so september

how i do my hair

2012-01-31T06:18:00.004-06:00

I thought today I would take a step back and take a look at some of the various hair options I have used in the past and share those with you all today. Stitching hair is really fun for me and I love trying to dream up new ways to approach it.

So first up is our little bug boy. I used two strands of green floss and just made rows and rows of chain stitches. I liked how the part in his hair really shows and I'm also quite fond of chain stitches so this was a great option all around.

Our little forest girl is just a wee lass and I did that on purpose just so I could do her hair this way. Had I made her larger I would still be working on those french knots right now. I know I wanted big puffs of 'curls' on top of her hair and that french knots would be ideal (with a little satin stitching for her bangs and for the top where her hair is "pulled back"). To cover a little more ground a little quicker and also to create a little more texture I did "up" my floss to three strands.

Okay, this one is my favorite. It doesn't look like anything more than a slightly messy satin stitch. And I know I'm not that great at satin stitching but I really can get the threads straight - really I can. I added a little twist though because I thought the satin stitch looked a little too neat and a little too solid. So, after satin stitching all the hair I went back in with just one strand of floss and make some long stitches here and there. I generally followed the basic direction and length of the satin stitches but also wove my thread between and at slight angles here and there to 'tousle' the hair a bit.

I think it really makes the hair look more 'natural' so to speak. I first used this technique last year when I made my caroler ornaments. It's so subtle but really effective.

Last comes the backstitch method. Just rows and rows of it. Sometimes I use an outline in a slightly different color just to add a bit more detail. I like how it creates such a solid look. Sometimes satin stitching isn't an option due to the size or the shape of the hair so this is a really good alternative.

Interested in more tips for embroidered hair? Check out this tutorial for making embroidered braids or this great discussion on floss color suggestions for hair. What is your best advice for stitching hair?

Super Stitching

2012-01-27T06:22:00.002-06:00

Guess who is here to rescue you from winter weekend boredom - it's Kindersquad! A brand new team of pint sized superheros ready to be stitched up by you! Drawing these up was really fun and I couldn't help but mentally attach little personalities to them. When it was all said and done I concluded that I am, in fact, kind of a dork. But that's okay and I certainly would never let something like that stop me! But enough about me, let me introduce you to my new friends:

First up we have Bolt Boy with some crazy electrified hair - hey that just happens when you play with electricity all day.

Then comes our tiniest friend no bigger than a fly (and set in a four inch hoop) but don't let his size fool you - he's ready to fight bad guys of any size.

Then comes our sweet friend from the forest ready to defend all things green and growing. She's got a pixie spirit and a lion heart - watch out litterbugs and land developers!

Last but not least is our little rainbow superstar. She's armed with her prism power necklace, sunshine cape and a whole lot of cheer and she's ready to fight off grey clouds wherever they may lurk.

So there it is - Kindersquad you can find it here for free. All four patterns are included as well as color and stitch guides for each. I thought these would be fun designs to stitch up for the little superheros in our lives that we all know and love. Perhaps on a wee little tote bag or pillow for their room? If you do decide to try these out and have any questions at all as you look it over please let me know - I'm more than happy to help.

Sorry but I have to add that selling of this pattern is not allowed nor is selling of items made using these patterns - thanks!

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finishing touches

2012-01-25T05:36:00.001-06:00

The floss is flying over here as I try to finish up a new pattern set. I think I'm almost there! Here are a few tidbits about it that I can share:

1. It leans to the 'cute' side as you know some of my patterns do.

2. There are 4 patterns in the set.

3. Some might call this set "Super"

4. Oh yeah, I almost forgot.... it's going to be FREE

Back to work for me!

and the winner is...

2012-01-16T06:09:00.004-06:00

Shannon who wrote:
I love your fish. Embroidery is something I love, but rarely take the time to do. I have grand plans for embroidery this year, we'll see if anything pans out.

Shannon, I think this is a sign that your grand plans are destined to become reality. Congratulations and enjoy this premier issue - you are going to love it!

so, what do...

2012-01-13T15:57:00.000-06:00

Brooke Burke Charvet and I have in common? (I know, this is tough one!)

We are both in Ladies Home Journal this month! Even though I have known about this for close to a year it wasn't hard to keep it under wraps because I honestly did not believe it would really happen until I saw it myself. Last Spring I was contacted through Etsy by the author of the article and that got the ball rolling. I was so excited, shocked and most of all NERVOUS. Oh my goodness. I really cannot adequately express how very far out of my comfort zone I had to travel to do this.

Somehow I made it through the interview. It helps when the person conducting the interview is absolutely delightful, which she was. Then there was the matter of photographs. You know I would prefer do just about anything rather than have my picture taken, right? Long division, bathroom cleaning, untangling knots in embroidery floss - anything anything but don't take my picture! I managed to luck out again because they sent over a ~~miracle worker~~ makeup artist and a super talented photographer and somehow they transformed frumpy old me into this:

Oh my gosh, what an honor and a thrill! Thank you Ladies Home Journal!

have you heard? psst....there's a giveaway here too!

2012-01-12T13:17:00.001-06:00

If you spend any time clicking around the world of embroidery online you have probably already heard about the premier of &Stitches. In case you have not, let me be the one to give you the good news. Nicole of "Follow the White Bunny" and Carina of "Polka and Bloom" have collaborated on a new ezine all about embroidery. It's jam packed with fun and useful information, interviews, patterns and ideas and beautiful photographs. You are going to love it!

I was lucky enough to be asked to contribute a pattern for the first issue and here it is. I wanted to design something that would let people play with different color combinations since the theme was color. It's right there in issue one available right here.

isn't this the most beautiful and enticing cover you have ever seen?

OR......

If you are feeling lucky .....

I get to GIVE one away to a So September reader - yea! Yes, that's right. Leave a comment and take a chance. I'll pick and announce a winner on Monday, Jan. 16th and Nicole and Carina will take it from there. Good Luck!!

don't get me started

2012-01-08T12:21:00.000-06:00

I did not intend to leave the library with this the other day but there it was yelling at me to bring it home so into the bag it went. You can understand this, right? Of course you can.

Anyway, regardless of it's beautiful introduction, I would have normally skipped over this chapter but found myself a little memorized instead. Aren't these textures fun?

I've never tried needlepoint but this book sure makes you want to give it a go, doesn't it?

You can see the potential can't you? I knew you could.
I know what you are thinking, "Corinne, didn't you say you were going to learn how to crochet?? And what ever happened to the quilts you were making for your sons?" Okay okay, you're right. I will put needlepoint on the 'someday' craft list. If you have tried it though, please tell me what you think. I need to know if I should put it on the top or the bottom of the list.

timber!

2011-12-31T14:15:00.000-06:00

I love putting the tree up and I really love taking the tree down. Some of my family members prefer to NOT pull the plug on Christmas on the 26th but I am not one of them. For their sake I do my best to be patient and let the tree stay for a few days after Christmas but I admit to plucking ornaments off here and there during that time. Finally on New Year's Eve I can get it all packed up without feeling guilty. Starting the new year off with a house that feels a little empty after all the decorations are gone seems right to me. It feels like a clean slate and I like that.

2011, you were good to me and my family - thanks for being so cool even if you were a little nutty from time to time. 2012, we haven't met yet but I am hoping we will have a great relationship! See you very soon!

P.S. I thought I would quickly give a report on how I did on my resolution from last year. I do believe I wore lipstick approximately 6 times so I think that qualifies as success, right??

ghost of christmas past part 3!

2011-12-24T11:43:00.001-06:00

You know how it goes - you do something two times and suddenly it becomes a tradition. The last two years I posted a photo of my dear sisters and I when we were little girls at Christmas time. This year I am doing that again but the embroidered version.

These were made at the request of my sisters for our parents. I love that the last snow angels of the season are for them. I actually do remember so many Winters full of snow play including many snow angels with 'the girls'. Those memories made stitching these even more fun for me but made me miss my sisters at the same time. I hoped to get a few more handmade gifts made this year but...oh well, that holds true every year I'm afraid (doesn't every creative person feel that way?).

This holiday season I have also been thinking so much about all the lovely people that have come into my life via my Etsy shop and my blog and I am so very grateful. You all make the holidays and everyday so happy for me - thank you!

I wish you all a magical holiday!

office christmas party

2011-12-20T11:58:00.001-06:00

our "Our First Christmas" ornament given to us on our wedding day

I'm revealing yet another secret here today on So September. This one is about a little something that just might be my favorite holiday tradition at our house. And I don't just say that because I thought this up myself, oh no. Although, I do pat myself on the back every now and then when I think about this. I like to call it the 'Office Christmas Party". As you know, I do not work in an office so such festivities aren't usually a part of my holiday plans. But I do work pretty hard and I do have a 'co-worker' of sorts in my dear husband and I really felt like we needed a little break during this crazy time of year to just step back and have a night to ourselves. It's sort of a holiday season date night you could say.
In years past I have even surprised Vince by just showing up at the end of the workday and announcing that it's "Office Christmas Party" night. I highly recommend that approach and I guarantee you will win some points with it. Other years it has been as simple as having dinner by ourselves in our very own dining room. Either way it has always been special and one of the things I look forward to most during the holiday season. I am so grateful to have had a chance to celebrate O.C.P. 2011 last weekend with my awesome husband who always makes the holidays merry and bright!

we are santa's elves....

2011-12-17T08:06:00.002-06:00

I heard this song playing in Barnes and Noble the other day and it hit me that it is a perfect holiday anthem for Etsy sellers. Here we are in our satellite workshops working frantically making handmade lovelies that will travel all over the world for Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I love it and I think most Etsy sellers would say the same. Like the song says..."we work hard all day, but our work is play..." Yes! That's exactly it! I won't be wearing a pointed hat or pointed shoes any time soon but I am so glad to be a part of the joyful chaos that is Christmas on Etsy.

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whatever works for ya

2011-12-06T12:44:00.001-06:00

Did you know this cute little ornament is actually hiding a dark and well kept secret? It's true.

It's actually sitting atop a very handy dandy [and thoroughly washed] plastic juice container. Why you say?

Well, when I finish an ornament and secure it in it's hoop I trim the edge of the fabric and glue it to the inside edge of the hoop with an archival adhesive. I like the fabric to stay put while the glue dries and these Old Orchard juice containers happen to fit perfectly inside a 3 inch hoop. They keep the fabric nice and snug against the hoop as the adhesive dries then they slide right off when it's done. I'm guessing I'm not the first to have found a little household item that doubles as a crafting tool. So let's hear it, what works for you?

these are a few of my favorite things

2011-12-01T12:27:00.001-06:00

Well, the frenzy of the Holiday Season has begun over here and while I am happy to be so busy I am also finding it hard to come up with much to share here besides, "AGH! I'm so busy!!" Oh, I'm sorry, did I let a wee bit of panic creep into that last statement? Forgive me, I meant to hide that a little better. No really, it will all get done, it always does, right?

Anyway, I thought I would at least check in here and share some of the things I have been loving lately that you might love too.

1. The Target Daily Deal. Wow there are some bargains there. Definitely worth checking out. They have great prices and free shipping on the selected items each day. Thanks Target!

2. My little pick me up and keep me goings: mmmmmmm..........

3. Netflix! If you embroider you know that one of the great things about it is that you can often do it in front of a screen. Thank you Netflix for sending me some lovely movies to stitch by this season. Three recently watched goodies I recommend are: Temple Grandin, Tree of Life (I came so close to sending this one back 20 minutes into it but am so glad I didn't!), and then for something a little lighter - Bridesmaids.

4. Sleeping Queens. I searched for this card game for months after my 6 year old nephew introduced it to me in June. We finally found it at Barnes and Noble about a week ago and have been playing it ever since. It's easy to learn, great for all ages, and the graphics are adorable. You can't go wrong with this one. Plus each round is just 15 - 30 minutes long so you can squeeze in a game or two amid the Holiday madness.

5. Go-Gos (no, not the 80's band). Okay I admit, when Peter decided he had to have these I did have my doubts. I wasn't too excited about having them all over the house and about another 'collection/obsession' to deal with. Turns out I love these guys. They really are so innocent and with so much other garbage out there that he could be into, I'm glad he picked the cute little things that don't carry weapons. Plus he actually plays with them. He makes up scenes, organizes them, trades them, writes stories about them, and draws them. Currently we are even helping him make a stop motion animation video starring go-gos of course (with a small cameo from a Bionicle). I admit, it's really fun. So when Peter's Christmas wish list is comprised of 90% go-gos I'm okay with that.

