New items in my Etsy shop!

Great gifts for the sewing, knitting and crocheting fanatics on your list

It takes a long time for me to get a new item to the point where I'm ready to launch it, because I want to plan everything correctly and make sure it's perfect before the baby bird leaves the nest. Because of that, it's incredibly exciting when I get to the point where it's ready!

The idea for these two new items started more than three years ago. If you've been following this blog for any length of time, you've probably noticed that I have an incredibly talented mom. She sews. She knits. She crochets. She cooks. You name it, the woman can do it—or teach herself how—and it's awe-inspiring.

She's been sewing and crocheting since she was a kid, and she taught herself to knit several years ago. These hobbies aren't just a passing fad in her life, either—they've become ways for her to make unique hand-made gifts for friends and family every year.

That adds up to a lot of projects over time!

Because of that, when everyone's birthdays rolled around, or the holidays approached, she had to spend time racking her brain to remember what she made for them the year before, three years ago, five years ago... not an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination.

So, three years ago for Christmas, I made her a journal that she could use to keep track of her sewing projects. I used one of my photos for the front, created lined pages for project information inside, and bound the journal myself.

She loved it! As soon as all the gifts under the tree had been opened and the bits of flying ribbon and paper settled to the floor, she started logging her recent projects. It's become an invaluable resource for her.

She needed the same thing for her knitting projects, too, so I made a similar journal—but with different, specialized lines inside—for her for Christmas last year.

All her crafty friends started asking for them, and that brings me to today!

When you visit my Etsy shop now, you'll find a sewing project journal featuring this photo on the front and back cover:

And a journal for knitting and crocheting projects with this photo on the covers:

Both of which have pages inside with room for 64 different projects. If you (or the sewer, knitter, or crocheter on your list) make one new item a week for a year, there's still some extra room for more!

A journal like this becomes a scrapbook, a resource, and a place to recognize accomplishments. Heck, you could even consider it stress relief!

I'm so excited to have these ready for you now. These two journals have been in development for a long time, and I know they'll be something you or the crafty person on your list will really love.

Visit my Etsy shop to see both the sewing and knitting / crocheting project journals in more detail (with more photos of each).

Happy holiday shopping!

35/365 Vintage sewing patterns

Vintage sewing patterns. Aren't these fantastic?

It's a bit like looking at the costume design for an episode of Mad Men, except these patterns are actually from the 1940s. House coats. Fancy aprons. Dresses. And mens' boxer shorts.

Mom is sorting through stacks of patterns like these and is selling them on eBay. I'm acting as her photographer, and these four were striking enough that I had to share them here!

Take a close look at the man the illustrator sketched on the mens' pattern. (You can click on the image to enlarge it further.) Remind you of someone? Clark Gable, perhaps? And also notice he's wearing loafers and has a cigarette in his hand.

So, if you've ever wondered what Clark Gable's boxers look like, they feature a wide, slimming waistband with a three-button closure.

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/60s, f/4 at ISO 640 in natural light by a window

133/365 Customized embroidery on new aprons

When you get used to having custom-made clothes, quilts, clocks, artwork, etc., it makes it hard to go back to ready-made items.

Take my two new aprons, for example. The foundation is just a plain white pocketed apron bought at Sam's Club. But the personal touch? So much more valuable than anything I'd find in a store.

Mom and I (well, I mainly pointed and observed) embroidered these aprons on Sunday afternoon. On the first, we started with a sunshine-yellow thread.

Then added a cherry red.

And a cool aqua blue.

After that, we spiced it up with purple. You can start to see the final design, can't you?

Added some appropriately shaded latte-colored thread.

And finished it off with more red.

In the end I had a super cute tea cup embroidered onto the front of my new apron, and no one else in the world has one exactly like it.

See how that could be easy to get used to?

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens, 1/125s, f/2.8 at ISO 400

337/365 Serged to perfection

The beneath-the-surface workings of a serger are unbelievably intricate.

Not only does it weave together multiple threads -- anywhere from three to eight, it trims off the fabric at the edge of the seam in one smooth motion.

That is not a blade I'd want to get my finger caught in. (Not that there's a blade that I would like to get my finger caught in.)

Mom, of course, being the seamstress that she is, has a serger and uses it prolifically. Someday I'll probably take up sewing and get one of my own (not yet, but I'm sure the lure of making my own clothes will snag me at some point), but in the meantime, I enjoy watching her work at hers.

