i'll have another (pair of pajama shorts, that is)

I was so smitten with my first pair of pajama shorts that I immediately sewed another pair. This time I made a size medium, which is a fantastic fit (Liesl said she up-sizes too for a comfier fit--something to keep in mind if you decide to make a pair for yourself). I went very von Trapp family with this pair because I used a vintage curtain I bought at the flea market a few years back. I love the fabric and have been saving it for something special. I hesitated to use it on pajama shorts, thinking maybe I should save it for something I'll actually wear out of the house, but decided that I'll get tons of wear out of these shorts and having this fabric in my daily life will make me happy. Really, can you look at that flowery pattern and not smile? I can't. It's a riot of color, and it brings whimsy to my days. That's a pretty big feat for a humble pair of pajama shorts.

* * * 

P.S. You know I've got another pair already in the works, right? I can't stop. I'm not sure how many pairs of pajama shorts is enough, but I haven't reached my limit yet. If you'd like to make your own, I wholeheartedly recommend Liesl's free pattern and tutorial.

P.P.S. I've found my crafting has shifted with the seasons more than ever this year. Now that it's warming up, I only want to knit with fingering weight yarn, particularly linen, I've been spending evenings at the sewing machine, and I've even picked up my crochet hook and thread again. Have your habits shifted much with the seasons this year?

carefree pajama shorts

The other day I sewed a pair of pajama shorts from a vintage sheet. The fabric is funky in a good way; it makes me feel like I just fell out of a childhood summer circa 1970. They're a pretty carefree pair of shorts, and if I were younger they would be the perfect pair to wear while riding my banana-seat bicycle around the block or maybe walking to the ice cream parlor a couple streets over. Instead, they're my new favorite pajama shorts, definitely too loud and colorful to wear in public.

The other night was a perfect spring night--warm enough to wear these shorts to sit outside and watch the stars come out, but cool enough that a cup of hot tea made a cozy companion. Summer is coming mighty fast, but I'm enjoying the spring nights while they last, soaking in the stars and mosquito-free breezes, bare-legged except for a pair of handmade pajama shorts.

* * *

I've already got another pair cut out and ready to sew, a size medium this time. The size small fit, but I think the mediums will be comfier. If you want to make a pair of your own, pop on over to Liesl's blog for the excellent tutorial. 

to keep her warm

{ta-da moment}

{quilting}

{handsewing the binding}

{taking it for a test run while I do some knitting. yep, the quilt works just fine.}

 {finished. hooray!}

Finally, I can show you what I was working on for my mom's birthday. A quilt! My sister and I made this together. It was fun to collaborate on it (and to have someone help with all that ironing and pinning!).

I was so excited to give this quilt to Mom. It may have been the most excited I've ever been to give a gift. She loved it! And I love knowing that she's keeping the winter cold at bay by snuggling under a handmade quilt.

Although the quilt is far from perfect, I have good memories of making it with my sister, and I learned so much about quilting from the process. Mom and I made a couple of baby quilts together before Jude was born, but she did the bulk of the finishing on those. This was the first quilt I took the lead on and actually felt like I kind of knew what to do. There was lots of Googling, of course!

Our brick quilt was inspired by Alicia's rectangle quilt. We cut our fabric into 6-inch by 3.5-inch rectangles and used 1/4-inch seams throughout. We backed it with vintage pink flannel and used an antique-rose-colored fabric for the binding. I've heard people say that handsewing the binding is their favorite part (perhaps there's something meditative about it?), but I didn't find that to be true for me. It took a lot of chocolate to get me through that sewing, and at the end I had to scrub chocolate out of the quilt (oops!). I forgot to measure the completed quilt, but it's lap-sized.

I'm already looking forward to the next quilt I make! You can find my sewing inspiration here.

* * *

Stay warm, friends!

* 

rolling stone

 

This boy keeps me busy. He started rolling over a couple weeks ago and now likes to roll back and forth. He rolled across an entire room yesterday. And he's found his feet. What fun! 

He makes the funniest throaty squeals and yelps, but they are the sweetest sounds to this mama's ears.

He'll be five months old tomorrow. They've been the longest and fastest and fullest five months of my life. 

