Sharing Some Love

I thought I'd end the year by linking you to some of the blogs I've been loving lately. First up are some super-stylish ladies. You've already heard about Vix. She's super cool - and on her way to a tropical vacation. Jealous! Sarah and Helga both have unique looks and amazing closets. Krista is so bright, has amazing hair, and is a creative and fun artist. Shelley has a cool sense of style and a great haircut. I don't know what to say about Desiree except wow. She is fearless. Melanie has such fun acting out the characters of her clothes - and painted a pair of jeans that make me drool with envy. Curtise rocks long floral skirts and boots like no one else and has photoshop skills to die for. Hollie looks like so much fun to be around and she organizes a ren faire and has an adorable little boy. Some of the sewists I follow are Lauren, who makes beautiful historical costumes and has a line of patterns from the 30s and 40s that are beautiful, Portia, who makes such classy separates, and Tilly, who is adorable and just started designing some patterns - and she was on the Great British Sewing Bee last spring. Another Lauren has mad sewing skills and isn't afraid to sew anything - check out her lace trench coat. Kristin makes such timeless clothes and hosted a couple of sewalongs this past year. Cation Designs makes amazing costumes and geek-inspired outfits. She made a gorgeous outfit to see Desolation of Smaug and has a wardrobe of dresses made from sheets. Roisin is adorable and makes the cutest dresses out of novelty printed fabrics - and wears them with magnificent shoes. Tempest hosted the Doctor Who sewalong (I failed) and makes awesome cosplay outfits for her family. They all look amazing! Nicole always looks so retro and hot. The last few here are blogs I don't know how to categorize, really. I look at the pictures and have spent much time going through their archives. Retrospace is full of the crazy goodies from (mostly) the 60s and 70s - everything from advertisements to television shows to movie posters. Sweet Jane and Emma Peelpants are usually scans of vintage magazine layouts and advertisements. They're both in England and have clothes that are so beautiful. Dolly Rocker Girl is a recent find - she posts about all sorts of people who inspire her and me - fashion icons, famous groupies, and rock stars. She has rekindled my love for classic rock chicks and seems like a very cool girl and I'd love to meet her. That's certainly not all of the blogs I read, but they're some of my favorites. I hope you find some new people to check out and don't hesitate to introduce me to any blogs you love. Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve!

Meet Joshua

Last fall I shared a picture of the kitty we had living with us. Unfortunately, she got out one might and disappeared. Khloe was devastated. So earlier this month I took her to the local shelter to pick out a new cat. It was a hard decision for her - she wanted to bring home all of them! She was particularly find of a pair of brothers, about two months old, who were frolicky and happy. Finally we went to the room with the sick kitties - ones with colds or who were taking other medicines. Khloe latched on to Joshua instantly - and he her. We picked him up a couple of days later. He loves being here. He's only five months old and is quite the active baby. I've been busy keeping him out of the things he's not supposed to get in to - like my plants and the dishwasher. Want to see him?

Khloe loves her new kitten. She's constantly loving him and playing with him. He is a bit of an attention fiend and is eating it up. He's also quite fond of Eric and has even helped him play facebook poker a few times. Me? I'm the one with the food. Joshua comes to me when he's hungry - and he's hungry a lot. He's filled out quite a bit since being with us. According to a chart, Joshua is the equivalent of a 13-year-old. He certainly eats like a teen. Thankfully he has no interest in going outside. Our Christmas was pretty good. Kerry got the shoes he's been wanting, Khloe got clothes (including the sweater in the picture), and I got some great red boots and a castle incense burner. Next up - my birthday! Stay warm and safe, please. I'll be back soon!

Thrift Shopping

Last week I made the rounds to the thrift and consignment shops in town - we have two thrift, two consignment, and one new charity in our smallish town. I found some goodies, but not all of the pictures turned out well. Since it's been so cold, I was glad to find this coat

