A Bookish Life

Finding Treasure

One thing I love about living in a college town is the chance to stumble on a fashion design major's garage sale.

I got six bolts of single and double knit fabric for $20 in various hues of blue, gray, and green. It's perfect for my baby clothes endeavor and something I am particularly excited about as far as increasing my sewing knowlege. I really haven't sewn with knits at all, and am a little scared of all I do not know. However, I would love a couple new t-shirts and a knit dress for summer and I would love to sew some soft, stretchy clothes for C.

She's three month's old today and having a play date with one of her favorite friends. She has four baby friends so far, with still more on the way. Not to mention cyber baby friends Lily and the new Make It Snappy baby!

Great minds think alike

Remember this headband?

Now, for a moderate price tag and zero sewing skills, you can have a whole shirt made from this lovely grape and lichen cotton. I was looking through the JCrew catalog this afternoon and felt like I saw an old friend modeling among the pages.
I love this fabric, in all its color permutations (of which they offer more than one). I love the way JCrew has aadopted the liberty fabric into their aesthetic and popularized something that perhaps only turned up on the runways before.

I've mentioned my love for the line a zillion times before and I have to say it is because nowhere else have I seen a brand that so fervantly sums up the word charming. With a feeling like the finest silk, high quality that does not falter through the wash, and perfect color and proportion sense, this fabric house successfully invokes all that is lovely, dainty, and pretty.

Where did Friday, Saturday, and Sunday go?

It's definately a Monday. I took a quick daytrip to St. Louis last week that threw off my production schedule. I knew I worked better under pressure, but I'm not sure why I insist on practicing the harried, frantic countdown quite so often.

Have a great week and stay tuned for the wealth of Bookish-ness!

Eyelids Closing

I feel worn out, run-down, maxed out, and without the strength to stay upright for more than 15 minutes. Before long I start to wonder if anyone would notice (or care) if I curled up in a ball on the floor and slept for the rest of the year.

Brian has been as sweet as can be ever since I got home from the business trip last week that made me such an exhausted nightmare.

I can tell you that when I saw this little guy over on Manda's blog, I felt instantly a little more refreshed.

 

I can also tell you  that when I wandered into the sewing room this morning and saw all the bright new fabrics that came when I was gone- my mind started whirring through all the sleepiness. At that point I knew that no matter how sleepy, grumpy, and run down I may be, I was still going to forsake napping for sewing. My mind was running, and it was running through quilts.

My only hope for rest is that I can possibly squeeze in a nap while the fabric is in the wash?

Some new finds I've been rather quiet about.

A few weeks ago I stumbled onto these vintage fabrics and my heart skipped a beat.

I love this one for its colors- gray, chartreuse, turquoise, and a red-pink. The pattern has such a calm gentility to it that thrills me to no end. Right away I made this one into a tote that was snapped up at the Urban Bazaar, even though I vowed to keep it if it lasted through the weekend. I have only a bit left, probably a 20"x20" square, and I think it's destined for a quilt.

This one looks like a Dutch Pennsylvania vintage, and I love it. The colors are quirky and so is the pattern. I have about 3 yards of this one and there are tote pieces in this fabric on my sewing table as I type. I think it would make a terribly cute wallet and a terribly cute skirt.

Oh yeah, remember what I said about the middle schoolers being good this year?  Today in the minutes before the bell sounded out across the neighborhood, Brian and I noticed a sneaky young man smoking beneath a tree in our backyard.  I watched him grind his cigarette butt into my unruly grass with indignation welling up in my heart. Truly they must not be better this year, but merely quieter.

I love my Grandma.

My Grandma, Emma, recently sent me a bundle of vintage scraps and a quilt in progress from one of her friends.

This is the quilt, and it is hard to see, but each tiny shape is about an inch in diameter and pieced by hand. The completed portion is about the size of a table topper (real word?) and more intricate than I will ever have the patience for. The colors across the whole thing are these candy pastels, which is a bit of a shame because I can't image ever liking it after I spent my whole life completing the quilt. 

She also sent some pretty floral fabric of the vintage sort that will definately be used in projects far and wide.

This gorgeous box housed some notions and little cut pieces in handmade wax envelopes. It was in no way supposed to be part of the gift, but I love it most of all.

I don't think I will finish the quilt that she sent, although I want to think of some other way to honor the work that was put into it, but I was thinking about starting one of my own in colors I would like. After all, she did include the pattern!

Influx of Cool

Sadly today's title has nothing to do with the air conditioner in our house which still hovers between 81 and 87 degrees after a full day of work was put in. We still have some insulation work to do tomorrow, so keep those fingers crossed that we'll have cold air by the end of the weekend! Apparently though, yesterday was the hottest day of the year in our area (106 degrees), so perhaps we're lucky that the house temps didn't jump into the nineties!

I did finally get my fun package in the mail. I say finally, not because it took a long time, but because I was looking forward to it so much! I'm looking forward to starting an Amy Butler book project this weekend-- pajama pants? laundry bag? Who can decide!?

Today, however, is all about Brian and how very glad I am that he was born! We started off celebrating this 27th birthday with yummy breakfast tacos and in just a few hours I'll go ahead and start on his chocolate cake (actually, pie). Happy birthday, my sweetest one!

Liberty

Today my 'work in progress' is waiting. I am anxiously waiting for a package to deliver me my new books and this:

It's Liberty of London fabric, right here in the United States.  It costs an arm and a leg in my world, but I only need a bit to hoard and stare at lovingly.

Amy Butler

If you followed my blog last year over at livejournal, then you could probably tell that I have a professional crush on all things Amy Butler. I can already tell you that the new Forest fabric line is going to completely break the bank for me this year, particularly in the colorway Dusk. Navy, olive, light steel blue, and red make my heart go pitter pat.

I have a foreboding that I will end up in some lucky fabric store with a fistful of bills in my hand wildly proclaiming my yard counts of each roll (10 yards! 12 yards! the whole bolt of this one!!).

This is a challenge I am mildly equipped to handle. After all, there are only so many dollars to take out of the bank. However, a new Amy Butler book too?!? I've been dreaming about this since I first stumbled upon Found Style in the library. Be still, my heart.

'Use What I Have' Challenge

Okay. I've been thinking about it for a few weeks now and finally got to the point of committing. I'm in. I'm going to participate in this challenge from Simple Sparrow to use only the craft supplies I have for the month of April. No buying new fabric or notions until May.

Hopefully I can clear out some of the supplies I have mounting in the guestroom and come in with fresh new ideas and supplies for the Wildflower festival in May. The only time I may have doubts or exceptions is if I need something like thread to finish a project or if I find the perfect "souvenir" fabric in California next month.

Wish me luck!