a clutch

"No kisses please. Only stickers. Because I am a robot."

I don't know what it means either, but that kid does make me laugh.

Two sewing books arrived on my doorstep this week: Amy Karol's, which you see here, and Amy Butler's which is also excellent but in a different way. I suggest both, as does amazon.ca, and if you're looking to spend $39 to get the free shipping then I also give Jessica Seinfeld's stealth vegetable cookbook a nod. The french toast with a dollop of sweet potato puree went over without a hitch this morning. I feel triumphant.

Back to sewing. A dear, wacky friend who happens to share my birthday is throwing a proper birthday bash tomorrow night. Guitar Hero has been mentioned. A keg might be involved. Maybe spin the bottle. I really couldn't say. Her parties are always a little off-kilter and always fun. I made this slouchy clutch to hold her gift. I love using beautiful fabric for wrapping. It's like a little gift in itself, don't you think? I followed the pattern for the Artsy Pouch, which happens to be the cover project, but I completely botched the lining part and had to improvise a folded over cuff to get it finished. I'm still happy with it. I liked the suggestion of cotton flannel lining to give it a nice poofy feel and bit of body. I also scaled the pattern up slightly, and ended up using about two quarter yards of fabric. A fabbo project for $8 and an hour's work I'd say.

I'm shuffling off to Buffalo for the day. Happy weekend friends.

compulsive? moi?

Sometimes I see the way my husband looks at me. I can't help myself. I could not stop making these things. I've tried three different tissue holder tutorials but keep going back to the original five-minute pattern. If you're going to, like, start an Etsy business selling tissue holders, then this technique is not polished enough (what with the unfinished inside seams and all) but for my purposes it is perfection. I have two extra tissue holders, which means it's giveaway time. A.K.A. a blatant shill for comments. Say hello (but not anonymously. I can't email you back if you comment anonymously.) if you'd like one.

just ducky

There's not much going on over here that would make for an interesting post, I'm afraid. Not that things aren't happening, mind you, but it's all kind of duck-like with lots of intrigue below the surface and calm waters above. Interesting is not an adjective I'd apply to my *situation* with Bell Canada, but if you're wondering, as Stella does, what it is I do all day, because you know, I don't actually work anymore so there is no good reason why we can't go see the Water Horse movie in the middle of the afternoon, you can see from my new Bell Canada blog, I've been spending a fair amount of time over at the someday-I'll-be-a-real-shop shop dealing with seriously uninteresting things. And not working.

So while I have nothing going on, I thought I'd introduce two bloggers who do. First up: Marta who makes beautiful journals and cards, and through Marta, I made the acquaintance of Melissa who, in addition to making beautiful crafty things and taking gorgeous photos of her kids, lives in Buffalo. I have no idea why that pleases me so but it does. Check these gals out. You'll be glad you did.

And with thanks to Melissa for the inspiration, there will be no more wadded balls of damp, possibly used (likely used) Kleenex in my coat pockets. Nosiree. I've gone upscale with one of those fancy-type tissue holders. Five minutes! Check the tutorial over here. I'm making a batch of these this afternoon and sending them to everyone we made sick over Christmas. This one is for my poor sis, who has yet to recover from whatever mondo bug was crawling around our house. Sorry A.

well hello 2008

Good-bye Christmas tree. We don't mess around here. Always a little sad packing away the baubles for some reason, but today I'm grateful to reclaim that corner in the living room, and grateful to have the armchair out of the bedroom (where I hip checked it daily) and back in its rightful place. The older I get, the lower my tolerance for chaos becomes. I enjoy putting things right. I'm not normally one for January resolutions, but who doesn't like the feeling of a fresh start? It does sort of get a person thinking.

