wildflowers::pretty

many thoughts.

2012-01-27T21:33:00.004-06:00

The dresses I am working on right now are taking longer than I thought. Or at least, I started to realize how silly it was to think I could open up shop before finishing these dresses! Making historical clothing is so much different than modern apparel. There are so many little details. You can't just cut it out and sew everything up with a machine. Lots of hand sewing involved. And I am drafting the patterns from scratch, so it is time consuming. It's been awhile since I've made a historical garment. Probably not since last year! So I'm doing a lot of research at the same time, which I actually do for pretty much every historical dress project I start. That is the reason why these two dresses will be my last historical dresses for a long time. I have not made any public statement or closed down my website (I will probably keep it open for those who use it for reference) yet, but have decided it's time. Time to move on to other things. I already have fabric for my spring/summer clothing and am itching to start work on those. But alas, I have other work to do first. I also have more Henriette dresses in a new blue/cream plaid made out of a lovely silk/linen fabric. And I made the Eugénie dress in a hunter green silk velvet I picked up the other week. It's really a stunning color. Jed helped pick this one out, so if you like it you can thank him for the color selection! :) I am sorry I can't reopen the shop just yet, but hopefully these dresses won't take too much longer!

I also have a lot on my mind regarding some of the things I wrote recently in another post I made about making youtube videos etc. I have been agonizing over whether or not to make videos, even going so far as to make a few sample videos (I know, really lame!) but am not happy with any of them. And have decided, for the time being, that making videos and doing the YouTube "scene" really is not my thing. I've found that as much fun as it sounds to do little videos, most of the time it just makes me feel like I need more "stuff," that I don't have enough "things." That feeling of "needing" more in my life than what I already have is not healthy for me. I do like to watch YT videos, but sometimes it is hard for me not to want to buy whatever product someone is talking about. Thinking it is the instant cure-all for whatever I'm dealing with at that moment. And while I'm not trying to put anyone down for making these videos (I really do enjoy watching many of them!) I just don't think it is right for me. I want to be real and myself, and I have a feeling that if I made videos I would be too worried and would just copy someone else! Perhaps there may be an occasion to make a video for a tutorial or a hairstyle, but you know I kind of prefer photography over video anyway.

So that's that! Hopefully I haven't offended anyone. I am trying to be honest and true to myself. Anyway, blah blah... back to sewing for a little while. Perhaps a cup of tea and then to bed I'll go. I am sorry I wrote a book this time! Thanks to those who were able to sift through my writing. Have a really lovely and beautiful weekend! xoxo

a new week.

2012-01-22T23:16:00.003-06:00

Well, the weekend is over and I'm about ready to shut off the lights and go to bed. I've got a new schedule that I'm going to try to stick to tomorrow. A fresh day, a fresh week. I have two new dresses that I tried to photograph today for the shop. I'm also working on a couple historical garments that are rather intense projects. But I am itching to open up shop again! So I'm going to try to be very good this week and get everything done so I can list them for sale. Hope you all like the new fabrics I chose. More on that later... Goodnight! xo

.

2012-01-16T13:16:00.002-06:00

Just some photographs from my world.

winter?

2012-01-08T22:03:00.003-06:00

Winter, where are you?? I cannot believe the weather we are having! It almost feels like spring! But we are definitely taking advantage of this fine weather. The other day we went for a little walk to the lake and then Jed snapped some pictures of my outfit. Not that you can really see my whole outfit, but under that coat there's just a boring t, so nothing special! Also I've started parting my hair way over on the side, which is new for me. It's an easy way to get a new style without actually getting a haircut! And those boots were a Christmas present from Jed! They are awesome and so is Jed!! : )

I'm almost certain the moment I am used to this wonderful weather, we'll get a huge snowstorm or something. The forecast does say snow, but I don't know how much. Secretly I'd like a good snowstorm! Snow, a good book, a large supply of coffee, soup and I'm set! Oh, homemade donuts wouldn't hurt either...!

Stay warm everyone!! xo

p.s. i picked up some fabric today that i love! it's silk velvet and it's green! more soon...

new year!

2012-01-04T22:58:00.003-06:00

I think I'm becoming an expert on vacationing. Seriously, it is so hard to get back to a routine after having no routine for two weeks! Today Jed and I finally went to the real grocery store (usually when we come home from being away, we live off of the corner health food store and Walgreens). But I'm slowly getting back into the old routine.

