Cool Crewel

This is one of my garage sale finds on Bainbridge Island last summer.  New to the area, I would pack the kids in the car with snacks galore and head off in search of garage sale signs.  I saw this crewel from the sixties and loved it.  It is close to four feet tall ... try walking across a busy street carrying this and trying to hold on to a 1.5 year old's hand and keeping the five year old glued to your side.  Who said garage sale-ing wasn't an adventure?!  When most people are tossing these crewels, I wanted to bring it home -- it just makes me smile. 


This huge piece of art found a permanent home on top of a freshly painted hutch I found on craigslist.  A perfect match!  ... Do you notice that red car in the photo album beneath?  Know where that picture was taken?  Hint: No, not Spoons, Washington ...  Post your guess!

Also, here is a my version of a pincushion I made from a pattern found in Anna Maria Horner's book, Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing.  I used up some scraps I had in my stash.  I am always trying to use up all my stash before I buy any more fat quarters.  Yea, like that works. 

 In the works today ... two Spring Chicken stuffed animals for my two little ones' Easter baskets, and a new Easter doll dress to put into an Easter basket too!  So, more on that soon...  But I thought I should blog something since one of my few followers, (ahem, big sister Jenny), was complaining I hadn't blogged for awhile.  If only my other sister, Jody, would send me the photos of our trip to Denver we all took last week including an adventure in the random snowstorm to see John Mayer (15 inches of snow in one night), Breckenridge Snow Village, Indian Cliff dwelling photos, and our amazing food pictures, too.  Yep, that is what has been keeping me from blogging.   If you have any sunshine like we do today ... I hope you take time to get outside and play on a wee (2 year old translation: a swing).

Dooly and the Snortsnoot

Did you ever have that childhood book that you loved, but somewhere along the way it disappeared so it only seemed to be a hazy memory of reality? Maybe it was just me, but the book I loved was Dooly and the Snortsnoot by Jack Kent. It is no longer in print and is quite hard to find. My big sister found it for me somewhere on the internet and sent it along to me as a surprise. It was like a bit of childhood became concrete and real in my adult life.

The artwork in reds, yellows and oranges beckons any child of the late 70's into peaceful bliss. Yippee! Now another generation can learn the importance of bravery as Dooly faces the snarling Snortsnoot. Browse your used bookshops and garage sales and pick up a copy if you see it. You won't be sorry.

Along the way, another book by Jack Kent dropped into my hands, Joey. So much fun! An overprotective mamma kangaroo will not let her baby leave the pouch. But when his friends come over and have band practice in her pouch ... she begins to see the positive aspects in letting her little one step out of the nest. It is amazing to see how a children's book has the capacity to bring a smile to anyone's face. So ... let me know what your favorite book was as a kid and share the memories!

Half-Pint

McCall's Pattern #3531

Material:  Vintage fabric

I lovingly refer to this dress as the "Half Pint" Dress.  When my little girl is wearing this one ... you can't help but picure Laura Ingalls running around in bare feet along a flowering meadow.  Side note:  Did you ever notice how the youngest little girl, Carrie, just seemed to sit in her small chair every episode and make wierd noises -- that was all she seemed capable of doing.   If only I could get paid to sit in a chair with food in front of me and make unintelligeable remarks. 

Anyhow, this was the first pinafore I have ever attempted, and it was a lot of fun to make.  I love how a pattern is like a 3-D puzzle, and even if you did not take Home-Ec in highschool because the teacher scared you to death (more on that another day), if you follow the instructions -- in the end you will most likely have something that at least looks like the picture on the front of the package.  It's magic!  It is always disheartening to spend a fortune on gorgeous fabric, experiement and find yourself the murderer of a perfectly innocent piece of cloth.  However, when you find fabric for pennies and can make it metamorphize into something presentable -- it is a thing of joy!

 The buttons were another fun find.  I was at a Good Will one day and noticed an avocado green craft box.  It was filled with buttons -- to the brim!  Small, large, a myriad of colors... There was no price tag on it, so I asked the lady at the cash register how much they would sell it for  ... the reply, "Three dollars."  Whoopie!  I have not had to buy a button in the last few years, and the buttons are precious! 

