Fedora and Slippers

Vintage yo-yo's, all sizes.

Jasper's favorite fedora was in need of a small repair.  On the back edge of the brim it was fraying and unravelling.  It would have been hard to sew and make it look good so I figured a patch was in order.  When all else fails, use a patch!

Jasper could care less if his favorite fedora is falling apart.  I had to convince him to let me have it for one evening to figure out what to do with it.  He liked the idea of a vintage yo-yo patch.

This patch seemed boyish enough and a good match/contrast to the fedora.  So work began.

The pinning.

And sewing.

And done!

While I was at it though, I remembered that Jasper had a pair of slippers that needed embellishment.  His school requires them to have slippers to wear indoors during the school day.  His were very generic looking and several other kids had the exact same pair.  So his needed to be distinguishable.  And guess what, I have a bag full of vintage yo-yo's, did I mention that!

Out of the entire bag of yo-yo's there were only two that matched.  Crazy!  And they were also boyish enough that they worked.  So now Jasper has a mended fedora and some fancy slippers.  Lucky Boy!

Here's to a lovely little fall weekend Friends!  Drink some cider, gather pumpkins, rake the leaves and enjoy the season!  See you back here Monday....
xoxox
Jennette


Harvest Heels

Ummmmmm......  OK, so we all know I don't wear heels on a daily basis.  But if I did.....  I would wear either of these Alexander McQueen heels.  In a heartbeat.  Especially the sheaths of wheat.  Give it to me, baby.  Main line the McQueen heels. It's a sickness.  Sickness, I tell ya. Sick!

xoxo
Jennette

Salve Making

Herbal salve, beginning to set up.

Spent Sunday with some friends making herbal salve.  I had a ton of herbal infused oil that needed to be transformed.  Maurisa and I had gone to Zenith Supply in Seattle last week to stock up on containers and beeswax.  We were thrilled to find the big fat roll up containers that look like extra huge chapsticks!



I had infused olive oil with Balm of Gilead, St. John's Wort, Yarrow, Comfrey and Calendula.

Weighing out the beeswax.

Measuring out the oil.

Mama to be, Maurisa, stirring the pot!  Melting the beeswax into the oil.

We liked watching the beeswax melt into the oil.  Most recipes call for the beeswax to be grated but since we were doing it by weight, we just left it in litte chunks.  After the wax was completely melted in the oil, we put a little spoonful in the freezer so it would set up and we could then test its consistency.  We wanted a little more solid of a salve so it would hold up in our chapstick containers and not be too mushy.  So we discovered that we needed to add a bit more beeswax after the first freezer test.  The final oil to beeswax combo was perfect and we began pouring it into our containers.
We ended up having to top off a few containers to make them look pretty but otherwise it was easy, normal and fast.  Once you have infused your oils, the rest is easypie.  You just have to have your supplies handy and, Voila!, just like that you have salve for your cuts and bruises, healing tattoos, and baby butts!
Salve makes great gifts.  You can add pretty labels and your friends will think you are some kind of witchy she-shaman with super powers! 
I recommend a few books for anyone just getting started.  Check out Gail Faith Edwards Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs, Susan Weed's Healing Wise, and James Green's The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook.  These will give you basic recipes and get you started on the path to righteousness!  Ha!
I started out several years back making tattoo salve for myself and my friends.  I continue to make tattoo salve but it is also good for general use. From my perspective, anything that is not a petroleum product is good for healing! 
MAKE HERBAL SALVE!
You won't be sorry!
Just do it, already!
Go on!
Give it a try!

Happy salve making lovelies,
happy, happy,
xoxox
Jennette






Glam Witchy Haunted House!

The Glam Witch, in all her glory!

I had an old dollhouse down at the antique mall that had been there for months.  When I did this big reset of my space last week I decided I was done with it there and I was going to turn it into a haunted house.

Here is a photo of the house as I started to tape off the roof.  I liked the dark gray slate color the roof was so I wanted to preserve it.  Everything else I wanted black!

See.  The lite green and red simply wouldn't do for a haunted house!

I am giving you a view from every angle so you can understand how much this needed to become a haunted house!

First coat of spray paint.

Ah ha!  Haunted house base ready for embellishment!

So I found this little doll down at the antique mall and she was $5.  Her eyes are kinda wild and her hair jet black so I just thought she'd make a great little witch.  I remembered that I had that little cupcake topper jack-o-lantern bucket to hang off her arm and I found a tiny key to hang off the other arm.  She ended up with a hand charm necklace as well.  Lucky girl!
I made her the black hat out of construction paper.  I added glitter trim, a silver star and feathers coming out the top.  She is looking real witchy with her hat on! 
Once I had the silver glitter out, it was all over!  In the sense that I wanted to glitter-fy everything!  So I added glitter trim to the house to give it some bling.