I've been thinking a lot about blogging and my online presence, or whatever you call it! I really want to liven things up a bit around here. I'm also thinking of maybe starting a YouTube channel. I'm not totally sure about that yet. I'm a little nervous about being in front of a camera. I had a mild freak-out over the last few days while thinking this over. Looking at all these other YouTubers and style bloggers and starting to realize how little I have thought of my own wardrobe in the last few years. I feel like I've spent a lot of time creating clothing for that imaginary me, the person who lives in the clothing I create for Anna Allen Clothing, that I have forgotten about my own personal style. I have always wanted to be like the cool girl who wears effortless, lovely frocks and ensembles. And who knows exactly how to wear makeup so she looks fresh and flawless. But I haven't been able to figure out how to be effortless. To be truthful, most days I will just find a top, a pair of pants, some warm socks, warm sweater and call it good. Doesn't matter if it goes well together and forget about accessories, unless you count my wedding rings! Other days I wear grey leggings with a grey v-neck t-shirt that I wear as my pajamas and a grey wool sweater plus wool socks and call it good. Forget about makeup! I know it's not horrible, but I wouldn't want to be seen in this getup. But I love style and fashion and I just love dressing up. So why don't I dress up every day? I don't know! I think it's pure laziness. But I'd like to change that. I'm really thinking a lot about what sorts of things I like and I am going to work on slowly building up a wardrobe that I love. I'm not sure where to begin. I'd like to dress maybe half like I have a job outside my home and half more casual. But I'd definitely like to dress a little more like I would if I were going out every day. Hey, maybe I will start to wear skirts and dresses again, though it's a little hard to think of that right now during the winter.

As you can see, I have a lot going on in my brain. As for the YouTube channel, I think it would just be fun to make videos. I don't know exactly the focus I would have. Maybe a little bit of everything?? I might do some reviews or talk about products that work for me. Lately I have been on a hunt for the perfect foundation, and so far most foundations are too dark for me (even the lightest shades!) or they break me out or my skin is too dry during the winter. Hair videos might be fun as well, like the braid tutorial I did awhile back. Any thoughts? If I started a YouTube channel, what videos would you most be interested in seeing?

On shop news, I am hoping to open the shop up again soon, but I will also be working on a few big historical dress projects coming up as well. So I am toying with the idea of making some Henriette dresses ready-made in various sizes in a different fabric than pictured (sadly, I am out of the green cotton plaid and I can't find more of it). Making garments ahead of time instead of made-to-order might help me manage my time a little better while I am working on other projects.

So I guess all of that is a lot to swallow, but it's a new year! And I am excited to dive right in and start making goals and working on keeping those goals! I started a few goals several months ago which I've been pretty good at keeping and I feel better than ever! Doing yoga (Esther is the best!) every day has helped me a TON and taking pro-biotics and multi-vitamins are making me feel pretty darn awesome! Especially those pro-biotics, man are those good. And I'm also trying to drink 8 glasses of water a day because every time I am faithful with keeping hydrated, I look and feel a whole lot better. Seriously, it's no joke. Try it sometime! You may be taking a billion trips to the bathroom to pee, but it is worth it in my book! And I think if you start to keep hydrated on a regular bases, those trips to the bathroom will lessen. At least I hope they will! Anyway, on that note (ehem) I will end! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday! I have lots more Christmas photos to share, but will show you those in another post, hopefully before winter is over! xo

christmas decorating.

2011-12-14T23:19:00.006-06:00

I thought I would share some photos of our Christmas decorations. This year I finally put together an Advent calendar! I'm so proud of myself for actually doing one this year. Every year I wanted to make one, even just a little one with numbers on a string or something. Then I would get busy, as I do every year, and I never got it done in time. Well, this time I decided to just buy some little gifts and write some fun notes to my sweetheart. So every day Jed has a little gift to open or a note to read that I wrote to him. Sometimes there are little things and then there are a few larger items. Most of the notes have little ideas that we can do together during the holidays. Simple things like snuggling together while sipping hot cider or going sledding or ice skating. I had so much fun putting it together and I feel like a little kid watching Jed open a gift every day! I know, I'm such a sap! I hope this becomes a tradition, even if I'm only able to only write notes for each day. It's a fun way to make the holidays last a little longer than just one day.

We also picked up a real tree this year! I've never had a real tree, since my parents always got fake trees. We lived with a Charlie Brown looking tree for most of my growing up years. Mom picked it up at a garage sale years and years ago. I think she got it for $5 and we had it all my growing up years. Then one year we all decided it was time to upgrade and we all picked this huge tree out. It was one of those times when we didn't really think about where we would put the tree. But somehow we've managed to cram that big tree in the living room every year. But for Jed and I, we decided we wanted a real tree, so we went to Whole Foods here in town to see what they have. Since we really didn't have time to go out to get a tree somewhere at a tree farm, this was the next best option. They had some really lovely larger trees and some cute smaller trees. We decided this year it might be best to get a smaller one, since we're going back to Iowa to celebrate Christmas with our families. But I love this little one so much! I'll probably try to keep it up for a long time after Christmas!

For the decorations, since we didn't have any ornaments and I haven't had any time to make a lot of things, I simply sliced up a couple of oranges and dried them in the oven. Then I popped a whole bunch of popcorn (you have to make extra so you can eat half of it)! We also got some really wonderfully smelling pine cones at Whole Foods (that place is soooo tempting during the holidays)! I think we did pretty well for not having too much. Now all I need to do is wrap some more gift to put under the tree! Most of the gifts this year we had mailed to our parents' houses so that we don't have to lug a bunch of gifts home on the bus! But I am hand making just a couple this year. I think next year we are going to try to plan ahead and make more gifts. I feel so much better when we don't spend so much money and focus on making things instead. I have a bunch of ideas already. Perhaps I better start making next year's gifts now??

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far! We only have had a light dusting of snow so far, but I am still hoping we'll have a white Christmas!