So, there is my round up of current loves. What are you loving these days?

the more things change...

2011-11-23T12:09:00.001-06:00

the more they stay the same. I'm kind of a super sentimental marshmallow mom so seeing a handprint turkey come home in my preschooler's backpack still fills me with delight. I'm guessing that my own mother still has a handprint turkey made with my own tiny hand (plus at least one from each of my sisters) somewhere in a box.
They are just too sweet to part with. After making these my kids have officially put more effort into Thanksgiving this year than I have. I admit I am getting off easy this year and will be visiting relatives who are doing all the hard work - and believe me, I am grateful for that.

I hope you all have a happy and fun Thanksgiving full of laughter and good food. I'll be trying to catch up on some stitching as we zoom down the highway (it's okay, I won't be driving). Assuming I don't have to do too much backseat refereeing I should be able to make some progress.

I'll take one last moment to say how thankful I am for everyone who stops by my little blog, it means so much to me!
Happy Thanksgiving!

just a few short days...

2011-11-16T12:33:00.001-06:00

Oh my gosh, I'm so excited. Guess where I'm going on Sunday (with a handsome 8 year old). Are you ready? Peter and I are heading over to the Fitzgerald Theatre to see Kate DiCamillo (Peter's favorite author) and (drumroll please)...Chris Van Allsburg - one of my very favorite author/illustrators. This week Peter and I are reading our way through the new Chronicles of Harris Burdick - the book that prompted the presentation. The stories, written by various authors, are a bit dark, mysterious and clever - just like the illustrations that inspired them - delicious! I promise I won't cry or make a fool of myself although it will take some restraint on my part. I can't wait!

feathered family

2011-11-11T11:56:00.001-06:00

Hello from the testing lab. I've been doing a bit of experimenting here and there and am trying to make sense of the results. This little bird family ornament is variation of a few designs I have done for ornaments in the past. I wanted to try it out in some muted colors this time. I am usually a fan of non-traditional colors for the holidays but ... I don't know, these almost seem too pastel to me. It's starting to look more like and Easter ornament than a Christmas ornament!

I'm also playing around with different backgrounds for my photos as well as different places in the house to take photos. I wanted to try a white background but I can tell I need some more practice. I still haven't found the perfect window to use for my tiny little photo studio but by golly I am going to try every single one until I figure it out.

My next photography project for today is to try to get a good shot of the boys for a Christmas card photo. I expect that will be a bigger challenge than changing up my background color. First, I'm making brownies though, I'll need to have some chocolately incentives on hand!

i, corinne, do hereby pledge...

2011-11-03T12:47:00.001-05:00

...that I will try to be a better blogger. October was my WORST month ever for blogging. But it's a new month and I am freshly fueled by pounds of Halloween candy and guilt. I would love to share the holiday season with you all if you will still have me.

How was your October? Mine was a bit of a rollercoaster. Lots of good with some bad thrown in the mix too. In the good category was a visit from my sisters (all three at once!) The four of us are in three different cities and we all have kids so get-togethers can be tricky. I am so thrilled they made the journey though! Vince and I also marked our 12th anniversary. I'm still not sure what kind of awesome karma I racked up in a previous life to deserve a husband like him but it must have been amazing. Seriously, I think I hit the jackpot here folks.

In the crafting realm there are ornaments and ornaments and oh, did I mention ornaments? I love this time of year, really I do. I'm settling into the pace a little more and before you know it *poof* it will be January so I'm going to just enjoy it while I can. I would LOVE to have a free pattern, a tutorial AND a giveaway on So September ALL before Christmas. It probably would not be wise of me to make any promises but you should know that that is indeed my goal. So, crank up the Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby and Andy Williams everyone - it's time to falala.

lucky lady

2011-10-13T15:46:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note today to share a little link. I am feeling like one lucky lady because Mom Inc. Daily asked me to participate in a blog feature! As you may know, the spotlight and I have a tenuous relationship but I took the leap and there I am. They are just lovely over there and the blog is exceptional. Thanks Mom Inc. Daily!

preschool preoccupations part two

2011-10-11T17:43:00.001-05:00

I made a promise ages ago that I would share a second little project from my preschool bag of tricks. I really didn't forget - honest!

Do you remember these little contraptions often referred to as a 'cootie catcher' or a 'fortune teller'? We were wild about them in grade school though I am pretty sure the ones we made had boys' names scribbled inside to tell you who you would end up marrying some day in the future. The version I made with Adam is far more innocent, I promise. It's full of bright colors, numbers and happy little affirmations tucked inside. I honestly did not expect this to be as big a hit as it was but I'm tellin' you, you should see Adam's face as his 'fortune' is read to him. He LOVES it. He'll let out a squeal and say "I knew it!!" Seriously, it's about the cutest thing ever.

So I felt like I should share it here as well. You can find a printable copy right here.

After you download and print it just make one cut along the dotted line at the bottom. The photo above shows one that has been cut already. This leaves you with a square sheet of paper.

Fold corner to corner one way.

Unfold and then do the same thing with the opposite corners.

Open it back up and fold each corner to the center. The intersection of the first two folds appears at the very center of your square and will serve as a guide for where the four corners should meet.

Turn it over and do the same thing again.

You'll end up with something that looks like this on one side.

And like this on the other.

Ease it open until it looks like this and you are ready to play!

How to play:
(If you already know this part go download your fortune teller and start playing!)
Use your thumbs ad forefingers to manipulate your fortune teller in one of two ways:
like this:

or shift to this:

We start with me holding the fortune teller closed and I ask Adam to choose a color (you could also ask players to choose a shape instead). He picks one of the four and I shift the fortune teller in opposite ways as I say each letter aloud. (i.e. open it to the blue and green numbers and say "B", shift it to the yellow and red numbers and say "L") and so on until the word "Blue" is spelled. We would end up with the fortune teller open to the red and yellow numbers. Then he would pick one of those numbers. I would shift the fortune teller again as I counted up to the number he chose. Finally when the counting is done he chooses one more number. I then open up the fortune teller to reveal the words or 'fortune' underneath.

I have started tucking one of these in my pocket for those 'waiting around' moments when you have to keep a little one occupied while you wait in line at the grocery store or have to do something equally mundane. It really comes in handy!

Enjoy!

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hello long lost blog

2011-09-29T14:04:00.000-05:00

We're here! I'm here! I swear I have not abandoned 'So September'. It's just been a little, well, nutty. A lot has happened in the last two weeks. One of which was my youngest boy turning 4! When Peter turned four I was just about to have Adam so this feels like a bit of a milestone and a bit like new territory. Once again Adam's birthday arrived amid a flurry of activity in which it almost was lost. That has somehow managed to happen every year, poor thing. We did have a small celebration though and I don't think he felt cheated at all. whew!

And even though Vince begged me to wait with any photos until everything was in it's place (which it is sooooo NOT), here I am with a couple of little sneak peaks. A fireplace! Something I never really thought I would have in a house I lived in but dreamed about it anyway. And there it is. Weird how that happens sometimes, no?

A lovely little row of evergreens in the back. That's where the squirrels and birds and rabbits like to congregate. Oh, and the people too. Good grief I love those trees.

Other trees are winning our hearts as well.

and just one more. A little built in space to put you fiestaware and what not. I (not my kids or husband but ME) broke TWO pieces of the vintage fiesta in the course of the move and I swore I would tuck it away for it's own good from now on. Turns out this is a pretty perfect little nook.

So, we are settling. There is a LOT of crafting paraphernalia that still needs to find a home but I at least located my needles and floss so I'm good. I have missed the craft blog world and can't wait to catch up on everyone's projects and plans.

summer goals reviewed

2011-09-14T12:38:00.000-05:00

So, now that Summer has raced on by like it tends to do I thought I would take a look back at some of the goals and plans I made when the season first started to see how I did. You might remember this post where I laid out my lofty plans.

1. Reading.

I actually impressed myself on this front and did more reading this Summer than I have in years. I can't believe I let this hobby slip away from me from time to time and I shutter to think of all the books I have missed out on when I have been in a 'lazy reader' phase. Just about everything I read was good and a few things were great. My favorite read of the season was The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz. That one is going on the favorites list for sure. What were your favorite reads this Summer?

2. Travel. oops I forgot to do this one. Remember how I said I was going to learn my way around Minneapolis? yeah, that didn't quite happen. But hey, I can always make that my Autumn goal, right?

3. Bike riding. YES! I didn't get out every single day but I'd say just about 2-3 times per week which is pretty good for me. I'm already sad about putting it away when the weather turns so I guess I better squeeze in a few more rides before that happens.

4. Quilts. Well...I didn't get as far as I wanted. I did get almost all the quilting on one of the quilts done and then got ...distracted. Is it normal to take 3+ years to make two twin sized quilts?

5. Visitors. Yes, the highlights of our Summer! Thanks everyone who made the journey!

6. House browsing. Okay, I failed on this front as well. I promised just to look and not buy but then...
Well, we bought a house.

I know I know, it's a little nutty. I really fell hard for this one and just felt like we should move on it before someone else did. So we did and we got it and we move tomorrow! It wasn't exactly what we planned to do but we do feel a certain sense of destiny with this house in spite of a lot of stress that has come along with the closing process we feel like it's 'meant to be'. And yes, this means that for the past few weeks I have been packing up everything we own for the second time in a year but I swear, I am not doing this again for at least another decade, if not more. Seriously.

I'll be in internet limbo for a few days and then I hope to get settled and maybe even share some photos!

I hope you all are looking back fondly on your Summer and looking ahead with eager anticipation to the coming Fall!

new beginnings

2011-09-07T09:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the big day folks - Back to School! Little Adam started preschool with great enthusiasm and excitement. That certainly made that first drop off easy for me. Yep, I think he is going to do juuuuuuust fine. Plus it's only two afternoons a week so I am pretty sure he can handle being away from me for that long - I mean, I'm cool and all but I'm not that cool. His teachers seem to be about as sweet as is humanly possible and they also seem to LOVE their jobs so what more could I really ask for?

Peter rather reluctantly started third grade. I think that will be fine too but it's so hard at that age to leave behind the sleeping in, staying up late, playing outside, riding bikes and all the other fun that Summer brings. I remember what a tough transition that was at that age and I don't envy him. On the other hand, after a Summer of spending all day with his mother and 3 yr. old brother, I think he will welcome a chance to hang with the big kids and do 8 yr. old boy stuff for a change.

And of course you know what all of this really means, don't you? That I will have about 4 hours each week completely to myself!! I'm pretty excited about that as you might guess. I had a list a mile long of things I wanted to do that first day (this post being one of them) but only got through about 3 of them. Oh well, I will have to learn to pace myself and plan realistically. It's going to be good!

getting personal

2011-08-30T11:49:00.004-05:00

Guess what? More ornaments. I just have two to share today. These were both designs that are meant to be personalized. The sweet little angel makes me wish I had a little girl to stitch for and the trike makes me giddy that I have a boy so I suppose it all worked out.

The streamers on the trike were an afterthought but now I think they are my favorite part. And the grown-up bike lover in the house (i.e. Vince) thinks it's pretty cool too. So, we've got something new to hang on our very own tree this year.

I will probably have to come up with one for Peter just to even things out. What do you think...a ninja or a yu-gi-oh monster?? Hmmm...tough call. I'm joking of course - I can respect the things he is into right now but they are not going to make it onto the family Christmas tree. Sorry Peter!

preschool preoccupations

2011-08-28T15:33:00.002-05:00

I've got not one, but TWO fun little projects from this Summer to share. They were both geared toward the younger set since I have a three (almost four) year old in the house who often needs a diversion. Before you get too excited I'll warn you that I only have one of the two projects ready today - I'm working on the other. Also, I admit, I did not come up with this idea, I read it in a magazine somewhere but it's so fun and easy I'm sharing here anyway even though chances are that you have seen this somewhere before.

So, the first one is the much beloved "I Spy" jar. All you need is an assortment of little doo-dads and what nots (we always seem to have plenty in our house). I used things like a paperclip, a thumbtack, a crayon, a button and well, you get the idea. Then you need a clean empty jar and some rice. I decided to color my rice just for fun using this recipe.