I added cheesecloth behind the windows and then glued in long black feathers.  I added really small details that are hard to capture but I will try to show you.  I had some agate beads that are black birds so I glued them above some of the windows.  There is a bat hanging out in the eves, some spiders on the roof, a skull in a heart and limbs hanging in the windows!


The arm and leg charms are little Milagros from Mexico.  They come in handy as spooky elements.

There just happens to be a lamp on behind the house so it gives the windows a nice glow.


"Why you call me Crazy Eyes?!"

Here is a view of the back.  You can see how it all got painted black, wallpaper and all.  If I don't sell this house soon I am going to be tempted to furnish all the rooms!  Yes, I do have miniature vintage doll furniture.  You know I do!

Watch out!  She'll try to get ya!  She has a bucket full of glitter and she isn't afraid to use it!

So that's the haunted house I have been working on.  Upcycled, recycled, and repurposed.  Good as new!  I put a high price on the whole sh-bang for now because I wish I had the room to keep it and don't want to see it leave so fast but I will likely mark it down by next week if its still there.
Not a lot of sewing in the past few days.  Worked on some baby gift items and have a lot of sewing projects planned but it all comes down to the amount of time I have to sew in one day, people.  There just aren't enough hours!
Off to do some pasting,
xox
Jennette




Antique Mall Space

Vintage Map Wallpaper

Last week I spent some time down at M&M Antique Mall, redoing my space.  Most of the wall was peg board and I couldn't stand what it looked liked.  I had a box of vintage maps from my Grandpa's stash and there were plenty enough to cover the walls.  The maps make a nice backdrop for all the various treasures I have for sale in my space, #23.  I forgot to take a photo with everything away from the wall but you get the idea.

Here is part of my Halloween display.  I have costumes for sale too.

I highly recommend Boarder Paste for a project like gluing old maps to walls.  It rolls on the back of the maps and then you smooth the maps against the wall and you have wallpaper!  Its pretty fantastic, quick and easy, especially when you are using paper as big as maps.  They cover up the wall fast and the border paste makes it simple to do.


All of this is for sale now!  Anything you see in these photos is fair game!  Come and get it!

I am bringing in new items almost daily.  They don't like it when I drop stuff off that isn't priced so I just bring a little at a time as I go through the massive piles in my garage.  I should have taken a picture of the stacks in the garage to show you.  As I purchased items over the summer they mostly just got piled up in the garage until I could deal with them.  I knew I was going to be doing a major reset of my space at M&M so I was reluctant to take all the garage stuff in before I had the walls redone.  Now it's game on and I almost have a clean garage!

My awesome friend Kathy helped me rearrange all the furniture in my space and she helped with merchandising all my items.  Kathy has an amazing knack for decoration and display.  I will do a feature soon of her space at the Antique Mall and make sure you check out our windows next time you stop by.  The windows are Kathy's handiwork!

See the large blue plate rack hanging on the wall?  You should have seen Kathy and I trying to get this thing lifted up while attaching it to the wall.  Comedic!  But it's done and I love it up on the wall rather than sitting on the floor.  It came from Left Bank Antiques up in Anacortes, Washington.  I love that place and I love this Portuguese plate rack but I have no room for it at home now.  Its the perfect blue!

This little blue cabinet is one I got from Kirsten many years ago.  It used to be in the kitchen of their first house.  Then I had it for a while before I ran out of room for it too. 

So space number 23 is looking pretty fabulous!  Thank you local friends who have stopped by to see what's new recently!  Mighty kind of y'all!  And I appreciate the warm feedback and comments y'all give.  Very sweet! 
I'm off for a run and to work on a top secret project for a friend's Mother Blessing!
xox
Jennette


Upcoming Music

Micah and Andrea of Breathe Owl Breathe, the last time they played at The Tractor in Ballard, Seattle, WA.

There just so happens to be a ton of good music coming up at local venues so I wanted to give you a heads up in case you want to check out some new music for yourself.

Fred Eaglesmith will be at the Tractor on Tuesday October 12.

The Morning Benders will be at Neumos on Monday October 18.

Breathe Owl Breath will be at the Tractor on Thursday October 21.

The Head and the Heart are at The Crocodile on October 21 as well, and again on November 2 at Neumos.

The Fruit Bats will be at The Showbox on Friday October 22.

The Starlings are opening for The Hackensaw Boys at the Tractor on Saturday October 23.

Sean Hayes will be at the Tractor on Wednesday November 17.

