today i’m excited about

:: It’s a warm, sunny day & right now I have baguettes baking to eat with dinner tonight). They smell so good.

:: Gold strike! Embroidered mumus have been on my perpetual hunt-for list ever since Rachel at Smile & Wave fixed one up last summer. (What’s on your perpetual hunt-for list, by the way?)

:: Also found this fun little book, published in the 1960s by a guy who wanted to preserve his grandfather’s country wisdom and know-how. Chapter titles include “Sugaring,” “Doing with Stone,” and “Indians.”

:: Heather’s Joyful Life Library! Advertising with a beautiful purpose; I hope we start seeing more projects like this on the blogosphere.

:: MM scrap pack giveaway on the Vintage Sheet Blog! Jen’s been hosting a whole month of giveaways in celebration of her one-year blogaversary. Congratulations, Jen!

:: Babies taking pretend naps in the laundry. The 3 of us had dinner at Denny’s last night (the man was in the field) and had the. best. time. Kids eat free Tues/Thurs, so it cost less than McDonald’s usually does. And with a lot less chaos.

:: Baguettes making happy crackling noises as they cool. Surely we won’t need all four for dinner…

new skirt for me

I’ve always had a little seller’s remorse that one of my first skirts ever sold. I think I was secretly hoping that no one would buy it, but I guess it’s a good thing that someone liked it, right?! Anyway, I had some very good luck lately (as usual, in the form of Evelyn) and scored another yellow butterfly sheet. I was using it making a new skirt for the shop, and was nearly done with it when I noticed a few tiny holes in the striped fabric. I’d be lying if I told you it upset me, because it made me do a little happy dance that I get to keep it. Maybe I shouldn’t always wait for the rejects?

Another happy dance and a big thank-you to Sew, Mama, Sew for featuring my Bold Statement top on their blog yesterday!

{resources}
filmstrip textures :: blowback photography
scallop punch :: the pugly pixel
font :: impact label via dafont
flower bling :: kitschy digitals

frankie + jensie

Erin approached me a few weeks ago about making some skirts for her two girls, Frankie and Jensie. After hashing out a few basic preferences and details, Erin completely handed me the reins and told me to go for it (sah-weet!).

I pulled all the fabrics from my collection that Erin specifically requested, then started looking for coordinating fabrics. It’s kind of a challenge when you’re working with vintage linens, as the options are limited and there isn’t always a perfect mate for every fabric. My favorite is this funky olive double-layered skirt. The print I used for the blue underskirt threw me for a loop when I held it up next to the olive print, and I spent hours saying to myself, “I think this works…does it work? It works, right??” I love it, though, and I’m planning to make one in my size, too!

Once I’d made the fabric pairing choices, I assigned a skirt style to each pairing (or threesome). Sometimes the number of fabrics in a group dictates the skirt style; other times it’s decided by the amount of fabric I have available. Right now I’m using three skirt designs: two-tiered, three-tiered, and double-layered (with the underskirt).

If you’re feeling inspired, come on in to the shop to design your own custom skirt — for girls, and now for women, too!

I hope you love ‘em, Frankie and Jensie, you cute girls!

navy + dots

I guess it’s not just me.

{via Modcloth}

{via Modcloth}

{via Ruche}

Louise had the brilliant idea of adding lace to the bottom of my too-short dress (see below), so maybe we’ll see what we can whip up over the weekend.

Also on my mind today –

Ms. Horner’s unfailingly perfect color instinct –

Further adventures in sourdough (look how happy my starter is!) — and the suspicion that some pain au chocolat might be in my near future –

And this happy reminder –

Stay snug this weekend!

on shady street

I found a new-to-me thrift store yesterday — one of those holes-in-the-wall that’s been around forever (located, appropriately, on Shady Street) and hasn’t raised their prices like some of the bigger chains. They were having a sale — everything you can fit in a brown paper bag for $2. The girls were with me and we had all our snow gear on, so I didn’t try anything on. The top two skirts fit really well (they’re tea length skirts that look really cute belted at the waist!), but the other two are too short. Which makes me sad, because that blue dress would look really sweet with some red heels and a white belt. Now to figure out what to do with it!

buffalo plaid dress refashion

Well, goodness! I might have to ask R to stick a pin in my head tonight — thanks for all the sweet comments and great suggestions! I decided to take the path of least resistance: I chopped out the middle of the dress and used the existing hemline to make a minidress, moving the gathered waistline up to the natural waist.

