The stars at night are big and bright...

...deep in the heart of Texas! We're in Dallas for a few days, taking advantage of some frequent flier miles (yup, got a few of those courtesty of Todd's job) to view art. Sadly, I'll be missing the Balienciaga exhibit at the Meadows Museum by just a few days. But there's plenty more to see. I had no idea how much art could be found in Dallas Fort Worth!

This is my first visit to Texas. There will be photos and updates, but perhaps not until next week sometime. We'll see how ambitious I am. After all, it's supposed to be a mini-vacation.

See you soon.

Simple sewing with a French twist

We crafters are an opinionated lot, aren't we? I've told you before how I couldn't live without my rotary cutter and cutting board, my seam ripper or my thimble. On the other hand, I rarely use pins, don't care for pinking shears, and keep a safe distance from time-saving, space-taking clever gizmos. Call me old-fashioned. Or just a typical opinionated sewer.

But since I'm constantly asked for suggestions about sewing books, I'm now on the hunt for books I can recommend, especially for beginning sewers. So for what it's worth, here's my opinion:

We all love Marie Claire Idees, right? (That is, when we can find it on the newsstand or via subscription.) So wouldn't it be nice to own a book filled with similar French flair, but with instructions and descriptions in English? Celine Dupuy lives in Paris (yup, she can shop at La Droguerie any time she wants, lucky woman!) and designs for magazines like Marie Claire. So she's got the French thing and the sewing thing and the flair thing. And now she's got the translated-into-English thing, too.


So here's my list of what I really like about the book:

*Lovely photos and styling

*Loaded with projects (more than 50!) at every level of complexity


*Terrific introduction to the tools you'll need (as well as other optional but helpful tools that may be useful)

*Nice thematic organization/grouping of projects

*Clear descriptions and photos demonstrating basic sewing techniques

*A beautifully assembled guide to selecting colors and fabrics, and a resource guide at the back of the book. Next time you're in Paris you can shop at all the insiders' favorite sources!


A few things I'm not so keen on:

*Project instructions and sketches seem rather vague at times. Some of the instructions may be challenging for a beginning sewer to interpret.

*All that fabulous French style is achievable, in some cases, only with the proper chair/robe/coat/etc. to begin with. But hey, you may just find that perfect salvagable item at a thrift shop if you keep your eyes open! Or you can reinterpret the ideas and instructions to fit your own chair/robe/coat/etc. as well.


*You may need to do a bit of construction or heavy-duty upholstery in order to achieve your goals with some projects. I would recommend trying one of the simpler projects before deciding to build your own folding screen, for example. The sewing of the fabric panels will be easy; it's the construction of the screen that worries me.


*A few of the recommended techniques are questionable: I would hesitate to cut open a buttonhole before stitching around it (too risky) or zigzag stitch seam allowances before sewing a seam (the zigzag will warp the edges, making it difficult to sew the seam in the proper place).

*Additional guidance could be offered in some areas. When sewing on oilcloth, it can help to cover the oilcloth with tissue paper or to use a Teflon foot so the oilcloth doesn't stick to your presser foot. The project, a zippered cosmetic case, may sound easy until you try to sew and break a needle or can't budge the presser foot.

Overall, if you have a little sewing experience you'll probably really enjoy this book. It's full of clever projects that you may be inspired to try, or it may also give you ideas for transforming your own projects.


If you've never sewn before, I still recommend the book but offer a bit of caution. The instructions may be a bit brief at times. Start with the Monet flower brooch or the Tasseled shoe tote and work your way toward the Saturday market caddy gradually. I'm sure you'll learn a lot on your way, and if you're willing to take a few risks (which is what crafting is all about, right?), you're guaranteed to create your own little bit of France along the way.

New Look

It's about time for a new look, I think. This one is temporary (obviously, since we won't want to be looking at a skiier in April), but it comes from a tea towel Todd's mom gave us for Christmas. She used it to wrap a gift in the Japanese fashion I love so much. Why don't we do use cloth to wrap gifts more often? It's economical, ecological, and just plain pretty.