Next up: a birthday party for my little girl who is turning five tomorrow. Last year's party, a real barn burner, will go down in the family history books (never again will I attempt to open gifts with 12 kids after they've scarfed cake and ice cream) but this year's fete will be a simpler affair with 8 friends and an afternoon of bingo. We started making paper garlands the other day. After a month of sparkly things, it's nice to see cheerful colours again.

maybe just one more stocking stuffer

Mr. Elephant joins the dog and the monkey. I really love this book but I've discovered the instructions can be deceptively spare - resulting in a frighteningly homely softy. Like Mr. Elephant here with his unravelly ears. Tip #1: find 100% cotton or 100% wool socks. Lycra's a killer to work with. Tip #2: ignore the instructions and sew the head on the body before attaching the ears. I had to redo those ears twice - twice!- to get the positioning right. Tip #3: Japanese socks are surely smaller than Canadian because I had to trim the arms, trunk and legs to get the proportions right.

So yep, this dude took two nights and about 3.5 hours to make. But like most of my projects the pain is forgotten the minute the last stitch (a very satisfying blanket stitch - my new favourite) is made. So much so that I'm eyeing a pair of argyle socks after seeing this zebra. So super cute.

Happy weekend friends.

gotta get a gosta

Ikea's Gosta Gatt down-filled pillows are strange little things: no more than 12" long and 8" across. Sort of kid-sized. Maybe travel-sized. They were marked down to $5.99 from $14.99, so I guess other folks didn't know quite what to make of them either, but a 70% markdown is not to be passed over lightly so I scooped up a pair. I figured a set of mini pillows would be useful in the car when one or the other kid falls asleep and leaves me free to daydream out the window without having to crane around every five minutes to straighten a lolling head in the backseat.



So there we are, me and a pair of cute but bland mini pillows. What to do, what to do? I admit that I'm a one-trick pony when it comes to sewing - appliques on everything! But I've gotten quite handy at doing them and I was able to whip up a pair of dandy pillowslips in an hour. If you want to jazz up your own Gosta Gatt, what I did was:

Cut a rectangle of cotton fabric that measures 33" wide by 12" tall and double hemstitch both short ends. Right or wrong sides together, it doesn't matter at this point, fold the long side of the rectangle about three quarters of the way up onto itself & press. Now you have a large section of doubled fabric and a smaller section of single-thickness fabric. Fold the single-thickness fabric over so that it overlaps 3 - 4" on the double-thickness fabric (follow?) This is where you'll stuff the pillow later. Press the two folds. Flip over to the front and centre your applique design on the front, using the two crease marks you just ironed as guidelines.

Now as far as appliques go, you can't go wrong with a basic shape like an apple, pear or tree. I've done all three freehand very easily. Kids' colouring books are a good source of simple, graphic shapes that make good appliques. And of course, Martha Stewart always has templates for cookies and other decor projects. The reindeer shape I used came from a cookie recipe in the December issue of MS Living, I drew the sheep freehand, using a stuffed animal for inspiration. Make sure the applique fabric is washable. Be careful with synthetic craft felt - it tends to pill and may not hold up on a frequently washed item. A bit of Heat & Bond on the back and a running stitch along the outer edge secures the applique to the pillowslip.

You're ready to sew. Flip the pieces right sides together, realigning the crease marks you ironed in earlier. You should be left with a more or less pillow-sized rectangle with the top quarter forming an overlap or flap. Sew up the long sides using a 5/8" seam allowance. Backstitch a few times at the overlap to make the seam extra-strong. Clip the corners so they'll poke out nice and pointy when you flip it the right way around and pink the sewn two sewn edges so they won't fray. Presto. A pillowslip.

time enough

It's not so bad taking care of a sick kid, vomit on the sofa aside. $400 for an emergency enzyme wash at 8:00 p.m. was the remedy, if you're curious. The couch still stinks, if you ask me. Of course I have been coveting a settee from Trianon for a few years now, so my olfactory perception may be tainted by an ulterior motive. Anyway. It's a rare thing for my gal to stay still for any reasonable length of time, a trait she no doubt inherited from me, so the past couple of days were a welcome break for us both. And Mulan really is one heck of a movie (insipid Disney soundtrack aside.) In between Mulan and Mulan 2 there was time to whip up a few holiday cards. Stella sat quietly at my side, transfixed by the thrum of the sewing machine. I don't know if Stella will remember that half hour when she's older, but I think I will.