Here's my Christmas playlist if you need help getting in the mood! xo

::

2011-12-14T22:28:00.005-06:00

I feel like it's been a bit of a whirlwind lately and finally everything seems to have slowed down a bit. Not that I don't have a million things to do, but I somehow just feel like taking it easy these days. Jed and I finally got our little Whole Foods tree decorated a few nights ago. It was such a good night. We've been snuggling on the couch almost every night watching sappy Christmas movies. Tonight we watched Home Alone, which I've never seen before. One of Jed's faves and now it's one of mine too! The sappiest movie we've seen yet has to be 12 Men of Christmas with Kristen Chenoweth. I'm a bit of a fan of hers from when she was in Pushing Daisies (love)! I'm not sure I could recommend the 12 Men of Christmas movie to anyone, though, but I gotta say Jed and I DID kind of like it... :) Actually yeah, if you are OK with some bad acting and a not so-great plot, a bunch of guys that look like JC Penny models (or maybe more like Patagonia models?) and you like Kristen Chenoweth, go watch it! Sometimes I like sappy girly movies with bad plots. But I've also been watching some of the good old classics. Here's a list of my favorite Christmas movies!

Holiday (1938)*
Love Affair (1939)*
Bachelor Mother (1939)*
Remember the Night (1940)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Meet John Doe (1941)*
Holiday Inn (1942)
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
I’ll Be Seeing You (1944)
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)*
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
It Happened on 5th Ave (1947)
Holiday Affair (1949)
White Christmas (1954)
Desk Set (1957)*
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Little Women (1994)

Enjoy!

*Not strictly Christmas movies, but they are centered around the holidays.

time for a second cup o' coffee.

2011-12-06T14:53:00.002-06:00

Working hard on orders! Just wanted to pop in and say hello! I'll be back when I have a little time to write. I still need to decorate our little tree, but I did get an advent calendar up this year! More on that later as well. Hope everyone is enjoying this festive time of year! XO

p.s. i started a little facebook page, if you'd like to check it out and "like" me! :)

holiday shop open!

2011-11-29T17:32:00.005-06:00

I just listed the items in the shop! Thank you so much for all the comments on my holiday collection! I'm just so grateful to my brother John who was able to take pictures last minute for me! Hopefully every year I will be able to have a little holiday shop. They are so much fun to put together! Thanks again for all of your support! It really means a lot to me!! xo

: : H O L I D A Y S H O P : :

holiday 2011: lookbook

2011-11-28T17:48:00.004-06:00

I worked all day trying to update my website and various things on the web. It took me forever to upload the lookbook! Something that should have been incredibly simple turned into hours longer than I planned. Oh, well. I got it uploaded anyway! Next I'm going to be working on my shop and will open it soon, so be on the lookout! I might surprise you with an earlier shop update. I hope you enjoy the photos of my holiday collection. John did a simply fabulous job. He has a way of capturing exactly the feeling I am going for. I was a bit worried that we wouldn't find any color among the grey, but you know there is a lot of color in nature during this time of year, you just have to look for it!

This year I wanted to do something really special and festive and one day I got the notion that I would like to make something in silk velvet. I've heard it is a rather troublesome fabric to work with, but I was determined! It's absolutely gorgeous. The color in this velvet is so intense, I knew it would make even the simplest of designs sparkle. I picked a beautiful rust for the top and a very deep dark black for the dress. The fabric is not easy to work with but with a few tricks, it's definitely manageable and actually, I find working with this fabric quite rewarding!

Btw, I updated my blog banner today as well and cleaned up a bit. It has been awhile since I've updated here. Hope you like it! xo

Photographs by John Allen

holiday 2011: coming soon!

2011-11-27T18:20:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday! At least for those who celebrate it. Jed and I came home yesterday and the journey was a bit more exhausting than usual, complete with pouring rain. But we finally made it home, safe and sound in our cozy little apartment. Thanksgiving was really a wonderful time and quite relaxing! But now is the time to get back to work and get a lot done before our next holiday! I'm going to be opening the shop again on December 1st (at least that is the plan), though I admit I'm itching to open it before then. Starting tomorrow, I'll be sharing some pictures of the new things I will be selling. Everything will be made-to-order so if you are interested in anything, plan on an extra 2-3 weeks from date of purchase. I hope you will enjoy my little festive collection. xo

photo shoot for holiday 2011

2011-11-23T00:02:00.004-06:00

Yesterday John and I went out to photograph my holiday collection and we were able to accomplish the whole shoot in about 2 hours. Pretty good I'd say! It was cold and rainy, though the rain stopped by the time we started shooting. I was glad to have it done, but it really was fun spending the afternoon with my brother! He knows his way with the camera. I only wished I had a camera to take a few shots of him taking photos. This season I didn't have time to rope someone in to model for me, so I did it myself. Sometimes it's just easier, since this was pretty last minute. I'm very pleased with this collection and am super excited to have something for the holidays this year!

These photos are all "blooper" shots (however even John's bloopers look awesome!). I wore grocery bags over my shoes and oversized rain boots when walking around since the ground was so muddy. The first one was taken just as the kitty was about to jump on me, before John stopped him, thank goodness!!!