Hope y'all have a lovely little weekend!  I'll be back Monday with posts on a witchy glam haunted dollhouse, projects, sewing and more.
Cheers!
xox
Jennette




Strange Worlds!

Matthew Albanese creates amazing miniature worlds to be photographed.

In these photos, the tornado is being made by using steel wool, cotton, parsley and moss! 
Isn't it fantastic?!!

Found via the lovely Astulabee

From Matthew's website:
My work involves the construction of small-scale meticulously detailed models using various materials and objects to create emotive landscapes. Every aspect from the construction to the lighting of the final model is painstakingly pre-planned using methods which force the viewers perspective when photographed from a specific angle. Using a mixture of photographic techniques such as scale, depth of field, white balance and lighting I am able to drastically alter the appearance of my materials.

Tap on Matthew's name above to go check out his website.  You will enter a magical and spellbinding world!  Who knew?!
Amazing!

Off to continue work on the haunted/witchy/Halloween house.  Will have some photos to share soon.  It's coming along.  Just needs some final touches before unveiling.
xox
Jennette

Natasha's Bag and Badge!

This is the bag/sling/tote I made for my girl Natasha, for her Birthday!  Happy Birthday Sweetiepie!

You might recognize this awesome orangey-brown leather from this past project:

Yes!  This was a leather trench coat!  You might remember that I cut out the middle part and made myself a leather and blue velvet bag, retaining the belt loops and button front.  I still had the top half and bottom half left over so I made Natasha's bag using up the bottom half.

I used the same vintage army canvas I gushed about using for my own bag.  And I also used a tweaked version of the same pattern as well.

This is the lining and small inside pocket of the bag.  I used a vintage mushroom fabric.  I ran out of "tree wood grain" fabric so the mushrooms were the next best thing.
(Yesterday I did manage to procure 5+ more yards of the wood grain fabric for future projects.  Thanks Mom!!)

A peek inside the finished bag.

Here is Natasha opening the box that had her bag in it.  See the, "What the heck is in here?" look.  She had no idea I was picking her up to go have dinner with our friends.  She got a few surprises this night!

She looked happy when she realized there was a leather bag in there for her!  I didn't get any photos of her holding it but she seemed to like it. 

Did you notice her Birthday Badge in the photos above?  Here is a better view:

And a close-up:
"It's My Birthday & this is My Party!"

Once again I used a vintage milk cap to form the base of the badge, just like I did here.  I scrunched the crepe paper into a ruffled circle and glued it to the back of the milk cap, added "ribbon" to hang down, sewed a nice pin to a piece of felt and then glued the felt to the back to make it a badge.
You could make a birthday badge out of almost anything.
They are fun and festive and necessary so
make some!

Work continues in the Smashing Rubbish Studios!
I have a few more bags in the works, some different styles,one "carpet bag" made from a vintage rug remnant, and more made from oil paintings.

Working on a "Haunted House,"
xox
Jennette

 




Wool Pants

The Felted Blanket Wool Pants, first attempt, are Done!

OK, all you nature school friendz.  Here they are!  The first go round of super thick, warm, soft and felted wool pants cut from an old wool blanket that I felted in the washer.  What do ya think?  I wish you could see and feel these in person.  If I played in the woods every week for several hours I would certainly be making myself a pair, stat!
Here they are unhemmed.  Jasper was not so sure about these at first.  They really are SO thick.  But now they are hemmed and he is getting used to what they feel like.  I think they will be superb when worn with his REI undergarments.  To me they are super soft but his sensitive skin may need the long-john barrier.  I left off the pockets for now since the front ones on this pattern require sewing them into the side seems.  I could see no way that my machine would play nice with that much thickness!  I have an old pair of his cargo pants that I may just cut the pockets off of and attach to these.  They would be cotton pockets but I think it would be OK.  Also, I may use a contrasting felted wool piece to make knee patches but I can add these or pockets any time.  For now he just needs a chance to wear them for a day to see how they hold up.  It was so nice on Friday he wore "regular" clothes to Tracks and Tales.

Here is a back view.  I used the thickest felted blanket I had to try to ensure durability.  I have several more blankets but I am thinking they wont felt up as thick as this.  Which makes me wonder if I can make these for other children and have them last.  I was hoping to make and sell some but I would need to feel good about the undestructiveness of the pants!  I have a load of blankets in the wash now so we will see if they felt as thick as this.  This particular blanket has a nice basket weave type of pattern to it as well that seems to add to its strength.

I used a vintage canvas type material for the waistband and draw string.  We'll see how this holds up too.  The drawstrings are attached to elastic that goes across the back but inside the waistband.  And the elastic is stretched a bit and attached to the side seems where it also attaches to the drawstrings.  Does that make sense?  So the elastic can't move around and the drawstrings finish up the job of cinching the pants on tight enough to stay up.  This method works nicely to prevent losing your drawstrings inside your waistband casing.

