the shop, finished a new birthday crown for her preschool, adjusted the fit of her old one, and packed up orders. I am always amazed at how much I learn each time I sew. When I started last year, I knew nothing about it. I remember trying to sew in a straight line and thinking that was so challenging! But I stuck with it and just kept practicing. I still have ways to go and much to learn. Sometimes I wish I could take an actual lesson. Maybe that would decrease my stitch ripper usage?

This picture was taken after I remembered a few readers requested a 365 of me sewing. So there you go! Not terribly thrilling, but at least the green walls look funky.

Shop Update

Well, the little one's fall wardrobe was looking a quite sad after her recent growth spurt, so I decided to spend some  time making her new pants. I'm very fond of the simplicity of last year's pants with the two front pockets, so I just continued with that while modifying the overall fit. She got the above pair for her first day of school (don't worry...more on the school subject later!) and loved stuffing her hands in the pockets.

The pockets are fully lined now and I added the little curved edges for a sleeker look. This elephant pair is for her 2nd birthday which is this Tuesday. I made her a matching shirt and I promise you'll see the whole outfit in action soon. She just loves this pair. I have oodles of ticking (the striped fabric) left from spring, so if you're interested in some ticking pants, just e-mail me.

The three pairs in the shop were things I completed as I had the time. My time is so limited now, so it's nice to spend what little I have on the sewing instead of the designing. I'm really not taking custom orders, but I am able to make some other pants in different sizes. So if you want something, please e-mail me and I'll see what I can do. And I hope the prices are reasonable. It's always such a struggle to provide handmade goods for a reasonable price while still valuing my time.

I hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Well then...

You have no idea how tickled I was to read your comments to the butterfly post! Thank you so much. I am slowly replying to everyone, so expect to hear from me shortly!!



Well, guess who got in a little sewing time yesterday? 6 hours to be exact! I've definitely realized that I get all jazzed about sewing when it starts getting cooler. Maybe sewing for me is like knitting to others? Anyway, because of my limited time, I'm keeping it simple. Simple shirts, simple pants, but loaded with personality and fun!

These shirts were based on the pattern I drafted for the spring tops, which originally came from the Built By Wendy pattern for a shirt I made for myself. All I had to do was add the middle panel and rework the sleeves. I love how they are so versatile.

My goal is to add things to my shop here and there throughout the fall and winter. Nothing too serious. And I hope to be able to use patterns I've already made from last year. That will save me oodles of time. I'll always announce any Etsy updates in this space. I hope to have some pants listed next week too.

So wander over to my shop and take a look! There will be more soon...

New Pants

Okay, I admit...it's been a long time since I went down into the green room to do any sewing for fun. Summer came and the beaches called and after all the months of work for the items in my shop, I felt like I needed to just enjoy summer. It was such a surprise to me. I don't particularly like summer. Of all the seasons, it's always been last on my list. But this summer has been different. Maybe it's the photographer in me, trying to capture every single ounce of beauty I see everywhere, and realizing that there is a LOT of beauty in the summer. Or maybe it's the weekly trips to the beach for some sand play and ocean swimming, or maybe it's the vegetable garden and poultry roaming the yard, or the walks by the river, or the flowers in the fields, or the blue skies with clouds that look good enough to eat. Whatever it may be, I needed to fully immerse myself in it.

And that's exactly what I did. But with a week behind us full of rain and rather chilly days, that urge hit again. The urge to get down in the green room and turn out some pants for a little person who recently had a growth spurt, leaving a full dresser drawer to be filled before fall. So I started on her first pair of 2T pants, using my tried and true pattern with a little tweak in the legs. I used a light weight denim chambray so they would be perfect for wearing now when the days are hovering in the low 60's. The cuffs and pockets are made from a square of fabric I got from Ella in a swap.

And the fit? Well, she likes them and I think they look pretty swell. She's modeling them in her favorite "model spot" behind our couch, where the only good lighting in the house seems to be. Whenever I ask to take her picture (modeling clothing or not) she immediately goes there.

And for shop news, looks like I'll be working part-time starting in the next couple of weeks, which I find very exciting. So I haven't yet decided what this means for my shop. I plan on keeping it up on Etsy and perhaps adding some one of a kind items as the mood strikes me. I possibly have a prospective business partner which will be really lovely. So I really don't know where Bluebirdbaby will go, but it will go somewhere! So stay tuned...

A Summer Giveaway!

So, I know it's been forever since I shared a sewing project. There have been special orders I've been completing slowly. It's mostly that it's summer and we're having way too much fun enjoying the sun. But over the weekend I got a chance to work on an apron that would be the perfect addition to any summer barbecue. I thought it would be lovely for a giveaway to let you all know I appreciate you continuing to check in here. I know this blog is in a bit of a "what exactly is it?!" stage. I like it though. Story of my life, I guess.

This apron was a really fun project. It's actually my first apron and I'm happy with the way it turned out. It's based on a vintage pattern and has two front pockets for all those important cooking essentials, long enough to keep you fairly clean if you are a messy cook, and should fit a variety of sizes. The winner will be one stylish chef!

So, there is a catch. Oh yes. You didn't think I'd let you get away that easy, did you?! To enter, just leave a comment (make sure to include your e-mail) and a fun idea for one of my remaining 306 self-portraits. It could be something completely crazy (like take a picture sitting on an elephant, or take a picture while sky diving type crazy...), because you all know I'd be up for the challenge! So don't be shy.

The winner will be drawn Friday at 5 p.m. and announced that evening. Good luck!

Five and a half hours later...

The little one is spending her first weekend away at Baba's, so I have been working ever since I woke up this morning. I changed the yoke from the original vintage pattern and added more height to the straps, but with no model to try it on, I'm not quite sure if it's perfect yet. This is the final design, complete with vintage trim on a navy linen/cotton blend. I think it looks quite handsome! It will be in the shop next week along with the spring floral jackets.

Enjoy your weekend!