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Thank you is not much to offer, but I wanted you to know how much your thoughts and positive energy have meant to me, to us. After a weekend of family dinners, board games, and lots of cleaning, we are feeling more back to normal. I'm still going to take that blog break. I think it will give me some much needed time to sort through some unfinished things around here that could use my attention. Be back in a couple of weeks. In the meantime...here's {{hugging}} you all right back. xo
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Where to begin...its been a hard week folks, one that I wasn't sure I would share here, but decided to after some careful thought. Sometime yesterday, using a crowbar to pry our front door open, someone broke into our house, and burglarized our home. They walked in our house...they were in our house...they went through our things. Thank God I met no intruder as I walked in with the kids yesterday afternoon. As we put down library books and mail, I saw wood splinters all over the floor by the front door and luckily had the wits about me to immediately escort the kids safely back out of the house, shoeless and coatless, and over to our neighbor's house.
I knew...I knew...
The police came shortly after and did a thorough search of the house before I could safely reenter. Then I saw...cabinet doors left wide open, boxes everywhere turned upside down, drawers pulled open. Like someone punching me in the stomach over and over. Treasured fingerpaintings done by my kids, scattered all over the floor. Ian's wooden treasure box, full of special rocks found on walks through the forest and a small harmonica, turned upside down and dumped out.
Yes, things were taken (my beloved camera)...family jewelry...the usual things...whatever they could easily carry and sell. But you and I both know these are just things. Yes Jen, we shouldn't cry over things that don't cry over us. My family is okay, that's what really matters. But there is so much irony running through my mind right now. Like the conversation Peter and I had about getting a stronger lock on the front door just last week (which we now have...a day too late) and how Ian was counting ADT security signs around town yesterday (this has never come up with him before...ever). He will now have something like that to count in his own front yard...again, a day too late.
The irony that I was thinking about what memories will be etched in the blueprint of our children's minds.
I can't help feeling as if everything in the house feels stained. My first instinct is to clean everything. Plus I'm feeling a lot of anger that I can't do much with. I'm angry that I was naive enough to think this would never happen to us (let's face it, I'm a southern girl from North Carolina...as a child we never even locked doors). I'm angry that I have to reassure my kids that they will be ok when they go to sleep tonight, that the people that came in our house weren't trying to harm them. "No sweetie, they didn't take our food, or your stuffed animals, or they book you were reading...its still there."
I'm angry that I feel as if I need to grieve something.
To make a long story short, I'm taking a couple of weeks off from the blog. Life needs me elsewhere right now. You can count on me being back though. I don't dwell on things like this, I move on. You all have been so kind, so supportive, of everything that goes on here, I wanted you to know. Thanks for your understanding.
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These prints were a gift to Peter from his photographer friend Nick Clements. I surprised Peter by hanging them up in the family room over the weekend. This may not seem all that big, but I get really stressed hanging photos up evenly people! Do they look straight?
I love how old school these photos are, those goggles kill me. I may have mentioned this before, but Peter collects vintage cycling jerseys. We found his all-time favorite ones in London about 12 years ago.
Back to sewing, have a great Tuesday!
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I distinctly remember there being a German weather house much like this one, somewhere in my childhood. Although I don't remember where or when. I saw this while out thrifting and I just had to have it. (Its one of the only times I can remember not looking at the price first.) You know how these work, right? The lady comes out of the house on sunny days, the man in the raincoat out on rainy days? Just as I suspected, my children are as fascinated with it as I was a child. It was just magical to me that the man and the woman knew who's turn it was. They were always right.
It started me thinking about what things will eventually become the strongest childhood memories for my kids. Not really thinking in a sentimental way, but more in a blueprint-of-their-life, more scientific, kind of way. It is fascinating, really, to think of what has resonated for me from my own childhood. I remember visiting my Great Aunt Sally's apartment. She would always give me ginger ale with big ice cubes in a heavy highball glass...every visit. It felt special, although it wasn't meant to be. I also remember there was a tin box on a table with a miniature painting of a little renaissance boy that always scared the crap out of me. I would actually dare myself to look at it. No one else was aware of it, but I didn't even want to sit in the chair next to that table. I knew I wouldn't be able to stop looking at it. Then there was statue of Mr. Peanut. To this day, I have an aversion to Mr. Peanut. Another great aunt had a statue of him stored with some other things in a spare room. You couldn't have paid me to walk in there. Cause there he was...tipping that hat at me (this has provided great material for practical jokes by my husband).
