I won!

I used to think I was not a very lucky person, but I have now won two giveaways online!  The Gonna Want This…Handmade blog hosted a giveaway for a really cute (and creative) loungewear set from T Toz Design.

Drea is the designer behind T Toz, and she has been kind enough to let me pick the fabrics I want on this set.  Be sure to click the link above and see some of the other cute baby and toddler items she has on her site.

FAC EVENTS or ‘STACHE BASH or IS THIS REALLY TRUE?

At one point during our 2 1/2 years of long distance dating, Brandon sent me a text message with a picture attached.  I don’t have that picture on my phone (that must have been 4 phones ago), but it’s still in my mind.  He had been shaving his beard but saved the mustache because he knew how much I loved (read: very strongly disliked) the mustache.

Now, four phones later and much to my dismay (and yes, I’ll admit it, amusement), mustaches are in.  Not just in like “Hey look that Uncle Rico wanna-be” in, but in like “I just found a mustache salt and pepper shaker” in.  No joke.

In fact, the craze right now seems to be the “‘Stache Bash” or “Mustache Bash”. Now, as much as I dislike mustaches, I really do like parties.  I also like music and I like female art.  Combine all of the above, and you get something as stupendous as the Female Art Collective’s Mustache Bash coming up this weekend (Dec. 5) at the New Albanian Brewing Company in New Albany, IN.  And there is even going to be some kind of a prize for the best mustache.

Get more (and more accurate) info here:

‘Staches from starting from top left:
Mustache glass by BreadandBadger also found at FAC
Mustache earrings by Lindsaylou
Mustache light switch cover by julietew
Mustache espresso cups by UptownAveHandmade

Wait for me!

I feel like the little kid getting left in the dust by all the big kids, trying to get them to slow down a bit.  Except this time the big kids are the months that seem to be flying by.  How are we already into December and where did November go? (and October and September, for that matter!)  I cannot keep up!

Thanksgiving was a blur of friends, days off work, spending time with Brandon and Adeline, and of course some sewing.   I had made a dress for Adeline for Christmas, but it is already getting too small for her.  So I put it on her for Thanksgiving.  She did not last 60 seconds before spitting up all over it.  Thanks, girl.  So no cute pictures in her special dress, although she still looked adorable.

Over the weekend I got started on actually making my Christmas gifts.  I do have a few “back up” ideas in mind in case I don’t finish all of them in time, but I’m hoping not to need that!  I will have photos and a pattern review coming soon, but I did make the full and half version of this pattern for two gifts. 

And just to add to the craziness, I also took advantage of the holiday sales and bought the Madeline pattern from Romeo and Mae to make another dress for Adeline.  I’ll let you know how that turns out.

In the meantime, check out my friend Elizabeth’s blog for a great winter decorating idea.

To Do: Sit Down and Sew

It is actually a good thing that the pattern I ordered last week has not come in yet, because last night the reality of my To-Do list for this weekend set in.  It comes in the form of a pile of 22 napkins that need to be hemmed and sewn, 3 sandwich wraps to sew, and some keychains to put together–all while making sure we have groceries, a clean house, and make it to both of our commitments on Saturday!  Now I know why I feel so busy.

Back to the pattern because that is what I am really excited about.

I found a dress online last week that I really liked but we’ll just say it was out of my price range (as in out of my Christmas/Birthday wish list price range even).  So I decided to look at patterns, and I came across this one and decided I liked it almost as much as that dress that I cannot afford.  I found some gorgeous ceylon blue cotton fabric and hope to have this finished in the next couple of weeks after I start whittling down that List (which I forgot to mention also involves 6 Christmas presents).  The best part is that with a few modifications I plan to make (like adding a tie belt where the third set of buttons are) this will really be one of a kind and I can say “I made it.”

I’m off to tackle that napkin pile and am not even going to look at the mailbox until I’m at least half way through!

Good Folks Table Linens

I try not to speak to things that are not human, or at least objects that do not breath.  It makes me feel a little bit crazy.  However, I cannot avoid the confession that sometimes, not often, I do speak to inanimate objects, and sometimes they speak back.  Before you call any institution on my behalf, allow me to explain.

A few weeks ago I purchased some fabric to make a few pinafore dresses for Adeline.  While ironing out the fabric, one of the pieces talked to me.  Actually it pleaded.  It begged me not to make it into a dress but instead to make it into a table runner.