I love the print on this towel. Sort of retro and way too cute to actually use for wiping dishes or hands or anything that might soil it. And that skiier who's headed straight down the mountain looks a bit distressed to me, so it sort of fits the almost-name of the blog, too.

Here's the old banner, just for posterity's sake:

Prints charming

We're going to a birthday party tomorrow. Now that the Kiddo is starting to understand birthdays and gifts and the like, I think it's going to be lots of fun. Our gift is all set, and we can hardly wait! I bought this crazy dog-covered wrapping paper several years ago, and I swear the roll is endless. We just can't seem to use it up, no matter how hard we try. I wanted to make the package look especially festive, so we added a yo-yo and a fabric-covered button to the ribbon.


Speaking of prints, have you seen this Alexander Henry Pink Zinnia fabric? Fell in love with it the moment I laid eyes on it this weekend. The blooms are big, with plenty of white space between them. Lots of ideas for this one. Summer sundress? Sweet pincushion? I'm excited.

Do my eyes deceive me?

Or is that snow?

We're saving this snowball for Todd.

Have a great weekend!

One sheet to the wind

I think that maybe I should have closed the windows a bit last night: the poor Kiddo ended up in bed with me because she was so chilly. It would help if she would sleep with a blanket, but still.

She also needs to start wearing mittens when we go outside. Big standoff in the middle of Ninth Street today because she refused to wear her hat and I refused to move until it stayed on her head. I won, but not without a scene. There's nothing quite like pushing a stroller down the sidewalk with the kid in it screaming, "Owie, owie, owie!" because her hands are cold. I don't care so much what people think of us, but the terrible glares I get make me start wondering if she really is getting frostbite while we're walking a whole five blocks (in forty-degree weather).


So here's a quick shot of my work in progress. Maybe this is how the whole trend for those cute flag buntings got started? Someone was strip quilting and used the strip as a party decoration before cutting it apart?

I've had several false starts to this quilt back. It may become a quilt front, after all the work that's gone into it; it's actually taken more time than the tablecloth-turned-quilt-front that started the project in the first place. The first shade of muslin that I used (actually an old sheet in a very pale natural color) was too pale, and the difference between the white and the cream in the housetop blocks was nearly indistinguishable. Now we have a darker shade of natural and a very long way to go before the back/front/whatever is completely assembled. I guess that's ok. But I'll need to find another way to use up the old sheet. It's in terrific condition aside from the fact that I've now chopped it into several pieces.

Hmm. Maybe I should use it to make some of those cute flag buntings.

Party's over

The fun has ended. Todd is back on the road after almost a month at home, give or take a trip or two in the middle. Oh, well. I missed a fantastic photo op this evening when the Kiddo was chatting to him on the phone: foot propped against the table leg, elbow on her knee, phone pressed to her ear, laughing and chatting to her dad. Hey, wait! Where's my baby? When did this smooth-talking, confident teenager move in?


Speaking of parties and babies (oof, gotta work on those segues), I bought this book as a gift for our friend Michael's two-year birthday party in a week or so. The first spread shows the tools that a person might use to do his or her job. The second page tells you what that job might be and shows the tools in action. The graphics are so beautiful. Sort of retro-contemporary in a really unique Japanese (of course) style. Naturally, I gravitate to the pages showing the tools for the Tailor. But when I showed the book to the Kiddo she started pointing to all sorts of other tools on various spreads, saying, "Mommy?", which made me realize that I really can drill a hole, slice an onion, and give a dose of medicine almost as well as I sew a seam.


I wonder what a page for Mom or Dad would look like? Maybe a bit like the endpapers for the book.


Although perhaps it wouldn't feature a giant, scary-looking cleaver so prominently.

Week in review

What a week it was. We had a small accident (the attempted crawling out of and pursuant fall from the crib, resulting in a very sore elbow) which caused a flurry of activity (the shopping for and purchase of a toddler bed and mattress, visits to doctors and radiology for examination of injured elbow, and the purchase of fabric for sheets on the new bed). Not to say that any actual sleeping has been done in the new bed. So far it's only been played in. And the elbow, thankfully, is fine. In fact, she informed us that it's "all better." Whoa. The kid is really talking these days.


