Vintage Sewing Cards

by Hazel

what do y'all know about these sewing cards?


the back

how old do you think they are?


bear

i have had some before that seemed just as old.


bear, back

I found these on Etsy but they are very cutesy...

mine seem older...



fish

are they mid-century?


fish, back

could they be turn of the last century?


crown

could they be Edwardian?


crown, back

could they be Victorian?


candle

i wonder how old Hazel was when she did these.


candle, back

did her mom help her?


bird house

or her big sister?


birdhouse, back

did she make them in school?


fishing

or by a cozy fire at home?


fishing, back

did you ever have sewing cards?


fish bucket

i don't remember having sewing cards.


fish bucket, back

i'm just curious.

girl

i just wonder.


girl, back

*****

working on some vintage tapestry bags when i have time to sew.  but mostly working in the yard to get it ready for our big music-fest birthday party in June.  we had a stage built!  and the gardens are starting to look fabulous.  finally.

xoxoxox
jennette




Painted Bus

saw this cool painted bus at the grocery store the other day

love seeing artistic expression like this in the rural suburbs

looked like someone could be living in it

what a fun adventure you could have going across country in this!

plenty of space to bring your friends and collect your junk!

this section offers me inspiration for the '61 vintage Fireball, which will be getting a new creative paint job soon.  can't wait!
and i will have updates on the interior progress as well.
you'll be amazed!

xoxox
trying to stop being sick
jennette



Peacock Bag

hi friends!  long time, no post! 
sorry for the bad photos here.  bad lighting.
this is a short, squat, square bag i made from an embroidered peacock runner.
close-up of the peacock embroidery.  there was on one on each end of the runner so i intended to make them into pockets on a bag.
this is the table runner

here is a photo of the inside of the bag.  i used a vintage floral to line the bag and a linen napkin for the inside pocket.

silly self-portrait of me sewing the bag

inside view

i placed the pockets on the end of the bag.  one on each end.  and used some of the left over fringe from the runner to go across the top of each pocket.  i just used some old canvas for the main bag body.

i used a woven fabric strap for the handle.  for some reason i always seem to find these at sales and now have quite a collection to keep using for straps.  you might remember i used one here for the oil painting tote bag.  anywho, this will be for sale soon.  either in my Etsy or down at the shop.  have at it!

off to a dear friends moving away party and trying not to cry,
xoxox
jennette


Suspender Overalls


i found this awesome pair of overalls at the thrift last month.  they had some old stretched out elastic material attached to the strap.  someone did a home job on these.  here is the old elastic strap material:

the blue and white stripes match the overalls but i like the contrast of the straps i used to replace the old ones.  blue and green.  the new straps were born from an old pair of suspenders i had in my stash.  these ones still had some good elastic to them.


i've been wearing my overalls all over town!  they are super comfy and good for working on my bee hives or in the studio.  i can dress them up or dress them down.  i love me a good pair of vintage overalls!


back to work,
xox
jennette


Spring Break 2011

                            
self portrait near the pool at the Copper Queen in Bisbee

the kids and i are back in Arizona for spring break again, staying in my dad's condo.  and we are so excited to be here because our dear friends Jeremy, Kirsten and Clary are visiting Tucson too.  so we get to explore together in other cities besides Seattle!  Kirsten's dad also has a condo here and although we have both been coming to Tucson, to our dads' condos, for many spring breaks now, it has never fallen on the same week.  but this time it did, so yeah for us!

here are jeremy, kirsten and clary as we prepare to leave an incredible outdoor antique show/flea market that i found.  Jer, Kirsten and i live for stuff like this!  this sale happens the first sunday of every month except may-sept since its TOO HOT.  more on the market later.  it was near 90 degrees by the time we left.  jeremy stayed behind and the five of us: kirsten, clary, gus, jasper and i headed to Bisbee and Tombstone.


It's easy to hang out with friends you've known for close to 20 years.  Clary and August have grown up together, and now goof-off like polite cousins or annoying siblings, thanks to Jeremy and Chad being good friends since high school.  Kirsten and i were instant friends when we met 16 years ago, young moms with an artistic bent and a passion for interesting junk!

k and i with big toothy grins.  when i get home i will scan our western outlaw photo we had done.  good times!


