wise craft

ready to mail

The artist trading cards we are mailing out are done. Just in the nick of time. Emma was actually on task from early on in the swap. She ended up being in 2 different swap groups, and even then she made more than she needed to. This girl does not need to be coaxed to do art in the least. I think she would sleep with cray-pas under her pillow if I'd let her.

 

I love how random the inspiration was for each of these, some subject matter were straight out of the book she was reading at the time, others were just thoughts, like "A Winter Dinner", above, bottom row, center (which looks very much like a grilled cheese and hot chocolate).

 

Seeing Ian's completely cards especially pleases me. I came very close to not signing my own son up for this swap, because I suspected the motivation to do it would be zero, and visualized it turning into a test of wills between the two of us. Ian is not an artist in the same sense as Emma is, he does not pick up blank paper and a box of markers or colored pencils and see a happy afternoon. Its tough for him. He struggles to form his letters legibly, and therefore doesn't instinctively draw for enjoyment. He would prefer to build an elaborate and detailed structure out of the tiniest Lego's he's got. But I signed him. We talked about just doing one at a time. He was game and I think in the end he really enjoyed the whole experience. I think using a tiny card as his blank canvas, instead of a larger piece of paper, gave him some confidence somehow. 

You can click on each photo to be taken to the Flickr page where I've made more notes about each individual card.

Please remember that all cards should be mailed out by today, 2/28. Thanks to all that participated in this swap with Erin and I. I hope everyone enjoys the cards they are getting in the mail!

*Another fun mail order project that Lecia is collecting photos for is Flat Stanley, details at the bottom of this post. I wish I had the pics of the Flat Stanley I carried around Seattle years ago for my now 20 year old niece!

goodbye Domino

Domino, I'm sure gonna miss you. I've kind of come around to the reality that you, and a lot of other magazines have fallen on hard times and are ceasing publication, but I can't deny that it just sucks. You gave me a guaranteed refuge for at least one night every month, to just hide and savor your pages. I always came back to rejoin the rest of the world feeling completely inspired, never bummed that I couldn't attain those houses and treasures featured on your pages. I really can't say that about other decorating magazines, only yours.

Aside from this last issue being depressingly small, there actually was quite a lot in there. While I am not a shabby chic girl (the opposite actually), that Hawaii house in the 'live the dream' section was straight out of my dreams! I imagine having a place like that when Peter and I are grandparents, that picture above is going straight into my file for "bunk room for grandkids". I picture grandkids (many of them, mind you) all crammed into bunks, sand and flip flops strewn on the floor, dirty feet plopped on respective bunks made up with white sheets. Camp. That's what I'd like. Camp.

The other section I loved a lot was "merge, purge, compromise". I just love watching couple's different styles converge when it comes to decorating, like this one I once posted about. This article reminded me of the convergence of styles between Peter and I. We both lived in our own places before we met, we both had very different ideas of decorating, which seems very irrelevant when you're in love. But I'm pretty sure that no matter how much Peter thought he loved me, when he saw my ball-fringe trimmed lamp shades and dainty curtains with big bow tie-backs make their way into our first home, he was cringing (it was 1993, I no longer do ball fringe and big bow tiebacks, for the record). Its taken 14 years of compromising for us to both a) stop arguing about our completely different points of view when it comes to decorating and b) find those little compromises that seem to make it all work together and actually create something better and unexpected.

our go-to soup to get us through the last days of winter

Is it still winter?

I guess it still feels like winter, so its still winter. sigh.... I think I saw some flowers popping up today, but geez, they must be shivering. Emma tells me we may get snow on Thursday. To that I say "oh great..." but then I think to myself if its gonna be this cold, it might as well snow.

Because it is still very much soup weather in my mind, I wanted to share with you our newest "go-to soup". This would be part of our families "go-to" dinner list (default meals that work when I'm desperate), which we are using quite a bit this week. There is a teensy bit of background here. You see, to know me is to know that I love the tortilla soup at Tacos Guymas here in town. I crave that soup (in my sleep even). The kids and I go there to eat every couple of weeks or so when we're out until dinner, and I talk them into going there, really, just so I can order that soup. Its served to me in a super large bowl, way too big for one meal (so, lucky me, I get to have it the next day too). Its full of shredded chicken, bright green avocados, cilantro, queso cheese, tortilla chips (that somehow never get soggy), just full of flavor and extremely satisfying.