Additionally there was the loss of one crucial credit/ATM card which resulted in calls to our broker, the mailing of a new card, and some one's discovery of a lipstick in the diaper bag while I was on the phone. Who knew lipstick was so handy as a tool for other types of body art?

Fortunately we can start fresh today.

Thank you to everyone who showed an interest in the bunny and bowl. The package is on its way to Korie, whose generous contribution is in turn on its way to the Kim family.

Have a good week!

Six weird things

I've been tagged.


1. I know far more about Martin Luther than about our Presidents. In fact, I probably know all the verses of nearly all the hymns he ever wrote. It comes from Lutheran grade school and the required memorization each week. At one time I even knew all the important (?) dates of Luther's life, including the date of his marriage (why was considered "important"?).

2. My grandmother's organs were all reversed in her body. She was embarrassed about it, and this fact isn't technically about me, but it's sort of neat, isn't it?

3. I am quite proud of my newfound ability to vacuum with one hand. The Kiddo is frightened of the vacuum, and it's been our best way to compromise.

4. I rarely heat leftovers. The temperature just doesn't matter to me.

5. I would like to be vegetarian but am often too lazy. Sometimes it's easier to make something with meat. I'm working on it.

6. Here are many more things about me. I'm sure one or two (or more!) of them are weird.

I tag Sooz and Kyrie (a little distraction during the waiting, I hope). Also Rhea, Cristina, Mangetsu, and Jess. Cheers!

Feeling blue-green

Really, I should be thinking about making our annual birthday card. But instead, I'm getting all excited about making Valentines with the Kiddo, particularly since Papier Valise has all sorts of amazing old trims and trinkets to be used. I've been trying to find vintage office labels, and there they were! I can hardly wait. (Oh, and those adorable bird cut-outs? What about the ceramic numbers? Can't believe I missed out on them.)


Standing in line at Starbucks yesterday ($5 gift card + one hour to myself + January Vogue magazine = happy me), I noticed these snappy little paper labels. They're meant to wrap around a gift card, I think. Love the pink and white stripe inside, and that olive green shade is quickly becoming a small obsession. It reminds me of a color swatch we had when I was working at Ralph Lauren several years ago. It was cut from a garment of some sort, but the green was such an incredible, rich shade of blue-toned olive. We needed more, more, more of that little swatch. There just wasn't enough of it to go around. Wish a still had a little piece of it. I'd pin it to the bulletin board so I could see it every time I sat down at the computer. I think our cards will need to incorporate a bit of olive someplace. Just so I can move on to another obsession.

Little thrills

Lately the Kiddo has been retrieving tiny slips of paper, plopping her hand over their entirety, and shouting "Haat?", which means, "Will you trace my hand?" We've been endlessly outlining hands and feet now for weeks.

Today I thought she might enjoy having her entire body traced. She was so excited she could hardly stop wiggling long enough for me to draw her outline. And she was even more thrilled when I started scribbling in the details. Really, it's a project that's probably a bit old for her (hence my doing all the drawing), but she loves it! She could hardly wait to show Todd when he came home.

I can't believe how big she's grown.

My little part

Did you see how well the auction benefit for the Kim family did? I felt like I was sitting on the sidelines of some historic sporting event cheering for all the players on both teams, I was so thrilled to see that kind of enthusiasm and support for such a worthy cause.


My little auction isn't quite so public or well-organized as the one that's just finished, but I'd like to contribute. Here's the bunny and bowl I've listed on ebay. I will cover all shipping and ebay fees, so 100% of the bid price will go to the James Kim memorial fund. Thanks, and have fun!

Christmas past, Christmas presents

I come from a relatively large family: two parents, five daughters, three husbands/brothers-in-law, two boyfriends, and four grandchildren. And it's been a struggle to find a Christmas gift-giving strategy that works for everyone. For a while we tried exchanging names, but it can be really difficult to shop for someone when you see him or her only once or twice a year. We tried making Christmas lists to help each other, but shopping for someone using a list they provided feels a bit too impersonal.

