Towards a More Beautiful Living Room

I have got the tiger back in the cage. Mostly. The books went back in the shelves on Sunday, and oh, how beautiful! This gray is everything I wanted--cool but not cold, pearly, changeable, subtle, and perfect with every other color. It's Benjamin Moore's Titanium: such a metallic name for such a perfect color. Why couldn't it be called Barn Owl? I would have tried it first, not fourth!

Just a little more trim to tweak, outlet plates to change (that's the Composer's job), then light fixtures to install. And I'm already revelling in my beautiful gray splendor.


The magazine racks are currently styled to pay tribute to the Composer as a gesture of thanks for his hard work in painting. And as tribute to citizen scientists everywhere, I guess.

Chocolate-Filled Coffee Cake

I knew we'd want a treat this morning before we put in a long day, so I made this up last night. I used half a batch of artisan bread dough from the fridge (made up according to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes instructions), and rolled it out in a big square. Then, freely adapting from a recipe in this month's Living magazine, I made up a filling from 1 1/4 c. chocolate chips, 1/4 c. butter, 1/2 c. sugar, and 2 t. cinnamon. I sprinkled most of this over my square, then rolled the dough up as if for cinnamon rolls. Then I curved it into a horseshoe and laid it in a greased pie plate. The reserved bit of filling I sprinkled over the top.

A half-hour rise, then 45 minutes in a 350 oven. Then, empowerment to paint all day.

And amazingly, this can easily be made dairy-free, by substituting margarine for the butter, and using dairy-free chocolate chips.

Beads for Bella's Hair

Being a creature of habit, when I visit Hobby Lobby I march straight to the fabric section, pick up my bits, and head out. Which is why I didn't really know about all the beads on the other side of the store.

Crystal beads! Huge enameled beads! Beads in all shapes and sizes and colors. And these round, softly copper-toned beads to sew into Bella's dreadlocks.

I used a regular needle and my craft & buttonhole thread, in a dark brown to match her hair. I knotted the thread and did an anchoring stitch in the end of the dreadlock, then strung the beads on thread, wrapped it up around the bottom bead, and threaded back through the beads and into the dreadlock, where I knotted it and cut it off. Removing them will be just a matter of snipping the thread.

In the meantime we are all enjoying the extra twinkle.

Just a Little More Alabama Style

Because I'm not really sewing until I get the living room finished. But before bed I need something to stitch on by the fire, so I'm doing all of this by hand, the seams and the seam finishing (a simple felled finish this time).


The knit is a cotton from someone else's stash. She was moving across the country and decided to give away all her fabric. She brought it all over, maybe hundreds of pounds, and dumped it all on my dining table, for all our friends to help themselves. Thanks, Jodie!

After I finish the seams, I'll put in a simple elastic waist, perhaps bead the hem with some turquoise sparkle, and give it to Bella. She's always telling me she doesn't have enough skirts. That will fix her wagon.

Thoughts from the Gym

• Bella has been doing her runs with me at the gym this winter. I do my strength training, she goes three miles on the treadmill. I love that she wants to do this with me. I think it's mostly that she doesn't like going out in cold weather, but I'll take what I can get!

• So glad the Composer gave me a tiny pink iPod for Christmas. So don't like the morning shows on the gym televisions. I've turned into a bandit, turning them down or off when no one is looking.

• The Composer and I were running side by side on our treadmills last week, our legs were moving in perfect unison, and we were both running our easy pace, same number of strides per minute. I was running an 11:06 mile. He was running at 8:30. If I set my treadmill to 8:30 I would not live through the experience.

• Newly in love with the stationary bikes! Always thought they would be boring, but it turns out I adore them! I set them at the highest resistance and go for forty minutes, and it feels like a party. Bring it on!

• So grateful for a safe, dry place to run or work out in bad weather. For space and time in my life for exercise.

In Which the Composer Gets It Done

A tall man, with a long roller and determination.

In the afternoon I said, "Let me take a turn and you eat something." He gave me the side eye. "You wouldn't last five minutes."

Which was true. So how did he keep going for eight hours, until it was all done? What a man.

Some New York Style for Felix

Giles works just a short block down from a Muji store in New York, and since he loves the skinny, unadorned, made-from-natural-fibers men's clothes, he stops in frequently to see if anything has been marked way down.

And that's how he found gorgeous wool coats for himself and Felix. He bought his in gray and sent one down here in black. I love. Just like sister dresses.

Daisy Draping

I looked in the sewing room and saw Lucille decked out as a bride, in scraps from the dress-up trunk.


Daisy was just putting the final red velvet touches on her ensemble.

Shuffling the China

Because I'm painting the big china cabinet. Where to put it all in the meantime?


Clara's brilliant idea was the bookshelves that have been emptied and primed. The living room is one big shell game for the duration.

"A Beautiful Room"

"That would make a beautiful room . . . all white, heavy white enamel. She saw where her money would go now, in pots of paint and brushes, and the work would take days, weeks; but it would be beautiful. She could see her dream before her, and was happy."

