Bluebirdbaby

Indefinite Hiatus

Well, guess who got bit with the music bug again? Yup, that would be me. Being a former musician, who was completely and totally immersed in music until the birth of the little one (my last gig was two weeks before the birth!), I knew there would come a time when I would long to pick up the trumpet again. My life has been spent putting every single ounce of energy I have into one key interest at a time. Those interests would shift now and again, but music has been one that I've always been incredibly passionate about. I have never felt more myself than when I have my trumpet in my hands.

It's been hard for me to "get back into it" solely because of the reason that motherhood takes up a tremendous amount of energy and time. I couldn't imagine trying to do both; that's just how "into it" I get when music is in my life. But I've been feeling the shift for more than a month. (Okay, I admit...seeing a chick trumpet player at the Ani Difranco concert in January was just so much motivation.) But trying to figure out how to be both a mother and a musician is still something I've yet to solve. My idea of being a musician entails hours of practice a day, playing gigs, taking lessons and classes to finish my degree (almost there...), and so much more. But instead of getting overwhelmed and realizing that I can't quite make it back to school, I've decided to just continue lessons and put in as much practice as I can. Hopefully, gigs will soon follow.

So, with the way my mind works, I have to close the shop for an indefinite period. I'll finish up the custom orders I have and take any orders that arrive before Saturday, when the shop will officially close until further notice. It's nearly impossible for me to fathom running a shop and getting back into music at the same time. I've also toyed with the idea of getting a part time job this summer, so the little one can spend time with other children at another mama's house while I get some much needed social interaction with people actually my own age. I'm realizing that we're both at a point where this would be benificial.

I apologize if it appears that this has come from out of the blue. I guess I've been thinking about it for a while, but when the trumpet emerged today and those first few warm-up notes were played, I knew I had to do everything I could to put my all into it. Music is a huge part of me that has been dormant for so many months. I'm glad my interest in music has sparked again and I look forward to seeing what will become of it. Hopefully, you will too.

Latest Additions

A new toy for Stephen. (Love how flickr lets you add videos now. I'm sure you'll be seeing some videos of the little one soon...)

I'm finally getting this into the shop. I was so surprised after trying it on Elisabeth that the fit was not much different from the original. It definitely fits better, but I thought the yoke would sit lower, so I have to fiddle with it some more until I get it just right. But it will be in the shop tonight!

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!

Happy Weekend!

Fresh flowers from the garden. The perfect addition to our dining table to make dinner a little more special.

I've added a couple of "sample sale" items to the shop. Hopefully my motivation to do some more creating will come back, but for now the sun is calling...

Enjoy your weekend!

Blue

Apparently it's a blue-sky kind of week. The weather has been gorgeous and we've been enjoying every second of it. We only have a couple of weeks until the black flies come out, and then we're stuck inside again. Such a short window to enjoy the lovely weather!

Stephen took the day off to work on our deck. The floor is almost finished, then we'll be working on the railing. Finally, a screened room will be added and stairs that lead down to the ground. We think a hot tub would look fabulous up there in the future...

We've discovered Otay is definitely an outdoor cat. She whines and meows and jumps all over you until you open the door to let her out. She's just like a dog and will chase us all over the yard, comes when we call her, and digs large holes in the garden. Oh, and the sandbox...she thinks that is the best thing ever.

The little one has requested that every minute be spent outside, evident from the tantrums she displays as I try to get her in for lunch and dinner. She'd happily play outside until the sun went down, and I admit to expending a great deal of energy chasing her all over the yard, mostly trying to steer her clear of the road. But we have been enjoying ourselves. We've been walking everyday down the road to see the horses, chickens, tractors, and our friend "Mamee's" house. There are buds on the trees and flowers popping up everywhere.

This internet break has done me good. I've enjoyed it and do not intend to stop. I think I'll say to expect random posting for a while. I'm just enjoying everything that's been going on here. Books have been read, seedlings have been ordered, gardens have been prepared, flower beds have been raked and weeded, we've baked everyday, Stephen and I have been enjoying our quiet time reading at night, but mostly I feel like there is a certain "frantic" feeling that has disappeared. Trying to check e-mails, upload pictures, etc. all while multi-tasking left me stressed and frazzled. It's allowed me to be more present with myself and the little one. I almost wish we were back in the computer-less age.

