for the herbs

This project started with an idea of plants for a birthday gift. The plants had to be in containers so they could move with the birthday lady. I've always liked planters with legs, and thought a little kitchen garden would be nice. At window height, it elevates the plants to reach the sun. It can live in or out, easily moved for frost nights and off seasons, or just follow the sun where needed.

A little bit of looking turned up these porch spindles that a friend rescued, and door casing moldings from an old home. It's a pretty simple project to put together. I picked up the plants and a window box insert first to determine exact size - important if you use an insert. There are other ways of lining the box, but this worked best here. The wood won't last very long if you plant directly in it, or leave it out untreated for a long time.

The paint on these parts is as is - how they last were in their old life. The sides and legs are attached with biscuits & glue, and I put 3 strips of strapping underneath for more support to the structure, screwed in on the long sides. Since there is an insert here with a lip/edge to it, it doesn't need a full bottom. Simple construction. Swift gratification. Pretty home for herbs.

Mother's Day

Pretty flowers, such a treat. Yummy food, big walk, fresh air, lush greenery, silly boys. Simple and sweet. Just perfect. 

Happy Mother's Day to Dorothy & Audrey... hoping their day was just as lovely.

making lemonade

The March noreaster rain storms left our basement flooded - twice, but not devastatingly so. Friends kicked into high gear & came to our rescue, since my husband hurt his shoulder in a fall early that Sunday morning and was in a sling when the water arrived. A larger wet vac & more man-power did wonders for my overwhelmed mind & body. Thank you is not enough to say to Cayce, Ankle Barry & Jackie. They're the best. And a shout out to ibuprofen & a heating pad too, for their supporting role. The second time was easier, and thanks to Brian for his muscle help.

The universe forced a basement clean-out on me, essentially. Everything else stopped, it had to be done. I found a few things that were forgotten about, and tossed some things (ok, lots) that were no longer wanted. The usual, I guess. Among the bits & pieces were three birds that my grandfather had carved. He was an artist & woodworker all his life, and in his 70s & 80s added wood carver and sculptor to his list. The birds are incomplete, but bodies pretty much shaped. I received them with some carving tools & books when he passed nearly 13 years ago. I've started to do some finishing work on them, and will display them in our home where they belong. It may take a bit, but it's a project I can happily pick up with small bits of time.

The other, larger project from this began with an old dresser from my husband's childhood. A dresser that's been in one basement or another for many years will finally be useful. It's not precious or particularly well made, that's why it's been left in the basement. It had a partial start years ago, but soon will be two different very useful pieces. It's taking more time and planning for this project, and lately other things have been more front-burner, but I'm very much looking forward to the results. I'm sure I'll have to do it more than once.

These are all truly old beginnings, as is the more organized, open & easier to work in shop space that the flood helped to create. The flood left us lemons, or as my friend Kim would say crayons, and I made my lemonade recipe. Funny how that happens. More to come on these...

filling a hole

Since our sweet, beautiful greyhound Joey passed away last year, certain places in our home have been very loud reminders that he is gone. The place in the kitchen where his food & water dishes stood, the places upstairs & down where his beds lay. It took rearranging the furniture to make these areas less glaring, less talkative to me. I am certainly not trying to remove his memory from this home, and cannot from our hearts.

Sometimes a void needs new life, that's all. The small wall area by the back door and kitchen windows was such a place. Walking by the empty space where his leash & collar hung always left me sad. I stared at it on a Saturday morning and decided to change the conversation. Vintage acorn hooks from a can in the basement (years ago found at a flea market) were perfect. One for each boy. Just right with the bead-board. And they're learning to hang their own coats.

Now this space is happier, livelier. It's a place where we mark how much our babies are growing up. It still reminds me of our sweet boy Joey, but now it makes me happy - not sad.

fun in the (mostly cloudy, chilly) sun

It's the coldest weather the gulf coast of Florida has had in 20 years. Couldn't very well miss that, could we? For two weeks. It was still fun, and the upside is that when we piled in the car (yes, we drove) it was 18 degrees at home. The drive went really well, about 90% of it. The boys did great, they are such good travelers - it wasn't them. We happened to leave the day after the epic snow storm that walloped the mid-Atlantic coast, delayed because we would have driven through the thick of it, in areas ill-equipped to process said snow. Thinking the next day would be fine, they'd surely be all plowed by then, we set off. Yeah.

