the next thing i want to make is a warm furry looking vest like this one by sessun. yum yum yum.

i’m liking the second dress i made from built by wendy pattern 3835 even more. it was inspired by this top i found by steven allan. i altered the pattern a bit; lengthened the sleeves, left off the fluffy arm ties, and added buttons to the top. i totally digging the softness, warmth and ruggedness of the flannel.

i love these crocheted plum blossoms by suili. what a nice little bit of color to get through these drab winter months. if only i knew how to make such beautiful things with yarn.

my goal for this winter is to not buy any crappy clothes from forever 21, target, tj max or gap, but instead sew or knit them. my first project is a built by wendy dress. it was nice and fast to sew and one of my favorite clothing items i’ve ever made, however there are a few things i don’t like about it.
1. the ties on the sleeves are a little bit much for me.
2. the material is really nice but too lightweight for my cold bloodedness
3. there is no easy access to the boobs, since  Florence is still nursing

therefore, i’m in the process of making a second dress out of flannel and am going to try to add buttons to the top and make the sleeves longer. we’ll see how it goes.

my nerves have the better half of me today. so i’ve been busily crocheting my day away. here’s for peace, hope and happiness in 09.

Vote!

our trick or voting on halloween made it onto a political blog…scroll down to see our picture.

Due to this slow economy I had a project get put on hold. So, I’ve got some spare time on my hands to be a bit crafty. My latest project is making bibs out of scrap material. I used anna maria horner’s fabric for the bib above. I’m attaching a pdf of the pattern I made. Just print it up on an 8.5×11 sheet of paper and tape it together.

Free Pattern
1. trim out pattern and tape together
2. cut out 2 of the bib shapes. i like using different complementary fabrics
3. pin and sew right sides together, but leave enough space to turn inside out. about 2 inches.
4. iron
5. top stitch around edge
6. make button hole and sew on button

i had a reception at capelli salon a few weeks back. thanks everyone who was able to make it out. if your in portland and would like to swing by and check it out here’s the address.

Capelli Salon
2655 NW Vaughn St.
Portland, OR

a few of the pieces inspired by florence:

Pony Girl
11.75 x 11.75″
Limited edition giclee print
$60

Protector
11.75 x 11.75″
Limited edition giclee print
$60

a few years ago i played with the idea to go back to school to get a masters in architecture. studio mama, aka Nina Tolstrup, has totally rekindled that fire for me. love her work and not only does she build living spaces…she designs products as well. i think that cutlery tool is soooo smart. it’s a spoon, knife and fork!!! ohhhh florence how do we get some of those for you?

1. ergo

this baby carrier is the best baby product out there. i don’t know what i would do without it. when florence is sick and feels bad she goes in there. if we’re out and about and she needs to nurse, she can go in the ergo. i’ve even used it while doing an on-site meeting with a client! ohhh also this carrier has a pocket so you can put a diaper, some wipes, your wallet, keys and phone.

2. prefold cloth diapers

if the world comes to an end like in “the road” by cormac mccarthy i would grab my ergo and cloth diapers

3. bummis diaper covers

4. vaseline

5. moby wrap

great baby carrier when you’re little one is too small for the ergo. we used this all the time when she was tiny. it was cheap and she felt very secure.

6. large swaddle blanket
my mom made florence some swaddle blankets that were 40×40″ unlike the stupid tiny ones they sell at the store. these worked great and now they are her special security blankets.

7. avocados
they have the good fats and very easy to fix for a hungry impatient baby.

8. car seat
gotta have it.

9. board books
florence’s favorite author is taro gomi. she loves her books so much that she wants to hold onto them while she nurses.

10. dad
phew…i couldn’t have done this alone.

Everything would taste better on these beautiful plates by Marco Cibola. Only $40 for a set of 4 from Poketo…hmmmm very tempting.