Signs of the season

Bad Bird gift tags.














Cookie, soup, and brownie mixes; and some strawberry preserves.














I ordered a pile of these books to share. I love them so!














Dryer sachets, one of the projects in "Make Your Place."














And a bucket of gifts.

Crocheted kaleidoscope

These little potholders have been making me so happy. I bought this pattern last summer and have been carrying a bag of cotton yarn around with me ever since.















Also I've completed three more caps and will finally be shipping them all off to Bean tomorrow.

Neglectful

Yeesh, three weeks since my last post. No excuses for the blog neglect, but I can say I've been busy in the sewing room. Lots to show soon...

For now, here's a work in progress. This was my first time using a walking foot and I'm already in love with that little contraption.














And these little pouches are going to become dryer sachets.

Cleaning and Crocheting

This may not look like much to you, but believe me when I say it makes me want to dance a happy jig. My sewing room has been such an overwhelming mess that I had to close the door on it for the past few weeks. Finally I got to spend a couple hours of cleaning and organizing last night. Now I can't wait to get back in there and mess it up again!














Since there was no room to sew in the sewing room, I've been crocheting all over the rest of the house. Here's a wool scarf for my little brother, who’s turning 38 this week.

Fun with yarn

Bean is planning her second annual "Warm Heads, Happy Hearts" hat distribution, so I've been crocheting hats to send her way.

This one is the Basic Bucket Hat from Angel's Crochet.














And these are the Woman's Granny Hat from Suzie's Stuff.


























I'm pleased to say I learned a new stitch for the edging on those last two: the reverse single crochet, or crab stitch. Who knew crocheting backwards could be so much fun? Next up: a couple of Boy Beanies.

Diggy Dogs

Gina convinced me to add a "Dogs" label to my blog for what she calls "diggy dog" projects and photos, and she sent me this photo to share. I made the tiny punch-needle piece a few years ago and stuffed it with dried lavendar buds for a sachet. The pattern is "Dog with Red Flowers" from the Margo White Collection.













And while we're on the subject of diggy dogs, I can't resist posting another bandana model (especially since I'm crazy for pugs). This is sweet Julie, a longtime member of our county Democratic committee.

Our pets lean to the left

Every member of our family believes that healthcare should be a fundamental right for all citizens, not just a privilege for the few who can afford it. Our Savannah is modeling one of ten bandanas I sewed last night for a local fundraiser.


















And Violet, our "Democat," offers her endorsement as well.

Another BBW shirt

I used the Built By Wendy pattern to make another shirt, this one a birthday gift for a friend. The Liberty of London fabric is no longer available where I found it, but many other lovely options are. I tried French seams for the first time and found them to be much simpler than I'd expected.


















Given my sizing experience with this pattern, I went up two sizes for this gift, but alas the shoulders/underams were still a bit snug.

Waiting for Chilly Weather

I crocheted this raspberry beret and ruffle scarf last month, but Mavis is the only one willing to wear them in our 90-degree September weather. The beret is from Get Lucky Designs (the pattern is available here), and the scarf is a modified version of one in Funky Chunky Crocheted Accessories.


















Thanks, Gina, for the styling tip!

Sunflower Potholder

I started this on a camping trip and finished it in bed one night. Last week I sent it off to North Carolina, along with a tangerine Fiesta Ware baking dish, for my friend Eliz's birthday. The vintage pattern is from Denise Crochets.

Olivia skirt

For the first day of first grade, I made this super-easy skirt for "my" Olivia using the free Lazy Day Skirt pattern at oliver + s and Olivia (the Pig) fabrics from Andover, purchased a few years ago. Here are some newer fabrics in the line.

Monogrammed Pillowcases

I've just completed this half of a set of commissioned pillowcases. The monogram is from Aunt Martha's Three Alphabets, and the peacock fabric used for the pillowcase is Hoffman Challenge 2008.

A blink or two and it's almost gone.

A crazy-busy, glorious summer just flew past. Here are a few crafty things that have been going on...














I finally made a new pillowcase for Sadie.














My loyal onesie client base (a.k.a. Gina) continues to place orders.














O is now a skilled weaver of potholders.














No matter how hot it is, happiness is a new skein of yarn.