Then there was a year or two where we agreed to only donate money to a non-profit organization rather than give each other gifts. Two problems there: we had a terrible time agreeing on a cause that met every one's requirements, and several people within the family (maybe most of us, I'm not sure) felt that the holiday spirit was lost if we didn't exchange something. Sometimes it really is fun to give a gift to the people you love.

But we seem to have reached a compromise. Most of us continue to donate money somewhere, but I credit my sister Sharri for starting what I think has become a gift-giving tradition within the family. For the past two years she has assembled a collection of items, and each family member or household receives the same package with the same items. Each member of her household contributes one item to that package. This year her husband, Bob, contributed a jar of his home-made salsa ("Uncle Bob's Organic Farm Salsa") made with ingredients from their farm co-op membership. Sharri contributed a favorite bean soup recipe and the bean mix for the soup. My four-year-old nephew contributed a lip balm he discovered when his pre-school went on a field trip. And my two-year-old niece contributed a hand-painted glass Christmas ornament.

This care package idea works especially well for my sister because her husband also has four married siblings, many of whom also have children. I can't imagine buying gifts for all those people on both sides of the family, and this seems like a brilliant solution.

And what, you ask, is so great about receiving a jar of salsa and a bag of beans for Christmas? It's the accompanying letter/description of each gift! In it, each item is described, attributed to the giver, and given a little background. Also included: lots of humor. I'm going to quote a couple of sections, particularly the footnotes, from this year's letter.

Introduction to the letter:

"Here it is, our second annual [family] Christmas Care Package. Every item has special significance to us and will hopefully be useful(1) to you when treated with proper care(2).

footnote (1)"Items are considered "useful" when used with caution and good judgement, when kept away from open flames, and while not under the influence of controlled substances (including but not limited to remotes, tempers, air traffic and pantyhose).

footnote (2) "Care instructions are included for each item. When in doubt, wash in cold water as needed, gentle cycle. Hang dry. Cool iron when necessary."

Funny, right? Here's another snippet:

"Sharri's contribution: Rocky Hill (nonorganic - sorry) Bean Soup Recipe and Mix(3): Our church used to sell mixed beans and this recipe as a fundraiser at its Christmas bazaar. They haven't done the bazaar for several years, but we still love making this soup around Christmas time. If you serve a big ham on Christmas Day (that's tradition, for reasons I don't know), use the leftovers for scalloped potatoes (call if you need a recipe) and then use the bone and last ham pieces for this soup. Sounds like a Holiday Time-Saving Strategy straight from Real Simple, n'est pas?

footnote (3) "Closely follow washing instructions on bean packaging. Sender is not responsible for small stones that resemble beans, if found (can you believe the bean packaging calls this a "helpful hint" instead of "warning"?). Helpful hint: consider dental insurance."

Personally, I think the letters are hilarious and make the package fun and personal.


So what was in the care package we mailed this year? I don't think it was nearly as fun as Sharri's, but here is one item of which I am rather proud. Only our nieces and nephews (and some friends of the Kiddo) received this gift, since it's really for children:

You've seen the nifty Moo cards from Flickr? They're adorable little gems, and the quality of the printing is fantastic, especially for the price. I had a brainstorm one day that these custom cards would make a great personalized matching game (Todd says it's called Concentration): select 25 images, and when the cards are printed you'll have two sets of fifty cards, or 25 pairs. Keep one set; give the other to a friend. The game can be made as simple or complex as desired by adding or subtracting pairs of cards.


Ideally I would have used portraits of all the Kiddo's friends and family for the card images. But time was tight (have I told you how much I dislike the holiday rush?), so instead I went to Print and Pattern and downloaded some attractive, holiday-inspired images. (Full disclosure: this is probably not terribly legal or fair since I used other artists' presumably copyright-protected artwork. I'm hoping it won't upset anyone since the cards were made for personal use and are not being sold or distributed widely. All the same, I don't condone the practice. Use your own artwork!)