Toss everything in the jar and seal it shut (I used E600 for this). All that's left to do now is turn it and shake it until you have found all the hidden treasures inside. I added a tag to it that lists what is inside as well. Fun and super dooper easy.

eight is enough

2011-08-22T16:51:00.000-05:00

when posing in front of an underwater themed mosaic you must, of course, act as though you are underwater

Okay Peter, you can stop growing up now. You can just stay right where you are. How could he possibly be eight already? It just doesn't seem possible. I have been struggling a bit with Peter's birthday this year. I guess part of me just feels as though change is on the way. I have loved ages six and seven and I think I will love eight too. I don't know though, maybe it's this new "tween" label that has cropped up in recent years. I see him heading that way and just want to grab him and run in the opposite direction.

One minute I'm quietly panicking to myself about how I'm on the verge of losing him to manga and video games and any number of other things that I am not fond of and then the next minute he is making up a goofy dance or chasing butterflies and I can take a deep breath and realize that he will NOT grow up all at once. Thanks goodness too because that is more than this marshmallow mom could handle.

We did have a wonderful weekend celebrating this 8 year milestone. We visited the Minnesota Zoo, did a bit of hiking and ate a lot of junk food. Everyone was exhausted but happy for two days straight. Not a bad way to start a new year is it?

angels in august

2011-08-15T15:44:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I am so excited about these! In part because they took sooooo long to get here! I sketched this idea out 2 years ago and just couldn't seem to get it right in time for the 2009 or the 2010 holiday season. She would get pulled in and out of the project pile over and over until finally this Summer she emerged! yea!

I decided I had better throw a blond into the mix for good measure. Usually I get scared off by blond. I'm afraid I will make it 'yellow' and all the blonds in the world will hate me. I hope I got it right here (crossing fingers).

Besides getting these on the shop shelves this week I am plugging along on a custom order - I swear one day there will be photos, I swear! I have also designated this week as "wrap up week". The week when I finish up a number of half completed 'to-do's' that have been nagging at me and also catch up with people I need to catch up with. That part will be fun - assuming all the people I have been neglecting haven't written me off for good for being so out of touch (sorry guys!). We also have a birthday at the end of this week in our family and I am so NOT prepared for that. Again, I have work to do but it will be the fun kind of work!

august is...

2011-08-09T15:09:00.003-05:00

Christmas ornament time! Didn't you know? None of this "back to school" season stuff for me. And Halloween and Thanksgiving?? Forget about it! The bells are jingling over here even with the air conditioner blasting. I'm joking for the most part of course. I don't enjoy jumping the gun on the holidays but I know I have to do it if I want to have anything at all on the shop shelves in time.

So, these are the first of the season. Remember my trials and troubles with shisha? I really did stick with it and even though I don't yet find it to be easy, it is getting more fun. I thought it would add just the right sparkle to a Christmas ornament and I love the idea of something non-traditional on a Christmas tree.

More ornaments should be hitting the shelves in the next month or so. I am really excited about all of them!

And by the way, I have been back to school shopping recently. While I do love this particular chore (fresh crayons, new notebooks, super clean lunchboxes and backpacks - whoo hoo!!) I am glad that I only have two kids to buy for!

show and tell

2011-08-03T16:19:00.000-05:00

As promised (or threatened perhaps) I am back in the blogosphere. My very dear friends, Julie and Jen, who were visiting all the way from sunny California left today and I immediately wanted to share some of the fun things we made this year. If you are a regular reader then you have probably heard about this flurry of crafting that comes along with any visits from my friends and fellow Etsians. I am pretty proud of us this year although I think it's safe to say that we never get as many projects done as we would like.

This year we made some lovely mugs using Vitrea paints. They can be heat set in your oven so they are dishwasher-safe. How Julie gets her handwriting so perfect is beyond me. I didn't even try. I opted for flowers (imagine that).

What we spent MOST of our time on this time around was a set of dolls for a very special baby girl born just this Summer. We used this tutorial which I had bookmarked ages ago but never honestly thought I would ever have an opportunity or reason to try it. When this precious new family member came into Julie and Jen's lives I threw the idea out there and was thrilled when they said they wanted to try it. I think we would all agree that this is a labor intensive project but well worth it.

There is a lot of embroidery going on behind the SeptemberHouse scenes but I don't have any decent photos to share. What I will share is this scan of the new 'love' stamps from the US post office. LOVE these! I think I gasped a little when the woman at the counter pulled these out. She seemed less impressed of course but I was one happy girl when I took these home. Yes, I have been known to be a bit of a stamp nerd, it's true.
And now, I'm off to check in with some blogs I have been missing, I can't wait to see what everyone else has been making!

still here, i swear

2011-08-01T06:38:00.000-05:00

I really am still here, just a bit buried at the moment. I promise to get back to the surface soon but this post is just a little breather before diving back in. I miss all my blog friends!!

crazy quilt

2011-07-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

Well, I dove in and started quilting one of the two quilts I have slowly been working on for, gosh, like two years now. *sigh*
I knew I needed to get a walking foot but was putting it off because I knew as soon as I had that there was really no excuse to NOT get started on the quilting. Yes, I was intimidated. But I did it - I got started. I'm just getting my toes wet with some stitch-in-the-ditch quilting so at least I have some easy lines to follow. Is it as hard as I thought it would be? Well, yes, actually, it is. I'm finding it to be extremely awkward. I also feel as though my machine just isn't big enough, the table I have it on isn't big enough and I am not big enough. The quilt, on the other hand, seems way too big.
Maybe some seasoned experts can tell me if there is anything I can do to make this process go a little smoother - or is this just one of those things that gets easier with practice? I just hope it doesn't turn out too terrible and I do value it as a learning experience. After I get these two quilts done though, I think I will stick with table runners and place mats when I want a quilting project.
Wish me luck!.

christmas in july

2011-07-15T06:19:00.003-05:00

First I throw Fall at you and now I'm steamrolling you right into the holiday season. Sorry about that. I'll go turn off my time machine now, I promise. But before I do that I'll share my new pattern set called "Jingle Belles"

This one is all girl and it's full of dress after dress after dress. I love it when those tiny holiday dresses hit the store shelves - and that should be happening again like, next week or so, right? See, I'm not the only one rushing the holiday season!

These patterns are (hopefully) reminiscent of those gorgeous miniature gowns that always make little girls sparkle and shine during the holidays. I myself have been guilty in the past of gasping and squealing at the sight of these tiny wonders. I'm not expecting that any one will squeal at these patterns but it's my hope that they will at least bring back memories of those sweet little dresses when they see them.

There are two sizes included - one is slightly smaller to allow room for text at the top or bottom.

And there are applique instructions and templates too. Oh and I'm not going to confirm or deny this but there is a rumor that a secret extra pattern is included but again, I couldn't say with any certainty.

As you know, I do like to step away from the boy zone here once in awhile and get back in touch with my girly side. Designing and stitching this set gave me a chance to do that and I hope other people will have as much with it as I did. Happy Holidays!

since it's fall and all

2011-07-12T13:02:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, I'm not ready for Fall yet either and heaven knows there are still so many more Summer days to be enjoyed.

But, when it came time to pick colors for some new magnets I thought I might as well work ahead and choose some Fall colors. The top one is called "Sunny October"

And this one I am calling "School Days". Can you believe I tackled my least favorite stitch for this set?? The dreaded satin stitch - yeesh!. I'm forcing myself to do a LOT of it though and I know it will one day become my best friend.

More new things to come, my needle has been hot lately!

Summer-time

2011-07-10T07:25:00.002-05:00

I distinctly recall being so excited about the end of the school year. I couldn't wait to get out of a routine for awhile and to stop looking at the clock so much. I am enjoying a more laid-back course but the adjustment has not been without it's challenges.

One of the unexpected perks has been the boys sleeping in from time to time. On a couple of occasions they slept until 9:00 which is amazing! I sort of felt like I had won the free-time lottery. The flip side of that is the later bedtime which means my 'after the kids go to bed' time has shrunk dramatically. Throw in some shift changes with Vince's work and a topsy-turvy schedule in general and I am thrown totally out of whack.

So, I've been trying to just grab those fleeting moments of creative time when I can and I try to be ready for them whenever they might pop up. There are some Christmas ornaments in the works and a new pattern set that I had hoped to have out by now but will probably make it's debut later this week. I suppose it depends on when those fleeting moments come along.

Don't you love how when I don't have anything that I have actually made to show you I just make you look at our nature walk pictures? Sorry, it's all I could come up with today!

swoon

2011-07-03T09:26:00.000-05:00

I can't keep this library score to myself so I'm gushing here today at this amazing children's book, Me, Frida by Amy Novesky. I spied it in the 'to-be-shelved' pile and snagged it before it could be put away. If I hadn't, someone else would have because these illustrations by David Diaz are so mesmerizing.

I'm not sure if I have mentioned it, oh surely I have, but David Diaz is my current FAVORITE children's book illustrator.

These meager photos don't even come close to doing justice to his work in print and are a hilarious joke compared to his work in real life. When I was looking through this book at home Vince looked at me and said, "Geez, Corinne, you look like you are falling in love with that book!" Oh, umm, does it show?

I'll be adding this one to my collection for sure.

Hopefully you are all having a relaxing and fun holiday weekend. We are keeping it low-key (Vince is working - boo) but we did squeeze in a round of mini golf last night. That's when we found out that 3 years old really is too young for mini golf. Oh well, it was a gorgeous evening so everyone had fun anyway.

I also baked my annual Fourth of July Apple Pie. I would have taken a beautiful photo of it to share like so many other bloggers do but to be honest we dug into that thing before I could even take my lens cap off so, who knows, maybe next year. Hope all your celebrations are just as delicious!

boyfest 2011

2011-06-29T14:26:00.001-05:00

Boys and flowers do mix - who knew? We happily hosted out-of-town guests this past weekend when my parents and three of my nephews came for a visit. You kind of have to see the Conservatory if you are in Saint Paul so we did make a stop on Saturday. Besides, there is also a zoo there so there is really something for everyone.

You really can't help but ooooh and ahh over the flowers even if you are a 3 - 12 year old boy. Lillies taller than your kid I tell ya! Beautiful! I admit it was just a tad hectic from time to time and reigning in the excitement of five boys was occasionally a challenge but we managed and I think everyone had fun. There was so much more we wanted to show them but didn't have time on this visit.

After the major clean-up effort it was back to work for everyone including me. I attended a great Tech Tuesday seminar at the Textile Arts Center last night called the Business Side of Business. I have used the "'creative people and numbers just don't mix" excuse long enough and am determined to get a grip on some ins and outs that I have been ignoring. I highly recommend doing this from the start - not waiting until your business is up and running. Oh well, now I know. I'm sure I'll get all my proper forms filled out just in time for the predicted government shut down. OR perhaps the budget will get hashed out just in the nick of time, one never knows. Wish us luck!

new guys

2011-06-22T15:03:00.000-05:00

*Thanks blogger.com for letting me post photos once again*

Now, where was I? Oh yes - something new to share today. Another little fabric panel - and then I swear, that's all for now! I decided to call these guys "Talking Threads".

They start out like this:

Then you get to stitch up whatever words and other embellishment you choose and they end up something like this:

The potential for silliness, happy encouragement and profanity is endless, which is perhaps my favorite thing about them. Plus they make a pretty quick and easy project for beginners which I like as well. A lot of people tell me they want to try embroidery but aren't sure where to start so I had them in mind when designing these.

They fit right into a 6 inch hoop but I suppose if one were so inclined they could be a part of a quilt or other fabric project.

Whatever people decide to do with them I hope they have FUN.

would love to...

2011-06-22T12:29:00.000-05:00

share about my newest project and shop item but blogger is acting funny today. For some reason I can't upload photos - anyone else having this issue? It worked fine yesterday so it's kind of a mystery. I want to complain about blogger but really you get what you pay for, right? So I should probably keep my mouth shut.

I'll try again later :)

welcome summer

2011-06-21T08:30:00.001-05:00

The boys at Dodge Nature Center

It's officially here - Summer!! Do you all have plans for this longest day of the year? We're starting out raining and cool but who knows - perhaps the sun will make an appearance for the event.

All I've got to share today is a small roundup of Summer plans. A few of them are crafty but many are not. Most of the Summer is up in the air and that's okay with me. We're more open to adventure that way, right?

1. Reading. I always have high hopes to get a lot of reading done over the Summer. That goal isn't always met but I do have fun trying. I'm waiting for my turn for a book at the library right now and am having a hard time being patient. It would probably be a good time to scope out some other good reads for the months ahead. Speaking of which - who is on GoodReads? I am. I'm always looking for reading suggestions so if you are over there too look me up!

