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!

thankful leaf hearts

 I love the beginning of November! The doorway to the holiday season opens, and it's like an old friend welcoming you into a cozy home filled with the scents of soup on the stove and pie in the oven. Decorating with nature is at its peak, as I forage for as much as I can find on the forest floor before it's covered in snow.  I gather up my dried leaves, line up my squash and pumpkins and scatter pinecones and acorns everywhere. Maybe I was a squirrel in another life!

My latest bit of creative fun began with a sharpie pen and then incorporated a heart punch and a few pressed maple leaves.

 I think "thankful leaves and leaf hearts" will be tucked into every corner of my house this month!

lake equinox

We went to the lake for yesterday's fall equinox. The morning had called for slippers and sweaters and mugs of hot beverages, but by afternoon the sun was shining high and the temps were in the 70's. It felt essential to soak up and savor the last bits warmth with bare feet and legs. So down to the water we went. I gathered stones and driftwood for future projects. My daughter gathered memories of wading and climbing for the colder days that are coming. 

 

forcin'

 I don't believe in rushing most things, but "forcing" our forsythia's golden blossoms out early is always a favorite April activity. They typically bloom around May Day. Who needs to wait, when you can drop a few snipped branches into water and and have an indoor bouquet a wee bit sooner.

 I saved these pretty bottles for just this occasion. I think they're going to look perfect! I'll share how these do soon...

Do you force any blooms? I'm thinking of adding some of our crabapple branches to the mix, but might have to find some "just right bottles" for them.

December Days

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 

Little corners of our home... both in and out... are starting to feel merrier.

I prefer to keep things simple, natural and easy. 

 Traditions like our count down calendar (see here, here and here) are a familiar framework to our December days. They are filled with little notes that lead to treats or activities. Everything is kept low-key, sweet and predictable. My children prefer it this way... and so do I.

 This makes us all very...

Our winter book collection, hot cocoa with candy cane stirrers, cutting snowflakes, Christmas tree hunting, and all of our annual favorites can be found waiting behind those little doors each day!

We always love adding a few new traditions to the mix. What are your tried and true December favorites? We'd love to hear!

trapunto snowflake pillows

Snowflakes are flying these days and that always gets me excited for winter crafting. My holidays  officially got underway with a sweet project for SewMama Sew. They offered me organic fabric in undyed neutrals in exchange for coming up with a way to highlight these gorgeous basics available at Organic Cotton Plus. Are you kidding me? What a perfect opportunity. Organic Cotton Plus has some delicious canvases and muslin that were calling out for fabric manipulation... or printing as I'm thinking of doing next.

These pillows were inspired by simple scandinavian designs and utilized a "new to me" technique called trapunto. It's the Italian word for "embroidery" and essentially is a quilting method of stuffing a motif. The three dimensionality is striking and subtle simultaneously. If you'd like the instructions, just hop over to Sew Mama Sew for my tutorial.

Now let it snow!

happily appley

Our weekend couldn't have been happier. From marathon bracelet making to sharing our seasonal traditions with good friends. There's nothing that sings more sweetly of fall than a gorgeous day at our favorite orchard (Indian Creek). Perched on a hill, with sweeping views across Cayuga lake, we plucked beauties from 100 year old trees.

The day began with cider donuts and ended with pumpkin picking... and of course in between there were APPLES! A big bushel for sauce, cakes, muffins and crisps.

We brought one of my son's best friends, and they were determined to get home to try making apple cider. Without a press! I tried to tell them it couldn't be done. What was I thinking? They couldn't wait to prove me wrong. One blender and several fine sieves later... we were drinking the finest local cider ever!

cups of light

Happy May! We are having the most glorious spring in memory. This year's weather has provided the perfect conditions for a spectacular showcase of blossoms... and each day is more stunning than the previous. What a contrast to last year's tragic ice storms, which impacted every shrub and tree. It's hard not to feel that the earth is singing with me as I emerge from the shadows of my darker days. As soon as I push "post", I plan on dancing out into the garden in my shorts and farm boots to clear more beds and just enjoy the beauty of this moment.

