Little Birds Fly

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T04:08:00.001-07:00

done

2011-09-12T07:10:00.001-07:00

can't believe all I've accomplished in the past couple of days

Etsy shop is up and running...wheeew!

Wish me luck!

almost there

2011-09-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

soon...maybe even tomorrow...I will have a new fall/winter line for sale in my Etsy store

my most favorite collection yet!

garden

2011-09-04T03:42:00.001-07:00

I spent a couple of hours at the garden plot this week, ripping up plants that were past their best and planting seeds for fall (swiss chard, spinach and lettuce)

This was my first year growing vegetables and I learned a few things:

it is AMAZING how much food two 4x4 foot beds can produce

no matter how cool it might sound to grow "Armenian" cucumbers or "lemon" cucumbers...they probably do better in Armenia...regular old pickling cukes seem to do best in our damp New England climate

It is not a good idea to have tomatoes and lettuce in the same box...lettuce needs a lot of water and tomatoes seem to produce a lot of leaves and little fruit when watered too much

Other boxes at our community garden that were planted with tomatoes and then basically totally neglected have the most amazing tomato yields...the plants look like crap but there are tons of lovely fruit

Planting zucchini and summer squash is not worth the space the plants take up...so cheap to buy at the supermarket!

Pumpkin plants make me a little uneasy...an ENORMOUS amount of vine for just a few pumpkins.. the leaves and stems are so prickly.. and the vines are almost sentient...I think they'd starting winding around my legs if I stood there for too long! But, it'll be very cool to have grown our OWN pumpkin this Halloween!

new dress

2011-08-31T02:46:00.000-07:00

i love sewing this dress

the Yeppar pattern is so, so nice ..I added long sleeves to it

psst...I think I've found a new design for some fall/ winter dresses for my Etsy store

stay tuned ;)

dress for a birthday girl

2011-08-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

for our sweet friend Mae

fab pattern from Yeppar (I added longer sleeves)
Moda fabric...It's Hoot

gearing up for fall

2011-08-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

just need to add the buttonholes...adorable pattern by ChickenHill

blueberry

2011-08-08T02:59:00.001-07:00

Lily's pie masterpiece...it was so, so delicious!
I love the look of concentration on her face .
We have one more year at home till this little one goes to preschool.
These are the days, my friends...the sweetest.

Lunch

2011-07-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

My sister brought tons...well, pounds and pounds of corn this weekend. She got it fresh picked from a farm near her house. I didn't want any to go to waste so I made a really easy corn chowder for lunch. It was seriously good...nothing compares to sweet, juicy, crisp corn.

This is how I made it...

Corn Chowder

melt 2 tablespoons butter
saute a diced small onion till softened
add 2 tablespoon flour
cook for a minute or so
add 2 cups milk
2 cups corn kernels cut off the cob
a big handful of chives
cook for 8 minutes or so
salt and pepper to taste

I served with bread and a salad of lettuce leaves from the garden...the chives were from our garden too!

sisters

2011-07-27T03:39:00.000-07:00

sand castles

2011-07-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

every time we are at the beach Mike builds a very elaborate sand castle with Lily...he calls them fortifications, or sandschloss or seaside defense complexes...such a 7 year old boy at heart!

birthday with his brothers

2011-07-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

like their game faces? ha!

grilled picanya (Brazilian grilled beef), cold beer and his family all around made for a very Happy Birthday

Love you Mike!

birthday present for Miss N

2011-07-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

a gift for our sweet, sassy friend whose favorite color is purple!

tunic pattern by Mani Mina

Notus fabric by Daiwabo

Sherbert Pips accent fabric

most days

2011-07-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

you can find us here...

and every day I am so grateful to be able to spend

this precious time

with

this precious child

in

this precious place

Dinner

2011-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

one of our favorite meals this summer

Salmon Cakes

Cakes
3 packs Salmon (6 oz each pack)
half stalk celery finely chopped
chives
half small onion, grated
1 egg
2 tablespoons mayo (or so...I just use a soup spoon and put in 2 big blobs)
1 large teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup breadcrumbs

Coating
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch salt
pinch black pepper

Make
Mix all together and then form into patties and dredge in the mixture of flour and smoked paprika, salt and pepper

Fry in a skillet until golden and crispy

Serve with tartar (LOVE mayonnaise) sauce, hot sauce and a green salad....

and of course, an ice cold Corona with lime ;)

Garden

2011-07-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

on a gray, hot, humid morning

this is the place I most love to be this summer

Our community garden is on Winter Island...not an island, really, but a lovely, quirky peninsula surrounded by the rocky, New England coast...and the best part is, it's only a 15 minute walk from our house!

We've had bumper crops of swiss chard, lettuce of all kinds, sage, dill, chives and parsley and now our plots are on the verge of exploding with cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant and beans. This is my first year as a vegetable gardener and I am amazed at the quantity of veg two 4' x 4' plots can yield.

simply a miracle for this city girl !

KCWC - Days Three and Four

2011-05-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

Not too much sewing going on these past few days...just this muslin for Mia's knot shorts which came out waaaaay too tight (good thing I made the muslin in cheapo fabric). I've redrafted the pattern with a bunch more ease and bought some nice stretch twill to make them up in. I got to the fabric store yesterday and picked up some other pretty cotton batiste fabrics for some tops for Mia. Hopefully I'll have some time to sew tonight and tomorrow.

Check out all the BEAUTIFUL things people are sewing for the KCWC on Flickr. I just love this online sewing community. Such sweet and inspirational and talented people :)

KCWC - Day Two

2011-05-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

Pattern drafted for Elsie Marley's Knot Shorts for my big girl

and a little nightgown of my own design for my littlest...can't seem to stop sewing for her, can I?

KCWC - Day One...confessional

2011-05-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, right off the bat, that I cheated a bit....I've also copied someone else's work, but more on that after. I cut out these appliques on Friday...but I sewed them on the tees I bought from Target, this morning. I LOVE the Mini Boden catalog. I drool over it every time a new season arrives. I also say to myself, and any one else who will listen, or pretend to, that I can recreate most of the designs that I love , myself. So, I've taken the plunge and knocked off two of the latest Mini Boden applique tees. These are the last two items I had left to sew for my littlest girl's summer wardrobe. They will go with a couple of pairs of shorts I've made for her. Now I am on to the big girl's new clothes. Pattern making commences tonight :)

Happy Mother's Day and...a list

2011-05-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely day yesterday...aren't my Mom and sister beautiful?

and today was a day just for me...

presents and shopping and pedicures...

and it's still not done...dinner's being made and wine is being poured...yippeeee!

Happy Mother's Day to you all!

and now...my list of what I hope to make during this week's KCWC.... Meg from Elsie Marley was kind enough to compile a very, very awesome collection of tutorials and patterns on her PINTEREST page...with the exception of the scalloped shirt I am going to make all of these items for my beautiful and sweet Mia...she's 14, almost 15 and suddenly wants me to make her summer clothes...I am not going to say no...not too often a teen is interested in what her mom does. ;)

Links in order top to bottom:

http://sewretrochic.blogspot.com/2009/10/shirred-mod-top-tutorial.html
http://theadventuresofroryandjess.blogspot.com/2011/02/scallop-shirt.html
http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2011/04/free-pattern-month-day-4-elsie-marley.html
http://bridgetbaxter.blogspot.com/2010/02/apron-top-tutorial.html

Kids Clothes Week Challenge...I'm In!

2011-05-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

Basically, you commit to sewing clothes for your kids, or someone else's kids for one hour a day for 7 days...and then sit back and marvel at HOW MUCH you can get done in such a little bit of time! I always like this approach...takes the sting and anxiety out of a big project whole.

There are awesome ideas over on Elsie Marley...make sure you check out the Pinterest page...and a really cool week of interviews (pre- KCWC Week) with designers who create lovely patterns for children's clothing.

Want to join? Go to Elsie Marley leave your comment, and off we go!

P.S. and here is the link to the Elsie Marley Flickr group...so don't forget to click over, join the group and show off your creations and get inspired by some really talented and creative people!

summer clothes for the girl

2011-04-28T04:36:00.001-07:00

Oliver & S Ruffled Halter Top Pattern...free download!