So start now and you won't have to stay up until 2:00 a.m. finishing it, like I did. After all, Christmas is just 352 days away.

Good will: breeding like bunnies?

The Kim family benefit auction is on! Many wonderful handmade items have been donated to the cause, so be sure to visit and bid on your favorites. Personally there are three things I especailly love, this target piece by Lisa Solomon being one of them. Go! And know that you're bidding for a worthy and memorable cause.


In the spirit of the auction, I will be (independently) offering this bunny and bowl combination for sale with all proceeds to be donated to the James Kim memorial fund. The auction will start on Monday, so as not to compete with the current items being offered, and will end Wednesday. I'll post a link to the listing on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Educate me

It's another one of those days where the photos and the text here have absolutely nothing to do with each other. But sometimes that just feels normal, doesn't it? Like last night when I was simultaneously sewing a patchwork pillowcase, watching bad TV (CSI Miami: a guilty pleasure when Todd is travelling and I want a little noise and distraction), and emptying the kitchen cabinets so the plumber and the exterminator could work while we were away visiting my sister today. Perhaps that sign above refers to my ability to concentrate on a single task without distraction?


Anyway, in between the usual routine around here, I spent Tuesday and Wednesday of this week nearly glued to C-Span, watching President Ford's memorial services. I guess it's the Grand Rapids connection that draws me. After all, many of the most important people in my life have ties to Grand Rapids: my husband and parents were born there, my in-laws and Grandparents all live(d) there, and Todd and I met at college there. But maybe I'm also attracted to the person President Ford was: his modesty, spirituality, loving marriage, and deep friendships.

In any case, the experience of watching it all on TV has impressed on me how little I really know about the recent political history of our country and about our presidents. Something else I need to add to the 2007 reading list, I guess. (It seems like the older I get, the more I realize how much I want to learn.) Any suggestions for a great book about U.S. politics and Presidents, post-revolution?

2007: hurray!

So happy new year! I'm still around despite all appearances to the contrary with my little inadvertent blog break there. It was great to have Todd around for a week and a half, and his parents came for a short visit over Christmas. We seemed to keep so busy and, simulaneously, relaxed that I couldn't bring myself to sit down at the computer for any length of time.

A few things I've been enjoying lately:


*The soft trees pattern from Little Birds. Once I started making them I just couldn't stop myself. In fact, I've given many of them away and still have this little forest residing in the living room. I think we'll keep it up for a while yet since I got such a late start on them.

*Planning this year's list of books to read, which will include most of Fresh Air's list of best fiction from 2006.

*Beating Todd at Scrabble. By one point.


*Working on an indoor winter wonderland, if you can call it that. Thus far it consists of one button wreath, a lot of snowflakes (cut from vellum and an old paperback copy of Madame Bovary, of all things), the soft trees forest, and another project that started out as an idea for a tablecloth has somehow become a quilt instead. Photos to come. Hopefully soon.

*An especially enjoyable day out with the Kiddo and Todd last Saturday. Our agenda: we took the train to Grand Central to see the model trains at the MTA store (the Kiddo LOVES trains). Then we viewed the Brice Marden show at MoMA (the Kiddo spent the entire visit making interesting drawings in her sketchbook that seemed inspired by the art) and afterwards had lunch at the Oyster Bar back at Grand Central again (The Kiddo loves smoked salmon. Todd and I love oysters. We are all happy.). Somehow it was just a perfect and memorable day spent together.

*The Stuyvesant Town Christmas tree, which was installed and decorated by the same folks who do the tree at Rockefeller Center every year. Very pretty and impressive.


*Pie. I planned to make two and somehow ended up with four instead. Am starting the year on a wee diet, as a matter of fact.

*The French costume drama Vatel. How did I miss this when it was released in 2000? The costumes alone are stunning, and who can resist anything written by Tom Stoppard?

I hope your holidays were wonderful. Here's to 2007!