etc.

I’ve been having sewing dreams again. Sewing dreams so good and thorough that I woke up a couple of mornings ago with a fully-formed, well-thought-out (well-dreamt-out?) pattern for a card holder. You might remember that I made a bunch of these a while ago, but what you didn’t know was that the method I used was so ridiculously convoluted (including all manner of folding and ironing…enough said) that I could not bring myself to sit down and make any more (and I’ve promised them to three people!). Sewing dream to the rescue!

I’m ashamed to admit it but it took a dream (!) for me to figure out the very simple, very common sense method for sewing two rectangular pieces of fabric together, described here. Gah! So, anyway, these card holders are up for grabs in the shop, and I’ll keep sewing them until I have another inspirational sewing dream (which I’m really hoping will be about curtains or slip covers or something else I need to learn how to make!).

Happy Cinco de Mayo.

My shop domain, homebaked.ca, was suspended five days ago, despite me renewing the domain about a month before it was due to expire. A perfectly inauspicious way to celebrate a first anniversary! So, anyway, I’ve changed the link up top so that it actually gets to the store (it’s always been redirect anyway) while the registrar works it out. Magic!

Later: they worked it out.

I’m procrastinating. I should have spent the morning writing an introduction to wikis, but instead I spent the morning fussing over Estrilda’s dress (that’s her, over on the left), picking out fabric, buttons and embroidery floss, being unable to decide whether to go earthy or bright & playful with her outfit. When the linen fabric won out for her dress, I knew it would be earthy, but then I added some spider-web flowers at the last minute in an attempt to bring in a little playfulness. And her name is a good, solid 13th Century name so she’s quite a conflicted little cat.

Meet Glory. I decided to try my hand at cat clothing and I’m fairly pleased with the way her dress turned out. And in a move towards anatomical correctness (har!), she has arms too. Arms open the doors to all sorts of wardrobe possibilities so I’m looking forward to exploring those. Although, for the next few, I will probably just try and perfect the shapeless smock and have some fun with buttons and trim.

I had originally intended to send Glory off to live with a friend’s little girl, but on second thought realized that she isn’t old enough for her yet, so Glory is now looking for a home.

Part of the impetus to get back to my sewing machine is Plush You II , a plush exhibit at Schmancy Toys in Seattle, in which I am participating. I have to admit, I signed up for somewhat selfish reasons — to prod myself into action, force the creative juices to flow, push the envelope and try new things, and to work at getting better at making stuffed things that I like and of which I am proud. I’m far from there yet, but I think I’m starting down the right road.

I love love love spring, oh I do! When we dug up and replanted our front yard last summer, we pulled out all our bulbs, the tulips, the daffodils, the hyacinth, and I had good intentions to replant them last fall, but of course didn’t get around to it. I’m lamenting that now, because this time last year our kitchen and living room had pink hyacinths generously placed about them and the main floor of our house was glorious and fragrant for days. I miss that. Which just means that I’ll have to buy some hyacinths this year, that’s all.

Also about this time last year, I was just starting to dip my toes into the world of sewing, I was drawing more, I was making creative plans, and I was working on my shop. Remember my shop? I can’t say for sure whether it’s the fair weather or because it’s almost a full year later (a year!), but my thoughts have returned to my poor, neglected shop lately and I’m actually starting to pay some attention to it again. I upgraded the content management system, I spruced up a bit and redesigned, I stripped away all the unnecessary frilly bits, and I’ve pared it down so that it doesn’t need a lot of attention when I don’t have time to give it any. I’ve also been dreaming about getting back to my sewing machine and this evening, for the first time since last August, I cut out and pieced together a softie. How lovely to get back into the studio and paw through fabrics and buttons and ribbons and felt again! I never realized how much I missed it.

She’s not done yet, but alas, I had to lay her aside and return to my computer to finish working on some content for a course I’m teaching that just started this past Monday. Which brings me nicely (if somewhat awkwardly) to the other point I wanted to make. Having complained before about my inability to balance multiple activities at once, I thought I’d tell you that over the past couple of weeks, I think I’ve pulled it off. Balance, that is. By some unknown force of will, I’ve managed to get work done, prepare and deliver three conference presentations, read for pleasure, work on the course, knit, teach course, start sewing again, and exercise. Not necessarily in that order. I’m not at all sure how I managed to make it work, and I’m not entirely convinced I’ll ever manage it again, but I’m putting it down to Sheer Necessity and will happily ride it out while it lasts.

And finally, a note to self and a reminder to you too: don’t forget to spring forward this weekend!

While many of you have already heard about this, this is for those who haven’t: Craft Revolution has joined forces with Etsy to bring you a delightful craft shop with all proceeds going to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.

Word is that they aren’t shipping anywhere outside the US, but if you see something you really want, contact the folks at Craft Revolution & they will ask the designer if they’d be willing to ship to you.

No better excuse to shop indie.

How fast? This fast. I ripped through 10 of these little fellers between Big Brother 6 and bedtime last night! Oh, come on, I know you’re watching it too (save Kaysar!). Oh, and, in the 6 seconds I spent on the CBS website looking for that link, I learned that The Amazing Race 8 premieres on September 27th. Hip, hip!

So, anyway, we now have card holders in the shop. Hip, hip, & huzzah!

My 17 days off have whizzed by and I’ve managed to score precisely one item off my to-do list. Still, I refuse to beat myself up about it because I now have a studio! Here, go look at the pictures. I decided to go with a very pared-down version of genre book-organization, so, for example, all fiction is shelved together, but in no particular order. I wrestled with this for a bit but decided to go with broad categories so that new books added to the collection can be integrated with ease (my book-buying has dropped off dramatically in the past two years, but I’d be irresponsible to not allow room for collection development, wouldn’t I?).

The studio set-up took a lot longer than I expected. On account of the big ugly furniture and clutter we had to schlep out of there, what I assumed would take a couple of days ended up consuming my entire vacation! Which means, I now have all of two days to spend in there before heading back to work, and spend it I will! The first creation born in the new digs is up in the shop.

I’ve been having a ball with a pile of fabric I recently scored off eBay. None of it was bought with much purpose in mind (although I have had a hankering to make more bags since the last moderate success), and I didn’t think any of it would coordinate with anything I had at home, but as I unwrapped and unravelled the bundle, a few natural couplings came together and I simply couldn’t resist sewing up a few bags. Six are up in the shop.

It’s been warm. Hot, in fact. I was up early this morning, feeding the garden a bit of water, and skipping delightedly around the lavender bushes, which have grown substantially since we put them in and are now emitting a very distinct lavender fragrance. I can’t wait for them to flower so I can snip a few buds and bring them into the house. The mister is worried.

And so, they multiply:

This is Astrid and she is my very-last-minute-squeak-in-before-the-deadline contribution to the May Month of Softies. When Claire announced that this month’s theme would be “May Flowers” I immediately thought of the little spider web embroidered flowers I have been eager to try my hand at ever since I first saw them beautifully executed by Heidi. They’re fun to do (decent instructions here) although a bit of a struggle on felt. Still, I like the end product so much that I would gladly wrestle the felt anytime.

Anyway, Astrid is up for adoption, and I’m up for bed. The mister & I just spent the last two hours postering the neighbourhood for our First Annual Street Sale (which happens this weekend. Toronto readers, feel free to e-mail me for location details. 20 households — you might want to stop by) and I’m just spent after all that fresh air & physical activity. I’m so out of shape, it’s miserable.