Kirsten is super talented and i am honored to be BFF with her.  she is an amazing actress.  she has her own theatre/production company.  he is a fantastic photographer.  she's a genius with writing.  she's the calm, cool, collected mom of a teenage girl.  and she's authentic and inspiring.  yeah, basically she rocks!  So i am always happy and thrilled to spend time with her.


kirsten and i both love odd, unusual, peculiar, strange, different, weird, interesting "things" so it was a no-brainer that we would want to explore an old mining town and stay in a haunted hotel. 
it's not everyones cup of tea but we were wishing and hoping for ghosts and spirits, at the Copper Queen in Bisbee, in a major way. 


Jasper swears we were visited by Billy the 8 year old ghost on floor 4.  well.  how else do you explain the room door opening up, over and over again, and his dimes and nickles being spread out on the bedside table in a different configuration than how he had left it before passing out the night before?  huh?!  how do you?! 


after shopping, eating, wandering and sleeping in Bisbee, we headed to tombstone.  yes.  THE Tombstone.  it was hot, dry and dusty, just like you'd expect.  it was for real!  the real deal!

it's a trough silly, not a coffin

love the peel-y-ness

the horses looked too hot.  and so were we.

ok.  who does this to a baby girl?

or this?  well.  kinda funny

bandits

enter at your own risk

inside bird cage theatre

dusty old books.  the best kind.

teenagers swingin in the desert

love old font and typography

and some more

and more

plumb tuckered out

the southwest is pretty rad!  if you ever get a chance to check it out, go for it!  there is so much to do and see.  i still have plenty on my list to get to and we have been coming down here for a while now.  have fun friends!  explore.  travel.  be well and live adventurously!

adios!
xoxox
jennette






Becoming 8

sayulita, mexico, new years 2011

today my little boy turned 8.  my baby.  he's 8 now. 

how did this happen?  where does time go?  why does it seem to go faster now?  i want so desperately to slow time down.  to make it go at my pace.  to hold on to this boy for as long as possible. 

it doesn't help that his big brother is turning 16.  and i feel like i only really "have him", the 16 year old, August, for two more years. i can only "control him" and "bend him" and "influence him" for just two more years.  i hate this.  i don't like it. at. all.  where does time go?  the passing of the days needs to be controlled, bent, and influenced.  to my will.  my way.  stop.  slow down already.  just go a little slower.  please.

picasso exhibit, SAM, 1/11


skiing, stevens pass, 3/11

eating cupcakes waiting to get into KEXP dance party, Halloween, 10/10

amassing energy to carve pumpkins 10/10

carving 10/10

w/ gma and gpa, chelan, 9/10

soccer 9/10

chelan summer 2010

farm to table dinner, our csa, willie greens, summer 2010

showing me his sit spot, between the weeping willows and high bush blueberries, in our yard, summer 2010

handmade wool felt owl costume, from new orleans, fall 2010

on the ferry, on our way to family reunion in port angeles, 8/10

playing fiddle for family at reunion 8/10

salt creek sea monster 8/10

silly putty on the way to pickathon, 8/10

at the blueberry farm, after picking and pig petting, summer 2010

fishing lake roesigner 4th of july 2010

summer knitting 2010

hard day swimming at the lake, summer 2010

freckles, sayulita, mexico 1/11

leaving sayulita, 1/11

cup cafe, hotel congress, tucson, spring break, 4/2011

94 degrees, spring break, tucson, 4/11

when august was this age, becoming 8, jasper was born.  jasper was born on a spring day, at home, in a cozy dark room, with birds singing outside the window.  he was born in the caul and and it was magical.  i will never forget the feeling of empowerment that i got from birthing jasper naturally, at home, with chad and august there too.  this little creature came into the world as fiery, demanding and strong as he is today.  he quickly acquired the names jazzmanian devil and sassparilla gorilla because he was sassy and snarffuley and full of "tude." 
but he was cute and lovable and curious. 
and today he rocks my world. 
today he still thinks i am the bees knees, the cream of the crop, the cherry on top and the one he will marry!
he still likes to cuddle, hug and kiss on the lips.
i LOVE 7, turning 8.  it's glorious.  even in it's dark moments, which don't last long, because this kid is Hilarious with a capitol H!  not a day goes by that i don't almost pee my pants from something this kid, says, does, sings, makes up, tells, yells, acts out, teases, jokes, or reports.  it's non stop with this one and its the best. 
the. best. i tell ya.
he's a keeper.
and he's mine.