So far our thanksgiving break has been marvelously fun. I hope you all are enjoying the holiday! xo

WHEW!

2011-11-16T14:50:00.003-06:00

Well, it's been one completely CRAZY few weeks here! I've been working like mad on my new winter/holiday collection! But guess what happened last week just as I was finishing a sleeve? My serger broke!!!!!!!!! Well, the needle on the needle plate broke. So I was frantic to find a replacement online. I found a place (I THOUGHT I found a place, that is) so I went ahead and ordered the part and paid the extra twenty some dollars to have it by the next day. I knew it was the weekend when ordering, so I didn't think I'd get it til Monday. Well, I had this sick feeling that it might not get here in time, so I looked online to see if I could track the package. I hadn't heard anything as far as a confirmation shipping number, so couldn't track it. I did some investigation on the company and guess what I found? It was a fraudulent none-existent company by some crazy guy in TN who apparently keeps opening fake sewing part shops online. So when I found this out I decided to go find another company that sold the needle plate. I found one, or so I thought! It had good reviews and even noticed Design*Sponge had them as their friend on Twitter, so I thought what the hey? And guess what? When I got my PayPal invoice back, guess who's name was on the bill? THE SAME GUY!!!! Arghh! So not only was I ripped off once, but twice and both times I paid for express shipping! Gahh! Anyway, to make a long story a bit shorter/longer we got in touch with PayPal (via phone) and got my money back by the next day! So I've learned a few things through this whole ordeal. One, don't order sewing parts online and be very leery about ordering anything sewing machine related. At least be certain who you are ordering from. The only times I've been ripped off had to do with a sewing machine on eBay and now this. Second, PayPal rocks! They were awesome. If you ever have a problem like this, don't wait around doing the online form, just give them a call. And third, if you ever need a part for your sewing machine, call your local sewing shop!

So after all that, I decided to take a trip down to my local Vogue Fabrics and I brought in the broken needle plate with me to show them. They told me I could fix it by ripping out the broken needle (it was hard, that thing was really stuck in there!) and then super glue another needle back in there (sewing needle that fits in the slot and cut to size). And guess what? It WORKED!!! I am so thrilled! I was able to finish my collection and all the seams are beautifully serged! They are also ordering me a new needle plate, since my little makeshift plate probably won't last forever. But it's nice to know I can fix it if it ever happens again. Btw, I took pictures while working on it, so I hope to do a bit of a tutorial on how to fix a needle plate if it ever happens to you. It was pretty hard to find any information about it online, so hopefully this will help someone out there!

In other news, I'm heading back home tomorrow for vacation which will include a highschool performance of Pride and Prejudice, a photo shoot with my brother, lots of coffee with good friends, hopefully a bit of shopping in my favorite little Mt Vernon town, annnnd lots of Thanks Giving! I think we have two Thanks Giving dinners to go to next week. It sure will be full! And that's a good thing too, because we've been living off of one week of groceries for the past two weeks and we are ready for some down home cookin'! :) See you all when I get back! Have a super duper holiday! I have A LOT to be thankful for, that's for sure! xo

p.s. lately i've been doing this to my hair after a shower. works so well and so easy too!

3 day sale! {all sold}

2011-11-11T10:35:00.004-06:00

Edit: Wow! Everything has sold out! Thank you guys! That was fast!

I updated the Big Cartel shop with items from a few past seasons that I'm selling for 50% off! Today through Sunday. All of the garments are in size small. Anything sold will ship Monday. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

***SHOP***

it's getting darker...

2011-11-07T21:31:00.003-06:00

It's getting darker now with the time being an hour earlier. Took these quick photos after finishing a sample dress. Will make a few changes to the design, but I'm pretty happy with it! It's quite twirlable, I'd say. ;)

happy hallowe'en!

2011-10-31T12:28:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! It always seems to go by much too fast, doesn't it? Although I am not planning anything too special today, I thought it might be fun to post a list of a few fun Hallowe'en movies I like. I am thinking of putting on a few of these tonight and maybe get some knitting in. Perhaps make a batch of caramel corn for a little Hallowe'en treat!

One of my all time favorite movies to watch growing up was Arsenic and Old Lace. We used to show it to our friends on Halloween. I could watch this movie over and over again and not get tired of it. Of course, a movie with Cary Grant in it really doesn't need much explanation. I'll just leave it at that. ;)

The next one I always like to watch is The Great Pumpkin! I'm sure you've all seen this one before, but I just love Charlie Brown. It makes me so nostalgic. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now! You can see it on Hulu for a limited time.

Another one, that isn't quite Hallowe'en related, but we still considered this a Hallowe'en movie growing up, is Meet Me in St Louis. It is one of those movies you can watch for Hallowe'en and then again around Christmas. There is a fabulous Hallowe'en scene in the movie that always gets me in the mood. It's just a really classic movie. Starring Judy Garland. I just can't get enough of her and yes, I totally sing along to all of the songs! (The Boy Next Door is my favorite!)

You'll Find Out is a silly one and not a very well made movie, but I got it years ago for a party I threw and it worked out to be a pretty good flick. It stars Helen Parrish, who I love. She's not very well known today, but you may know of her if you've seen many Deanna Durbin films. The movie also has Kay Kyser and his band along with Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Here's the trailer if you are interested in checking it out.

