In case you're wondering

The backpack pattern is indeed being reprinted! This time we're using a full-service printer so I won't get carpal tunnel syndrome from all the cutting, folding, trimming, peeling, sticking, stitching, etc. involved in assembling the patterns. Hurrah! We'll also be doing a much larger print run, since obviously the first two print runs didn't fill demand. Stay tuned and I'll let you know as soon as the patterns are available.


Other than that, we're gearing up for a family weekend: all three of us in one place at the same time, with three whole days together. Nothing special planned so far, but I'm sure we'll find something to keep ourselves busy. Have a terrific holiday weekend, and here comes fall!

Or maybe we should call it an obsession

This pattern promptly moved to the top of my To Do pile. Oh, I just love it!
Grandma gave it to me when we saw her last week. Given my current love of smocking, gingham, and chickenscratch, this project is a MUST. Tsia and I purchased the gingham today on a quick trip uptown, thank you very much. And I think I'll be improvising a bit of chickenscratch on it somewhere, just because I think it needs to be there. Maybe on the hem someplace. Or on the pocket.

I'll be making the half apron. Love the full apron, but I think we need to be more realistic about my time these days. I mean, when did I last post a finished project? Don't worry; I've got stuff for you. Soon.

I sense a collection developing

I made several finds at thrift shops and antique stores while we were away, and this apron is among my favorites. Salvation Army, just $1 or $2, I forget exactly how much. It makes me feel a little bit sad that it was there. I mean, someone clearly spent hours stitching it, and then somewhere down the line it was discarded. I suspect that whoever donated it didn't appreciate the time and effort involved in making such a lovely item.


I showed it to Grandma a day or two after I purchased it, and she said it's among the best examples of chickenscratch she's ever seen. We both marvelled over the buttonhole stitching around the chickenscratch: it makes the stitched area look almost like a lace overlay.


It's funny; I seem to be accumulating quite a stash of chickenscratch patterns and samples. A friend of Grandma's passed along some books on the topic when she learned how much I loved apron #1. I'm not sure why I like the technique so much. Maybe it's just the fact that you can alter gingham in such interesting ways with a simple variation on the cross stitch. I spent loads of time making cross stitch when I was younger and haven't really retained any interest in it, but applying the technique to something else? Yes, please.


Or maybe I like chickenscratch it's because I love gingham so much. I love the grid-ness of it, and I like how it coordinates with other fabrics. I also appreciate that it's not such a distinctly feminine fabric. Or at least it doesn't seem overtly feminine to me. Yes, it has a certain kitschy, 50's Italian restaurant, candle-in-the-wine-bottle tablecloth vibe, but there's something equally contemporary about it that appeals to me despite (or maybe in addition to) the retro aspect.


My own daily apron-wearing extends almost exclusively to my beloved linen bistro-style cover-all, so it's unlikely that I'll be sporting this one much. But maybe that's about to change?

Guess what day it is!

We're home again, and it's great to be back. What a long time we were away! I knew for sure that we were back when Tsia and I were putting our bags away in storage (which is our building's basement), and Tsia said to me, casually, "Mama, I saw squirrel!"

"Here?" I asked.

"Yes. Over there."

Now, I know we don't have squirrels in our basement. I also have a fairly good idea what might resemble a squirrel to a toddler while also residing in a storage area, and it doesn't make me happy.

Welcome home.


Anyway, I haven't shown you any of the treasures Todd brought back from Tokyo yet. Poor guy; he had a rough time of the shopping there, and it took heroic effort to find what I wanted. In fact, he couldn't find Cotton Time anywhere, and his crafting colleague wasn't familiar with the magazine either.


But he certainly found a couple of terrific books for me, and some great fabric as well! This is my favorite of the books. Actually, it's a magazine. It's all children's clothing, and I love the styling because it's so DIY-influenced. The looks that are presented are all about a handmade or thrifted look, and the various items are assembled in such unusual ways. I wouldn't mind dressing this way myself!


In other news, yesterday Tsia turned 2 1/2, and today is my two-year blogging anniversary! Hurray!


In honor of the events, we're working hard to potty train one of us. Now that we're home and staying in one place for a while, I hope we'll find success soon.

My alternate identity

My life as a 4H rabbit.

Long before I started blogging, I had a husband who blogged. He liked (actually, likes) to tell me that he's smarter than I am (I can handle it, don't worry); I kept telling him that clearly I was the smarter since I didn't waste my time blogging.

He later quit. I'm still doing it. For almost two years now.

But this past week he's been guest blogging about contemporary art again, over here. And I like having him back, even if he does whine about the amount of time it takes.

When he was blogging, I always enjoyed my alternate identity as "Mrs. FtF," since I never knew where I'd pop up. Plus, I like to know what's happening in that brain of his. Often, when he was researching an artist for one of his tours at the Whitney, he would offer me little bits of trivia that would turn up later in a blog post or in one of his tours. I always thought that was funny; I could catch a glimpse of how his mind worked as he pulled together the information and assembled it in an entertaining, thought-provoking manner. The guy is good at that art-talk stuff.

Too bad he says he won't come back. Let's just say this is my public plea that he does.

Full circle

It's so close to fall out there, isn't it? All of a sudden the days are cool, the sun is a bit lower in the sky, and summer is almost gone. Last night I looked out the window and it looked almost identical outside to the night I took this photo. Same sunset, moon the same crescent and in the same place in the sky. Weird. I guess that means it's time to go home.

Our bags are packed and we're spending a couple of days in town with my grandma before we return. I haven't posted any crafting of any sort in the longest time, I know. Actually, there are several things I want to show you but they're buried in a bag somewhere. Or maybe I shipped them home the other day. That's how much luggage we have: I had to mail some of it home, because there's no way I can handle any more than a toddler, four large bags, and two carry-ons (mine is very heavy, with a camera, the laptop, and a multitude of toddler activities for the plane) with the whole get-it-from-the-baggage-claim-area-and-schlep-it-to-the-taxi-stand-then-from-the-taxi-to-the-apartment thing on my own. Whew. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Anyway, it will be great to get home again. Ooh, I'm so excited! Lots to show you, lots to tell you, etc. See you soon!

Postcards from Michigan #14

Postcards from Michigan #13

I love this image for no particular reason. It's from our visit to the county fair last week

Staying put

Well, with a summer like this what's the hurry to go home?

I forget how beautiful Lake Michigan is when I'm away from it for any length of time, but last week we enjoyed a trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes with my family, and we spent several leisurely afternoons digging holes and building sandcastles at the beach. Combined with some rowdy late-night card games, fantastic al fresco meals, and general down time with the family, it was a wonderful week.

So we've decided to stay here for one more week to enjoy the sun and sand. I think I may have a few more postcards for you before we return home!

Postcards from Michigan: the junior edition

We've just enjoyed a week with Todd, and now we're headed into the wilds for a week. My family has rented a cottage far from any internet service, so we're going to stock up on groceries and gas and buckle up for the winding dirt driveway. After that, we're going home! I hope our cat still remembers us.

In the meantime, a certain toddler has developed a strong interest in photography (can't imagine where she got that). Several times this past week I wished I had a second camera so I could show you this kid: big black SLR slung around her neck, outside stalking her next subject. The results have been rather surprising!

Postcards from Michigan #12