Love the way this top is constructed and the ruffles were surprisingly easy to do...I changed it a bit by lengthening the pattern and adding two more ruffles to make it a sundress and by adding elastic to the neck tie and crisscrossing it in the back and fixing the straps to the back.

These sets were made with Aneela Hoey's adorable Sherbet Pips fabrics and
shorts were made with Oliver & S Class Picnic pattern

sewing for the girl

2011-03-04T04:36:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it, I LOVE dressing my little girl. I sew a lot for her and buy ridiculously expensive shoes for her...with the justification that, if I am saving SO MUCH money by making most of her clothes then certainly I can splurge on shoes, right? So far, Lils has been amazingly compliant. She hasn't had much to say about what she wears...so when she started expressing a very clear preference for pink (yup, Princess Pink...yuck!) I felt like I had to give in on it....hence the skirt above. I just made up it up with a rectangle of fabric (45" x 12") and added tulle to the bottom and a band of jersey for the waistband.

Then I was off...got my sewing thang back and ordered some pdf patterns from Heidi and Finn..
such a deal! 5 patterns for 25 dollars. I've sewn 2 pair of cargo pants (of which I do NOT have photos of, stupid camera battery) and this pleated skirt below...which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

I saw a very trendy tiered skirt at le target the other day that I wanted for Lils but didn't want to spend $15 so I found this pattern from Pink Chickaddee Patterns and today I'll use some of my stash fabric and tulle to try to recreate...and it'll be pinkish and perfect for a certain 3 year old.

I really like the Heidi and Finn patterns...the photos could be a bit brighter but the instructions are good. The styles are a little different and not too cutesy(a feature I am clearly negating by constructing the garments in pink, pink, pink.). I have 3 more patterns of theirs to try out and I'll post photos (if I can get the stupid camera to work) when I do. The Pink Chickadee Tutorial looks good...I'll report back later...
anyone else have any recommendations for good patterns?

Chalkboard Tree

2011-01-31T09:18:00.000-08:00

so...I think the tree did turn out pretty cool! or maybe I am just driven mad by the snow...15 - 20 inches more tomorrow...ha...hahaha...hahahahahaha

aaaanyway...my former sewing room turned playroom needed a little something to funkify it...and I have a can of chalkboard paint that needed using up...and I have been wishing I could copy Lightbluegray's gorgeous tree...and voila! I just drew the tree shape on the wall with pencil, painted it in with two coats of the chalkboard paint and then cut out bunches of leaves from my huge basket of fabric scraps. I stuck the leaves and squirrels to the wall using a cornstarch paste (recipe here) which is supposed to make it so the fabric can just peel off the wall when you want to change it up.

what do you think? cool or crazy?

Quilts!

2011-01-30T12:16:00.000-08:00

all finished and ready to give...I used this wonderful tutorial from Aneela Hoey of Comfortstitching and it was a lot of fun...a lot of work ...not sure if quilting is really my thing but I am very happy that I gave it a try....we have been trying to get up to see the little babies the quilts are meant for, for about a month now...but it just. keeps. snowing. ..uuughh...hopefully we will get there very soon :)

since I am no longer doing too much sewing(read ANY) for my Etsy store or for fairs ...not really worth it in the end...I did learn this lesson years ago with my now extinct handbag business, but I guess I had to learn it again...we now have a little more space! ...the teeny, tiny room at the top of our stairs that has now been turned into a playroom for Lily...I am working on a very cool (at least I hope it turns out that way!) wall decoration...photos soon!

hope you are having a lovely weekend!

2011-01-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

a wreath for my friend...new babies....new house......new year...we both agreed this morning that maybe, just maybe, the wind is blowing us some happier, gentler times...fingers crossed

the tutorial for this wreath can be found....here :) thanks Lindsay!

Norah and Penny's Quilts

2011-01-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

my dear, dear friend recently gave birth to twin girls...the girls were born early and with a few setbacks but they are going strong now... miracles, really, both of these sweet little angels.

I wanted to make something special for them and I have also been plotting (during the ridiculously busy autumn and early winter) to slow down after the holidays and just relax and try sewing/making something new...quilting. Now, I'm not a very precise kind of sewer...quilting has always intimidated me with it's reliance on precise measurements and straight corners and such. But I saw this tutorial from Aneela Hoey of Comfortstitching and it was on!

...this is what I have so far...well, actually, I did stitch down all the squares and rectangles on one quilt top...LOVE...just meandering around with the stitching...not planning where I'd stitch next...and it all worked out!...a sappy cliche for the paths in life...next I'll add the little girls swinging on their swings and then embroider Norah and Penny's names and birthdays...I'll post a photo when they are done :)

these are the days...

2010-12-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

to remember

Merry Everything...

2010-12-23T07:29:00.001-08:00

we've been so busy here..getting ready for the big day...playing in the snow....and making things...

my son Lee made this amazing pirate island playmat for his baby sister, obviously he has inherited my affinity for felt ;) what a lucky little girl Lils is, to have such a great big brother.

Here's to a lovely holiday!

Merry Everything and a Happy Always!

twinkle

2010-12-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

oh yes, Christmas decorating/crafting is getting serious here at chez fly....I've broken out the glitter...no telling what's going to succumb to my glitter mad hands next...the cats are hiding, i tell you!

tutorial for the book wreath here at Living with Lindsay

Barn

2010-12-09T11:50:00.001-08:00

a Christmas gift I made for Lils...to be filled with soft farm animals that I found for CHEAP at Ikea...I used this tutorial from UK Lass in US...one gift down and ...all the rest to go!

the big unveiling

2010-12-02T02:49:00.000-08:00

my girls love the calendar I made with Homemade by Jill's Sew Along

and lucky Lils got to enjoy German chocolate (at 6:30 in the morning) that was hidden in the first pocket of a beautiful advent calendar sent by her daddy's best friend all the way from Germany!

Scandinavian Stitches

2010-11-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

I got Kajsa Wikman's beautiful book Scandinavian Stitches about a week ago and I haven't stopped sewing since.

Things are actually getting a little silly around here...there are Tomte everywhere and my family has been joking that I am turning our home into a Scandinavian sweatshop. My oldest has been home from college for Thanksgiving break and I have recruited him and my daughter to help me with the turning of legs and stuffing and so on. I made one for Lee to take back to school to Christmas up his dorm room and I have already given away two others as earl Christmas gifts. We are keeping a couple to decorate our house....

...and one will be sent to Germany for our dear friend's little boy.

I have so enjoyed making these little elves, Kajsa's designs are very simple and graphic and yet still so sweet. Scandinavian Stitches has many beautiful projects, not just Christmas themed. The book is arranged into projects by the season. I like that many of the projects are small so you can try your hand at a lot of different needlework techniques without getting too involved in a very lengthy process. There is a winter quilt that is so up my alley, it will definitely be my first quilt project. love. love. love. this book!

Advent Calendar III ....step away from the felt

2010-11-23T04:19:00.000-08:00

...I'm done with the Advent Calendar that I made with Jill from Homemade by Jill's Sew Along...got a little intense there over the weekend...my husband joked that next I'd be recreating the Sistine Chapel ceiling in felt, ha! I really get hooked when I start working with wool felt. I bought some beautiful German felt a while ago ...it's very thick and soft and the colors are just gorgeous. I only had some small pieces and scraps left, but it was just enough for the little teeny tiny ornaments. I have to admit, I was lazy and put my ornaments together with a combination of hand sewing, embroidery and...gasp...glue! I used natural twine and red grosgrain ribbon for the hanging loops.

This last photo shows the special ornaments that I made for everybody in the family...a favorite thing for each of us...hot cocoa (copied from Katie from So Happy) for Mia, an espresso pot for Mike, a book for Lee and a teapot for me...i was going to make my ornament a wine bottle since I spent both evenings last weekend drinking wine and making ornaments (oh, it's an exciting life here at Chez Cunha), but I figured I didn't want Lily telling people that wine is her mother's favorite thing ;) I also made a lighthouse ornament to represent our hometown...we live in such a beautiful city with a lighthouse right around the corner!