As the little one and I were raking the garden yesterday I began to think of my mother. We had beautiful flower beds around our house growing up. We were always outside gardening or inside baking. I was trying to imagine how much of that would have been lost if we had a computer in our living room. How would I have felt if my mother was online instead of getting her hands dirty in the garden? (And this is in no way said to make anyone feel bad about their computer usage! It's just my feelings about how my time is spent.) Those times spent gardening and baking are some of my fondest memories. I want to make sure the little one has that too.

I have two new things to introduce to the shop, and while I felt I was under a time crunch to do so, I am just taking it easy. I'm enjoying the orders coming in and spending whatever time is needed in my little green room. I've made a goal of dressing the little one in only handmade this summer, so I'm excited to get working on some special things for her. Of course, I'll share some finished pieces here in the future.

So now I'm off to get some reading done in the sun on our half-finished porch before the little one wakes up from her nap. Enjoy your week! I hope you're sky will be as blue as ours.

Limited Edition Growing Shorts

Still enjoying my computer break, but I wanted to let you all know that there are some lovely new shorts in the shop. Because of how they are designed, they will last for two seasons! See more about them here.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

I'm Beat

I've got the bag tutorial all ready to go, but I have no idea how to even make a tutorial with Typepad! Does anyone know? And if so, can you e-mail me with the details? It would be much appreciated.

It's been a hectic weekend with little sleep. Apparently we can cross salmon off the little one's menu. A night of constant awakenings from her left both of us pretty tired. So I don't have the energy to post about much. But I would like to say that the pleated denim shorts are now available in the shop. I'm so happy I finally found the perfect weight denim. The store I get most of my apparel fabric from has slim pickings when it comes to denim. Usually one light weight denim, a couple of medium weights, and a lot of heavy weights. So when I saw this medium weight denim that didn't scream 1980's to me, I snatched up all that was left, knowing it would be perfect for these shorts.

In other news, I dragged out our old matchbox cars from the loft. Stephen had a set and I had a set, so together there are plenty for the little one to pick through. She adores them and "drives" them all over the house. Such fun to watch.

And forget about crayons and paint....markers are much more fun. Crayons always ended up in the mouth and not on the paper, but not markers. She'll color sheet after sheet of paper with these. Her new favorite thing is to color on the wood floor. Luckily I've found with a bit of water, it will come right off. Getting it off her face, on the other hand, is a bit trickier!

Shorts!

I finally found the perfect material for these shorts. I've had the pattern completed for two months, but wasn't quiet thrilled with the heavy denim I had on hand, so was waiting until I found something more suitable for summer. They are inspired by my favorite pair of shorts I've owned since high school. Thankfully, I still fit into them and the two pairs I own are in remarkably good shape.

They'll be in the shop soon! I need to tweak some of the larger patterns and I'll probably change the location of the pleats on the final product. Also wanted to mention that I will be offering some custom crown listings in my shop every once and a while. The supplier of my wool felt has pretty steep shipping rates, so I try to get a big order together to make it worthwhile. So when I find I need an order, I will be offering crown listings. (And you'll notice a tote in the shop too, that will be announced later this week with more information!)

Open!

Well, I know I hinted about updating the shop on Wednesday, but I went ahead and added things last night. The entire process for this update has taken so long and I've worked very hard. Not a day went by without me working away on a pattern. It's been over two months of constant tweaking, changing, throwing ideas out and welcoming new ones in, searching for just the right fabrics, and finally the testing (oh, that muslin...).

I hope these new items reflect the growth I've made with my sewing. Most of the patterns were from scratch, the others inspired by vintage patterns. The patterns took me the longest. I made up to five test pieces for a single pair of pants before I found the perfect fit. It was exhausting, but very rewarding in the end.

The little one graciously allowed me to try each item on her and snap away with my camera. (Of course, the animal cookies helped too.) So I have an actual child modeling my clothing! It's nice to see them in action and I think adds some playfulness to my shop. Each item is made to order, which is something I haven't done before, but I think it is a more practical process.

I have two more items I am adding this week, and more to follow! I'm thinking hard about some tops more suited to the little lads. So please keep checking back. I'll probably make a small announcement here when I do. Please hop on over to my shop and let me know what you think!

