...i heart fabric...

Eeek! Make your own 1940's sandals!

Found! This fab 1940's pattern on ebay...

Thrifting Vintage Richard Scarry...

Last weekend was very successful for Thrifting! Estate Sale on friday we found some really great vintage Richard Scarry books and more...

The Best Make It Book Ever, by Richard Scarry 1977 has some great kid projects and wonderful cards to cut out. Sadie and I (mostly I) did the Lowly Worm stuffed pattern in felt. I luckily had all the materials from past projects, so easy and so cute! Sadie LOVES it...

Patterns and instructions to make the Lowly Worm doll. Simply click on the images to open them, right click and save them to your computer to print out onto 8.5 x 11 paper. Have fun!

  
Here are the fronts and backs of some great Eeaster Cards to print out:

 

5 minute Toddler fleece rainboot booties...

Snowmageddon (our two day snow storm here in Seattle) dumped on us just in time for Sadie to grow out of her snow boots from last year. Sledding with daddy was urgent, so I hopped to making some quicky fleece booties to line her ladybug rainboots. I was planning to make them with soles, but time was of the essence. I simply cut around a pair of babylegs as a pattern, cut on the bias to allow mechanical stretch and stitched them up lickity split.

Warm kid feet, brilliant!

Inspiring work made from recycled clothing...

It is quite the trend now to make new clothing from recycling discarded clothes, but I've recently found some inspiring projects and artwork made from reusing old duds:

Reupholstered easy chair from denim jeans:

 

image: Design Sponge

Cuddly Bears from men's shirts:

image: fab.com

Forest gallery installation:

 

image: Neraldo de la Paz

Ooo, I feel a trip to the Goodwill Outlet comin' on...

Crafting with Kids for the Holidays...

Well, one precocious 3 year old named Sadie to be exact. Now that she is 3, she is really enjoying crafts and baking for Christmas. We started by having a pinecone hunt around the neighborhood and gathered up loads of supplies that I have, feathers, sequins, glitter, pipecleaners, buttons etc. The only thing we had to buy was the old fashion 'doll' clothes pegs. Sadie got the glue stick and I got to use my new glue gun. Here is Sadie starting her glitter pinecone project (with a nice ring of chocolate around her mouth :) The first thing she did was rub glitter through her hair...

 
Our dove on a crystal glitter pinecone and pinecone owl:           
This pinecone guy that was supposed to be a bird but has turned out more like a holiday hedgehog:                                                                
Our clothespeg angels inspired by the ones at Anthro:   

 
Cookie fun...more sprinkles in the mouth than on the cookies...

 

Happy Holidays!!

 
Sadie (2), Juniper (6m)

Cranberry Shortbread in Origami Gift Box...

My favorite holiday cookies to make (read "Eat") is this fabulous Cranberry Shortbread with white chocolate drizzle topping. This year I'm gifting some packaged up in easy to make origami boxes (I used 12" x 12" paper), instructions to make here.

Cranberry Shortbread Recipe (Ladies Home Journal 2009)

Start to Finish: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ounces white chocolate, melted, cooled slightly
• Crystal sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-by-9-inch pan with a strip of foil or parchment, allowing edges to hang over opposite sides.

2. In a food processor, blend cranberries and confectioners' sugar until cranberries are finely chopped; transfer to a mixing bowl. Blend butter into cranberry mixture until smooth, then add vanilla and salt. Stir in flour until completely combined.

3. Press dough evenly into lined pan. Bake until firm and pale brown, about 30 min. Let cool in pan about 10 min.

4. Run a knife around the edges and lift shortbread from the pan using the parchment overhang. Gently score shortbread into 12 4-inch or 18 3-inch triangles and let cool completely. Cut cookies following score marks.

5. Place melted chocolate in a plastic bag, snip off a small corner and drizzle chocolate over cookies. Sprinkle with crystal sugar and tap off excess. Allow to set 30 min. Store airtight for up to 5 days. Makes 12 to 18 bars.

Christmas technicolored dream skirt...

If anything inspires me to get the old crochet hook out its this glorious granny square Christmas tree skirt at Antho! I wonder if I have time, hmmm. With yarn from the Goodwill I'm pretty sure I can do it for less than the $298 asking price...

My hat on the cover...

Of Seattle Met Bride & Groom!

 

I hadn't made hats in ages and was right in the middle of a particularly pukey pregnancy when they asked me to make up some hats for their shoot. They were really fun to make and look great in the shoot. Here are some more shots from the mag:

 

 

 
Here are some more of the hats that I made that didn't get in:

  

  
The flowers are either vintage or Italian silk. Some available at Frock Shop.

Vintage cuteness found...

today while searching for vintage knitted fabrics:

these patterns and bunch more available Here 

my studio/ spare room...

I'm always so in awe of the gorgeous pictures of peoples studio spaces, all funky and clean. Well, I thought it would be fun and a little embarrassing to post 360 degree pictures of my work space, which is also our spare room. There is no time to clean or decorate in a cool and trendy work space way, so it's just a great mess.

 
  This is also where my mother-in-law gets to sleep when she comes to stay once a month...