So the experiments continue!  All the extra length on these just got hemmed up to the inside so I can let the hem out as Jasper continues to become a giant!  And if they last that long.  I was concerned about the hemming because that doubled again the thickness I was trying to sew through.  But it worked!  My machine complained just a tad but with a little finessing it cooperated.
What are you all making, upcycling, or repurposing these days?
Do what you love friendz!  Make art, create, imagine!

Don't Follow your Head, just Follow Your Heart.
xoxox -
Jennette
 


The Head and the Heart - Down in the Valley (Live at the Mural)



  Here is a mellow version of this song from when they did a free show at the Mural in Seattle.  I was not at this show but I did get to see them busking at The No Depression Music Festival this summer and they just opened for Vampire Weekend which I took Gus to see last week.  Both The Head and The Heart as well as Vampire Weekend were amazing!  I had never been to a show at the Paramount that was general admission and I have been to a lot of shows there.  It was so great to get to stand up and dance and shake my booty the whole time. 
These guys are fabulous!  Plus Charity plays the violin and y'all know how I play/dabble (in) fiddle so I like to see girl violin players, especially in roots, americana, folky-pop music.
Their CD has been playing over and over and over again in my car.  Not because I am too lazy to switch the CD but because I LOVE them.  These are the kind of songs you can belt out at the top of your lungs!  Its SOOO Good!  And my kids like it too.
And they are local!  If you listen to KEXP, like we do, then you have probably already heard of them.  Lucky You!

They have a few local shows coming up in October and November so check them out if you can.  I will be going to the November show since in October they are playing the exact same night as Breathe Owl Breathe and I have had tickets for that for a LOOOOOONG time!I wish I could add every video of every one of Head and Heart's songs here but since I cant you can go over to youtube and check them out.  They did a live in studio for KEXP and all those are super good.  Especially Ghost, which has a great few lines, "One day we'll all be ghosts, trippin around in someone elses home.  One day we'll all be ghosts, ghosts, ghosts.  One day we'll all be found, no longer lost just hanging around.  One day we'll all be found, found, found."

So I hope you have a happy little weekend!  See you back on Monday with wool pants, more bags, a look at my lovely new antique mall space, etc.
Until then, smooches,
xoxo
Jennette

Best. Bag. Ever.

Well.  I did it again.  I made another bag/sling/purse/tote bag.
And I am freakin in love with it!
You gotta see this.
Look what it started out as:

Yep.  A rich dark chocolate buttery leather mini skirt!
Apparently a size 6 is enough leather to make this bag.

Used my own version of this pattern, based off of this pattern, but with some changes.  Like for instance, I left out the pleats and did not use fusible fleece interfacing on this leather sling.

This is the vintage fabric I used for the inside pockets.  I LOVE it because it has birds, acorns, fish, pyramids, mushrooms and pears!  It's perfectly odd!

I used this amazing wood grain fabric that I found at the Woven Threads quilt shop in Chelan for the lining.  I LOVE this fabric too.  I am going to buy the rest of the bolt and see if my mama will bring it over with her next time she visits.

Here is one side of the soon to be bag.  Notice the seam down the middle.  That's the side seam of the skirt.  And see the crease/fold across the bottom.  That's the bottom hem pulled open. 
Apparently the people who make leather garments use all manner of binding, edging, hem stuff to make the leather behave and act like they want.  I should have taken a photo of all the deitris that came out of the folds and seams of this skirt.  After taking out its lining and pulling apart the seams, the leather was still strong but thin enough to give my sewing machine no complaints.  That's a good thing!

Here is one side with the vintage army canvas band attached.  I am having a major crush lately on vintage army canvas.  I love the earthy hues.  It comes in varying greens and browns.  It's getting harder to find. 

And I am using it to make love, not war!

I happened to find a sleeping bag cover, at a tag sale three weeks ago, for $3!!!  MAJOR SCORE! 
I am on the hunt and look out for more so if anyone out there has any good resources they care to share, please fill me in!
Its durability, texture and color make me happy!

This is the large pocket attached to the lining.  It has a seam running down the center to make two compartments.  And it turns out my stainless steel water bottle fits perfectly on one side while my sunglasses/lip balm case fits perfectly in the other!

