MommyCoddle

WIP fridays and a forgotten friend comes home

To my birthday sister: don't read this post.

 
This would probably be more appropriately called my "work in piles"--no progress on this one, yet. I'm leaving tomorrow to go to my sister's to celebrate her birthday with our families.  We both talk about one day making ourselves a knitting needle case so I thought for her birthday I'd beat her to it and whip one up for her. (at least I'm hoping I whip it up. It has to be done today!) I'm using some wonderful linen that I received from Tracy and some of JoAnn's vintage line fabric. I'm hoping to figure out a way to incorporate one of my buttons as the closure.
And when I mentioned a forgotten friend in my title I was referring to a mysterious box that arrived today in the mail. Enclosed was a slew of buttons from my pottery classes in Wisconsin.


We pretty much left town in a hurry and I wasn't able to finish the class.  I had to leave behind some glazed but unfired buttons. So today I got this wonderful package from my instructor that was full of all the buttons and small pendants I left behind. Ah, its good to see them again. I'm going to pick out what I want for myself, and then I'll put the rest up for sale. It is fun to see these old buttons as I can tell I'm already changing some of my techniques on the buttons I've been making in the last few days.
I'll post here when I put them in my etsy shop and if you sent me an email for my mailing list, I'll give you the heads up first.
Happy weekend everyone. Hit the farmer's market, buy yourself some blueberries or raspberries and make yourself a buckle cake. I made one last night and it was delicious!!

Holy Mo-ley!

I wish you could see what I see right now. In fact, I've taken pictures of it, but they're not the type you share on a public website--definitely family only pictures.
I'm sitting under the picnic table umbrella in Pa's back yard, enjoying his wireless connection, while my two naked babes enjoy some time in the wading pool. By now however, they've migrated from the pool to the chinese elm and those naked bums are climbing and crawling all over the twisted tree limbs. This is their 'house' where they've returned for swimming supplies, most importantly towels. They are having a very serious conversation about what they'll need for the pool and Mary is calling Emma, "Sammy". I have no idea on that one.
Anyway, back to the title of this post. Can you say, "holy MO-ley!!"? I'm sure saying that after the goodness that spilled from my mailbox yesterday. I admired some wonderful fabric that she scored at a garage sale--the white with red children's silhouettes at the bottom. Isn't it lovely? She offered to share some with me. Um...yes!! thank you! and look what else she sent along. You truly spoiled me Mo. Really
spoiled me.
She listed where each piece of fabric was from... 

The yellow fabric is actually a lovely linen, and the pillowcase is soon to become a summery dress...

and I'm gasping over this horse fabric. reminds me of the horses from the misty of chincoteague books.

and finally a bag filled with lovely gifts tags and cards. i love them.

She also sent a CD of summery songs, that I can't wait to listen to, but 'pooh!' won't play on my mac. So I'm sending it over to my Dad to hopefully convert for me? (can you do that daddy?) Thank you, Mo. You are too sweet and too generous. One of these days, I'm sure, a little thank you will arrive at your door.

This big stack of stuff went to the post office today. It was quite a production. Thank goodness it is a small local post office because by the end one of my children had cleared the shelf of priority mail envelopes, and the other was laying on the floor, no shoes, dress up, diaper showing singing "shrinkle, shrinkle little star" at the top of her lungs. 
Praise the Lord for my patient postal clerk and an empty post office at 11:00 am!

