petit patchwork

so...tired...
I shouldn't complain about being tired, because actually I'm really excited we're finally putting ceramic tile in our kitchen. I'll post pics tomorrow after it's done, but I'm sore from sitting on the floor. The last floor project we did led to this project- we installed reclaimed maple floors that go from our front door almost to our back door - I wanted it to look like an artists' loft, and since our living room, dining room and kitchen are all one big rectangle, I really wanted to do wood all the way. Now great rooms are all the rage, so even though my house was built in 1910, we are so in 'vogue'.
Sooooo, when we did the wood, we ran out before we made it to the end, so we had a 2 foot area on 3 sides of the kitchen. About 8 feet long on the left and right sides, and all across in front of the kitchen counter, sink, and stove. All in all, about 80 square feet.
So I'm glad it's finally getting finished. I've stubbed my toe on the exposed edge of the wood more times than I care to count (and maple is REALLY hard!)
While I was taking a break from the tiles, I finished a little purse for my kids' shop:

and the back:

I created a pattern for this for myself because I needed a new purse, so I've had an idea to make a super small one, and it finally came together. I love the raw-edged patchwork, and it's just 4 x 5 1/2 inches. I think it would be really cute to create a little softie animal to put inside. We'll see... after the home improvements...

lazy...not so much... days of summer

wow, 2 (?) weeks or so into summer vacation, and I kind of feel like I haven't rested yet. I got sick on my last day of work, and it turned into sinus infection/bronchitis. Then I finally dragged myself to the doctor, and the antibiotics I got gave me hives. Since I don't have a 'family doctor' who knows me and my health history, they said I'd have to come back in, pay another copayment, have another appt. and get a different rx. I said no thanks. I lived with the hives.
So now I'm full speed ahead, working on both shops. I still want to name 'carnivale' something else before I start making sales, but I don't know what. Maybe something with the word 'blue' because I love aqua so much, maybe something with the word 'forest', I don't know. I have had a really hard time coming up with anything good.
I want to work on some academic stuff with S. while she's out of school, but it seems like she's been out and about a lot, and I've been behind my desk. I also want to take her on some photo-shooting excursions since she has the photography bug.
I've been a little obsessed with covered buttons lately - I've wanted to make them for a long time, and they are great for instant gratification. Very quick and easy:

I still have lots of itty bitty scraps of all my favorite fabrics, so it's perfect.

I've also been planning on some more clothing for myself this summer, because all of a sudden it was like- "I have absolutely nothing to wear" every time I needed to leave the house. That seems to happen about once every 3 years or so.
Then I got SUPER frustrated, because I'd find a cute dress at Target or something, and there were lots of XS, S, and XL, but nothing in the middle! It has happened to me so many times in the last few shopping trips, I ended up buying some things online, but the rest will be made by me! Soooooooo frustrating. Why don't they order more of the 'normal' sizes if they know that's what is going to sell the most?
I've had so many people email me and thank me for making 'real woman' sizes in my shop, but really, I just make the original sample my size, and then offer customs (if I have enough of the fabric). That way if it doesn't sell, I can wear it. Sure I'd like to be a size 2 or 4, but I'm not, and I don't foresee that happening anytime in the near future.

2 words: too cute!

I finally got the first photo shoot accomplished today, and my model is just too cute~

what a sweetie!
Thank you Julie, for a beautiful day at your beautiful farm, with your adorable children!

trial and error

well, I'm full swing into creative mode for summer (yay!), and you all know I love to make hats -see my sold items from last summer, because I lost all of the photos from the mac I had to give back :(
So I've had this idea for awhile to make some newsboys caps for kids, and since I have my first photo shoot with the little one this week, I decided to get down to business and make one. I should have started with muslin, but I thought, "Oh, this will be no problem, and it will come out perfect." First attempt:

doesn't this remind you of something?

exactly. My daughter and I were watching a movie around midnight as I was experimenting with my shapes. So my models head would have to be about the size of a doll in order for this to fit, and the onion dome architecture shape would me more like Santa's elf style than cute-sassy-little-girl-style.
It gave us a good laugh, though:)
So this is how it looked an hour later, with wider panels in the cap:

aaaahhhhhh.... much better. If only I were 5 years old, I could wear this :)

the "office"

from the hallway:

so I thought on my last day in my cinder block "office" I would take some pics for my dear readers who have listened to me complain for the last year. Actually it's a kiln closet (see the kiln tucked away under the table at the far back). I was very grateful for the quiet space, actually, because the alternative was a half-cubicled area off to the side of a loud hallway right by a major kids restroom area and the cafeteria. So this was much better! I cannot think with a lot of noise, and a school with over 1,000 elementary students can get just a wee bit loud :)
this one is from the inside:

so today I say 'farewell' to my cinder block office... I have loved you (not really), I have hated you (really), and now onto the next phase of my life. I'm wishing all of you a beautiful beginning to your summer ~ enjoy your children, enjoy your gardens, enjoy the weather!
I leave you with a picture of a different kind, to make you think of warm summer days: taken by my daughter, who is becoming very interested in photography, and even started her own flickr this week :)

deer dream

Not long ago I had a very vivid dream about a multi-colored deer. There were really cool vintage embroidered linens hanging like room dividers in this old house, and I guess it was supposed to be my grandmas house (the one that died when I was 5). We were going to inherit the house, and I was so excited about all the old linens. Anyway, there was this little deer with beautiful colored spots on her fur.
I've thought about it a lot, and then I saw this on the front page of etsy yesterday, and decided I should buy it:

cornflakegirl is the seller (I start humming that tori amos song everytime I think of her username), and she is Asian, and I told her about the dream. She said it was a good omen in Chinese culture to dream of a multi-colored deer. How odd that it's dreamt of enough to actually mean something. So I google 'deer dream' and it talked about how deer are graceful and can stand for the feminine aspect of ourselves. It said if you dream of a black deer, it might mean you are trying to stifle a part of your femininity, so I guess I'm letting mine flow for sure! Must be all the colorful things I've been sewing lately :)
She also makes these amazing custom dogs that look exactly like the live dog!