Ah, the sun

I knew we'd be getting a brief break from winter soon. The past two days have been amazing. That spring smell is in the air, we can walk around in our mud boots with just a sweater while soaking up the warm sun. Despite the multiple feet of snow still in our yard, there are some buds poking through a tiny patch of soil.

We took advantage of the lovely weather yesterday and spent as much time outside as possible. I found the old stroller, brushed it off, and the little one and I headed out on a very long, and very lovely, walk.

The sky was so blue and so brilliant against the dark, leafless trees. I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures.

Because of the wooded area we live in, the snow is sticking around longer than most places. But I am seeing buds on trees, and that gives me hope. Green grass can't be too far away...

Here is an outtake from a little photo shoot we had yesterday. Most of my spring and summer collection is finished and I should have things listed next Wednesday!

Have a lovely weekend!

Post Sugar

Well, we had a lovely Easter. I hope you all did too. The little one and I headed down to spend the day with "Baba." She wore her mama-made Easter outfit. I think it was a hit and definitely "Elisabeth approved" which means many more shirts like this will be added to her summer wardrobe.

And who would guess it's actually a bed sheet? I love to repurpose things and limit the amount of new material I use. Although it's not always possible with the limited time I have for scouting out vintage material. But this floral pattern immediately caught my eye and inspired this lovely Easter ensemble.

Here is the little one modeling another tester for my spring/summer collection. The design will change a bit, but I finally found some denim chambray I liked after my other source fell through. The broom came in handy and kept my usual "very fast model" in a relatively moderate active state. This means about half of the pictures I took are actually in focus. Yay for small feats!

Spring Cleaning

So, remember that little post about spring being just around the corner? Well, I think I spoke too soon. It snowed all day yesterday. But I'm confident that buds on the trees and flowers poking through the soil aren't that far away. So in slight anticipation of warmer weather and lots of mud, I am having a week long spring sale in my shop starting today. Everything is 15% off. Stock up now for the next cold season! You will notice a new look too. I decided it was time for a change, so the blue "chicken" looking bird had to go. I'm currently working on getting my business cards finished before the next shop update. 

And remember the skirts that needed matching shirts? Well, I finished the shirts a couple of days ago. I was inspired by Ravenhill's dress and decided these would be the perfect summer shirts for my shop. So I dissected my Built By Wendy pattern, made some changes and came up with these two shirts. They were quite satisfying to make, so I'm excited about adding some tops to my shop.

No posting tomorrow. I'll be working in the green room every chance I get, so blogging will be put on the back burner until next week. Have a marvelous weekend!

Week 7 (and some favorites)

Another week, another mosaic for the Six One Way pool.

Some favorites:
-this room
-these prints are so neat
-this fabric
-anything from this shop
-this photo
-this shirt
-so creative
-this print
-this photo (and the dress, and the bed, and those walls...)
-this book

A Material Girl

I assure you that a lot of time has been logged in the green room lately. After finishing up the last of the custom orders (I am not taking anymore at this time, but have a waiting list), I quickly got to work on my spring collection. I figure I've probably spent around 12 hours so far just creating patterns and heavily modifying vintage ones. Searching for the perfect fabrics has taken me another four hours (and there's still more to do!) and then there's designing my new shop look, scouting for older models to test my clothing, and getting little goodies to include in packages ready. The above is another sneak peak of my first completed pattern using the actual material and not just muslin! Gosh, I am sick of muslin. It's so incredibly boring.

You see, the longer I sew (it's been a little over a year now) the more I learn. My ability to create an actual piece that I can hold in my hands from an idea in my head is getting easier and easier. I still have a long way to go, and pages in my notebook of ideas I can't quite make realities. But it's getting easier and I have confidence that if I keep at it, those harder things will soon become realities too. I hope this next shop update  (sometime in April, I hope...) will reflect the growth I've made with my sewing. The clothing will have a simple, sophisticated look, but I still keep all my principals in mind: comfort, sizing for cloth diapers, gender neutral, etc. I'm really, really getting excited about it and wish I could work all day, everyday for the next two weeks to get these things in my shop. So please excuse the delay. I do realize other people are much closer to spring than we are!

And a long-time blog reader from Portugal sent us a lovely package with some handmade goodies for both Elisabeth and I! What fun! The bookmark has really come in handy, since I was using a piece of tissue before. And the little one loves her new finger puppet and doll. Thanks Teresa! You'll be hearing from me shortly!