* * * 

The flannel quilt was handmade by a friend of the family. It's really soft and big enough for me to keep warm under too.

woodland quilt (and a sweater in july)

{baby surprise jacket}

{woodland quilt}

{kick, kick}

Whew. My baby can't even crawl yet, and I'm already worn out. He seems to become more active every day. Suddenly he's splashing in the tub, blowing raspberries, and grabbing everything he can. How does he learn this stuff overnight? My days of taking photos of him laying still are limited, so I better show you this quilt while I can.

My mom and I made this quilt together when I was pregnant. We made a practice quilt first, then dived right into this Timber and Leaf fabric. I love the modern woodsy vibe and the cute animals (the deer are my favorite). We're both new at quilt-making, so it was fun to learn together on this simple patchwork. I did the cutting and arranging, and Mom did all of the sewing on this one. We used five-inch squares, and the finished quilt is approximately 36 by 45 inches. We've been using the quilt as a play mat for now, but I'm sure when he's older he'll be snuggling under this mama- and Gigi-made quilt, finding bears, foxes, birds, and deer before he falls asleep.

* * *

And yes, it is much too hot and humid in Kentucky to actually wear sweaters and booties at this time of year, but I couldn't resist trying these on. They fit (darn!). I made the Baby Surprise Jacket as part of a knit along before I was even pregnant, so I had no idea on sizes. And the booties were too cute not to knit, even though I had a hunch they'd fit him during the height of summer. I'll just have to make some booties in a larger size for him to wear this winter.

a friend quilt

This handmade quilt has become our downstairs playtime quilt. It's where J spends his time taking in this big world, one room at a time, and where he gets some much-loved tummy time. 

I swear, this kid can't wait to crawl. He lifts himself up and kicks his feet something fierce. After several minutes of not actually going anywhere, he gets tired and sucks his hand. That's pretty much the extent of playtime at five weeks of age. Sometimes we read him a book or attempt to interest him in toys, but generally he's content to lie on his quilt and marvel at all there is to see, such as dust bunnies under the couch and vast expanses of white ceiling (exciting stuff!).  

The quilt was a gift from my longtime blogging friend Amy, who writes the blog During Quiet Time. She's an extraordinary seamstress who makes complicated paper-pieced patterns and screen prints. I love this fun, colorful quilt she made, and I love that it reminds me of her every time we use it. You can see her post about the quilt here. Thanks, Amy!

* * *

{P.S. Jan wrote about the baby gift basket from my previous post and included links to the tutorials she used. It's a great resource if you've got babies to sew for!}

basket of goodies

I promised to show off some of the handmade baby things we've received, so here's a start!

K's aunt Jan (who blogs about her sewing, spinning, and knitting here) sent us a basket full of goodies she sewed just for our little guy. She chose such great colors, too: bright yellow and blue with red accents.

Want to see what's inside?

Appliqued boat towels and a personalized bib, all which look so pretty and pristine. I joked with Jan that the baby will be allowed to use them only when he is clean. ;) And the item at the top that looks like a cute clutch, that's a portable changing pad.

It folds out to the perfect size and even includes a pocket, which will be great for stashing cloth wipes. I've already tucked this into the diaper bag so it's ready to use. 

* * * 

I hope you're all doing well! I've been reading your blogs on my phone, but comments take ages to type out on it, so you may find I've been quiet lately. My hope is that once J and I get into a routine I'll have a little time to keep up with blogging and commenting. 

these days

J at three weeks

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments to welcome our baby! You all are the best! 

* * * 

More than three weeks have passed since Baby J entered the world, and it seems that we're just coming up for air. We've been in a fog of newborn busyness: a fog both delightful (tiny toes and fingers to kiss! milky cheeks to cuddle! baby smiles and grimaces to coo over!) and overwhelming (how is he hungry when he just finished eating? he's gone through how many diapers today? why is he crying?).

Each day feels remarkably the same, and with the lack of sleep, my timeline is hopelessly skewed. My husband and I have lost track of when things happened. "When was that?" we ask each other. "One of the days that came before today," has become the reply.

