Sublime Stitchez

a new quilt + springtime

2010-03-16T21:23:00.001-07:00

well, here it is. a very special quilt for herman

that has been in the (planning) works for about 5 years now.

can you guess the special occasion?

(see picture below for a clue)

a shot of the full wuilt - not the best picture, i admit. but there it is.

random: love these colors and shapes.
the tulips are from my bridesmaids bouquet last weekend.
this view makes doing dishes that much more enjoyable.

projects (& bet you thought you'd never hear from me again)

2010-03-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

well, i'm back, after a 3-month-plus hiatus.

hey, a lot's been happening since nov. 29:

christmas, 3 family b'days (the big 3-0 for h & i), and a wedding.

who has time to blog when such fun stuff is a-goin' on?

however, i have been knitting and crocheting during these hibernation months....

-a blanket i promised to riley long ago, since he wanted one like spencer's,

"but with my favorite colors - orange, and red, and orange, and red, and yellow"

my much-beloved fingerless gloves. much-beloved, even though

my aunt calls me "little orphan annie" when i wear them.

hey, they're practical when you have little shoes to tie and pants to unbutton.

love this scarf- especially the green against this coat.

modeled with pride standing on twin peaks overlooking beautiful s.f.

more scarves. not so sure about the red one,
though the ends are tapered and have fun poms-poms.

brotherly love....

2010-03-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

...is a sweet thing to behold.

however, don't be decieved; these pictures represent the good moments.

more often than not, one of them is being unkind to the other (whoever said children were innocent little creatures??).

you can see the usual beginnings of mischief in the look on riley's face in that last photo.

from this day forward...

2010-03-16T19:48:00.001-07:00

...two of our long-time friends got married recently.
(i won't mention names because i don't have thier permission to post this.

so we'll just keep it generic.)

top shot: bridesmaids (i had the honor of being one) carried pink bouquets complete with sparkling silver birds. love it.

bottom shot: bride's bouquet, dress, & ring. did you notice the rhinestones in the center of the gerber daisies? a friend of mine (one of the other bridesmaids) did the flowers. she also did the flowers for my wedding.

pumpkin patch

2009-11-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

yeah, i know, we did this a month ago.

that's how big a priority this blog is.

spencer couldn't get enough of the chickens.

incidentally, the word he is "working on" now is bird.

or as he says in a bambi-esque way, "bur".

i think it's officially his first word.

hauling pumpkins - no, boys. open you eyes, spence.

fun in the corn pit.

spence checking out the livestock. (note the adorable

vintage health-tex overalls my mom scored at a garage sale. riles wore them too)

the fruits of our labor. lovely.

alterations

2009-11-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

would you ever have thought

that this shirt had a former life?

and as a clearance bargain in the kmart plus-size

department, no less.

i got a new blouse with scraps left over, to boot.

SEPTEMBER CRAFTING

2009-10-02T08:27:00.001-07:00

...was all birthday related. finally got around to making a birthday pennant of fabric, something that's been on "the list" for a long time.

no, i did not make the fun bowling pin set.

someone working for a toy company in france did.

the birthday crown i labored over which the birthday boy decided not to wear.

i saw this idea at babies-r-us, but of course the bib did not feature kaffe fassett fabric,

so i had to take matters into my own hands.

fun fabric ball.

he's 1!

2009-09-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

not so sure.....

...very sure.

no, this isn't spence. this is mr. riles on his first b'day. that mower was one of his gifts.

below, spencer enjoys the same mower and the same outfit. kinda nice having 2 boys in a row!

SOME CRAFTING

2009-08-27T07:57:00.001-07:00

there has also been time for some crafting over the summer. above is the "barcelona skirt", an amy butler pattern. i really liked sewing it; it has a fun layered/raw edge detail which is not really evident in this pic.
this is the "thrifty knitted creature" from the thrifty knitter blog (also on ravelry).

herman looked at this and said something like "you spent time on that? seems kind of pointless." in a very nice way. but isn't that the point of something like this? i thought so, anyway.

JUNK --> TREASURE

2009-08-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

found on someone's driveway in the "salvation army" pile post-garage-sale.

it's ok to take that stuff, right?

transformed with the help of: murphy's oil soap, orange glo, steel wool, and kaffe.

WET

2009-08-27T07:42:00.001-07:00

last week, we got wet at the beach. so excited to go, because it had almost been a year.

also, we've gotten wet a few times at a local river park...one of our new favorite places to be.

ABOUT FOOD (MOSTLY)

2009-08-27T07:27:00.001-07:00

A trip to the library yielded this book about cherries

growing on a tree eventually ending up in a pie...

after we read it riley said, "we should make a cherry pie" .