--Grace Livingston Hill, Re-Creations

Alabama Skirt

I finished the skirt I started here, and it was a very enjoyable bout of hand-sewing. And boy, is it a comfortable skirt!


I didn't make particularly showy design choices, so some of the detail gets lost in the wearing, I think, but next time I'm going to bring in some punch! I'll also plan on binding the bottom edge as the jersey does tend to curl. Just the nature of the beast.

I've promised myself another Alabama Style project as soon as I finish Painting the Living Room.

What Happens When You Paint

"The rectory dining room and kitchen were upside down and backward, and the plunder from the two rooms had been scattered throughout the parlor and along the hallway, not to mention dumped on either side of the steps all the way to the landing. . . .

He saw his wife on occasion, but hardly recognized her, smeared as she was with pumpkin-colored paint, and her hair tied back with a rag. . . .

What he wondered was how much longer they'd be dodging around paint buckets and ladders, not to mention that he'd stepped in a skillet last night as he went up to bed. His study was the only place on the ground floor that hadn't been invaded by the haste to transform the rectory into an old Italian villa before May fifteenth."

Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

A Coat and Hat Kaleidoscope

A kaleidoscope at the front door. Always the same colors, different patterns and bits showing every day.

Bella Sings Faure

It's been a year since I taped Bella singing, but we finally recorded her again. Enjoy this clip--it's just her informal practice at the piano with Clara, some of Faure's famous "Pie Jesu."

The Tiger by the Tail

Clara and I have taken the tiger by the tail: we have started painting the living room. It was so hard to start, knowing that the minute we did we would make the room worse, oh so much worse. And there would be no way out besides finishing the whole job.*

It's such a big room and we have to do the ceiling. And we have to do the bookcase. And did I say how big the room is, and how many four over four windows it has?

My mental radio these days is tuned only to the painting station, where I hear constant status reports, expert predictions, and dire warning from various parts of my brain.

Bear with me. There may not be much sewing done the next few weeks.

*Giles, why can't you live at home and paint for me?

Clara Knitting a Camisole

Clara's using tiny needles--size 1--to knit this gorgeous camisole from Vintage Knits. It gets tipped in raspberry silk edging, which will be so gorgeous with the crisp aqua cotton. It's beautifully fitted with moss stitch on the upper bodice and straps. Her knitting is so very very lovely, it makes me want to get back to mine. When I find the bag it's in.

Wafer Cake

Now here's a treat, made from magic. You buy a box of "Tortenboden" at the German grocery store, and take out the eight paper-thin layers of crisp wafer. Cut them in half so they'll fit on the platter, spread Nutella on each of them, stack them, and then cover them with cocoa-and-sugar enhanced whipped cream. After half a day, the wafers soften up just a little, and when you cut into it, you see what appears to be myriads of chocolatey layers.

Then you stop looking, and start eating.

Golden Bowl

My mother-in-law gives me gifts I would never buy for myself. For Christmas, this golden bowl and golden tray. At first I didn't think they would make themselves at home, at all, but now I really enjoy the vivid glow they give off in the center of the living room table.

Starting Some Alabama Style

I've had Natalie Chanin's inspiring books on my shelf for a couple of years now, and I've been sitting on her ideas until at last they've hatched in my hands.


I love her aesthetic, and the way she uses everyday materials to make gorgeous clothes. Everything is created out of cotton jersey and buttonhole thread, with maybe a little elastic at a skirt waist. But the ingredients are used with such ingenuity and elaboration that the end results *so* transcend their humble beginnings. She makes me think of artisan bakers who do everything with just flour, yeast, and salt.


I cut out my first cotton jersey project--a gored skirt in red. Seams sewn together (I did mine on the machine), then time to start embellishing the seam allowances by hand. I chose a straightforward whipstitch to hold the seam allowances down (they're on the right side of the garment). Already I can tell that I'm affecting the drape of the skirt. Fascinating!


And I love that the wrong side is even more beautiful than the right! Next time I'll use this graceful stitch in a place that shows. I'm following the instructions for this skirt:


although I won't do the eyelet embroidery at the hem. Something simpler, and then on to a full-size dress. This skirt is a great warm-up and a great way to learn how to handle the materials.

Life Imitates Art

. . . courtesy of Daisy and Parnell.

Warm Light in the Cold Valley

So rare to see snow that's lasted three days, even in the shady crooks of the trees in the backyard.

A Cold Weekend in Chicago

The girls' Christmas trip came in January this year--less time to wait, but much colder weather. Hello, Chicago!


Daisy brings her little world with her. That's Big Ducky in her hand; he's her constant companion. He got to do a lot of sightseeing.


