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Simplicity sent me this today. It comes out in the catalog December 17th. I hope they sell a million of them. I don't know why it looks so small here, but here is a link to Adobe where you can see it larger.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
A Chilling Tale
Caution: if you have a weak stomach or a delicate mind, please don't read the following story. When I read this at writers group, I felt like I had just sucked all of the air out of the room.
Coming in from the garage, the house was eerily quiet. And dark. Must be the change of season. I am just not used to the early sunset. I flick on a light to guide me toward the kitchen. My eyes climb the stairs while I stand in the doorway. A habit I never would have noticed had it not been for the glistening deep red bloody stump of a severed head waiting at the top of the stairs. Looking back on it now, it's as though my brain sat pickling in a jar on the kitchen counter: the only witness to my body as it moved quickly to pack the grotesque head in paper and dispose of it in the garbage can. It was instinct that powered my limbs, not reason. My body acted in reflex. "Protect them," the auto-pilot of all mothers. From its sickening perch, my brain spoke to me: "It will be picked up tomorrow. No one will know. No one has seen."
As in a dream, my brain watched as I washed my hands and began preparing dinner. The knife rocked over vegetables on the cutting board. I blinked hard to erase the vision of cutting off my own fingers. Butter, garlic, carrots, onion and celery seemed a mile away in the bottom of the stock pot. The boys will be home soon. Some hot soup will do us all good. I tried to act normal.
To be continued...
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Coming in from the garage, the house was eerily quiet. And dark. Must be the change of season. I am just not used to the early sunset. I flick on a light to guide me toward the kitchen. My eyes climb the stairs while I stand in the doorway. A habit I never would have noticed had it not been for the glistening deep red bloody stump of a severed head waiting at the top of the stairs. Looking back on it now, it's as though my brain sat pickling in a jar on the kitchen counter: the only witness to my body as it moved quickly to pack the grotesque head in paper and dispose of it in the garbage can. It was instinct that powered my limbs, not reason. My body acted in reflex. "Protect them," the auto-pilot of all mothers. From its sickening perch, my brain spoke to me: "It will be picked up tomorrow. No one will know. No one has seen."
As in a dream, my brain watched as I washed my hands and began preparing dinner. The knife rocked over vegetables on the cutting board. I blinked hard to erase the vision of cutting off my own fingers. Butter, garlic, carrots, onion and celery seemed a mile away in the bottom of the stock pot. The boys will be home soon. Some hot soup will do us all good. I tried to act normal.
To be continued...
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Friday, October 8, 2010
Christmas Stocking Preview
The burlap bags I made are some of the most popular photos in my Flickr photos, which made me think "What would I make with that same technique that I would use?" Here it is. The stockings are fully lined and have a really nice body to them. There is a ton of great Christmas fabric out there right now. The fabrics shown are all from Sew Easy Too which is a local fabric shop. Online, I found a shop in CT with a lot of choices, I just bought this nutcracker print from them to make Caleb's stocking. I am jamming to get this pattern out ASAP to give people plenty of time to make them. Our mantle is getting a makeover this year. I will have a few finished stockings to sell in my Etsy shop too.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
New Pattern Released Today
After waiting about 18 months or so - enough time to have 2 babies - not that I had any babies - the sewing pattern to make the zippered version of my compact travel changing pad bag is out! I think it was worth the wait because there is so much better about it as a product now than a year or two ago. There is a long adjustable strap option, so it can go from fanny pack to cross body and everything in between. The way the corners come together is innovative and I am pretty excited to show it off. I have included printable packaging too, so when you give this as a gift (or sell them - cottage licensing agreement also included,) you can include folding instructions and a little blurb that tells all about how to use it. I am just as excited about this pattern as I was when I originally invented the product in December of 2006. Obviously, I am too tied up to make a bunch of these for boutiques, but I think somebody should. I do have a small selection of baby shower gifts here for those of you who do not sew.
Next up is beautiful burlap Christmas stockings. Yes, I did say beautiful and burlap in the same sentence. I am working on them now. I have no natural light today, otherwise I would give you a preview. I was shooting for today on those, but it looks like Monday. Pray for some sunshine for me.
