harvest breakfast

Summer mornings...
pajamas
wet grass
bare feet
Garden Beckons...
first cucumber
radish forest
checking chard



Race to kitchen...
little one first
big one slices
everyone eats
breakfast: whole wheat toast, unsalted butter or neufatchel cheese, thin slices of cukes, radishes, coarse sea salt and fresh pepper... cup of tea. Yes, my kids love it (no pepper on littlest's).

summer travel give-away

Where will this little owl fly to? Stuffed with local wool and lavender and backed with matching Amy Butler fabric, this little HOOT fits perfectly in the the travel pillow pocket. Tell me where you would go if you could travel anywhere in the the world RIGHT NOW! Your wish will enter you in the give-away for this pillow that is the perfect travel companion/accessory... for any age really! I'll close comments on Thursday at 5 pm( EST) and announce the winner on Friday 7/3. I'll send this pillow anywhere in the world!

Just to get us rolling, I'll start us off:
If I could go anywhere in the world RIGHT NOW, I'd be in Hawaii with my little sister and my nieces. It's sooo far and so much$ $, that I don't know when I'll be seeing them again. This is my constant heartache. I'm wishing I could fit into a little parcel and sneak off in the mail for a weekend! Sooo, where would you go!!?

child's travel pillow: a tutorial

Everyone needs something soft and familiar to rest their weary heads upon... especially our children when they're far from home. This little travel pillow has a built in handle for easy toting or to clip onto a backpack when heading off to camp, a sleep over, or some other summer adventure. I made two different sizes for my ten year old and four year old, but I believe this small size is perfect for anyone... even an adult on a long plane flight (just like traditional airline pillows). So let's get to it. You can whip these up in no time!

Materials:

-1/2 yard of soft cotton in a print that will make the recipient smile and feel loved
-batting/ecofill (anything that stays soft with repeated washings)
-matching thread
-dried lavender if you are making a sachet

all seams are 1/4" unless otherwise stated

Cut:

-pillow: 16" x 25"
-handle: 6" x 11"
-pocket: 6" x 12"

Make:

Handle-

1. Fold rectangle in half and pressing with an iron to make a crease.
   
2. Open and fold each side just to that crease line.
   
3. Fold in half and press with an iron again.
4. Topstitch along the edge of each side (lengthwise).

Pocket-

1. Fold in half (now rectangle becomes a 6 x 6 square) right side to right side.
   
2. Stitch around all three open sides, leaving a few inches open on the bottom for turning.
   
3. Clip excess fabric on corners and turn fabric so right sides are exposed. Poke corners into shape with a chopstick or pencil eraser.
   
4. Top stitch folded side 1/2 an inch from the edge. This will be the top open side of the pocket.
5. Fold pillow rectangle in half. The top will be the open side. The fold will be the bottom of the pillow.
   
6. Pin pocket to the lower middle portion of the pillow. Tuck in the opening from where you turned the pocket and pin also. Stitch pocket in place.
   
   

Pillow-

1. Fold material right side to right side and stitch following the diagram.
   
2. 
   (note: the picture shows the right side of the fabric... do the opposite) Begin sewing each side 2 inches toward the center of the pillow top and then rotate to go down the sides.
3. Clip excess fabric at corners and turn right side out. Poke out corners. Topstitch the bottom edge... all along the fold. This will give your pillow better form.
4. Stuff you pillow, taking care to fill each corner. Don't over stuff or you will have a hard time inserting your handle.
5. Pin handle in place. Check finished project photos for placement, making sure it's even. Pin the rest of the opening closed, as well.
6. Edge stitch the entire top. I went over this stitching with a decorative stitch, but it's not necessary.
   
7. Fill the pocket with a little doll/animal or make a simple lavender sachet to ensure restful nights. My sachet was made from two 6"x4" rectangles stitched together and filled with dried lavender.

Today's pillow is made from a soft quilter's cotton in an Amy Butler print from her Belle line. I had just a enough left over from this duvet cover. The sweet face peeking out of the pocket comes from this set I made over the winter. It belongs to my daughter, but I'm working on another soft lavender friend to fit in the pocket...
and then I will be ready to offer this pillow as a give-away on Monday!

back to my machine

I'm back to cutting and sewing today... during the spare moment when I'm not taking kids swimming and making a lot of meals... everyone is so much hungrier in the summer! In between storm clouds this afternoon, I've been trying to photograph and put together a little tutorial for you on the child's travel pillow. Hope to have it up tonight with a summer give-away! See you then!

flower peeps!

