Fabric Ball Necklace

After seeing this post today in which she included this link to make the above fabric ball necklace I was sold on Little M's nap-time project for today. It was very easy to make and I used vintage fabric scraps that I've been playing around with lately in various ways. Instead of wire, I used strong beading thread and it worked out just fine. I have to agree on the Blueprint love although this issue was not my favorite so far. I did enjoy the denim fashion and the baby shower story.
Also, now I have a little time left for a nap for me. Or maybe not. He just woke up. Oh well.
Have a nice weekend.

heirloom journals

I thought I'd do an artist spotlight today and share with you these lovely journals.
I purchased these two recently. They are lovingly handmade by a girl named Kacie who calls them Heirloom Journals. She takes old hardcover books and replaces the text with blank paper. She consigns through Mackey Blue if you are interested.
I love the little red one whose title is The Story of a Hundred Operas for carrying around in my bag. The other one is titled Come Along... Reading for Meaning and it has amazing graphics.

items for mackey blue

Here are some of the new items I made for Mackey Blue the past few days. I am in love with the garlands.
'Cape Cod Country' reminds me of cranberry bogs, the sea, the sand and the antique's.



'Neopolitan' reminds me of ice cream, of course. I had a dream the other night about ordering strawberry ice cream. I hardly ever do but, you bet I'm thinking about it now. I'm more of a chocolate type of girl normally.




Vintage button brooch's - some with layered buttons...loving these.




Always making button bobbies...can't seem to stop.



Some more millinery brooch's- also some on Etsy.

reading and crafting

Today I'm feeling torn between kicking back and reading during Little M's nap or doing more sewing and crafting. (And, yes I will sit somewhere other than the floor to read). This weekend I did a bit of both and also watched The Ghost and Mrs. Muir which I found enjoyable and would recommend to lovers of old movies.

The skirt in the photo is one I made over the weekend - a simple a-line following these directions. It went fast and although the directions are very vague it was easy to improvise. I skimped on a waistband and just hemmed it like the bottom and I actually like the simpleness of just the four seams and the zipper on the side.

As you see in the photo I'm a Nancy Drew fan. I read all of them growing up. I can still see in my mind where they were located at the library. Several years ago, a co-worker of mine at a historical photo agency I worked for gave me a huge collection of hardcover Nancy Drew's which I keep at my parents. This one is the only one I have here at home for now.
I'm also reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith and am about to read No One Belongs Here More then You Stories by Miranda July. My friend Kim has read both and rated them over at her blog.

I've been busy doing some crafting both for Mackey Blue and for my Etsy shop which I've updated recently. My sales picked up at the store this weekend which I was pleased about as it was slow going up until now.

Little M and I went to our first Art in The Park this morning. He had fun opening and closing the big box of crayons. He is very into how things work lately. Also, he had a lot of fun pushing shaving cream around a table with mini plastic garden tools and making a belt out of yarn and little rubber foam shapes.

let's do the twist

I wanted my own picnic placemat after seeing the cute one in Lotta Jansdotter's book and I've had loads of this fabric for longer than I can remember. You might be thinking oh, that book again but really it is such a great book to have with all kinds of smart easy patterns that are also well written.
I made a simpler version by not adding ribbon or sewing separate pockets inside the pocket for individual utensils as just one pocket is enough for me. Today was a perfect day for a lunch time picnic and yes, I did eat more than raspberries but they were just the prettiest of the food items.

sweet thoughts of summer

Sweet thoughts of Summer:

the boardwalk
salty breezes
taffy
fresh tea with mint
farmer's market vegetables and fruits
flirty dresses
swingy skirts
reading books
daydreaming
picnics
porches
cool night breezes
catching fireflies
being in nature
painted toenails
carrying a parasol
admiring the flowers
seeing rainbows
free outdoor music
fireworks


...more days like this




going to art in the park
playing in the sprinklers in the water park
tending and watching the garden grow
going to the library and storytime at the park
spending lots of time on the swings
blowing bubbles
playing in the sand
dipping toes in the ocean


listening to the birds sing

lots of little things

2 new bow brooches...Autumn and Eve. Yes, I name these. Perhaps I should give proper names to all items I make.

Key to my Heart Necklace




Handknit and sewn-on elements...a key and a heart locket with scarlet ribbon bow.


This is inspired by the fact that I have an old key I wear once in a while. Everyone always asks me is it the key to my heart.

Started working out a new pouch design...needs more work.



Finished the squirrel scarf modeled by it's new owner who has skipped a few naps this past week possibly due to that drool you see there...



Waiting for birds.




Playing with scraps of fabric





I think I've got a little victorian bug going on at the moment