A Ribbing Rose

I bought a sweater at the thrift store, then hacked it up to make a bed jacket. In my deconstruction, I cut off the sweater's ribbed waistband. Who knew you could roll it right up into a rose?

First I ran a gathering stitch at the cut edge of the ribbing. I could also have zigzagged the edge to make it more secure from unravelling, but I didn't. Then I pulled up my gathers before rolling the strip into a rose shape. I hand-stitched the bottom of the rose together, then cut out a wool felt circle and sewed it on over the raw edges. Then sewed on leaves, then a pin clasp. Ready to wear as a corsage for those days when there's nothing to cut in the garden!

Clara's Knitted Handbag

Rapturous day! Clara finished her very last school project late late last night, and today was her first day of leisure. Her schoolwork had an unfortunate tendency to pile up this semester so the last few weeks have been strenuous for her. But: it's over! She turned happily and immediately to an almost-completed knitting project, the "Daisy" bag from Debbie Bliss' Junior Knits book.


All that was left was to sew up part of a seam. The outside is moss stitch, the lining is stockinette, and the handles are knitted right in.


She did this entire project on her own, and I'm so proud of her knitting!

Floral Apron

A big thank you to all my etsy customers of the last week. Remember how I said every shopper's name would go in a hat to be drawn for a prize? This floral apron, made from a cotton-rayon blend, goes to shopper Thoughtandthimble. Congratulations, Kara, for having bought item #17, the number that randomnumbergenerator says is the one to have!

Bringing Back the Corsage

I just realized how easy it is to make a corsage--as long as you have a flower and some tape, even if it's just gaffer tape from the Composer's bin. On Sunday I wore one of my Mother's Day roses just by wrapping tape around its stem, along with a sprig of fern and a rosebud from Bella's casual bouquet.

For centuries, women wore flowers all the time, for no occasion. I'm ready to bring that back!

Beets

. . . are a most beautiful vegetable.

(New goodies in the shop!)

The Gypsy Baker

Bella leaves the focaccia for its first rise.


And heads back to shape it for the second rise.


It was very good, with plenty of rosemary.

A Good Year for Honeysuckle

Is there a word sweet enough for this year's honeysuckle? It's everywhere, lush and deep and smelling like heaven.

Loose Ends

I've had the pleasure of tying up many loose ends over the past few weeks. Can I share?

• Felix finished his school work. Actually, Felix finished his homeschooling. When the Composer and I realized this, tears stood in our eyes.

• Bella is through with school for the year. And if you don't think she's baking in the kitchen and setting up housekeeping on my porch, you're wrong!

• Ran that half-marathon. Can I say that again?? I ran a half-marathon without walking! I may be slow, but as I pointed out to the Composer, it takes major stamina to run without stopping for two and a half hours. Just because he finished an hour earlier doesn't make him a better runner (tee hee).

• Just finished all the fund-raising necessary to send fourteen people (including my three big kids) into poverty-stricken mountain towns to work for a week.

• Those lingering, sticky, not-quite-coming-together projects on my sewing table got done!

• And I got everything I wanted to into my Etsy shop. Don't forget that if you buy this week, you get entered in a fantastic giveaway! (And if you bought two items, you're in there twice.)

Clara and the Composer are both struggling madly on towards deadlines of their own, so we're not leaving for vacation quite yet. But soon!

Japanese Painted Fern

Deciding not to spend any more money on plants is the best thing I've ever done for my garden. It has caused me to *finally* do the designing the books all call for--masses of the same plant planted in big swaths. I get these swaths by dividing my successful plants, or digging up their babies and moving them.

My other source of garden material is my gardening friends. The ones whose gardens are so glorious that every spring they have to throw out Perfectly Good Plants because there's just too much growing in the beds. These people are my best friends right now.

And one has given me a Japanese Painted Fern, I guess one that was bothering her by growing too well. Glad I could help.

Stocking the Shop

Busy stocking my etsy shop with many odds and ends. Vintage books, Grace Livingston Hill, clothes, collages, and more! Shop here if you're interested.

ADDED: Until May 14, anyone who buys from the shop will have their name entered in a drawing for a delicious giveaway prize Here's a hint, but think more floral . . . .

Vintage Plastic Boxes

A new discovery at my favorite thrift store: the office supply shelf! How have I been overlooking this for so long?