The Invisible Woman I happened upon a few years ago and I'm so glad I did! It stars Virginia Bruce, John Barrymore and John Howard. I don't think this movie is well known and I'm not even sure that it's on DVD, but it's really a delightful little film. It's about a scientist (John Barrymore) who discovers a way to become invisible. John Howard is a rich playboy who is helping finance the scientist, but is starting to lose hope since his "mad scientist" friend hasn't come up with anything yet and he is losing money. Well, finally Barrymore thinks he really has discovered a way to become invisible and puts an ad in the paper to see if anyone is willing to test out his formula. Virginia Bruce is a model at a local department store and is sick of her mean boss Mr. Growley and wants to get even with him. So she responds to the ad and decides she could get even with Growley if only she became invisible. The plot isn't all that wonderful, but it's fun and of course there is romance between Bruce and Howard! There's also some gangsters involved in the plot who are sent to steal the formula, which make for some silly slapstick scenes. And you may also notice Margaret Hamilton, who played the witch in The Wizard of Oz! Do try to find this one and watch it. You won't regret it.

The Uninvited is the last one I'll write about here, though I admit it is one I haven't seen in a long time, so I won't say much about it. I do remember it being pretty scary and very well made. Plus it stars Ray Milland, and you pretty much can't go wrong with him! Do check this one out if you can. And be sure to make some popcorn and grab your favorite snugly blanket (or in my case a snugly Jed)!

There are probably many more Hallowe'en flicks out there, but these are some of my favorite. I also enjoy some of the Abbott and Costello films (Hold That Ghost, The Time of Their Lives, and Meet Frankenstein are a few favorites) and there's also some fun spooky movies starring Paulette Goddard (The Cat and the Canary and The Ghost Breakers) that you'll have to check out as well.

I hope these have inspired you to watch some old classic Hallowe'en films this year! And for those of you who need a last minute snack, here's a really easy recipe for Caramel Corn found in The Tightwad Gazette (Mom used to subscribe to it!).

Easy Homemade Caramel Corn

3/4 cups brown sugar (use white if you plan to use molasses in place of corn syrup)
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp. corn syrup (I used honey, though it gives it a distinct honey flavor if you do this - I bet molasses would work really well! edit: just made it and molasses works wonderfully!)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. vanilla
8 cups popped popcorn

Combine first four ingredients over low heat until butter is melted. Cook without stirring three minutes. Add baking soda and vanilla. Pour onto popcorn and mix until coated. Spread onto greased cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes at 300. Let it cool for a bit before digging in!

pattern drafting

2011-10-26T20:44:00.005-05:00

I've been doing a lot of pattern drafting lately. I thought it would be good to get back to the basics and make some new slopers (pattern blocks). And since the last bodice sloper I made I lost somewhere I decided to sit down and just draft a whole new one. I have been using Modern Pattern Design by Harriet Pepin, published in 1942, for most of my drafting (along with a few other books). Although it is pretty old, it has such wonderful timeless information in it. I absolutely adore this book! I don't own it, but found out that Jed's university library carries it so I had him pick it up for me. But I also found this PDF download online for those who don't have access to the book. I highly recommend it if you are just learning or would like to learn how to draft patterns.

Having a well fitted sloper that fits your body measurements really is a good thing to have even if you don't ever plan to make your own patterns. I found this incredibly helpful tutorial on how to use your sloper to grade a pattern to your size. I tried it on a vintage pattern I have and it looks like it will work perfectly, just haven't had the time to make the dress yet! Taking your time to make the pattern fit before cutting out your garment will save you a lot of time in the long run, not to mention some hair pulling. ;) If there is anything I've learned from years of sewing it's that it never pays to rush or cut corners. And I might also suggest that if you do end up making a sloper, take your time with it. Test it over and over until you are truly happy with the fit. I ended up cutting out two or three sleeves until later realizing that the first sleeve actually fit, it's just that I didn't take the time at the start to cut it out and slowly assemble it.

In other sewing news, I am working on a new pattern for a few new garments for the shop. Yes, I am planning to open the shop soon! I thought it might be good to take a wee little break to work on pattern making for awhile. But stay tuned for an upcoming shop update!

{P.S. Another super pattern drafting book you might check out is "Make Your Own Patterns" by René Bergh. It's a little outdated (published in 1995) but still very helpful and gives clear instructions for drafting your own patterns.}

better homes & garden sewing book

2011-10-24T09:36:00.000-05:00

I've been looking through my 1961 Better Homes & Garden Sewing Book a lot lately and finding some really fun illustrations throughout the book. Not to mention a lot of great sewing tips! I was lucky to find a copy at a thrift store for almost nothing. I like these old sewing manuals so much better than the modern ones. I find they have a lot more helpful, not to mention fun, descriptions in them. What are some of your favorite sewing manuals?

sunday morning breakfast.

2011-10-23T22:22:00.004-05:00

I don't know about you, but there is nothing like a weekend breakfast. I sometimes make something special for the end of the week (or beginning, however you look at it). It's especially comforting now that the seasons are changing and it's getting colder every day. Little things like baking more often or maybe just making another cup of coffee or tea is just what I need on a cold autumn day.