Yes, we went to the American Girl store again. Grandpa's Christmas cash was burning a hole in someone's little purse. The big eyes! The adding and subtracting! She bought a kitten she calls Parnell (the tag says Praline, who has time to read carefully?). And a stuffed monk seal. And two fancy outfits for her Elizabeth doll. And then her money was used up and she was very happy.


Free weekdays at the Art Institute! Major hit in the basement--the tiny fully-furnished rooms decorated in various periods.


And then: the opera house! Tickets to The Mikado. Clara and Bella know all the words. And Clara knows absolutely everything else about it. "Well, the Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan says . . . ."

We ate in the bistro right there in the building. You have to have a ticket to the performance to even get in the restaurant. So many fur coats in one little space!


Daisy had a new dress in honor of the occasion. Made from the same heavy cream silk as Bella's opera dress. They got so many compliments in their sister outfits--I imagine Bella's white gloves were somewhat responsible. Personally I liked Clara in her dark dress and red vintage gloves. She can so do elegant!


Then the Aquarium, then the fabric store, then the German sausage store, then fancy cakes from the cafe . . . .


And then home, where we had snow!

Barn Owl Evening Bag

Tiny wool handbag lined with checkered silk, barn owl applique, velvet ribbon handles . . . .


Edited: In the shop tonight.

Bed by Bed

It's time for all, *all* the bedding to get washed, to satisfy the housekeeper in me and to help the allergy sufferers in the house. I'm doing just one a week, though, as more would be madness.

In age order, each child is stripping absolutely everything off the bed. Mattress pad, sheets of course, all blankets, quilts, duvets, pillows, everything. It takes about all day to get everything washed and tumbled dry, but it feels so good to get it done.

I did not know that Bella slept under three quilts, two afghans, and four pillows. Hers took more than a day.

Asparagus with Bacon

Bella made this tray of savory goodness. Wrap bundles of asparagus in thick bacon, drizzle all with equal parts soy sauce and brown sugar. Bake at 350 til bacon is adequately crispy. Can't possibly be good for you, but oh my.

She Does So Much of This

She does so much of this, lately . . . .


it seems like I can hardly get a lap in edgewise.

A Quick Look Back at the Gifts

. . . because I achieved a minor dream I've had--to serve the Christmas gifts up color-coordinated. Killing both these birds with the one stone: pretty piles of presents, and more importantly, no need to make gift tags. Every person had his own color!

I used one giant roll of brown kraft paper, and lots of odd ribbons collected over the year from the thrift store for pennies. Definitely I am doing this again!

A Big Girl's Smock from a Flowery Shirt

Man's shirt from the thrift store? No man was going to wear this, it was way too pretty. A crisp cotton with little flowers on it, brand new from Banana Republic.

I kept the button placket intact, cut off the collar and the sleeves, and cut the front and back into sort of an A-line shape. A little self-bias binding around the neckline and armholes, and inverted pleats at the back neck to take in some fullness, and I had a darling big girl smock.

We are so lucky to have thrift stores, seriously.

Goodbye to the Big Boys

We had a wonderful, wonderful break together, but the wide world calls. Giles is off to New York again, spending the winter term interning for a commercial photographer whose work he really likes. A change from his summertime in NYC, when he worked for a different company as their all-around photo and graphic design guy. Those folks still like him enough to have hired him for his odd hours coming up, and he'll be earning a little there even while he works his new internship.


Felix scored last week--a thrifted vest that was easily tailored to his personal specs. He's setting the sartorial standard at his school; apparently there's an institution now called "Felix Shirt Friday" where everyone wears a shirt with a collar. Did not see that one coming, as his clothes for several years consisted of rainboots and underwear. He was younger then.

One more semester of high school ahead of him. Can he repeat this term's 4.0? Stay tuned for our next installment of "The Big Boys"!

Linen Log Cabin Quilt

Several of these lately: crib quilts pieced in a log cabin pattern, using various neutral colors of linen from thrifted clothes.


Inspired by the garment I used for the center squares--beautiful soft felted pink wool.


Wishing you a happy new year filled with making good things from nothing!

Black and White Cupcakes

Many many teens headed my way tonight for dessert and games, so I made two kinds of cupcakes. A straightforward yellow cake recipe for the vanilla ones, to be topped at the last minute with fat clouds of sweetened whipped cream.


Standard chocolate cake made up with darkest cocoa for the black cupcakes, then Daisy's best efforts in chocolate chips.


Add an urn of hot cider and lots of decaff coffee, for beverages in both light and dark.

A Morning Making Pasta

An exciting morning with Bella's new pasta maker! Also a Christmas gift--she had long had her eye on one of these, and we got her an Italian Imperia hand-cranked machine. The girl, she loves to make things from scratch, especially if they are made from flour.


None of us had ever done any of this before, and the instructions and recipe are basically in Italian. But oh, the handy internet. We had a good idea of what needed to happen.


How delightful when our mass of dough actually turned into beautiful fettucini. The machine is great! It does exactly what it's supposed to do, not more, not less. And it feels solid and good.

Hm. Like pasta.