nani iro tank dress

Scarlet did a little photo shoot of me in the dress I finished this morning. I set up the tripod for her and so she just had to instruct me and click away. I used the Wiksten tank top pattern that I love and went for the dress version this time. I think it's safe to say that Jenny's pattern suits my need for nice, basic and casual pieces that become wardrobe staples. My only change was to leave off the pocket. The fabric is double gauze Nani Iro and was a bit fiddly but, I carried on.

I've been thinking about my habits with purchasing fabric and yarn over the years and how my tastes have evolved. I seem to have way too much quilting fabric and lots of small pieces and one or two skeins of yarn and lots of odd bits left over. I like to use what I have and try not to buy often since when I look in my craft room there seems to be so much already but often, not what I am looking for. Going forward I am going to be more conscious of buying only what I need for a particular project or at least yardage for clothes and sweaters. I know it's normal to have a lot of 'leftovers' but, sometimes I feel like I am in over my head with all the supplies. How do you best deal with your stash?

sophie the bunny

I was inspired to knit a toy this past week. The design is called Sophie and is by Ysolda. The pattern is really well thought out and the way the stitches are picked up for the arms and legs look really nice. I am slower on dpn's so it took me a bit longer to knit this then I anticipated. I changed the ears a bit making them more dense and narrow. The yarn is Alpaca with a Twist and I am really happy with this choice of yarn for the project. It looks like little nut brown hare will be on time and well loved this Easter.

mackey blue items

Over the weekend we went to Hoboken where I dropped off some new appliquéd onesies in sizes 3 and 6 months. My baby items have been best sellers there so for the time being the women and home items are on hold with the exception of the hair accessories. The baby items that you will find there include: bonnets, onesies, hand knit booties, vintage style smocks and summer dresses. If you are local please stop by for these adorable items all reasonably priced as well as great vintage and antique jewelry, purses, housewares, books, art and furniture.

Above are some of the new appliquéd designs that are there. These are so easy and basic to wear and so appropriate for the summer and also for layering.

knitting recap

A bit of knitting catchup to show you. My favorite of them is the Jul Hat (above) a new pattern from Jenny of Wiksten. Her pictures are gorgeous as is this hat so, if you are looking for a nice in between and simple project this is a great one. I knit mine in one skein of Jade Sapphire cashmere in the color Black Walnut that I have been holding onto for a few years. I have been wearing it every day since I finished it and am already thinking of other yarns to try it out in.



Another leafy washcloth in blue cotton for my new niece or nephew due next month. This baby is going to be spoiled in handmade. So far: two sweaters, a few pairs of booties and washcloths.


A hot water bottle cover. The pattern is called Winterberry. This was winding up a bit larger so I abbreviated the pattern and need to find a larger bottle for it. This will be a gift this coming Christmas. I am not 100% happy with it though I did use the weight yarn called for I would go down to a dk and smaller needles to pick up the design better.



And, finally this hat; Oaked, which is not really finished because I need to frog it or possibly start from scratch if I can't get the yarn. Since the pattern is absolutely gorgeous it will be worth it.

upholstery project #2 - modern boudoir chair

Here is a chair that I upholstered myself. I talked about working on this here so I thought I should show it to you. It is pretty different looking and more modern then how it originally looked. I did away with the skirt feature at the bottom and piped around the arms and sides. I finished this up early in February and started last Spring. I chose white duck cloth as my fabric which I questioned myself about a dozen times. I love white upholstery so that was not the issue so much but, I think a pattern would have been more fun to work with. I had to make a quick decision and stay within budget and the budget issue was what limited me the most as all the patterns and beautiful fabrics I liked were way out of my price range. I paid about $100 for the fabric. I am in the process of changing up my daughters room where this was heading and I wanted to make sure it would fit into any decor. I spent a lot of time on this and towards the end it was a bit boring and it felt like a drag which was what slowed me down. I plan to scotch guard it this week to help keep it clean and I figure if it gets dirty I can stencil it or have a talented artist paint on it.

The piece came from a neighbor a few doors down who was moving and let me walk away with some furniture for free.

The above pictures show the chair in her room and the ones below the before and process of working on it.
I am not taking the class this semester and miss it. Hopefully, I will return to it later this year.

Before

the fabric is not awful and even has it's own sweet charm but it's old and dirty and needs a change.



I really love the middle process of building the chair up.

spring quilt

I finished the sky blue, white and liberty quilt last night though I still need to run it through the wash to puff it up a bit. This is a nice size for the end of the bed or for your lap. I quilted it in a grid in straight lines. The back is gray and voile like the blue fabric. I used a variety of liberty prints from my stash with blue being the theme.

The finished size is 48" x 48"

sweet peas

Are you getting excited for Spring? I sure am.
Hoping to get these outside in a week or two. They have been under grow lights in the basement and are ready.
This year I promise to share more from the front (and back) garden here since it is such a big part of our days in the spring and summer.
I also will be taking an online flower arranging course in May with Chelsea Fuss (signed up in January) and I can't wait.

rainbow skirt

March seems the perfect time to make something like this.

I came up with a simple formula on how to make my own version of a rainbow skirt. It is comprised of lots of rectangles. I used muslin and voile and even though the weights of the fabric are a bit different it worked out nicely. It was a lot of fun to sew and the result is most definitely worth it...she loves it! A little bit trimmed off of the fabric and a ribbon wand came into place. Now what are the magic words to make Spring arrive?


S is so proud of her skirt and really enjoyed taking these photos. She lost her first tooth a few weeks ago. This girl is really growing up.

baby knits and a trip to the met

Some baby things that have been knitted over the past week.

A tiny pullover sweater knit in eco alpaca wool. The pattern for the sweater is called organic guernsey and is by f.pea.


An organic cotton washcloth. Another one has been started in blue. The pattern is called leafy washcloth.

I'll post more pictures on my Ravelry later this afternoon of both knits.





I have been trying to get into the city as much as possible lately. This weekend we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I loved the Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity exhibit. It was too good to be true. I loved seeing the dresses and accessories alongside the paintings. My breath was taken away more then once. The gauzy day dresses as well as the highly detailed formalwear and the beautiful fans made of feathers.... there was not one item not to like. I could have spent hours and I may have to go back. The children however were not so blown away mostly because they were hungry and wanted to see the mummies and armor so after an hour we headed to the cafeteria and went to the exhibits they wanted to see. A little something for everyone.