Someone asked for the recipe in the comments, so I'm adding it here. It's from my 1969 Better Homes & Garden Cookbook. However, I have another really really good cinnamon roll recipe, but will save that for a later date. Enjoy!

::RAISIN-CINNAMON ROLLS
Makes 16 rolls

Basic Roll Dough (1/2 recipe)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup raisins

On lightly floured surface roll 1/2 recipe Basic Roll Dough to 16x8-inch rectangle.

Mix sugar and cinnamon; add butter. Spread over dough. Sprinkle with raisins. Roll as for jelly roll, starting with long edge; seal. Cut in 1-inch slices. Place, cut side down, in greased 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Cover; let rise in warm place till double, to 45 minutes.

Bake in preheated moderate oven (375 degrees F) for 20 minutes. Remove from pan. Frost with Confectioners’ Icing, if desired.

::CONFECTIONERS' ICING
Add light cream (I used 1% milk) to 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar for spreading consistency. Add dash salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

::BASIC ROLL DOUGH
Makes 2 to 3 dozen rolls

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided use
I package active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg

In mixing bowl combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast.

Heat milk, sugar, shortening, and salt together just till warm (115-120 degrees), stirring constantly till shortening almost melts. Add to dry mixture; add egg. Beat at low speed of electric mixer for 1/2 minute, scraping bowl. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. By hand, stir in remaining flour to make a soft dough. Shape into ball.

Place in lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in warm place till double, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down; turn out on floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

Shape into desired rolls. Place on greased baking sheets or in greased muffin pans. Cover; let rise in warm place till double, 30 to 45 minutes.

Bake in hot oven (400 degrees F) for 10 to 12 minutes.

weekend in iowa.

2011-10-18T20:50:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Jed and I took the Greyhound bus headed towards Iowa City to hang out with Jed's family and celebrate Moriah's 21st birthday. We had such a lovely time in Iowa! And I must say it was really an easy and pleasant drive taking the bus. I was expecting all kinds of discomfort on the bus, but it was not bad at all. Plus we got super cheap tickets, like the cost of a tank of gas cheap! And that included two round trip tickets. I think we will be taking the bus again, that's for sure!

During the weekend, while Jed was off playing paintball, I met up with the lovely Jenny of Wiksten fame! We met once before when I lived in South Amana but we both haven't gotten around to posting pictures from that visit yet. That will happen in time, I'm sure. Anyway, we met at the mall (yeah, totally!) and walked around for hours talking. It was exactly what I needed to get my working groove back on! I have been in a bit of a slump where work is concerned lately. Just haven't had the energy to work on much. But Jenny gave me some great ideas and now I'm bursting to get back to being creative! She's such a down to earth fun person to talk with. It's nice to be able to meet and relate to others in the same field of work. And especially fun to meet bloggers you've been following for years. I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to get to know Jenny. She's a true inspiration!

rag curls!

2011-10-13T12:40:00.003-05:00

{first two pictures before brushing/styling hair, last two pictures after styling and make-up. pardon the messy bedroom in the last picture!}

Last night I decided to attempt doing my hair up in rag curls. This is one method of curling I have not tried before. It turned out to be super easy and incredibly comfortable to sleep on. You kind of look ridiculous, but that is no big deal. I made myself look even more ridiculous by putting a hairnet on over the curls so they would stay in place better. Anyway, I didn't get a picture before taking the rags out, but you can see a great tutorial on how to do it over at Vixen Vintage. I did find, however, that 7" long rags work better for longer hair. The 5" length strips were almost too short. I think I used somewhere around 16 rags. Also, I have really thick hair, so I like to use a spray bottle filled with water to spritz my hair rather than dunking my head under water. :) Otherwise my hair will not dry in the morning and I hate it when that happens!

After I woke up, I left my hair in the rags a bit longer since I wanted to make absolutely sure the curls were totally dry before taking them out. You can always tie a pretty ribbon around your curls to keep them out of the way while you get breakfast! When styling my hair, I like to use just a tiny bit of argan oil rubbed between the palms of my hands. I first work it into the ends of my hair and then continue up to the top of my head, smoothing out any frizzies. It has worked really wonderfully ever since I discovered it last spring. Then I brush the curls out and away from my face, using my other hand to smooth out the hair while brushing. If you like, you can add a few bobby-pins to keep your hair out of the way.

I'm excited to see what my hair will look like tomorrow!

Note about my hairbrush: I use this brush by Sonia Kashuk and although I have never used the Mason Pearson brush before and can't say how good it is, Sonia's brush is amazing on my hair. Every now and then I will clean it by immersing it in a glass of warm water/baking soda solution and let it soak overnight. In the morning, just rinse it off with water and it's sparkly clean! I've had this brush for about two years now and can definitely recommend it!

making bagels.