So, the calendar has been put away until December first ...just in time to get ready for the boy to come home from college and celebrate Thanksgiving! woohoo!

lilyasauruseseseses

2010-11-22T03:42:00.000-08:00

a herd of dinosaurs for Lils and her friends

Advent Calendar II ....almost caught up!

2010-11-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

whew! I have been working hard on this project! I got all the pockets embroidered with their numbers, sewn onto the backing and the binding and hanging rod pockets attached. I also sewed all the buttons on and got 8 ornaments made. I think I am a bit obsessed ;) Now all I have to do is make 16 more ornaments...but the remaining work will have to be done in secret so my little one doesn't see the them! I want her to be surprised every morning in December :)

check out the beautiful work here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/homemadebyyou/pool/with/5190457276/

Advent Calendar I

2010-11-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

I decided that I wanted to take part in Jill from Homemade by Jill's Advent Calendar Sew Along when I first saw it on her blog a couple of weeks ago. I have been just out straight preparing for a market that was held last Saturday...market is done and I now I am free to sew for myself! Yay!!I am starting the sew along two weeks late but hopefully I can catch up! Jill has set up a Flickr group so people can share photos of their progress and as I was checking out what other people are doing I came across photos from Katie of So Happy.

Her tree is AMAZING...

I had to copy...

I had to go out to Joann's and buy wool felt instead of the eco felt...

this is what I have done so far..

I used a light blue quilted cotton for the background, because I had it on hand and will edge the whole thing with red and white polka dot binding when I'm done. I am using a combination of wool felt and some eco felt. The greens are wool, white and red are eco. I totally ripped off Katie from So Happy's tree design and found nice wooden buttons at Joann's. I am a sucker for any kind of anything Scandinavian so I wanted to kind of keep the whole thing simple and natural with the accents of red and white. I haven't made any ornaments yet, but I when I do I will be making a hedgehog and a mouse and maybe some other forest creatures as well as using the templates that Jill shared on her blog.

I'll post more photos as I go along ...got to get back to embroidering those numbers!!!

dinner tonight

2010-10-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

Since I've given myself a bit of a break from sewing for a while I have my nap times free...free to do something that makes me happy..and cooking makes me very happy....especially when I am not rushed and can just enjoy each step. Tonight's dinner is my barely homemade but really good 3 bean chili...this is what i do:

saute an onion in a little bit of olive oil
add one red bell pepper chopped (today I used 3 small red and green peppers from my MIL's garden)
add about 10 pickled jalapeno slices, chopped
push veggies to the side once they are a bit soft and then add a package of ground turkey, brown it up
add:
a package of chili seasoning mix, or if I don't have that I add a tablespoon of cumin, tablespoon of chili powder (mild) and salt and pepper
one jar of marinara sauce
one small can each of 3 different beans
water to desired thickness (about 1-2 cups)
let it simmer for 40 minutes

I sometimes serve this alone...what more can these people I live with expect from me?... or, if I'm feeling generous and kind I will make a salad and if I am positively relaxed, and possibly a little drunk, I will make cornbread, from the little blue box of course and add in some cheddar cheese and pickled jalapenos.

Enjoy!

let's start again

2010-10-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

I feel almost a bit shy about posting on this blog...it's been such a long time since I've had the time to form any words that might make even a little bit of sense. It's been a long year, so far, and perhaps the most difficult one I have lived so far. My father in law passed away a couple of weeks ago, after a very long illness. In the end it was a blessing for him to not suffer any longer..but it is hard, most especially hard for my mother in law and my husband. The months of Jose's illness were so very, very sad and trying and frustrating, for everyone...in so many ways. We are all in need of a little, or a lot of rest around here. So, one of the things to be put on hold for a while is my Little Birds Fly clothing business on Etsy....just for a few months ...just so we can enjoy the fall and holidays with our family...so I can take the time to just sit and observe our 2, almost 3 year old and talk to my teenaged daughter and make plans with my college boy son...and try to just be. happy.

This morning started eeeeaaarly...4 am saw me awake and ready to go downstairs to enjoy a cup of tea in the dark and quiet. I know it's crazy but I will take those calm, quiet moments when I can...even in the ridiculously wee hours of the morning. Gives me a little time to think and to plan out what I'll show you today...

pj's...

I was at Joann's the other day and I found this flannel while looking for other flannels to make burp cloths for a fair I have lined up this fall...the print was cool and reminded me of expensive Japanese fabric and very unlike most of the stuff I usually find at Joann's, my favorite fabric store to hate...just kidding...well, not ALWAYS but, you know how it is there...enough said...so, moving on to the fabric, check it out:

cute huh? the photo doesn't do it any favors but it's a chocolate brown background with green line drawing print in the background and animals filled in with small graphic printing...LOVE IT...oh, AND it is super soft and thick. The cold weather really came quickly here and I found that I had no winter pajamas for Lily...zero...so I bought the last yard of the flannel and made some pajama pants with a jersey knit waistband and then I had to figure out a top..without spending any more money. H & M has these really soft organic cotton long sleeved onesies...for babies...but the 12-18 month size fits Lily beautifully even though she really wears a 3T...go figure...but, they are CHEAP and I bought a bunch during the summer. So, I cut the snap part off of a green one and appliqued a patch of the flannel on it like this:

To make the top a little longer, and to make it cuter, and to avoid having to hem jersey( ah, the truth comes out), which doesn't always work out too well without a serger, I cut a band from the hem of an old blue Tee of mine and added a strip of the hem of a red Tee too...I sewed the red strip onto the blue strip, right sides both facing up , sewed the short ends together to form a tube and then sewed the tube to the green shirt, right sides together like this:

I just want to say a couple of things about sewing with knits without a serger...

1. I have never had too much of a problem with this method: I sew the seam with a regular straight stitch and then zigzag stitch the edges...I know that this is supposed to be wrong because the stitching line can't stretch,but seriously, it has never NOTworked for me. This is how I put jersey waistbands onto denim and corduroy pants and I've never experienced ripped stitches.

2. I do lighten up the presser foot pressure when I sew with knits and I try to sew quickly at the beginning of the seam...both of these things will help to avoid the fabric being pushed down and jammed by the needle.

3. Use a needle specifically for knits/stretch fabric...just do it, you won't be sorry...if you use a regular needle I can tell you from experience that it is a crap shoot...sometimes it's ok and sometimes not...but a HUGE pain when it is not...so just save yourself the aggravation and use the knit needle.

4. Avoid hemming , if you can ;) if you can't, then learn to love a little lettuce edge ruffle going on at the hem.

5. When you are appliqueing onto a t shirt don't try to make your zig zag stitches too close or you might end up jamming the fabric ...make it a loose zigzag and then if you want it to cover more of the edge of the applique just go around again.

2010-08-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

I have a bunch of small pieces of fabric left over from my spring/summer clothes...so I put them to use to make pj's for Lils...love love love...isn't it funny how sometimes the most thrown together projects turn out better than the ones you plan in minute detail?...must be a Zen explanation there somewhere :)

fleeting

2010-08-15T08:19:00.001-07:00

the pure joy of being two...you find fun everywhere...it's a good reminder

:) August 8

2010-08-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

Momo's Wonderland fabric appliqued with Michael Miller Dots stretched around and stapled on those super cheap Ikea square wood and mirror tiles ...

I'm in love ...

2010-08-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

...with this fabric

I wasn't sure at first...not my usual style...but it looked so great sewn by Amanda from Kitschycoo here...I had to have it...

so glad I did!

breezy gauze jammies

2010-08-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

working out a new dress style for the fall...a fixed Kimono style top...good for pajama tops too :)

for fall

2010-08-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

beautiful New England summer weather at last...

cool nights, warm days, sea breezy afternoons

it's got me thinking about fall

Salem Farmer's Market July 15, 2010

2010-07-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Beauty

2010-07-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

My beautiful girl wearing one of the embroidered felt hair clips I am currently sewing/obsessing over...so relaxing to sit and quietly create...it's all I want to do!

and isn't my girl just lovely?!

preparation

2010-07-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

getting ready for the Salem Farmer's Market this upcoming Thursday, July 15th

new dresses

hats

pants for baby boys (and girls)

embroidered wool felt barrettes

hope to see you there!