However, we are finally finding a little rhythm to our days and getting more comfortable in our new roles. This week I squeezed in a tiny bit of gardening, bread baking, knitting, and walking. And even though I barely made a dent in the weeds and I'm knitting a sweater that may never fit (what size will my body be come winter?) those moments felt like some of the biggest accomplishments.

My favorite moments of all, though, are holding J for the first time each morning. His chubby body is always still warm from being swaddled, and he looks up at me with the brightest blue eyes. *Swoon*

* * *

P.S. My mom and I made the baby quilt in the photo as our practice quilt. It was the first real quilt for both of us. I received the vintage sheet squares a long time ago from this prolific quilter and had been saving them for just the right project. Also, I still need to take photos of the other quilt my mom and I made and some handmade goodies people made for J. I'll post them soon-ish (on some day that comes after today).

lavender blue

I sewed some simple lavender sachets for Christmas, using a variety of blue fabrics from my stash and a heaping bag of lavender from the bulk herb store. I packaged them in sets of three and gave them away to scent the wardrobes of the recipients. Of course, I kept a set for myself. They're squirreled away in my hand-knitted sweater drawer to keep away moths. Each time I pull out a sweater to wear, I get to smell like lavender all day. It's my favorite.

I used this Purlbee tutorial until the final sewing step. Sometime on December 23rd I decided that I didn't have time to blind stitch all the sachets closed (or you know, time to learn how to blind stitch). So I machine-stitched the sachets closed, which looks less polished but serves the same purpose.

* * * 

I'm still knitting away on my blue Featherweight. I don't want to jinx it, but I'm getting ready to start the second sleeve. Lately I've been knitting in bed each night and listening to these lullabies. Lavender Blue is one of my favorites to sing along to. It's worth a listen, even for adults. 

*

I hope you're finding some calm moments this week.

a knitting bag

Good morning! It's a chilly but sunny Friday morning here, and I have only eight coffee-fueled hours of editing ahead of me before the weekend officially begins! Then it's on to game night, the farmers' market, a bluegrass festival, and a day with K's parents. 

I'll be sure to take my new knitting bag along with me everywhere I go this weekend. Yes, I sewed a knitting bag to store my knitted bag. My Dejeuner Bag needed a bag of its own to keep the yarn from tangling, so I dug out some vintage sheet scraps and made this simple drawstring bag. Now, I'm not the most intuitive seamstress, so it has taken me a number of tries to find a method to make a decent drawstring bag. And now that I've finally found one, I've got visions of making many more. They're fast, useful, and pretty sweet. For this one here I used ribbon that my grandma gave me and leftover sheet fabric from these projects. The felt heart patch covers a hole in the fabric.


I'm easing back into sewing. I'm still such a beginner, and I hate being bad at things! But lately I've been feeling the itch to sew. I want try to make a skirt soon (one of these fabrics would look great!).

crafting

Lately my mind is buzzing with projects that I want to make right now. Nevermind that I've got several Christmas projects that I haven't even started. No, now is the time to make myself some bunny slippers, knit myself a cardigan, and crochet stars for Christmas package decorations. I may end up with nothing to put in those packages, but rest assured that they'll be gorgeously decorated empty boxes.

I've been logging plenty of crafting hours, which means I get to spend lots of time in my upstairs craft room. It's so cozy up there! I've also been listening to a ton of podcasts and thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you.

Patient Zero - Radiolab Fascinating exploration of the history of HIV and SIV. This podcast episode made me long for my days as an anthropology major when my favorite professor deemed everything "fascinating." I think she'd like this.

Unintentional Spinners - Just One More Row Um, so, I have this urge to add another craft to my repertoire. It started when I watched women spinning yarn at the state fair. This podcast episode only added fuel to the fire. The hosts of this show, Brittany and Dana, always sound like they're having so much fun (and they have lovely twangy voices). I've promised myself not to start spinning until after Christmas.

[Every episode] - The Moth The Moth makes me happy. If you don't listen to it yet, you should start. It's real people telling true, unscripted stories, and it's always compelling.

* * * 

Are you a podcast listener? What are you favorites? 