Thanks for all of your healing thoughts yesterday. I'm truly fine and so is my finger. Having a day to just play and not even go near sharp tools was all I needed to get grounded. In fact, the play yesterday was extraordinary. A good reminder for the rest of the summer... let go of expectations and enjoy spontaneity with my children. I think my summer mantra should be "let go... and play". I used to be all about that, but having a shop has definitely put a little more pressure on me to work. So, as I'm a firm believer in "a reason for everything"... my little accident, and the dynamic day that followed, was a clear message to keep PLAY the priority for my favorite season. Yesterday began with a perfect weather and an unscheduled morning. It was a yes kind of morning...
-can we go to the swing set before breakfast?
- yes!
-can we stay in pajamas all day?
-yes!
-will you watch me do tricks on the monkey bars (for the 100th time )?
-yes!
Well, I actually was ready to move on to something I could participate in... I'm not one for hanging off monkey bars any more. I'd had an idea blossoming in my head all morning. My daughter has been carrying Elsa Mora's book, Blossom Buddies, with her everywhere. I can't blame her, it's gorgeous! I got it for the entire family, but she's gotten very possessive of it. She even made a book marker specifically for her "flower peep" book.

It seemed like the perfect moment to start making some of our own flower peeps.
We collected blossoms...

and got to work (I mean play).

My daughter mostly enjoyed designing mine and taking side trips to the hose to make mud...

and returning to make fairy "food" with the leftover petals.

I LOVED it all! Heaven! Muddy little girl with ringlets, favorite flowers from my garden, sun shine and blue skies. I really couldn't stop with the flower peeps... so indulge me for a moment, please:
Introducing Rosa and Delilah

Greta and her daughter Florita


Stella and Pepita


and Nutbaby (named aptly by my daughter). Her head is a baby walnut and her face was created soley by nature... we discovered her smiling at us from under a tree!

Thank you Elsita for your endless creativity and for reminding me about the importance of PLAY... in my life, my parenting and my art.
Hope you all have a joyful day!

yikes!

Hi friends,
I'm hoping to be back to my usual fare tomorrow, but I'm giving my little finger a rest today. Had a little slip with this new fangled X-acto knife. Some of you from my Squam printing class might remember this new style of blade. Whether I was holding it incorrectly (not sure, but it's easy to do), or it was just a simple accident, I had a some time to think about safety while I "hung out" in the Emergency room. No worries... a little skin glue and steri strips and I'm as good as new. Well, maybe better than new, because I will use a little more caution and respect with all of the sharp tools I use daily. Do you use a rotary blade or craft knife on a regular basis? Please remember how sharp they are... how easily they can slip. My plan for today is to keep it safe, happy and mellow... hope your day is filled with the same.

it's here!

Happy Monday! I'm so excited to finally announce that my round bucket pattern is available in my shop. It has been tested and double tested at the Barn and Squam Workshops. I feel ready to release it into the world. It is for personal use only. The pattern is a PDF for both the medium and large round buckets. It includes tips and care for working with burlap and step by step instructions. So many of you have been asking for this! I'd love to see what you come up with if you make one. That's been the best part of my burlap workshops... seeing everyone's unique take.

I'll tuck a coffee sack pincushion in the mail to my first two bucket pattern customers! Just a little happiness in the mail!

I'm so happy to check this off my list! Now, I'm off to write up a simple tutorial for the Child's Travel Pillow. I'm really grateful that so many of you weren't too shy to ask. This is exactly what I love doing... sharing how to make things. My wish is to instill confidence and love in creating by hand. If you haven't learned how to sew yet... maybe that time is coming soon!
Sending you love on this first week of summer!
~Maya

june blossoms

I'm loving each new flower that is bursting open in my garden. Come rain or shine, they bloom. At the beginning of each season my senses explode. As summer solstice nears, I am thinking about:

how it would feel to tiptoe across peony petals...

what I would I see if I were a bee in June...

and what if drinking the nectar of sweet blossoms could make me fly...

Summertime. Flower time. My favorite time. What are you loving this season?

p.s. I just got this new book... perfect for the flower lover!! Inspiration for us all!

in the fish bowl

I'm feeling so excited about in the fish bowl, a new e-course I'm taking that began today! Marisa, of Creative Thursday, is an amazing and inspirational teacher! We connected at Squam (she was one of the lovely women in my Nirvana cabin), and I so wished that I could have taken one of her classes... I was thrilled when I discovered she was putting together a 6-week course on "life as an artist online". Perfect. I didn't even hesitate... sign me up was my instant thought. It is full, but you can e-mail Marisa (pronounced Ma-reesa) to sign up for anther session. She had such a sensitive and thoughtful approach to this first class via a podcast, that I want to go listen to everything she's ever said... and she's said a lot over the years! Marisa has a slew of phenomenal podcasts featuring interviews with artists and various subjects pertaining to creativity. Here's a link to her archived podcasts and here's another. Now, I know what I'll be listening to as I sew or carve stamps at midnight- Marisa's sweet voice and her wonderful insights. I haven't been a podcast listener, but I'm hooked now! I continue to marvel at the many resources we have at the tips of our fingers. What wild times we are living in!

child's travel pillow

So this is where that little lavender unicorn sleeps... in the pocket of my daughter's new travel pillow.

