Chicken skirts

I've been doing so much sewing lately, and these skirts have to be my favorite project so far. Perfect for the warm days of summer, and with pockets big enough to collect eggs.

Hand quilting

One stitch at a time, in between and around all of the seed planting, meal making, chicken care,rabbit grooming,tidying up, walks to the park,schooling, and just the general busy-ness of this time of year. This quilt top is slowly becoming a real quilt.
I rescued this vintage hexigon quilt top from eBay at Christmas time and after moving and settling in, I'm so glad to finally get on with the stitching. When I'm not stitching, the wall in our front hall has become a temporary home for this colorful beauty. And I must admit, I do love the look of it just leaning there and hanging out til I have a spare moment to continue on with the quilting. This is my third quilt top I have quilted entirely by hand. I've come to love and even embrace the longevity of a project like this. It nice to have a simple handwork project that I can just pick up and work on when my energy just might not be there at the end (or beginning!) of the day for some of my more involved projects.
Just simply needle..thread..fabric..

Works in progress

Okay folks here goes. Ever get that feeling at the end of the day, like "Hey, I didn't do anything awesome today, or even anything remotely close to something creatively expressive?
Yeah, well I had one of those...um...years.
So, even though I can browse through all of my photos of projects, creations, and moments of last year. I can also at the same time go ...meh...
And I realized why.
 While  everything I made I loved, (whether it turned out the way I had envisioned it or not) and while some projects were extremely challenging (remember Halloween?)
I have yet to create the things that have been swirling around in my imagination for the last 13 or so years, in the background of my life.
So.
This year I'm bringing that background, behind the scenes soundtrack, forward.
Starting with this little gal Clover.

   

Designing and creating my own fabric doll has been a dream of mine for a few years.

When my girls were younger I made each of them their own doll, using patterns from other designers.

The dolls are cute but lack a style that would rival that plastic blonde that seems to still dominate the doll scene. So here is my first prototype, I decided to instead of making a bunch of heads and parts, to just make up a whole doll, one at a time until I have the exact pattern and look that I am envisioning.

This way the girls will have dolls to play with now, and I will have a visual reminder of the progression of my work. 

 I'm off now to make this girl some clothes, I'm thinking something lacey and fun!

 

Happy Monday!

 



trick or treat

Our Halloween post..a bit delayed..

 

All our costumes this year were mama made, we have

Red riding hood (Once Upon a Time inspired), our very own Epic Pink Rainbow Unicorn,

Snow White ("NOT the Disney one," -Nia), and our little black widow spider.

  

It all started with an idea, and a drawing. From this to..

 

This

and for the other three, simply repeat.

 

 

 

..and my quick little spider suit, oh, thank goodness one of my children decided on a

simple costume this year!

Can you guess our costumes, we got so many different

references while we were out...it was kinda funny...

Mother Nature and Father Time, a few people got it.
Happy Halloween!

this moment

this moment} inspired by soulemama

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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:: waking up to sunshine amidst the morning clouds and birds chirping

:: handmade gifts from so many loving hands

:: my first wood spinning wheel

    carefully handcrafted all week long, in every spare minute, 
    between meals and after bedtime stories, late into the night,
    from materials we had around. This guy of mine is someting special.

..yes, it was a very good day..

hello 2012 and goodbye Hawaii

Yes, it's true our bags are packed and we are ready for this new year and all the new adventures that come with moving to a new place!
 Our year (14 months) here in Hawaii has been suprising, amazing, beautiful, at times challenging, and most of all, has brought our family closer together than ever before. We have made some very dear friends, have experienced so many breath taking views, and wondered in awe at the native birds and fish, and yes, we even swam with a sea turtle....amazing.
The sun never quits here on oahu, and the water is always the most lovely shade of turquiose, we leave here with hearts full of gratitude for this island paradise, and all of the wonderful memories.

Some of the last island creations, right before the sewing machine was packed away
above:fabric hair clips for the girls, cause a girl needs to have accessory options for travel, right?
below: I've been drawing alot this year, and decided I could use a fabric travel case for all those fun markers that seem to be mysteriously multiplying? Hmm..well, that and, any excuse to use vintage buttons, they are my favorite!

Also, in keeping a promise to myself, call it a new years resolution, I'm bringing my yoga mat, nevermind all the bags we are already bringing, or the two pets and four kids...yes, there will be room(and time) for yoga, especially acro yoga... Yes! and running.

This was the very last sewing project here on Oahu, I couldn't resist giving that little tangerine a face, well, I had my markers right there you know, in that little case... ahh, organization. The quote on top is from our favorite yoga song Dance for the sun by Kira Willey, whenever this song comes on Pandora everyone stops what they are doing(yes, even me) and we all giggle and do a sun salutation together. I tell you just that little song and ritual has turned many a frown upside down and you know I think the kids really like it too!

Lillyanna's faerie frock -Carefree Clothes for Girls

 I have been waiting and wanting to make this dress for my little red head ever since I bought this amazing book last year. Well, actually this dress is the reason for buying this book, I just love this dress..and so does Lilly, I help her into and out of it as many time as she requires a day (it's not allowed outside in the backyard we have Red Dirt you know)..today that has been about four and it's only lunchtime. The patterns in this book are just so adorable and simple construction too, gotta love that. Finding the perfect shade of natural gauzey(great new word) material at our local thrifting spot, was all I needed to pull this little beauty together. Now she tells me, wearing the dress, she is a princess and this is her favorite dress ::hugging it::..."can you unbutton it,? I want to go outside.." :)

We have a few vines of passion fruit growing along our fence, actually,you can see them in the first photo's, the girls know how much I love inspirational nature pieces and have been bringing me "presents" in the form of these beautiful delicate lengths of vine. I have them in various places throughout our home and admire them often. When I was putting the final touches on this dress one night, I hung it up next to one one these vines which the wind picked up and blew over, where it caught on the neckline, and stayed. I immediately knew this was the something extra special I had been searching for, you know to add a touch of my own design. To make- I began with blending different tones of alpaca and wool, to make the needle felted leaves. With some lengths of wool and alpaca yarn I strung the leaves onto the center, and fastened the ends to some lengths of silk ribbon. Now the faerie (or princess) has her belt, or crown, depending...cause it's nice to have options, right?