belle epoque

We’ve been having a blast, as my wonderful mother is here visiting. She is fun and creative and full of life, and inspires me to no end. She is also terrific with the girls, making “divide and conquer” all the easier, so I’ve been able to do a few things on my own while Moondoggie takes Miss S and mom takes Her Nibs.

On Sunday I went to the most magical Steiner dollmaking workshop by Christine of The Puppenstube. I learned so much about how to make a doll that is lovely and full of life. Her perspective on making dolls is also a wonder– at the beginning of the workshop she lit a candle and explained that she views dollmaking as bringing a being into creation and approaches it with reverence. I really do think having that attitude made my doll one of the best things I’ve ever made, or at least one of my favorites. So much better than the one I made for HMB at Christmas! That, and of course her tips on how to get it stuffed properly, and proportion the head, features and body correctly.

She is a petite 8″ tall, and the clothing was provided by Christine, as we didn’t have time to make clothes. What do you know but Miss S and she became instant pals

So far, Rosie (as we’ve named her) has come with us to the park twice, gone on the spinning thing and jumped off, and made it out to dinner with us, all on the direct orders of Miss S, who, up until now, has not been particularly attached to any one toy. She has been heard to ask, “Where’d Rosie O’Grady go?” and “Rosie come with us?” It is still early days, but I am hoping that they remain fast friends!

What a long maternity break from blogging that was! If I am still showing up on your feed readers, thank you for waiting for me and coming back! I’ve been busy taking care of these two for the past few months

Miss S. has been joined by Miss E, also known as “Her Nibs.” Miss E came right on her due date, December 17th, all by herself. After a rocky 6 week adjustment period, we’ve all been getting along splendidly for the most part. I think I showed you guys the Stella Pixie hat I made for Her Nibs before she was born. I liked it then but felt lukewarm about it. But people, on a baby?! Holy Moly

It is hands down the most complimented thing I have ever made! It is also perfect for carrying a wee one in a bjorn– it covers both neck and the entire head/ear area and doesn’t come off when they move their little noggins around. I love it so much. And of course the little fuzzy head it covers.

As that little fuzzy head is currently occupying a crib in my former craft room, all the crafting I’ve been doing is knitting and handwork, but I have been doing it! For Miss S’s second birthday(yes! she is TWO!) I made her a little family of piggies

This pattern came from one of my latest favorite knitting books, Knitted Animals by Anne-Dorthe Grigaff. The designs are super-simple and easy but so very charming. The quality of the yarn makes all the difference– the piggies were knit with a lovely angora blend that is super-soft.

I’ve got a ton of other projects in the works, including my very first sweater, for me! And some older projects I never managed to blog about before my baby-break. I’ve missed this space, and you guys! I’ll be back soon…

I’m still here! I haven’t had the other baby super early or anything, I’ve been knitting obsessively. It must be an hormonal thing– I just can’t stop. I have a painstakingly made Waldorf rag doll finished for HMB and she is totally nakey because I just keep knitting and don’t make time to sew her tiny little clothes.

Anyway, I’ll show you what I’ve got– first what I’ve made for Twosie (second baby), the adorable Stella Pixie Hat from Vintage Knits

and Saartje’s Bootees to match

And of course HMB couldn’t be left out of the knitting action and got a little vest

Which she modeled for me while saying “cheese”, though it looks like she is growling

I’m still obsessively knitting– nearly finished with a somewhat full complement of vegetables from Amigurumi Knits for HMB’s Christmas gift. I’ve just got the garlic left to go… I’ll show you those guys when they’re done, and then hopefully I’ll be able to dress the poor cold rag doll and show her off too.

Craft books are often at the top of my Christmas wish list. I’ve been spoiled enough to have several lovely ones put into my hot little hands lately, so I figured I’d do a series of posts about them, in case you need a little something to add to your holiday list! I always like to actually complete a project from a book before posting about it, since that is the best way to gauge how really good the book is, but if I tried to do that I think I’d never get all the posts up before the holidays, so some will be with-project and some will be without.

The first one I want to tell you about is one I have been dying to get my hands on. A lovely friend passed along a copy of Linda’s beautiful book Crochet Adorned, and I jumped right in.