With warm banana bread wafting through the air, a pot of chili on the stove and a pinafore dress to boot, I am wishing you a day filled with barefoot meadow frolicking!  Enjoy!

Pink'd

Having a little girl after having a boy must have changed the chemical balance in my body. For some reason pink had become an obsession for me. Her room slowly turned from pale green and yellow to ... pink -- nothing else. Oooh! Pink for the walls! Ooooh! Pink curtains! Pink chair! Pink baby bed! This continued until one day I walked into her room and found myself tasting a chalky film in my mouth as if I had just chewed some little pink tablets for an upset tummy. Something had to be done to stop this insanity.

Hello Hancocks of Paducah sale bin!  This sweet little Moda print caught my eye.  With mostly green vines and only a little hint of pink, it may help to add a balance to the oh-so-toot-sweet room.  So what to do with a little bit of fabric ....  (Thoughts like this can keep me up half the night!)
I started up my White Fury (the endearing name I have given my Elna ... that was a bit too old lady of a name for me), and we began to reshape this into something more.

First, I made a mini quilt.  This is hanging on her wall right now instead of keeping a baby doll warm.  I sewed and hand-quilted this in one afternoon.  The free-form doll was an idea I picked up from the book Material Obsession written by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke.  I can't wait to do an entire quilt with these little girls.  It was a lot of fun, and it did not take much time at all.

Next, I made easy curtain tie-backs to breat up the color.  Do you see ... even the binkie in this room was pink!  Nice tack working to hold it back, huh?  Nothing but quality here!

I had a pack of three 8 x 10 thin canvases on which I fused the main vine fabric.  I cut out simple shapes out from my fabric stash -- a butterfly, the letter "K" (for Kaitlyn) and a flower.  After fusing the shapes to the vine print I then Mod-Podged the entire canvas and added a simple pink gingham ribbon to hang them.  Voila -- wall art!  Kaitlyn now says "Mamma, look ... my fluffly!"  (interpretation of two year old language "Cool butterfly, Mom!")

Next on the drawing board, a toddler bed sized quilt!  Oh, all the fun things you can do with a little fabric.  Little by little, pepto room has become a sweet little girl's abode.

Happy sewing!

ARG!

So, I transferred over (for all of the one follower I have) to match my blogger title to the website ... the pennington girl.  In doing so, I totally deleted my last entry completely with one wrong push of a button.  Arg.  But, I learned from it, to say the least.  I tried to blame Scott, but it was my finger that pushed the button.   Needless to say, I will rewrite it and post it today and chalk it off to an important lesson learned. 

Fast Cars and Liquid Love

Reagan entered the AWANA Grand Prix this year for the first time. Scott and Reagan carved and painted this race car. (Yours truly did the beautiful detail work ... like those green eyes) The car turned out to be a mix between Dinoco-The King, and, well... something else, I just don't know. The paint was barely dry when it was time to race thanks to a bit of a cold bug and good old procrastination. Lo and behold, we had a winner in the Speed category!!! First place trophy was awarded, Reagan's first trophy ever at age five. Life is good.


And I must say, when the day is rough or things are not going as they should there is one thing that will always bring a smile to my face -- My hubby coming through the door with a big cup of liquid love just for me!!! The Cup N Muffin is the local coffee drive-thru, and a Caramel Macchiato from them is like a little bit of sunshine on a rainy day. Thanks, Scott, for bringing me a bit of light on a cloudy afternoon.

Next posting I will try to get to my secret life -- trying to make clothes and quilts. I am never quite the inventor, but I can copy an idea like no other. My latest have been Anna Maria Horner's tunic from her book Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing. I also made a doll quilt using an inspiration from Material Obsession by Sarah Fielke and Kathy Doughty. And So, for my one faithful friend, Amber ... you will see these posts later ... not a year later, like in the next day or two -- I promise!

I must be dreaming ... spring in February?

Walking to school in just a sweatshirt. Pinch me! It is still February, right? Global warming or not, I could definitely get used to this type of weather in Washington state. It gets me ready to go into the craft room and start whipping up some summer clothes. Or, is it time to switch to iced coffees already! Spring, here I come!