Despite five years experience there are moments when I feel like a mom-imposter. I can't really explain it, but maybe you know what I mean. I don't mean a going-through-the-motions ennui (though there is that too on occasion.) It's more feeling like I've overstated my qualifications and somehow landed this job of mother of two and now what the hell am I supposed to do? It's the weight of responsibility. I heard that as adults we tend to recall our childhood in absolutes: it was either fantastic, wonderful, amazing or it was complete torture. I feel that way about Christmas. I have a tendency to get stress-y about Christmas because my own memories are, fortunately, fantastic, wonderful and amazing. Snow-dusted. Happy. Loud. And of course I want nothing less than the same for my kids. Yet the more time I spend at this parenting gig, the more I've begun to realize that the times that bring me the most happiness are when I'm not concerned with creating a perfect memory, and I just enjoy the moment - whatever it is.

craftus interruptus

I was really looking forward to a quiet morning, at home, alone, to do some work and, as a treat, get cracking on the Christmas cards, for which I finally have a design idea, thank you Denyse Schmidt. But you know, a phone call from the school twenty minutes after drop-off never means good news. So the cards will have to wait while we watch Mulan for the umpteenth time, sip apple juice and hope for an afternoon nap. Back tomorrow with at least one finished card, I hope!

cute as a button

I can't keep up with it all. So much creative genius out there. I bought these very cute retro-y recipe cards here, checked out her blog and fell in love with these mini wreaths. They combine two of my current passions: buttons and scalloped edges. I'm imagining them in fabric. Or paper but with a glitter edge. Add pixie dust glitter (Martha's is superb) to my list of new favourite things. Having bought every shade of MS's glitter in the states - where it's half the Canadian price, I'm sorry but not surprised to say - I'm on a glitter frenzy. Decking out a batch of pinecones with Stella the other day was just the beginning. Believe me when I tell you there's really nothing that can't be improved by a light dusting of pale blue glitter.

In other news, Santa has a blog. And a podcast. Who knew.

one man's garbage...

A quartet of gift tags made with recycled things. These are so simple, I'm almost embarassed to show them. I used scraps from the tweedy skirt I made in sewing class. The linen is the bottom 12" of a pair of Ikea curtains. Glad I saved that. The backs of some old baby announcements rescued from the Goodwill pile provided cardstock. Snip snip snip, a button et voila. Cute, no?

crafty goodness

I spent a couple of hours this morning at the One of a Kind show helping my sister-in-law, a cardmaker and paper arts instructor, set up her booth. Carmi's on the corner toward the end of aisle O, if you go. Her cards are 4 for $20, which is quite the deal, when you learn how she labours over each one.

I also bought a beautiful shadow box type of display shelf in a lovely matte cherry wood from here. It will be perfect. Somewhere. So many lovely things at the show. The One of a Kind is de rigueur on the handmade circuit, representing the rock stars of the craft world. I also rely on Toronto Craft Alert for a listing of all the low-key crafty events and fairs in town. It's incredible how much the whole craft *scene* has grown here in the last couple of years. I may not have to move to Portland afterall.

Thinking about teacher's gifts...waiting for inspiration. Feeling like I want to bake something but I can't commit to the clean-up part this afternoon. There was a three-ingredient shortbread recipe at the back of Canadian Family magazine this month. I'm skeptical but tempted. How much mess can three ingredients make?

1 lb butter
1 cup fruit sugar
4 cups flour

Cream butter + sugar. Add 3 cups flour. Place on a warm board (what does that mean? any bakers out there?) and knead in remaining flour. Roll to 1 cm thick; cut. Bake on parchment-covered sheet at 275 for 30 minutes.

back in the saddle

A big old frustration-tinged rummage. An exhalation. A cool phone call to the last person on earth who would know where a lost something might be. A USB cable located. I am back. With renewed purpose and bloggy usefulness.