Inspired by Hoodwinked
For those of you who have not seen the movie, I will tell you Hoodwinked is the Red Riding Hood Story told from everyone's perspective - plus some twists. As I watched it with my daughter recently, I suggested Red's costume for Gabrielle this year. She enthusiastically agreed. An hour later, including the trip to the fabric store for a yard of red broadcloth, she was skipping around in this cape. My free tutorial showing how I made it will be posted today at the SewMamaSew Blog. If you sew, you will love that blog.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Half inch of Cuteness
This is a detail photo of a changing pad bag I sent off the other day. Releasing the pattern for how to make the zippered version of the compact travel change pad bag (maybe I need a more compact name for it?) this week. While I am at it, I am including instructions for how to make the long adjustable strap version too. This really is the coolest baby shower gift ever invented. I hope a lot of new moms are blessed with one this year. - But I don't want to make them all. Ha, Ha. That is why the pattern is releasing. As much as I love making these, I have to move on with my travel stuff. I leave November 4th for Israel, and I can't be caught carrying something I did not make myself.
Monday, October 4, 2010
1967 Buick Gran Sport Coupe
I was inspired by some of the gals at writers group who have written stories of their childhood or adolescence. Here is my contribution. A chapter from my own coming of age story:
Rob had curly hair and a prominent nose. He had a big smile too. I also remember his hands how huge and strong they felt when they threw me off the dock at the lake. You know that statue of David? He looked just like that only shorter...and tan. He had a great tan. For some adolescent reason, it was my pleasure to insult Rob. He must have been a glutton for punishment, because he asked me out on a date one Summer evening. Frankly, I was shocked. Out of that dangerous combination of confusion and boredom that comes with being 17, I said "yes."
Rob drove a 1967 Buick Gran Sport Coupe. It was a large, powerful car. Everyone called it the green machine. Inside the green machine, I felt very small. I slid into a kind of private panic. I knew I was in over my head. My banter was weak. The engine rumbled almost drowning the sound of the gravel as we prowled slowly though the drive-in in search of the perfect parking spot. I thought we were pretty far away from the screen, but I didn't say anything. I sat with the seat belt secured across my lap while he went for popcorn and soda. The movie had no discernible dialogue which made me wonder about Rob's IQ. It turns out he had not chosen the drive-in theater for what was playing, but rather for what he wanted to play. He put his arm around me and moved closer. I unbuckled so I could scootch to my right, pretending to be engrossed by Quest for Fire. He did it again. I did it again. Again. Again. Eventually, I was up against the door, his big nose was hard against mine. His teeth, which were so beautiful when he smiled, seemed hungry now just behind his lips. In a panic and unable to speak, I opened the door and fell
out of the car. He got out on his side, and ran over to help me up off of the gravel, asking if I was okay. His brown eyes were kind as they looked into mine. Then he took me home.
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Rob had curly hair and a prominent nose. He had a big smile too. I also remember his hands how huge and strong they felt when they threw me off the dock at the lake. You know that statue of David? He looked just like that only shorter...and tan. He had a great tan. For some adolescent reason, it was my pleasure to insult Rob. He must have been a glutton for punishment, because he asked me out on a date one Summer evening. Frankly, I was shocked. Out of that dangerous combination of confusion and boredom that comes with being 17, I said "yes."
Rob drove a 1967 Buick Gran Sport Coupe. It was a large, powerful car. Everyone called it the green machine. Inside the green machine, I felt very small. I slid into a kind of private panic. I knew I was in over my head. My banter was weak. The engine rumbled almost drowning the sound of the gravel as we prowled slowly though the drive-in in search of the perfect parking spot. I thought we were pretty far away from the screen, but I didn't say anything. I sat with the seat belt secured across my lap while he went for popcorn and soda. The movie had no discernible dialogue which made me wonder about Rob's IQ. It turns out he had not chosen the drive-in theater for what was playing, but rather for what he wanted to play. He put his arm around me and moved closer. I unbuckled so I could scootch to my right, pretending to be engrossed by Quest for Fire. He did it again. I did it again. Again. Again. Eventually, I was up against the door, his big nose was hard against mine. His teeth, which were so beautiful when he smiled, seemed hungry now just behind his lips. In a panic and unable to speak, I opened the door and fell
out of the car. He got out on his side, and ran over to help me up off of the gravel, asking if I was okay. His brown eyes were kind as they looked into mine. Then he took me home.
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