Then there are the smells. All my great aunts wore Estee Lauder Youth Dew perfume (the bottle with the gold bow tied around the middle) and I can't smell that scent without thinking of them...sitting in the back seat of our car...drinking black coffee out of the plastic cups from the tops of their thermos...as we made the 16 hour car trip from North Carolina to Florida...and talking...non-stop. I actually wore that perfume for a short time in college.
These pictures are of scenes around our house, ones that my children walk by all the time. Won't it be interesting to see if they remember that mom made biscuits every Saturday morning for breakfast? That she liked German weather houses? The print on the dining room curtains? That I was always washing wool sweaters and stacking them up in chairs...and taking a picture of them?
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Some days, on the rare occasions I get to come home to an empty house and do whatever I fancy, I sit and watch movie right smack dab in the middle of the afternoon. Because we do not let the kids watch much TV (they have never really watched what they call "grown up TV" at all, this includes sports (have you seen the commercials?), we usually never turn on the TV during the day. This is quite an indulgence for me, and I am not always able to turn a blind eye to everything around me in the house that needs to be done in order to sit and do nothing. But, once in a while... Today, I had some new things to finish up for the shop, so I did it while watching Pieces of April. I was completely entertained, I recommend it. And I will say I like Katie Holmes a little more after seeing it...and I like her with burgundy hair.
I've missed making the whales. As I was sewing with this happily checked fabric from my stash, I was reminded about the old legend in the family of how Peter's mom had a huge bolt of plaid fabric when he was little. She sewed lots of things with it, including a suit for Peter's Dad and slipcovers for the sofa. Supposedly, when he came home from work and sat down on the couch and...
he disappeared!
These two guys are holding hands in the shop as we speak.
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Emma's thoughts on Spring. It's right around the corner, you know.
I heard this song on Saturday night at the school function I was at and it made me cry, the words are so so true. It literally made the hair stand up on the back of my neck to hear it again, with older wiser eyes. Have a listen, then, hug your kids, and go play. I know that's what we are going to do.
Feeling very nostalgic and sentimental, can't you tell? Feeling grateful for so many things today, my family, my life, you all. Thank you. For checking in here. I really mean that.
: )
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Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and support for the shop update, I was a bit speechless on Friday! I am packing everything up with the intention of shipping out tomorrow. For all who have asked, I will definitely be putting more felt birds in before Easter. More of lots of things to come soon, hopefully. I have so much wonderful Spring fabric out on my worktable. Although I hesitate to cut it, I really really need to, before I no longer feel inspired by it (now that would be a waste, wouldn't it?)...its been known to happen.
I have tried to answer questions in some recent comments and got bounce backs, so to clarify a few things, here goes.
*I was asked what a "sweater bear" is? It's simply my name for a handmade bear in a sweater, nothing more. The bears I make are intentionally neutral and simple, and often the sweater they wear is the bright spot of color.
*I was asked if I will ever provide instructions for the patchwork handbags I've made. My best answer is no, I do not feel at liberty to do that. The more thorough answer is that the instructions can be found in this book, ISBN#457911020. I don't read Japanese and I don't bug my friends who read Japanese for help, but the instructions and illustrations in all Japanese craft books are easier to understand than you may realize. If you look closely at the versions of this bag I've made, I have reinterpreted the design in a few different ways...some of my bags have 7 pieced panels...some have 8...some are the result of me playing with the shape in subtle ways. I know Autum posted about her method of quilting these bags here.
Hope that helps to clarify a little more.