Salem Farmer's Market 2010 Opening Day

2010-06-17T18:37:00.001-07:00

So much fun at the market today...
lovely friends..thank you Mimi and Kara and Jamie and Odessa!
sweet Salem Farmer's Market people...thank you Gus and Jennifer and Aaron!
and a huge thank you to all of my kind and enthusiastic and generous customers...I am so excited for next month! July 16th!

these are some photos of the new felt barrettes...worn by the best model I've ever had the pleasure of working with ;)

dropping the ball

2010-06-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

just a quick hello..things have been nuts around here...with a bunch of great stuff...and a lot of sad, frustrating and tiring stuff...so, those are the balls I've been juggling up there in the photo...and you'll notice that they are all on the floor (you'll also notice the CUTEST little feet!!!)

hope i'll be a able to post a little more often in the next couple of weeks...in the meantime...I'll just pick those balls up and get back to the juggling act!

p.s. I'll be at the Salem, MA Farmer's Market on June 17th, July 15th, August 19th, September 16th and October 21st!!! Baby and toddler clothes, hats and some cool upcycled items!!

Happy Mother's Day! and giveaway winner :)

2010-05-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Happy, Happy Mother's Day to all my blogland friends!!!

My family really came through for me today...Best. Mother's. Day. Ever.

this is a list of what makes for the perfect day for me:

1. sleeping in till 7...people who aren't parents make think this is early but when you have 2 year olds who rise before the birds, 7 is luxuriously late

2. bacon, eggs, tea and orange juice brought to me on a tray while I lay lounging in bed

3. presents & poems

4. all the kids and hubby hanging with me on the bed, talking and laughing and trying to keep the 2 year old from falling off

5. loooong post breakfast walk...just me and Mike

6. shopping for clothes...all by myself

7.returning home to find lunch on the table and 2 year old happy

8. NAP...oh blessed nap

9. older kids entertaining 2year old all day

10. I LOVE my family...they rock!!!

and now, I hope to add a little something to someone else's day...I forgot to announce the winner of the green dot dress giveaway on Friday...so the winner is.....Elizabeth!!! Congratulations and if you'll email me your address I will send that off to you this week!

reminder

2010-05-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

today is one of those sparkly sea, blue skies, birds singing, green, green grass kind of days...weather in it's perfect form...Lily and I spent the morning at a beautiful park that is situated right across the street from a little cove...we went back and forth from the playground to the ocean...Lily waded in the water, explored the seaweed covered rocks and was just so happy...and so was I.

this photo is from a whole year ago...and Lily has changed so much...and I have been lucky to be able to be with her most every day....because, man, it goes fast...when I get anxious about how we are going to keep this circus afloat financially, days like today, and reminders like this picture gently tell me that nothing you can buy in this world is worth more to me than being present for the fleeting moments my child's babyhood.

Grateful Giveaway!

2010-05-03T09:10:00.001-07:00

Well, the trunk sale was a big success! So many friends, new and old, came by to support the official launch of my new clothing line. How lucky I am to live in such a great community with such generous and caring people...seriously brings tears to my eyes. Now it's my turn to give...how about this little number? it's a size 2T-3T dress and can be a 4T tunic....Amy Butler Full Moon Dot fabric :)

To enter to win this dress just leave me a comment about what you are grateful for today! I'll have my little giveaway bunny choose a winner out of a hat on...say this Friday, May 7th?

Good Luck!!!

Spring Trunk Sale!!! Come on by!

2010-04-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight 7-9pm
Tomorrow 9am-1pm

See you soon :)

Hello Again!

2010-04-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a week it has been! I have really gotten into preparing for this trunk sale that I am having this Friday and Saturday. I kind of went overboard...over 60 items sewn...getting up at 5 to sew before everyone else in the house got up...sewing well into the night...not to mention laser focused 2 hour sewing marathons every day during nap time. I should be, or at least I would normally be, a frazzled, screaming nut case by now....but I'm not...I keep waiting for it to happen, and I do have the old familiar knot in my chest feeling every now and again but somehow I talk myself down...and carry on. I am even enjoying the being busy...I LOVE the clothes I have made...feel proud of what I have accomplished and even though the fear that no one will show up flits through my mind occasionally, I seem to have acquired a little patient wisdom somewhere along the line and the thought that follows the fear is always something along the lines of "well, if no one shows up then there are many other ways to sell your clothes...and they will sell " So readers, now that I have updated you all on the state of my mental health...apologies for too much info...I am off to finish some stuff up. Anybody local to the Salem, MA area who would like to come by Friday 7-9pm or Saturday 9am-1pm and take a look at my Spring line...drop me a line and I'll fill you in on the details :) Everyone else, wish me luck and next week I will be back to blogging more regularly...I've got a tutorial to share and a giveaway to...giveaway. Cheers!

help!!!

2010-04-20T04:46:00.000-07:00

this is what my kids see when they visit me in my workroom...Lee took this picture...April vacation for them this week which means that I have a bit more time than usual to sew...niiiice :)

today I am trying...reeeeeaaaallly hard to come up with some baby boy stuff...I get so distracted by all the bright, girly fabric that surrounds me...I can always find inspiration for a new dress...but I'm struggling to find my mojo when it comes to more masculine baby stuff...any suggestions?

I'm finally figuring some things out...

2010-04-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

So I'm back in the saddle ...sewing to fill my revamped Etsy store and for a little shopping event to be held April 30th (Mom's Night Out) and May 1st (Open House from 9-2) for my local customers. And despite my fears of being overwhelmed, it's not so bad...I think I am finally getting the hang of a couple of things that I should have learned years ago:

1. everything is a lot easier when broken down into small tasks

2. to not think about what I have to do while I am doing something else...compartmentalize...enjoy the cutting out of dresses while I am doing this...enjoy pushing Lily on the swing while I am doing that

3. everything has a way of working out, of coming together in the end...no matter how I feel...so why not choose to be happy, since being anxious doesn't affect the outcome?

And, I LOVE the stuff I'm making...I think I've got a good "look" going...a cohesive "Little Birds Fly" thang going on...I put the www.littlebirdsfly.etsy.com thingie up here...so take a look and let me know what you think...I'll be adding to the store almost every day...a new sundress style early next week that I am particularly proud of...hope you all have a great weekend!!!

what's going on....

2010-04-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

new labels....so cute!!! thank you to Dianna from customcouturelabelco.etsy.com

new designs/patterns...soon to be for sale on Etsy :)

Spring Flowers

2010-04-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

for the re-launch of my Etsy store.....littlebirdsfly.etsy.com.....I've given myself the deadline of May 1st...but it could happen sooner :)

yes, it was a lovely Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

Since we have had sooo much stress around here lately, we decided to keep Easter simple...church and then lunch...I didn't go all out on anything...food, Easter baskets or commitments...just kind of basic and good.....and it was the best Easter I can remember...hope you all had a lovely day!

be still, my beating heart

2010-03-30T10:30:00.001-07:00

new fabric, oh new fabric, how I love you so.....

and it's all for a new spring/summer season of dresses and pants and rompers...yup, that's right...I am officially re-opening my own personal sweatshop (I say that with a lot of love...really) and will start making clothes to sell again....May 1st Trunk Sale...I'll keep you posted on the details!

Cool Skirt

2010-03-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

Between me being crazy sick (pneumonia) and my poor father in law spending so much time in the hospital there has not a lot of time around here to do much blogging...OR sewing...but I did manage to get my skirt done for the Kitschycoo Design it Yourself Sew Along...whew! just a day late! and yes, this skirt is probably a dollar short :( Kind of too big, kind of too ugly...but it's a start. And I have some very beautiful Amy Butler fabric that I am going to use to try again...hopefuly this week I can sew during the little one's naps again and get back on track...see you soon!!

done and on my way...

2010-03-11T01:46:00.001-08:00

spring bag....finally finished

Cool Girls' Club Sew Along skirt...in progress...not as difficult to make up the pattern as I'd been imagining...but disconcerting...that's my body shape?! it's an official fact...I am built like a tube...the instructions for the pattern keep talking about allowing for one's curves...and dealing with the difference between waist and hip measurement by using a curve to soften it...I have no discrepancy...just a straight line...one less step , I suppose ;)

time....

