belle epoque

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!

Phew, here I am again and it has thankfully been less than a month since my last post. Thank you guys so much for coming back to read, and leaving such sweet comments.

As it is approaching my bedtime, I’ll get right to the craftiness! When we were visiting family in New England last month, I took the opportunity to gather up some acorn caps. It may be I just don’t go to the right places in California, but I’ve never found regular, dear, bulby acorns here, and I had some roving that wanted to be made into felt acorns


I can’t tell you how much I love looking at them and running my fingers across them in their wooden bowl. Unfortunately HMB is far too interested in pulling them to fuzzy bits, or else they would be a fun part of autumnal play– maybe next year? I do not, sadly, have a tiny drill, so have no way to hang them unless I was to run a needle and floss through the roving under the cap. For the moment, though, I’m just going to enjoy them as they are!

The deliciously colored roving is from the wonderful Mary Jane’s Attic. If you happen to be in the Bay Area, you can get Jamie’s roving samplers at her lovely store, Urban Fauna Studio. They also have gorgeous yarns, 100% wool felt and a variety of highly tempting craft supplies. She is awesome and I wish I had a smaller stash and more crafting time so I could do even more to support her crafty business venture!

I made some other wee crafts from New England flotsam that I’ll show you when I’m back next– hopefully very soon!

Wow! Guess I took an extended summer vacation, huh? The main, rather exciting reason I didn’t get around to blogging is that HMB will be getting a new little sister for Christmas (well, a week or so beforehand, depending on how accurate the due date is)! For the first few months, I found being pregnant and running around after a super-busy toddler so tiring that I spent what was formerly craft/blogging time napping. But now that I’m heading into trimester 3, I’m realising I’d better get in my crafting and blogging before there’s another newborn around here!

Anyway, I have been working on a few projects lately, mostly small and handworky. I am going to try to blog more frequently, and since I have a backlog of things to show you I’ll probably be back again this week.

More often than not I make things for HMB, but before our 3-week trip back East to visit family in August, I made a little something for myself. I find that I don’t really need to carry around a diaper bag full of gear for a toddler for walks or trips to the park (I never liked carrying one anyway–they are always so huge and unwieldy!), but I can’t leave my valuables in the stroller to dash after little miss busy when she’s on the loose. The solution? A slim shoulder bag for just the essentials– wallet, phone, keys, sunscreen stick, lip gloss and tiny organic hand sanitizer.

I had a lot of fun making it- I used some Echino fabric I had been hoarding, and two super-fun zippers in purple and bright orange.

The outer zipper pocket is for the stuff HMB would love to get into, like my lip gloss. The webbing strap is long enough that I can sling the bag across my chest and forget about it until I need it.

I miss sewing for myself! I’m looking forward to being my normal size again someday (2012?) so I can sew something other than pajamas and accessories! In the meantime, HMB is getting lots of little pants and appliqued tops, which I’ll show you in another post… to come soon, I promise, lovely blog friends!

Our friends and family were very generous to Miss S on her birthday! As this is a crafty blog, I’ll share the handmade/crafty gifts that I’m particularly excited about and thought those of you with kids, or kids to buy gifts for, might be interested in.

I’ve written about Shelly’s work before– she makes the most amazing blankets. Her baby blankets were in daily rotation when Miss S was brand new and being wrapped like a burrito basically all day long. I try to order one (or more) for every baby born to our circle of friends and family. She joined us at the party and made a special, toddler-sized one with HMB’s name on it!

A dear friend who couldn’t make the party sent along this beautiful onesie from Little Lark–it is soft organic cotton and hand-screened, plus came in that adorable little bag.

And finally, have you seen the Rosie Flo coloring books? Gah! HMB is still a little too little for them, and I will be hard pressed not to start in on them myself. And those crayon rocks are amazing too– they’re from stubby pencil studio, and I think I heard about them at Soulemama. She tries to eat those, so they’ll have to go away for a bit too…hopefully not too long because I’m excited to draw together!

I’ve been pretty good about not writing too many baby-centered posts lately, right? Right? Well, sorry, that ends today.HMB all of a sudden not only outgrew one set of clothes but had a pressing need for lightweight long pants(key for sun protection as well as going in the baby swing at the park without chafing chubby little legs), given that summertime starts in San Francisco about September 1st. My favorite pair of pants like this came from Shelly, made by Dillybop designs. Sadly she outgrew them along with a bunch of other cute stuff, so I thought I’d try to make some to replace them. While I loved the pattern in Little Stitches, it wasn’t quite what I was looking for- I wanted a longer, wider leg, a deeper inseam (for diaper coverage) and a better-fitting waistline. So I made up my own! I used fabric leftover from HMB’s long-abandoned Wall Hanging to make some shabby chic-style lounge pants

She’s worn them out to lunch and for several outings to the park, so I’d say they’re a success! I will be making more with other fabric, and perhaps even some in denim (she needs some baby jeans for fall, I think).

And a new friend for Miss S flapped his way into our life yesterday. Meet Isaac

Miss S was immediately captivated and knew just how Isaac likes to play

hugging (he’s got a squishable little body)

chewing (his pointy little owl horns are perfect)

and shaking (he’s got a little rattle)
Isaac was made by the amazing Shannon, a person to whom I owe much of my crafty prowess. Back when she lived in SF and ran Muse Sewing Workshops, she taught me not to be afraid of my sewing machine, and that sewing didn’t have to be fussy work involving too many pins and charcoal marks and boringness. She made sewing seem easy, fun and stylish, and the rest is history! Now she lives in LA, has a darling wee boy, and runs a LOVELY blog called Handpicked Handmade, where she writes about great handmade items for children (and their moms). Isaac came from her equally lovely etsy shop, which I urge you to visit if you have any wee ones in your life deserving of a gift. Her owls and balls have been market tested by the most discerning of focus groups (her son), and as such, have every necessary amusement for a busy girl or boy, as you see above! Miss S has lots of toys and is sometimes blase about new things I present to her, but she was immediately enthusiastic about Isaac and gets a happy little grin on her face whenever she sees him!