Such a handy little bag

I saw this pattern on the Sew Spoiled blog and had to make my own Ladybug Mini Purse. My iPod and earbuds fit inside perfectly.

Hostess gift

Tomorrow morning we're flying out to the Midwest to spend a long weekend with some friends. For the hostess gift, I made another set of bird towels and crocheted some cotton washcloths to match.































I'd hoped that Olivia and I would get a chance to make our own soap for the package, but you know how that goes...so I substituted a set from Colonial Williamsburg.

Tiny embroidery

This little monogram took about 5 minutes to stitch but makes me very happy. The square will be appliqued onto a onesie for a baby named Jenna. The pattern is from "Six Alphabets for Monograms" by Aunt Martha's.

A Generous Craftsman

My parents moved into their dream house just as I was going through a divorce. For my dad, the highlight of his new house was going to be a basement woodworking shop. He generously postponed that dream so that I could move back home (“home” being where my parents were) for several months until I got my life back on track.

Nine years later, the basement I once shared with my three cats looks like this:














Dad creates some stunning furniture and treasures in his shop. Recently he focused on box-making and treated me to this:














Notice the dove-tail joints, felt lining, and secret bottom compartment.


























I love it. Thank you, Dad. For all you do.

Saving the Earth, one coffee cozy at a time

Inspired by Bean's genius chemistry, I thought I'd whip up two or three little coffee cozies last weekend. But as usual, I was way too optimistic; this is the first and only one so far. After stitching the monogram and sewing the cozy together, I was disappointed and bored with it. So I copied some floral designs on each side, and that's when my weekend ended.














When the stitching is complete, the finished project (and a Starbucks gift card) will be a thank-you gift for a friend who loves coffee as much as I do.

Peas in a pod

Amazing discovery: Olivia will eat peas! They just have to be (1) raw and (2) in the pod. Yay, summertime!

Nine months later...a ruffled skirt

My niece requested a ruffled skirt last September. Instead of the back-to-school gift she envisioned, she'll finally receive it today, for her 9th birthday. Once I buckled down with it, this project went fairly smoothly (considering that I never found a pattern I liked), but it reminded me why non-clothing projects are so much more gratifying. I'm keeping fingers crossed that this will fit the birthday girl!

Pillow Plans

It's been eight years since we bought our sofa and loveseat, but we're still using the throw pillows that came with them. Result: a total overdose of green. In an effort to give the living room a teensy bit more character, I've been making plans for new pillows.

This fabulous block-printed fabric is from HomeSweet. I'm picturing a simple pillow that highlights the lovely print, like this one.














A few months ago I fell head over heels for this faux bois crochet pattern from Crochet Today. I had great fun making it, but the result is pretty wonky. I'm hoping I can block the heck out of it and finish it up one day soon.














Finally, I have some pretty brown linen that's been waiting patiently for the addition of an embroidered Mountain Bluebird (courtesy of an old Martha magazine).

And our winner is...

...Mel G, with comment 23. Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by and left a comment, including special guest EllynAnne Geisel, author of the scrumptiously lovely The Kitchen Linens Book!

Here's a peek at one of my favorites in my own linen collection, a vintage embroidered table scarf from Trina.

One hundred

Well, now, here I am at 100 posts. Have I mentioned that I adore the online community of sewing bloggers, and I cherish the kind, encouraging, and inspiring comments you--my dear readers--leave for me? Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts!

In the spirit of sharing, I have a like-new copy of The Kitchen Linens Book to give away. If you're interested, leave a comment and O will randomly select a winner on Monday night, 7:30 p.m. EST, just before her bedtime.

P.S. A shout out to my mother, whose birthday is tomorrow. I made her this tote bag from Last-Minute Patchwork & Quilted Gifts. Happy birthday, Mom!

Whooo can't stop embroidering towels?

I just finished another owl towel, this one in the nick of time to give to a special teacher at tomorrow's kindergarten graduation. (Owls are the school mascot.)

Tree of Life

My mother made me this "Tree of Life" afghan for Easter. The photos don't adequately show the color; it's a lovely, soft tone of yellow (my favorite color). I'm amazed by the intricacy and the fact that Mom knitted this challenging pattern in about a month.









































Happy Mothers Day, Mom, and thank you for teaching me how to create beautiful things.