2010-03-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

....finally, some time to spend alone, in my sewing room...between sick and hospitalized Father and Father in law, teens who require SO MUCH driving around and a two year old who is just being who she is, I have had very little time to pee, never mind sew! But, I did get an hour or so of peace this afternoon and boy, does it make me feel better to just MAKE something. I think sewing is my yoga...the hum of the machine, the putting together of disjointed pieces to create a beautiful whole...aaaahhhh...much better. The very poor photo above is my progress on a new bag for myself for spring. I used a bit more of the Amy Butler fabric donated by onlinefabricstore.net (I PROMISE I will have photos next week of the beautiful projects my students are sewing). I used some pink and tan tweedy, woven fabric that I have had for ages as the lining...love it so far! Oh and if you haven't checked out onlinefabricstore.net, you should (very reasonable prices), and click on their blog too...some really good info on sewing for the home and just a lot of useful technical sewing tips.

On the sewing class front, April should be very busy! Through the Salem, MA Parks and Recreation I will start offering a Monday night sewing class series. The first one will be a 4 week series beginning April 19th and the project will be a Tote bag. I will also be offering two workshops for kids during April school vacation week. One workshop will be sewing a felt IPod holder and the other will be a felt paper doll class. I will post the exact dates and times and who to register with very soon!

change is in the air

2010-02-23T10:37:00.001-08:00

what odd photos huh? but they were the only ones I had that showed the hat and scarf and coat...so ingnore poor Lily's bizarre/forlorn expression...thank you

so, back to the change the title of this post alludes to...I can feel it... spring is coming...even though it is still cold out...despite the snow and rain forecast for the next 4 days...somehow the air just feels softer, fresher...it makes me think of Easter and being small and dressed in a new pastel dress, hat and coat and still being a liiiiittle underdressed for the temps outside.Maybe it's just because 38 degrees seems to feel warmer in late February than it did in November...because you KNOW the winter will be over soon. Whatever it is...makes me happy and makes me itch to sew a new wardrobe for the babe and BUY a new wardrobe for myself (but THAT'S not going to happen soooooo...back to the sewing thing!) . The spring coat above is made with the famous (if it's not, it should be) Asymmetrical Reversible Jacket pattern from Kitschycoo and the beautiful Amy Butler Fabric so generously given to me by onlinefabricstore.net. I used some light blue quilted fabric that I already had for the reverse side. Then, since I didn't have a hat to match I made a little beret out the rest of the blue cashmere sweater that I seem to have used for so many different projects...I made a short scarf too and appliqued them with little bits of the remaining Amy Butler fabric. Now Lily's all set for the cool, windy spring that we seem to get here in Salem. I'm on to sewing some jeans, sailor pants and skirts to finish up Lil's spring clothes and then...on to MY new stuff...a light wool jacket and of course the skirt that I will do for Kitschycoo's Sew Along! Lot's to do, lot's to do...

hope you are having a good day and if you're not, hope you have some wine and chocolate ;)

The Cool Girls' Club

2010-02-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

Amanda from Kitschycoo , one of my most favorite pattern makers/tutorial sharers/bloggers has put together a sew along. Check out the link to Amanda's blog for all the details. The link is supposed to be in my sidebar but Blogger is not being cooperative with me today and I just don't have the patience to try again...plus, I have some solitary, Sunday afternoon sewing time that starts right...about...now! and I don't want to waste it fiddling with the damned computer.

This comes at a good time for me...I have been feeling very seamstressy lately...been wanting to up my skills in the dressmaking department, plus, I need some new spring clothes, have a very strange shape (no waist at all...pregnancy with third child seems to have put and end to that bit of anatomy) and very little money to buy anything new with. So, the project is a skirt and I am so excited! I ordered the book (Design it Yoursef Clothes by Cal Patch) yesterday and have some good linen to use...maybe try to make a Boden esque kind of skirt...with circle appliques or something. I just realized that Flossie Teacakes also recommends this book check out this post.

So, want to be a "Cool Girl"?

Amy Butler Fabric!!!

2010-02-19T12:44:00.000-08:00

ok, so I'm not sure if I should feel bad about this (because I read so many blog posts by people agonizing over whether they should accept compensation for mentioning products on their blogs) but I have to be honest, I had not one moment's hesitation when I opened an email I received from a very nice guy named Andrew from Onlinefabricstore.net. Andrew wondered if I would like to have my sewing students choose $25 worth of his company's new Amy Butler line. The deal is that they will sew something from the fabric and I will write a blog post featuring their creations and, of course, mentioning onlinefabricstore.net. I accepted immediately and gratefully and the next evening my Tuesday night students made their fabric selections. Well, the fabric came in the mail the other day..such a nice feeling to get a package in the mail...and I was even more delighted because Andrew had actually sent 4 yards of fabric, instead of 3 and the extra yard is just perfect for a project that I have in mind! The top photo gives a little sneak peak of that. I have never used Amy Butler fabric before and I do have to say, it is GORGEOUS in person. Such a nice drape to it and the colors and patterns are so sophisticated...I am definitely a convert. So, thanks so much Andrew and I look forward to showing you all the beautiful things my sewing ladies come up with!

lunch

2010-02-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

Mustard Green and Chickpea Curried Stew

A quick, cheap, really nutritious soup that uses frozen cooked squash to thicken it...love the frozen squash...I use it in so many dishes, even as a pizza sauce on whole wheat dough with feta cheese and Greek olives...but I digress...here is the recipe, such as it is, for the stew:

1 onion diced
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves minced
splash of white wine or stock
1/2 cup jarred marinara sauce or you could use some canned tomatos
1 block frozen mustard greens
1 block frozen cooked squash
1 large can chick peas, drained
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander

saute onion and garlic either in a bit of oil or I just simmer them in a bit of water and the splash of white wine till softened (I've made this stew with oil and without and I see no difference so I just forgo the oil to save the calories) then add the tomato sauce or dice,add the spices, throw in the still frozen greens and squash, add the chick peas, add some hot water, about 2 cups I think, cover and bring to a boil. This will take about 10 mins since the frozen stuff is in there...after it boils turn it down to a simmer and let it bubble away, covered, for another 10 mins...and there you go...lunch

trying to find the positive

2010-02-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

A little something I made for my Dibby for her birthday...Dibs is my ex-mother in law and she's the kindest person I have ever known...Dibs taught me how to sew a looong time ago...she's a fabulous seamstress and is kind of like the McGyver of fabric...she can make anything from some fabric, a sewing machine and a glue gun. She made me who I am and is the person I call when I need advice. Love her so much. Dibby loves to accessorize and is always so well dressed and perfectly put together...so, a little scarf made from some AMH Little Folks voile with a purse pin to pull it together...

I got my Little Folks voile in the mail the other day and at first I was planning on using it to make an Easter dress for Lils...but it is just sooo silky (despite the fact that it's 100% cotton) and so fine and just gorgeous...I think it is more of a grown up fabric. I want Lily's Easter dress to be special but I also want her to be able to wear it again, on not so fancy occasions and I fear this fabric wouldn't hold up well to a 2 year old's wear and tear. So, oh poor me, I'll have to just use it to make something for myself ;) I have to gush a little more about the fabric...it's kind of sheer, but not too sheer, silky but not in that rayon kind of way, retro in the most contemporary way... LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

Check out the sun streaming through it....makes me think of summer
makes me want to sew a beautiful summer dress and wear it on a sunny, warm day....sigh...