It has been a goal to recreate this soup at home and I think I finally have it. Its simple, and I usually have most of the ingredients on hand. And, depending on how much refuge you take in the kitchen preparing dinner, you can certainly cook the chicken yourself, but I usually opt for the local market's pre-roasted whole chicken for ease. If you plan to do this, keep everything else you add unsalted to compensate for the salt in the roasted chicken.

If you try it let me know.

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Tortilla soup (serves 4-6)

2 tsp. olive oil
1 white or yellow onion, chopped small
2 scallions, chopped small and including 1/3 of the green stem
2 32 oz. boxes of reduced sodium chicken stock
1 large avocado
3/4 cup queso cheese
3 cups of shredded, pre-cooked chicken- white meat only
finely chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
unsalted tortilla strips (recipe below)
freshly ground pepper

1. Heat olive oil over med. high heat in a dutch oven or your favorite soup pot. Add onions and cook to soften (not brown), add scallions, cook for one minute more.

2. Pour in chicken broth, then add in shredded chicken. Heat through for 15 minutes.

3. slice Avocado evenly into bite-sized chunks, add to soup pot. Add some pepper.

4. To serve, ladle soup in bowl, add in queso cheese, then tortilla chips, then cilantro.

*Leftover soup is fine with chicken and avocado in it, but store the tortilla chips, cilantro, and queso cheese separately.

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Tortilla chips

If you don't have unsalted tortilla chips, its easy to make your own with corn tortillas. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a pan on med high heat. Cut 4 tortilla into strips, add to a pan, let them brown a tiny bit, turning them occasionally, until they are crispy.

And let me say, I do love my kitchen for many reasons, but there is absolutely no way I can get a great shot of anything in there, the lighting is just not good for it! Drives me nuts. Thank god this isn't a food blog!

And lastly, I leave you with a photo Peter took today, to show me who finally discovered the beanbag-

why i sew

Liesl started a really interesting thread over at Oliver + S recently about why we sew. The focus of it was sewing clothes, but its easy to look at it from the perspective of any type of home or life sewing. It got me thinking a lot about why I sew. My friends no longer ask me this question, they haven't for years. They know its just something I do. And do. And do.

It's true that sewing isn't as economical as it once was. Between buying the sewing machine, various sewing notions, quality fabric, pattern, etc, there's no savings there, let's be honest. Not to mention the fact that if you really need something cute to wear, its hard to beat prices and buy it now/have it now feeling you get from at places like Target.

I've talked a little before about how I get a lot of personal satisfaction out of seeing things I've sewn being loved and enjoyed and used. (Despite the occasional profanity during the process, the sighing at interruptions when I'm trying hard to figure out what seam I screwed up on...) That is still very true. As I am emerging from of a weekend filled with lots of productive sewing, I'm thinking about how recharged I feel. I feel good, great even. I've pondered, pieced (and ripped out then re-pieced), planned, measured out, my brain feels worked, but revitalized. A chance to completely focus on one thing, very rare for this multi-tasking mom.

 

I like to make things because I can make them just exactly the way I want them (even though this has taken years of honing in my sewing abilities to get to the point of producing something I really am happy with, there have been some real dogs). I've been doing this my whole life, so something compelled me to keep getting in there.

The sewing that I do is, I'm sure, very much a reaction to my surroundings, to the world. As the outside world becomes more unpredictable, I take comfort and refuge in making my little family's surroundings pleasant. (I knitted sweaters for everyone obsessively after 9/11). I take pride in the end product itself and also in the sheer act of making it. And, being a bit of a hermit, its often the preferred way to spend my free time. We don't have a big budget for decorating (who does?). My way of caring is making. Everyone in my family sleeps under a quilt I made (and I'm on my second round). A stuffy made for the kids suddenly becomes the focus of a story that is created and acted out and embellished, completely occupying a rainy Saturday afternoon. The dinner table is set with cloth napkins I sewed. That's good stuff in my book.