I hope you all have a terrific weekend! See you back here on Monday.

Spring

Another test item emerged from the green room for a trial run on the little one. This particular design was inspired by a shirt a blog reader sent me that used to be her daughter's. How fun! These test pieces are made from muslin and whatever embellishments I have on hand. Little attention is paid to details when putting them together because I just need to see how the fit will be, so it goes quickly. The real deal will take much longer.

I wasn't planning on announcing every design I have for my spring shop update, but there is little else to report on, so I decided to give you one more sneak peak. This jacket will be made out of a linen blend. I am really loving the linen/cotton blends because they are much easier to wash than 100% linen and do not wrinkle as easily. Perfect for children's wear!

The little one seemed to like it, or maybe she was just overjoyed to see the camera pointing at her again. The jacket seemed to fit well and now I just have the task of making the pattern in five different sizes! But it's cute, isn't it?!

Fit For a King and Queen

Some of my favorite things to make are the wool felt birthday crowns. There are a few that slipped by without being mentioned here, so I'd like to give them their debut. I don't know why I love making them so. Perhaps it's because with every stitch I imagine the years it will be worn, the parties it will be a part of, and the memories it will instill throughout a little one's childhood. It's quite magical and I feel honored to be the maker of each special crown.

I've gone back and forth with the idea to add them to my shop. I guess because each one is so unique and is often designed by the future wearer itself, that I have decided I would only take custom orders for them.

My goal is to make each one different. Kind of like my motto for clothing. Each child is different, so each crown should be too! Just by the colors the child picks out, I can often sense a style that would suit the wearer. It's fun to choose the stitching and trim that will compliment the wool felt.

Although I typically love accepting custom orders, I have to stop for the next month. I'm getting ready to order fabric for my spring line of clothing and am really concentrating on designs. But if you would like to place a custom order with me, I will gladly put you on a list to get started on after my next big shop update.

And don't forget... this afternoon at 2 p.m. EST, the shop will be updated with two lovely bags! Enjoy your Wednesday.

Week 3 (and other things)

Another one for the Six One Way project. Have I mentioned that in the past week the little one has gotten five new teeth (four being molars)?! Oh yes. Hence the middle picture of the Hyland's teething tablets.

So I have some news for you all. First, I was interviewed by a business opportunities weblog and you can find the interview here. It was a lot of fun to do and hopefully you will find some new tidbits you haven't read before.

I have a new website that is up and coming. ShopBluebirdbaby.com will be launched soon, but for now you can see the little "coming soon" banner I put together. A big thanks to Stephen for taking the time to do the programming for my new site! I'm really excited about it and hope it will provide people with more information about myself and my Bluebirdbaby goods.

And lastly, tomorrow (February 20th), at 2 p.m. EST, you will find two new additions to the shop. These "Everything Bags'' are perfect for so many things. They feature three interior pockets, a key ring to attach your keys, sturdy construction, and a lovely button closure. There will be two different bags in this style, so be sure to check in tomorrow for the update!

Little Things From the Green Room

I had the pleasure of doing a swap with Lizz from ZooLooNaturals. The little one is so incredibly smitten with our dog Macaulay, but due to a slow paralysis of his hind legs, he is not able to join us upstairs very often. I can tell she misses him and it makes our time with him even more special. It's hard to witness the aging of a beloved pet. A big dog going on twelve, he is still like a puppy in every other way. I can tell he is confused and scared about his sudden fight to control his back legs, and it's so hard to sit by and watch knowing I can't do a thing about it. So Lizz agreed to do a custom wooden figure of Macaulay! I think the little one will be very excited about it and I can imagine the play that will ensue.

So for Lizz I made a custom pair of pants for her little one. The yellow print is a heavy cotton and I love the look of it with the brown corduroy. I also included a little something extra, but unfortunately forgot to photograph it before packing it up.

I've been promising an outfit for my niece in Utah. She's going on three now and her mother informed me that she only likes "comfy" clothes. So a soft pair of flannel pants and a matching cotton shirt should do the trick. The little one still loves her "squirrel" pants and insists on wearing them when our little visitor climbs up to the deck to eat the birdseed.

And isn't this shirt lovely? It's made with organic cotton by Speesees with a flock of birds on the front. It came from one of my favorite places: Edith & Edna in Portland. Above is the little one pointing to the birds. She loves it as much as I do. Now if only they came in bigger sizes...