YES! 

 Sure- there is the checkbook to balance, camp details to plan, e-mails to return, laundry to hang... but I will be doing it all OUTSIDE with a glass of ice tea...  and barefoot! Oh May, I have never been happier to see you! And I gathered this morning's sunlight in cups of tulips to send to all of you!

****

baskets, branches, blossoms and bunnies

I'm gathering treats and continuing traditions as I fill baskets in preparation for this upcoming weekend. Here's a little shared inspiration for all of us!

bunny traditions

baby clothespin bunny

simple spring basket

leaves and branch brooch

fabric bendy strips

Enjoy!

lemon verbena spring egg

 Happy Vernal Equinox! Even though the ground is still covered in a light blanket of snow, spring's arrival is evident. The light has shifted and the morning doves greet me with their coos during my a.m. chores. I can't tell you how grateful I am for this new season! The shadows of these past few months were deeper and more insidious than the typical darkness of winter. I'm happy to bid them adieu and emerge from the cave I retreated to for a bit of hibernation.

To mark this day, I chose to make a symbolic little something to hold onto. There was no plan, just two jars of dried lemon verbena that a good friend dropped off yesterday. She thought they might make nice sachets, instead of my usual lavender. Oh my goodness, was she right!! The scent is light, citrusy and uplifting. It's truly potent, and so stuffing it into an egg-shaped bit of linen seemed just right. It practically made itself. The final little stitches were filled with such a heady aroma of joy, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. If light had a scent, it would be lemon verbena, I'm sure!

 And don't you love my tiny little ceramic nest pincushion? It's a wonderful sewing companion for small jobs and was made by one of my favorite joyful women and given to me last spring. Thank you sweet Denny!

So, if you're looking for a new herb to scent your world or even just a new shape for your sachets- look no further than lemon verbena eggs. They've got it going on!

Happy Spring!

january bouquet

I need my home to be filled with flowers even in the coldest months. Perhaps even more in the depth of winter. I plant them, and I also make them. I made a paper bouquet that I thought you might enjoy. It's super easy, just in case you want to make one yourself. They grow faster than my paper whites and last forever.

-First, make a handful of recycled paper flowers* following these instructions.
-Then, head outside and gather some delicate bare branches to stick in a vase.
-Finally, stick the end of the branches into the center of the flowers.

* This batch of flowers has been around the block and back... they're the originals that were featured in magazines and have decorated my table at craft fairs. Your own fresh batch will be bouncier, but you know me... I like the story these ones hold. Not like you ever heard me say that before! wink*wink*

green handmade holiday round-up

Incorporating handmade into your home and gifts always adds more meaning to the holidays, and the benefits are vast. It ensures that there's less rushing about. And if you create with friends and family, traditions are formed and memories made. There's still time...

So let's revisit some projects and roundups from past winters to serve as visual reminders for you (and me!). A good idea is a wonderful thing to recycle. Below are some of my favorites from the last two years... all are simple and don't take much time! 

diy yule log candle tray here

herb gift toppers found here

wrapping suggestions here

recipe found here

tutorial found here

oat floats: how to found here

diy frilled pencils (great stocking stuffers!)

And here are a plethora of good ones from deeper in the archives!

Above are some well-loved decoration ideas. Links are from left to right.
Row 1: burlap forest, snow covered pine cones, cranberry wreath
Row 2: rag wreath, newspaper snowflake garland, batting scrap wreath ornament

The following are links for simple gifts that whip up quickly. Once again from left to right.
Row 1:  elf slippers, card holders, milk carton cookie houses
Row 2:  napkin rings and other security paper ideas, gift bag/boxes, leather leaf cuff
Row 3:  wrapping ideas, child's travel pillow, paper whites
Row 4:  love letter pillow, travel felt board, envelope purses
Row 5: quick personalized stationery, memory game, last minute treat bags

Happy Making!