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:

 

Egg-cellent Easter

Hope you had one too, whoever and 'huevo' you are! Ours was pretty action-filled, like a delicious cream egg, but magical none the less. Edie and I were busy little bunnies the last three weeks trying out different egg dyeing techniques on our precious ladies' eggs. Unfortunately, the ladies are only keen to lay brown eggs so it took a lot of layers (no pun intended) to make them non-brown (not to mention a lot of hue saturation on my photo software).

And check out the bunny loot! Easter hare was pretty funny this year. He tied a strand of pink angora yarn to Edie's door knob and blue to Kale's and then unraveled them all around the house leaving little trinkets along the trail. Edie looooved that little treasure hunt. Smart bunny. Smart too because I've been promising to knit up a spring beret for Edie for a while now. Any pattern suggestions? I'm considering this one or Spring Beret by Natalie Larson.

Easter garden was in full bloom with pom pom chicks Edie and I made with some stash yarn (everyone has bright yellow boucle kicking around, right?).

Hot Cross buns were baked up for our neighbour's annual Ukranian Easter Egg decorating party. Turned out pretty yummy! Edie loved squishing out the crosses using a frosting dispatching device.

And yesterday we had favourite fairy friends over for an egg hunt, cuddles and quiches. These little fairies go way back:

 

 

Ack! The cuteness!! I'll stop now. Where was I? Ah, yes, Easter party.

 

Then I pounded back a couple of mimosas, everything went all blurry and techno-coloured and then Edie tells me this morning that Craig and I put on a Frog Prince puppet show. Crazy. Well, I'm all tuckered out and I have a sneaking suspicion the Easter Hare might be too.

Through Thick and Thin

I felt stretched a little thin this week. And not just  because little big guy is busy sucking all the life-giving fat source out of me (who, by the way, turned six months old two days ago!). I experienced a wicked migraine that hit on Tuesday, left me nauseous on Wednesday resulting in a really not-as-wonderful-as-usual Mommy/Wifey until just now (I'm awesome again, Cheech!). That and there were a couple of other post-it notes from the Universe suggesting the idea to par down some projects and online commitments; simplify, simplify, simply simplify (would typing one simplify have been simpler?).

On the way to a doctor's appointment on Tuesday I was listening to an interiew on CBC with a woman who wrote a book on the long-term effects of growing up online. Me being mildly attention challenged I only retained her recommendation to get off the computer and onto something that engages you so much that time seems to hurl by seamlessly leaving you refreshed and at peace. Since drinking my morning latte all day long may be contributing to the problem I can't wisely put that on my list of meditative things to do, so I'm slowly backing away from the computer and backing toward the spinning wheel or sewing machine as part of my Mommy-time morning ritual.

And the Universe also took form of a fiber artist looking for a spinner to provide her with thick and thin singles in particular colourways for an incredibly cute project that involves naked newborns (I'll share more later - it's all legit). I had so much fun spinning these that I'm going to crank out more and set up a new category called Thick and Thins in my shop just for these simple beauties. They'll be a little less expensive than my art yarns just for simplicity's sake!

To Do to Ta DA!

It's just about spring equinox and along with the occasional snow melts there's that whiff in the air of major to do lists to jot down. Indulge me here.

• Of course, every proper list begins with what's next in the knitting basket. I have yet to knit Kale something. I know, I know. What kind of Soulemamawannabe am I? SO, like any good wannabe, I'm going to whip him up a vest like the one Soulemama made for her little guy (our guys are the same age. She got pregnant, then I had to get pregnant. Wait a minute. I got pregnant first! SHE'S the wannabe. Cool.) Poor little guy. There he is on his first date and he didn't have a stitch of handknit to wear. HER mama whipped up a cute little dress for her. Please don't call the authorities on me. I try my best.

• Speaking of vests, I have to finish my Isobel that I started back in January. I am so close yet so far. I ran out of yarn so had to order some more merino roving. It has since arrived and I spun up a skein yesterday and I shall resume knitting it tonight while we watch season one of Project Runway just to make sure there are no weird skips on the dvd before we post it up on Ebay. Our duty to society.

• Oh yeah, Mama also needs some new slippers. All my favourite socks are bust now. Even my beloved Monkey socks pictured above are composting away in our pile. I'm on project destash still so we'll see what I can whip up from there. Holy crap, everything on my to-do list is related to knitting. How about if you're on Ravelry you just check out my queue there and if you're not, oh my gawd! What are you waiting for? Knitter's paradise. Sign up for the waiting list already!

