Scrunchies

I don't think I ever posted any pictures of the scrunchie I made my dear sister. So instead of posting the photos I have on my home computer of the sunny weekend in Central Park hubby and I had or my new handmade skirt or shirt, I will show you this little ditty. This is some of my all time favorite fabric - it's Laura Ashley from a thrifted dress (it was a size 10 with a full skirt - plenty of perfect fabric!).

I think I did mention that dear aforementioned sister gave me her super sentimental April Cornell scrunchie. My favorite detail on that beauty is the little ridges sewn in every few inches.

Isn't that just so pretty? Here is my attempt to copy that detail in the new scrunchie:

This was such an easy project. Basically I just cut a 5 inch wide strip of fabric that was about, oh I don't know, 4 feet long? Something like that. Obviously the longer the fabric, the more ruffly the scrunchie. Then I put in 4 ridges every 5 or 6 inches, put right sides together and sewed it into a tube. After pulling it right side out, I used elastic I robbed from another less desirable scrunchie and inserted it, tied it together securely, then blind-stitched the fabric ends together (being sure I didn't twist the tube). And wahla! A luxuriously ruffly scrunchie with pretty little ridges. Hopefully soon I will get my butt in gear and post some of my new projects before the week is up.

Sick Day

I have been SICK for the last few days *shudder* I hate being sick. Yesterday I left work around 1:00 to rest at home for the afternoon, which was WONDERFUL. I hardly ever take sick days (even yesterday wasn't an entire sick day). I spent most of my resting time sewing - I can't wait to paint/sew/knit full time, it really doesn't seem like work to me, even when it's annoying. So I finally have a little project to show you - I made this yesterday after getting frustrated for the 54th time with my little tomato pin cushion levetating when I tried to pull out a pin. ARGH. This hefty dude is packed with cedar sawdust from my wood crafty brother-in-law, and underneath that it's packed with yarn and fabric scraps. Whenever I reach for a pin or stick one in, I smell cedar :) I did this with Christmas presents for my sisters, mom, and g'ma too - they double as sachets for those who don't sew.


I used the pattern from Last Minute Patchwork and Sewing Gifts, which is awesome. I thought the most important part of the instructions was the order you put the pieces together. Very neat and tidy, and I never would have thought of it.

These are some of my absolute favorite fabrics. Some are even sacred - like the yellow flowers. I have no idea what that was originally used for, but it was in my mother's sewing cabinet when I was younger and I think my sister used it for something. Mmmm. Anyway it's from the early days of my sewing experience, so it's sacred. Same for the purple with pink flowers. The blue & cream floral is a scrap from the quilt I made my husband for our wedding (I need to post a picture of that at some point), the paisly, gingham and red floral (Laura Ashley!) are thrifted, and the black and white rose is new - it's from a futon cushion cover someone discarded from my apartment building. Ahee. My hubby wasn't thrilled that I ripped it off and used it - even thought I DID wash it in clorox.


The spirals are from an April Cornell skirt I sacrificed to the sewing gods. Again, my hubby was not thrilled that I sacrificed that skirt. I still feel guilty :( I need to start buying fabric soon...

I used this yesterday to finish my sister's birthday present - I'm ITCHING to post her presents, but will attempt to be patient.

New Obsession

I have a couple of new projects to show you - one I have been too lazy to take pictures of, and the other is a present, so it will have to wait until after May 1. Meanwhile I shall inform you of my new obsession - sewing my own wardrobe! My only problem is buying fabric :( It involves money, and well, I am the miserly sort. Once I can see myself clear to buying some, I will be going APE BANANAS making almost everything on burdastyle.com. People, these patterns are COOL, and they are also FREE (well most of them anyway). I can't stop imaging me wearing my own handmade jeans with the most awesomely cool pockets you've ever seen, or a knock-off designer dress, or this adorable ruffly shirt. I'm gone man, gone. Totally in love. I also broke down and bought this amazing jumper pattern from risingfeenix.com (it is a genuine vintage 1960's pattern!!!). Well it IS my birthday soon.

Once I try a few of the patterns from burdastyle and this gorgeous jumper pattern, I want to try built by wendy patterns. Then I will conquer the world!

My Talented Sister

Thanks for your feedback on the brush delimma - I'm still torn! Argh. I'll let you know what I end up doing. Check this out:


Handmade goodness from my uber-talented sister - a GORGEOUS bowl! She has been taking a ceramics class on week nights and this is her first (yes, that's right, FIRST) coil pot project. !!! Isn't it just the living end? I love the colors, love the irregular lines around the outside (looks like the ocean, doesn't it?), and I LOVE the little spirals around the rim. It really does remind me of the sea.


This was meant to be a cereal bowl...but that almost seems too lowly a destiny for such a chic little coil pot. I imagine once I get a decent apartment I'll put it out on a coffee table or something. Eek, nevermind. I just thought about knocking it over. Mmm. This will take some careful thought...