I'm always looking for new ones to try!

picnic blanket

breakfast picnic/photo shoot

After eyeing Amanda's blanket for ages, I finally got around to sewing a vintage sheet picnic blanket of my own. The bright colors and crazy floral patterns make for a festive summer outing. K and I have been enjoying the heck out of it and inviting our friends and family to come share it with us. I'm looking forward to using this blanket even more when the weather cools off in September and October (fingers crossed--it will eventually cool down, right?).

Our friend Christine relaxed on the blanket while listening to a concert by the river.

K rested while my sister and I played gin rummy.

Mom, K, Julie, and I all squeezed on the blanket to play one of our favorite new card games, No Thanks!. 

* * * 

For my next picnic blanket, I'd like to use a thicker backing and make the whole thing a block or two bigger. The chenille I used to back this blanket is on the thin side, so we layer another blanket underneath for cushioning and to sop up any moisture from the grass. 

(Photos by Christine, me, and my mom)

welcome

My friend Christine is coming to visit today!

K and I became friends with Christine when we were all living in Japan. We visited her in Minneapolis last year, so this year it's her turn to come see us.

She keeps telling me how excited she is for her first trip to the South. She grew up in Minnesota, so she has always considered Kentucky a southern state. I, on the other hand, have grown up in Louisville and traveled farther south through Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. And I have to say, Louisville isn't really the South. It feels very mid-western to me. We'll see what Christine, a true mid-westerner, has to say.

To welcome Christine, I put together a nook vignette in her favorite color--purple. I think I used every purple item that I have, and it still looks a little sparse. I also made her a sandwich bag for when we pack picnics this week. I didn't have any purple fabric, but I did find some with purple flowers. I embroidered a few of the flowers to make the purple stand out more.

 * * * * *

No menu or CSA post this week. Our vegetable share was pretty small this week due to bad weather in the region last week. We had flooding and four tornadoes touch down in the city. Amazingly, there were no serious injuries. The small vegetable share this week is actually fine for us because we plan to take Christine to all of our favorite restaurants.

positive outlook

This weekend I rescued a project that has been languishing in my to-do pile since February. It's a cross pillow stuffed with buckwheat hulls and lavender. I have wanted one ever since I came across Liane's shop. K bought me buckwheat hulls and wool felt for my birthday so that I could make my own. I made the pillow out of muslin soon after, but didn't get around to sewing the cover for it. Months passed without progress on the pillow; school and knitting hogged all of my time. But then I came across this sweet bedroom (via emma lamb), and I remembered how much I wanted a cross pillow. I dug out a piece of thrifted canvas, my mom's embroidery thread, and red wool felt and got to work. 

* * * 

After a few hours of cutting and stitching, I've got a pillow that smells wonderfully of lavender. The buckwheat hulls offer great support for my tired neck. So far I've used it for reading and yoga, but I'm looking forward to taking some summer afternoon naps with it. I hope all of that lavender will make for sweet dreams.

* * * 

Finishing this project felt very satisfying. I'm going through other unfinished things to see what I can finish next. I've got a crocheted lap blanket that just needs ends woven in and a bookmark that I promised K years ago. Maybe posting about these perpetual works in progress will motivate me to complete them. 

Do you have any projects languishing that you'd like to finish? 

the bookish lamb

This little lamb is newly born, but he already loves books. He climbs mountains of paperbacks, beds down amongst pages, and every so often nibbles a tasty word. He likes galloping along bookshelves and cuddling up to listen to a favorite read. So sweet, this bookish lamb.

He has found a home with my cousin's eight-month-old son, where I know he will get lots of snuggles and play time. 

Now I think I need a bookish lamb of my own. Do you need one, too? All you need is a few sewing supplies, wool felt, embroidery floss, and this free pattern. 

after graduation plans

I am so looking to having a bit more free time to fill with creative pursuits. This is going to be such a fun summer! Here are some things I plan to do:

* * * * * 

* Make this indulgent cake. There is a high probability that my version fall apart. Since I don't need a meltdown while trying to write papers, I'm saving this cake to make next weekend.

* Knit a Rusted Root sweater of my own. I need to get my new knitting needles first. I'm thinking that Harmony needles would make knitting even more enjoyable.

