Bliss Beyond Naptime

Retro Fits

image from fablesbybarrie.etsy.com

Today is the official last day of Spring Sew Camp and might I add that it was a great success! You won't believe the backwoods goodness that came out out of the backwood work. Eveyone's projects were really super cute and I am know brainstorming on pattern offerings for a Fall session. Some ideas that are swirling in me and my students' heads are merino leggings, hooded cape, winter tunic... I'll keep you posted!

So enough about spring and fall, let's squeeze in a quick go at some summer sewing for me and the family. First up on my list of needs is a vintage inspired bathing suit.  The challenge here is finding a pattern that doesn't cost the same amount as a bathing suit that's already sewn up. I found a pretty perfect looking one on Ebay. I placed a bid on it but I'll drop out of it as soon as it gets too crazy (breathe, Craig). If it proves to be too expensive an Ebay endevour I'll just make like the locals do and swim in my God given birthday suit.

 

And whenever I'm in this retro mood I always like to check out Gertie's blog for further inspiration and, as always, she delivered! She shared a collection from Christian Dior that carries a nautical 50's bombshell vibe with a suggestion for a pattern to use. I just so happen to have a Hawain print cotton that would look so fabulous for this! And if you're stumped on how to score yourself a jaunty sailor cap to go with, one of Gertie's readers provided this link to make your own sailor hat; this season's must in every backwoods! But seriously I think it might be a cute working in the garden ensemble under my utility smock. The play suit, not the hat.

And speaking of underthings, I just love this tutorial on how to make a petticoat. Now that would look awesome cute under the utility smock! I have lots of hemp kicking around waiting for something like this to happen to it.

And speaking of kicking around, I purchased this pattern a long time back after seeing an amazing blogger sew this up. I'm so bummed I can't recall the blog. If anyone knows, please tell me!

Ah, you ask readers and they deliver. Thank you Nikki! This is exactly the link I was seeking. Gorgeous, no? Lauren from Wearing History did such a fabulous job I had to pick up the pattern. I'm thinking this would be really purdy with my floral organic cotton/silk blend that I make my hot house bloomers out of.

 

 

I know, every year this little image pops up on my summer to do sewing list. Still plan on making the kids matchy match summer pajamas from Oliver and S. This just seems like such a 'big boy' pajama! Speaking of big boy, I came across this old video of my sweet little man when he was about six months old being a little ham - and kind of looking like one too he was such a little chubster. Sigh. Here's some retro-Kale:

 

Easter Bliss

 

We had a fabulous Easter weekend in these parts - hope you did too! Ours started on Friday with the annual Easter egg painting party over at our neighbours across the street where we brought our annual batch of hot cross buns and Edie and I whipped up the above creation.

Of course we sported our matching Heid braids because we're still very much obssessed with Heidi here.

Easter Sunday we awoke to yarn criss crossing the house again which that wiley wabbit seems to be into doing each year. He left a trail of blue yarn for Kale to follow around the house and pink, of course, for Edie. Along the trail he left treats to fill their baskets; needle felted bunnies, egg candles and wooden mushrooms to name a few of the treasures.

Last year we turned Edie's angora bunny yarn score into the spring beret you may have noticed she's been wearing everyday since I cast it off the needles. We'll see what this one manifests into. She wants to finger knit, something she learned this year, into something herself. Cute!

And then we dove in to a special Easter breakfast treat. In the spring issue of Living Crafts there is a recipe for Italian Easter Bread. I dyed these eggs using a German natural egg dye kit.

And then, ironically, sprinkled the buns with super not natural and not even close to organic sprinkles. The kids survived. And I think Edie almost self-combusted with happiness when her eyes laid on the techni-colour goodness!

And after breakfast, while were still riding our food colouring high, we went over to a neighbour's to pick up some goat milk (more on that later, let's just say the kids overdosed on Daisy juice and now seem to be cow milk sensitive ~ great!) and get some goat loving in. We hugged them, and squeezed them and called them all George...

And took them for a jaunt through the forest. Yes, Edie and Kale, who have been playing Heidi and Peter the goatherd now for about two months now non-stop, were pretty much jaunting with two feet off the forest floor from sheer bliss...

 

And the heavily laiden with red food dye number 5 cherry on top, they got to bottle feed a couple of kids. Don't mind my insane laughter in the video - I just can't stand the cuteness I'm exposed to sometimes! Happy Easter Monday, everyone. Stay tuned for tomorrow I'm going to be offer an unsual sort of giveaway. Hee, hee (insane sounding hee, hee). 

Call of the Booby Bird

There is no mistaking it, spring has landed in this part of the world. The crocus are starting to bust out, in unexpected places even, I witnessed my first swallows and robins the other morning and heard the first frog croak as I was drifting off to sleep this weekend. But instead of giggling with spring giddiness upon sharing these observations with Craig I recieved an earful for not dutifully recording these events in our Lee Valley gardening journal for future reference.