Lucky I was behind the wheel (I am the more patient one). Understanding that this was alot of snow for an area that doesn't see much, still, it was unbelievable how utterly awful it was in DC. I would not have believed how bad it was if I didn't experience it myself. The 4 lane roads were unplowed in the center 2 lanes. ????!! The 'cleared' lanes were inches deep of slosh & ice ruts that constantly changed your tire path. And the locals - by their license plates - who aren't accustomed to these conditions, drove like it was bare pavement. The most interesting part was a dead standstill on 95 because 4 plows ahead were stopped blocking all lanes, drivers walking around outside apparently on a break or something. I just bailed then & had Garmin find me a new way. So, what should have been 30 minutes on the beltway around the DC area became 3 hours of stress. 

We still arrived in one piece, none the worse. The weather was less than sparkly, but it was no frozen north. We were outside a large chunk of each day, visiting various parks, taking lots of long walks, and even a couple beach days, although a bit bundled up. Nothing beats the powdered sugar of Siesta Key Beach. Spending time with lots of family members we hardly get to see, a birthday party, visiting beach towns, art fairs, a farmer's market, a flea market, lunches & dinners out along with great dinners cooked in; those things were more memorable than the weather. The boys loved it all, as did we. It tides us over until we reach spring.

Thank you Auntie Lisa & Cousin Jordan for putting us up (and up with us, too), and to Grandma Audrey & Joe for your hospitality, as well. Looking forward to next year!

sunshine and kalanchoe

After four straight days of cold and grey, it was so nice to see a happily blooming plant soak in the sun yesterday. A little something to brighten up my world. 

If only it were that easy for everyone.

Take a look at what the craft community is doing to help, at Craft Hope.

time for thanks

While every gift and giver was fresh in our brains, I made a list and started on cards. I looked to Molly Irwin for inspiration - she does wonderful things with her photos and this card needed to be special. I love the feel of her design. After browsing around I just went to work on something simple but textural. The polka-dotted pages were all the spark I needed. Ovals are more my thing so those were used instead for the background pattern. Add the photo, type, & we're almost there. My pics do not do these much justice. I have to say - this is the first time there were two boys sitting nicely for a picture! Mason usually presses his face up against the lens with a goofy grin, and Nate turns away, or runs away. And only one take! I'm still amazed.

Next they were printed out (on our not-so-great-quality-printer, ugh) and off to find some card stock. Paper samples from a former life fit the bill. The photos just had to be stitched on - love that detail & texture. Kind of like strings of lights. So very easy, fairly fast (depending on quantity) and very worth it.

it's a new dawn, it's a new day...

After having a sick household for the middle half of December, and then scrambling to finish preparations for Christmas, this in between week has been welcome respite. We had a very lovely time with friends and family, and the boys were spoiled by everyone. The best part of it all for them was seeing and playing with their cousins, Aunts & Ankles, and friends. They jumped up and down with excitement for each gathering. Thank you all!

2009 wasn't so hot in many ways, but we are all well and happily watching our little boys grow. We're better off in some some ways than this day last year, and not so much in others. We said goodbye to our beautiful, sweet, greyhound Joey. We said hello to some new friends, and many new experiences with a pair of 2 year olds. This space came alive. I am grateful, and only want to make it better going forward. No wasting time with what didn't get finished, or what the clock left behind - I'm moving on.

I thank each and every one of you who came to visit, I hope you enjoyed your stay. Lots of ideas on tap, so much new to lay out this year - so stay tuned!

photo courtesy banyantreebiketours.com

for sale by maker

These are the first 3 of a series of limited edition bags that I've been working on for sale, and I'm so excited about how they're turning out! I really enjoy working on them. Each bag has a common element which sparked this whole project - the velvet leaf appliquéd on front.