xoxox
jennette




Hotel Congress Cafe (kinda)

Hi Friends!

the boys and i are in Tucson for spring break again and i have a couple posts i am working on to show you our adventures and discoveries.  the posts will be out of order but i wanted to show you what it's like these days when i take my boys out in public.  it's a real blast, let me tell ya!  Here we are at the Hotel Congress, Cup Cafe, where we visit and eat every time we are here. and just look:































good times, friends.  good times.  oh yeah.  see.  see what i'm dealin with. 
these two are about to be half as old and twice as old as each other, for the first, last, and only time in their lives. 8 and 16.  in less than a month.  wish me luck my friends.  wish me luck.

xoxoxox
jennette.  in tucson.  alone.  with two boys.

Blood, Bones, Butter

i am determined to start showing y'all some of the things i read, listen to and come across in the literary/media world, on this blog.  many of you know that i spend a crazy amount of time in the car chauffeuring my kids around and generally getting out and about so i end up listening to a LOT of books on CD.  (I also watch a LOT of movies in the evenings so they will be revealed here too)
 
it should be noted here that i do belong to a book club wherein we read historical fiction and i have been known to "read" the book by "listening" to it!  i cheat.  and i digress.

recently i came across a review of this book, Blood, Bones and Butter: the Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton. 

OK.  lots of you know i consider myself a "foodie".  totally amateur, for sure, but a foodie non-the-less.  i have much, much, much to learn about food, ingredients, methods, etc.  but boy do i love me some good beautiful delicious food.  and almost more than food, well not more than, but a close tie, i love books (or CDs!) about food.  i could go on and on about my favorite books being the ones about food, memoirs about cooking, details of what someone ate, and most especially any book that has recipes included. 

i got started in that particular genre by reading (yes, actually reading!) When French Women Cook by Madeleine Kamman.  then i read The Tenth Muse by Judith Jones (who published Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking).  then i read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  then i read a Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg. 

well. life just wasn't the same.

(it kinda freaks me out to think that there are likely hundreds of more books out there, like this, that i don't yet know about.  i want to read them all and i can't wait!)

So Blood, Bones and Butter does not have recipes.  but i am telling you, it does not matter.

I LOVED THIS MEMOIR!

Gabrielle Hamilton writes from a place of poetry, honesty and pure brilliance.  all about food and life.  a magical life.  you will laugh, be shocked, cringe, and cry.  yes.  it's that good!

you know how when you are reading/watching/listening/seeing/witnessing something SO GOOD you don't want it to end and if you have the power or the will, you slow it down so it won't end?  ok.  that's this book.

it's about eating.  and cooking.  and finding your way.  and the ups and downs of life.  it's funny.  and it's ordinary in an extraordinary way. it's about her 30 seat restaurant Prune, in New York.  and a lot more.

Mario Batali says: "she has raised the bar for all books about eating and cooking"

Anthony Bourdain says: "Simply the best memoir by a chef ever.  EVER."

but don't take their word for it.  or mine.  run as fast as you can to your local book store or library and grab this book (or CD).  you won't be sorry.

and since i did listen to it on CD, and Gabrielle reads it herself, (which i love when the author reads their own book,) i think you should listen to it.  i'll just say that.  listen to it if you can.  and know that it is not completely "clean" if there are little ears around.  not clean, but oh so worth it!

Enjoy!

xoxo
jennette 





Ribbon

i finally put up a dowel/rod in my studio to hang all my favorite ribbon on.  those of you who know me well know i have a package wrapping and ribbon addiction!

i hung this right above my sewing machine area so it is easy to access.  no more rummaging thru plastic bins in the garage since
i use a lot of ribbon, a lot of the time!

all my ribbon that was not on spools now fits in one smaller container right under my sewing machine desk.  yeah!  all my ribbon is out of the garage!

looking for something to wrap and ribbon-ify,
xoxoxox
jennette

Corn Bag Cushion

here is the finished chaise lounge cushion i recovered for my friend Kathy.  it turned out even better then i had hoped and Kathy loves it!  i love it too! 
here is the original cushion:

the cover i made slips right over this and opens in the back for easy removal.