Truly amazing...
Here's a little creature made with vintage fabric:

It's May!

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. I put the shop on hold so I could make a bunch of new things for a Nebraska Aids Project craft fair. I only sold one thing, but at least now I have the biggest inventory ever! So I'm listing a bunch of new goodies in the shop, around 4-6 items a day until they're all in there.
I've also had major pain in my neck and back again, and it causes me to have headaches every afternoon. I'm back to naproxen sodium for the pain, since ibuprofen doesn't do anything. I wish there was a way for my neck and back to be completely normal. The chiropractor said I have arthritis in my spine.
Oh well, keep me in your prayers, dear readers. That's the only thing that will help this pain. I'm really getting excited now about summer. As soon as I feel better, I'd like to work in the yard a little. We also need to tile our kitchen still this summer. That's painful to even think about. 2 weeks to go til we are out of school. It's going to be hard to wipe the smile off of my face!
Here's a sampling of some of the new goodies:




and of course loads of little house necklaces... I think I made about 75 of them in the past few weeks. Kind of felt like last November when customers were ordering like crazy!
Btw, I am so in love with the rose print fabric in the background of some of the pics. It's so soft and cozy like a vintage sheet, but it's new fabric. It goes with everything. I've used it in a fabric collage, backgrounds for photos, and I think I'm going to make a new purse for myself using some of it. I can't wait to make some skirts out of it; it's just too lovely for words! Well, off to teach a class now~ only 8 more days!

summers a comin'

I reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally need a summer haircut, like right now. I don't know why but I have a giant phobia of getting my haircut. Must be all those short haircuts I had growing up. I used to actually put my poncho on my head and pretended like it was long hair. So now I'm 37 and I have hair all the way down my back. I think when you have something for so long, it would just be weird without it. But I want a shorter style that I can do more with. I guess this means I'm finally getting older, because I'm ready for change. I bet my readers get so sick of hearing me talk about aging, but it's really freakin' me out!
So, I'll probably opt for a shoulder length layered style, like I did 2 haircuts ago, and then I let it grow for a year or 2, and then repeat the cycle. I actually did try angled bangs a few years ago, but my hairline doesn't want to lay like that, so it was a constant battle. (My hairstylist has always tried to get me to come in every 6 months, but that just seems extreme to me!)
I've been wanting the posh spice bob for awhile, except a little longer in the back. I think short hair is actually more work though, because right now I can pretty much get up, comb, throw it in a ponytail, and go. Not that it looks cute.
so please dear readers, post links to cute short and medium styles for me. I need help.

reality

do you ever feel like you self-monitor when you blog? I think I second guess myself too much, and sometimes I feel like using this space as a journal, but I try to pull myself back at the last minute.
I was so excited about quitting my job, but then this weekend the fear started to creep back in. I start worrying, "Can I really do this? What about the security of teaching? I'll be a one woman sweat shop, and I'll never be able to take a week off"...etc. etc. I need that confidence to well up inside me and take over, and sometimes it's hard to find. There is such a fear of the unknown.
We had a guest pastor speak at church this weekend, and he works with at-risk youth here in Omaha. His message was about actually allowing yourself to dream, and how it's so easy for us as humans to let past disappointments kind of numb us to the point where we don't even think things are possible anymore.
Maybe that's why I have always related to children better than adults. They are less censoring of themselves (if I said that right), and they are still in that place where they dream and imagine totally outrageous things sometimes. But many situations in my childhood have caused me to lose that inner child at times. I need to let her live sometimes.
I can remember laying in the grass as a kid and gazing at the cloudy blue sky, and finding shapes and animals in the puffiness. It's important for us to still allow ourselves to lay in the grass, and let time slow down for a bit.
Maybe spring has me dreaming of the lazy days of summer already. I don't know, as I realize that I'm REALLY getting older now, this is for real, that I don't want life to pass me by without dreaming and enjoying... and living.
I think for a long time I was scared to really live. Fear of public speaking (MAJOR- still have it), intense fear whenever I fly, fear of the water (I failed swimming lessons at 11), among other fears... it's just fear of living. I am realizing I can't control every variable that could ever happen to me. I can't control everything. Wow, is this post turning into one of those self-enlightened moments? Basically though, trying to control everything means that I... what am I afraid of really?
Well, at least at this point in my life I'm learning to play. I posted a while back on letting more color into my life, and not being so neutral. I think allowing myself to do that means I'm not as scared to be seen or noticed. The color is really exploding now-

my husband is like, wow, you're really into the pinks and greens, aren't you? He thinks it's pretty (in his caveman sort of way), but I really think that having a shop and creating on a more regular basis than I did before has brought out more confidence to try new things - and more colors. I guess normal people don't equate color to happiness, but it makes total sense to me.

new arrival...

ok, I don't have enough inventory for a photo shoot yet, but I had my 'grand opening' yesterday :)

I was mainly procrastinating on finishing my taxes :( but I was happy to accomplish both.
~also, I can check off 'clean refrigerator' off of my spring break list. (maybe not spotless, but clean)
...on to the next list...