it brought back memories

I can remember, when I was little seeing these two wooden sticks with small holes in them always floating around in some drawer or basket in my mom's laundry/sewing room. I can remember banging them together like drum sticks and for some odd reason, in my little adolescent mind, I thought my mother used them for darning socks. Not sure why, but I did.
So when I ran into a set again a few weeks ago, going through my step-mother's mother's piles of fabric, I had to ask their true purpose. Purse handles. Of course!
My step mother couldn't quite remember the pattern or style and had some general ideas of how the purse came together. But her father used to make the handles himself and then her mother sewed them up as gifts for friends and family. He sat down with me too, trying to remember how "Janie used to make them", his rough farming hands gently turning them over and over, using a napkin like a piece of fabric, folding and turning it, to give me an idea of a pattern. Being pathetically unable to visualize something, unless it is right in front of me, I went along with his description, hoping he would be able to uncover one of her old ones from the closet, like he promised he'd try to do.
But the next day, I caught a glimpse out the window of my grandmother  gingerly getting in to the car with one of her children, to attend a graduation celebration, and clutched in her hands was one of the exact purses I was trying to put together. I found her after she returned home and had 'naps' and she gave me her bag as a pattern and told me it was one of her favorites. It may have even been a gift from Janie herself.
So I took it home, studied it, drew my own pattern on a brown paper bag and got right to work. It is a simple design, and once I held one in my hands and could turn it over and look at it closely, it all made sense. And  I'm sure a big, "ooohhh."  even came out of my breath.
So this is my prototype, inside seams showing and all. But its my everyday bag now, the one I take everywhere and I love it. I've actually been carrying it around for almost a month now, forgetting that I'd never shared it with all of you.
We are desperately low on sunshine lately, so forgive the pathetic photo stylings from this morning. Do you see that I had to perch it right in front of the window to even get the littlest rays of light to cast on the bag? But I did have a very helpful assistant, who even posed with the bag over her arm, since her mother was still in pajama bottoms and wearing her county fair queen sash. (This morning, Emma begged me to wear my sash from when I was a "fairy". I keep correcting her that I was just a queen of the fair. I guess I can see how she's getting it confused. Maybe I'll just keep the fairy title for now.)

So this is just the first of what I hope to be many more. I think they'd make great knitting travel bags because they have no clasps or velcro or snaps for yarn to get stuck on. And I think they'd also be nice in a smaller clutch-size. Now, I just have to continue the tradition and get Dan to start making some of those wooden handles for me, too.

***I've posted ISBN's for yesterday's new craft books in the post***

now's YOUR chance

remember when I fell in love with some fabric from kristen a few weeks ago? right now, as we speak, she's selling a few pieces in her shop. go check and don't miss out. they are beautiful...

much to talk about

On Friday, I never got around to posting a few works in progress pictures. These summer days just seem to get slip by me before I can even notice. I finally got some of the pottery supplies I needed after a trip into Baltimore and Friday afternoon I started to make a new batch of buttons and pendants. At this point, I can make a lot of things from the convenience of my kitchen table, but when it gets time to glaze I'll have to work in the studio. I enjoy working at home as much as I can and Emma especially likes getting her hands in the clay, too.

owl buttons:

new pendants and buttons:

On Satuday I hit the brown package jackpot. First was a package from the lovely didine all the way from Belgium. And it survived the postal strike with no problems. If you haven't met didine yet, she is such a sweet blogging friend, always full of kinds words. She sent one of her fun floppy-eared bunnies and some extra goodies that I love--stationary, a beautiful journal, a matching tissue holder (with my name on it!), and some gorgeous bright green bracelets...I realized I was wearing them after I snapped the picture. She and I swapped for one of my pendants. I think I got the good end of the deal. Now we are swapping again for a craft book I'm anxious to get! can't wait didne...

And I also received my first pair of japanese craft books on Satuday. I wasn't expecting them until mid-July so it was such a fun surprise when they arrived so soon. I already knew they were wonderful after seeing them on other's blogs, but now I really understand the addiction and obsession. They are crafting eye-candy. I just want to make everything I see. These two were both books of patterns for girl's dresses. I just snapped a few shots with my camera for now, too lazy to hook up to the scanner this morning. And I snapped my fav shots from the books.

Book on the left ISBN: 4-579-11054-4

Book on the right ISBN: 4-579-11091-9

I love the stitching details that show on this dress.

I think my first project will be this smock. I love the little ruffled cap-sleeves. It ties in the back.

more of those wonderful ruffled sleeves. And I love the little ties on the pockets. It doesn't show in the picture, but the fabric has tiny, white polka-dots on it. So sweet.

We have been flooded out by rain this weekend. Last night we got five inches of rain and more of these storms are expected until Wednesday. Saturday night, between storms we all put our boots and rain hats on and marched around the farm looking at all the damage after a first storm dropped three inches of rain. The stream here swells quickly and we stood at  the bridge watching the barn swallows trying to get to their nests hidden up in the eaves under the bridge. I love a good rain and enjoy snuggling inside with the chance for good art projects, sewing,cooking, music and dollhouse time with the girls.

These will brighten any rainy day.

she's pouting, I'm not (and at the end I get on my soapbox)

I caught my little four-going on-fourteen year old pouting behind my bed today. If you could see the rest of her, there'd be tightly crossed arms and a deep scowl. This is her new thing lately, finding a place to go off in a huff of anger. I can't even remember what this was about this morning. Probably that I wouldn't give her a second piece of toast with nutella on it or something....But anyway she pulled out of her slump and we're all feeling much better now...
I, on the other hand, am not pouting because I've been blessed with two great packages of late. The first being my kid's CD swap from tracy and her girls.