here is a close up of one of the vintage feed sacks i used.  I used three in all.  Kathy had bought them especially for this project and she gave me a cotton curtain panel to use for the back fabric.

here are the sacks layed out in the initial stages.

trying to show you the red double top stitching i did on the top to tie all the pieces together.  i will show you the overlapping "pocket opening" in the back.  it's just like you might see on a euro sham pillow:


so there you have it.  another cover up!  Kathy is using vintage ticking pillows to go around the back side of this, where your head, neck, and back would rest.  i bet it looks really good all together.

off to work on more painting bags.  i know i've said it a hundred times but i am trying to get several bags done so when i get back from Tucson i can list a bunch of stuff at once in my Etsy shop.  wish me luck.  fingers crossed.

xoxox
jennette


Bite Me

i found this plate at the thrift a few weeks ago.  i have been looking for pretty plates to write silly messages on like i have seen on Etsy.  this one has pears and cherries so i figured, "Bite Me" was appropriate!

here is the plate without the words

the back already had a hanger on it

i do not own a porcelaine pen yet so this time i used adhesive letter stickers and then varnished with clear matte shellac to finish it off and make it last and be durable for longevity.

i have a few other blurbs i want to try out on plates and dishes but i will wait until i have the porcelaine pen since you can paint or draw whatever you want, bake it in the oven for a few, and then have a new creation made.  lots of exciting possibilities with this!

the "bite me" plate is down at the shop for sale.

skiing the Cascades,
xoxoxo
jennette

TEDxHouston - Brené Brown



I am so in love with this woman!  Everything she speaks rings so true for me it brings me to tears.  I have ordered her DVD and will be watching her PBS special.  Please, please, please take the twenty minutes to watch this video.  If you are a woman, a man, a mother, a father, a partner, a friend, a sister, or brother, if you are an artist and try to live a creative authentic life, then this is for you!  Enjoy and begin to be transformed!   xoxox  - Jennette

Another Basket Liner

made another basket liner to sell at the shop.

here is the plain basket, long and rectangular.

here is the basket laid out on the piece of floral linen i used to make the liner.  now that i look at it, i like this "wrong side" fadedness much more than the "right side" brightness. 
i did actually try to bleach out the fabric a bit first but it didn't react to the bleaching.
not. at. all.

here is the fabric laid out and ready to be sewn up to make the corners.

here is the liner draped over the basket before i made the casing for the drawstring ribbon.

and here's a final look at the lined basket.

i'm in a "lining" mood but now need to shift to a "recovering" mood.
Kathy has hired me to do more sewing for her again.  this time it's to recover a lounge cushion in old vintage corn feed sacks.  i will show you the whole project as soon as i am finished.  Kathy and i agreed to do half trade, half cash for this job. 
and i absolutely cannot wait to show you what i am getting in trade!  it is to die for!  at least to me.  y'all know how much i like weird stuff.  well this is gonna be right up the "so weird it's the coolest thing ever" alley.  just wait!

cooking lobster ravioli with a shallot, lemon, olive oil, cream and parsley sauce for jasper and my dinner.  can i get a "hell yes!"?  i thought so! :)
xoxox
jennette



Adele - Rolling In The Deep



having a friday night dance party in the kitchen to Adele!  HELLO!  have you heard Rolling In the Deep?!!!  I dare you, double dog dare you, to sit still while you listen to this!  get up!  move!  shake your booty and dance your arse off!

  its good friends!  real, real good!

enjoy!

xoxox
jennette

(p.s.  i am desperately seeking 2 tickets to see Adele on June 1st at the Paramount in Seattle.  she was originally playing at the Showbox and they moved the show to the Paramount for more room and it STILL sold out!  i'm desperate!  help a girl out if ya can!  thanks loves!)