Seriously.

What is a girl to do if the fabric at hand is begging to be made into something completely different than its intended use?  You listen, of course.

Rather than fold the fabric neatly to cut into a little dress, I cut and trimmed a few edges, double folded all around, and added a double seam to the hem. In the end I got a beautiful table runner for myself (not pictured) and another one to add to my website (yes, pictured).  I haven’t listed it yet because I cannot remember its exact dimensions.  Once I re-measure, it will be up in the shop and ready to adorn someone’s table, hutch, counter or piano top.

The only problem with allowing one piece of fabric to rebel is that it encourages others to do so.  See the napkins?  Yes, those were also meant to be a part of the same dress.  Now said fabric is a set of napkins which I use to wipe pizza sauce from my face.

Fabric is from Anna Maria Horner’s Good Folk’s collection.

If you still have doubts about my sanity, that’s OK.  The proof is before you that lisening to the fabric was the best thing to do, sane or otherwise.

The Pioneer Woman cooks and so do I

If you, or anyone you know, has taste buds, you must try a recipe from the Ree Drumond, aka the Pioneer Woman.  I don’t know how she does it, but her recipes are nothing short of amazing.

Brandon’s parents are visiting, and his mother just celebrated a fairly significant birthday last week.  Unfortunately we are not the rich kind who can afford extravagant gifts, but I can give the gift of cooking, and with Ree’s help, my meal was borderline extravagant (but not for the wallet). (I should mention here that Brandon’s mom did help me cook since we never get to cook together, so I can’t take ALL the credit for making the meal!)   For dinner I made Spaghetti and Artichoke Hearts with Tomatoes, Chicken from the Chicken Parmigiana recipe, and Rosemary Acorn Squash.

The spaghetti was the real winner.  When I first mentioned I was making spaghetti, I think she may not have believed me.  Who makes spaghetti for their mother in law’s birthday dinner?  I do.  When it tastes as good as this spaghetti does, you could make it for Christmas dinner and get very few complaints.

The Acorn Squash was the surprise hit because none of us have had acorn squash in the past, and who would have thought to pair rosemary and brown sugar?  I’m sure you culinary masters would, but I would not.

The chicken was a perfect compliment to both because it was simply seasoned with salt and pepper to allow the rest of the meal to speak for itself.  The meat is usually such a super star in big dinners, but not this time!  If you don’t eat meat, you could skip on the chicken and your meal would not suffer.

Of course, dessert is just as important as dinner if it’s a birthday dinner.  I made the Pumpkin Cheesecake from the book, The Joy of Cooking (a must-have for any kitchen).

I don’t know what the protocol is for posting other people’s recipes or pictures, and since I failed miserably in taking pictures of our meal, I’ll just tell you to scroll your little mouse back up a little and check out Ree’s recipes.  Each one has a hundred pictures that are almost as delicious as the food (well, not a hundred, but a lot, and they are delicious if you can use that word to describe a photo).

more photo editing

I am about 70% sure that I did not take the pictures in this post; Brandon did.  However I have taken the liberty to play around with them on picnik (don’t worry; I saved the originals!)  Back in September and shortly after Adeline was born, we went for a walk in a city park about 20 minutes from our house. I think this was one of the first days we had our new camera and we spent plenty of timing playing around with it at the park.

I like the pumpkins in this picture (it is Fall, after all), and I think they are a timeless subject.  I used a “vintage” style to edit this photo and added some texture to add to the older feel of the photo.  Of course the rounded edges top it all off.  I think the rounded edges are currently my favorite way to edit my photos.

The picture of the outhouse is begging to not be so centered, but even with cropping this was the best I could do.  I still think it’s an interesting subject for editing, especially with the opposing colors of red and green being so prominent.  I just wish I could see off the the left of the photo a little further!  Oh well.  We learn as we go.  Now we’ll just have to go back to the park and get another shot.  I warmed up the tones a bit in this one then used the “cross processing” edit.  I am not really sure what that means, but I like the way it looks.  It definitely amplifies the rustic quality of the outhouse–which I happen to think was painted within the last few years but made to look like it hadn’t been painted in 20!

Romeo and Mae pattern review: Milla Modern Pinafore

I could (and sometimes do) spend hours browsing through patterns and fabrics online.  I would do it in person if I had the time.  I recently found some patterns by Romeo and Mae that I fell head over heels for.  What’s a girl to do when she falls head over heels for a pattern but buy it?  (How materialistic does that sound? yikes!)

