Vintage finds online

Cabin fever is setting in and I find my mind wondering to the upcoming spring. I wonder what this years fleamarkets and antique shows will have in store. I get excited just thinking about it! I was so also excited to stumble across this sweet shop today, where I found another community of people that enjoy collecting just as much as I do. If I had a shop, this is exactly the kind of stuff I would sell. In fact, I own tons of fun found items just like these!

Lovely to read, lovely to watch

Mmm... The Complete Jane Austen series, six fantastic adaptations of her novels. Tonight's film was Northanger Abbey, they are such rich and beautiful tales, I can hardly wait another week to see the next one! Such a wonderful beauty and simplicity of the time period and lives lived back then, its certainly enough to motivate me through my work all week.

Lotta goodness

Lots of Lotta Jansdotter goodness in the press recently. Oh how I love her simple, clean, modish look. You can catch a really great video interview of her here, as part of etsy's This Handmade Life. And if that doesn't give you your Lotta fix, then check her out in the most recent issue of ME. The bright colors and frilly frills of ME can be very misleading, but it is one of the best magazines out there for reading up on current artists -- all of your questions answered as they talk about their work, inspirations, businesses, etc. Each issue interviews at least one person, and in this month's issue there are four! So read up!

On my mind...

Sorry I've been so quiet on the blog-front lately. I wish there was some meaningful excuse, but the truth is that I've been busy trying to hunt down a job to insure some real life income and the new camera I purchased is back ordered and will not be here for a few more days. I know, I know... a blog can be written without pictures, but what fun is that! Never-the-less, here are a few things I've been excited about this week.

• 5 for $5 Simplicity patterns at Jo-Ann. Get your fix today, because I think the sale ends Saturday!
• The Martha Stewart isle at Michael's.

Let me just take a moment to speak a few words on Martha. With the recent folding of Blueprint, a lot of things have been said about MSLO (and Living in particular). I have subscribed to MSL for years and years, and I'm always delighted to receive the most recent issue in the mail. While the magazine does have a very traditional appeal and the articles are sometimes aimed at someone my mother's age, I have always found great potential for something I might like to do. Martha is forever simple and creative. MSL is really about how to live all areas of your life simply and beautifully. And oh how I like that.

Standing in that isle of pretty colored things, giant sheets of paper, and even glitter that looked like I should buy it, it reminded of a recent conversation I had during an interview at a local sewing store... The woman told me that the reason I can't find contemporary fabrics and patterns around is because the stores are run by and cater to more traditional sewers. I was shocked, although I don't know why, that has always been pretty obvious. But with the folding of Blueprint and the growing on-line community, sometimes I just wish things were more tangible.

A really big part of me starting a blog is because I want to be part of the community of makers that is out there. I am oftentimes discouraged that I can't find people around my own area that are interested in the same things. Sometimes I long for a more contemporary knitting groups with gals my own age, or a store that offers the fabric that I drool over on-line.

I'm not sure what this means, just some thoughts that have been on my mind.

Bias Tape Zippered Pouches

What was I saying in that previous post about not wanting to run out and buy a zipper just to make a zippered pouch? Well, scratch that, once you see these cute zippered pouches and the awesome purlbee tutorial that goes along with them, you'll want to make one too!!

I couldn't contain my excitement when I read about these -- it's BRILLIANT!! Instead of making a simple-old-zippered pouch where the interior seams eventually fray - and you'd never take the time to hand stitch in a lining - purl uses this great Japanese technique where you stitch in a simple piece of bias tape around the seam, and wa-la, you have quickly created a simple and gorgeous zippered pouch that will last forever!

This was such a breeze, and turned out so well, I could seriously go into the zippered-pouch- making-business! I'm making a pouch for everything I can think of... pencils, glasses, notions...

R.I.P. Blueprint

It's old news now -- but incase you haven't heard already, MSLO is folding our most beloved Blueprint Magazine.  If you're like me and believe this is obviously a huge mistake, you can leave your comments at Bluelines, where Martha might just hear you out.

MSLO claims the reason for letting the magazine go is because the 20s/30s generation gets their information from different sources like blogging and the internet, rather than magazines.  What MSLO fails to see is that the internet could never replace sitting down with a nice fat glossy full of wonderful lifestyle articles like what Blueprint offers.  As a member of this generation, I would just like to say that we will be the ones replacing such icons as Martha in the future, therefore, leaving our demographic out in the cold may be a bad move on her part.  Instead, why not nourish this DIY generation with great articles, molding us into the designers, innovaters, gardners, chefs, and crafters to come.  

Alas, its back to reading what the oh-so-traditional Living, same-old-Real Simple, and hit-or-miss Domino have to offer.  Maybe the Blueprint editors will walk out on MSLO and start up their own magazine... there will definitely be a giant void to fill.

First Project = Organization

Before I could embark on my first official sewing project, I decided that I had to get organized. Living in a small space (with literally no room for getting crafty and creative) means that giving a home to all my sewing stuff is essential. I opted to use up some of the scrap fabric that's just taking up space around here, and made some useful items too hold all of my sewing tools. 

First up was a tool roll, inspired by a pattern in Lotta Jansdotter's book Simple Sewing. Sadly, I do not own this book yet, however, I did spy several great patterns in it at the book store a few months back, and I've kept in the back of my mind. My tool roll may not do her pattern justice, but I think it will fit my needs just fine. I just stitched together some scrap fabric, and used the tools that were going to be housed in the roll to measure out how wide to make each of the sections. I also used a white twill tape for embellishment/ribbon closure... I would recommend finding a cotton twill tape/ribbon if you decide to make something like this. The type I used only comes in white and black, and was way to slick for my tastes.

I also made up a really quick little bag to hold all of my sewing machine's presser feet/attachments (the only complaint I have so far about this new machine is that the little tool compartment is way too small to hold anything). But this bag works great -- I would have liked to have made up a little zippered pouch but I didn't have any spare zippers around. But with the top folded over, none of the contents of the bag should spill out.

Once I heard that Miss LT purchased a new sewing machine (twins!--almost the same machines) over the holidays too, I just had to make her up some matching - sewing organizer pouch tool roll things - too!

Happy New Year!

Inspired by the holiday purchase of my new sewing machine (thanks mom + dad) and the many crafty creations to come, I thought to myself, what better time to begin a new blog.  I hope it will serve as a way to capture my inspirations and creations.  Here's to what the new year brings, out with the old and in with the new... admire the new machine in all its glory below!