New from Etsy

Every couple of months I save my pennies for some wonderful items I've found on Etsy. I love to share them here because I really feel that supporting other artists is important. Buying handmade is really vital to me, so I find myself turning to Etsy first when I am in search of something.

I knew the green room needed something special in terms of artwork as soon as I put the paint on the walls. I had remembered seeing Blue Yonder's papercut called "Leaving The Nest" and immediately fell in love with it. I inquired about some custom 8x10 prints and she was more than happy to work with me. There are so many funky prints up in her shop. I love each and every one of them and had a hard time choosing! I can't wait to have them framed and on the wall.

Have I mentioned that I now have three people willing to watch the little one in the morning while I get some work done?! Three! I feel so lucky to have them and Elisabeth just adores the attention. So I get two mornings a week now to myself. For the first time since becoming a mother I've discovered I need a weekly planner to keep our schedule straight. I found the one above on Etsy in Julia's shop called Simbiosis. It's the cutest thing and is just the right size for lugging around in the diaper bag.

I was able to put in a custom order with my favorite little Etsy shop: Green Leaf & Owl. Eva is so talented and her jewelry always catches my eye. It's the first time I've ever found jewelry that is truly my style. The above necklace is really beautiful; the picture honestly doesn't do it justice.

And lastly, one of my blog readers has an Etsy shop and I fell in love with her  "Bluebird of Joy" earrings. How could I not with a name like that?! Kate is so talented and I had fun looking through her shop. I put the earrings on as soon as they arrived and when the little one woke up from her nap, she immediately crawled into my lap and started to play with them. (I do realize this isn't the greatest picture, but have you ever tried to photograph earrings on yourself? Slightly difficult.)

We also received this gorgeous and beautifully made bag from Kate. The little one immediately snatched it and started to fill it with boxes of food. She lugged it around for a good hour. I hope she doesn't get too upset when she finally realizes it's mama's bag and not hers...

So there you have it. A little Etsy love from yours truly. Buy handmade!

All Done

Finally everything is finished. I've really enjoyed making every item for the shop update this afternoon (at 2 p.m.EST!).

I finished another batch of pants over the weekend. I even made two extra for the little one. She's had a growth spurt in the last three weeks and desperately needed some. I like the look of the elastic around the ankles, and really love how it keeps the pant cuffs from dragging in the mud or snow. These "Mad For Plaid" pants are perfect for play.

And her favorites: the "Dream of Green" cords with that great Japanese heavy cotton tree print on the knees.

I thought I should have a little "Maine" fun and whipped these up. The plaid knee patches were a find in a thrift shop on the coast of Maine. The title of the pants pretty much sums up how I feel about them: The "Wicked Good Pants."

And I updated my Etsy profile which will provide you with a little information about the thinking behind my children's clothing designs.

There might be some quiet posting this week as I begin to start on custom orders. Enjoy the day!

Shop Update

*Due to the time difference, I have moved the update to 2 p.m. EST. I hope this works for more people!!*

The shop will be updated on Monday, January 21st, at 9 a.m. 2 p.m. EST. Please note that the time has changed from my previous announcement.

And what will be in this update, you ask? Well, cargo pants for the little ones and bigger kids too, wool felt barrettes, and possibly another set of pants if I find the time this weekend to finish them. Here's a glimpse of the goods:

As always, each item in this shop update is unique. No two are alike. I spent a lot of time choosing trim for the pants and embroidering a coordinating design on the linen cargo pockets. I am very happy with the end result and hope you will be too! The wool felt barrettes were inspired by the one I made the little one months ago. I wanted something soft and gentle on her head and couldn't find any that fit our style. Each barrette is hand stitched and topped with a vintage button.

I hope to see you Monday morning at 9 a.m. EST! There will be another shop update in mid-late February with clothing for the ladies, diaper bags, and more.

I hope your weekend is filled with creativity, fun, and lots of chocolate!!