The snow on the forest floor has been replaced by a carpet of other worldly looking moss (I'll take note of that) and those mossless spots will be super frolic friendly for a brief period until that sea of ferns pop up reaching armpit levels, and towering over other family members, come June.

The local seed exchange came and went bringing much anticipation for the gardening season ahead. And last, but not least, the erie call of the booby bird can be heard echoing throughout the forest behind our home:

 

Never ever go out into the forest without your shirt on! Or at least your new favourite handknit sweater!

And Little Boy Blue

And Kale wanted a dress too. In blue he said. We like to call it a beach cover up around these parts though. Especially when Dada's around! More spring sewing projects in the works this week. See you tomorrow for SS Wednesday! What kind of handmade/second hand/sustainable threads are you going to sport?

 

Little Girl Pink

I've been so busy this winter working on my blog redesign, setting up the Spring Sewing Camp and then my spring collection that I've finally felt compelled to back away from work related pursuits to focus on sewing some family spring get ups. Edie, of course, comes first.

First project she wanted me to giddy up on was something, anything, made with the fabric that grandma brought out with her on last year's visit. It has all things Edie loves splattered throughout; butterflies, flowers, pink, purple. Whoops, no fairies though. The pattern was from Mani Mina. It's called the Chic Everyday Dress. Super fast and easy whip up. Seriously only took me an hour from cut to finish.

But this one was even faster! The first dress was well recieved but Edie's face really lit up when I presented her with this one. This is the Olivia dress from Farbenmix.  Sorry that that link is all German but here's another shop that offers these uber-cute frocks in English but couldn't find Oliva there. I did find heaps more of Farbenmix and Studio Tantrum - sheesh. So much cute to sew in this lifetime! I made her this one I think two times before and then I just noticed that the pattern sizes go up to nine years old. Who's going to be the cutest nine year old in town?

I have a mountain of organic cotton fleece I purchased for my shop so I dipped into that stash and picked out a procion dye colour called 'Bubble Gum Pink' - perfect! I just want to shove this little thing in my mouth and blow bubbles it's that cute. And the heart I cut out of some pink hemp canvas I've had kicking around forever. I love how the warp and weft make it look like it was painted on with water colours.

The Olivia pattern also includes a pinafore that poofs up when you pull on a top secret release cord hidden in the seam. I'm going to make her one of those just as soon as I can get my hands on more hemp muslin. Heads up on some cuteness coming around the corner; Kale insists that he needs a dress just like this too. My sweet little snag (sensitive new age guy).

Good Wreath, Charlie Brown

The second week of advent is the light of plants and so Craig wielded his mighty axe to a tree we found up the mountain behind our house and there it lies, subdued, on our porch since then. Meanwhile, we really needed to get that spring time welcome sign down already and get a little festive with the materials at hand. Out on the front deck we have ample foilage...

... and inside we have a really cute two year old holding a circular device I created with wire wrapped in tissue paper and then secured with a bulky yarn (and metallic pink thread thrown in for good measure). This was leftover from the autumn-themed mobile I hung up above the kitchen table for the kids' birthday week. Worked perfect as a wreath base.

I asked Edie to dive into the roving box and fish out all the colours that match the ones on their toy rainbow. Luckily, I had on hand a little bit of every colour. Two ounces of each were all I needed. Bummer though the only green we had was the exact same colour as the tree. We then made balls from the roving and if you ever want me to do  mini tutorial on a quick and easy way to do this (it involves throwing the lightly needle felted balls into a hot washing machine) just give me a jingle bell.

And then I secured the boughs to the the base with more wire and sewed the balls to the wire to try to cover them up some. Edie was really helpful at this part. She's got a great needle threading eye (and finger?) after working on her doll all this last year. As you can see, Edie was straining a little bit to hold up the wreath for the camera muttering "too. heavy. Mama." I told her this was the Phys Ed part of homeschool.

So, pretty easy peasy! Next up on our Christmas to do list; put up the tree and our halls will be completely decked with boughs, though no holly.

Gnomey, Gnomey, Don't You Know Me?

Check it out, it's the gnome stretch around here! I'm making a friend this melton wool hoodie type pullover jacket thingy but the hood bit came out too small. So I turned the whoopsie daisy to a watchy wha wha. Hmmm. What's the opposite of 'whoopsie daisy'? And just as quick as picking up a baking pan with no oven mitts on (remember that Brenda?) I released it back to the universe; aka posted it up on my esty shop. Have to say  it passed the test. I wore it to the mailbox trek and back and it kept my noggin nicely insulated from the face-freezing Arctic front that is keeping me and kids huddled up together inside, crafting up some winter storms.

This morning Edie finished up her very first sewing project ever! I don't know if you remember way back in January I got her her very first sewing basket? Well, back then we started immediatly on a flannel doll that turned out to be just about the cutest thing to grace our house. She is so very proud of herself. Now she can totally thread and knot a needle herself, braid yarn hair, sew a hem and securely sew a hat onto a head. Ouch! Let's hope she doesn't have to use that life skill too often!She lovingly drew eyes and a sweet mouth onto the babe and is now dreaming up a name for her.