I am on day 18 of this cold/flu/plague...and I don't seem to be getting better...despite a round of antibiotics, 2 new inhalers and endless cups of tea with honey and lemon...my symptoms just seem to be morphing...chest cold, to head cold and just endless coughing...and to top it all off, I have fractured a rib from the coughing...hurts like hell... i'm starting to lose it a little, really

But, this afternoon I made myself do what I do..I sewed a scarf for Dibs, made one for myself too and took advantage of the thin winter sunshine to take some photos...and I'm feeling marginally better...this too shall pass, right? (note of desperation in her voice) ;)

creative space....a case of the blahs

2010-02-10T12:40:00.001-08:00

Looks a little forlorn huh? Maybe it's just me. The mushroom colored linen looked ace for the sailor pants a couple of posts ago, but as used in this sailor dress...well.... meh. The pattern is a vintage Simplicity...lot's of dressmaker details, good things to learn...but the buttonholes...the buttonholes...Mother of God, I'm back to hating buttonholes. Maybe it's my machine, maybe the fabric is too soft, maybe my tension is off, but they just look like crap. And that is hard for me to take when I've spent a couple of hours making a dress and then to have the last step ruin the whole damn thing...collar's cute though. What do you think, should I just use snaps and sew buttons on the front as a ruse? or maybe I should just scrap it altogether?

progress despite the consumption...cough, cough

2010-02-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm a bit type A, I'll admit it...I want to do things right when I want to do them...waiting patiently has never been a strong suit of mine. So, waiting for this weekend (from last weekend) to paint and arrange my new sewing room (mine! all mine!!) has been slow torture. Especially so because this past week seemed to last FOREVER. It's f#@%ing cold, gray and miserable out...and Mike and I have this horrifying chest cold. No one else in the house does...just us. Hacking and coughing our brains out in some sort of consumptive mating call....the hubby starts coughing, in the most annoying way a human can, I must add, and as soon as he is done I answer back with my own gutteral, rib cracking , nasty cough...sigh...all day and unfortunately all night long...for. a. solid. week. not much sleep happening 'round here these days. But, I mustered my most disciplined (or perhaps kookoo kraaazy uptight self) and got the room painted and all my stuff brought up. The boy is away at his Dad's for the weekend so I really wanted him to come home to his room empty of my sewing paraphernalia. I have been fantasizing (at night, while not sleeping) about how I will set the room up and how i will decorate it, unfortunately my sense of space seems to grow in my mind in the middle of the night. Maybe this is the same phenomena that causes the problems you are worrying about to seem huge and insurmountable when you think about them at 2 AM but normal sized and manageable in the cold light of day. Anyway, the room is about 1/3 the size I think it is (7.5' x 7.5') ..teeny, weeny. But it does have a skylight that lets in sooo much light all day long...it kind of feels like a treehouse.

As you can see from my not very good photos I tried to go with that idea by putting my Blair Witch Project (as my family calls them) branches in the skylight, along with some fairy lights...hopefully having the room welcoming and cozy at night will inspire me to find some ooomph at the end of the day to squeeze a little more sewing in.

Hope you are all having a nice weekend and now I am off to have dinner and a glass or two...
Cheers! (cough, cough, cough)

Mimi gets a gold star :)

2010-02-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

My beautiful cousin Mimi, who is also one of my very best sewing students with her new bag that she completed last night! Didn't she do an awesome job?!

sewing room news

2010-02-01T16:08:00.000-08:00

It just struck me how lame this title is. Aren't you just INTRIGUED? But, I DO have sewing room news...in as much as I am going to HAVE a sewing room! All my own...with all my stuff...in one place....sigh...how awesome is that? Lily has been sleeping in a small, 8' x 10' room (if you can call it that, it's more like a large stairway landing) since she was born. I have my sewing machine set up in my son's room, along with most of my sewing stuff, and the poor thing has no privacy. This has been the situation for quite some time, but lately it's been clear that poor Lee's patience is wearing thin. Soooo, my 13 year old daughter offered this past weekend to share her room with Lily! So I can take the middle room/landing for a sewing room!!! Isn't that just so sweet of her?! My mind is just going a million miles an hour figuring out how I will set it up and what I will put where...so lovely...I am such a lucky Mom to have such great, generous kids. I will post before and after pics of my new work space :)

This is what I did today...sailor pants! love, love, love them

button it!

2010-01-31T05:08:00.000-08:00

I've always avoided buttonholes...preferring snaps so I just wouldn't have to deal. But, there comes a time when you just have to face your fears and plunge in and figure the freaking thing out. Especially since I teach sewing and feel like I need to know this stuff for my students. I mentioned before that my next project was going to be some adorable and very chic sailor pants using a pattern from Danslalune.

I also bought a pattern for a sailor top and dress, to go with the pants...apart from the sailor theme they also have another similarity...lots of buttonholes....the time has come, my friends...time to face my fears and JUST DO IT.

Now, I can make buttonholes manually, but they are so time consuming and don't always look perfectly neat and tidy. So, I got out the buttonhole attachment for my machine, but, since I don't have the manual (always the little details that derail me) I had no idea how it worked. But, through the magic of the interwebnets I found a link to this and I was saved! Enlightened, learned, THRILLED!!!! Because it is so. much. easier. than I ever thought it could be! You just put your button on the buttonholer and it makes the buttonhole the correct length for that particular button! Who knew?!!! Now, I know all of you experienced sewers out there, or sewers who have the good sense to keep their machine manual and can read, probably think I am ridiculous, but I seriously feel like I have made a break through...hooray!

Happy 2nd Birthday Baby!

2010-01-28T09:48:00.001-08:00

red shiny shoes and all!

classwork

2010-01-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

Every week I marvel at the beautiful items that my sewing students are turning out....coats, dresses and aprons, zippered make up bags, baby shoes and several styles of handbags. Check out this handbag that Kara finished up last night. I developed this pattern for myself because I wanted a big enough bag ( but not toooo big) that had small pockets on the outside to hold my cell phone and could fit a couple of diapers and my wallet and stuff on the inside. I got so many requests for the pattern that I decided to offer it to my students. Kara did my pattern proud :) Gray wool with a midnight blue and plum and black geometric patterned lining....welted pocket on the front and back. Kara has a great eye for choosing fabric combinations...always elegant and lovely...just like her!

p.s. I have one opening for my next series of sewing classes that meet on Tuesday evenings, starting next Tuesday, Feb 2nd. Email me for more info :)

spring dreams

2010-01-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

i have been meaning to post more often but the days just keep getting away from me. I haven't accomplished much sewing...but I've been planning, for spring. I think this may be the last stretch in which Lily will let me dress her, she hasn't shown a strong opinion yet about her clothes. So I am going to take full advantage! This coat pattern from Oliver + S is definitely on my list. I'm saving up for some Amy Butler Love oilcloth (this stuff is pricey!) and will make a raincoat and probably a hat.

LOVE this little dress pattern ...I am thinking of making it in a, what else?!, Anna Maria Horner Little Folks Voile. There's a book that Lily loves called "Chrysanthamum" by Kevin Henckes and the clothes that he draws for Chrysanthamum are awesome. One of the illustrations is of Chrysanthamum in a pink and orange floral dress with a round yoke just like this...I think I have to make it...Easter dress!

Oliver + S Playdate Dress Pattern

So, while my goal was to be making patterns to have for sale here sometime soon, I'm thinking that particular idea will have to wait for a while. One hour a day of naptime freedom does not a business make. But, I will make a business...all in good time. For now I am enjoying my kids and teaching my classes and dreaming of the things I will sew!

more Lola love

2010-01-23T07:03:00.000-08:00

for Lily's birthday

inexpensive(and I mean SUPER cheap!) plain white tutu and ballet slippers from Target.... some leftover flannel that I fused together with iron on applique adhesive... tacked the butterfly hearts on and done!

hope you all have a relaxing weekend !
xo Jennifer

boot cut pants

2010-01-19T14:28:00.000-08:00

I have to say, I have been VERY good about using up the fabric from my stash. These pants represent the last of it...yay!!! now I can collect some more :) Maybe, probably, definitely some of the new Anna Maria Horner voile.

For the boot cut pants I used this pattern from the AWESOME Danslalune on Etsy. Check out her adorable pattern for sailor pants while you are there...I know what my next project is going to be!

Cute little pockets...the construction of these pants is so easy but looks sooo professional and jean-like. The jersey waistband is perfect for petite little waists and is so much more comfy than regular jeans...kind of like mini maternity pants ;)

little owl appliques

Lola love

2010-01-12T05:23:00.000-08:00

Lily loves Charlie and Lola....I love Lola's clothes... and the collage style of Lauren Child, the creator of the books...love.love.love.