Sheep Bag

this is the bag i made out of a vintage feed sack i found at an antique show in the fall.  the bag has been done for a while now.  i was trying to wait to post about it until i had my Etsy shop all up and running so i could list it there.  but alas, nothing in the Etsy shop yet.  yet....  but there will be!

the folks i bought this from said they found at an estate sale on the Colville Reservation here in Washington state, on the east side.

a close up

here the pattern is being layed out.  it was important to me to use up every single bit of print i could.

this piece ended up becoming a big divided outside pocket


i threw in this photo to show you the double row of top stitching detail i do on all the pockets and edges.  it gives a nice finished look.

i used a vintage print dress for the lining of the bag.  the square part cut out of the bust turned into this:

one of the inside pockets! with original seams and tip of v-neck, etc.

here is the back side of the bag with the wide strip made into three separate outside pockets.  i used the back of the sheep feed sack for the back of the bag.  and like i said, i was trying to use up every bit of print the bag had so i got some on the handle too.  i really like the worn look and all the markings of age and wear and tear.  some people look at them as blemishes.  i look at them as character.

a look inside the finished bag

so there you have it folks!  the sheep bag has been a big hit with my friends, three of which say they want it.  i will certainly publish a little post about it when it's up for grabs on Etsy.  stay tuned!

deciding on a new tattoo design,
xoxox
jennette


February Finds

the studio mascots got new hats!  found these very small vintage party hats at second saturdayz

this is the second one of these i have found.  this one at ruffles and rust.  the other one is a much brighter blue.  and it's for sale down at the mall.  but i will be turning this one into a pin cushion.  stay tuned and i will show you the results soon....
the little lame prince and his traveling cloak





also from ruffles and rust.  it had such great picture plates i couldn't resist


just found this at ruffles and rust too.

already had this similar one and had to show ya!

found this at second saturdayz.  i definitely have a thing for little pouches/purses/wallets, especially leather or beaded!  i'll try to get a post together of all the ones in my possession to show you soon!

yes.  this is a velvet painting.  i know.  you think it's strange.  but i LOVE this!  i found it at goodwill.  it was marked over $20.  i asked to speak to the manager and pointed out its slight and minimal flaws to her, asking if it could be reduced in price.  of course, she said, how about $10?  Sold!

this is a nice old piece of oak that used to have "scrolly" decorative wood pieces attached to it.  i love how you can see where the pieces were.  it gives it a cool patina/look.

i will most likely incorporate this piece into a "crazy quilt" headboard i am working on for our king size bed, incorporating the east coast blue shutters i found last summer and incorporating a few other pieces of found wood.  i'll show you if/when i ever get around to completing it!

another old doll to embroider.  my sister in law Jamie found me this one.

another vintage velvet box.  this one blue.  more on the velvet box collection coming soon!

i have been looking for one of these forever for our vintage 1961 Fireball travel trailer.  yes, ours is a travel trailer, not a mobile home, technically, but the decal on the plate looks so similar to our little Fireball!  so i am trying to decide if i will go all out ghetto and cross out "mobile home" with a Sharpie and write in Travel Trailer, or not!

a vintage camera strap!!!!  Love!!!

this $3 necklace from the thrift bought for the tigers eye beads.  i have been a Complete FREAK lately over tigers eye!  Swoon!


a perfectly green hull coffee mug.  maybe for the Fireball...

i think that might be just about it for February Finds.  i did get some new fabrics that i will be making stuff with but i'll show you those when they become something :)

folding fabrics and finding storage,
(wish me luck!)
xoxoxxx
jennette



Get Your Paint On Week 3


two pictures of the same thing, in different light.  this weeks assignment was to pick four items from around the house that we love the color of and try to match those colors as close as possible by mixing our paints.  the miniature red purse, pink feathers, green piece of wood from our old house, and blue chippy stool were my choices.

in progress

finished piece.

since we could paint any subject matter using our four colors, i wanted to try something really simple this week.  i didn't want a bunch of detail like last week.  i wish i had a more intuitive sense of shadowing and highlighting.  i don't automatically know where to shade and highlight so i get frustrated.  here i was looking at a wine bottle and just had to decided on where the light source could be coming from.  these are odd colors and not at all realistic so it was tougher for me. 
week 4 is all about composition.  we have a list of about 10 elements of composition and we are to pick one or two of them when focusing on our choice of painting.  i just saw a photo of a one room church in the Andes mountains in Peru that i want to try painting so i will be back to show you when that's finished.  the photo is in an online magazine and i cannot figure out how to lift the image to show you here so i will try making a link to it so you can see the original photo i base my painting off of if ya want....

making pasta with huge shavings of parmigiano reggiano,
xoxoxxxo
jennette