What about you guys? Is sewing fun? theraputic? done out of necessity? or just an experiment. I'd love to hear.

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The pillows above were made over the weekend using a pattern from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, using 3 fabrics from Denyse Schmidt's County Fair fabric line. After the bean bag fabric, it seemed natural to add more of her patterns, these fabrics work really well in that room. And, of course, you know I tend to make new pillow covers to mark the seasons changing. I really can't help myself there.

I also made new curtains for Emma's room, and sewed up some new cloth napkins.

I probably *only* saved money sewing the napkins.

She shrugs and changes the subject...

the art is spreading...

Do you see them?

They (the kid's artist trading cards) are starting to sprinkle around the world (literally) and it makes Erin and I so happy! Emma got her first one today, from Germany (thank you B!). She was sooooo excited, and declared that she has officially started her collection.

 

Ian, who has no confidence in his drawing ability, well...even he is getting excited. I have coaxed him to do one card a day, to "add detail" and after that, I just let him go. He seems to respond really well to the size of these cards. I'm sure he gets that from me. I was always the one in art class who had the big piece of paper with the little house in the middle of it. Its really important for him to feel successful doing this, so we're taking it slow.

Emma? She's nearly finished hers.

I want to emphasize to everyone participating in this swap that its not necessary to feel you have to send anything more than the card and info about it. Its kind of nice to keep the emphasis on the cards themselves, and where they are coming from.

Meanwhile, enjoy!

softies

Emma immediately grabbed Softies Only a Mother Could Love when it arrived on our doorstep. She's fancying herself a bit of a stuffy expert these days, since she has been trained in the art of soft toys (thank you Quilting Loft). This was her bedtime reading for a couple of nights (who says she prefers fiction over non-fiction?), picked one to make, and on Saturday we started on Hector Giraffe, an original pattern by Kate Henderson. In an attempt to help things run smoothly and help her be as successful as possible, I decided that unlike other collaborations, I would not try to multi-task by working on a project of my own while Emma was sewing (I'm quite famous for doing that around here), that we'd just work on it together.

Studio time together can be frustrating...ike if I try to do too much, or am under caffeinated (seriously!), or if Emma's too anxious, it all needs to be dialed in just right some days. I've always joked that the urge to sew and craft tends to skip a generation in our family and I believe this is why!

But something clicked that day and we had ourselves just an easy, fun time sewing together. Emma picked out all the details, cut, sewed, ironed...I was really just the "getter" of things. I was impressed at how much she innately knows when she's sewing, and how she puts patterns together, the thought she puts into the details. We worked on Hector a little on Sunday, then on Monday too, he's quickly nearing completion.

After the kids went to bed that night, I came down to tidy up the studio and found a heart from Emma (and one from Gracie too, of course), in the sewing machine.

This book is such a great jumping off point for someone looking for a truly original stuffy pattern, young or old. I had to blog about it because Emma, being 10 and interested in sewing, found it easy to follow all around. We have plans to make several more. I think I would like to make some of Kristina's cats next because I just love the simplicity of them. Plus we've got these weird built in shelves in our family room where I could see these lined up (we sewers think of things like that, right?). There's tons of other talented artist's patterns featured in it as well, with easy to follow patterns and clearly written instructions. (The way my head is these days, all that is so necessary.)

Okay, back to the long list of projects in the pipeline.

stacks

 

I've been a stacker, for better or worse, my whole life. Piles of papers on my desk. Stacked. Piles of fabric on my shelves. Stacked. And, when I worked, lab dips and fabric approvals ready to be filed away. Stacked. Stacks and piles give me a weird sense of having "it" somewhere, of knowing it is there, no bother if I have to find it, I will. I will not go so far as to say I was unorganized, my coworkers might not agree, but there was/is a system (even if I was the only one who was/is aware of it) It took working with my husband, and his brutally honest observations, to call the need to change to my attention. Why did an empty countertop or desk worry me?...something had gotten thrown away, I just knew it. But he was right (which is a phenomena that happens way too often around here some days...)

Around that time, Emma started bringing home papers, homework, and projects that she had a responsibility to. I took it as my chance for a do over, a chance to create good habits that would not only help her, but help me too.