It's almost full-length and lined. I barely feel the cold when I'm wearing it. The pockets are huge - plenty of room for mittens and car keys. I got some tops

and a dress

an embellished vest

and a cool pair of shoes

I really need to get to the shops more often. I've been volunteering at the charity shop once a week, but I may have to stop. I worked with a girl last week and she told me that anything I wouldn't wear goes in the box to ship to Africa. Well, honestly I wouldn't wear what she was wearing - I have too much respect for myself and the world around me to leave the house looking like crap in a tee that should be thrown out and old, worn-out pants. It's frustrating to be around people with small-minded attitudes about everything. Non-crafty people can't see beyond the finished item - a jacket isn't just a jacket, it's fabric and a long separating zipper and sometimes buttons or other embellishments. Clothes can be remade into other garments or completely different items. I get frustrated knowing that I will probably never find anything vintage here because of people like her, thinking that something old is essentially garbage and only good enough for shipping to another country. The Goodwill here seems to think it's a teen boutique and is full of mall brands in small sizes - I've not seen anything in my son's size range in years. Although I'm pleased with what I got last week I'm also discouraged by my town and will probably have to trek to Peoria once in a while to see what they have to offer. I guess it's one of the perils of small-town America.

Crafty Girl

Yesterday I was getting settled for a nap when Khloe came in and asked if we had a white pillowcase. I told her no, but the pillowcases are in the closet. Why? It's a surprise, she said. While I napped she made me this -

She made a heart stencil and painted me a pillowcase. Isn't it pretty? I'm a bit nervous about using it - the paint isn't for fabric, so it will probably rub off. I love it, though. She's such a sweetie. Have you had a surprise gift made for you? Please tell me about it!

Buttons!

While I was on hiatus I spent a great deal of time sorting out my button collection. I have loads of buttons - old, new, gifted, purchased...all are beautiful and wonderful. When I see a button jar at a thrift shop or yard sale I just have to have it. I love looking at them and imagining what the previous owner was going to use them for or how old they are. I have some that were my grandmother's and I try to imagine what she had in mind for them. Some of them are new and are from Joanne Fabrics or Wal Mart that I got because I had a project that didn't work out or they were cheap and cute. My button collection makes me very happy and keeps my imagination going. Here's what I've been doing with them:

I'm still sorting out some of them and haven't made jars for the metal ones. I have a jar for the leather ones that's not in the picture. So, what have I made with buttons lately? These!

These are the Forbidden Forest mitts from the Unofficial Harry Potter Knits book. It's a fast and easy pattern. I used some yarn from Storied Yarns called Irial. I don't remember what book the character came from that inspired the colorway, but I think it looks good with the pattern - and it gave me an opportunity to use some of my gray buttons. Later today I'll be adding more patterns to my pinterest board. I've hit a snag, though. The 80s are considered vintage. I'm not ready to classify my teenage years in the same range as my mother's, you know? I do have some 80s patterns that I don't have pictures of...but I'll get it done. Did you know that early 90s is also vintage? Seriously. (Don't get me started on the grunge comeback. Ugh.)

Back In Business

I'm back from my break - no ravelry or twitter for nearly a month and very few blogs. I spent a good deal of time figuring out things and feel better. What have I been doing? Knitting dishcloths -

Lots

and lots

of dishcloths

I made 47 in all. My mom has a table in a craft sale coming up and I'd like to earn a few extra bucks for Christmas - five kids gets expensive, even if I'm only really filling stockings.
As for sewing, I'm still working on getting a good fit on my faux-DVF wrap dress. It's almost there! I was going to make a Halloween costume but the time got away from me. I don't think we'll have any trick-or-treaters, anyway - it's supposed to storm all night. Eric is happy. He hates Halloween. Khloe and I love seeing all of the little kids dressed up and usually wind up chatting with every one of them. I guess we'll be stuck eating all this candy. Good thing it's the stuff we like!
Tempest is having a Doctor Who sew-along. I'm working on just the right thing. I already have the big stripey scarf. I'm not ready to make the Leela costume - my dream cosplay for when I ever get to go to Gallifrey One, the big Convention in Los Angeles every year. One thing almost every Doctor wore is a vest. I'm going to go through my stash and find some good vest fabric. I have a couple of different patterns, but they're kind of similar. I mean, vests are vests. You will see that soon.
Oh! I forgot to show you my Fall For Cotton dress! I got it turned in on flickr on time but didn't share it with you. The pattern is from the late 40s and was given to me from my aunt. The fabric is black with multi-colored polka dots that I got a Joanne Fabrics last spring.

It fits really well. There are a couple of places that I'll adjust next time, because there will be a next time. It's a great pattern. I'm planning on wearing it to Eric's mom's birthday party this weekend. So that's all for today. I'll be back soon!