She and I have decided to share the throne as "queens of procrastination" since we are both quite tardy on our swapping. Me being the tardiest of the two. But her package was definitely worth the wait. The music is phenomenal. I quickly took the CD with me on my errands while the girls were home napping with Dan. Much of the music (tho' not the artists) is new and I love it! love it. And of course, sweet tracy and her girls packed in some extra goodies. For me, it was a bunch of scrumptious linen and some cram-cream deco tape (which I have been eyeing on ebay). And for the girls it was the cutest little bags, stickers, a sunprint kit and a hopscotch kit. (We had a mean game of hopscotch in the driveway that night!) So a big thank you to tracy and her girls. We love/loved/are loving it all!

And I also received my package of gift tags from dacia's swap. they are all so lovely and unique. It is wonderful to see what everyone came up with. However, I took my picture of the tags outside on my porch, and just as I snapped the picture, one flew off the porch into a tall rose bush climbing up the steps. So the picture will have to wait until I retrieve the runaway tag. But they are all lovely. I promise.

Last night I finished Jeannette Walls's book, The Glass Castle. Wow, she is an amazing writer, but what a horrible life story. If the book hadn't been a true story of her life, I would definitely have put it down. It was one of those books that just left you feeling sick and gross in parts. Now, I'm picking up The Time Travellers Wife for next month's book group, although Dan is dying for me to start reading his pick for me: Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry.

You'll probably notice some additions to my blog sidebars, too. I went back to the old format again. I've added a list of books that I have out of the library right now. This week's list includes some pottery books. After being 'excused' from the course work and going into the workshop, I'm starting to get a little insecure about my pottery knowledge. So I've been doing a little reading, which has turned out to be really inspiring and enjoyable.
I also added a list of books that the girl's are looking at. I told Emma we were going to learn about something this week, and it could be anything we wanted. Then, we'd get some library books out it. She chose flowers, and she's been carrying around that little field guide all week. Although I think she's impartial to small books since she brought a book up to me in the library last week and said, "can we try to find some more books that are this size?"
Speaking of books and children, I read something in Real Simple's Family special addition magazine this month that has me thinking. Some specialist on readding...(sorry, it's not in front of me right now) reccommended that as parents, we do not censor the things that our chidren read. If they want to pick up a book about Barney or Barbie, let them do it. As long as they are reading, it's all that matters. She says not to force the classics down their throats or try to dictate what they are or are not reading. Now, at first I could see her point, but the more I thought about it, the more I disagreed. I think it's a lot like television and the shows we allow our kids to watch. If you let your children watch junk, they are going to want to watch more and more of it. It's easy. It's completely catered to them and their little innocent minds. Somehow those television producers know exactly what hooks our children and it makes them only want to watch more--and if left to their own channel surfing kids would end up only watching the junk like Teletubbies and My Little Pony cartoons.
The same goes for reading, in my opinion. If I let them read every commercial character story that they picked off the shelf, and every book that doubles as a piano and songbook, I bet they'd never come back to Blueberries for Sal or Ferdinand the Bull.-with their beautifully simple pictures and classic storylines. So yes, I'm going to censor what they read, just like I censor what they watch. And I'll bet in the end they're no less voracious of a reader. And I hope they'll have a better appreciation for a timeless narrative, than a flashy piece of advertising disguised as literature.
phew. stepping down from my soap box. taking deep breath.

Last two quickies:
--a note about signing up for my email list. I get regular emails from people wondering when I'll have buttons and more pendants for sale. I try to keep a rag-tag list together, but it's pretty disorganized. So, if you're interested in any of these things, or just finding out when I update my etsy shop, please send me an email and I'll add you to the list. And if you've already contacted me, would you mind doing so one more time? Just so I can try to get it all in the same place. thanks.
--first batch of cuffs are in my etsy shop!