2. Travel. Ummmm, probably not so much this year. What I have it my head to do this Summer, though, is to try to learn my way around Minneapolis. So, most of my car time will probably be spent there. It's terrible, we lived in St. Paul years ago and I never really got a grip on the layout of Minneapolis back then and I swear it doesn't even really look that familiar to me now that we are back. It doesn't help matters that I am pretty hopeless when it comes to navigation, orientation and direction. It's bad, folks, really bad. Anyone have tips for learning your way around a new city?

3. Bike riding. Family bike rides - lots of them.

4. Quilts. Real progress has been made on the boys' quilts but it's time to really get in gear. I hope they will have something to keep their little toes warm by the Fall. Wish me luck!

5. Visitors. I think we just might have some house guests this Summer and I cannot wait!! There are plans being made by some family members and friends and I am keeping my fingers crossed that they become reality. Even more incentive for me to learn my way around the cities, right?

6. House browsing. NOT house buying - just some window shopping.

Now it's your turn - what are YOUR Summer hopes and dreams?

looking for a date?

2011-06-16T07:44:00.004-05:00

Oh my gosh, I wasn't sure these would EVER make it to SeptemberHouse! But, they did arrive fashionably late this morning. What was the hold up you ask? Mostly indecision on my part. I also now have a stack of rejects at my house as a result of some long and drawn out trial and error.

So here is what is new this year: new fabric - a cotton linen blend rather than the quilting weight cotton. I love the way it hangs and it's really easy to embroider on and sew. Also I switched to just one size (14 x 18) rather than the two sizes this year. And finally there are three design options: the regular white, a light green with a leaf pattern and a light blue.

I stitched up Carina's pattern on the light blue and I was really happy with how it turned out. I cheated a little and veered away from the stitch guide so that I could try my hand at some different stitches on the circles. Or maybe I was trying to avoid satin stitching because, well, you know how I feel about satin stitching. You can see another example of a Polka and Bloom pattern stitched up on a calendar panel here. I saw it last year in my flickr group and was really wowed and inspired.

Here is one of the greens unstitched. I used a vintage owl pattern when I made my example and I have to be honest, this was not one of my favorite embroidery projects. Maybe it's the colors I chose but I just wasn't 100% happy with it when it was done even after a lot of tearing out and restitching.

And last but not least is a panel in white similar to the previous year's panel. This year I went with a sepia tone for the printing rather than grey - after much debating and hand wringing. Yes, these are the silly little decisions that cause me to lose sleep, can you believe it?

So, I'm moving on to a few other projects that are in the works including a new pattern set - yay!

experimenting

2011-06-14T13:56:00.002-05:00

One thing I love about stitching up calendar samples each year is that I get to try out some embroidery patterns and techniques that I have wanted to try but never found the time or the right project. I always feel like it's okay for me to experiment with these and have fun. So, for another panel project I used a pattern that is actually designed for stained glass but I turned it into an embroidery/applique project instead (no lead or nasty glass cuts here - whew!)

I picked up this little book from the library. I really fell for some of the complex patterns but sternly told myself to pick a simple one this time so that I wouldn't be stitching until January 2012.

First I scanned my pattern and re-sized it to fit. I printed it out and decided which parts I wanted to turn into an applique. For those parts I traced the outline (in reverse - I just turned the paper printout over and could still see it when I held it up to the window) onto a piece of wonder under.

Next I ironed my wonder-undered applique pieces onto my fabric and cut them out.

I then traced the pattern onto a piece of tear away stablilizer.

This next part was a little tricky but I used my traced pattern as a guide and positioned my applique pieces underneath. I don't enjoy this part but there's no getting around it. When they were all in place I ironed them on and pinned my stabilizer on top. Then it was stitch stitch stitch, tear, tear, tear and done!

So now I have something new in my embroidery bag of tricks and will perhaps even tackle one of those beautifully detailed window designs one day! For now though, I'm off to go pick up my son from his very last day of school. I have a THIRD grader now - wow!!

new on the shop shelf

2011-06-08T11:19:00.001-05:00

Babies are pretty much my favorite people to make things for, really. And it's not just because they can't tell you what they really think of what you have made for them which, in my opinion, is indeed a bonus. I took a leap and decided other people might have this same fondness for those handmade baby gifts as well when I made these new little goodies for my shop.

I just have finished examples shown here but they each started out as a pre-printed panel that can be embroidered and embellished to whatever degree and in whatever manner one sees fit.

There are three designs: the baby bird, the giraffe pull toy and the sailor bunny. The inner circle is 8 inches but the panel is 12 inches square so there are some fun possibilities here I think. There is room for three lines of text. I used standard birth record info for my sample but a lovely little quotation would be cute as well.

AND...I'm also super excited about my friend and fellow Etsian, Julie being picked for featured seller! Check out her interview here. Way to go Julie!

O.P.P. (other people's patterns)

2011-06-07T13:17:00.000-05:00

I am keeping my needle busy these days and am finally taking a moment to snap a photo of one of my WIPs to share today. Fellow stitchers might recognize this gorgeous design from Carina of Polka and Bloom.

It's her beautiful "Tree of Life" pattern. I am so happy that she said "yes" when I asked her if I could use it for one of my calendar panel examples! So far it's been really fun to stitch but as you can see I left the satin stitching for the very end. It's my least favorite stitch so I always let it just sit there until it can't be avoided any longer.

Of course the advice I would give to anyone else who said the same thing would be to just practice and then it won't seem so bad so I suppose I should take that to heart myself. I used to feel that way about french knots and now I love them. I can't wait to share this when it's all finished up!

moleskine cover tutorial

2011-06-01T06:21:00.004-05:00

It's here, the "little tutorial that could". As I mentioned before this one started out so much more complicated than it ended up. It had multiple pieces to cut out and at least twice as much sewing. I knew it could be simpler but had to mull it over for awhile before the light bulb finally went off.

Moleskines are gaining more and more popularity and can be found more places than ever (even Target carries them now). The plain kraft/chipboard cover that some of them have make them perfect for all kinds of embellishing and adornment. I liked the idea of a fabric cover that could be washed if needed and re-used once the notebook runs out. I also like any little project that lends itself to a touch of embroidery such as this. I made two versions - one for the cahier size journal and the wee little volant notebook (so cute!).

Here's what you'll need : fabric, your moleskine notebook of choice, sewing machine, elastic (optional), embroidery floss, needle, desire to embroider (optional)

There are no pattern pieces to cut - just a rectangle shape. Here are the dimensions:
Cahier size: 14.125w x 12.5h
Volant size: 9.25w x 9.75h
*the photos here show the volant size

Trim the right and left sides with pinking sheers and fold over 1/4 inch. Press (and pin if you like)

Sew along the edge to finish

*If you are doing any embroidery or other embellishing it's best to do it now before the next step.*
Next fold in half with right sides together. Pin in place and stitch together using a 1/4 inch seam allowance

Re-position your fabric so that the seam runs long the center rather than the top/bottom edge and press seam open

Turn right side out and you will see you have basically a simple tube of fabric

Next fold the sides over so you have a flap that is approximately 1 5/8 inch on both the front and the back covers (about 2 3/4 on the cahier size).

I double checked it with the actual notebook in place just to make sure it was okay - try it with the notebook open and closed and make sure you have wiggle room on the fold as you will be top stitching that edge.

Top stitch right by the edge/fold on both sides.

So this is what you should have so far

At this point you can simply top stitch along the top and bottom edges to complete your notebook cover. Or, you can add a length of elastic to the back cover to hold your notebook closed when it's not in use. Many of the other varieties of moleskines have this feature and it does come in handy if there is a chance your notebook might get jostled around. I used a piece of elastic that was 5 1/2 inches long. Tuck one end under the fold of the back cover and pin in place

Tuck the other end under the fold at the bottom and pin in place.

The last step is topstitching along the top and the bottom right up at the edges. When you reach the elastic just hold it up so that the end gets stitched between the layers but the rest of it does not go under your needle. It's a little awkward but not too bad. Repeat on the other side and you are done!

And that's it! All that's left to do is to tuck the front and back covers of your notebook into the pockets of your fabric cover and you are done.

These would make cute gifts for teachers, fun stocking stuffers and a nice little project for yourself. They are also a good way to use up smaller pieces of fabric. Am I the first one on the internet to share a tutorial like this one? I wish! So, if you are looking to step it up a notch and make Moleskine covers with a bit more detail (like with pen holders and button closures and fun stuff like that) check out all of these tutorials - they are wonderful!

home stretch

2011-05-31T12:53:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm gearing up again after the holiday weekend. My new tutorial is almost - but not quite ready. I think it will make it's appearance tomorrow.

My holiday weekend was full of ups and downs and I think I'll just sum it up with these statements:

Rain gets old

Parenting is hard

Onion rings are awesome

Free fun is especially fun

Etsy is mysterious

Ice cream won't solve your problems but it really can make you feel better, at least for a short while

Profound, I know.

How would you sum up your holiday weekend?

distracted by cute

2011-05-24T11:12:00.000-05:00

It's really hard to concentrate on laundry, cooking, embroidery, children, etc. when this:

is just a few blocks away.
AWWWWW!

good grief

2011-05-19T12:54:00.001-05:00

I'm coming up for air here for a minute to say "hello" and to hopefully assure readers that I have not abandoned "So September". I have manged to put way too many pots on my stove so to speak and am trying to keep everything simmering. It is requiring a lot of stirring and I must say the heat in the kitchen is starting to wear on me.

It's not a terrible problem to have - I just had a lot of ideas hit at once and instead of taking them one at a time (and perhaps actually completing one) I seem to have them all in progress simultaneously. One of my projects is the 2012 calendar panel - yes it's coming I promise! Then there are two more items and a really fun commissioned project. I'm also working my way through creating a tutorial to share. I haven't done that in ages and I have a project that I think is pretty cute and easy. The only thing is, I managed to make it as complicated as it could possibly be. Seriously, you will laugh when you see it. It's like I made a recipe for making ice cubes and it has 18 steps. I don't know why I do that! Anyway, I'm whittling it down to a more basic process that makes more sense than the mess I started with. So, I will be checking in still on my progress I promise and I can't wait to catch up on all my blog reading too.

they grow up so fast, don't they?

2011-05-13T15:49:00.000-05:00

Remember these guys? They weren't the cutest kids but they grew up to be pretty little adults.

We ended up getting four out of five to make to butterfly stage although one butterfly was never quite 'right' and never ended up flying away, poor thing.

This is the closest thing we have had to a pet for a long time and is about as close as I am ready to come at this point. I know all the boys in the house (especially the 37 year old one) have puppy dreams but can you imagine how much fun a puppy would have with a box of embroidery floss? I'm not willing to risk it just yet.

thanks for sticking with me

2011-05-10T06:50:00.000-05:00

get it, "sticking with me" like how magnets stick to stuff. And also like how I never hesitate to share a lame joke such as this one and yet you still read my blog - I do truly appreciate that!

Anyway on to the winner of the Sticky Sweet Magnet Set:

I hopped over to random.org and they told me to send a magnet set to: #15 Melissa!

If you are a regular reader you may know that Melissa and I are friends (we're friends, right Melissa?) but I swear to you she did not slip me some gorgeous little felt thing in order to secure her winning position. I SWEAR.

And also let me mention that if you still would like a chance to win a SeptemberHouse treat or participate in some other great giveaways, stroll on over to my friend Carina's blog where there will be a SeptemberHouse gift certificate giveaway on May 11th. And stay for some awesome embroidery and crochet inspiration!

Thank you so very much to everyone who participated!!

what's that? a giveaway you say?

2011-05-06T05:57:00.001-05:00

I know it's been ages since I have had a giveaway but I am back with a little one today. I'm also sharing a fun new little something from SeptemberHouse (again, it's been ages since there has been anything new over there either!). Introducing Sticky Sweet Sampler Magnet Sets!

These little guys were so fun to make. I decided on two color combinations: One called Summer Berry and the other called Melon Salad. I really had Summer on the brain at the time I guess. And they have super strong magnets on the back so they have real sticking power. These aren't just pretty decorative numbers, oh no, these are workhorses.

So, throw your name in the hat for a 4 piece set. The winner can pick which color combo. they like. Please comment anytime through Monday, May 9th and I'll anounce a winner on Tuesday.

Oh, and have a fantastic weekend too!

come what may

2011-05-02T09:00:00.004-05:00

Spring marched through Minneapolis yesterday past crowds wrapped in hats, winter coats and gloves. She won't be stopped you know. We were happily among the onlookers attending what is one of my very favorite celebrations here: the MayDay parade and festival presented by the In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre.