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens and 430EX Speedlite, 1/125s, f/2.8 at ISO 250.

314/365 Work in progress

I love art that incorporates language. As a writer, that really doesn't surprise me, but I've just become conscious of it in the past year or so.

Mom is working on a new quilt for me, and with that in mind, she chose some cream-colored fabric that has words printed on it.

She began cutting out pieces last weekend, and she's been getting a little done each night this week.

Cutting with a rotary cutter has always made me nervous, even though her rulers are thick enough to create a decent barrier between the blade and my fingers. She's a pro, though, as comes with practice, and I always enjoy watching.

Now I can't wait to see the quilt come together.

Camera: Canon 40D with external E-TTL flash, 1/125s, f/5.6 at ISO 250.

240/365 Sneak preview for the holidays

Forgive me, I'm going to brag about my fabulous mom in this post.

Beginning with an unveiling ceremony on Friday, November 28, the Indiana State Museum will house a 92-county ornament tree.

The tree will feature an ornament made by an artist from each of the 92 counties, made with the intention of representing each unique area.

And my mom was chosen to design the ornament representing Hendricks County.

I'm more than a little proud. (I promise I'll get photos of the event and make that a future post.)

In the meantime, you get a sneak preview of her ornament. She finished it on Sunday evening and mailed it -- early -- to the Museum.

It's two-sided, created using fabric, crystals and tulle netting. The front side is a winter landscape scene, common to Hendricks County.
The back is a pineapple quilt block, which is a traditional symbol of welcome.
I especially love the landscape scene, particularly the snow-covered pine trees on the left side. Dad and Chase love the birch trees on the right.

When the holidays are over, the ornament will become a permanent part of the Museum.

It's beautiful. I can't wait to see it hanging on the tree.

Camera: Canon 40D with external E-TTL flash, 1/250s, f/5.6 at ISO 100 under fluorescent lighting, with the flash bounced off the ceiling.

237/365 Rayon thread

Mom has a drawer of thread that sucks me in whenever I open it.

It's filled with shiny rayon thread of every color of the rainbow. For this photo, I just picked out a selection of five that mimic fall foliage.

I don't think there's a single color in that drawer that I don't like. I'd love to see a project made only out of this thread. It's elegant, vibrant, eye-catching... beautiful.

Camera: Canon 40D with external E-TTL flash, 1/250s, f/2.8 at ISO 100.

225/365 Getting back to sewing

After an incredibly busy summer, Mom is excited to get back to her sewing machine (and I have to say I'm excited for her to get back to it, too).

We spent the afternoon yesterday in her quilt shop. I traced new patterns out of our Burda WOF magazines, and she quilted and sewed.

After she's done with this dress, the next project will be a sheath dress (my favorite style), a knit wrap top and a knee-length jacket.

She constantly urges me to become a sewer, but I just haven't been bitten by that bug yet. I've made small projects, one quilt, and other odds and ends, but the desire to really learn hasn't quite snagged me.

It wouldn't surprise me if it does eventually -- Mom insists it will happen when I have kids.

Until then, I really enjoy being with her while she sews, and I like getting patterns ready and collaborating on design details. Is that so wrong?

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/4.5 at ISO 1000 in mixed lighting.

107/365 So many choices

Last January, when I was part of a Salsa Performance Class, we were asked to wear red dresses for the show. I couldn't find a red dress that I liked, but I found a red knit top at Banana Republic that I loved, so I paired it with a black skirt (yes, I'm the rebel in the video).

The red top is now one of my favorites. Last week, as I was ironing it, I realized how simply constructed it is. I showed it to Mom and suggested we fashion a sewing pattern off of it so that we can make more. We've done this before with a simple Gap skirt that I've now worn out.

So this afternoon, with a stack of newly-purchased fabric at hand, I sorted through patterns in current and past issues of Burda World of Fashion to find more knit tops.

BWOF patterns are a godsend when it comes to my shape. We're able to cut the pattern, make it as-is from the directions, with few or no alterations, and they fit. We can't do that with any other pattern company -- not Vogue, McCall's, Simplicity, Kwik Sew, nothing. It's fantastic, because having to make alterations only slows down the process and diminishes the joy when the piece is finished.

And I LOVE that joy of wearing a newly-made piece for the first time. One that no one else on Earth has. And one that was made specifically with me in mind. Nothing else compares!

Camera: Canon 40D 1/125s, f/5.6 at ISO 400 in natural light at about 4:30 p.m.