I took a break from self-directed sewing the other day to stitch up one of the Putidepome kits I have, brought back from one of Jen's trips to Japan (they are in the top photo). These are so painfully cute in every way, I just want to hang them on everything. Good 'waiting for kids' project, nice and compact. Hmmmm, I don't see any of these kits on their website.
I was then reminded of one of my very very favorite bite-sized gingham cupcake pincushions (as if I really had a collection of bite-sized gingham cupcake pincushions), from this sweet little Decole sewing box. All work on my table at the moment is small and compact (the little felt things beside it are just some things I've been playing around with), I would hate to lose that little pincushion in a sea of quilt.
I love felt.
Today is windy, rainy, yucky. We are thinking of just heading to a library as a family and sticking our noses in some books for a couple of hours. Although the book I can't put down right now is here at home.
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The shop, that is. I'm still working on things and will probably put more in a week or so from now. There are new/old sweaters in the most beautiful colors that are currently in the dryer, hopefully felted by now, that I can't wait to use. I have some party bags in the works for Spring, which look so fun to me. I have had some requests for patchwork bags, but I have mixed feelings about making more (although I have agreed to make a couple for individuals and those commitments haven't changed). I really want to try some new things (I tried a new prototype of this type of bag which I wasn't happy with, which is why you haven't seen it here yet).
I indulged my inner urge for Spring with some Liberty of London Tana Lawn prints from Purl. I'm itching to use them, although I have no definite plans at the moment, other than to sleep with them.
The kids and I will be watching Peter pass through the house waving goodbye for most of the weekend, since the Bike Expo will be in full swing. If anyone local happens to go, be sure to stop by the booth for the Marymoore Velodrome and see Peter's homemade display handiwork (which turned out great, I'm proud of you P)! I will be going to a different function (why is it always feast or famine with our social lives?) and I bought myself this fantastically funky skirt and some clunky amber-colored lucite jewelry to dress up in. The darker color on the skirt is navy blue, and I have a little navy J Crew T to wear with it. My question to you guys is what color hosiery do I wear? I can either wear flats or heels, but either would be dark blue. I haven't a clue!! Help!
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When I was reading Stephanie's post yesterday about the one photo rated the most interesting of her Flickr photostream, I thought I'd share mine (according to Flickr). The photo above, of some wooden IKEA storage drawers I covered in paper, has been the most interesting, the most favorite'd of all my photos (145 people have marked it as a favorite), and its had the most views of any other shot in my photostream. Its been the highest ranked for over a year. Now I, like Stephanie and most everyone else, have no real idea how interestingness happens. But yes, it is interesting, true to its name. The other cool thing over on this page (I would say interesting thing, but I can't keep saying that) is that you can see which of your photos have been seen on Flickr's explore page. The explore page is something I pull up and poke around on for grins whenever I feel I've reached the end of the internet...anybody other than me familiar with this feeling? Anyway, you can see which of your photos have been on this page, which is kind of cool I guess. Here are mine-
1. snowy trees, 2. family trees, 3. stitches, 4. fall leaves, 5. my wees, 6. winter bed, 7. organized Marthas, 8. front room as tidy, 9. Whale family, 10. birdies, 11. "Jenny" patchwork bag, 12. blue yarn, 13. finished quilt, 14. patchwork pillow, 15. storage drawers, 16. spring chickens, 17. felt puppets, 18. "Droplets", 19. Emma's reading corner, 20. vintage blue/brown/yellow floral, 21. vintage pink/blue/red fabric, 22. patchwork bag, 23. inspiration board, 24. Tea cozy, 25. Japanese soft toy book, 26. Sashiko zakka, 27. idees, 28. #5 Tiny blue sweater with scarf, 29. bags and specials, 30. felt animals, 31. Once Upon A Time Quilt, 32. quilted bag
Hmmmm, I'm happy to see that they aren't all from Japanese craft books.
There is one other completely unrelated and random note that I have to mention. Did you locals know that there is a place in Seattle to buy wool felt??? Clover in Ballard sells wool felt! I couldn't believe it, I think I may have actually hugged the gal behind the counter when I found it!
Must be off now, have a great day!
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