gift bags on creativebug

It's the count down to Christmas, and if you haven't started wrapping your gifts- it's time to start thinking about it! I have a great new class that was just released on Creativebug. I show you how to make two kinds of burlap bags- a boxed edge stand up tote and a frayed edge bag that features weaving. Both elevate the gifts your giving and are quick and satisfying. Bonus- they cost nothing (or close to that!). They also double any gift you give because they are re-usable. Whip up several at a time and put the wrapping paper away! You can check it out right here.*

*I'm an affiliate with Creativebug, so if you sign up by linking over from here, I receive a little "something".  Thanks so much!

felt sew good

I have not had much time these days for my own creative pursuits, but have have felt so fulfilled helping the girls in my sewing classes create wonderful holiday items both by hand and by machine. I was surprised yesterday when I was handed a slew of fabulous felt ornaments after they had gotten together for a sewing date without me. Watching their evolution and total joy as they create things on their own has been one of the best things ever! Pretty impressive pajamas, mittens and pouches have been accomplished, but I must admit that their favorite time is spent whipping up felty stuffed things without any patterns. And so these ornaments (and one personalized pillow) are my favorites too!

I might be partial to this pom pom adorned "mama" one- but who could blame me. The  little "Marry Christmas" one also stole my heart. The maker is so smitten with her new machine and it's embroidering capabilities, but was crushed when she realized her typo. She was quickly persuaded to give it anyways... that I would still love it. Good advice- I love it even more!

No matter your sewing skill level- felt is always a winner!

pajama pants

Hi friends! I've missed you and my creative time the last few weeks. Life has a way of spinning into a busy flurry this time of year, but I'm back and gearing up for the winter ahead! Our dining room table has seen a lot of sewing and girls recently, as I hosted a Holiday Stitch series for my advanced sewers. One of our most exciting projects involved flannel. I make a pair of pajama pants for my daughter every winter, but this year I thought she and her friends were up to the task on their own. I drafted patterns with them from other bottoms, and then they got to work cutting, sewing and threading elastic through waist bands. Not too complicated for this crafty bunch, but still a challenge.

 These two finished together… what a sweet reward to snuggle into them and start lounging. Soft and roomy- perfect for dancing and getting silly!

This kind of garment sewing is super forgiving, which makes it a great advanced beginner project and fun for gift-giving too! Pinterest has plenty of tutorials if you do a quick search. 

Here's to the cozy season ahead!

handmade heirlooms

New mittens- made by my 10 year old! She has forecasted many more. She used the pattern for "Easy Going Mittens" from Jennifer Casa's brand new book Handmade Heirlooms. Several of her sewing buddies came over with their machines and each of them whipped out a pair. They were simple and satisfying with just the right amount of challenge (sewing stretched elastic can be tricky). This is just the right combo for making gifts in multiple- something many of us are thinking about at this time of year. There are 24 projects to sew, knit, crochet, craft and repurpose. That about covers all of us- right? The premiss and subtitle: "crafting with intention" is my favorite way to make stuff. Thank you Jennifer, for creating this lovely book!

You can find Handmade Heirlooms, produced by my favorite publishers (yay Roost!), and read more about it right here.

 Although we haven't had any real snow yet, mitten season has begun- and this sweet one is proud of her new pair!

circle skirt

There's always some excitement about what to wear on the first day back to school. For my daughter, at least. It was really about planning and anticipating the return to routine more than fashion when she was little,  but that seems to have shifted as she's grown. There was a very specific idea for this year. She is certainly not opposed to store bought clothes, but she didn't want to walk into class looking like anyone other than herself. In her words "In 5th grade, I want to be unique." Well, ok then. Anyone who is familiar with preteen girls knows that just thinking that way is unique in itself. Since she's turned into quite the seamstress, a hand-made wardrobe was a great way to have a one of a kind outfit for yesterday's return to school. This was here idea! Wahoo!

My daughter's BFF is a constant sewing inspiration, and has even begun designing her own patterns. This pillow case top and circle skirt are both based on her very own patterns- so she deserves a lot of credit. I helped- but not much.