Taking A Break

For the past few weeks I've been exhausting myself - the battle to keep myself together and not consume every pill in the house in an effort to never wake up takes most of my brain power every day. I have tried to talk to people, like "they" say, but the people I've chosen apparently don't understand and change the subject. I feel like I'm lost in a black hole of worthlessness. I have to get out, and to do that I need to be away from the things that set my brain off. I've already shut my phone off. I'll be limiting my internet to deleting email ads and checking the weather - chances are I won't be reading the blogs I subscribe to. I've been trying to be outside and exercising to recharge my brain. I'll be keeping that up. I can't keep living like this or I will die. And no, I'm not fishing for comments or sympathy. I just wanted you to know why I'm going to be gone for a while. Thank you for your understanding.

I Won!

Recently the Wearing History blog hosted a giveaway - the prize was a beautiful, handmade, sewing-inspired mobile featuring a mermaid. And I won! Yay!

Isn't it pretty? There's a much better picture on Lauren's blog. You should check her out anyway - she does amazing historical costumes and has a line of patterns that are really nice...and I may be saving up for a few of them. In other news, you may recall that Khloe has a habit of bringing home animals. Last week she brought home this:

I'm not much of a cat person - they annoy the heck out of me - but this one seems to have taken a liking to me. She almost always climbs on my lap while I'm watching my shows and she lays quietly while I'm moving around - none of the crazy crawling all over and getting behind furniture business that makes me crazy. You can see that she has some problems with her legs. We're gathering up some money to take her to a vet to get checked out. Since she's had some food and a place to relax she's much calmer than when she got here. I'm still not sure about having a pet (feeding kids is enough work!) but we may well have a new family member. I just hope she leaves my knitting alone!

Dye - Licious!

It's very well-known that I love to dye things. I have a big collection of various dyes and accessories for any mood that I may have. I've passed this gene on to Khloe, it seems. She's a tye-dyeing freak and will add color to almost anything that sits still long enough. My first project to share is this:

The dress is the Ballet Dress from Dixie DIY. I've seen several versions around the blog world and wanted one for myself - and the pattern is remarkably affordable. I used a white jersey sheet and am very happy with the way this dress feels. It's like a big tee shirt. When I make it again, though, I will lower the waist a couple of inches. To dye it, I accordion-folded it lengthwise and tied it with yarn (because I didn't have big enough rubber bands) and gently squirted blue, purple, and wine colors on. Unfortunately the wine separated, so I put pink over the orangey spots. I really like how it turned out. This second project is all girl child. She watched a couple of tutorials on you tube and did it all herself - I just stood by and watched.

I love how they look. She is planning on adding another layer of the dyes to make them brighter. Didn't she do a good job? I have a couple more white sheets to sew with. Is it crazy to plan my sewing projects with the dyeing in mind? Speaking of projects - I've joined another sewalong! I'm doing the Fall For Cotton with Tasha and Rochelle. My plan is to use one of the patterns from my aunt with some polka dot cotton that I got last spring. When I get my zipper and buttons figured out I'll show you. If you're interested in sewing along, it starts September 1. There's a flickr group to share projects and ask questions. I'm kind of nervous about using a pattern that's nearly 70 years old - what if I mess up the pieces? I plan to trace it out and not cut from the original pieces, but things happen. I'll have to keep reminding myself to take it slow and relax. (I can't figure out how to add the button to my sidebar. When I do, you'll see it top right.) Finally for today, there's another heat wave going on in this part of the country. If it affects you, please try to stay inside and stay hydrated. I want you all to be healthy!

Kind Of Treasure Chest

A few weeks ago my aunt called. After some rounds of phone tag we finally got to talk to each other and she asked if I'd like some vintage patterns that she'd acquired over the years. I said yes, of course. So the next week, after a very crappy day that was just part of a crappy couple of weeks I came home to a box on the porch. Yay, my brain cried. I quickly opened it and found