I faced my fears

I sat down almost a week ago now to start sewing the buttons on these cuffs. And the first push of the needle through the thick strap sent the needle deep into the tip of my finger. I'm not saying it went all the way to my nail, but it really, really hurt under there. So, I put them down for a little while. 
Last night I got them all finished and the appropriate old button selected from my stash, for each one. I have to say I really like them and I'm going to have to make one for myself now. I'll slowly (dialup, remember?) be putting them in my etsy shop this afternoon.
We had a wonderful weekend filled good portions of work and play. Well, Dan really did most of the working...On Sunday, we celebrated Father's Day and gave Dan his gift--a CD of bird songs and calls so that we can begin to identify birds by ear. When I was in college, I spent one summer at an environmental science school taking a natural history course. It was probably my favorite college course. We learned to identify birds by their appearance and song, trees, flowers, animals, tracks, etc. When you are able to know the names of some of the plants and animals you see and hear around you, it really gives you a deeper appreciation for nature. You'd never know if you were catching a glimpse of something rare or amazing, if you didn't know what  you were looking at in the first place. So, I'm excited to refresh my knowledge with this CD, and I know that Dan is excited to learn them with me, too.
Hmmm....does it sound like this gift was more for me, than my husband? no. never!!

Work In Progress Fridays #1

There's a lot going on this friday: work in progress, colorweek...I'll post my color pictures later today, maybe even tomorrow. They are all from a walk we went on last night. There was red everywhere...but this picture is from a little clay time at home this morning. Stoneware buttons are coming, slowly...
In the end, it was only Emma who finished something. I gave her some clay to work with and she fashioned several different things--a turtle, a rock, and finally settled on a bird's nest with "four eggs that the mommy lied" (that's how she says it, everything "lies babies" around here.) Now the nest is out drying in the sun. I think I'll fire it and glaze it for her. She also took this picture for me, even turned on the camera, put it in macro and turned off the flash, with only a little guidance from me. I don't think my mom can even do that yet with her digital camera!  sorry, mom.

Happy Birthday to my Dad...I'm off to work on some consumable gifts for tonight's big affair...Love you, Daddy.

wednesday::black::(and the results)

                      ::a moment of heaven for a little girl::

I went to show my pottery last night at the college. And I'm in. I'll be able to come in at the workshop level and just do my own thing without having to take more courses. I got the studio grand tour, registered and one of the other workshoppers gave me some clay to get started with. Saturday I'm heading to Baltimore Clay Works (please, Dan?) for clay and some supplies. Today I'm dragging the girls to a kitchen store for some odd tools I use for buttons but can't seem to find since our move. I can't wait to get back in to the pottery studio....thanks for all your encouragement...

tuesday::brown::(and a tryout)

a bad picture. but still...it's an endangered species. have you ever held an endangered species in the palm of your hand? a first for me.
the bog turtle. found in the valley this weekend by an amazing uncle--a walking natural historian.

more color week

i'm off to the local community college in an hour to visit with a professor and show him my pottery work. i'm trying to get accepted into their workshop program so that i can do my pottery on my own, using their studio supplies and kilns--without having to take all the college-credit courses. i feel that I have a lot of the knowledge from my other art center courses and just need the chance to try things and work things out for myself. but i'm not sure my  courses from wisconsin are high enough caliber to 'get in' at the college. it's very nerve-wracking taking your work to someone to inspect, interpret and decide  your skill level based upon it. i love my work so far, but I know I have a lot to learn and a lot that I want to try. I just need the chance to get my hands dirty and try new things. The attitude at the college is much different than my arts center. At the art center they were so encouraging of trying new things, seeing what worked, failing, exploring. My instructor there was just happy to see you creating and working and being curious. Here it feels a bit like an audition, but I'm sure if I 'get in' it will all go smoothly from there. I hope he doesn't think I'm some housewife home-potter. Well, I guess I am technically, but I'm not just there for a little fun on Friday nights. I really want to pursue this and try new colors and patterns, objects and techniques.
wish me luck. if this doesn't work out, I may be back in the kiln-buying business. or else making a monthly trek to my aunt's studio for firing.
(yuck. sorry for the lazy typing above...)

::monday:white::(and more)

A door from the steppingstone farm museum where we went for the scottish festival this weekend. It was an odd mix of men in kilts and teenagers in gothic dress. The highlight being the scenery as the farm is perched atop of a hill overlooking hills rolling into the susquehanna river; and the potters shed--a small stone building full of kick-wheels and an old brick kiln.

A visit from my sister and some thundershowers prompted an afternoon of crafting: two long-promised turtles and some cuffs so everyone was included in the crafting goodness. I can't stop making these cuffs. They are so much fun. A second batch is waiting for buttons and then will probably going into my etsy shop.

the closet and a quickie weekend project

It is hard impossible to photograph a small dark closet. But here's the fruit of yesterday's labors. I just want to keep the closet door open all the time and stare. When I began this project it was supposed to be shelves for kids craft stuff and my fabric. But they were relegated to a big basket beside their little table.