About 7 years ago my sister gave me a curtain panel with these leaves attached at the top. I didn't really have a use for it as is (was), but liked the parts - removed the leaves, and the panel became a tablecloth we still use today. The leaves surfaced recently in a materials search, and the idea came together for the bag series. It is very fun, and a challenge, to design & gather the parts for these. As with all my projects, they are made with leftover and repurposed materials. Each will be completely one-of-a-kind, can't be reproduced. There are only a certain number of leaves, each a different shape/color combo, and all the fabrics are in limited supply. I really like that aspect. If you've ever tried to mass produce a handmade item, you know what I mean. They'll be siblings, each with it's own personality - but not twins.

Perfect for a commuter, going shopping, yarn & knitting, just shlepping all the stuff we seem to carry here & there. Carry your cookies to the cookie swap & give it as a hostess gift. Great for the office yankee swap, too. Replace those plastic bags your Mom carries all the time! There are still more in the works, and a little time to work on requests, so contact me if you need something special, have questions, etc. (at upper left or see below)

Each is fully lined with an interior cell/keys, etc. pocket. Front side has velvet leaf and fabric detail, back is solid unless noted. Fabrics include canvas, heavy upholstery fabric, cotton twill, cotton & cotton/linen linings. Sturdy and reinforced; machine washable (inside out) in cold, reshape & hang dry.

#1 (top picture) Green Leaf East is 16"wide x 15"tall x 4"deep - in greens, tans and naturals. Natural color twill handles. Natural color lining. Detail below. $35.

#2 (second picture) Deep Green North is 18"w x 14"t x 5"d - in caramel, greens, brown and brick. The back of this bag is half solid, half patterned fabric from the front & handles. Natural color lining. Detail below. $35.

update  #2 SOLD Thank You!

#3 (third picture) Cranberry Leaf West is 19"w x 15"t x 5"d - in cranberry, tan and multi. Tan canvas handles. Striped lining. Detail below. $35.

Thanks for checking them out, & pass it on! Happy shopping...

gathering treasures

I've mentioned before that Mason always comes home from our walks with something in his hand. Be it a leaf (the last of the 35 he's picked up & discarded) or twig, pine cone or pebble, always something. Not to be outdone, of course, Nate has followed suit. It's funny to note the differences - Mason always picks the 'Charlie Brown' leaves, etc. and Nate goes for the big size or impact.

All these treasures need to be carried, and my hands are full with the hands of two boys, so... the Gathering Treasures Bag was born. The idea was kind of an old newspaper-boy's bag/messenger. It goes across the body with an adjustable strap for hands free use, and closes with vintage button & elastic loop. Simple construction, there are no pockets to get in the way of small hands filling & emptying. It's lined with fused grocery bags, which give it perfect structure & support. The fused material was a dream to sew & use. I've posted about this before here and here.

All the materials were of course gathered from around the house. The fabric is left over from my friend's curtains that I just hemmed, the straps are twill tape that came tied around a rug I ordered years ago & the colored stripe is seam binding from my Nana. (the green will be for Mason, and a blue striped one is in the works for Nate) The hardware I've kept from something taken apart who-knows-when, and the buttons are from my dad's circa 1950s hunting jacket. I cut that up when I was a kid, and the buttons remained. The elastic loop came from something I unwrapped a week or so ago - and can't remember what the heck it was. I know where things came from that have been around 20 years, but last week? No clue. I blame it on my kids.

I've been using all my spare time for work projects lately, but so many ideas have been flooding in, too.  I'm planning on a limited edition project for sale, post to come soon...

are these too girly?

That's the first thing that came out of my husband's mouth. "Aren't those a bit... girly? I mean, they're knit." O. K. 

I was excited to even have gotten a slipper shape, having just grabbed some of my Nana's yarn & a crochet hook and just went with it. No pattern, no nothing. And each slipper came out the same size as it's mate - another feat. Any knitter or crocheter knows what I mean. The blue pair - Nate's, came first, but I figured the shape out a bit better when doing Mason's. I was happy with them given that these just came out of my hands and brain with no other starting point than the fact that my boys need slippers. I think Nana would like them.