Here's another shot of the finished bag.  One thing I like about this bag is that it doesn't really need a closure piece on it.  It doesn't call for a button, zipper or snap.  Because of the handle design, wide at the bottom and thinner on the shoulder,its not easy for anyone but the wearer to get into.  And it wont gap open dramatically, or least you can fold it over, if you have to take it off out in public.
I say best. bag. ever. because I love it so much for me.  It turned out exactly as I envisioned and I plan to wear the heck out of it!  And too, I have actually had several very kind friends and people say they like it too.  And some of them have even asked me to make one for them to buy.  And that is so flattering and sweet and makes me smile.  Since this is not an open source pattern I need to find a similar one that is so I can make them to sell.  Since I set up an Etsy shop I haven't even had time to make, list, sell or ship a single item yet.  Its coming though.  Coming soon.  I can feel it in my bones!
Me + My Bag = True Love

xox
Jennette
 



Curious and Curiouser

I guess this is what you would call a curio cabinet.  It's full of my little collections.  All my records are housed below it.  And my studio record player sits on top.  Lemme see if I can find a photo:
Ah, here's one.  The boys bought me a retro looking, take along, turntable for my birthday last year and I/we listen to records all the time.  There's nothing like the crackle of the needle on the record.  I love it!  I now buy all music I love on album if they have it and if they don't I still buy CDs or use iTunes.  In most cases, when you buy an album nowadays, they give you a way to also download the whole thing anyhow.  This turntable is actually able to hook up to the computer and turn your albums into CDs potentially but I just use it to listen to awesome tunes and dance around my studio!
Above the turntable we also have a lot of our black and white photos displayed.
Here's one side of the 'curio.'

And the other.

Now for some close-ups. 
I love and have been collecting, for a really long time, all manner of devil figurines, anthropomorphic animals and people, unusual and interesting children's clay projects, birds, nuns, American pottery,

gnomes, rabbits, pixies,

pirates, faun/Pan figures, carved wood creatures,

cloth dolls, rag dolls, felt dolls, yo-yo dolls,

souvenir shell dolls, busts, tin can doll furniture unpainted,

doll heads, bodies, parts,

schnauzers, clocks, tiles, bead work, silver trays,

European pottery, mirrors, sheds/exoskeletons,

pumpkins, jack-o-lantern, paper mache,

chalkware, plasterware, compositionware,

transferware, restaurant ware, and made in the U.S.A. California art pottery.

Whew!

That's a lot of curio-usness!

This is an ever evolving, ever changing, rotating, in and out kind of collection.  I add to it.  I take away from it.  I gaze and wonder at it.

It's probably kind of obvious by now that the stranger, weirder, odder, more unusual something is, the more I love it.  I seek it out.  I watch, look, and listen for the whispers of "perfectly odd," when I am out and about in life.  I am drawn to the bizarre, uncommon, and strange.  I am completely comfortable with these "things."  And although I certainly don't need them to survive, they do make my heart sing!

What do you collect?  What are your favorite things?  What makes you extra comfortable when you are surrounded by it?

Off to keep working on my space reset at the antique mall.  Its coming along but it's a ton of work!!!  I'll be sure to post some photos when it seems more "finished."  I can't wait to be done with it so I can get more sewing projects finished!

xo
Jennette




Kombucha

White Rose Brew Dr. Kombucha: my new favorite refreshment

I have always loved making and drinking my own Kombucha.  My sweet friend Kimberly has given me multiple "babies" over the years.  I usually am consistent about making it all summer but then I slack off toward fall and end up having to start over every spring.

Last week, during a quick stop at Whole Foods, I discovered this brew from Townsend's Tea Company.  I am a sucker for names and descriptions so even though this one single bottle cost $3.99, I had to try it out.  Now I'm in trouble because I want it by the truck load!

Brew Dr. Kombucha: White Rose: Raw Kombucha made from Townsend's Organic white peony tea, organic rose buds, hibiscus flowers, rose essence and organic sugar. 

Uhhhhh.... Sold!

Even if it weren't, "concocted by Townsend's Tea Company using their own high-grade, organic teas, fresh ingredients and no artificial nonsense with benefits including: appetite suppressant, immunostimulant, digestive aid, natural energizer, antioxidant-rich and probiotic with live enzymes,"  I would still gulp it down with a big ol' smile on my lips! 

And to top it off:  made in Oregon!  Yep, a Townsend Teahouse in my two favorite towns, PDX and Bend.  And they even sell it on tap (!!!) at The Alberta Street Co-op in Portland.  OMG, I'd be in trouble if I lived near there!

Can't wait to visit the Alberta Street Teahouse(pdx) when we go the first weekend in November.  I'll visit the Bend Teahouse next time I go see Julie.  Wish we had a teahouse in Monroe...

Try White Rose if you ever get a chance.  The floral essence and sparkly bubbles will delight you!