So I am making Lily's birthday dress in the "Lola" style...little collar, faux placket front,welted pockets...just have to get the girl to stand still long enough so I can pin the hem....

and the winner is.....

2010-01-10T05:15:00.001-08:00

Faith!!!!

Faith, I will mail your wallet out this week :)

p.s. winner was chosen, at random, from a pot, by the giveaway bunny ;)

The Circle Wallet Giveaway!

2010-01-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

here goes...my first giveaway! It was supposed to coincide with the offering of the wallet pattern for sale. But, as I mentioned before, things are going slowly on that front. And thank you to Amanda, Laura and Nina for your kind and supportive words, you are absolutely right, there's no rush, everything in good time :)

I made quite a few of these wallets for Christmas gifts this year and my sewing students have all been really successful at making them. I have to add in here that I have the most fearless and awesome sewing students. Even the complete novices jumped right in to make these wallets and they surprised themselves (not me, I knew they could do it!) by how well they came out (honestly, it looks way more complicated than it is). The wallet has a zippered change purse on the back and two pockets for bills and two sections for credit cards and such.

So, if you'd like a chance to win this wallet, leave me a comment with your email and I will pick a winner at random on Sunday morning, January 10th at 9 AM Eastern Time. If you mention this on your blog or in a Tweet just let me know and I'll enter you twice!

Thanks and Good Luck!!!

Creative Space

2010-01-06T11:40:00.001-08:00

....working out this wallet pattern while the little one naps...you know the one?...the pattern that was supposed to be all done and made into a pdf and for sale...yeah, that one...and it's NOT all done, and NOT made into a pdf and DEFINITELY NOT for sale yet....could be a while folks...as I am making incremental progress each day...BUT, on the bright side, I will be posting a giveaway tomorrow...so tune in :)

Appliqued Pillowsham Tutorial

2010-01-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

Appliqued Pillowshams

These shams fit my regular bed pillows, you can, obviously, make them any size you like, just adjust your measurements accordingly.

1. Cut out (for each sham)

One 18" x 10" middle panel (I used white muslin)

Two 5" x 10" strips of contrasting fabric (this is the fabric you will frame your center

appliqued panel with)

Two 5" x 28" strips of contrasting fabric

Two 20" x 17" pieces of contrasting fabric for an envelope back to the sham

2. Apply iron on double sided applique adhesive paper to the fabric you will use for the appliques

3. Trace and cut out the appliques

4. Arrange appliques as you like, peel off paper backing and iron onto center panel

5. With zig zag stitch sew all around appliques. Make sure the length of your stitch is very short so your stitches are close together, this is called a satin stitch.

note* if you are layering appliques as I did, sew around the shape that is on the top first, and then on what is left of the outline of the underneath shape.

6. Sew, right sides together, the 5" x 10" onto either side of your middle panel.
Press seams toward the outside.

7. Sew the two 5" x 28" strips onto the top and bottom
Press seams toward th outside.

8. Onto the envelope back - Press a 1/2 inch double hem and sew down on one 20" side of

each back panel.
Lay these panels on top of your front panel, right sides together. The back panels will overlap

to form the back flap. Trim the back panels to make them the exact size of your front panel.

9. Pin well and sew all around the outside edge. Turn right sides out and you have a new pillowsham!

my favorite and my best

2010-01-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

....on a snowy Sunday morning

Folksy Flannel

2010-01-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

Love

p.s. Anna Maria Horner Folsy Flannel fabric

p.s.s. Tutorial for the appliqued pillowshams next week :)

Something new

2009-12-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

Well, the look of my blog, for one thing, and also a really sweet bath mat. I haven't even turned my sewing machine on for about 2 weeks or so...too busy and frankly, out of inspiration and oomph to make anything new. But, my son got me hooked up, due to his mad photoshop and illustrator skills, with an artsy new blog banner that I love soooo much and seeing it completed made me excited about this whole sewing and blogging and teaching thing! I also figured out a little more of the html code riddle and let me tell you, THAT was inspiring...I CAN learn something new! So, after that looong intro, the point of my story is this:

A new bathmat, made from some leftover Anna Maria Horner "Good Folks" fabric. I was inspired by Sew Liberated's Recycled Bathmat Tutorial, but I have to admit, I am far too lazy to do all that cutting and sewing of little squares. I am definitely NOT a quilter. The idea of the bathmat is awesome though and I altered it to be more in tune with my 1/2 hour window of sewing time lifestyle (an almost 2 year old will do that to you!). Here is a little photoshop montage of my very lazy process:

Clockwise:

I laid out and old towel on my work table and positioned the scraps of fabric that I had on top to determine layout...then I trimmed the fabric to be somewhat even. I can't give you exact measurements because I just kind of wung it but my center panel was about 20" and the side panels were around 10" each.

I sewed the side panels to the center panel, right sides together, ironed the seams toward the sides and then laid it on top of the towel and trimmed the towel to be the same size as the now sewn together fabric, approx. 39"x 26" .

I pinned the fabric to the towel, right sides together and sewed all around the edge leaving a 5" opening somewhere along the edge so that I could turn it right sides out. After turning, I ironed
it all down and then topstitched around the whole thing, about 1/4 inch away from the edge.

I sewed down along the seams through the fabric and the towel where I joined the two fabrics together, to keep the whole mat looking neat after it has been washed.

and that's it! Super easy and very satisfying since it didn't cost a dime!

I've got a bunch of other new things getting ready to hatch here at Little Birds Fly, a calendar of my upcoming sewing classes, some patterns and a giveaway, all very soon! So stay tuned!

My best wishes for a very happy, peaceful and prosperous 2010!!

xo Jennifer

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-23T07:38:00.001-08:00

This is my cat's best imitation of me right about now ;)

I'm signing off for the holidays. I'll be back in January with a new look for my blog and a very cool giveaway, so check back!
Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a bright and sparkly New Year!

snow and flannel and getting cozy

2009-12-21T04:52:00.000-08:00

we got snow! lots of it...it will definitely be a white Christmas this year which is rather lovely. One thing I love about the snow and snowstorms is that they force you to pare down, snuggle up at home, take a break (unless you are the one who has to do the shoveling which, thank you Mike and Lee, I am not...definitely not). This past weekend was all set to be very busy but events got cancelled or shifted around and in the end it turned out to be so relaxing and wonderful. So, for probably the first time since I was a child, I am going into Christmas week in a very Zen mood... somehow I have all the presents done...nothing left to sew that HAS to be done, only projects that are new for me, and exciting and are the reason I sew, because, have I told you all before? I LOVE to sew, and create. As my birthday gets closer and closer I feel myself mentally preparing myself for my new year...I have a feeling there will be some big changes afoot...finally I feel in my heart, as well as in my brain, that there is a way to make a living from this sewing thing...just not sure how to get there, but I feel sure that somehow, all will be well (thank you Father Paul )

I've been working with flannel...pretty kimono jammies...I actually cut these jammies out a couple of years ago thinking that I would make them up for some new babies but set them aside without sewing them...I found the pieces last week and decided to make them up for Lily, they were too short so I added cuffs and hems in pink on pink polka dots...I need to tweak the pattern a little, add some embelishment, but I think this may be one of my new patterns that I will have for sale in the new year...what do you think?

and this flannel , oh this flannel...my wonderful, thoughtful, adorable husband got this gorgeous Anna Maria Horner flannel for me as an early birthday present...and I am dreaming of a duvet cover made with the blue floral edged in white flannel and cotton lace...and pillow cases made in all different combos of the other two fabrics with lots of white flannel and lace thrown in...next week...when Christmas is done and we have the reality of winter to deal with, I will be sewing to ward of the cold.

xo

good morning

2009-12-19T05:39:00.001-08:00

Yummy sourdough toast made from the most delicious bread around...you can find it at A&J King Bakery ...another wonderful reason we live in Salem.... poached eggs....coffee and tea...sparkly Christmas lights and the promise of snow on the way...it feels like the start of a very good day!