• Move away from the knitting. We are researching and deciding on animals. For sure chickens (those are chickens, right?). Then we're deciding on some kind of milk-giving device other than me. First we were thinking cow but then it's hard to knit cow fiber. Maybe a pig to help with plowing the field preparing it for bigger gardens next year. Really it's all about the food. We're buckling down and trying to raise/grow as much of our own as we can. Edie's really into this project too. She phrases it "then we don't have to go to the store for x, y and z anymore!". Interesting how she hates shopping almost as much as I do.

• To help us with this grand endevour, as some of you may know from past posts we're members of the local Farmer's group. There are monthly meetings with workshops ie chickens, greenhouses, seedsaving. We're going to host the next one in April so the oldtimers (as in farming long time) can tour the land and help us with this blank canvas to decide optimum sites for chooks, sheep etc. I'm kind of nervous/excited about this. There's going to be somewhere between 20 to 40 people here for the potluck. I'm better with smaller numbers but this will be a good excercise in de-analization for me, if there is such a word.

Much more to do including a book club we're partaking in, my sewing frenzy for my spring 2009 collection soon available in my shop and spring fiber fun. Might have to have a part two-do list. HEY! Tomorrow's the debut of my first newsletter so if you want to receive it and along with some special top secret passwords on discounts on my store and heads up on giveaways sign up now (right there on the right margin) before you sign up for ravelry. Ta da for now.

Vote for a Clean Nest

I've been on such a cleaning/setting up frenzy my picture taking has somewhat been lacking these days. Today, though, we're taking the time to go out and vote. Here's a handy, nifty site to plunk in your postal code and find the most strategic way to deter the Harper government to seize a majority stance: www.voteforenviroment.ca

Nothing like leaving important links for the last minute, eh?  Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend. We were blessed to have the loveliest orphan type dinner at some friends' house. We sat at a table of 16 beautiful, interesting souls and ate really comforting. Like mom made it our something. But instead we all did. But the couple hosting are cooks at the restaurant here in booming downtown Winlove so, they make mean, yet loving, stuffing, venison, gravy, squash, pie and on and on. Why, oh why did I not bring my camera? The food and company were beautiful and one friend was decked out in a five dollar suit.

There's alot of changes going on around here. I'll get some shots one of these moments for all the projects are pretty beautiful, but some of these aren't quite possible to capture on film (megabytes?). Edie's room is now all pinked up and that was a glorious experience in itself (seriously, almost spiritual for me) really setting the nesting tone to an almost holy vibe. Now I'm trying to manifest some curtains to go perfectly with the lazured walls. That's the deal with the dyed chiffon up top. I dyed some silk chiffon in shades of pinks, orange and yellow then nuno felted a panel. Safe to say, did not work out. Bummer. Time's a ticking. Another nesting project that didn't quite pan out is the mission I'm on to find a dresser for Drippy's clothing to place in the bathroom. I found a budget one a SHARE (like Salvation Army) but it's so huge and ominous I just want to go away and pretend it never happened. I have to get on damage control today now that the holidays are over.

We've also been folding baby clothes. So cute. Edie holds an outfit up and says "awwwww! So cute!!". Like every. single. one. Munchkin. Her excitement about meeting Drippy Head is really inspiring and adding a different dimension to this pregnancy experience. Love it.

And Craig. Oh, Craig. This is one busy, busy man. His top secret project is a cabin that he will work out of freeing up his office in the house to nest our new family bed. Nice and close to the bathroom. With a door. And walls. But the time crunch is getting to him for we can't really shuffle rooms around until he gets his space up and running and there's still a stuff to do. For now he refuses to put on clothes until Drippy puts on his/her first outfit and he pitched a tent out back he claims he will now use as his office space and does nothing all day but walk around with his pail, he calls his laptop, and collects "information". We're keeping an eye on him.

Tag Hag

I made a plunge here and got some really really cute hang tags and business cards made up. I figure nice presentation wouldn't hurt plus plunking down the money for such an investment will motivate me to keep the yarn balls rolling.

A sweet girl named Emily Beamer did them. She's a local who grew up around here and now she's an international award winning illustrator/designer. She totally materialized my vision perfectly (cute cherub sheep with pink bow on head, please!)!

Now I got to spin, spin, spin about eighty more skeins to get something to attach these cute things to. I have the Garlic Festival to do in two weeks and want to whip up some more nuno scarflettes too to huck out there. Now if Edie's babysitter could get off the internet so I can reach her via phone that'd be awesome. Almost smoke signal time!