...so we did. my first, and i think it turned out pretty good, if i do say so myself.

also, we decided cherry pie is better w/o ice cream, unlike apple pie.

below: technicolor breakfast.

unrelated: guess who likes my ipod.

WATER

2009-08-17T10:01:00.001-07:00

riley's first swimming lessons...great fun

spencer's first slip-n-slide experience -

or, as riley refers to it, the "slipping slide".

2009-08-05T23:08:00.000-07:00

happy birthday, grandpa B! here's that video of riley explaining the picture he drew for you, the one we included in your card. he's pretty into drawing these days. is that the grandma B gene coming through??

A brand new bag...

2009-07-10T10:01:00.001-07:00

Been wanting to use this fabric in some cool project for, oh, i don't know, about 2 years now.

It finally became this "swing bag", an Amy Butler pattern.

An apple a day is supposed to keep the doctor away,

but we all have colds right now. Go figure.

the best seats in the house...

2009-07-01T11:05:00.001-07:00

...are my newly-refurbished pint-sized chairs I got ages ago at some garage sale.

I hope the clear plastic keeps that totally rad Kaffe fabric looking nice for a long time.

Back in May.....

2009-06-25T10:52:00.001-07:00

springtime in the mountains::

can you spot the ladybugs? there were hundreds. they must have just hatched.

just thinkin'

wild yellow irises (plus riles & i)

this idyllic mountain pond is in twain harte, ca.

we've never visited in the springtime before - lovely.

2009-06-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Summer in our yard, so far::

(Spencer, in case you're reading this: sorry, you just haven't been outside as much lately. More pics of you later.)

2009-06-25T10:03:00.001-07:00

OK, long post of random stuff:

FINALLY finished this quilt. I've been collecting the solid fabrics for this quilt since about 2002. Yes, 2002. They're Kaffe Fassett's "shot cotton" solids. The pattern is his too, "Birdboxes". I'm really pleased with how it came out. I'll include a bigger shot of it in a future post.

I've been bit by the embroidering bug. Spencer got a couple new onesies, and Riley got a hat (below). I'm also working on a tee for Riley. Besides, what else can you really sew for boys?

Some "art" for the sewing room, inspired by an anthropologie display a few years (ok, like 5 or 6 years)back.

Loving:: this fun lady my mom scored at a garage sale! The lady she bought it from had a whole story of how her husband won this gal while he was in WWII, playing cards. Too cool - a great piece with a story. Love it.

2009-05-28T08:48:00.001-07:00

"I'm Bob the Builder, Mom!"

(Helping Dad build our new fence)

Spencer's new pants, above. Inspired by a ready-made pair, below.
The best part: Spencer's were free, made from fabric someone had "donated" in support of my habit. However, Herman asked me, "Why did you make him purple striped pants? You don't like purple?" (He's right, I don't). But they're not! A periwinkle-ish royal blue, maybe. but not purple.

Finally done (Yeah, just in time for the 100 degree weather)!I was starting to get sick of this project, but I'm really pleased with the end result. Riley has informed me many times that he really likes "the favorite color", the gold stripe.

2009-05-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

Patchwork ball made just in time for my nephew's first b'day. Found the free pattern on purlbee.com

Made polka dots for Riley's wall out of scrapbooking paper. Hope these stay up longer than the last set, which got ripped down during what was supposed to be a nap session.

New bag: Anna Maria Horner's "Multi-Tasker Tote".Very fun. Very large. Very cool technique on the side pockets ( a bit complicated).

And the grand finale: baby fingers and toes, sweet enough to eat!

2009-04-29T14:11:00.001-07:00

In progress...my first ever crochet blanket. A giant granny square that just goes on and on...pretty cool.
Mr. Spencer needed another little knit vest - the tan one was getting short, and this blue suits him better anyhow.
A crazy pincushion head lady. I've been wanting to make this for about 8 years, or something like that. It's kinda voodoo.

April Showers

2009-04-13T21:10:00.001-07:00

Happy Camper

2009-04-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

You'd think it was summer or something...

2009-04-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is the life, apparently.

Love those garage sales

2009-04-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

I scored these fun dishes at a garage sale recently - $2 for the lot! So far, they've been sundae-topping-holders, and lemon-slice-holders. I have a feeling they will be many more types of holders during their stay with us.

Guess we both got the memo...

2009-04-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

...to wear matching outfits to the play "Fiddler on the Roof" up in Sonora last weekend. By the way, the play was great, and made me want to rush out and buy the movie so I could watch it for the 80 billionth time.

No Turning Back

2009-04-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

I woke up one Monday morning a couple weeks ago and decided to paint our main bathroom orange. I made it to the paint store around 3 p.m. I started painting at 5 p.m. I finished at 11 p.m. (with dinner & bedtime breaks, mind you. I can paint like the wind). I'm fairly sure I don't regret this rash decision...