Off to completely revamp and reset my space at M&M.  Big job but will be looking lovely by the end of the week.  Come visit after next weekend!

xox
Jennette

Flower Stand

This is my local Flower Stand.  For the past several years this is where I come each summer and fall to pick Dahlias, Sunflowers, Amaranth, Zinnias, Lunaria, Poppies, Glads and Chickweed!

Gus with Amaranth. 
Amaranth is one of my favorite flowers to use in bouquets.  It's gorgeous and it lasts a long time when it's cut.



The "candy striped" and dark dark red ones are my favorite of the dahlias.

Jasper took this photo of me.
Here is one view of the flower fields with the big barn in the background.  Can you spot Jasper amongst the Dahlias?

Here is a view of the valley, looking out from the flower fields.

Look at the prices!  Its unbelievable and so kind and generous of the folks who live here to offer their community this resource.  There is a cash box and it's all based on the honor system.  I just adore it!  And can you see that small brown bag sitting there?  It said FREE on the front.  When I looked inside it was full of green beans!  Lucky me!  I brought them home, smothered them in olive oil, sprinkled sea salt and Seaweed Gomasio(my favorite condiment) all over them and roasted them on high heat to bring out the sweetness and let me tell ya, they were delicious! 
I also bought that little yellow zucchini/summer squash.  If I don't use them right away I just grate them up and freeze them to make the Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe(p.194)out of Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  So good!

And to top it all off, the fields are FULL of Chickweed, violets and pansies!  Its wonderful!  Not only can I get all my flowers picked, I can come home with salad makings too!

Besides flowers and some veggies, the folks here often offer dried lunaria and poppies, squash, gourds and pumpkins, jars, buckets and seeds.  I am so happy to have a place like this so close by and on my weekly route.  Makes life sweeter, that's for sure!


I LOVE YOU FLOWER STAND!
Thank you for being there!
Thank you flower farmers in Duvall!  You give and give and give!
Thank you!

xoxox
Jennette


Clary's Bag!

I finally finished our friend Clair's sweet 16 birthday bag!
I used this Amy Butler pattern, for the first time:

The Birdie Sling

Here is a better look at the pink, gray, black and white fabric:
And here:
It's called "the ghastlies," by The Alexander Henry Fabrics Collection 2009
I bought it at Ben Franklin in Redmond many months ago.
When I saw it I knew exactly what to do with it and for whom.  For this sweet girl, for her 16th birthday:


See!  Isn't she so cute!?  Yes, that's August with her.  This is last spring when Kirsten and I took them both to see Evelyn, Evelyn.  These two have been bffs since Clair was 9 months old and Gus was born.  Awwwwww......

So!  The bag!  Well, when I saw this fabric I just instantly thought of Clair and I had been wanting to try an Amy Butler pattern for a while so here we are.  This pattern calls for the use of fusible fleece.  Yes, fusible fleece.  I hadn't heard of it either!  It's just like fusible interfacing, but super thick.  I wasn't too sure at first.  I thought it might make it too puffy, too floofy, too big.  But it turns out, it's just right!  That clever, clever Amy Butler!  How dare I second guess her!

Here is an example of the lining pieces, interior pockets and 3 grid sizes of pink gingham I used.

The tiny grid black and white gingham I used for the band and handle.

Here is the band attached to an exterior piece.

This is how I did the square corner.  I like what this does to the shape of a bag.  I did a very similar corner on the pagoda oil painting bag, just not so rounded.  The pattern told me to fold the sewn corner like this, measure in 1.5 inches from the corner, and measure out 4 inches on each side, then attach all three points with a gently curved line.  I have tons of old tins in my studio that hold everything from crystals to buttons and this one had the perfect gentle curve.  It worked really well.

Here is the corner trimmed down to 1/2 inch seam.
Once you do this to the inside and outside, you join them together, pull the right side out, finish a seam, and your done.


A glimpse of the interior.  The pattern does not call for any closure device.  No zipper, no snap, no button.  For now I will leave it like this.

I hope Clair likes this sling!

I am going to make a few more now that I have the pattern down.  They take a bit of time but you get a great finished bag in a few hours.  Think of all the fabric combinations you could come up with for the band, handle, exterior and interior.  I am going to try some vintage army canvas cloth and leather too.
I'll post more as they are created.  Stay tuned....

Finishing another pair of pants for Jasper,
xo,
Jennette


Lost Things



I can't remember how or where I came upon this video.  I am sure it was in some other blog post, in my google reader, way back when.  I have had it bookmarked forever and a day so I finally want to share it here, with you.  Prepare to have your mind blown because it is BEAUTIFUL and MAGICAL!!