A Small Detail

Anyone who has placed a custom order with me knows I am a speedy worker. I'll usually have the finished product mailed the next day. I've always been this way. I remember being in grade school and finishing my tests a full twenty minutes before anyone else. In high school I used to double check, triple check, and fidget around before finally standing up from my seat. Of course, the class would be staring at me with that "how the heck did you do that so quickly?" look, while I started having doubts that I somehow missed a few pages. So when I get e-mails from my much appreciated blog readers asking when the next shop update is, I find myself in an unusual position. You see, I could have updated it long ago if it weren't for a small detail:

My serger. It's been giving me issues from, well, the beginning. Oh, there's that usual serger temperament going on. You know, the one where even if the room is too humid it seems to stop working. But it's gotten to the point where I serge an inch, have to re-thread everything, serge another inch, re-thread, and repeat. It takes me forever to finish something and usually the end result is not that pretty.

So when I sat down to work Friday night feeling mighty good about getting some things done (along with some DMB, G&B, and a good glass of merlot) and found out my serger would not cooperate, I realized that something is going to have to give. I spent an hour re-threading it over and over. I finally gave up. See those tissues next to my serger in the picture above? Yea, those were definitely needed. I had a little meltdown.

So my serger is no longer in use. This means my planned next shop update is either heavily modified or postponed until I figure something out. Remember my sewing machine giving me trouble a while back? That put a large dent in my savings and a new serger is not even in the picture. One step at a time though, right?

I've managed to come up with some other things that will be finished soon for the shop. I worked on them a bit yesterday and felt that old feeling of satisfaction and productivity return. I dipped into my wool felt stash.

Took a look through my vintage buttons.

And am close to finishing a few (okay, more than a few...) accessories for the little ones which will hopefully make an appearance next Monday, the 21st at 11 a.m. EST.

Thank you for your patience. If anyone has suggestions on a good, not-so-pricey serger, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts.

And the birds take flight...

A Bit of Randomness

Yesterday, the marvelous Rhea came over for some chatting and tea. I call her the "marvelous Rhea" because she really is quite marvelous. She knows me well and as soon as I whipped out my camera she asked, "is this going on the blog??" Rhea is a terrific graphic designer and has agreed to completely rework my logo for the shop, including business cards and some free gifts to include with my Etsy sales.

I'm really excited about it all and hope to reveal the new look with the next update of my shop. Hopefully that will be towards the end of the month. There's so much crafting going on here, but I want the next update to be a surprise. I'll show you snippets here and there in the coming weeks so at least you know something is going on in the green room.

The following are completely random photos I've taken around the house lately. I guess quite fitting for a Friday, where the craziness from the rest of the week seems to melt away in anticipation of the weekend. Ah, Saturdays...lounge pants, pancakes, a good book, a movie, some snow playing (and eating), and visits to our favorite little book store to see friends and have my daily soy mocha.

A hat the little one found buried in Stephen's office. She dragged it upstairs and placed it on the floor in front of where I sit on the couch. I found it after she had gone down for her nap and chuckled as I read the visor.

A mobile that was my sister's, then passed down to me, now passed down to the little one. It sits in our living room where the sunlight streams through the window most of the day.

A glass bubble I thought looked brilliant in the sunlight.

My favorite dried flowers that I never tire of.

I hope your weekend is full of creativity and laughter. Stay warm! See you back here on Monday.

Little Pants

Last week I realized that I have been making so many pants lately, but none for my own little one. Initially, I started making pants because I could never find any that fit over our bulky cloth diapers. Then I decided to get a little more into it because I could never find a style of pants I liked anyway: too pink, too frilly, too tight, or just plain not our style. You've probably noticed most of the pants I make are gender neutral, partly because I don't believe genders should have "assigned" colors and browns, navy blues, grays, and tans go with everything.

While at the fabric store I spotted some flannel on sale. Generally I stay away from the flannel because I have not once found a print I could live with day after day, but I spied this owl print and it ended up in the cart a second later.

They were designed to be "lounge" pants. Not pajamas. We spend a good deal of Saturdays "lounging" and since I had lounge pants, I thought it only fair she should have some too. She loves the owls and says "hoo, hoo!" every time she puts them on.

And these pants were sitting in my shop for much too long. That leaf print?! I love it! So now they are her pants and she loves them. I can make more if anyone else is interested. I have a wee bit of the leaf print left.

And for all of you who ordered crowns (thanks!), they are in the works and almost finished! There has been an awful lot of sewing going on here lately...

A Skirt For Me, A Skirt For the Tree

After my dismal skirt failure last month, and a summer skirt that will probably always be a little too big, I decided a new skirt for the holiday season was in order; and it must fit! After being inspired by this, I came up with the above in an amazing 30 minutes. Yes, thirty. I see a lot more of these in the future.