Crochet is another one of those things that I learned at my mother’s knee when I was small and home sick from school. Despite years of practice, I can never really remember all the different stitches or where exactly to join a round with a slip stitch. So I was very grateful that Linda’s book does not assume prior knowledge, but gently and thoroughly explains all you’ll need to know to do the projects — with excellent illustrations besides. The instructions and stitch charts for each project are very easy to read, and in addition to the beautiful projects, she includes an amazing compendium of patterns at the back of the book. I’m particularly intrigued by the daffodil pattern, and if I had the right weight and colors of crochet cotton I would make a teeny weeny one to put on a hair clip for HMB (which would be immediately pulled out and tossed, but it is the thought that counts, yes?).

Anyway, since I did want to do a project before posting, but also wanted to post right away, I chose a small but lovely one– the Dainty Earrings. I did not use the crochet cotton called for by the pattern, as I was in a rush and grabbed what I had, but was so happy with the outcome nonetheless! And so quick–the crocheted part was completed in the 30 minutes between my waking up and HMB calling me to come get her this morning.

They are like glittery snowflakes, and I adore them. I did spray them with stiffener once I was done, as I think the larger thread makes them floppier than they would have been if I’d used the specified thread.

I am itching to try some of the more advanced projects, and as I’ve *already* begun to think about my post-baby wardrobe (SO tired of wearing either maternity/nursing clothes, which I’ve calculated I’ll be in/have been in for at least 3 years before I’m done), I think I might just go ahead and get started on the Floral Motif Yoke Top, which I’ve wanted to make since Linda posted her original version at least a year or two before the book ever came out!

Anyway, if you haven’t already added it to your wish list, I wholeheartedly recommend this one. Even if you don’t think you are a crochet sort of person, this is just the book to really inspire you to give it a go!

At our most recent Waldorf cooking class, HMB wore her new fall outfit

and we made some apple muffins and a very simple fall mobile out of twigs, roving and embroidery floss. It may be that I’ve just drunk the Waldorf kool-aid, but I find the mobile really charming– such simple materials, sort of thrown together (HMB doesn’t always have a lot of patience with me crafting, even in a room full of toys and other toddlers), and without any conscious intention on my part, it turned out reminding me of fall fairies or elementals

I realise, however, that with the kool-aid factor, I could be imagining that and it just looks like bits of fluff tied to a stick. What I know for sure is that the muffins were delicious, and since not everyone has a Waldorf cooking class at their disposal, I’ll share the recipe they taught us. They are also quite healthy, as muffins go, and if you like you can put the batter in a baking dish and make it more like a nice moist bread.

SF Waldorf School Apple Muffins
Wet ingredients (mix in bowl together)
4 eggs
1 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
Dry ingredients (mix in bowl together)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oats
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Fruit- fold in at end
4 cups peeled, chopped apples(you could also use pears or whatever you like)

Pre-heat oven to 400. Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing gently until they are just combined. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into greased mini muffin cups (or pour into a greased baking pan) and bake for 25 minutes. They will still be moist when fully baked, but the tops should be a nice golden brown and firm.

I don’t know if I’ll ever get it done properly, but I’m working on a tutorial for the Playground Purse– it will not be for the faint-hearted seamstress, as it involves 2 different zipper setting techniques and a little bit of manipulation to get the strap sewed on, but hopefully I’ll be able to make it make sense with lots of pictures. Anyhow, in the meantime, hopefully you’ll enjoy some nice fall muffins!

I’ve been trying to make HMB one or two new outfits a season. I’m guessing spring might get a miss, seeing as a tiny wee someone will be sleeping in what is currently, but not for long, the craft room. But for the moment, I’m halfway through the two outfits I have planned for fall/winter, but I figured I’d just show them to you one at a time.

It is a larger size of my favorite wide-leg pants pattern (self-drafted) and a onesie appliqued using Heat’n'Bond light and then blanket stitched by hand.

I also stitched some pretty ribbon (bought pre-baby at the wondrous Alameda Flea Market, where I hope to go again one day) close to the pants hem

Easy to make and very practical for a busy little girl who is always on the go (skirts are a no-go, and dresses are ok if they’re made of jersey and worn with leggings), and who is calling to let me know that naptime is over! Hope you are all having a happy, crafty week!

I’m working on this amazing doll pattern, by Mimi Kirchner, incredibly available for free at The Purl Bee. I am stunned by the generosity of creative people with such a signature style who make patterns available at all, let alone free of charge. Mimi’s work is so beautiful and quirky, so making a doll in her style is great fun– the construction of this one is really ingenious. It is all hand-sewn and I’m working away a little at a time so this is all I’ve got so far

The little legs sort of creep me out unattached like that. But I love the way the pattern makes such a nice, realistic shape for both the arms and legs. I’m looking forward to stitching it all together and embroidering the face. I’ll keep you up to date!