Restoration

2009-12-17T11:46:00.000-08:00

....of calm...I lost it a bit last week...lost my balance, got that knot of anxiety in my chest...that wild, frantic feeling in my head....but, I stopped what I was doing, yelled a bit, had a good cry and slowly got myself back to rights. That's one of the very good things about being "almost" 42....this has happened before, I know how this scene goes down in many different situations and I also know how to stop it before it gets too ugly. So, since I didn't want to have a full on Christmas meltdown in the inimitable style of my Mom, I decided to simplify...seriously the best course of action I have found in most situations. I've cleared the calendar for this week and spent time, when not teaching classes, with my kids...doing nothing, looking at the lights on the tree, taking a nap, getting the little one's picture taken with Santa....truly the best gift I can give myself....AND my family because, like it or not, how does that saying go? "when Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"

squirrel garland...and a lovely ornament from Amanda makes

our little Tomten

bad mother

2009-12-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

a la Belgian Waffle I am making a confession today...I hate school concerts, holiday, spring fling or otherwise...and I am making a vow right now, after a total of 17 +years of parenting, that I will not attend another. There, never again...no more sitting in a stifling auditorium, or worse, a "cafetorium" (who the f*%$& came up with THAT term? sounds like a school morgue) for HOURS at a time waiting for a huge screaming bunch of kids to get their act together and sit down and shut up and play their instruments in that hesitant and embarrassed way so parents can hear...I mean really, you can't hear your own kid anyway...and if they practice at home then you most certainly and painfully know very well what they sound like. Clearly, I am suffering from holiday overload, obligation overload, expectation overload...but I just don't want to do it any more. I want to say no. So, you might say, won't your children suffer from damaged self esteem if you don't show up to every little concert performance? Well, I say, too bad...maybe a little self esteem damage would be good for them, give them further fodder for the psychiatrist when they get older, give them something concrete to point to when they are searching for a reason for their angst....their evil mother didn't go to school concerts... Thought of in those terms, I am doing my children a favor, making things easier for them when the time comes for them to sort out their psyches ;) hmmmm, I'm liking this "embracing my inner bad mother" thing...very freeing...what else can I declare that I "don't do"? Drive? that would be AWESOME...no more picking my teens up from school, band, play practice, TOP etc. with a screaming toddler in the car demanding lollipops in her particularly dictatoresque way...my mother didn't drive and no one ever questioned it, a ride from my mom was just out of the question...we took the bus. What else? Deal with anything in the afternoon? oh my, oh my...how lovely would it be to say that I am off limits from say 4-6 pm? Mom's in bed, bottom line, end of story. Ah to dream....

well, now I am ignoring my youngest while she watches tv and I am going to look at shoes online...so there! hmmmph! I am one baaad mother ;)

Hello

2009-11-28T16:45:00.000-08:00

Just checking in...am loving all of the blog posts that I'm reading but the words escape me to comment...so I just wanted to say hello! and I'll be back soon with some cool, glittery, owly Christmas decoration projects.Happy weekend!

Thankful

2009-11-25T09:31:00.000-08:00

*for my better half...he makes me want to be like him

*for my three, pinch me, did I really grow three?, THREE babes

*for my friends ... I must have done something right in a past life because I am blessed with the most amazing people who choose to be in my life this time round

*for my parents, ex in laws, in laws and family...I love my family so much.

*for life and God and the energy that makes it so

Happy Thanksgiving

Oh Mamma!!!

2009-11-21T08:29:00.000-08:00

Mia and I spent the most lovely mother daughter evening last night...we went to my dear friend Licia's house for a demonstration of Thanksgiving side dishes prepared in her authentic Italian style. Licia is starting a new business giving cooking classes in her beautiful, warm and inviting kitchen. Wow, what a great teacher Licia is. I pride myself on being a pretty good cook...I am familiar with sauteeing, braising, making a bechamel sauce...things like that...so i thought I would just have fun and a glass of wine and hang out with my daughter...but I learned A LOT. Licia takes cooking to a whole new level and I really think mine will improve from seeing her at work. Check out Licia's website and do yourself a favor and sign up for a class...a class would be a very lovely and different Christmas gift for someone you love (what a nice date night it would make too!) you will be very happy that you did!

http://www.mammalicia.com/

.

2009-11-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

my day today....some Christmas present making and lots of playing with the little girl with the red sneakers....I just love these little feet! Hope you had a happy day :)

Change of plans

2009-11-16T06:28:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that I changed the look of my blog...it's actually just a temporary picture...when I get some time and my son can squeeze some Photoshop lessons into his busy schedule I hope to make it better...but it will do for now :) There have been lots of changes and new starts around here lately. My kick ass husband just took his GREs so he can start graduate school, my son is getting all his ducks in a row for college applications and my Minkie has turned from a child to a young woman right before my eyes...it's like waking up to a new person, and she rocks! Now, I am making the decision to stop sewing clothes for sale and concentrate on my sewing instruction and creating patterns.

When I started this blog it was to be one marketing part of my new business making children's clothing. At the same time I decided to start giving sewing classes as a kind of side thing, still believing that the actual sewing of garments was what i would do. As time went on and my classes were all filling up and I had to actually add classes to meet the demand it began to dawn on me that this sewing class thing was pretty good...great, in fact. Sewing to sell is difficult. Price, your time, the monotony of sewing the same or similar items over and over again...these are all considerations that don't always work out in your favor. Selling information though...that's brilliant! And, I LOVE teaching. I derive such satisfaction from seeing my students complete a project...actually making something beautiful and useful...and surprising themselves with their ability in the process. I feel as if I am doing something very useful as well...so many woman want to learn to sew! It is something of a lost art that many women crave...There really is nothing like the satisfaction of making something yourself...not having to go out and buy an item, making it to your exact wants and needs...it appeals to a sense of power,an "I can do it myself!" kind of feeling and self sufficiency and the lovely notion of making things with your own two hands for the people you love.

Somewhere down the line I will also create some patterns to sell, in PDF form, on my Etsy shop. The wallet at the beginning of this post will probably be the first pattern I get out there...look for it around January or so :)

I'm not exactly sure why I am doing this blog now...except that I like it..I love how I've met so many wonderful people all over the world through blogland....the ideas that they share and the beautiful glimpses into their lives make me happy, every day, and I still want to be part of that....and share a bit myself. So, thank you to all of my blog friends and I guess I'll just carry on :)

Happy Halloween my pretties!!!

2009-10-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

trick or treating with the kids...dance party at the Common and then drinks and snacks and more candy with our friends at home...what a perfect Halloween!!!

Kitty

2009-10-26T07:01:00.001-07:00

This is what I have made for Lily for Christmas, so far...Pointy Kitty from WeeWonderfuls (I got the idea from the wonderful blog Annas Dagar) and a felted ball...I have A LOT more work to do...I'd love to make her one of these little Gnome Houses and some little dolls and a stuffed elephant, little hedgehogs, stuff like that.I always have such high hopes for what I can accomplish for Christmas, but this year, since I do have more time at home and Lily can entertain herself a little bit, I would be very happy if I could make most of the presents. Being able to stay home and be the one to care for Lily is such a gift for me and I am always trying to find ways to save money and make money...it occured to me this weekend that by making gifts I am making money by not spending money. So frugal, I know, but hey, this is my way to "live the dream" as my friend Melissa says :) Whatever works!

slow day

2009-10-24T07:24:00.001-07:00

Felted acorn garland...thank you bluebirdbaby for the inspiration

Lilykins was a sick little girl yesterday...just a fever and a cold. Isn't it kind of nice when they are sick but not too sick? Lily gets so snuggly and quiet, it's the only time she's not in constant motion. So we stayed home all day in our jammies and watched a lot of tv. I finished up a few things...got a lovely package in the mail and ended the day with a kick ass dinner that Mike and I got to enjoy all by our lonesomes...a nice day overall!

Morning

Too little of this....I'm trying to
get some Christmas gifts made ... A lot of this :(
but today was not the day

Noon

Shoes!!!!! Finally came in the mail :) Aren't these little red boots adorable??? Sarah Jane Down the Lane, I think you will have to add them to the list of red love :)

Night

Scallops, broccoli, Jasmine rice with a white wine and cream sauce...seriously good...with a glass of Vinho Verde...aaaaahhhh it's the weekend.