Another reason to be happy about returning to San Francisco? Being here for the opening of Jamie’s new store and craft studio, Urban Fauna Studio. You can get a sneak peek at the glory and goodness that will be there by clicking the photo below

photo courtesy of Jamie
If you live in the Bay Area, it will be more than worth your while to be at the opening:
Urban Fauna Studio
Fiber Boutique & Craft Studio
Grand Opening: Saturday, August 30
1311 16th Avenue (between Irving and Judah)
San Francisco, CA 94122
Ph. 415-664-1267 Store Hours. Friday – Monday 10-6:30 PM and by appointment
And the goodies? Major:
Demos for Needle Felting, Weaving on Mini Looms, Spinning and Pom Pom Making.
Goodie bags filled with samples and treats for the first 75 customers who spend $10 or more–donors include: Interweave Press, Sublime Stitching, Vermont Organic Yarn Company, Monkey Sock Monkey, Red Sheep (an exclusive knit pattern written for UFS!), Fishcakes, Artgirlz, Girl On The Rocks and more!
A Gift Basket Raffle!
Free cupcakes and treats for our visitors!
Free 15% off coupon to all our mailing list subscribers.

I’ve been a big fan of Jamie’s since I met her before Maker Faire 2007. She is an incredibly talented person who caps it all off by being super productive as well! Not only does she make beautiful hand-dyed roving and divine yarns, she’s the mastermind behind Bizarre Bazaar San Francisco and Indie Craft Gossip, not to mention an incredibly nice person. I’m looking forward to supporting her creativity and incentive by shopping at Urban Fauna Studio, and I hope to see you there too!

I realised when plotting my Mamadrobe for fall, I need some new accessories to go with it. Jewelry making was one of the first crafts I learned (after embroidery), but I get kind of bored of what I can make for myself. So, what to do? That’s easy-acquire some jewelry that makes me feel enthused and excited and thrilled! Enter Ali’s line Designalicious. I know I’ve written about her work before, but she’s doing lots of great new stuff so if you’re looking for a few pieces for fall, look no further!

I had my eye on these at Renegade

but the baby was being kind of fussy and it was loud and overwhelming and I hadn’t had enough sleep so I whiffed on buying anything. Thankfully when I came to my senses Ali still had a pair! And because she likes me (you do, right Ali?) she also sent me this super-neat little zippy bag:

How cool is that? Next time I see her I’m going to ask her for tips on free motion sewing…

I have been a huge admirer of Abigail Halpin’s work for a long time now. Back in an earlier incarnation of her website, she offered sweet screen savers, and her “Tourists” screen saver was on my work computer for literally years. I’ve also been lucky enough to acquire a number of her beautiful illustrations over the years. I was dithering about what to do with them, and finally realised they belonged in the baby’s room, so she could peer at them out of her wee peepers (for the brief moments she is awake, she does a LOT of serious looking around). So I arranged three pieces in a frame together and I love it:

Abigail recently has been making lovely tiny pendants with petite portraits in them.

The moment I saw that one on her blog I knew I *had* to have it (much as I felt about Bethany’s pillow). And lucky me, I snagged it in time! She sent it beautifully wrapped, with lovely goodies:

aside: Abigail, if you want to sell me a print of the illustration on your postcard, I would snap it up but quick, so let me know
And I put it on immediately

Hooray! Do visit Abigail’s Etsy Shop and check it out if you are as in love with her charming, whimsical aesthetic as I am!

Something else thrilling came in the mail yesterday that needs a whole post to itself, so I’ll tell you all about that tomorrow!

And now I’ll sign off with the obligatory baby picture, dressed in her tres chic petunia picklebottom onesie

Ciao!

Oh my. Being not in a state to craft, I find myself all the more excited about other people’s amazing creative endeavors. And about acquiring them for myself. I’ve done some etsy shopping recently and my first score just arrived today:

A FANTASTIC pillow from Bitter Betty Industries. The embroidery on the thrifted panel is incredible– I can’t imagine how anyone could let it go! And the pillow Bethany made it into? So soft and cozy and awesome (I love the faux bois fabric frame). I knew the minute I saw it in her photostream on Flickr that I had to have it, and it is even better in person than my already feverish imaginings. I’m putting it on the bed in the craft room (aka the guest room where my mother is sleeping) to look at whenever I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing as a mom. And maybe to hug every now and then.

Bethany, sweet thing that she is, also included a beautiful gift for the wee one, which as you can see she really likes:

I snagged a few more handmade wonders that I’ll share with you as they roll in. In the meantime, do head over to Bethany’s shop– my pillow, like all of her whimsical treasures, was one of a kind, but there is PLENTY more over there to tempt you.

First I fortified myself with early morning waffles

my favorite, maple pecan, which feel healthy because they are made with whole wheat, have nuts for protein and taste wonderful without anything on them. Even so, I only ate one and froze the rest for toasting another time.
Then I dove into holiday gift-making with a vengeance:

Onesies printed with a sweet sledding silhouette using my beloved print Gocco

Totes and pouches made with the fun vintage canvas I found back in July at the flea market.

I put a few extras up in my little shop if they strike your fancy and you’re buying handmade this holiday!