This weekend, I made these little cuffs for Emma and me. One of those spur of the moment crafts. They were easy and fun. To Emma's I added some grosgrain ribbon and then both are tied with a tiny loop of RicRac and a button. With mine, I was able to singe the ends with a match to keep it from fraying, but Emma's just burned. oops. I'll have to look for some of this for her cuff. It was a fun project. And I think they'd make great little birthday gifts for the little people in my life. I mean, if the cuffs are cool enough. I never really know anymore....!

it all started with a pair of curtains

I think my grandmother may have given me my inheritance today.
It all started with me mentioning at lunch that I wanted to make some curtains for the girl's changing house down at the pool. (Otherwise, we girls are there in all our glory for the people coming down the path to the pool. It is a much needed curtain.) So today after lunch, she took me upstairs to look for curtain fabric from her double-doored closet full of sewing, knitting, needlepoint supplies, kits to make down jackets and suitcases, even a bag of whittling tools--a  true crafting mother lode (no punn intended).
We went through several piles of fabric she wanted to save--"might be a blouse, might be a pair of curtains, these are good for tablecloths for parties...But here, go through these and take what  you like for yourself." She's been telling me, ever since I moved here, that she wanted to show me the things in the closet, because she knows I love to sew and do 'lots of projets'. So, I merrily looked through her wildly colored fabrics and bright prints finding things that I fell in love with. Not even on my BEST of shopping or thrifting or garage sale-ing days could I imagine such wonderful things. And yes, I put some back. I didn't clean her out--well, technically I did clean her out--she asked me to go through  bags and bags of saved 'dungarees' that she was holding on to for patches, and some old curtains that she was "overly ambitious" about reusing, and old sheets that were never resized to fit a smaller bed. (Can you imagine?)
So I did do a lot of cleaning for her, but not cleaning out. But I have to tell you, I look at these fabrics and they make my heart beat fast. Not just because they are beautiful and fun and funky, but because they are my grandmother's. My grandmother's.
The passing down of this fabric sparked a MAJOR cleanup of my crafting supplies and fabric stash--two plastic tubs sitting on top of each other in the closet. So horribly piled upon, that on more than one occasion I have walked to the closet excited to start a new project, then turned around and closed the door, overwhelmed by the effort it would take to extract a yard of fabric.
So I've been up to my ears in closet clean-outs today, tripping over fabric and boxes and shelves, but enjoying every minute. Tomorrow, I'll show a picture of my closet, if I can get enough light. It was too dark tonight to take a closet picture. (Is it ever bright enough to take a picture of the inside of a small closet?)

I realize these pictures are a little blurry. I was rushing to get it all put in place before Dan got home.

one of my favs (my foot for scale)

a few of the pieces still had their original tags. can you believe the price?

And oh yes, there will be curtains in the pool house this year, ladies. Great curtains.

they're all yours

hannah--drop me an email with your mailing address and I'll send you your tags.

And thanks everyone for your kind words about them. I'm pretty sure I'll be making more. It was really fun. This weekend I picked up some gingko leaves-I think these might be pretty cool looking, too. I love the beautiful fan shape and fine lines in the leaf.
Kelly: can you believe it only cost me one needle? it got pretty squeaky at the end as it pushed through the paper.
Ali: you just use a regular needle. don't worry, I had to ask the same question before I tried.

I had more I wanted to share in this post, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. Travelling Mercies is calling my name. I have to finish off the last seventy pages before my book group tonight. And bills, insurance changes, and car issues are hanging over my head. All that fun, inspiring stuff of life!

they're pinnate not palmate

My petiolated, simple, entire, elliptic, pinnate leaf gift tags for dacia's swap. She was nice enough to let me jump in at the last second after I had read about it on alicia's blog. 
At the moment, I can't remember what gave me this idea, but I do remember being completely uninspired for this swap and having no idea what I wanted to do after I eagerly signed up. Then this idea popped into my mind and it all just flowed from there.  The fabric is stitched on to cardstock so that you can write your message on the back of the tags. They are tied with hemp cord--which oddly smells EXACTLY like the  barns at the county fair. (in all the best ways) I keep sniffing and reminiscing while I tie away.

These little tags will be flying priority to mail to dacia tomorrow to make the deadline.
But, I had my numbers wrong--I thought I needed to make fifteen for the swap, but it turns out I only need eleven.
So, I have four to give away. If you are interested, leave me a comment and let me know you want your name in the hat. I'll draw a name on Saturday and send my four extras your way!