I purchased the Milla Modern Pinafor pattern and haven’t looked back.  I made three dresses in one weekend and another dress this past weekend but couldn’t get the pictures because I had this huge ordeal with trying to get the snaps on.  The short version of the story is that I finally had a coupon for Joann’s so I bit the bullet and bought a real pair of snap pliers.  It was the best decision I made since buying this pattern.

The pattern comes as a .pdf straight to your inbox so you don’t have to wait a week for the mailman to show up.  You can also print it out in every size rather than messing around with folding the right size from your pattern.

The pattern and directions are very straightforward; there were no points of confusion for me, and that is saying a lot. I really do not do well with directions, but this pattern may be the first exception.

My one complaint–and this is a small one–is that the sizing seems a bit off.  I have an average sized two month old, and when I made the first dress using the 0-3 month size, it was too small for her.  So I have been making one size up for her.  I still need to make a few adjustments to the sizing because even the 3-6 month size is border line too tight around the chest.  If Iwant her to be able to wear the dress for more than one month, I will need to widen the chest area a bit and lengthen the straps. I would say that a 1/2″ addition to all seems would do the trick.

It takes me about 1.5 hours to make one dress from start to finish.  I think I am getting it down to closer to an hour though.

One thing I love about this pattern is how versatile it is.  The dress would be really cute in the summer as a stand alone outfit, but it can also be paired with long sleeves and tights or baby legs for the fall and winter months.

I also love that I can mix and match my fabrics.

This pattern is a great pattern for anyone who can sew at an intermediate level or above.  It does take a little know-how with maneuvering the neckline through your machine, but other than that, it is very simple.

Adeline wore the pink one to church last weekend.

This one is probably going to be one of Adeline’s Christmas party dresses. She is a popular baby, so she will need more than one Christmas party dress.

This is the first one I made.  It would be perfect for a newborn or very petite 0-3 month old.  It is currently in my shop.

Want to make a Modern Pinafore?  Check out Romeo and Mae’s SHOP.

Want to buy a Modern Pinafore? Check out my SHOP.

Playing with photos (not fire)

In my pre-college days (which is beginning to feel like a long time ago) I worked in a photo developing station at a drug store in a quaint village  of northern California (that’s the PC way of saying small, rural town).  This was back in the day when the majority of people still developed their photos from real film and a select few used digital cameras.  This was also during the days when the county fair was a BIG deal.  If you didn’t go to the fair, you were truly square.  And if you didn’t enter something, anything–a rabbit, a quilt, a photo, some flowers, just something–you were almost just as square.

Back in those days, people would come in to get their photos developed for submission in the County Fair.  And there was a lot of talk behind the counter of which photos would win prizes and which wouldn’t.  Then there were the conversations about the digital photos and *scandal of all scandals* which ones had been edited!  That was my first brush with photography and for a long, long time after getting my first digital camera, I was too scared to edit my photos or at least to admit that I edited my photos.  It would be like admitting I had a nose job (which I do not have).

Things have since changed.  Most people edit their photos, and the editing has become part of the fun.  There are so many programs to help you edit your photos, and I am in the process of looking for a great one that won’t cost an arm and leg, or just an arm or just a leg for that matter.  I have no limbs to spare.

Thus far, picnik has been my editing site of choice.  It is amazing that I can take an ordinary photo like this

And turn it into this

Or this

Take this boring old close-up as another example

It is much more appealing to the eye when it looks like this

While I am not overly impressed with my photos or the edited versions (I’m not submitting any of these to the county fair), I do think that photo editing is an art form just as taking photos and developing photos is. Perhaps I could say I am an artist in the making (and this is where I would use a smiley face I weren’t too ashamed of the nose that would show up)

If you would like to recommend a good photo-editing website or software that would allow me to retain all limbs, that would be welcome.  For now, I’ll stick with picnik and just wait until I get a Mac (that is a whoooole other post that I probably won’t write any time soon!)

photo-shop 101

There is something about having a baby that makes you spend money.  Lots of it.  toys. diapers. cameras. clothes.

Actually, that would be camera–singular.  We bought a fancy new camera that neither of us really knew how to you, so along with it, we bought a book about using digital cameras.  I’ve been reading the book a little, looking at other people’s photos a lot, and just playing with the camera in between.