This is a parade bursting with creativity, ideas, inspiration and enthusiasm. When I moved to the Twin Cities the first time, many years ago, this was the first big event I attended. After that I was pretty sure I had made the right move. Vince and I were both so excited to be coming back a decade or so later, but this time with our children.

They were impressed but also just a bit creeped out from time to time (I guess I can see that). And they were COLD but it was totally worth it.

raise your hand if...

2011-04-29T11:55:00.000-05:00

you watched it. I should be honest and confess that I did not see ALL of the royal wedding live but I saw a good chunk of it live and the rest in replays. What did you think??

I am a sucker for weddings as I have probably mentioned once or twice. And, while I hate to date myself, I do remember when Charles and Diana were married and when William and Harry were both born so... considering all of that, how could I NOT pay attention to this event?

I thought the dress was perfect. I'm biased I suppose because I think Kate Middleton is so beautiful and she would look great in anything. She's got that 'special' pretty to her. The pretty that was pretty 100 years ago, it will still be pretty in 100 more years, she was probably a cute kid and will be beautiful when she's old. Oh, and I'm sure she's quite nice as well.

This was a fun way to end what has been a challenging week so "Cheers!" to that!

hello spring!

2011-04-25T15:37:00.000-05:00

Just stopping by today to share a few photos from our first family hike of 2011. There was a whole lot of brown, quite a bit of water and then...

tiny exclamation marks scattered everywhere shouting "I'm HERE!"

Everything had to be examined and inspected thoroughly but I assure you it all checked out.

And yes, there have been flooding issues in these parts but we refused to let that stop us. I didn't fully realized how much I missed adventures like this one until I was out on the trail. Now I want to spend all my time there and none of the boys would argue with that I'm sure. I'm not sure mud and embroidery floss would make a good mix so I guess I had better pace myself.

How have you been re-connecting with the great outdoors lately?

i do believe we are done

2011-04-22T07:01:00.002-05:00

And so it seems we have closed on our house in Omaha. I can't accurately describe the relief that comes with that but believe me, it's huge. It means we can start to look ahead. It means perhaps my husband can let go of the second job that kept him away from us so many nights but, at the same time, saved us. Both of these things make me giddy.

I will say that those hydrangeas up there will be missed! And even though it's none of my business anymore, I do hope the new owners don't dig them up and get rid of them.

We had a few small snags there at the end at the fault of our ever-unreliable bank. It probably wouldn't be right for me to tell you it's name but if you threw a "T" in the middle of their initials it would be "WTF". Thankfully things got squared away in time though not without my sons having to hear me use the "f" word. Sorry guys!

Anyway, I am a happy little bird today and I'm feeling much lighter! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

trial and error

2011-04-20T10:47:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling brave today and sharing what has turned out to be a somewhat frustrating exercise. I am attempting to learn how to do shisha embroidery. But, I am feeling very much like the old dog incapable of learning this new trick.

These little samples are all that's left after so much tearing out and tossing away. They aren't perfect or even close (the poor yellow guy had to be abandoned after my mirror started to fall out!) but they are a start. Vince asked me why I am bothering and I said "because it's hard". Ever feel that way? It's not even THAT hard, it's just new is all. And, I must say, it feels good to stretch myself a bit and try something I haven't done before. I'm not sure what I will do with this skill either. It might show up in future projects and I do have some fun ideas but I have a long way to go before I feel confident enough to put something out there.

I considered posting a photo of the snow that's falling here today but decided against it for fear of losing readers - I mean who wants to see that, right? But Adam woke up today, looked out the window and said "Yay!! It's snowing!!" And he said it with that squeal in his voice that kids have when they see the first snow of the season. So, I'm keeping that happiness and enthusiasm in my head today and I swear I won't be grumpy about the weather!

all good things must end

2011-04-15T14:23:00.001-05:00

We waited and waited and waited for months for Mad Men season 4 to make it's way to Netflix and finally it did. We've been watching voraciously and yesterday the FINAL disk arrived in the mail. I swear I'm so sad that I feel like watching it in tiny little 15 minute increments just to make it last longer. I don't have the willpower for that however. I still have two more episodes to watch so DON'T tell me what happens, okay?

In other endings the Shop - Stitch - Support event over at SeptemberHouse drew to a close yesterday. I'm happy to report that due to so many fantastic stitchers out there, I was able to donate over $175 to the American Red Cross. Thank you everyone who stopped by and bought a pattern in the last week!!

Another little chapter came to a close yesterday at our house when Peter said, "Mom, could you please stop putting notes in my lunch?" Apparently words have been exchanged around the lunch table about my notes especially the "ones with hearts on them". *sigh* fine then. whatever. I knew this day would come but it still isn't fun. But, the good news is that before I know it I'll have another little lunch to pack and I think a note from mom will be just fine (for a while at least).

it's for the kids, really

2011-04-09T06:27:00.001-05:00

I swear I didn't order a butterfly garden for myself because I love butterflies and then explain to my children that they, in fact, love butterflies as well and wanted a butterfly garden more than anything else on earth. (I mean, why would a grown adult order something for themselves from a toy catalog, right?) Of course I didn't do that, that would be weird.

Okay, so it sort of felt like I did just that but honestly, what boy doesn't want a little jar of crawlies in their room? I can hardly think of a better way to welcome Spring, can you?

knock knock...

2011-04-05T13:21:00.001-05:00

Hi, it's just me at your door with a fun opportunity for a very worthy cause. On Friday I'm kicking off a week long effort to raise funds for the American Red Cross. More specifically, for their efforts to aid earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. If you have been thinking about trying a SeptemberHouse pattern please consider stopping by for this event. The entire purchase price of each pattern sold that week will be donated to the American Red Cross. I will not be subtracting the listing or paypal fees.
Also, if you are a pattern seller and are interested in joining in please let me know - the more the merrier!

return of the long lost project

2011-04-02T20:14:00.001-05:00

Remember this poor forgotten project? I first posted about this grand plan I had to make a quilt for each of the boys almost a year ago. I actually made some pretty good progress on it until Summer hit. Then once we found out about the move, this WIP was nearly the first thing to get packed up and just about the last thing to get unpacked.

I started to look over what I had yesterday and found that I was actually a bit farther along than I thought and there is nothing more motivating than that. Oh, that and the fact that Adam's feet stick out from under his long-outgrown blanket. So I am back on the wagon and am excited about seeing these get closer to being done.

Apparently the folks at blogger have been busy bees making changes and updates. This is my first post since then. What does everyone else on blogger think so far? Better or worse? Does this mean they will stop changing the orientation of my photos and maybe even let me move them around? Because that would be awesome.

go ahead...

2011-03-29T09:57:00.006-05:00

leave your hat on! Who has time to take their hat off these days anyway? That's a little bit of humor inspired by this gem that I am sharing today. I just realized that I accidentally cut off the bottom line of text in the top image when I scanned it. It says "* TASTY RECIPES FOR GALS IN A HURRY". How did I acquire this lovely? It came to me via my grandmother who, when she was a busy mom, collected recipe booklets like these that were distributed by various food companies. This one is from A.1. Sauce. I tried to find a year printed on it but had no luck. She knows that I like to gather recipes and she also seems to think I can cook - which I can't by the way - no matter how many recipes I collect. She turned this, along with some other similar booklets, over to me because she is just so sweet like that.

While I probably won't be trying any of the recipes any time soon [Quick Tomato Aspic Ring and Hamburger Boats - I'll pass] I did fall hard for the illustrations.

PERFECT for embroidery!! The mom in the curvy car speeding along with the kids in the back? Quick, where is the flossbox!?

So, you just never know when you'll find some tiny little thing to spark a new embroidery project. Keep your eyes peeled and your hat on!

ooops, my bad

2011-03-24T08:32:00.003-05:00

Sorry Twin Citians, this is all my fault. You see, I got it in my head on Tuesday to clean and pack up all the Winter gear - hats, gloves, boots, the whole nine yards. Do I know that this is tempting fate to throw a snowstorm our way? Yes! I do. Kind of makes you wonder why I did it anyway. So, as soon as I snapped my lid on the rubbermaid tote the weather gods looked down at me, laughed hysterically and started churning up the skies. And here we are 6 inches later. Prior to that, we had actually turned our furnace OFF and we could actually see the street curbs for the first time since November. It was a beautiful thing. oh well.

In other news I am a little buried right now in house duties. We are still getting everything ready for closing plus we moved the rest of our things from Omaha this past weekend which of course felt like insanity but it had to be done. Now I am trying to figure out where to put all this stuff, why I have so much stuff, and how I can whittle down my stuff even more than it has already been whittled. good times.

Let the Spring Cleaning begin!

lucky

2011-03-17T06:42:00.006-05:00

My Irish eyes are smiling today - how about yours? I'm sharing a little photo of a good luck charm I have here in my home.

My mother and I have a tradition of having lunch together on St. Patrick's Day. Now that we live in different cities we will be lunching on our own for the first time in years. I am missing her somethin' awful today. I will NOT whine about it, I promise! Last year she gifted me this shamrock plant on St. Patrick's Day and here it is, alive and well one year later. Those with green thumbs are not impressed right now, I know, but to me, that's quite amazing. First of all, houseplants and I have had a rocky relationship. Secondly, this one moved from it's happy home in Omaha to a dimmer (but still happy) home in St. Paul. I admit, a number of other houseplants did NOT take the move as well and um... they are no longer with us. And thirdly this plant has survived being completely waterlogged after Adam decided to play swamp with it in the sink one day. Not too long after that it was tossed off of it's shelf and onto the ground. I was pretty sure that was the end of it but no, it endures.

So I think of this plant as a little reminder of how lucky we are. In spite of challenges we have faced in recent months so much has miraculously worked out in our favor. And of course if I ever started to feel sorry for myself for a split second I need only to watch the news to see the stark and shocking reminder of how very good I have it. I'm not trying to turn St. Patrick's Day into Thanksgiving or anything like that but today I really am feeling grateful.

stitches for smarties

2011-03-14T05:52:00.009-05:00

Oh yes, now I remember this feeling - the excitement that comes with the premiere of a new pattern set! You see, it's been quite some time since I have been in this place and believe me, it's great to be back. Without further bemoaning of my recent lack of production let me introduce "Booksmart!" Booksmart is the set I started after giving up on the flowery set I had been focusing on. It was so refreshing to switch gears and work on these designs.

I also let myself experiment a little with these and tried a few new filling techniques like this one.

I could only do this because I was using a woven fabric like linen so I was able to count my teeny tiny fibers and keep everything uniform. I really love the subtle look of this but wow - I think my eyeballs almost popped out of my head working on this. This technique is NOT for anyone who doesn't like to squint or who doesn't have a good work lamp.

I also finally broke out my Weeks Dyeworks floss for this project. It's been sitting patiently in my flossbox for months just waiting for me to pick the right project. I used their "bark" colored floss for the outlines and loved it! The color is gorgeous on natural linen - just the right shade of chocolatey charcoal - sounds delicious doesn't it?

I let myself play a little bit with this stack of books too and did some different fill stitches as I went along.

And then came the braided rug. I tricked you when I hinted at this in my earlier post - don't be mad, please. This is about as big a rug as I would ever attempt.

And finally there is the happy little library. I usually just hoop up my examples but this time I wanted to actually make something with one of them so I made a library book totebag. The bad thing is that as soon as I was done snapping my photos it was quickly snatched up by little Adam who had fallen in love with it. Now it's probably filled with hot wheels cars, stuffed animals and crayons and I will never see it again. *sigh*

S

2011-03-08T09:54:00.002-06:00

SOLD!

I hope I didn't just jinx myself because the actual closing is still over a month away but I can't contain my excitement! good good news YAY! It's going to be a little hectic until then. There is still moving to be done and arrangements to make but by May we will be breathing a lot easier around here.

I am trying to stay focused on some creative projects at the same time. My latest endeavour has been making a braided rug. It's a small one so don't worry, I haven't completely gone off the deep end. I promise!

truth be told

2011-03-04T09:38:00.001-06:00

I am so so excited to announce that I was able to contribute a little something to the Celebrate the Boy series over on Made by Rae this year! I fell in love with the series last year and when they announced they were looking for reader ideas for the 2011 series I felt compelled to come up with something. They have had so many fantastic sewing projects there but I figured I should probably stick with what I know best and come up with an embroidery pattern. I have had Pinocchio on the brain for awhile and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get him down on paper and then stitch him up. I love this story for boys particularly. (Even though, I, as a girl, am quite fond of it obviously). I had a lot of fun taking a closer look into this story as I worked through my sketches.