a whole lot more than I was expecting! I have taken pictures of each one individually (there's over 50) and am slowly but surely putting them on a pinterest board if you'd like to see them or have any information about the year. So far only about a third are there because it's boring but now that school has started I should be able to finish soon. I plan to take pictures of the patterns that I've gotten from etsy, too. Have I mentioned that I hate Google Chrome? Kristen told me where to fix pup-ups but - guess what - this chrome apparently doesn't want to be screwed with and likes pissing me off with pop-ups. I absolutely hate that some websites will only work with some browsers and it does affect what sites I will go to. I also hate disqus. It makes it impossible for me to comment on many blogs that I'd like to comment on. I refuse to sign up for an account because, honestly, I don't see the point of it. Supposedly I can use my twitter account but I can't - it tells me that I have to sign up. I've emailed some bloggers to let them know about the problem - because surely it's not only me. Hopefully disqus will become less of a pain or will disappear. I'm not the only one who feels this way - my tweet about it got many favorites and retweets. Well, since the kids are at school I need to dance around the room a bit and enjoy getting back to my peace and quiet. I'll be back soon with a couple of finished projects and a plan for another sew-along. Have a great day!

What Do You Think?

I finished my Billie Jean dress! It needs a few adjustments - my zipper looks like crap and the armholes are a bit tight, but I like how it turned out. I have an idea for a full-skirt version after I finish up a couple of other projects. The only problem I had was with the skirt. I have short legs and have to shorten every pattern. This one didn't have any "lengthen/shorten here" lines, so I had to wing it - and still had to make my hem two inches, which erased almost all of the back vent. School starts next week! My boy will be a freshman in high school. He almost didn't make it, but he's so happy to be moving on and taking classes of his choosing. The logistics of getting everyone where they need to be will take some getting used to, so I think we'll all be a bit crabby for a week or so. Khloe is a cheerleader now. I plan to take some pictures when the games start so you can see how great she looks. Maybe I'm biased, but I think my girl is gorgeous. She's been getting some grief lately about her eyebrows - she has my full, dark brows and apparently everyone she knows thinks she should wax the hell out of them. I've been encouraging her to keep them the way they are complete with showing her pictures of models...I should get some shots of Brooke Shields and her great early modelling days. (I'm very much a Brooke fan, don't know why that wasn't my first thought!) If you're a friend of hers on facebook or instagram, please help me in my encouragement. Finally for today, do any of you know how to block popups in Google Chrome? I've been looking and can't find the right settings and it's very annoying to be bombarded with fat-loss ads every time I want to write a blog post. That's all for today. Have a good one!

Sewalong Fail

Today is the last day of the Billie Jean sewalong and I am far from done. Part of the problem is that I've been sick. I have rather chronic sinus problems and last week they decided to head into overdrive. My face feels like it's going to explode and I haven't been able to sleep or even move much without feeling sick to my stomach. Unfortunately I've been too broke to go to the doctor and get it taken care of. The other problem is that I'm having a hard time understanding some of the instructions. I've looked at the pictures on her blog and still don't get it. I'm going to have to either find other instructions or finagle something on my own. My dress will get done...it just won't be in time to try for a prize. Drat.

Sewing Along

Back in May I read about a new indie pattern designer who was releasing her first pattern. I bought it at the introductory price...and waited a rather long time for the printed pattern to be, well, printed and shipped. But it's here and she's hosting a sewalong. I've participated in knitalongs before, of course, but this will be new. I'm using some rayon from my stash to make the wiggle version. I still need to dig out some fabric for a muslin - I just haven't felt like digging around in my stash (the crazy humidity has given me a horrible sinus headache that won't go away). I need to figure out a lining fabric too - the pattern calls for lining and the designer has suggested fabrics but I can't buy anything right now. I probably will use the same as the outer fabric because I have it. I'll try to post pictures as I go...but sometimes I get carried away and just keep sewing. I have several finished things to take pictures of, as a matter of fact. It will happen. If you go over to her blog you can see several finished dresses - maybe it's a pattern you'd like to make!

My Hollyburn

I recently finished sewing the Hollyburn pattern from Sewaholic. I've seen this skirt on various blogs, but when Karen showed one of her recent versions I needed to have one. I used the view C version - shortest and fullest. The fabric is the wrong side of the batik from Joanne Fabrics from this past spring. I had a bit of a hard time understanding parts of the instructions but am happy with how it turned out:

I will probably make a couple more of these. It's comfortable and fits nicely - this was the first time I've graded a pattern to use two sizes and it worked out perfectly. I have two dresses cut out and waiting by the sewing machine but I'm trying to finish my OWL for the House Cup. I might not make it. I've had too many distractions this term and not enough desire to knit a very boring piece of stockinette. I recently signed up for pinterest. I've had so many people tell me that I have to have an account because it's so great and so much stuff is on it and it's a great way to spend time...but I don't care for it so far. The only thing taking up my time is trying to find what I'm looking for. I was hoping to transfer my evernote files over but apparently that's not possible. I've got a couple of boards going so far, one for Doctor Who cosplay ideas, steampunk ones (one is wearables and the other is goodies), and a vintage fashion one. Oh, and a Marilyn one that's not got a lot because I found another Bobbi with a wonderful collection of Marilyn pictures so I just follow her (she seems pretty cool all around, actually, this other Bobbi with the great tattoos). I would love some input on how to add images from places other than pinterest. I've been trying to use flickr as a resource, too, but it has changed and is a bit confusing for me - I couldn't figure out how to add the above image from there so I had to pull it from my computer - and I don't see how to add descriptions. I have favorited some things, though, mostly Pushing Daisies costuming images (I have a sad little pinterest board of PD, too) because it's also a bit difficult to narrow down and specify what I'm looking for. Social websites should really use ravelry as the ideal - so easy to use and understand. I'll be off now - there's fresh fruit in the kitchen that's calling to me. One of the best parts of summer is the yummy food! And guess what! I have over 30 little green tomatoes growing in my back yard. Fresh, delicious BLTs will soon be mine! Mwa ha ha!

Tower Love

I've been having a lot of stress lately. A Lot of stress. I've spent probably too much time talking about it in my Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup group. I've been friends with my "dorm mates" for several years now and know that they will offer good advice and have experienced much of what I've been going through. Well, something unexpected happened. I was gifted a pattern collection that includes this lovely design:

I got several cards in the mail:

and then I got my first-ever magic yarn ball full of amazingness:

with a purse pattern that will be steampunkified and an apron pattern that may protect me from my baking flour explosions:

I've also gotten many private messages with support and ideas to help with my problems. I can't fully express how much it means to know that these wonderful friends care so much about me. I do have a couple of finished sewing projects, but it has been blah and rainy here so the pictures aren't turning out well. If the sun comes out later I'll try again.

Some Reading For You

During my morning blog reading I came across a couple of great posts and I thought I'd share them with you. Lauren, the creator of the Wearing History sewing patterns, has this great post on creating a finished sewn item that will be loved. I'm going to try all of her tips this summer...and maybe splurge for a couple of her patterns. I mean, check out the beach trousers and the WW11 work overalls! I think the overall pattern as a playsuit would be so cute and cool for summer and beach trousers would help me channel my inner Jean Harlow. What do you think? Kristen wrote a wonderful entry about body image. It really spoke to me. I have my issues, of course, but it breaks my heart when my beautiful girls complain about their size - they all are healthy, active, and wear the smallest jeans available for juniors. Seriously, Erica is one size bigger than Khloe even though they are eight years apart. Since my surgery last year my fibro hasn't been bothering me. I've been able to move around, dance in the kitchen, walk laps around the track - I feel so much better and want to dress to show how I feel even though, according to the charts, I'm overweight. Our force-fed mentality on what's attractive makes me sick. Anyway, Kristen is having a sewalong that I'm trying to figure out how to join. It's for skivvies! I'd like to make a slip or a vintage-inspired cami and tap pant set but don't know if I'll be able to get to the fabric store. I found Kristen's blog when she hosted a Pushing Daisies sewalong. I'm now obsessed with having some Chuck and Olive clothes....obsessed, I tell you! I watch the show all the time (it's been playing on the Chiller channel) and am trying to decide where to start. Eventually I want to get the blu-rays since I love the show so much - sometimes fast-forwarding through the commercials gets irritating. I've been looking around the internet for screen captures from the show but haven't had much luck...sometimes my searching skills aren't so great. Okay, I veered way off-topic there. Sorry. I have a finished top to share but can't get a good picture. I'll try taking the camera outside to see if that helps. I do have a finished knitting project for you

It's a duster for the swiffer handle! I used Red Heart, in purple of course, because the acrylic is supposed to grab dust better than smoother fibers. It's totally throw-in-the-washer safe, too. I'll tell you what, though, those loops really fought me. I understood the mechanics of making the stitch but the execution, well, I was all thumbs. It turned out well, though. Now if only I could get one of these kids to dust for me! I'm working on a post for tomorrow. See you soon!