I almost shortened the sleeves to 3/4 length, but it’s still really cold here (in case you missed the memo), so I kept them long for now. They might get whacked once it gets warmer. I did take them in by several inches so that they are now maybe a hair too small, but eh, it still fits.

I didn’t plan this, but I love how it looks peeking out from underneath my pea coat (I’ve worn that sucker every winter for the past 13 years — it’s a winner). I wore it out on errands today with a chunky knit cream-colored scarf and black boots. I originally wanted to wear it with a wide black belt, but they didn’t have my size at Wal-Mart (tangent: I am reading The World is Flat, which helps a little in justifying such practices as shopping at Wal-Mart, but I am not sure how I feel about that, but that is neither here nor there) and besides, the skinny belt I got is reversible. Like you can twist the buckle around and suddenly it’s a tan belt. Awesomeness.

This last picture is for my dad, who, when I was talking about this dress with my mom on the phone, hollered in the background (with reference to the previous post), “Why isn’t she smiling??”

Plaid is rad, yo!

lay it on me

I scored this totally 1980s dress yesterday at the Salvation Army. Weirdly, it’s from American Eagle (though the tag doesn’t bear their current logo — I’m guessing it’s fairly old). Melissa’s amazing refashions have been really inspiring me lately (here and here), so I’m gonna pretend I’m cool like her and try it.

So, whaddya think: do I split it pretty much in half and make it into a short dress and a short skirt (both to be worn with leggings or skinny jeans), or do I make it into a knee-length skirt (cutting it off below the waistline) and forget about the top?

I’m wearing it over my pajamas. ‘Cause I’m still in them at, oh, two o’clock.

pretty please

Dear Target,

Will you make one of these in my size? I almost flipped my wig when I saw it in the little girls’ section today.

Yours ever,
a.

p.s. Except why are you marketing swimwear in upstate New York in January?

last words for 2010

There is so much I want to share with you on this New Year’s Eve-Eve. So I think that bullet points would probably be most efficient —

• For Christmas, R gave me uber-boots that are keeping my toes oh so toasty. Dwellers of frostbitten places, take note: I love.
• String quilt bee blocks! Which has given rise in my imagination to a sunshine something-or-other string block quilt. I crave sun.
• I am making these tomorrow. Because I secretly want to eat them all we’re going to a party.
• If you have been hanging around here for a while, you know that I like bread (here, here, and here). So the other part of my Christmas present involves these two nerdy bread books so that I can be even nerdier about it. Oh yes.
• Check out Jane’s (free!) awesome 2011 resolutions printable. Jane did the design for my shop. I freaking love her style.
• Speaking of resolutions, read Jerie’s inspiring post on moving forward and letting go of comparative self-worth. Soul-making — now those are words worth holding onto.
• Just added to the shop: charm packs! Hop on over to check em out.

pattern blocks & more pinnies

Along with those devilish TJ’s treats, my mom sent a big bag of pattern blocks left over from when I was a kid. I have happy memories of dumping them all out in the entry way, where the sun poured in through a huge window during after-school hours. They are already a huge hit with the girls, and I’ve been amazed with the designs Lizzy has created all by herself.

Speaking of whom — I had her try on one of Maren’s pinnies, just to see how it fits, and she was fairly smitten. So I made some for Lizzy last night, too, even though I am pretty sure we will have some fights about whether pants must be worn with them (guess which side I’m on).

I dug out some Nicey Jane prints I’ve been hoarding for a while. This pattern is really good for assembly-line construction, and they didn’t take long.

Loud and colorful — kind of like their intended recipient.