The story was originally written by Carlo Collodi in 1883. You may have seen the Disney version of this tale which is wonderful but different from the original story in many ways. Another movie version came out in 1996 and is just slightly more traditional though perhaps not quite as charming as Disney's film in my humble opinion.

For this pattern design I mostly plucked the sweetness from the original story and it's many interpretations and left out some of the more dark and bizarre elements found in the original. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the dark and bizarre elements just as much. I just figured people might not be as interested in stitching up things like menacing, coffin-carrying rabbits and other oddities like that. I probably just convinced half of the readers to go read this story and the other half to never ever pick it up.

If you are entertaining the idea of reading the book, please allow me to recommend this one illustrated in such a captivating way by Sara Fanelli. Finally, I also have to mention the 2002 children's book release of this story illustrated by the one and only Gris Grimly. Would LOVE to get my hands on this but at $40 - $50 I may have to put it on the wish list for now. Or maybe I'll just wait and. watch. the. movie. holy smokes folks - I can't wait!

What I like most about this story is that it touches on the idea that you can make mistakes (everyone does you know) but then make it right again. And, that being a boy is about being courageous, honest and helpful - not about being naughty or rude like some might imply when they sigh "boys will be boys". So, this is my little contribution to the celebration. Thanks Rae and Dana for letting me get in on all the fun!

stitch magnet

2011-03-02T09:46:00.004-06:00

Funny how lucky one becomes when those around you know about your passions and interests. So many beauties have come my way in the last few years all because I have not kept my love for embroidery a secret and because I have such thoughtful and kind friends and family. So these two estate sale scores came to be by way of some friends of my in-laws who happen to live here in the twin cities. They are estate sale pros and were even nice enough to share some shopping secrets with Vince and I for when we get brave enough to start venturing into that realm. I think I've mentioned before how estate sales kind of give me the creeps even though everyone says that is where the good stuff is. So, they found these at a recent sale and they sent them my way - aren't they beautiful??

Also, when my in-laws were up visiting in February they brought along this gem:

It had been in Vince's grandmother's home but it was something she decided to part with when she recently moved to a nursing home. A local woman had stitched it and now here it is hundreds of miles away in our home. I love that we know some of the history behind it and that it was something that Vince's grandmother loved as well. But mostly I love it because we all can't help but feel a little sentimental about Nebraska now that we live so far away. This reminds us of family and friends there and all the other great things about that state.

So, where are all the things I have stitched lately? *sigh*

I'm so disappointed to say that I have missed a very cool opportunity lately. I really wanted to participate in this show curated by Mr. X Stitch himself but just could not get something done in time. I started something and decided I hated it and by then it was too late to start over. So, I'm kicking myself for that.

Also, I had a pattern set that I was working on that I have recently scrapped as well. It just wasn't working out and I decided to cut it loose. It was chock full of flowers and as I forced myself to work on it I decided I might just be 'all flowered out' at the moment. Usually if something is 'working' I don't have to force myself to do it - I can't wait to work on it any chance I have. But that wasn't the case with this one which is how I knew to stop.

Fortunately another pattern idea sprouted up behind it and it is one of those 'can't wait to stitch this' projects. It's been a slow, but fun, go so hopefully I will have that ready sometime in March (fingers crossed).

Another fun project reveals itself here this week so stay tuned!

snips snails and stitches

2011-02-23T21:32:00.003-06:00

I had to dig pretty deep into the archives to find this picture of Peter. Adam is wearing that t-shirt these days so I know it's at least 4 years old. What can I say, we love the dirt.
The real reason I stopped in is to point you in the direction of the annual "Celebrate the Boy" series over at Made and Made by Rae.
Even if you don't have a little boy in your household it's worth a peek for all the giveaways and plenty of project ideas that would work for girls too. Not to mention some really helpful sewing tutorials. There is a little of everything over there this month but don't worry, there will be no mud involved.

how to fill a day

2011-02-21T15:15:00.011-06:00

good grief snow snow and more snow! Don't worry, I wasn't foolish enough to think that last week's forty degree days meant that Spring had arrived but it is still hard to take when we get dumped on like this again. ( I don't know the official inch count but it is DEEP). Besides, just in case Mother Nature starts to try to trick me I have a reminder in our kitchen that I faithfully update every morning.

So, it was presidents and not snow that kept Peter home from school today even though it felt very much like a snow day. It seemed like everyone was bored from the minute they woke up but with a little effort we have been chugging through it.

We drew and drew and drew. I admit that I did not opt for monsters myself. Peter loved sketching some of these creepy creatures. I try to steer away from "how to draw" books in general (although there are a few good ones out there that I like - I might have to post about those another time). This one came from the library though so I'm not too worried about screwing up his art instruction with something that has to be returned next week.

An eclectic mix of favorite tunes was on hand. This is essential in my opinion for surviving both the long winter months and the parenting of young children. Does anything else pull you out of the day to day and remind you of who you are more than music? Oh and it's FUN. Yep, it's a must for me.

We played school and wouldn'tcha know it, it was picture day. All the 'students' looked so cute and sat so still for the photographer.

And of course we had to have 'rest time.' I love school.

How did you fill your day?

now and again i embroider

2011-02-15T15:07:00.005-06:00

I know, what few posts I have written lately have been about anything BUT embroidery. But I assure you that a stitch or two have been made here in the past month or so. It just hasn't been as easy recently as it has been in the past. Ever since the move it seems our family rhythm has been changed up a bit and the schedule has been jostled. I'm finding myself with less creative time than I was used to just a year or so ago. I try not to crab about it too much.
This little star is part of a little project whose fate is yet to be determined. I will be sure to update on that however, when I know what will become of it. And then I have this funny little project for a friend in the works. Just some prescription drugs all stitched up, that's all. And yes, the little buttons are supposed to be pills.

There is text included but I don't think I will share due to it's overt reference to recreational use of prescription medication. The only reason I can make jokes about this not-so-funny subject with this particular friend is because we have been through a LOT together and our shared humor has grown darker over the years. Personally I find that to be one of the most delightful side effects of long-term friendships. But, it doesn't always make for good blog-fodder.

I hope she likes it.

to my shock and horror...

2011-02-09T05:44:00.003-06:00

Okay, so here is what I didn't know. That spammers will now invade your comment section on your blog. Yep, didn't know that. So I was slightly horrified when I looked through some old posts of mine recently and found what are essentially ads for several well known prescription drugs.
The nerve! And I also might add - do they really think they are going to sell anything that way?
So I did a little surfing and found this helpful article and also learned more about the comment settings on blogger. I didn't even know about the spam filtering features but when I looked at what Blogger had blocked right here on So September I was amazed at how many attempts were made to turn my happy little blog into a pretty little pharmacy. Needless to say, I am glad that blogger has added this feature.
On a final (but most important) note I just wanted to apologize to anyone who had to wade through this garbage in some of my previous comment sections. I swear I didn't know it was there and I hope we all never see it again!

i'm just saying...

2011-02-07T13:42:00.006-06:00

I'm not ready to go out a just fork out the money for a new sewing machine yet. But I know the day is coming when it will be time to toss the old one out the window... er, I mean, replace my current machine. I've been peeking around a bit online and of course every site says their machines wonderful. I am having a hard time getting some real and honest reviews. They can't all be winners, ya know? I favor reliability over bells and whistles - don't need a lot of fancy features. My problem with my current machine (a Singer) has always been the tension setting and I would LOVE something that caused me a little less grief in that regard.

So, I'm asking - does anyone have advice on good reliable brands OR brands/machine to avoid? Let it all out, folks, I'm listening.

picking and choosing

2011-02-04T08:56:00.007-06:00

I’m officially cutting loose from Facebook this week. If you are/were connected to me over there then you might already know this. I didn’t think it seemed right to just up and disappear but I also am not sure I should go into a big boring explanation about it either. Facebook never felt right to me and what does feel right is to let it go. I hesitated on this for a long time because there are some good reasons to stay. I love seeing friends’ baby pictures, what people are crafting, stories from my favorite news sources and photographs of Yosemite National Park. But, although it will take more effort on my part, I can still access all of this without Facebook.

Part of my reasoning also has to do with sheer information overload. Honestly, sometimes it really is all too much for me and I know I have to walk away from it, as hard as that can be. For example, if you are on Etsy you are probably aware of their new Activity Feed feature. It informs you of all the activity that has taken place in your shop or the shops in ‘your circle’ since you last visited Etsy. It’s not as though this information wasn’t available before, you just had to seek it out. To be honest though, this feature probably does more to take away from my creative time (and therefore my shop) than it does to help me run it successfully.

Don't get me wrong, a lot of these things are fun and I am glad I have the choice to use them. I don’t have to use them, I know. Willpower, time management, and good old-fashioned common sense can go a long way in navigating through all the information available online. And sadly, I wish I had more of those things. It’s so hard to not feel as though you are missing out on something when you opt out of things but for me personally, I have to do it. But, hey, I won’t know what I’m missing anyway, right?

So, there is part of my reasoning. The rest I’ll save for another day. This is one of many steps I need to take to de-clutter my brain from all it takes in online. If anyone else is struggling with this please share your insights and techniques for dealing with some of the challenges that come along with having so much information at our fingertips. Then we’ll all get off our computers and play outside, okay?

Thank you to everyone who 'liked' me or 'friended' me on Facebook during my stay there. I truly appreciate it!

my lemonade project

2011-01-29T10:46:00.008-06:00

So as you all know by now, we are a family in transition. We are settling in up north but a portion of our life is still south. One of the things we left behind in the name of home staging was our beautiful dining room set. That leaves us with a card table and four folding chairs up here for now (i.e. lemons). It makes for intimate family dinners but honestly, it can be a little depressing. So, I decided we need to make the best of this and I set into a motion a plan to make a cute tablecloth. Like every project I have ever taken on in my entire life, this one seemed to become more and more involved as time went on. Also true to form, it turned out to be more difficult and time consuming than I thought it would be as well. [As a side note - when oh when will I ever be able to properly gauge the time and brain commitment required for a project?! - shouldn't I be able to do that by now?]. Still, I love the idea and am so glad I stuck with it.

I was determined to NOT buy anything for this project - to only use what I had. I almost made it but caved and bought bias tape because I came up short in my stash. I had a good quantity of the square fabric and it didn't take long for the lightbulb to go off and think: oohhh - letters - yes letters!

So I stamped away and ta-da.

Some turned out beautifully

Others, not so much - oh well, so it goes.

The fun part is that we can play word games at the table during meal time or otherwise. What words can you make with letters on the blue squares?, how many A's can you find?
Which color square has the most vowels? and so on and so on.

And because I lean toward the practical side and because "reversible" is one of my favorite words in the crafting language, you can turn it over and find this:

We have been talking about teaching Peter how to play checkers and (maybe) chess lately
so this seemed like a fun way to get us started. I used corduroy because I like it and I have it but if I made this project again I would use cotton. The corduroy is a bit bulky and even though I don't plan to serve food on this side of the tablecloth, I am imagining those little grooves full of crumbs and it's kind of icking me out.

I know it needs more ironing and I'll probably go in and do some topstitching to keep it all together but for the most part it is done. Lemonade anyone?

secret crush revealed

2011-01-20T13:11:00.006-06:00

I confess, I love corduroy. When we moved to our new place in St. Paul we discovered that many of the interior doors were metal and of course my first thought was that we would need some cute magnets right away. So, I finally got around to cranking some out and I just love them! They are just simple covered button magnets in different colors of corduroy. Turns out corduroy works great for these because you don't have to iron interfacing on the back like you do for cotton fabrics (the metal underneath shines through if you don't). Plus, the texture is so delightful, they really are sweet.

My other corduroy project is a little something I'm sewing up for our home. This is just a sneak peak. With any luck at all I will finish it up next week and then I can share the rest of it. I was making pretty good progress last week until my sewing machine went all wonky and I just quit all together. I'm trying to muster up the energy to dig in and get it straightened back out again.