But, my bubble has been effectively burst. Can anyone tell me that a pair of nearly 3 year old boys can wear them (even in front of company) without being embarrassed? Oh - they do get embarrassed, they yell at their dad to stop dancing all the time. It's true.

So, let me know - comment your vote. I can take it, and I'm sure my husband can, too.

apples, fire trucks, pumpkin pie

It's not fall in New England without a day spent apple picking, pumpkin gathering, and checking out a farm stand. Nate actually ate his apple, Mason just held one tight. He did pick out his own pumpkin, very carefully.

We spent a beautiful day doing all that, and got a special exclusive Lieutenant-guided tour of a Firehouse & Fire Trucks this Sunday. The boys are nutty over fire trucks, and our friends Jackie & Barry were kind enough to invite us for a tour of a firehouse. Barry's a volunteer fireman & Lieutenant in Brookline, NH. Although the trucks were awfully large compared to a two & a half year old, they did rather well. And haven't stopped mentioning them since.

I filled up my basket with our fresh-from-the-tree apples, and filled our home with the smell of apple crisp last night. Yum. I love fall.

the first 3 photos are thanks to Cayce...  Thank You!

bench found incognito

This little piece doesn't look like much. A client of mine used it for years as a side table - with a tray on top. She didn't know what it was, or where it came from - but before tossing it out, asked me if I wanted it. Thank You!

I knew right away that it was a bench, from either an expensive cabinet sewing machine (it's all mahogany) or possibly an upright piano. I think 50s. Guesses without lots of research, but I'm relatively sure. So it got a good cleaning - the finish was still very nice, thankfully. A bit of oil, and it looks great.

The seat needed to be re-created, so I went to my plywood scraps & cut one to fit. I had fabric of course, left over from... something. Any black fabric will do for the dust/underside cover, and to the stash for one inch foam & 2 layers of batting... ah. Comfy, easy to tuck away & just right when you need it. Works for me.

Last week was a little unexpected hiatus, with my hands full of boys, design work, usual chores and such. Hopefully I'll get a good rhythm going soon. I enjoy this space and all the projects it documents. Hopefully you do, too.

the finished basket

But it's much more than that. It's a completed project (those of you with a half dozen, half complete projects understand this) and a discovery & successful implementation of a new to me technique (fusing plastic bags). It's a physical manifestation of one reason why I wanted to create this online dialog - to bring creativity back to my life on a continual basis and have accountability for it. And it's also a spark... now that I've found a new material to work with, there are endless possibilities for it's use. My niece Ali would enjoy creating with this. It would be the perfect lining for the puppy-treats bag she wants to make.

The fabric liner was very quick & easy. If you haven't done it before & need info, comment here & I'll do a tutorial. My list is growing :). The fusing was so simple - I think I'm hooked. It took under 10 minutes from getting out the iron to the completed piece. I can deal with that! For this I used 4 bags, yielding an 8-layer piece. Cut it to size/shape with scissors, and there you have it. My last post has the link to the how-to, if you didn't already go. I highly recommend giving it a try, & seeing what you can do. This project start to finish, was completed while my boys were napping - under an hour. 

Now to go apple picking...

my favorite season

is finally here! It always feels like new beginnings for me when fall comes, just like spring. We've had a few days of cool autumn temps, and it gets me looking forward to all the season has to offer. Like the smell of hearth fires on a crisp evening walk, the colors & light, state fairs & foliage trips, fresh apple cider & warm apple everything...

On that note, my little project for the day is to overhaul a basket given to us by my sister's dear friend Lucy when she met my newborn twins. It was filled with lots of fun, artful, useful, & quirky goodies. Just like Lucy herself.

I'm going to make a new fabric liner for it & plan to put it out on the table with apples in it. The scrap of fabric is from a cushion project, and will work well. To guard against any "fruit incident" occurring  (that sometimes happens, you know - leakage) I'm also going to to do a fused plastic bag pad/underliner to take care of this problem. I'd found the info awhile ago, through etsy & have been wanting to try it out. This seems like the perfect project to do so. I'll let you know how it goes.

preppy, meet sporty

Time again to think about long sleeves. This shirt was born from a too large polo with a stain on the front, and an interesting t-shirt that were both handed down from cousins Tommy & Kevin. I like the personality mix.