I LOVE stop motion!  And claymation too but that's another post!  I was so delighted to see Mr. Yen's papercuts in this video.  Notice the whale.  I have had Mr. Yen's Etsy sight tagged as a favorite for a long, long time.  But I've not had the opportunity to purchase a whimsical piece from him yet.

My current absolute favorite full-length stop motion film is Fantastic Mr. Fox.  J'adore everything about it!  The featured voices, Wes Anderson, the animals!  I will have to find the HBO "making of" video to show you.  It's so great.  I digress....

Lost Things is a short 2 minute stop motion film.  It was written and directed by Angela Kohler and Ithyle Griffiths.  And features Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy. 
So much about this video thrills and delights me.  The mood, the strangeness, the objects, the magic, the hole, the things.  Its ALL so appealing to me.  I could watch it over and over.  Well, I do watch it over and over!  Share it with your kids!  They will find it fascinating!

Here's to a lovely little weekend!
Cheers!
xo
Jennette

Umbrellas


Reconstructed Umbrella

Yes.  It's true.  I'm a nut!
I have been, for the last year, taking apart outdoor picnic table umbrellas, and reconstructing them with the fabrics I love.  I know, I know.  But they look SO COOL with the vintage and retro fabric and trim I use!  Yes, it's a lot of work.  And yes, I love it!
I don't have any process photos but its pretty simple.  I find (and am now given!) old outdoor umbrellas at, you name it: thrift stores, tag sales, estate sales, etc. I take them home and look for my BFF, the seam ripper.  I take said seam ripper and choose one panel from the umbrella and begin to disassemble it.  Once I have one piece seam ripped, I use it as a pattern piece to lay out and cut out the fabric(s) of my choice.  Yes, it takes a fair amount of fabric.  And that's why I like to use at least two styles per umbrella.  I discard the rest of the original umbrella material, saving the plastic tips that go over the metal umbrella rods, and start the repiecing.  Once I have all the new pieces of umbrella panels cut out, I begin the assembly.

Here is another view of one with a different fabric and a different trim on each side.

The umbrella assemblage is pretty simple.  It's just sewing each panel to the next with a long line of stitching.  Once all that is done, you add the edge trimming.  I personally like the vintage dingle-ball trim the best.  I have been amassing  and hoarding a fair amount of it!  I have many colors and styles.  My second choice would be vintage trim that I call "fluffy or fuzzy," like the trim seen above.
I am just slightly obsessed with trim and ribbon.  This doesn't even touch the tip of the ice burg in so far as the amount of trim I have stashed around here.  And ribbon....I better not even get started on ribbon.  My ribbon stash can be compared to Anna's yarn stash!

This umbrella is child size.  I LOVE this one.  Its one of the first I ever made.  The vintage green and white ball trim is to die for, as far as I'm concerned!  And the stripes!  Come on!  Perfection!  We use this at a kid size picnic table we have when we have outdoor gatherings.
Once the material for a new umbrella is sewn up, I just place it casually over the opened umbrella framework and begin to slowly attach the fabric to the frame.  I do this by cinching up the top while also making sure not to cinch too much so I have the right amount left around the edges to secure the little plastic tips that cover the poky metal ends.  This is the most time consuming part.  The fabric needs a certain amount of tension all the way around so the plastic tips are tight enough to stay on the rods but not too tight so that when you open it, it feels likes its going to explode.  Its a delicate balance but one I find immense pleasure in discerning.
 
Wow!  Here is one where I used the same fabric for the entire thing.  If I remember correctly, this material is a Waverly print.  Very shabby chic with the pinks and cabbage roses.  It was a couch slip cover so there was a TON of material.  I made a carrying case for this one too, out of the same fabric.

The other side of the one above.

I have sold a few of these out of my space at M&M.  They are a bit hard to display down there but I've managed.  I do take custom orders on these so if you or anyone you know would like to own one, it can be yours!  You can pick your fabrics and trim to match your own decor. 
I am hanging onto the ones I have now for my own yard until I get a few more made.  You know, things are always moving in , around and out of here so it's really just a matter of time before these are all for sale too!

This is another photo of the first one, above.  I wanted to show you how this is not a picnic table umbrella, but rather an "attach to your lawn chair," umbrella.  These have come in super handy when we go to festivals or concerts with our low-to-the-ground lawn chairs and need a respite from the sun.  They just attach to the arm of your chair.  Plus it's super cute, right?!

Here is a closer-up view of this one.  I LOVE the vintage bird fabric and green trim. 
So, that's it folks!  My umbrella story. 
what are you deconstructing, reconstructing, upcycling, recycling, making, etc? 
Do share!

Working on a birdie sling,
xo
Jennette

Hive Check

My helper and I did our fall hive check the other day.
Managed to squeeze it in on a warm day, right before the rain came pouring down.