This week I got two fabulously turquoise plastic boxes (originally for index cards but perfect for sewing supplies) for ten cents. The best part was the price sticker on the top sourcing them from the local university bookstore. A long time ago.

Thirties' Housedress: New York 948

I thought this pattern was adorable, mostly for the button-on apron. Although when I came to cut it out of my chosen fabric, I didn't have enough for the apron! Oh well, there was the consolation of black rickrack used as scalloped trimming.


I used a set of remnants from Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, IL. Bella dug through the remnant table and came up with several very short rolls. They looked very thirties to me. They were loving the orange in the thirties!


I was surprised at how loosely this dress sits at the bust, waist, and hips. I guess it's designed to have plenty of ease to work in. It's downright baggy, and needs a belt! I'll have to piece one together out of little tiny scraps, I guess.


Fortunately I had just the right buttons mixed up in one of my jars--I love how they echo the square geometry of the printed cotton.

Dressing for a Wedding

So we love pink a little . . . makes it easy for the girls to dress in coordinating outfits for a distant cousin's wedding!

Vintage Gardening Inspiration

Best ever kitchen garden inspiration comes from the Betty Crocker Kitchen Gardens book illustrated by Tasha Tudor. Makes me want to get my rows in order!

I've also been enjoying a book about courtyards. My house is a C-shape, north and south wings coming off the main part of the building, so I have a courtyard area. I've been so inspired by gorgeous photos to treat it as such, so I'll need a water feature. Does a crusty birdbath count?

Bella Sculpts Her Hair

Bella's dreadlocks have an amazing dimensionality: they take up so much space and they stay almost anywhere you put them. Though she usually wears them down, held off her face with a stretchy band, she's started sculpting them into fantastical creations when she has a little extra time.


These shapes have such a presence and dignity to them; I love them.

No fancy hair this week though. She had her top wisdom teeth out on Monday and does *not* feel like posing for pictures until she loses the cheeks.

In the Owlmaker's Workshop

The owlmaker (me!) has surrounded herself with felted sweaters, roving, embroidery floss, and the Sibley's Guide.


Mother Barn Owl was a big success, but the prototype fledgling was a little wonky. Too skinny? Too something. But just right for Daisy, who immediately trained it to "step up" on to her arm on command. Just the way Frederick our parrot does.


Something about this small softy appeals to her greatly.

(Complete woolen owl photos await Giles' arrival home in June. Thanks for waiting with bated breath!)

The Girl Is a Tea Party Fiend

At least once a week Bella's digging through the linens and the china (hmm . . . which of the seven sets shall I pull out today?) and the cake cookbook and coming up with something good.


This Sunday she went with a blackberry sponge cake and her own personal set of vintage Homer Laughlin.


She has such lucky friends!

A Linen Shirtwaist

Happily dressed in tablecloths from head to toe! Skirt was made a while ago, blouse is new. I used a thrifted tablecloth that seems to be a mix of linen and silk--beautiful drape and lots of gloss.


This pattern was really fun. It's based on the shirtwaists of the 1900's but has a surprisingly modern feel. Sort of boho. I gathered the front bodice into the bound neckline, then there isn't any shaping at all through the bottom of the blouse except for the ties which are sewn on in the back and used to gather the front. So comfortable!

I've noticed sewing other garments from different eras how strange it feels to wear anything these days with any extra fabric in it at all. Years ago ladies thought nothing of a little pouf in their outfits. Now we seem to need to sidle through taking up as little space as possible.


Onward and outward!

In the Vintage Kitchen: Austrian Cream Cookies

Beat 2 eggs until light.
Blend in 1 c. sugar
and 1 c. cream.

Mix in 3 3/4 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
and 1 t. salt.

Chill for an hour.

Roll out to 3/8 inch thick on floured board, then cut into 2" squares. Use the back of a knife blade to press a tic-tac-toe design onto the top of each cookie.

Grease the baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10-13 minutes.

Frost with a dab of buttercream and garnish with strawberry slices, or a tiny lemon twist and a mint leaf, or a single perfect raspberry . . . .

(from the Betty Crocker Cooky Book 1963)

Bella's Pretty Pink Cookies

Bella found a vintage recipe for "cream cookies" and topped them with pink buttercream and strawberry slices. The blue plate was my idea.