A Burst of Craftiness

School must be starting soon because I am feeling the need to make stuff.  While out thrifting yesterday, I found this flannel and corduroy in perfectly matching colors.  Probably somebody else's project extras and since this green is pretty much my favorite color I had to get them.  I usually wait a few weeks to several years before I do anything with my fabric but I felt like these needed to be in a quilt and right away.  I gathered the lace myself from a huge spool of double edged eyelet and put a needle punched cotton batting in the middle.  Then I washed it and look how nice it turned out!  I almost like the corduroy better than the printed flannel side.

I know the colors could have been boy or girl but the eyelet was crying out to be used.  Now I need to find a recipient--sometimes I want to have another kid so that I can make more cool baby stuff and keep it but I am thinking that is not a good reason to have a baby.  I feel certain that the months of barfing would make me rue the day I ever made a cute baby blanket.  Not to mention the whole other person to take care of for the next forever!

Wallpaper spectacular

Here is one of those things that the thrifter dreams of,  a roll of the loveliest paper in mint condition for a ridiculous price.  I gave a piece of it to the friend I was with at the time of the find and I am going to frame a panel for myself and put the others up on Etsy.  This paper is so lovely with dense hand screened colors and such big juicy flowers.  Does anybody know what kind of flowers they are?  They seem kind of made up, I would probably call them cabbage roses.  Can you imagine a whole wall done with this?  beautiful.

Back to the Real World

So we are back from Seattle and came home to no internet or phone service (on Tuesday) which was not fixed until Friday!  It was a terrible and tragic time. 

 All better now though.  :-)

Today was the first day of school and I put my daughter on the bus and drove the boys to school--first day of Kindergarden for my youngest and no picture--sigh.  He was pretty stoked so I hope everything goes swimmingly for him.  I am wandering aimlessly around the house not wanting to do my chores or my exercise routine or clean up my studio or anything really.  I have not yet completed reentry from vacation I think.

So, here is my favorite vacation purchase (actually I have several but this one is for today).  A bento lunchbox in my favorite colors.  Ta daa!

I am doing an internship this year for school and need to take my lunch at least some of the days.  It is pretty small but there is room in the bag for more if I need it and really eating a little less would be good for me, right?  I have more fun stuff to show later after I get my studio cleaned up so send your best cleaning vibes my way--k?

edit:  the lunchbox is by Zojirushi and can be found here

12 foot bar of pyrex

I am leaving on a jet plane tomorrow and in the process of cleaning and tidying I got the idea that all my pyrex would cover the top of my now cleaned off kitchen island.  Yep, it does.
Any how, I will be gone to Seattle for a couple of weeks and probably won't be posting, but I am taking the laptop so you never know what I might do.  Tra la!

The hunt for the unexpected

My daughter had an extra long piano lesson today and so my boys and I got to really take our time at the thrifts this afternoon.  I found some good weekly reader books and a great little ottoman covered in yellow/gold naugahyde.  Then I found this piece of upholstery fabric.

It is enough to recover the ottoman but I am not sure that I can bear to put this into harms way (of feet and such).
This was sewn and then hand trimmed it looks like.  Can you see how great it is?!

The wildlife is leaping about

You know it is the monsoon season when the ground is thick with creatures.

And now for something completely different.

Here is the before shot--an ultrasuede jacket from the 50 cent rack.
Ta daa!  My new purse for traveling.  I really like it but I wish I did not always have to carry so much stuff (I am secretly a boy scout and must be prepared for everything).  
Those front slits are actually the pockets from the jacket--I am thinking of putting buttons on them so stuff won't fall out.  What do you think?
The inside has lots of pockets and one is perfectly sized for a Moleskine.
Now I have to clean my house but I am thinking that wardrobe inspiration might be too strong to resist.  

Patterns

I found many vintage patterns at a thrift store for a song and bought them all up.  Then I got them home and wondered why I bought them.  I read the blog A Dress A Day and think I just got on the bandwagon for old patterns.  Anyways I decided to put them on Etsy and sent a link to Erin over at Dress a Day.  Then all the lovely readers came and began buying the patterns--I love that they are going to a good home.  (The two patterns pictured are still in my shop.)
I wish I could get some of that red and white print for me--are they llamas?