Stitch Rabbit

Books We Love.

 

Can you believe it's even possible that time again! The West Coast Seeds catalogue came in the mail and I'm in trouble.

 

And what's the seed catalogue without some of these garden companions! The Backyard Homestead is still one of my favorite reference books and back off the shelf.

 

Also, I'm waist-deep in the third book from "Game of Thrones." My friends have long-since passed me as the knitting gets in the way... I considered getting audio books but sinking into bed with this series is one of the best parts of some pretty long days.

 

I'm not the only one with my nose buried in a book. Both children of mine recieved some beautiful books to add to their library, books that I absolutely love to read to them, over and over.

 

I'm currently purusing Amazon for books on natural dyeing, both for fabric and yarn. Any suggestions I would appreciate!!

 

Why Game of Thrones and Knitting Go Hand In Hand.

 

 

All the good yarn stores have re-purposed the famous line from Game of Thrones, "Winter Is Coming" in some form or another - I mean, how could you resist! Tongue in cheek and oh so clever - Written on their sidewalk sandwich boards, sent out in newsletters and check out this yarn shop in Kamloops BC I discovered a few weeks ago:

 

 

 

Across their front window alongside their own personal handmade "shop banner". I spotted it as we were driving through and let out this weird yelp and made Gabe pull over immediately.

Of course I love the series, and I'm still considered a baby in the game.. I'm just finishing book two right now. I know - shit's gonna get all craaay, I heard. Of course, now that the air is cooler and the sticks are all stacked with projects, I'm finding all kinds of inspiration for you Game of Thrones crafty nerds.

Here are a few of my favorites:

 

House of Stark Knitting Pattern from Shawnallama

(doing it. for my kids, ahem.)

 

 

Photo by KnitPicks Pattern by Freshisle Fibres

(Ah!! Would like to believe I'm gonna do it!)

 

The Starks of Winterfell - Kati at LunasCrafts

(Wanna play with it!)

 

Cross Stitch Pattern at Zahmira

(Perfect for the living room wall)

 

 

 

For The Love of Japanese Sewing

A friend told me about this Japanese household goods mega-discount store called Daiso the other day and showed me some of the adorable buttons she got in the sewing section.

Excuse me - sorry...Sewing section? Yep - so I busted out there yesterday to check it out. While the sewing section wasn't as big as I was hoping (they never are) and my fantasy of finding yards of Japanese fabric and rows of Japanese fabric books never came true (it never does) I was quite happy with my loot.

 

Well said, Japanese Interpretation. A new diary for my daughter.

 

Miniature Japanese sewing/craft books with about five projects in each.

 

Ribbon. Tons and tons of great ribbon.

 

I know I said no Japanese fabric - but they did have these weird pre-cuts of different colored denim..I didn't get any, but looking at the photo now I kinda wish I did, just because.

*   *   *

 I rang up my loot and was still feeling a little low about the no rows and rows of Japanese sewing books. I covet the styles, the patterns, the pictures in those books. I've ordered a few online and one I use for a lot of Frankie's clothes - "Carefree Clothes for Girls" by Junko Okawa, but they usually come from the States and the shipping and customs is killing me...

I asked the cashier if she knew of any bookstores in the mall and she told me there was a Chinese bookstore upstairs. I couldn't believe my luck when I found this:

 

A Japanese Sewing Book - In CHINESE!!

It's this massively thick magazine that obviously shares the same friends as I do. I knew it had to be a sewing pattern magazine because it was wrapped in plastic and I could feel the bulk of folded paper inside. I took it to the front counter and had the titles loosely translated by a lovely if not slightly embarrased gentleman:

"Show you how to wear skirts. Show you how to wear pants. Show you how to wear top and pants that match. Show you how to wear things in the Spring"

Mmmhmm...replace the word "wear" with "make" and I'm in luck. I bought it with a good feeling that I was right on the whole "wear/make" thing, ripped open the plastic and quite possibly squealed with glee a little, much to the amusement of the five or six elderly Chinese people watching the kooky white girl.