August always gets the smoker ready for me.

Can you see the dark specks on the hive boxes?  I think the bees have Nosema, a common bee illness.  It affects the intestinal tracks of adult bees and is kind of like dysentery in humans.  The characteristic spotting or streaks of mustard-brown feces tipped me off.  So I figured it wouldn't hurt to make them some fall feeding syrup and add the Fumidil-B that helps alleviate the nosema.  I am unaware of any other treatment for nosema.  I do wonder what organic and all-natural beekeepers use.....


Here I have used my hive tool to pry up the top box so I can smoke the bees in between before lifting off the top box.

Lifting off the top box.  Notice how not-heavy it looks.  It only has undrawn frames in it, a few bees and some extra wax. 


The comb you see on top of this hive box is called burr comb.  Its the extra comb the bees build to try to make sure they have the correct "bee space."  They don't like gaps or extra space.  They will fill it up.
The two bottom boxes are full of bees!  Yay!  I wasn't sure what I would find after the first and second swarm.  The top box looks to be full of honey and the bottom box is bees and brood.  Bees need about 60-70 lbs of honey to make it thru the winter.  So it looks like they are good to go.

Here I am using my hive tool to scrape the bottom board.  It slides out so you can get all the waxy, dead bugs, bits and pieces out of there.  Mine had a big slug on it when I pulled it out!  It fits in little slots so you can slide it in and out.
Our cat Boo always has to come check out what's up.

See the jars on top?  Those are the quart jars we use to feed the bees their spring and autumn sugar syrup.  Here we are going to take them off and put clean, refilled, and medicated ones back on.  The metal lids have tiny holes poked in them that the bees stick their tongues in to slurp the syrup out. 
So all in all, I think they might make it through the winter.  They look OK if we can get the nosema under control.  Only time will tell if the two swarms I had this summer were enough to weaken the hive to the point of no return.

Wish us luck!

Sewing pockets on a dress,
xo
Jennette


Vintage Car Pants

Worked on another pair of Oliver+S pants for Jasper this weekend.

We had found this vintage car/transportation material at an estate sale.
Jasper liked it a lot.  But the material was cut in short pieces so I had to make the cars running up and down his legs.  I was able to line up the pattern so the bottom edge sat right on the selvage.  That worked out nicely.

Close-up of material.  We really like the colors.

Here are the finished pants before he tried them on.  I was working on them in stages.  One of those stages was Friday night.  At one point I sewed the waistband on backwards and had to seam-rip it out and begin again.  That's usually when I know its time to take a break!

I used one of his other pair of Oliver+S to get the hem length right.  We make them a tad long and he likes to roll them up sometimes.

All in all, another stunning success with this pattern! 

We had a brilliant idea as we were finishing these up.  Jasper has been attending Roots and Wings at Wilderness Awareness School (WAS) for the past three years but this year he is at Tracks and Tales.  Jasper goes to his Montessori School on Mon., Tues., Thurs. which leaves Wed. and Fri. for other activities.  WAS's class for 7 year olds is on Thursdays so Jasper can't attend.  But we found Tracks and Tales and he LOVES it!  
In Jasper's first year at WAS he was able to fit into a pair of wool Gap pants I had found on consignment at Booty Land.  They were Awesome pants!  We were frequently asked by other parents where and how to get them.  Nice wool pants are not easy to find for small children!  After his first year, we resorted to snow pants most rainy, wet WAS days since the wool pants no longer fit.
Fast forward to last week when Jasper went to his first day at Tracks and Tales and we were scrambling to locate the snow pants.  We found them but they are finally getting too small as well.  They kept the mud and wetness off him but he looked like he was waiting for a flood!
As I was making this latest pair of Oliver+S pants I had a moment of pure clarity and remembered that the reason I had been collecting umpteen bazillion old wool blankets over the last few years was to be able to felt them, cut them, and make cool recycled wool blanket projects.  Originally I was thinking holiday stockings, dog bed cover, ornaments, etc.  But why not pants?!  Yes!  Pants!!
So I washed and felted a few old blankets on Sunday to prepare.  I am super excited to see if I can make this work!  I think I know a few people who might want some wool pants for their kiddos!  I plan to reinforce the knees with a contrasting wool patch, and maybe even add some rear-end patches too!  Jasper always wears his REI long underwear top and bottom as his first layer so that will help the wool not feel itchy.  As soon as I have a prototype, I will show you.  My only worry is that my machine wont want to sew thru the thick parts.  Maybe its time to take the ancient Singer I have sitting in my garage into the shop to see if she can be resurrected!  The work-horse Singer would definitely get the job done!

Off to test out my new running shoes,
xo
Jennette