Embroidery Plans

A few weeks ago on Wendy Knits, the only pure knitting blog that I read, I entered a contest to win a Scandinavian embroidery book and won. Yay!

I'm so inspired by all of the projects...let me show you:

The book covers several different kinds of embroidery and has instructions for all of them plus patterns and tracing paper. I'm thinking about making this top out of some crinkle cotton and adding a design around the neck and maybe the sleeves. I keep looking at the amazing hoodie and have to remind myself that I haven't embroidered in a long time and should choose something a bit less intense. I could eventually make more than one. I have plenty of fabric and floss - the fabric is from a yard sale and the floss is from the auction. I just need to cut out my shirt and get sewing! Khloe has been watching a show called Pretty Little Liars on netflix. I know that it's a popular program, but I don't get it. The main characters are really quite slow-witted. Even Khloe comments on the stupid things that they do. Maybe the show is so popular because the cast is really attractive. Maybe, being an adult, I'm just not supposed to like it - I think the target audience is teens. Have you watched it? What do you think?

I Love Macrame!

I mentioned that I'd gone to an auction a few weeks ago and had a great time - and got some wonderful goodies! I haven't worked up a post about it because my basement flooded again so I've been trying to dry it out and will be spending some time scrubbing and preventing mold. Bleh. But! One of the lots I won was a big stack of McCall's Needlework magazines from the 60s and 70s. Last month one of the classes for the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup included a choise to do some macrame-ing...so this is what I made

It isn't great because I used yarn (stash-busting) and haven't knotted in a long time, but I'm pleased with how it came out. It's very summery. I hope to get lots of wear out of it. I took a cleaning break this afternoon to sort out a bag of embroidery floss from the auction. I haven't done any in quite a long time but recently I won an embroidery book! I'll take some pictures and tell you about it tomorrow because it's really cool. I have a whole sewing and embellishing project in my head. Let's see how long it takes to actually get done...heh heh.

Remember This?

I showed it to you a while ago. It's from Whirling turban in a style that may not be available anymore but was expensive when it was. It's a cool dress - two pieces and each piece is reversible so it has different wearing combinations. Well, look what I found!

It's Simplicity 2466, a slenderette answer dress. I'm so excited! The envelope and instruction sheet are in terrible shape. I need to find some sort of laminating sheets to protect them and keep them from getting worse and then I'll need to find a way to protect the actual pattern pieces...but I can make my own cool leopardy wrap dresses! It will take some finagling and experimenting but I'll figure out how to make it happen. I need to do some fabric research, too, to find out what will give me the right drape and look. I'm still working on my DVF Simplicity wrap. I have a wearable muslin done but it still needs some adjustments. I'd love to make it in a crazy print, something similar to what an original would be made out of but in colors that I would wear. I'm working on some more Bossa Nova skirts, too. I wore my daisy skirt the other night and got so many compliments! I'll have to schedule more sewing time into my days to finish everything that I want to do - not to mention the knitting projects I'm working on! Sigh. But first I have to try to work on this computer. Wish me luck!

Lending A Hand

The other day I drove the hour to spend some time with my parents. They used to come here to see the kids but, well, my dad isn't doing well and the drive is too much for him. So I filled the gas tank, packed a cooler with road soda, and drove. Thank goodness for my ipod! On the way, I stopped to see my honey - he had a pound of morel mushrooms to share with my parents (it was just mushroom season and they all love them. I think they're a bit icky.) The town my parents live in has a thrift shop that mom adores. All of the money raised goes back into the town. I know that lots of places have such shops, but we don't have one here. So Mom and I went to check it out since I'd never been there. I had such a good time! Let me show you:

I got so many things!

Several pieces of fabrics, probably man-made but all will be useful for small projects. The floral one is about two yards, so it may turn into a skirt.

Two pair of shoes - one a rather Ravenclaw bronze and the other is kind of steampunky and vintage. I got the purse but haven't checked it out - I'm very picky about purses and have a hard time finding ones that serve my purposes. We'll see.

Two skirts. The one on the left just needs the elastic tightened up a bit and it will fit. The right one, though, is much too small but I like the fabric and will make a top out of it.