Amazing - right?! Smocks and weird gardening dresses galore! Just what I love!

Of course the pattern directions are all in Chinese but I took a look at the patterns and I'll totally be able to get by. I'm cutting patterns tonight!

 

 

 

Back To Health!! Back To Work!!

Alright, glad that week's over. I thought we'd turned the corner but there was more sick to come....finally, finally life is returning to normal. Frankie's color is coming back, and she's tap dancing in the kitchen again. Charlie is able to live for more than five seconds with out me holding him, on the couch, not knitting, in one special position only, patting his back just so. I forgot about the baby sick. The mama ain't going nowhere. Not to the bathroom, not to get a tea, not anywhere. Permanent seat on the couch for as long as it takes. This time? Four days, going on five. They're still hacking and sniffling and totally inappropriate to take anywhere in public, but it's over. So glad it's over....

Now it's back to work - for all of us. Gabe spent the afternoon moving the compost to a better spot, and up on some planks for better air circulation. He also moved what was the very full and very dangerous water barrel from it's high perch on a not-so sturdy table to a much sturdier, secure spot in the corner near the tool shed. (Every time the kids went near it this winter I yelled "GIT BACK FROM THE BARREL! IT COULD SQUISH YOU LIKE A BUG!" which leads me to believe my neighbors must really - really think I'm nuts.) And I can't believe it's time to pick my seeds already. Sheesh.

For me, there hasn't been much action in the sewing room or even on the sticks, due to the fever babies. I did get a little treat this week at the doorstep and I've been drooling over it for last few days...it's a book that's been out for a while, in fact there is also a Material Obsession Two, but it's new to me and I love it.

Kathy and Sarah of the real-life Austrailian quilt shop by the same name do a fabulous job with this book and the quilt patterns in it. There are beginner to advanced patterns, and the fabrical (is this a word? it is now!) eye candy is enough to make me think twice about the measly size of my stash. Hey - a girl needs options, right?

Starting next week is the beginning of a couple of pillow creations for the Sew Mama Sew Pillow Month. Come by for a peek at my inspiration, my own process and my finished pillows starting Monday!

Happy Saturday Night! Time to put those kids to bed and fix a coupla drinks!

 

Quilt Binding and Tiny Sewing Lessons

I'm almost done my quilt...just finishing the binding - and I have to say I love the mitered edge of the binding. I've been following along in a book I received as a giveaway prize (Thanks Sew Mama Sew!) The book is called Simplify - Quilts For The Modern Home by Camille Roskelly. Camille does an excellent job explaining how the different components of the structure of a quilt and she gives some fantastic tips to make a great quilt. Being new to quilting, I found the book instructions simple to follow, the pictures beautiful and of course, her quilts inspirational. Next up for me: Freehand Machine Quilting. I practiced a bit with some scraps and did pretty well, though not well enough that I felt confident not to ruin this quilt with uneven scribbling, so I opted to straight line quilt this one. I think I would like to take a class in Freehand. Can't wait to try it out on a real quilt! (Maybe just a tiny, tiny quilt to start).

 

Somebody tiny and adorable also got some sewing lessons this weekend...though after the whole "Mommy sewed a needle through her finger and then almost fainted" incident, I thought she'd never go near my sewing machine again. Yikes. But she wanted to make a tiny bag for her tiny treasures, so she hand sewed for awhile, but then decided she wanted to join the big leagues. So I pulled her onto my lap and she held the fabric and stitch, stitch, we've got one tiny little bag and one very proud little girl. She'll be making her own dresses in no time!