 

I'm pretty sure those stacks are one of the reasons I love paperweights so much. Like the exclamation point on my own personal stack sentence. There!

I made a series of these around this time last year. I usually feel a strong need to reorganize in the middle of winter, and I think these pop into my brain around that time for obvious reasons. I actually need these more in the summer, when our windows are open and the wind is sailing through the house (ah, I can see it now), but I like to have them to look at all the time. Desk work is much nicer when I'm surrounded by sweet things, things I like.

These were inspired by all things woodlandy... (I gave a little peek at making these here). This will be in my next shop update, I'll let you know when.

pssssttt- I knew if anyone would get the Orla love, you guys would. And just a tip, if you can't find them in your local Target, order them online. I ordered the largest canister online, cause who has time to go to Target every day?

i'm stocked

I kind of went a little nuts for the Orla Kiely stuff at Target this weekend.

a heart of a day

my favorite 4th graders making cookie mix

and Valentine cards at school.

A little Valentine celebrating is such a welcome respite from the cloud over Seattle in February. Don't get me wrong, I love my town, but I miss the sunshine and all that comes with that. I up my vitamin D intake dramatically during these months, but its just not the same. But cutting hearts and red fabric and covering the floor with cinnamon red hots makes me feeeeeeel sunnier for a bit at least.

A few places to direct you to-

*Handmade Help is a way we artisans and crafters can contribute aide in our own way to help those affected by the Australian brushfires. Over the weekend, I think I will start pulling together what I can to help someone restash. If you have anything at all, please consider donating.

*Kris, who has kids currently doing our ATC kids swap, sent this really clever idea I wanted to pass on-
"If you go to www.maps.google.com and then "my maps" and "create  a new map" you can copy and paste the addresses of people in your swap and then place a pin in their general area.  We created a map for each of the kids, with different coloured pins and can now view the world map and see all the places we'll be sending and receiving art to and from. Very cool."
Thank you Kris, I will definitely be doing this with Emma and Ian.

*I'm already hooked on 1000 words.

*Its time to change the sidebar books. There is so much reading going on around here in this middle of winter drear... I want to remember the hits (and maybe the misses too). Maybe a new banner too.

*Next week is yellow week over at Erin's. I am going to try and play along, but I am consistently inconsistent these days.

Hope you all have a sweet and loveable Valentine's day. Peter and I don't normally exchange gifts, usually cards. I did accidentally (I swear) notice a gift under his desk this afternoon.

I didn't see much, but it kind of looked like socks.

sexy.

slapped together

It became clear to me at the beginning of this week that I'd overcommited myself just a smidge. Too many trips to school to help out with various things, cupcakes to celebrate a half (half) birthday (which apparently mean as much as a full one these days), work work, tax forms that make my head spin, the last remnants of my head cold, and other stuff I've erased from my brain apparently (but which I'm sure needed to be done too). All I really wanted to do was run and crash on our newest piece of furniture (which, I'm told by Ian, has a flat part right on top that a drink could easily balance on).

I did manage to make some new coasters for our living room. I don't think I can ever really have too many coasters, even if they don't get used, they can be quite pretty, right? These were easy to make, just two fabrics fused together with fusible webbing and cut to size with that scalloped-edged rotary cutter blade I forgot I had (hence the title of the post). When I saw the Lush line by Erin Michael, I came up with this so I could gaze at this print. I love the whole fabric line, but that paint by number deer print sort of sent me in a tizzy! It is not easy to find, which is a shame. I found some yardage on ebay and snatched it up (a search tonight brought up no deers, but some of the other prints). The other side is a Joel Dewberry print I had on hand. I didn't even stitch them, but I could. It would add another element. Maybe next week...

The groups for the Kid's ATC swap have all been notified. If you signed up before the cut off on Friday at noon eastern time and haven't heard back from us with your group info, send us an email to atckidswap@gmail.com. Let me say how truly delighted I was, looking at the destinations and addresses of where these cards be going off to. Dubai...South Africa...UK...Australia... I like the old school feeling of all of this. Sort of like we're bringing penpal-ing back in fashion.