My New Crafty Blog…Little Blue Cottage

Back in April, I started a craft blog but I couldn’t tell anyone about it because I had a picture of a quilt that I was making for Suzanne, our lovely friend who awaits her baby’s arrival home from Kyrgyzstan.  But, now that the quilt has been given and I can move on to other quilts, this little blog can go forth into the crafty bloggy world. 

Pictures will be forthcoming as my camera is very unwell at the moment. 

http://littlebluecottage.wordpress.com

 Tina

A New Me…

I’m so sorry I’ve disappeared from this spot for so long. I keep meaning to post to explain my absence but it’s been really hard to put my finger on.

The best I can come up with is all the growth and change here. Zannie started 2nd grade and Isabel turned two. It’s practically breathtaking to watch them grow and change at the rate they do, those girls. Isabel is doing baby signs like a champ (yay!) she has given up napping (boooo!) and she just unfolds and blossoms every single day. Suzannah is a total kid now. I don’t know fully what I mean by that except, I guess it means that there is no more little, little girl. She wants to wear pants and t-shirts instead of insisting on twirly dresses. She doesn’t say any words with cute mispronounciations. She’s Big.

Also, I feel a big change in myself and it’s been growing and starting to come out as the year goes on. I turn 40 in a few days. And, I feel really excited about it. The family-making stuff is done which is what my life was so centered around for so many years. And, as Isabel has changed from baby to toddler and sometimes goes off with grandpa to feed the ducks, I’ve felt the interests I had, the individual parts of me beckoning me. I feel this big page in the book of my life turning. It’s terribly exciting and a little strange at the same time.

I think for awhile I didn’t post because I was thinking that I was done talking about adoption or my family, but that’s silly and so I figured that couldn’t be right. Then, I was spending so much time sewing and trying to teach myself about sewing that I would change gears and have a craft blog. But, that doesn’t seem right either. Also, Zannie accidentally broke my camera and so I cannot take any pictures until we get a new one and that’s an expense I can’t justify at the moment.

So, I guess what’s going on with me is just this new idea that I can return to the things that I love, things outside of my children. (*gasps a bit…twinge of guilt*)

But, what I suspect will happen is that I will be beginning to focus this blog on all aspects of our family life, and the things I’m getting into, namely creative outlets. I am staying up way too late being crafty and it’s fun. So, stay tuned for all the projects and hopefully I’ll be able to show a picture or two soon. Oh wait…I have one from when Isabel was sick last month and fell asleep on daddy….

The Beckoning of Lovely

I just read about amy of www.whoisamy.wordpress.com   If you’re not familiar with her books, get thee to a bookstore.  If your head is hanging low with the state of the world, then please take a few minutes and watch this little video.  I promise you’ll be uplifted.

Isabel’s Room Got Jealous – NaJuPicMo

That Suzannah’s room got the big re-do, Isabel told me that her room needed some spiffing up too. I rose to the challenge and started going through boxes and thinking about colors. I repositioned the crib and cleaned out the closet. Here is what we ended up doing.

1 yard oil cloth: $7.99
1 packet of doll house clothes pins: $1.99
Flower-Shaped placemats: $12.00
Redecorating with stuff I had around the house…PRICELESS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the kiddie picnic table all done up with oil cloth which I love for kids’ projects and under high chairs and picnics too. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got out all the doll dresses that I played with when I was a girl, some of which were my mom’s doll dresses from the 1930’s and 40’s.  This is only fueling the ongoing vintage dress obsession. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, I didn’t make this.  I got it about 6 months ago and it’s from the Land of Nod catalog and I have coveted it ever since Suzannah was a toddler.  Yay for having two girls!  Izzy gets to lay in her crib and wake up to tiny doll dresses on her wall.  (Are you noticing a theme here????) 

 

 

 

The lighting on this is terrible, I understand.  But, if you can imagine buttery yellow flower-shaped placemats, then you can see what I’ve done with them.  I got out about a yard and a half of ribbon, glued on these flowers with fabric glue and about two hours later, I had an instant valance for a very plain window.  No sewing whatsoever.  I bought the placemats on deep discount not having any clue what I’d do with them.  I love it when things turn out to be a perfect thing for something you haven’t even planned yet.  So now Isabel’s room is very soft and warm and inviting.