It has been quiet around here! Mostly because I designated April as “Spring Cleaning Month” around the house and have been slowly following FlyLady (a warning if you haven’t heard of/been there before–sometimes the style is a bit rah rah, but the substance is really helpful!). It is surprising how much time picking up after yourself takes at the end of the day. But that said, I don’t have huge piles of stuff on the floor of my closet at the end of the week because I put my things away every day. Probably most of you learned that when you were little, but organization and putting things away have always been a huge struggle for me!

Anyhow, that’s what I’ve been doing. That, and indulging in a torrid love affair with the CSA box we started getting last week. All sorts of wild produce shows up and I look for recipes and cook things I’ve never cooked before. It is SO MUCH FUN. But also takes up post-baby-bedtime time that I might spend crafting. So far the successes have been garlicky chard, roasted cauliflower soup and steamed artichokes with green garlic dip. The HUGE failure was dandelion greens– I cooked them with bacon and carmelized onions, so you know they were bad– before having them I didn’t think anything involving bacon could be bad.

Ah! But I also finished something crafty. The Alabama Stitch Book is too gorgeous and inspiring, but I didn’t think I’d ever actually hand-sew an entire garment from it. Well, I surprised myself and made the T-shirt corset.

I’m not sure if you can tell from the picture, but this is one hot shirt. It is very comfortable and flattering, and the construction is so lovely. It was meditative and surprisingly fast to make– lots of straight stitching (I flat-felled the seams). I can take a closer-up picture of the stitching on the inside if anyone wants to see it? Anyway, I’m sold, and plan to make a fancy version of this shirt as part of a dream-outfit idea I have that may or may not come to fruition.

My next spring cleaning mission is the craft room– it is just too cluttered to get anything done in there!

Hello! Thanks for all of your nice comments about the Two-Year Blouse. I wanted to get started on another blouse pattern I had, but found that I had cut out a larger size (I bought the pattern after HMB was born and thought I’d be able to stitch it up before losing the baby weight, hah!), and discarded several pieces of my current, smaller size, so cutting it down will require more energy than I’m ready to expend. Bah! Anyway, instead I made the Yard Sale Wrap Skirt from Weekend Sewing

I highly recommend reading Erin’s excellent post about making this skirt. I ended up cutting the two front panels on the fold, then cutting two extra regular size panels to make a full circle that overlapped completely in the back. I extended the waist ties and put a buttonhole in the waistband for one of the ties to pull through rather than allowing a bunchy mess in the back from wrapping and tieing. And I did a three-thread serged hem, as hemming a circle skirt is enough to drive me insane.

Thankfully this is a gift for someone else. As much as I LOVE circle skirts, they just don’t do anything for my figure (thanks to Heather’s post, I’m willing to accept it!). A circle skirt on a dress is a different story, but especially with a wrap like this, I’d have to tuck in the shirt I wore and it would just look wrong. The friend it is for is tiny, ladylike and petite, could easily get away with wrapping this skirt over a slim wee tank with strappy straps, then trip-trapping out for a summer picnic. I sure hope that’s what she does in it!

You’ve heard of the seven year itch? Well, this isn’t as scandalous but from a crafty perspective perhaps a little bit embarrassing. It is of course perfectly acceptable to spend two years on a quilt, blanket or intricate knit sweater. But a simple blouse? Well. I have my excuses– namely that I cut it out and marked/sewed the darts in the spring of 2007 right before I found out I was pregnant. Which of course scuppered any chance of my wearing a fitted blouse anytime soon. In the spring of 2008 I had a colicky baby who wouldn’t sleep, nixing any chance of sewing when I might catch some shuteye instead. So finally, in the spring of 2009 I can present to you the Two-Year Blouse!

It is Simplicity 4077, which was all over the blogosphere, surprise, surprise, two years ago! I mightn’t have written about it at all but two crafty ladies complimented me on it and said that I should. I highly recommend this pattern– it is relatively easy (wouldn’t take you two years except in extenuating circumstances) and turns out a good looking blouse that is VERY comfortable to wear. I’ve already worn it and washed it twice since finishing it. I used a $1 a yard quilting cotton from Joann’s that I had no high hopes for, and it actually turned out fine (even after washing and not ironing). I thought the bright pink buttons would save it from being too froufy and Laura Ashley (not that I have any objections to either, just that I wanted to add a little zing). I have another blouse in mind that I hope won’t take me two years!