First, a holiday craft. For my Christmas swap partner. These soft trees, you'll remember, were all over blogland last year. I stitched it by hand while catching up on episodes of Dexter (a very un-Christmas-y backdrop. Let's call it guilty pleasure #1.) I'd like to make some more. I'm a little bit shy about giving handmade things, well things made from my hands that is. I'm never sure if they're received with as much enthusiasm as they're made. I think it was this month's Blueprint that had a little gifting etiquette guide and while I forget the exact protocol, it was pretty clear that handmade was the poor cousin and should be given only in certain circumstances. As a secondary gift, say. I disagree, but it's made me look more critically at the quality of my handiwork.

In other news, and in defense of two weeks of vacation photos, this is my other intended project. I'm not a scrapbooker or much of a photo album keeper, but a book? I can get behind that. Feast your eyes here. If you'd like the geekier explanation, go here.

It's snowing. I like it. Enjoy your day.

simple pleasure #1

Leaving the car in the driveway and biking to breakfast.

I don't know if posting vacation photos is a good idea. It feels a little nahnah-ha-booboo to me. But give me a chance; I'm going somewhere with this. See, we vacation in the same place at the same time each year. We take off after Halloween, leaving behind pumpkins and fall leaves and returning to full-throttled Christmas. Personally I feel it's too soon. Being away during what has got to be a frantic transition from scarecrows and bales of hay on the front lawn to boughs of holly and boxwood wreaths on the front door, I always feel slightly disconnected from the hub-bub. I prefer to ease into holidays. A little break between events is nice. Must my home always be decorated?

Rushing from one thing to the next without savouring anything in particular - when there is really so much about the season to love - leaves me feeling deflated when it's all over. It's like despite all the work, all the doing, I've somehow missed out on the best part. Over the last couple of years I've learned to pace things, so that we're not all completely Christmas'd out by the time the day arrives. Every year I get better at it, this editing of stuff to do, to buy, to see. Figuring out how to keep Christmas simple and meaningful is not an easy task, but it's increasingly important and worthwhile to me, and I'm guessing, to some of you as well. With that in mind, I'll post any good ideas or good blog posts I come across on the subject of keeping Christmas sweet & memorable & real.

I really liked the spirit of this swap, which I heard about here. It's a sharing of family traditions. If you'd like to participate, the swap is open for sign-ups until this weekend.

roy

It seems the dog, which I thought was rather cute if a little scratchy, was not a good enough trade, and the blue monkey spent yet another night away from his rightful owner. This house is way into monkeys. So I made this little chap the other night. I knew he had been accepted into the famiglia when Stella named him Roy; cast-offs are never bestowed names.

I followed a pattern from Miyako Kanamori's Sock and Glove book. The directions were spot-on. The only advice I can offer is maybe do the ear detail embroidery before attaching the ears to the head - it's a bit of a challenge to work on an already stuffed figure. Oh, and I double stitched the arms and tail on to the body with thick cotton thread so Roy can withstand the daily tumble of life with a four year old.

let there be light

thrifted lamp, fabric shade, originally uploaded by SouleMama.

It was encouraging to discover I was not the only one taping fabric to a dilapidated lampshade at midnight last week. I love that phone.

Show + Tell

As much as I enjoy sharing glimpses of my world, I like even more getting a peek into yours. This creative and wonderful party invitation was sent in by the lovely Rita (a devoted Honeybunch customer) who is hosting a gaggle of kids next weekend to celebrate Elisa's 5th birthday. The lettering is hand-stamped and I love the Admit One ticket - so on theme and so cute. Wouldn't you be delighted to be invited? And that, friends, is what it's all about: little details like a thoughtful invitation that make you go ahhhh. Thank you for sharing Rita!

in the wee small hours...

...while the whole family is fast asleep (to paraphrase Mr. Sinatra)I'm making an apron. More accurately, learning to make an apron - hence the instructions for both the pattern and my new sewing machine laid out on the table. The apron is actually made from a vintage pillow case, culled from my collection. It called for simple twill tape ties but I opted for more sturdy and washable fabric ties, which I made from different fabric, also vintage. Thank you Hillary Lang for sharing the pattern.

It's for Stella, a Christmas gift. Lately she enjoys helping in the kitchen and I think she'll be pleased to finally have an apron her own size. The kid rolls a damn fine meatball. It's part of my handcrafted pledge this year. Fun. Happy. Tired. Proud.