The skirt is rather ingenious… it's a donut folded in half. The center becomes the curved waist, attached by a button. A little bias tape helps finish it, but the bottom hem is left raw. It's double layered and cut on the bias so all that's needed are to pull a few loose threads. Shorts or leggings are necessary underneath since it's a wrap style. I can see trying this in my size too. Linen has an especially nice drape, but she also made one in jersey. 

Hope your return to September routines is running smoothly!

so much sewing

The sound of the sewing machine is a constant in our house. These days, it's not just me! My daughter has FINALLY been bitten by the sewing bug. Foxes, kitties, pouches, bags, backpacks, owls… the list goes on. Every day there are several new projects completed. Above is the teeniest smattering of her prolific-ness. 

I've been teaching her friends to sew for years, while my daughter has reluctantly followed along. Her heart has never been in it,  she just wanted to make her friends happy. She's a good egg. But something happened last week in Stitch*Craft, and that girl may never be the same. She sees the potential in every piece of fabric, sliver of ribbon, awaiting button. Over the years, she's been tucking away mad stitching skills and neither of us even knew it. I'm trying to contain my excitement, in case her new passion is fleeting. But as you can imagine, this mama sewer is quite thrilled! I set up a space in the sunroom with her own machine, and she sits there for hours. She even had to sew her chair a little cushion… or butt pillow, as she calls it. Oh, to be ten again! I'm organizing my thoughts around a blog post on sewing with the 9-12 year olds. I've learned so much! 

Today we are heading to my mother's sewing studio at her barn. Grandma has just arrived and my girl has her first date on the machine that I learned to sew on… with my first sewing teacher. Oh- it's all so good!

Sew Green field trip

 This week's stitchers have all been with me for numerous summers. They each now have their own  machines and all are quite passionate about sewing. Taking our annual field trip to Sew Green was high on all of our priority lists.  I love how my eager young crew is always welcomed in with enthusiasm. They carry and wear in bags, purses, and clothing they've made in past years and are always so proud when asked about them. All of their purchases were tidily bundled in a fabric scrap- just tempting them to do a happy balancing act as we left, ready to grab our thread and get to work.

But wait! We forgot about the stuff a sack bins- we almost missed the opportunity for foraging for fabric treasures in odd sizes and assortments. So much fun! If you're ever in Ithaca you must visit  Sew Green.

 Sew Good!

birds, trees and toast

The above "indigo" bunting was dyed and hand stitched by a 10 year old who had never sewn before, but had a burning desire to make a bird. Amazing right?! Thread and needle were not going to be part of the first week of camp, but everyone got the itch to work with their beautiful blue fabric. Next week the entire focus is sewing and a bit of weaving. I'm fired up and ready for teaching some brand new projects- like this nature weaving in a Y stick.

I'm also trying to figure out if there is any way we can use parts of the giant white pine that landed on our barn/garage earlier this week in a freak storm. It was quite traumatic, since my daughter and I were standing at the back door watching the rain pour down and the winds pick up when it came crashing down a few feet away. We were extremely lucky, and now are looking for ways to celebrate such a special tree that we looked at each day from our dining room window for the last 14 years. 

An hour after it fell, the sun had returned and the mail carrier drove up with my copy of Pixie Lighthorse's brand new book- Prayers of Honoring. The timing couldn't have been more perfect, as there was a blessing called "Honoring the Forces of Nature" on page 33. Pixie's wisdom has been a guiding force in my life since the first day we met and it's wonderful to have a volume of her words to reach for when looking for meaning and ways to recognize important moments in life. 

 And now it's time to start the weekend with my current favorite meal- avocado toast. I love it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! I know it's the current urban trend, but there's a reason- perfect deliciousness! There are so many variations- but they all start with a good piece of bread and a ripe avo. This is actually gluten-free- but I am eating wheat again now and then.  I take a sliver of garlic and rub it over the warm toast. A little drizzle of olive oil comes next. Mash avocado directly onto toast and layer it with whatever's on hand. Heirloom tomatoes here, but the other day it was topped with shaved radishes, and goat cheese. Finish it up with coarse salt and fresh pepper.