To avoid any waist measurement issues, I went with a wide elastic. Oh my, is it comfortable. The fabric was one of the remaining corduroy prints at the store. Who would have thought corduroy season was over?! The pocket idea is brilliant, which was one of the reasons I really loved the skirt when I saw it. I always find it awkward when I don't have pockets for my hands. I tend to panic when I'm out in public and realize I have no pockets.

After finishing the skirt I decided the tree was looking rather naked, so when the little one went to bed much earlier than usual (up at 5 a.m., one short nap in the morning, and one long afternoon...) I got in a little extra sewing. I used the holiday prints leftover from the stockings and linen, measured the space around the tree, came up with this simple design, dipped into my bias-tape stash, and it was done in about an hour.

I even got to use my favorite stitch on my new machine (still swooning, by the way) which Stephen has affectionately dubbed "the computer." Overall, I'm really pleased with how it came out and I'm excited that it might last through the little one's childhood and passed onto her when she's grown.

And I just wanted to add that there will be no shop updates until the new year.  I am working on a new pant design, as well as some other things, getting ready to paint my new sewing space, and just enjoying the time to do a bit of sewing for our family. So I will not be taking any custom orders until after the holidays. There are still two holiday outfits up in the shop if anyone is interested! 

And the stockings were hung...

Our family has decided to celebrate Solstice instead of Christmas. What exactly that means for us will develop over the coming years as our family grows and learns. We already have some traditions in place that seem to suit our family's style, like a special ornament for the little one each year. This year's ornament came from the Etsy shop called My Little Acorn. A bird ornament! How could I resist?!

It's so well made and I just adore the colors. I bought two, one for an ornament swap at a party next weekend and one for us. The little one just loved it and felt very special finding the perfect spot for her new ornament on the tree.

I finally found the time to finish our new stockings. We plan on doing just stockings on Christmas with little, practical, and fun gifts inside. We are really trying to stay away from the commercialization of Christmas and all the gifts it entails. The stress and greediness, the expectations and commitments all seem to drive our family further and further away from our culture's biggest holiday. But we still want to honor the special day in a few unique ways.

The stockings' fabrics were carefully selected to fit each of our personalities.

Stephen is very fond of his and asked how I wrote our names on each one. (Well dear, remember the other night when we were sitting on the couch together, me with a needle, embroidery floss, and fabric in hoop?)

Elisabeth was ecstatic about hers. She insisted on taking it down and carrying it around with her. She kept pointing to the bunnies hiding behind the trees and giggling.

Three hours of stocking making for just one short time of the year? Definitely worth it after seeing my family's appreciation. Nothing beats handmade.

Snow Day

Father Winter is officially here. Eight inches of snow buried us yesterday. Stephen had a "snow day" and spent the day watching the little one while I spent a little more time bonding with my new love. I got a lot done. Having about four hours to work, of course with sporadic interruptions from a short someone, felt so incredibly invigorating. Actually having completed projects on the table? Heavenly.

So we spent the day inside with a brief outing so the little one could do lots of snow eating. Stephen took charge of the camera and captured some really beautiful photos.

See my new banner above? That's all him. I edited and cropped it, but he gets the credit. I thought it only fitting to replace the banner where Elisabeth was running around without a jacket on the grass. It seemed so out of place after the snow today.

And 'tis the season for holiday outfits! There are four in the shop. My style and tastes definitely reside in the more "classic and simple" look, but I had fun with the matching shirts. I think they are very festive and would make a little one quite thrilled to wear.

Totes and Winter Woolens

*Edited to add that the totes are now in the shop. We were able to get some better pictures this morning. Thank you for your patience!*

Now how's that for a title?

You'd think after a lifetime of living in Maine we'd be used to the sudden drop in temperature this time of year. But when the chilly air turned our cheeks and noses red on Saturday, I felt a bit surprised and mourned the end of my favorite season that seemed unfairly short. In an effort to keep toasty while roaming the woods, we pulled out the winter woolens:

The hat mentioned in my previous post , a thrifted Italian jacket, a pair of felted wool pants made from a recycled sweater, wool socks from Etsy, and...

her new shoes! I think she stayed quite warm while we were outside and enjoyed the freedom of running around in a more pliable outfit instead of her penguin looking fleece jumpsuit. But mama was still cold. I guess I should invest in some wool for me too.