Here is the rest of the package she sent (she puts together some amazing packages I tell you). She sent some of Jane Iredale's new makeup, and a lovely little pad that has a magnetic closure to protect the pages...perfect for throwing into a purse or bag.

I am spoiled ROTTEN. I'm also thrilled to pieces because this year hubby and I are vacationing in sunny SC for my birthday and aforementioned talented sister's birthday. Our birthdays are back-to-back, and two years apart :) There were a few years growing up that we hated it - both of us wanted all the attention, but we eventually loved it. One way we learned to love it is making each other birthday banners out of long rolls of paper. We haven't had a chance to do that in YEARS and we're actually doing it again this year!!! I'm so excited I could squeal! Whatever cake we end up getting, we plan to decorate it with colorful icing, put up balloons and streamers, and have a good old-fashioned birthday party like we did when we were kids. I CAN'T WAIT!! Maybe we could even get in some roller skating. That had to be my all time favorite activity growing up. SC, here we come!

Dilemma

My hubby gave me a very sweet Christmas present - a $200 gift certificate to Eva Scrivo's salon here in Manhattan. My dilemma is how to use the moolah. My original plan was to buy this here Mason Pearson brush:

It is supposed to have magical powers to calm frizz by transferring the natural oils from your scalp throughout your hair. It accomplishes this feat through it's boar's hair bristles. It is also handmade in England. It is also friggin expensive. Potentially more than my gift certificate (WTF!?!) depending on the size I would get. So a week ago I was convinced I would get this brush. But then, I wonder now if I should try getting a fancy shmancy hair cut at the salon instead. Martha Stewart goes there, after all. I have very long, all the same length, wavyish, frizzyish hair. Hubby was thinking if I want to try something new (but still long - I think his world would be thrown into an alternate dimension if I were to cut it short), that I might want to cash in while I'm here in fancy shmancy NYC. Apparently the professionals at Eva Scrivo's salon also have magical powers called the "Uncut", which is a layered cut which claims to not need a blow dryer to look cool. !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate blowing my hair...I always end up looking like a poodle who stuck its tail in a socket. Also my arms have somehow never gotten used to being held up above my shoulders for that length of time. That is a tiredness I despise more than frizz. Also I hate the idea of being dependent on a hair dryer when traveling, AND I hate the idea of heat ruining my already frizzy hair. So you see my dilemma? What should I do?!? On the one hand, I have this magical frizz defying brush. On the other, a potentially cool looking 'do. Both would undoubtedly go above and beyond the gift certificate. Indecision I hate you!!!

Happy Easter!

Many happy returns on this Easter Monday :) I'm still confused as to why Easter is in March this year...does anyone know the reason? I have always associated Easter with April...mmm. Perhaps I'll celebrate Eastern Orthodox Easter this year - I think they're having it in April. Warmish weather seems to be a prerequisite for egg hunts in my mind. I'm telling you - as soon as I'm geographically close enough to my family to celebrate these sorts of holidays, I'm going to arrange an egg hunt. You're never too old to hunt for eggs!! Or to stuff your face with chocolate. Or put flowers in each other's hair. I remember one magical Easter I spent at my grandmother's house with all my cousin's when she let us pick whatever flowers we wanted out of her garden and put them all in each other's hair :) Very, very fun stuff. I miss Grandma :( She always had the coolest, most impossible-to-find places to hide the prize egg, which was always purple. One year she hid it in the knot of a tree behind a bird's nest!! She was so fun. I always think of her when Easter comes around.

Here is an image of one of my all time favorite cartoons - Disney's "Funny Little Bunnies" (1934). It's a Silly Symphony, and is one of the sweetest possible cartoons. Here is a link to it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZAnOab5zoU

Putting Myself in Imaginary Shoes

Oh how I wish I could go on a shoe-buying blitz on Anthropologie's website. Aren't these just so lovely? MAN I love these things.

There are so many cute shoes, and they're all over $100. Sigh. One day I will splurge. My mother actually splurged on a $128 pair of flip flops for me years ago. They also were from Anthropologie - gorgeous things. They're wooden platforms painted dark turquoise with elaborate beaded flowers on the velvet thongs. I've worn them only a couple of times (I have been a fashion victim most of my life - only VERY recently am I starting to pull together my weird tastes into cute outfits). If my family is able to get together for a beach trip this summer, I plan to bring along my fab flip flops to wear with a little summer dress. These are also some shoes I've fallen in love with:

They remind me of the movie "In Her Shoes." That movie was wonderful, and the shoes were just yummy. Upon further reflection, these do look a tad strange.....I am an artist after all. If I'm not going to dye my hair blue, at least I can wear some weird shoes, right?