Have a super weekend, friends!

baskets and skirts

Happy Monday friends! It's the last full week of school around here and I'm hustling to make the most of it in my studio. Summer is definitely upon us and there's been swimming, horseback riding and ice cream cone eating aplenty… but I haven't slowed down my sewing machine. There are baskets listed for the first time in my shop!  They are each naturally dyed in summer hues of water and sunshine. I've also listed some feathered indigo pouches. YES!  Go take a peek right here.

On Saturday I taught some lovely ladies how to refashion a t-shirt into a skirt at Craftstitute. I'm in love with their studio space… Clear, clean and flooded with natural light from gorgeous windows everywhere. 

We're talking about another rope basket class, so I'll keep you posted. Ithaca is a fabulous weekend destination this time of year!

Have a great start to your week!

sky scarves

 Some of my indigo dyed linen called to be scarves… 

Two kinds:
-long strips of sky and clouds to wrap around or
 -circles to create an infinity of the wide blue yonder

The infinity has a french seam and intentionally frayed edges. The standard has hemmed sides and frayed ends. Both so pretty that they are being snatched up before they even make it to their destination next week at Squam. Yikes! I just ordered more indigo and am hunting down some linen so that I can repeat this delicious process for mid June in my shop. 

The the bridal wreath spirea bush bloomed as always during this last week in May. I forgive it for the few years that it plagued me as the reminder of my former wedding anniversary. It's gorgeous- so glad that I didn't chop it down when I wanted to. Now- it's just another beautiful component of my garden and a lovely backdrop for scarves. It was resilient after our hard winter and seems stronger than ever- just like me! We are all so much like a garden… something my yoga teacher is focusing on this week. We are filled with as much beauty as we cultivate. Without tending, weeding and caring for ourselves we all know what happens. So here's to creating our own beautiful inner and outer landscapes… and wearing the sky, of course!

weekend blues

What a beautiful weekend it was! The only blues were in my dye bucket. Indigo is one of the oldest dyes used in history for textiles and printing. It was high time I gave it a try. I used a very simple method as a test to see if it was something worth pursuing. Oh yes! This kit from Dharma Trading Co. was so accessible and fun… as a bonus the dye vat lasts for a while.  So- I got more rope! 

 The relationship indigo has with oxygen was the most fascinating part… the dye bath is actually green.

 It's only after it the rope/fabric tastes the air that it begins transforming to blue. It gets oxidized!

 Watch what happened with this cotton fabric over 10 minutes… so cool!

 Rope was my main ingredient. Cotton clothesline for spiral sewing of beautiful, blue bowls and baskets for summer. One dip gave me a very dark rich shade….

  But upon rinsing- it transformed to something softer and deliciously peaceful. And after drying… it has taken on its own shade of sky blue that can be seen in my instagram shots over in the right side column.

 Something so silly and satisfying about draping the clothesline over my clothesline to dry!

 Can't wait to share my upcoming indigo adventures with some double dipping for darker shades and, of course, the meeting with my sewing machine!

clothesline cuffs

I'm a total minimalist when it comes to jewelry. So simple rope cuffs are very appealing to me. I'm in the process of figuring out new ways to work with clothesline and these are my first attempts at something beyond spirals. Each is as light as air and so soft. They also have a super hero quality to them… a little wonder woman goes natural fiber-ish, don't you think?

One uses a knot closure, the other is just a tiny strip of elastic sewn between where the sides meet.

Quick and Fun! Now back to baskets and bowls!

may making

Oh May! What a beautiful month filled with the electric energy of so much coming to life outside. As much as I want to lie under these magnolia blossoms or dance in the fresh green grass… it's my sewing machine that tends to be my dance partner these days. So, I'm throwing open my studio windows and smelling the spring air as I work. There is just so much to do every May as I get ready for the Squam Art Fair (my 8th- or is it 9th?) on the first Saturday of June. It's time to get serious about buckets, pouches and bags. 

On top of that, I can't stop sewing with rope! In fact, not only will I be teaching how locally in a few weeks (note to self- must make samples that I don't give to friends), I am also going to be selling baskets and bowls at a few local venues.

 Busy times for sure, but it's all fabulous! When I think of what is keeping me running around and literally stitching in circles- I have nothing to complain about. It's all joy!

And let me tell you, I do NOT take bliss for granted. Never will again. I savor every bit of it and then channel it into something new...