Somehow, I've managed to find the time to finish five "Library Totes" for the shop. I really do love these bags. They are so practical and can be used for anything. I made four more for gifts and one for myself!  And please take into consideration that the dark days of winter here in Maine affect the  brilliant colors of the fabric in these photos. They really do look much more beautiful in person! If any of you bloggers want to purchase one, I'll offer free shipping. Just type in "bloggerLT" in the comments to the seller section.  

Have a marvelous Monday!

Sew What?

I assure you, there has been a lot of time spent behind the sewing machine here lately. Christmas gifts, things for me, things for the little one, clothes and new items for the shop. I'm getting ready to upgrade my machine because I'm often left with a half done project that requires something more heavy duty, or even a machine that can actually apply the zigzag stitch correctly. Stephen is usually begging me to upgrade because he's tired of hearing those naughty words escape my mouth while I reach for the stitch ripper. And my serger? Are you supposed to have to bang on it to get it working again?! So it looks like both of them might be in for an upgrade. Oy vey.

Nevertheless, I have managed to complete a few things. This was one of those, "what was I thinking??" projects. I designed a simple skirt with two pleats in the front and a ruffle around the bottom. I wanted something nice to wear to Thanksgiving but this was honestly too much for me. I once again measured myself no less than ten times and still came out with a skirt eight inches too big. A lot of cutting and resewing and I ended up with something that was a bit too "fluffy" for me. I'm hacking the back off and turning it into an apron.

A few Christmas gifts for family and friends.  I made four of these patchwork scarves and they were so incredibly quick to whip up. I think it's safe to post these here, but I'm sorry if I spoiled the surprise for anyone! I used cotton prints from my favorite little fabric store and linen I had on hand.

And lastly, a little sneak peak at the new batch of things for the shop. This "Library Tote'' is strong enough to carry a load of books. This one was made with a chocolate brown corduroy and one of my favorite Japanese cotton prints. I really want to keep it for myself! It's lined with fusible fleece (gosh, I despise working with this stuff, but it sure does make a bag sturdy!) and has a wonderful feel to it. The straps are long enough to go over your shoulder, because I'm one of those people who never has a free hand for carrying a bag. I plan on finishing the rest and adding them to the shop by the weekend.

Now, off to do more sewing...

For those music fans out there, the title of this post was inspired by my favorite Miles Davis tune: "So What"

Shop Update

I added three pairs of jeans to the shop. What's a wardrobe without a pair of jeans?!

Don't forget, free shipping for blog readers until Wednesday with code "blog1107."

I Love Creating

We have been on the search for a new shower curtain for months. I kept putting it off until the disgusting state of our existing shower curtain was no longer ignorable. So I looked around and could find nothing for a price a family on a budget was willing to settle for. I ended up getting two liners to at least keep the floor dry, but they were oh so boring.

Enter thrifted sheet. I found it this past weekend and bought it on impulse. I had no plans for it and couldn't even decide if I liked it. When I saw this photo on flickr and realized the curtain was a repurposed duvet cover, I got the bright idea of making my own shower curtain. So that's just what I did a few nights ago.

Super easy. I serged the bottom edge to the desired length, then added button holes to the top of the sheet where the shower curtain rings would go. It took me about 15 minutes. I waited for Stephen to get home and walk into the bathroom, fearing he would say "oh my!" and declare it too "flowery," but he was sweet about it and agreed it looked much better than plain white.

I made a matching bath mat using scraps from the sheet, a vintage table linen, and backed it with an old towel. The little one loves pointing at the flowers. She spends a good deal of time smelling them too, thinking that all things mama calls "flowers" are supposed to smell.

She also spends a good deal of time taking off with the bath mat. I wouldn't be surprised if this ended up in her bed and I spent another night making a duplicate.

And there are four new pants up in the shop. I am really into the charcoal corduroy. I have a feeling there will be more of these in the future. And for all you blog readers out there, I am offering free shipping until next Wednesday. Just write "blog1107" in the comments to seller area.

I Love Etsy

Lovely things from the Green Leaf & Owl. Eva is the greatest and I think her creations are brilliant.

A tiny felted bird for the little one to add to our nature table. The creator of this is a home schooled student who has her own Etsy shop called Vermo