Today I took Adeline for a walk and strapped the camera to the back of the stroller–you know, just in case.  It is fall in Louisville, which means everything out of doors is featured in stunning color.  Because the clock fell back last night, the sun was already beginning to set during our walk.  As we were walking along and saluting various neighbors, a tree with some pretty little berries caught my eye.  It also caught the sun.  So I caught the camera hanging from the back of the stroller and then caught this:

And this:

Friday Finds

Romeo and Mae (formally known as Lil Peas and Carrots) have some of the cutest patterns for little girl clothes.  A friend of mine has a dress for her baby that is made from this pattern, and it is absolutely adorable.  This is at the top of my list of items to buy next for Adeline.

I want to make some clothes for Adeline, and I am already thinking about making her First Christmas dress.  I bought the Milla pattern this week and can’t wait to get started on it.  Depending on how it turns out, this just might be the dress for her.  I love this style because it is so simple but could look really cute with a long sleeve onesie and tights underneath.  I also have lots of ideas for different fabric pairings to make the dress.

*Photos are from the Romeo and Mae shop.

Introductions must be made

Everyone, this is Adeline.  Adeline, this is everyone (actually it is the computer, but there are others looking at you from behind their computers).

So it has already been 8 weeks, and now my teeny tiny little baby already looks like this

Yep, she smiles, grunts, coos, bats her hands around, and does all sorts of things little babies like to do that result in lots of garbage and lots of laundry!

I have been able to do a little sewing but of course pictures of Adeline are much more exciting than pictures of sewing (that’s a fancy way of saying I haven’t taken any!)  I dropped off more zipper pouches for the Female Art Collective last weekend, and I even managed to patch some pants for my hubby.  Perhaps more to come on that (the pouches, not the pants) later.

I am beginning to think about what I am going to be making folks for Christmas this year (and buying for those I can’t impress with my sewing machine skills).  I don’t want to ruin any surprises, but a few ideas are spiced up kitchen towels, cosmetic bags (maybe for a gift exchange I’ll be participating in) and a few custom items I know some family members need/want.

For now I should probably take care of business and leave the sewing and scheming for when I have time!

Facebook

Irene Design is now on Facebook!

I have actually had this page for a while but never took the time to figure it out.  Now you can keep up with ID here!

In other news, Free Shipping ends on Sunday August 9, so take advantage of it while it lasts!

Tomorrow is the New Roots benefit show at Derby City Espresso in Louisville.  My new line of spiced up zipper pouches will be available as well as (possibly) some baby items.  You may even be able to spot me in person!

Don’t look if you’re hungry

Etsy Treasuries are a great place to look for random items when you’re bored (that would never be me!)  I happened to go do a little browsing today when the treasury was at 333.  That happens to be the magic number just before the list drops to 332 and there’s a mad dash to create you very own treasury.  I patiently waited the three minutes for the last treasury to expire and then jumped in line to make mine.  It worked, and here it is.  Be warned though…it may make you hungry.

blogged

I was recently contacting by “B” who has a blog about the “irreverent look into a jobless 24 year old’s surprisingly chaotic life.”  I appreciate the honesty in that statement and am glad she has an outlet for the adventures that arise from the “aftermath of pressing the reset button,” as B describes it.  She is starting a new series on her blog about local artists and crafters, and I was honored to be the first one.

You can read the interview at B’s blog, Polka[dot]bop.

Female Art Collective: round one

As I mentioned last week, I dropped off my first batch of goodies for the Female Art Collective.  I spent the weekend before that crafting these super handy little bags specifically for FAC.  I had a great time going through my fabric stash challenging myself to not go buy more fabric but use what I already have.

I would say I did pretty well on that part but of course congratulated myself with an order of new fabrics from an Etsy seller who is closing up shop and getting rid of a bunch of really incredible fabrics…I just couldn’t pass that up!!

This last weekend I made 6 sets of burp cloths, which will also be going to FAC.  These items can be found on the FAC Website or at the New Roots benefit show coming up at Derby City Espresso on August 8!

a minor glitch

Oops!  I may be good at playing around with my sewing machine, but I am not so good at playing around with my blog!  I didn’t realize that I had only been posting one part of my new posts and not the entire post.  That is fixed now, and you should be able to read the whole thing.  Hopefully they will make more sense now!

Is organic better??