Wishing you all lots of energy to tackle all of your creative challenges!

latest loves for crafty kids

2011-01-15T12:16:00.004-06:00

Even if I haven't been particularly crafty this week some people in our household have been. It's true, we have been spending a lot of time indoors lately. So, our idle hands have been itching to get messy with some creative project or another. Today, I'm sharing some of my favorite goodies from my bag of mommy tricks. First up are these paintbrushes from Crayola. (Rose Art makes a similar set as well). Why oh why were there only two choices of brushes for kids for decades?? You could have toddler fat brushes or wimpy 5 stranders and that was IT. Finally there are some better options for kids - brushes more like real artist brushes but durable enough for little ones. I love it!

Next are the MacCormick NEON food colors. These are so much fun. We used them here to make play doh. With some experimenting you can get a gorgeous mustard yellow, or a sapphire blue and everything in between. They also have a handy color mixing chart on the back so you can make colors like "apricot" and "stormy blue" (I used 'stormy blue' frosting to write words on a chocolate frosted cake once - beautiful!). I may never buy the regular food coloring again.

And finally, my handy dandy flower punch. Adam is in love with this thing! Because these handles squeeze together he can really go to town with it even with his cute chubby three-year old hands. We tend to find paper flowers all over the floor now, but there are worse things, are there not? This will even buy me some time now and then when I need to send a quick email so, double points there.

What crafty trinkets are your kids loving these days?

hope in a hoop

2011-01-07T13:38:00.005-06:00

Here's the tough part of Winter, right? It's so dark and everyone is starting to grow a little weary of the snow and slush and thoughts of Spring are settling into our brains and taking root. I know that is where I am these days. Now that I am a Minnesota girl again I know I need to toughen up and I am trying. Last year, when Omaha had a rough Winter, my mantra was "Spring always comes." Whether you like or not it just does, without fail, every single year. That really did keep my spirits up and guess what - Spring DID come that year just like it will again this year.

So, I made up this little design in honor of that hopeful voice inside that pushes you through the grey of Winter and maybe inspires you to go out and go sledding or take a walk in the snow because hey, before you know it, it will be gone and it will be Spring, right?

You can download the pattern here. I included a stitch guide and a pattern piece cutting guide in case you want to sew fabric pieces together for your base like I did in my sample - but you certainly don't have to do that part. Enjoy and please let me know if you have any questions at all about this pattern.

aaaaaaand we're off!

2011-01-05T12:18:00.005-06:00

I admit I am getting more sleep now than I was during the holidays but I promise I am keeping my little hands busy during these dark days.

Currently my "to-do" list includes:

* finish up a new free pattern (sneak peak right here on the left)

* write Thank You notes

* finish up a handful of Christmas ornaments (and you thought the holidays were over, didn't you?)

* get going on a little sewing project for our home - I'll be sharing more about that one if I ever get it off the ground

* make some progress on my next embroidery pattern set. This one might take me quite some time to complete but I hope to have it all ready by Spring.

* catch up with all the friends and family members who did not get a Christmas card (or even a "Happy Holidays") from me.

Oh, Adam and I also spent the morning touring a preschool. We are almost sure we will send him to a two day a week (half day) preschool program next year but I'm still deciding how I feel about that. Let's see, I have 9 months to wring my hands over it so I should be able to come to a conclusion by then, right?

Hope your 2011 is off to a productive and fun start. Keep an eye out for the free embroidery pattern - should be here this week - yay!

thoughts on the new year

2010-12-31T10:14:00.003-06:00

Here's what I am not interested in - fooling myself. The wisdom that all 37 of my years has given me tells me that making a big intimidating resolution as you start the new year is almost always a recipe for disappointment. I for one don't want that kind of pressure right out of the gate. (there's always room for and need for personal improvement of course - but on January 1st??). I believe in resolutions, don't get me wrong, I just think they should be FUN. Why not start the new year in a positive and exciting way rather than with a big sigh and a "well, here goes nothin'".
So, this year I am resolving to wear more lipstick. If I wear lipstick 4 times in 2011 it will already be more times than I wore it in 2010 so I think I am setting myself up for success here, folks. I might as well just admit to everyone right here and now that I tend to lean toward the mousy/frumpy side and my years as a stay-at-home mom have not helped me in this department. I'll never be a glamour girl or anything like that but I think a touch of color might do me good. And Vince is on board with this resolution 100% - imagine that. I am excited about this and many other possibilities that 2011 will bring. I hope it will be especially good to all of you as well!

Happy New Year!

cover your ears

2010-12-26T10:33:00.001-06:00

working on some updates for my blog today. some swearing has occurred. bear with me folks.

ghost of christmas past - part 2

2010-12-24T14:08:00.004-06:00

My sister, way over on the right there, just posted all kinds of adorable photos on Facebook from our childhood Christmases. I figured I'd just let her do all the work (finding, scanning and posting) and I would just copy and paste - hey, that's what sisters are for, right? Thanks Katy! I hate to brag but can you believe how cute we were? I just can't help but smile when I see these pictures. That's me way on left in my Holly Hobbie jammies - loved those.
Christmas is so much fun with little ones around. I used to feel a little sorry for grown ups at Christmastime - boring gifts and fewer of them, so much work while we had all the fun. Little did I know that it actually gets more fun when you get to watch those tiny creatures that you love so much light up on Christmas morning. That is the real magic of Christmas.

Wishing you all a magical day!

progress in the workshop

2010-12-21T14:54:00.004-06:00

The elves are working their tiny tushes off over here trying to get last minute gifts finished up before the big day. How about this little monster in the making? Not too shabby, eh? In my quest for an easy project for Peter to make for Adam I did have some luck. We found some pretty straightforward softie projects here and here that we used as guides. We changed a few things along the way like not turning him inside out after he was stitched and not making it symetrical.

Embellishments and finishing touches will have to wait until Adam's sleeping schedule allows so it could be tomorrow or it could be late Christmas Eve when this little guy is done - we just never know around here. I loved that this project was so open to your own design and imagination. There was no particular way it was supposed to look when it was done. When working with a very particular and sometimes fussy 7 year old with some perfectionist tendencies, this quality is essential. And me, I'm working my way through some pajama sets for the boys. Plaid cotton for the pants and then some freezer paper stenciled t-shirts for the tops. I am still sewing up the pants and have just started thinking about the tops. I suppose I had better start sketching up some ideas seeing as the clock is ticking and all.

There are also cookies to bake and maybe one more present to buy so I think we just might pull it off this year. How are your holiday preparations coming along?

old school handmade christmas

2010-12-18T11:47:00.003-06:00

I'm taking a trip down memory lane today and sharing some of my favorite Christmas tree ornaments. These are both so special to me because I still remember how much I enjoyed making them. The mouse up there is, let's see...almost 20 years old. That means that while my other high school friends were sneaking peppermint schnapps and doing cookies in the school parking lot to celebrate the season I was happily stitching cute little mice. Yep, that was me.

And now I'll turn back the clock even more (another ten years or so) to when I was a brownie (it's a girl scout thing). My troop made these one afternoon and mine is still going strong. I wonder if any of my other troop members still have and hang theirs each year. And I wonder if our troop leader had any idea how many years this little guy would be around bringing back the memory of that December afternoon. And finally, I wonder what kind of amazing glue we used because I don't think those tiny felt pieces are going anywhere anytime soon.

Which handmade ornaments are your favorites?

memory making

2010-12-14T11:23:00.003-06:00

Zip zip zoom - there goes the Holiday Season. It always amazes me how quickly it goes by. I suppose always having my nose buried in an embroidery project doesn't help matters. These are a few of the the ornaments I made this year. Well, little thumbnails at least. I always feel weird about posting photos of ornaments that have names on them. I feel like I'm invading someone's privacy or something. That's probably silly but I can't help it. So, these are cropped versions - enough to give you a little glimpse I guess. I had fun with each and every one of these and all the rest that I made in the last couple of months. I am always so honored when someone picks me to make something so sentimental for them!

I do have a few ideas for gifts I would like to make for my own family this year for Christmas and I still think I can get them done. I just need to get myself to a fabric store - fast! Today is snow day number two so I think I'll skip it for now. Taking a three year old and a seven year old to a fabric store requires a bit more patience and zen-nature than I have today.

Hope all your handmade holiday gifts are coming along smoothly. If you haven't started one yet - go for it - you still have time and you will be glad you did!

shhhhhhhhhh

2010-12-13T06:42:00.005-06:00

Okay, be really quiet everyone because the boys are still sleeping and what they don't know yet is that school has been cancelled! If we don't make a sound maybe they will sleep in until, like 7 or something and I can maybe get some things done!
Sorry, I don't have a photo to share from this past weekend so I went with this cute pic of Adam from the previous week's snowstorm. You would only see Adam from the waist up in a photo from this week's storm.

I have to admit I was very surprised when I heard school would be cancelled. Yes, we did have a blizzard (17 inches of snow) but, hey, that was on Saturday, right? I am not complaining at all. It's also below zero out there so I'm sure that is factoring in as well. Yes, I'm happy as a clam to be stuck inside today. We have library books, movies, everything we need to make rice crispy treats, and plenty of coffee/hot chocolate. Yep, we're going to be just fine.

I am hoping to somehow finally finish a number of orders that are about 95% done. Why is it that the last 5% of a project seems to take the longest? I feel like I have been moving in slow motion the last few days and I'm not sure why.

Also on my "to-do" list today is to find a project for Peter. He usually opts to make rather than buy* a Christmas present for Adam and I need to track down a few options for him. The challenge to me is to find something that he can do almost entirely on his own. I tend to suggest projects that appeal to me but require an adult for a good portion of it. That sort of defeats the purpose. He made a book last year and this year I am thinking maybe some kind of stuffed toy. A really really easy stuffed toy.
On that note, off I go to sip my coffee in silence and scan the web for tutorials - what a great way to start the week!

* At this point I think this is more about not wanting to part with allowance money than it is about wanting to show his love for his brother through the act of creating something but...I'm working on him.

field trips

2010-12-06T14:00:00.003-06:00

So, the move has been somewhat of a ... challenge and we will obviously be so glad when every part of it is done but in the meantime we are taking in all of the wonderful things the Twin Cities have to offer. One of them is the thriving, bustling, amazing handmade community. First we caught this fine event and dipped our toes into the sublime pool that is HandmadeMN. I did a little bit of shopping at Roundbottom Baby (an absolute delight!) and did some more drooling as well before it was time go.

Then we cranked it up a notch and went here this past weekend:

Holy wow! So many crafters, so much activity, so many reasons to open your wallet *wink*. We all had loads of fun and left wanting to go home and MAKE STUFF. Obviously we were inspired. I also had a little celebrity spotting when I met Alyssa of Penguin and Fish fame. Yep, you guessed it, she was very nice. I'm hoping our paths will cross again because I'm sure I could learn a lot from her.

I honestly don't know how all these artists have time to put these amazing displays filled with beautiful products together right smack dab in the middle of the busiest time of the year. I am a bit in awe of that seeing as I can't even seem to get the dishes done AND make a 3 inch Christmas ornament in the same day. Maybe I need something stronger than coffee. kidding of course.

Thanks Twin City crafters for the inspiration and wonder!

pondering life's big questions

2010-12-03T09:07:00.004-06:00

First and foremost let me introduce our very own toilet paper roll Santa. He is adored at our house and was lovingly made by Vince's grandmother. Every year he can be found in odd places in strange poses all over the house, all season long. What can I say, we are easily amused over here.

Anyway, I thought he would make a good model for my blog post.

I'm seeking a little holiday advice today. Last year Peter (then age 6) would cautiously explain to me that he just was not sure if there really was a Santa Claus. He would end his statement with a questioning look and not usually stick around for a response. Fine by me. This year, however, the questioning look is long gone and there is more of a "gotcha!" tone to his announcement that he no longer believes in Santa Claus.

We all knew this day would come, right? I'm okay with it BUT we also have a family member who is PRIME Santa age (3!) so the last thing I want is for his big brother to squash all his Christmas dreams, right? So my question is, what do I say to Peter so that everyone can have a happy holiday?

I'm leaning toward A) "That's fine, but how about we all pretend he's real anyway, okay?"

considering B) "Are you SURE you want to go down that path?"

would rather not, but would say if I had to C) "If you ruin Christmas for your brother I swear you will get nothing, that's right, nothing." Okay, I promise I won't say that, really!

or I could just stick with my usual response D) "Really? Hmmm, interesting." But seriously, how much longer is that going to fly?

help!

gear up for 2011

2010-11-30T09:53:00.002-06:00

Just dropping by quickly to say hey, guess what - large calendar panels are on sale in the shop right now.OR if you are feeling lucky take a chance at winning a double dates calendar panel set (that's one large and one small) right here. Go for it!

visual feasts

2010-11-26T05:40:00.005-06:00

You guys are all drained from the holiday yesterday, right? Why not sit back and relax today because I happen to have some suggested viewing for you. First and foremost - have you all seen this...

