for mimi

My good friends, Alec and Gwynne's daughter, Mimi is turning 1 and her party is this Sunday. I appliqued a bird from that Alexander Henry fabric onto a green American Apparel dress.
Hey...check me out on the Sew Mama Sew blog today where I used the fabric on that bird skirt.
I have a few other handmade things for little Mimi as well. Last year when her Mama was still pregnant I made this for her. The kitty is from a Sublime Stitching pattern.

Little M just loves Mimi and he says Mimi all the time. It's very cute. He gave her kisses last time he saw her. We've been talking about her party for 2 weeks already. He's very excited.

embracing yellow

Yellow and all shades of green are really tickling my fancy lately. Chartreuse, soft yellow, mustard, forest green, pale green, gray green... I've also become even more obsessed with fabric. Now what is it about yellow..a color for years I hated. Even saying yellow sounds weird to me. It's just an odd sounding word. Did I inherit color choices - likes/dislikes from my Mom? Betsy (my Mom) is all about red, white and blue. I always teased her about this calling her Betsy Ross. Seriously though if you look at photos of her and me you will see we have a natural propensity towards red & blue and then our pattern of choice would have to be plaid what with her being Scottish and me being a child of the 70's it's not a surprise. Yellow is a color I just never got excited about until now. I did paint my last kitchen a soft butter yellow which I alternately hated and loved but, here I am embracing yellow. I'm not quite ready to wear it as a solid color until I find the exact right shade. A skirt with yellow in it like my bird skirt is good though.
Onto fabric, I've been accumulating fabric this year like a squirrel hoarding acorns.
This fabric above I bought at Mackey Blue, my new place of residence on Wednesday evenings from 7-9 beginning a week from today and where some of my items for sale reside. I want to use the flower tablecloth for a framing project but, am struggling because it's too pretty to cut even though I don't have the right table for it at the moment. The other fabric is so cute too but, that I can easily cut as it has no original purpose- the watering cans, veggies and flowers against that yellow is just so sunny and summer. It would make good kitchen and table linens. Karen, the owner of Mackey Blue also had it in a green color way but, I was more drawn to the yellow.
I'm still holding strong onto my red though. My close friends who read this will know what I'm taking about.

a twirly skirt

My new twirly skirt made using the house on hill road pattern adapted for an adult. The fabrics are the American Jane Building Blocks Bows and Moda Dots. It was very simple to make and now I think I will go twirl around on the grass somewhere like a ballerina on top of a music box. More photos here and here

all kinds of owl buttons in here

A few weeks ago, my Great Aunt Janet passed at the age of 95. Although we were very sad, she was very ill and she passed while unaware. She is remembered with great love and kindness which she shared with all. She had the sweetest smile you've ever seen. She danced at my wedding in 2001 and kept up her hair appointments and dressed up no matter what. She also was an amazing seamstress and crafter and made this beautiful junior bridesmaid dress for me for a family wedding. I can't remember the material. I am trying to find this dress again through relatives but, it was long and cream colored with dusty pink flowers and green leaves and a beautiful green velvet ribbon. I wore it for her grand-daughter Janet Lynn's wedding. She worked as a milliner and always made beautiful things. This weekend I learned that she made the 2 large, room-sized braided rag rugs that were in her home. Her nieces remember her sitting on the floor braiding it.
I loved her a great deal. Her daughter, Mary-Jane gave me this bag of buttons that belonged to her on Saturday while my Mom and I were visiting her cousins tea house in Avon-by-the Sea, NJ. Of course, I love it not only for the great owl embroidery but because it was hers and I will treasure it. When I use the buttons inside they will be for projects for the family and extended relatives. A little bit of her with each garment I make or mend.

birds, babies + some flowers

In my 'studio' also known as the bedroom I've got a lot going on.
These sparrows are for applique projects.



These metal flowers are just too pretty not to look at. I forgot all about them and then remembered that last night. I love when that happens...when you rediscover treasures you put away.




And baby stuff, lots of baby projects. Here is one of them- little brown shoes...



Have a happy Memorial Day weekend!

big flowers dress

It really feels like summer today. Time to pull out this dress I made some years ago with really cool vintage fabric. Thing is it's too big on top but I'm nervous about taking it in. Should I, shouldn't I? Hmmm....

a miranda july video

I liked watching this
maybe you will too.

miranda july + blonde redhead + mike mills