* Hem my jeans. I've put off this task for an embarrassing amount of time.

* Begin my summer reading list. So far the list consists of: Bossypants, Little House on the Prairie, On Writing, Thirteen Stories by Eudora Welty, Pride and Prejudice, Heidi. I'm taking suggestions, too.

* Sew up some fun bits and baubles. I'm feeling inspired by Chez Sucre Chez's anticipatory cross stitch; Tuuni's doily and lace creations; Jane's delicate, colorful works; Aneela's patchwork; and Camille's cheery banners.  

* Shake up a jar of homemade butter. I remember doing this as a girl scout and loving it. The resulting butter seemed too precious to eat, so I tried a bit on a cracker and then saved the rest until it had to be thrown out. This time I'm going to eat it all.

* Host a knitting/tea party inspired by this one. I've had a number of friends express interest in learning to knit, and this would be a fun way to teach them all in one fell swoop.

* Pull some salt water taffy of my own. I'm don't even like taffy that much, but it looks so pretty that I want to try it out. I'd make mine pink and flavor it with vanilla. Or maybe bright yellow and lemon-flavored.

* Garden hop. I was talking yesterday with some friends about their gardening, and it made me long to grow some vegetables of my own. Since I've got no outdoor space to plant at my apartment, I thought I'd make a point of visiting the gardens of family and friends this summer. There was talk of a canning party, and I'd love to try that, too.

* Go thrifting. I'm in search of the perfect (and perfectly priced) vintage globe and a materials to make a picnic blanket of my own.

* * * * * 

Whew! I'm going to be busy! 

Have you got any plans or projects you're looking forward to?

Patchwork Pillow

Last week I turned on my sewing machine for the first time in months. Cold weather makes me want to curl up on the couch with a ball of yarn. The slow pace of crocheting soothes me and snuggling up with quilts and afghans is pretty nice, too. But I had forgotten that sewing has its advantages as well, such as finishing a project in a matter of hours rather than weeks. I cut out the squares for this patchwork pillow one night and sewed the pillow together the next day after work. Nearly instant satisfaction.

I had all of the materials on hand, which helped to make this project so speedy. The pillow form was already on my couch, covered with a black and white IKEA pillowcase that made my couch look a little too serious. The vintage sheets were in my fabric stash. I even got to use a couple of scraps that Jodi sent me. 

This patchwork pillow makes me so happy with all of its pink, yellow, and blue. It's the perfect place to lay my head for a little cat nap. 

I'd like to sew something else soon to keep my momentum, but haven't settled on a project. Do you have any suggestions for a small, quick, and easy sewing project?

* * * * * 

My home decorating skills are pretty limited. I focus on details and have a hard time thinking of the big picture. Plus, I work slowly and gradually so things always look a bit like a work in progress. This latter tendency has left K in the dark about how I plan to decorate our place.

Case in point, a recent conversation between my mom, me, and K.

Mom: So you all are starting to have a lot of yellow in the living room.

Me: Yep.

K: Not on purpose, though.

Me: Of course it's on purpose. 

It seems he thought we just kept coincidentally buying yellow chairs and fabrics and bowls! I think I've set him straight now.   

Hallway Crochet Love

Our hallway has one of those spots that used to house an old-fashioned phone. You know, the kind of phone that doesn't fit in your pocket. Since we don't have an old rotary phone that needs a place to hang out, I like to use our little phone shelf to create vignettes. 

This one is an ode to crochet and vintage things. Milk glass bowl, cotton threads, crocheted stone from Ms. Margie Oomen herself, pin cushion, Matryoshka doll, doily jewelry holder with vintage brooches, beeswax candle (smells so good!). 

Each time I pass through the hallway this collection makes me breathe a bit easier. It's calming. The light colors let my eyes rest. I've thought about switching things out for Christmas decorations, but I keep waiting. I'll keep these things out just a couple days more, I think. But I like them too much to tuck them away. 

Are your holiday decorations up? We've done a little decorating in the living room, the tree and some stockings. Can you believe it's almost December? I'm so excited for the holiday season!