I had the GREAT pleasure of feasting my eyes on this little wonder yesterday and guess what? I'll be doing the same today. This is a stunning movie. I actually audibly gasped at some of the scenes - so gorgeous. I only wish I would have caught this in the theater but I might have fainted if I had. I also liked the story quite a bit so this is going on the favorite movies list for sure. Oh, and did I mention, I liked this movie?

And speaking of totally inspiring animation, Walt Disney's Fantasia is back again. I remember being completely enthralled with this film as a kid and it still casts the same magical spell today. There is really nothing else like this movie and I cannot wait to watch it again!

Last but not least, did you catch Etsy's little holiday video? I know I am completely biased as I seem to be a member of the church of Etsy BUT I think this video is pretty brilliant.

Thanks to everyone who took a stab at the ornament guessing game. I was surprised that the third list seemed to be the unanimous choice. Stitching up a hot air balloon would be so much fun but...sorry folks, that wasn't it! It's actually the last list. Wish me luck on that french horn guys - I'm good but I'm not sure if I'm THAT good, ya know?

i think i found it

2010-11-23T12:50:00.003-06:00

A place to take photos here! I have been trying out different rooms at different times of the day and in different angles but was mostly just taking a lot of awful photos. I was lucky in Omaha where we had a huge covered porch. It was a perfect for taking pictures (even if it meant battling cold and wind while you did it). I think I'm going to have to go with the basement egress window here. The only downside is that I have to carefully move all the lego scuptures that are usually displayed there - then carefully put them back so that a certain boy who might be in school at the time will never know the difference when he returns home.

I'm a pretty boring blogger lately as I am working my way through a custom ornament list that is... not short. I love these little challenges though - especially when something really unusual comes up on the request list. There have been some good ones this year and I thought I would share the fun with you all. I'll give you four lists of three things. One list has items that I have sketched or stitched for ornaments so far this year, the other three lists are fakes. See if you can guess the real deal. I'll reveal the answer in my next post.

bicycle, wedding dress, cactus

raccoon, cowboy boots, piano

snowmobile, hot air balloon, teapot

superhero, french horn, seashell

good luck!

geeeeezzzzz

2010-11-12T14:15:00.002-06:00

I swear I just have a sixth sense about these things. Do you know what this is? It's a jinxed Christmas ornament. Jinxed I tell ya. It's weird and you all might think I'm crazy but sometimes I just get a sense when starting something that it's going to go wrong. This was one of those projects.

1. I ironed my interfacing to my press cloth instead of my fabric
2. I stitched more than half the letters before I realized I was stitching them in the wrong color
3. As I am stitching along I keep thinking "hmmm...this stabilizer seems so brittle and weird. Maybe I ironed it for too long or maybe it's too old or something. Still I continue to stitch and then it hits me.
That's not stabilizer, that's "wonder under". crap. They look pretty similar sitting there next to each other and I obviously grabbed the wrong one, traced my pattern onto it, ironed it onto my fabric and started stitching. I can't believe how long it took for it to dawn on me. ugh.

I clicked a photo before it went in the trash so I could give you all a good laugh today. Weird how I'm pychic though, eh?

Better get back to my 'do-over'. Have a great weekend everyone!

a mini border how-to brought to you by...

2010-11-11T12:57:00.017-06:00

naptime! Which hardly ever happens anymore. Luckily I can still count on Adam crashing (usually in a puddle of fits and tears) at least once a week and today was my lucky day. As promised I'm going to share how I made this petite little border for a custom piece.

I love the way it turned out and it was super easy too. Did I invent this stitch? - I'm sure I did not. Who did invent it? I'm sure I don't know - probably an 8 year old girl working on her first sampler in a farmhouse in Kansas 200 years ago. That's just my best guess. It's probably in a book or online somewhere but I know I felt like I was so clever when I did it because I had never seen it before. Still, I don't take credit for it.

Anyway.

You just start out with a blanket stitch. You need to make them tall and short alternately. These are quarter inch and half inch. I penciled in my lines because I'm an embroidery nerd.

Next just weave a different colored floss through your stitches. Over under over under style.

Then do it again with a different color but alternate the cross threads (where you went over with the first color go under with the second and so on).

It works best if your last woven line of floss tucks under the short stitches instead of laying on top of them - it just keeps everything tidy that way.

Finally, add a french knot over each short stitch and that's it!

What I love about this border is that is looks just as good along curves as it does in a straight line. I think this will be turning up again soon. I am sorry to say that I have a photo of another version I did in monochrome colors with thinner floss but for some reason blogger keeps wanting to turn it sideways when I upload it. Why? I don't know. Blogger can be fussy like that don't you think? I'll try to tuck it in in edits another day when perhaps blogger is feeling more cooperative. Until then - try this stitch - you'll love it!

i approve

2010-11-09T16:16:00.007-06:00

So, here's some newsEven if the flakes haven't flown yet (even up in Minnesota) they have been at SeptemberHouse since July. I was somehow lucky enough to be asked by Etsy to participate in a DIY feature for Good Housekeeping Magazine! It is finally on newsstands today so I can share a bit about the experience. I've been keeping it under wraps for 4 months now and that wasn't easy, lemme tell ya.

The idea for the feature is actually very cool. Good Housekeeping is celebrating their 125th year so they went back through the years and chose some craft projects from the past. That's when Etsy came into the picture. Good Housekeeping wanted some updated versions of these older projects so they partnered with Etsy to make it happen. I was asked to update an embroidered blanket project
from 1939. What a fun challenge it was. There were lots of revisions along the way and a few other bumps along the way (including but not limited to: getting a house ready to sell and moving at the same time) but in the end I think it turned out to be a really nice article full of beautiful projects and I am so glad to be a part of it. My project can be found on the Good Housekeeping website. The patterns for the snowflakes are there so hey, free pattern folks. Or, if you are feeling more ambitious you can make the whole blanket.

And now back to the weather...

I had to break out the Old Timey Christmas station on Pandora this morning to try to get into the Christmas spirit. People are wearing shorts here - in November - it's just nutty! So, even though it doesn't feel like the holiday season at all I'm trying to get my jingle on anyway. Anyone have snow yet??

it's that time of year

2010-11-03T15:49:00.005-05:00

Three inch hoops - everywhere! Yes, it's ornament time again - yay! I'm already having so much fun stitching up new designs this year. Here are a few requests that have come through the SeptemberHouse doors lately They are sort of tiny little versions of some previously stitched friends. I wasn't sure I could pull it off in such small dimensions but in the end I think they worked out just fine.

And here is a sneek peek at a custom order I'm working on and LOVING. Not sure how I will let this leave my house. It might have to be ripped from my hands. I do plan to post a mini tutorial for that border which was so easy and and turned out so very pretty, if I do say so myself. Can't wait to share photos when this is all done!

Oh, and I have some exciting news next week that I have been waiting months to share!

yikes

2010-11-01T15:15:00.002-05:00

Check out the spooks! For so long Peter wanted to be Harry Potter for Halloween and I thought that was a great idea - very easy and, hey, he could pull it off with his shaggy brown hair and charm. But no, he traded that idea in for something much creepier. Oh well, what can you do? He loved freaking people out and had so much fun.
The teeny tiny bat really stole the show last night and I actually DID make that costume...4 years ago. So at least one person got to wear a handmade costume this year. I have been itching to sew lately so maybe I should just go ahead and get started on costumes for next year and they might just be done in time.

looking forward

2010-10-29T11:56:00.004-05:00

So, I don't think I've mentioned this yet but it is with great excitement that I share this little space... I know I know, what is so great about a near empty room with some craft clutter on the floor, right? Well, turns out I have a little spot of my own in our new home. I feel kind of guilty about it because our new place is actually pretty small overall and there are probably better ways to use the precious square footage but...I think I'll just keep that to myself. Obviously I haven't really turned it into much yet but there will be time for that in February. You all can see the potential, right?

I'm also excited about these new beauties. I spotted these at a local craft store and believe me, a photo doesn't do them justice. They have so many variations within each skein and the color is so rich and gorgeous! I haven't stitched anything yet but I will be sure to share when I do. Check out the rest of their colors here.

Everything that I AM stitching right now is 'in progress'. I thought I would have some finished things to show by today but it was not to be. Soon, though, soon!

Who is finishing up Halloween costumes this weekend? I ducked out of that this year, I admit. I'm, just not into Halloween this time around - too much other insanity to worry about I guess. This year I'll settle for being a spectator rather than a participant. Oh, I will be participating in candy consumption of course.

we made it!

2010-10-25T16:36:00.002-05:00

Internet service always seems to take longer than expected to get going, doesn't it? We made it through week one and I don't even have a single photo to share yet!

Our house in Omaha is still for sale everyone so DON'T WORRY - you have not missed out on the real estate opportunity. I encourage you to act quickly though because, hey, it could get snatched up any day. Or, it could sit on the market for. ever. you just never know.

I have yet to organize my crafting supplies but that has not stopped me from getting my stitch on. I'll be sure to share later this week because I have two projects that I'm really excited about!

So there's the update from St. Paul, now it's time for me to catch up on all the blogs I missed reading while we were disconnected. See you soon!

signing off for now

2010-10-16T18:46:00.003-05:00

It's time to head north folks. I'll be in internet service limbo for a few days and will be missing my crafty friends! Until then.... I'll be back, when the week is new. And I'll have more ideas for you. And you'll have things you'll want to talk about. I. will. too.

seasons stitchings

2010-10-10T07:14:00.005-05:00

Let me just tell you how great it feels to have a little bit of time for embroidery again! I managed to get two ornaments done this week. Of course, I would have liked to have made more but it wasn't to be. I made this one as a tiny tribute to one of my favorite Christmas songs - can you guess which one?
I have always wondered why they play "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music at Christmastime. I mean, it's not really a Christmas song, right? Oh well, I welcome it's broadcast anyway because I love that song. I also really wanted to stitch up another tiny little dress after I worked on a couple last year. So, this seemed like a fun way to do it.The green fabric is appliqued onto the white fabric base. The white fabric has a very subtle floral pattern on it but you can't see it from every angle. If this doesn't sell I won't be sad at all because, well, I kind of want this!

And then there is the sweet little baby ornament. It's stitched on red linen which I love even though every time I use it for a project I have second thoughts when I remember how difficult it is to photograph red. The color isn't exactly right on this photo - the real ornament isn't quite this BRIGHT but it's close enough. As long as I have Photoshop I will not give up my favorite red linen!

hand me downs

2010-10-08T13:07:00.005-05:00

Do you know what happens when a stash of embroidery supplies gets handed over to someone who doesn't embroider and then it gets passed on like a hot potato to someone else who does not embroider (and so on and so on). It eventually will find the hands of someone who does embroider and this time it was me. My mom handed me this huge bag stuffed with floss, hoops and patterns the other day, much to my delight. I haven't even looked through it all yet because I have been, well, you know, busy. But I can't wait to discover all the treasures here. I did spy this adorable pattern set in the mix.

And I do know some people who are big fans of owls so... the wheels are spinning.

And then -

My mom also gifted me this amazing crocheted bedspread. I have tucked away but was sure to get a quick shot of one bit of it to share here. She says she isn't 100% sure who made it but she knows it was either her grandmother or her great-grandmother. W-O-W. Needless to say I was beyond thrilled to have this handed down to me and now I'm just not sure what to do with it. I want to use it but, geez, if anything happened to it I would be crushed. What do you all think - use the heirlooms or pack them away for safe-keeping?

what a difference

2010-10-06T08:48:00.004-05:00

year

makes.

and now we play the waiting game

2010-10-05T12:39:00.006-05:00

I wasn't sure this day would EVER come but here we are getting ready to list our house. It's been an exhausting journey just to get here and I am trying to be optimistic as we look ahead but with the market being what it is, it's not easy. But anyway, I thought I would share some photos of my house now that's it's clean. Even I am amazed at how much nicer my home can look when I just stop embroidering (and paying attention to my children).

It really is a cute house - built in 1926, tons of woodwork, a little sitting room and a butler's pantry and a HUGE porch. Lots to love (and to clean). I hope someone else will love it too.

I'll have to share some photos of the new room soon too. It's finally done!