Making stuff

2009-04-08T14:43:00.001-07:00

OK, I've been bitten by the bug to start "doing stuff" again....here's some samplings of the small projects i've completed over the last few weeks:

...my favorite new bag. The guitar logo was from a much-loved T. Alas, I spilled pink nail polish on it. Throw it out? Never! I sewed it onto a patch of cotton, then sewed that onto a bag purchased from my local pharmacy for $3. I left all the edges raw, for a worn-in look (ok, mostly just so I could finish it before the kiddos woke up). Cool beans!

I recycled an old hand towel into some much-needed washcloths by cutting it into eighths and finishing the edges with some leftover quilt binding. I used bias so I wouldn't have to deal with the corners. They are perfect for wiping little hands and faces after meals!

And my personal favorite, Spencer's new knitted sweater vest (using the pattern "Pebbles" - the info can be found on Soule Mama's blog). What a chubster!
Love those buttons up the side.

2009-01-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

...yet another quilt for yet another friend who had yet another baby!

2009-01-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

made this little quilt for a friend's new baby boy...

...then decided it was so fun that my little guy needed one too...

2009-01-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

hey, look! i made a baby (oh yeah, and the onesie he's sporting)!

2009-01-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

i started & finished this quilt that has been in the planning/collecting fabric stage since - are you ready - 2000! i got inspired to make this when i first heard coldplay's song "yellow" on the radio:"look at the stars/look how they shine for you/and everything that you do/...and it was all yellow". which led me to think, "how cool would an all yellow/all stars quilt be?

2009-01-20T17:18:00.000-08:00

...i knitted a sweet cardigan for a friend's baby girl...

2009-01-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

a full view of the above-mentioned burp cloths...

2009-01-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

wow, a whole year since i've posted- yikes! what have i been doing since then? well, i had a baby for starters. but i have been doing some sewing as well....

here is my new favorite project - burp cloths, since they can be completed in about 10 minutes.

"gi-gi" apron

2007-11-15T22:41:00.000-08:00

this apron is fun in patchwork, or even just a single print. best of all, the shape is actually flattering, which is more than can be expected of most cooking cover-ups.

one size fits most.

machine wash gentle.

hang to dry; tumble dry at end to remove wrinkles.

ribbit hat

2007-11-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

this is the latest kid creation( and yes, that's my kid modeling it =] ). i was inspired by a fleece hat i spotted at a children's store - but i think this knitted version is much more fun....

size: toddler.

hand wash, dry flat.

super-soft security blanket

2007-11-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

these ultra-cuddly blankies are made with flannel on one side and extremely soft velour/"minkee" on the other. machine wash & dry. size: about 17" x 20"

PERFECT POTHOLDERS

2007-09-20T15:47:00.001-07:00

these potholders are a fun addition to any kitchen, and make wonderful gifts. perfect for the person who "has everything", because who couldn't use a few new potholders (and ditch a few old, ugly, burnt, sticky ones. don't they all eventually get like that, or is it just me?)

these potholders are about 9" square and are lined inside with two layers of cotton batting and one layer of special heat-resistant batting. guaranteed not to burn your hands (tested by me every time i cook)! patchwork is on both sides.

potholder on left: aqua prints

potholder on right: orange prints

KATE BAG

2007-09-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

this is probably my all-time favorite bag. easy to make, and just large enough for everything i need to carry (which means it's too small for all that extra stuff that really only weighs you down). bonus: it's reversible.

note: the bag in the top picture has rounded corners. this is how all the bags will be constructed from now on.

bag size: 22"h x 16" w (at bottom; gets narrower towards top) x 0" deep - bag is flat; no gussett. this bag has 2 inner pockets about 6" h x 7" w.

bag in tree: asian garden print

bag in hands: pink paris print

SUZ BAG

2007-09-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

this bag has sweet bows on each side that you can tie tightly for a tailored look ( as in picture) or tie loosely for a more boxy look.

there are 4 large inner pockets and 4 small inner pockets (these are good for lipstick or pens, etc.).

bag size: 10" h (19" h with handles) x 13" w x 4 1/2" d.

spot cleaning is best.

bag on chair: pink camo print

bag hanging on knob: pink prints

DARIA BAG

2007-09-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

this roomy bag has 6 inner pockets and a button closure.

20" h x 4" d x 12" w

spot-cleaning is best.

BABY BIBS

2007-09-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

i started making these bibs for my son about a year ago. since then, i have made many for gifts and for sale.

bib size is about 10" w x 15" h.

they have fit my son from about 8 months up to now, at 18 months.

button closure in back.

they wash up great - machine wash warm, tumble dry.