And little Miss Yet-to-be-named gives the best hugs. She just kind of lies there limp on your shoulder. It's real cute how she does that. Kind of like a newborn. Edie has that twinkle in her eye I recognize and know oh so well. She wants to start a new project. Like, now. I promised her after the doll we'll start some finger knitting. I got her a magic ball of yarn with some felted farm animals lurking inside that will jump out at her while she knits a rainbow garland for the Chirstmas tree. Yippeeee! Her and I hunkered down, knitting by the fire, arguing over who loves each other more... all the pieces are falling into place.

Kale's Two. Cute!

How could it have been two years since he ploped into our bathroom and crawled up all by himself to the breast? That was pretty cool. Some girlfriends and I got together yesterday to talk birth with an expecting friend and I recommended she give that a go. Apparently it gives the baby a first taste of taking initiative. But I digress. Kale is just the sweetest little gift our family has been so fortunate to embrace. At two he still doesn't talk much more than; Didi, Dada, Mama, Mimi (means Kale but also was the name of my doll growing up. Weird.), blue, moo moo, no and sssssssssssss no (means snow). But he is incredibly expressive with sound effects and gestures so we always get his meaning. Kind of like having our own squishy R2D2 in the house. He is the little brother that adores and follows his big sister's cues so good naturedly all day long (I guess Edie's like his C3PO?). It's just a long succession of one cute  moment after a moment. I don't know how my nerves can take it all sometimes!

Edie was so excited about his birthday celebration she drew a picture in the morning of the events to come. She was particularly stoked about hanging his birthday bunting that she helped put together. The birthday season is very marked in this house. First we start of with Edie's mid-November, then a week later it's Kale's, two weeks later Craig's, then Sweet Baby Jesus's and a few weeks later it's mine. So last week we hung up Edie's pink themed bunting before she woke up and Kale woke up to his own. Blue of course.

Next week we'll add on Craig's green themed garland, Sweet Baby's maybe in red and mine in orange so we'll have a string of rainbow to pull us through the coldest months. Super fun and easy project! I got the instructions and inspiration from Soulemama's first book.

 

And I couldn't resist sharing this video. I know it's an awful dark but check out his super deep inhale for his second candle blow out. He's two cute!!! Happy Birthday my big love.

Sweet Six

Edie had her birthday celebration yesterday. She now has to eat six more bites each meal because she's six. Has it really only been six years since I had her jet ski out of me into the birthing pool? The last day she was five I plopped her onto the dining table and traced her out on a big piece of paper (after I told her we were having Edie for supper, of course) then I had her paint her traced out self's face, hair, arms and legs in with tempera paints and let dry for the next day.

The next morning I hung up a birthday bunting. A Soulemama inspired project I've been meaning to tackle for years now and I can't believe how fast it was. What a fabric stash buster too! Kale's birthday is next week, then Craig's, then mine so I'm going to whip up us each our own bunting to hang up on our special day and just leave them up all over the house  for the rest of the winter. Instant happiness these doo dads I tell you!

At one thirty yesterday Edie's little friends started to arrive. While they waited for the rest of the entourage to show up they got to work painting her dress and shoes in watercolours. With all the wonderful layers of red, blue and yellow she looked like a mini Dolly Parton;

You know, sporting her coat of many colours? Then there were games to be played and Rainbow Bridge puppet show of course. The puppet show storyline was a little more cohesive than last year thanks to Mama not going in for that second glass of wine.

And presents and cake. Oh my. The best part was all the little girl laughter tinkling around the house all afternoon. Such bliss. Happy Birthday to my very special little girl. We love you so much!

Room With A View

I finally did a massive clean up session on my sewing/crafting space, complete with vaccum and everything, but I still can't seem to find that primo angle that caputure it in all its glory. But one aspect of the magic easy to capture on a sunny autumn morn is achieved by pointing the camera over the edge of my magic loft. What are the dynamic 'imagine that' duo up to today?

 Don't hate me because my kids never fight (ugh, I hope I just didn't jinx it) but it's seriously like this all day long. It amazes me how early Kale has taken on this imaginative play partner role. I remember playing with my own little brother like this but I guess we were closer in age so I don't remember him being just shy of two years old. The cuteness just makes me want to explode sometimes. I poked my nose from way upstairs and asked what they were up to. "I made us a fire," Edie replies, all super proud. Her crumbled up wooden rainbow pieces were the flames. Ack! Cute!

And there she goes to get their marshmallows to roast. See the wall hanging  I was showing off last time hanging out? The beauty of the plastered strawbale walls is that if you whip a felted wall hanging across the room it sticks! Since it's next to impossible to hang conventional wall art (we have to literally suspend the paintings with wires) this may be the way to go. Plus, the kids can redecorate whenever they feel so inspired. Or at least flip that one over to the night scene in a jiffy when it's time for them to slip into their sleeping bags by the fire!