So many supplies! Two button jars! A new macrame board! A roll of sell-by-the-yard trim that hasn't been opened and two little pieces of trims. I think the purple cone is wooly nylon thread. The pattern is a bias cut skirt- I've been looking for one. Two weave-ette hand looms - I have a bigger square and a rectangle already and now I can make other sizes. (Have you seen how much these cost?) And the autobiography of Lauren Bacall because I adore her...cool and gorgeous. I don't usually use straight knitting needles but these are pink and I like pink. So, how much did I spend? Well, it was Bag Day - everything that fits in a bag for five dollars. This all was eleven bucks - two bags and the macrame board because it didn't fit in a bag. I forgot that they had a great set of vintage aluminum cups that I'd admired - it would have fit in one of the bags. I'll be going back. Next time will be a weekend because there's a little shop across the street that has crazy hours and I want to check it out. I went to an auction last weekend and am working on a post about those finds but trust me, the macrame board will come in handy! Happy Friday!

May Flowers and a New Baby

One of the best things about spring is the color! I love seeing all of the new blossoms everywhere. Our yard has a few right now

I was inspired by them, and the other varieties around us, to create some flowers for me!

I love having flowers in my hair and have several already - fabric, crocheted, knitted, needle felted - but wanted some new ones. The one on the left is made from fabric circles. I found the tutorial on Instructables . It was very easy to make - one television show for all three and the centers, which are the little white plastic rings for crocheting that I glued some fabric around. I really like these flowers and have plans for some more. The big pink roses are on a headband and were inspired by Desiree and her spectacular Sassy Vamp headbands that she sells on Facebook (and I can't figure out how to order because sometimes I have no skills). I know it needs some leaves or something but that is still percolating in my brain. I was wearing the blue iris barrette this morning. It looks great with my curly hair but rubbed on the ceiling of my car while I was driving - go big, right? And the sparkly black one, well, last fall I covered a pair of sneakers in a mixture of mod podge and several shades of silver and black glitter. There was a bit left so I took apart a dollar store flower and covered it. It's been waiting to be finished all winter. It's on a barrette but really needs to be on a big alligator clip - but I can't find my stash of findings. It's not exactly bright and colorful for summer, but I love that it matches my shoes.
As for the new baby:
Khloe brought him home last night. Isn't he cute? You may remember that she had a pet toad, Bob, a couple of years ago. She was devastated when he crossed the rainbow bridge to toad heaven. Last night she was so excited to have a new baby to play with. He's a fast little turtle - can't leave him unattended or he'll get lost. I've set up a little home for him with some dirt to dig in and a bowl to swim in, but we need to do some experimenting with food. I read that turtles are omnivorous, so he has some lettuce and asparagus but hasn't touched it - probably because he's getting used to his new home. We'll take a trip to the pet shop later to see what they have. There's a break in the rain, so I'd better get outside - along with the flowers we have weeds that need pulled. Off to the great outdoors!

My Picnic Blanket Skirt!

Last summer the wonderful Tilly put up a tutorial for her Picnic Blanket Skirt. I bookmarked it, thinking I'd get to it eventually because it's super cute. Recently when I was going through my fabric for some reason I found a piece that I knew would be great for it...so I made one!

I used a light-medium weight cotton that's covered in sparkles. It was pretty easy to sew up - it's all rectangles. I did have some trouble with the buttonholes, but then, I usually have trouble with buttonholes. I would up doing them by hand. They aren't great but they work. The buttons are from Knit Picks and are the same wood that's used for the Harmony knitting needles that I love so much. (I have a big love for anything that's made with the multicolored wood, though) I had a small, brief worry about a gathered skirt on a big backside, but then I decided that it would be like a bustle and just accentuate what's there.

I plan to make at least one more of these. It was super comfortable yesterday and I got several compliments on it. I had to wear tights and boots, though, because it was raining...big surprise. Many of the towns around here have been evacuated because the river is so high - the predictions are for the worst flood in decades. Our basement started to flood a bit but I used a push broom to direct the water towards the sump pump. It's not exactly how I like to spend a day but it's so much better than cleaning up after several inches of water have ruined things.
I have some sewing questions and don't know where to get answers, so if you can help please do. I'm very curious about linings. What should be lined? How do you do it? What kinds of fabrics are best for using as a lining? Is a lining better than a slip? I see so many beautiful garments on blogs that are lined in various ways and would love to know more. The few books that I have don't really talk about it. Any knowledge that you could share would be greatly appreciated.