2011-10-06T21:55:00.000-05:00

I've made bagels once before, so I kind of knew what I was doing this round. I can't remember which recipe I used the first time I made them, so I consulted my "How to Cook Everything" cookbook by Mark Bittman and sure enough, he had a recipe. I'm not super in love with how they turned out, but they are still good! I think I should have let them rise 12 hours instead of only 2. I'm sure they would have been more flavorful. Also, this time I made a cinnamon, sugar topping (1/4 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. white and 2 tsp. cinnamon), which is probably quite bad for you and also a bit messy! But they were really yummy with the added sugar. Next time I'm going to try making cinnamon raisin bagels. I also don't have a food processor, so I just mixed and kneaded the dough by hand. Hope some of you give bagel making a try! It's quite a bit of fun, especially forming the bagels (which I obviously haven't quite mastered yet)!

More pictures from this set found on my flickr.

By the way, if you don't have Mark Bittman's cookbook, I found his bagel recipe here.

corners of my home.

2011-10-05T10:33:00.004-05:00

We aren't completely situated here yet, but we are working on it! A few little corners of the house, though not perfect by any means. It's good for now. Hope you all are enjoying this autumn day. xo

october days

2011-10-03T10:38:00.003-05:00

This weekend went by much too fast! My mom and sister's visit was so much fun! We celebrated birthdays, ate apple pie, went to a fancy restaurant and had too much good food, went shopping, watched old movies, played with makeup and hair... We always have a good time when we get together. Now it is a new month and the leaves around here are slowly starting to change color. Speaking of a new month, Shanna Murray contacted me about doing another photo collaboration and I jumped at the chance! The photograph I took was on a recent trip to the apple orchard. We found this lovely bit of land with a field of yellow flowers and a road leading into the wood. I think I could sit there for hours eating the apples I just picked and reading a good book. Thank you Shanna for this opportunity to work with you again!

baking cookies

2011-09-30T10:15:00.003-05:00

Sometimes all you need is a good batch of cookies. Recipe from Donna Hay's "Off The Shelf: Cooking From the Pantry."

This weekend my mom and sister are coming up to celebrate their birthdays! I cannot wait for them to get here! Think I'll go bake an apple pie. Hope everyone has a wonderful fall weekend!

saying goodbye to south amana

2011-09-28T20:38:00.004-05:00

Summer went by in a breeze it seems. I feel like I crammed a whole year in three months! Autumn is already upon us and we are busy getting settled in our new home. Saying goodbye to South Amana was bittersweet. I was ready to move on, but it was hard leaving the few friends I made there. I used to walk to the post office almost every day and there I met the post "mistress" Jan who would chat with me about wedding prep (her daughter was getting married too) and all sorts of things. She was the best! I also later met Dorothy, who is in her nineties. She and Jan went on walks together every day on Jan's break. I would see them pass by my church while they were on their walks. I didn't get to know Dorothy until a few months before moving, but she is the sweetest lady I've ever met! She said she would cry every time she walked by our empty house. Dorothy is one of those people I wish I could be around all the time. I bet she has a lot of wonderful stories to tell. When I told her about our moving to Chicago she looked a bit worried and said, "Oh be careful! That's a dangerous place!" I think she lived and grew up in Amana her whole life so I can understand her feeling that way. And she gave me good marriage advice as well. She said "Never fight! There are times when I was about ready to hit him, but thank goodness he left the room before I could!" When she said goodbye for the last time she had tears in her eyes, as if she had known me for a long time. It made me feel special and I wished I had gotten to know her better. Those are memories I will keep with me throughout my life.

california wedding.

2011-09-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

I know this one is past overdue, but better late than never right? Back in August Jed and I took a flight out to L.A. for my brother's wedding. At first I was a little hesitant about California, never have been there myself before. But it turned out to be beautiful and really a lovely place! Jed and I really liked it. And as cliché as this sounds, the weather was fantastic!! If you live in the Midwest, you know what a big difference there is, especially where humidity is concerned!

The actual wedding took place at Pepperdine University in Malibu. Wow. What a gorgeous place! The wedding ceremony was small, really sweet and lovely. And after the wedding we all went down the the reception area in the park. Beautiful view! The sun was shining and the weather was just right. Only one problem... I forgot to put on sunscreen and it didn't even occur to me how detrimental that would be! Little did I know I'd get fried that afternoon and come down with a mild fever that evening. Oh, well. You live and learn! I'm hoping I've learned my lesson.

The next day Jed and I decided to drive out to Santa Barbara. I was still feeling a little under the weather, but I was determined to enjoy the rest of the trip! We loved it there! Everything was more peaceful and beautiful. We spent the day walking around and sitting under palm trees in the park. On our way back we stopped by a small, almost deserted beach. I really wanted to swim, but with that sunburn it was not happening! The water was a bit too cold anyway, so we just splashed around. The sea air is so different from what I'm used to! I loved it!

Since visiting California, I've changed my mind and decided I really do like it there. Only I think our next trip will have to include some redwoods.

The fifth picture from the top (my brother and the bride) by John Allen. Take a look at more of his photos here.

our honeymoon.