The neck band from the t was in perfect shape, so I used it as is. The basketball graphics from the t front & back make great sleeves, but I did have to add a bit of the polo on one sleeve to get the proper length - I think it balances well with the graphics on the other side. And the hem I kept from the polo, so this shirt was a breeze. The pattern I made from a couple of different patterns, awhile ago, so I'm sorry no name & number for that... but it's a simple raglan sleeve shirt, there are probably dozens to choose from. I need to make sure that patterns are long & lean to fit my guys, so I end up altering or making my own (mostly).

Nate is the 'blue' guy - now I have to get a green one together for Mason.

another app for that...

It dawned on me that there's a whole other avenue of use for my supplies board - it can be a place for your children's found treasures. An interactive and evolving display of found objects and favorite things personal to them. My Mason is always finding a leaf or stone to bring home almost wherever we go, and this would be a great place for his objects to live. He could add & change it by himself, and have a show & tell of his travels.

My first one is too adult looking for a child, I think - and also horizontal may be better for easy child access. Clear lids are best for viewing, but not crazy about the black for kids, either. I'll have to scour the cupboards. My husband wants one for herbs & spices (he's quite the cook) but I hesitate to use plastic. I'd love aluminum for food use, or glass, but with glass I'd have to check into adhesives. This simple idea is really branching out!

For now, I guess I need to get busy on some kid-friendly treasure boards.

there's an app for that...

Just a useful little something from what I already had, in my attempts to organize my evolving studio space. This handy little item can hold a myriad of supplies, buttons & beads, nails & screws, embroidery floss, paper clips & rubber bands et al...  the list goes on. It can also be made from lots of different wood types, old painted moldings, just about any kind of scrap you may have. Mine is 28.5" finished length because of the piece I had. It can hang vertically or horizontally to suit your space - above your desk,  under a shelf, wherever you need it handy. Take it down, open it up & use what you need.

I made the top in the shape of a cutting board that hung on the wall in my sister's old apartment in Brookline. I always liked it. But the board doesn't have to have a shaped top or end, you can drill small holes for a piece of ribbon or leather shoelace to hang it just as well. The containers I used are sturdy plastic food containers about 3.5" at the widest point. Again, many different items can be used. I measured out points on the board & drilled through the container from the front. I have some extras, so if anything breaks I can replace it easily.

It's all about taking a look at the things that pass through our lives & seeing if we can do better than just throwing them away. I'm calling it a Supplies Board. What do you need one for?

back to life, back to reality

My favorite shot from this past week... the boys napping sweetly on the beach at the Cape. Lots of fun, not too much sun, (no burns!) lots of little treats, and lots of cousin time. Nate loved the rides in Ankle Bill's truck (he can't quite say uncle), and Mason loved chasing - actually, being herded by - JenJen the shelty dog. A big week of beach, seafood, and hanging out. Big Thanks to Auntie Janie & Ankle Bill for having us!

But now, after some family at our house, and then being away... it's back to life, back to reality. I'll have to look up what song that is. Anyone remember?

This project has been developing in my mind ever since I first saw the little salad dressing take out containers. I like ovals. I've saved them all with the intent to do something. The wood is a scrap from my workshop - a piece of cherry that will finish up very nicely with a coat of clear satin. It's a sample piece from cabinets for a kitchen I did a few years ago. Random small screws round out the materials. If you can't guess what it is, you'll see the result in my next post. Check back for the reveal!

a family in August

This week we have been hosting my mil, Grandma Audrey & boyfriend Joe, seeing the sights in & around our fair city. In all my years of living here, Monday was the first time I'd ever been on the swan boats in the Boston Public Garden. It was a very sweet afternoon with cooperative weather, smaller than usual crowds, a perfect parking spot (yes, a Birthday parking spot, Kim) and happy boys enjoying the boats and walking through the park. It's nice to be a tourist once in awhile, right in your own backyard.

I've got a non-sewing old beginning in the works, to be posted as soon as I can. Next week - the beach, with the other side of the family. Good, busy, fun.

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