Linen, Wool, Cotton

I have been lost in a whirlwind of fabric and thread this last week. Trying to figure out how patterns work, how each fabric type needs to be treated, making a big mess and listening to Anne of Green Gables has been life. I've come out of my sewing tornado for now with a ton of little projects all wrapped up, a couple of big ones finished well and one still in pieces. My back hurts from leaning over my sewing machine!

This book has the loveliest tutorials. The projects are simple classics, the kind of thing you want to have around the house but can't really buy.

Paper Airplanes

I love kids, I love hanging out with them and hearing what they think, playing games, jumping around, chatting about rhinoceroses or karate. But sometimes you need a little something to focus on. And if you have access to paper, then you have access to awesome. Paper airplanes are fun for everyone, you can decorate them, make whole fleets, create your own airline or design your very own folding technique. You can have races to see whose goes furthest or fastest or straightest. Make them really big or really small and see which ones fly best. Here are 9 airplane designs complete with animated folding diagrams. Last time Mo's niece and nephew were bored at a dinner party we made our own airlines complete with cohesive branding and logos and then launched them down a flight of stairs to see whose flew best. Not mine. Must practice more. :D

Rubber Stamps

I want to buy up a big collection of stamps to make thank you cards and birthday cards and general hello I like you cards.

I rarely get a chance to send anything except invoices or bills in the mail and I love all things post related. I used to have a pen pal in elementary school and checking the mail became so much fun when there was the possibility that there may be something special hiding in the mail box. Where would one find a pen pal these days?


1. Tresijas
2. Norajane
3. Corrabelle

Shades of Pink and Orange

I made some strawberry and lemon iced tea today. Loose leaf black tea with a dash of lapsang souchong brewed up nice and strong. The flesh of a lemon squeezed and thrown into the bottle, two or three sliced strawberries and agave nectar to taste. Yum!

I also picked up a miniature rose plant last week. All the blooms were tightly closed and I wasn't sure what colour they would be when they opened. This week they're wide open, smelling lovely and such a pretty soft orange and pink.

It's in the little things. ♥

Sewing, sorta

I loved sewing in middle school. Coming up with strange little projects, sewing stuffed animals, pillows, head bands, whatever I could think of was a fun way to be creative. Unfortunately the sewing machine was always a little too cumbersome for me, the bobbin and I were not friends, so I gave up and moved on to other pursuits. Last week I saw an ad on craigslist for a vintage singer sewing machine. Mo wanted it immediately. So did I, despite the fact that neither of us really knew if we'd be able to get it working.

So, after picking up the monster from its former home, we are the proud owners of a very heavy piece of machinery that we have yet to figure out.

I may have found my first project, if I can unravel the inner workings of my lovely beast:

I recently stumbled across the lovely blog Between the Lines on Design*Sponge and was happy to find a tutorial for a lovely shopping bag made out of a recycled tshirt. It seems easy enough and if I can manage to sew a few relatively straight lines I will consider my new purchase a very good one.

Bubble Chandelier

I love this bubble chandelier. It's perfect for above my newly reconfigured dining table. I will make it, I will, I will! Just as soon as I find the time, and the bubbles and the light bulbs.

How-to-make instructions here.

via JeanPelle.com

Star Mobile

I've been craving something whimsical for my ceiling and I think I've found the answer. A Moravian star mobile inspired by Stjarnkraft.



A step by step tutorial for making the stars looks meditative.



I'll let you know how it goes.

Pom-Poms for Pischis

The only toy my happy kitty has taken to in her five years is a pom pom that she tore from one of my slippers.



Bella Dia has posted a Pom-pom tutorial that looks simple enough for lazy me.

I've been in a making mood lately, paper flowers and sketches are taking over my small apartment. A whack of pom-poms will make a nice addition.