Yesterday while the hubby and I were sitting in the OB’s office waiting our turn, he mentioned an article he read on the BBC’s website regarding a study that has shown that “there is no evidence that organic foods are any better than non-organic foods.”  I thought that was an interesting concept and wondered what he might mean by “better”.  Better looking? Better tasting? Better for the environment?  So, I read the article.  You can read it too by going here.

Now I am no scientist by any means, and I have done little research compared with these folks, but it seems pretty clear to me that the title of the article is slightly misleading.  (The article says “Organic has ‘no health benefits’”) .  What the article is actually getting at is that based on the study cited, there is no proven nutritional benefit to organic foods over conventionally grown foods.  OK, I’ll grant that.  Like I said, I’m not a scientist.  However, I think it’s still safe to affirm that organic foods are indeed healthier if not for the nutritional benefits.  Think of all the things you do not ingest when you eat organically grown foods.  Pesticides, chemically-derived fertilizers, anti-biotics and hormones in meat…the list goes on.  To me the common sense still says that organics are better (i.e. healthier) whether or not they are more “nutritious”.   Just my humble opinion; did I mention I am not a scientist?

I will continue to buy organics where it seems to make the most sense to me.  I will continue to savor every bite of the vegies I am fortunate enough to be able to buy from a good friend at the market every week.  (He currently has the tastiest onions I have ever had.  I think I could sautee one of those and just eat that if it weren’t for the inevitable heartburn that would ensue!)

With all this to say, I’m curious what you all think.  I know that for some folks this is a very touchy subject and others rarely think about it.  Also, on a similar note, has anyone seen the documentary, Food, Inc. yet?  It only played in select theatres, unfortunately not in a city near me.  I’m curious how that was.

Enjoy whatever food you are blessed to be eating today!

New Ventures

The recent silence is not indicative of inactivity on my part. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The past weekend was spent making some amazingly delicious whole wheat carrot cake cupcakes for a bake sale, trying to finish the nursery, and attending our last baby shower. In between all of those activities I also managed to work on some ID exclusive pouches for a new venture I am taking part of.

The Female Art Collective (FAC) is a Louisville-based group of (yes) female artists. While the group is based here, not all artists reside in town. I think I saw some from Portland, Oregon and somewhere in California (both places very dear to my heart!).

The group does sell online at their website and is also planning a host of shows and events in the next few months, the first of which is sure to be a great time.

FAC is hosting a benefit show right here in Louisville on August 8 for the New Roots organization. New Roots seeks to bring fresh foods to urban environments that otherwise wouldn’t have much access to them (ever heard of the “food desert”? I suggest doing a little Google search on that term. You’ll learn something new today)

And to bring this back to why I am writing, Irene Design is one of the new artists that will be making a FAC “debut” at the Aug. 8 New Roots show! I promise to give you all a sneak peek at what I have been up to, but that won’t be for a few more days. For now, feast your eyes on the art already being presented at the FAC website, check out their Facebook page, and if you’re in town mark your calendar for the evening of August 8!

following through

I’m not going to tell you how long it’s been because “a long time” is sufficient.  It has been “a long time” since I cut out the squares to make these pirate napkins for some little adventurer to add to his or her lunch box treasure chest.  But moving past how long the squares have been sitting around waiting to be sewn, I finally did sew them up last night.  I over-stitched (or serged) the edges with a fancy red thread so these won’t fray too much as they get used.  These are made from a fabric that I had very little of, so I just have one set which will be up in my shop later today.

I tend to get lots of “great ideas” for different projects and then they sit, half baked, on the shelf for months until I finally remember.  This weekend I took one step closer to fully baking some of those projects though.  Along with finishing the napkins, I made some new (and improved!) sandwich wraps for my shop.  The new wraps are slightly larger than last year’s version and I used velcro rather than buttons.  The buttons were kind of clever, but really the velcro is much easier for everyone!

Why sandwich wraps?  They are a great way to replace plastic baggies, they can be re-used, when unfolded they double as a placemat, and since they completely unfold, you can simply shake out the crumbs without worrying about them getting stuck in little crevices and corners.  The wraps are also machine washable.

I have several wraps listed in the shop already with two more on the way!  And, as promised, I am offering a discount for ID readers!  Just leave me a message when you check out that says you read my blog, and I will refund 10% of your sale to your paypal account.  (unfortunately there is no way for me to offer a discount that comes off ahead of time…this is a feature I assume Etsy is working on…maybe.)