 

On the Eve of Solstice I Wave My White Flag

On the Eve of Solstice holiday making and cheering is in full swing. Gabriel has been busy in the kitchen preparing potluck dishes and Christmas Day meals so the cooking will be minimal later this week. The kids are in bed and I am busy on the couch knitting last minute gift orders of the cowls - my cozy neckwarmers at the Foundation Show have completely sold out! Amazing! It's been a busy week of making and playing here, I've finished off the last of the made gifts and the gift bags, shopped for the others, and even shopped a little for me. (Thanks Baaad Anna's)  Hey, I deserve it. Even though it's essentially for him:

Now that Gabe is finished work until after the holidays I can breathe a sigh of relief. Up until yesterday I was really feeling the pressure of the holidays being all on my shoulders - when he works, he really really works and so any extras like Christmas baking or birthday cakes is usually up to me. Of course, I don't mind - I love the making and sewing and decorating, but it does seem to get to that point every year where I realize that I just won't have the time to make every ornament I've been drooling over on the DIY craft blogs, the baking will go from hoards of cookies to a few select favorites, and once again, I'm not going to have time to construct and sew the men's western shirt I've been attempting to make for "him" year after year after year. Damn, should've started that one in September.

But you have to let go. You have to realize that what you've done is enough, that you've made the holidays special in all the ways you can, that the kids are happy because there's a tree with some things under it and you all have bellies full of food. Nobody's going to notice that you didn't make those adorable little house ornaments this year. They just want you there, happy, stress-free and making the most of these winter memories together. So this is the part where I say - merrily - that I quit. Everything is perfect, just the way it is, no matter what else was left on the list.

Tomorrow is our Solstice. My family will be celebrating the return of the light, carrying our candles and lanterns with other families and friends down our city streets, anticipating another year of greatness, of crops and bounty. Winter still has a way to go, but it will pass before we know it and Spring will have arrived.

 

I better start ordering my seeds.

 

 

 

The Making Season Has Begun!

I love the holidays. The winter season is one of my favorite times of the year. As the days get darker and the weather gets colder it moves our family inside and cuddled under blankets. It isn't that I like the cold, crappy winters in Vancouver - in fact they are the most unromantic, un-snowy, un-white Christmas winters I've seen anywhere.

It's that I like what happens in our home as the days point towards the upcoming holidays. We start to get busy. Like little elves, Gabriel and I begin to make lists and begin projects, all the while barely containing our own excitement for what's in store for the little ones under our tree. And, perhaps getting caught up in the moment, we've got a big, exciting list this year.

We try to hand make everything that we give to our kids, family and friends. It's much easier to manage financially, we avoid horrific mall shopping, we don't give in to last minute consumer pressures to get "the perfect everything for everyone on our list". But most importantly, we like to make things for the people we love. It brings us great satisfaction to create something with our own hands, and it gives us time to think and reflect on the person who we am making the gift for. Gabriel and I are collaborating this year. SO excited.

Tonight I got down to a request I've been getting from Frankie. A new apron. The apron pattern is from a fabulous book called "Carefree Clothes For Girls" by Junko Okawa. I've made almost all of the clothes in this book and loved them all, though I've modified the apron in a few ways this time.Biggest modification was to line it with the same fabric on the inside. The original pattern calls for one layer of fabric only, but I wanted something a bit heavier and more durable. Another great thing about this book if you are a beginner is that it doesn't require any serging. I personally love my serger and used it for most of my clothing, but for these patterns it isn't necessary, so if you don't have one, no problem.

Now the hardest part; trying to keep myself from giving it to her tomorrow morning. And PS...this winter Vancouver, we are getting snow. Lots and lots of beautiful white snow. I can feel it.

 

The Gathered Clutch and Some Sleepy Pals

These dolls are so cute. I found the pattern in Hillary Langs' Wee Wonderfuls Book   (see previous post) and started the Sleepover Pals right away. It's been awhile since I've gotten to them and I finally made some good progress today...they are sitting in a basket now waiting for some sweet sleepy faces and a few minor details...

 

 

 

I also started - and managed to finish - this adorable gathered clutch I saw in Sew Mama Sew's Handmade Holiday post the other day. The tutorial is by Anna at Noodlehead. Great little tutorial, super clear, lots of photos and the project was really fun and easy. I was really happy with the turnout...I think a few more of these will be appearing over the next few weeks!