This concept of a pillow with a handle began last month, as my son got ready for a class trip with an 8 hour bus ride. The night before they left, I decided he needed a pillow. I think it was for his comfort, as well a way for my own. I wanted to give him a bit of my love to take with him. I made his in 1/2 and hour out of thrifted red chambray. Quick and easy! I added a handle at the last minute, so that he could clip it to his backpack. I also slipped a little lavender directly into the pillow. Not the best idea for later washings, but so far so good.

Since then, he's brought it on overnights/sleepovers like in the photo above, and I'm sure it will be with us on our next road trip.

His little sister was very envious... so I knew another travel pillow was in our future. When I bought that 1/2 a yard of Far, Far Away fabric I had no idea what I was going to make with it. It's the silkiest cotton (double gauze), and that print just begs to be highlighted. This pillow does the trick perfectly. My pinky/purpley/fairy tale girl was ecstatic this morning when she discovered it.

Thank goodness! I make her stuff all of the time, and some things are big flops as far as she is concerned. Not this one! Yeah! She was delighted and told me all day. In fact she and her pillow have been together constantly.


In the hammock...

at the dentist...

soaking up the sun on a cold day...
and now she's fast asleep with it. She threw her regular pillow over the side of the bed. That's a very good sign. I'm thinking every child should have a travel pillow with a handle and a pocket for a lavender sachet... in their favorite fabric, of course. It's a very straightforward design. I'm sure you can figure it out, but if you're a new sewer and wanting a tutorial, just say the word.

Which brings me to my promised burlap bucket pattern... I haven't forgotten. It's coming, really!

lavender unicorn

I'm learning to embrace my four year old's passions. I've always tried to de-emphasize traditional gender colors and typical boy/girl favorites with both my children. But what they gravitate towards... is simply what they gravitate towards. Pinks, purples and unicorns~ that would be for my daughter. Heather Ross's new fabric line: Far, Far Away speaks to that little girl in all of us... and wow, did mine flip when she peeked over my shoulder at the screen and saw it. (mental note: remember to keep that lap top shut until nap time!) She doesn't know that I bought 1/2 a yard and am working on a surprise for her for our summer travels. Shhhhh! I'll show you more when I'm all done. The little lavender sachet above is a key component. Hope you're having a lovely day.
p.s. I think I want to be four again!

they're here!

Strawberry season has begun! All year we wait for this moment. We have a no-spray you-pick strawberry farm up the road from us. Heaven! We freeze them, jam them, pie them, crepe them, shortcake them... and we eat them... 'til we about burst. This will go on for several more weeks: mmm! the taste of summer's arrival. If you're up to your ears in strawberries, don't forget this recipe from last year.

What's ripe in your neighborhood?

luck of the draw

I was blessed with good fortune on many levels at SAW/Squam. One very exciting way arrived in the mail via a UPS truck last week. Each evening of the retreat had a special event. On Friday night an amazing panel shared their experiences about writing a craft book. Sparkling Christine Miller led a thought provoking discussion with Amanda Soule, Betz White, Derek &Lauren, and Sally Melville. I couldn't have asked for more, but in typical Squam fashion there was more... cupcakes and book signing followed. So fun! Mary Aarons , who had already had a wonderful impact on SAW by helping to get a donation of Singer sewing machines, made Friday night stellar. Because of Mary, there were those delicious cupcakes, MakerReady Journals as gifts for EVERYONE, and a stack of craft books via Craftside
and Quayside Publishers Group to be raffled off the next day. I'm a bit of a craft/art book junkie. Of course, I entered. I'm sure you see where this is going... yup, I won the raffle and all of these books. Isn't that crazy? Feeling really lucky!

Those flowers? The barn meadow is stopping traffic again. Just like last summer, cars are slowing... and even a handful of cameras and their owners have stopped to capture it on film. Magic really does exist... and my mother's barn seems to be a gentle reminder of this for so many of us!

love this!

Make your own pallet chair... instructions here. Found via Remodelista (and my wonderful mom)!