Patterns for Kit’s Feedsack Dress

I have been on a mission to find the holy grail of a pattern for a Kit Kittredge dress for Zannie.  There have been many that I’ve liked and Shea directed me to beautiful vintage dresses.  Anyway, here is a sample of patterns I’ve found that may help you out if you are in the same boat as I am; needing to make one of these dresses and not a clue where to start.  Here’s what I’ve found so far.  (By the way, a real seamstress could make a nice little chunk of change making these dresses and selling them on ebay…)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Project Runway’s line of patterns for Simplicity (#2986)  It starts at size AA 8 and goes up, but I think if you’re an experienced sewer, you can cut the pattern to fit a smaller size.  I particularly liked the detailing options on this pattern, particularly the sleeves and the trim at the neckline.  I think the feedsack and calico fabrics are going to look fabulous worked up in this pattern.  I think you could put in a faux belt if you wanted mid-way or you could do it drop waist also. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Simplicity (#2878 ) and I bought it for the neckline detailing alone.  Those flaps, fastened down with black buttons were screaming out to me!  I think for 1930’s styling, the bodice is too nipped in, but the piping and the small print on the example here made me buy it.  (That and Simplicity patterns were 40% off right now) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a very sweet and cute pattern, and I’m not sure I’ll use it, but I do like the sleeves on this and I think you could customize it all over the place.  I think it’s too pleated for 1930’s, but it’s all about what you like personally, right? 

I ended up buying more yardage as well because the fabric is irresistable to me.  Here are companies that are making reproduction feedsack fabrics and modern takes on vintage fabrics.  Enjoy!

http://www.robertkaufman.com/fabrics/designers/darlene_zimmerman/

http://www.fabricattic.com/newpage12.htm

http://www.fabricattic.com/aunt.htm

http://www.sewmamasew.com/ccp0-catshow/CLSWELL.html

Please, let me know how you all do and if you make a Kit inspired dress, please send me a photo!!

 

Tina

Farmer’s Market & Flea Market Treasures – NaJuPicMo

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish you all could smell these – they’re incredibly fragrant and ready for eating. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This will be put to work in a tangy pickle we make with plums, red onion and infused with star anise.  We serve it with grilled pork chops. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A local farmer was selling blossoms from his hydrangea bush.  $5 for 5 stems!  I couldn’t pass these up; they always reminds me of old-lady bathing caps.  After the farmer’s market, we headed over to the flea market and I scored a Kelvin Chen tea pot for $1.

Golly! Those Cupcakes have Lollies – NaJuPicMo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 These cupcakes were totally copied inspired from a Martha Stewart magazine.  They couldn’t be simpler.  The key to their appeal was the dipping of cupcakes into a bowl of sprinkles and covering the frosting completely.  Suzannah and I took sour patch strips and cut them into leaf shapes and, Bob’s your Uncle, stick a lollipop in and you’ve got some very fun cupcakes.

Feedsack Fabric, Dresses & Kit Kittredge – NaJuPicMo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suzannah has become interested in the American Girl dolls, especially since we saw the Kit Kittredge movie.  And, because she is Suzannah, wearer of dresses, she wants to wear the calico and feedsack dresses of the depression era.  Can love for certain kinds of fabric be genetic?  I remember long talks with M. about what colors of fabric we liked.  We liked very similar things when we’d go to antique shops.  We liked shabby stuff before it was chic to like shabby stuff.  We liked orange and robin’s egg blue.  So, after the movie, when Suzannah mentioned wanting about ‘100 dresses like Kit and her friends’ I had a real sense of continutity between us three generations of girls.  It’s all come together over fabric of all things. 

So, now I’m on the hunt for patterns to make Suzannah dresses like this.  It’s funny, I thouht it would be a simple task.  I’d find something on ebay or at one of the many cool online fabric shops I drool over.  But, nothing yet.  But I have the fabric all ready to go…she wanted the first one to be aqua…

 

 

 

 

 

 

…the last one on the right.  My personal faves are the two orange ones. 

If anyone knows how to get ahold of patterns for dresses like these…please let me know!  They don’t have to be authentically vintage.