2011-09-24T11:25:00.000-05:00

Everything got so busy this summer that I barely had time to write about our honeymoon in PEI! It was absolutely a dream! We both adored Prince Edward Island. It was not your typical beach honeymoon. The weather was a bit chilly, like the first of spring when we arrived, so no cute little summer dresses or swimsuits. But that turned out to be just fine. Except that I always pack the wrong things because silly me never checks the weather before packing. That's alright! We found a department store with cute clothes called Joe Fresh, similar to Target and cheap. I was able to buy a few things to keep me a little warmer and it's always fun to have an excuse to buy more clothes!

We stayed in two lovely little cottages while we were there. The first one was in Chelton on the south side of the island. We could see the ocean from our backyard! It was so cozy and perfect there. The first couple of days were rainy and cold, but it didn't last long and the sun came out soon enough. The next week we moved to North Rustico, which was closer to Green Gables. We found a great little coffee shop in Charlottetown with internet access! We didn't realize most places wouldn't have internet (duh!) but that was OK by us! It's nice to take a break from the internet, especially on your honeymoon! We loved driving around the coast and stopping at interesting places. We found the most gorgeous church at one stop. The doors were open so we walked right in. Breathtakingly beautiful. You could walk down by the water and sit on the rocks. It was so peaceful. An ideal spot for a church!

By far our favorite place was Green Gables. It was quaint and everything I had imagined. Jed especially loved the little haunted forest. We can see why L.M. Montgomery would go into the forest often. The house was perfect and we went around picking out our favorite rooms. My favorite was a little bedroom with pretty flowered wallpaper. It was bright and cozy. I think I would have loved to have this room growing up. We also loved the little garden. Someday I'm planting one just like the one at Green Gables. It was the perfect day. I could live that day over and over.

Someday I hope we can return to our little honeymoon spot in Prince Edward Island. Perhaps even stay in the same little cottages. If you ever get the opportunity, do go and visit! And don't forget to see Anne's Green Gables!

our wedding day.

2011-09-22T09:47:00.007-05:00

I realize I have not written much about my wedding day! The summer was hectic and I'm finally sitting down to write write write! I'll have updates about all my other adventures, including our honeymoon throughout the next few days as well.

The wedding really started several days before when my friend Elizabeth Barlow and her sister Hanna arrived by bus all the way from Ontario, Canada! It's a funny story, our friendship. It consists mostly of writing letters back and forth for years. Elizabeth and I met about 9 years ago at an 1860's girl's school/camp in Tennessee. Yes, you read that correctly! We were both obsessed with the 19th century and we had met each other on an online forum before going to the girl's school. So once we met each other in person we knew we were kindred spirits! I remember thinking the best thing about going to that school was meeting Elizabeth. We kept up writing (or rather, she kept writing me, despite my lack of letters!) and continued our friendship. When I got engaged, I wanted Elizabeth to come, but I did not count on her traveling all the way for my little wedding! But she came! And she brought her lovely sister Hanna with her! They helped me so much. They made all of the tissue flowers, which I left off until the last minute. That was a huge help!! And they were there for wonderful conversation after conversation. What a perfect week it was. I think they helped me keep wonderfully calm. The easiest house guests I've ever had! We vowed never to let another 9 years pass before seeing each other again!

Elizabeth also was our music for the ceremony! We thought about having instruments, but when it came down to it, we decided we just wanted a simple no fuss wedding. Elizabeth sang solo and it was gorgeous. She sang a very old song called "Matrimony" as the bridesmaids and finally the bride (me!) walked down the isle. It was a very small wedding, which is just how Jed and I wanted it. We had it in the same church in South Amana, Iowa where I was living at the time, which made decorating quite easy!

The night before the wedding we had a lovely rehearsal dinner with all of Jed's family and my family and a few friends. It was relaxing and fun to see everyone sitting around the table laughing and having a good time. As we were about to head home, we had the idea last minute to have a shape note sing at my house in the church! It really was a lovely way to spend the last day of my single life; gathered around in a square with a small group of friends singing old hymns. Hanna and Elizabeth are excellent shape note singers, but the rest of us were not quite as good I'm afraid! It still was such fun, though! And reminded me that I must try to get back into singing again.

The wedding day went so smoothly, I could hardly believe how smoothly it went! My friend Alanna spent the day before baking cupcakes and her dad built wooden boxes to carry them in. I definitely could not have done all of this without the help of my friends and family! Especially my mom! She did a lot of running around finding wine glasses at thrift stores or calling people to tell them the venue had changed last minute (we were going to have it at the park). Both my family and Jed's family were a great help. We're really fortunate to have such great people in our lives!

I was pretty nervous about the ceremony. I hate getting up in front of people, let alone being the center of attention!! But we did it! And we loved every second of it. We keep saying how we want to spend the day over again and that's how I want to live my life. Spending every day like it was my wedding day. I'm so glad my mom talked me into having a wedding instead of eloping. The day was more special than I can describe. I'll never forget that day.

Photographs by John Allen

outfit: day at the apple orchard

2011-09-21T14:38:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Jed and I made a surprise visit back home to Iowa for my mom's birthday and a trip to my favorite apple orchard! It was the perfect day to pick apples. The place was packed and the crisp air was delicious. The staff at Wilson's were busy making fresh apple cider doughnuts and apple turnovers. I had to try both, of course! I came home with a handmade basket and a bag of windfall apples.

Last night I baked a few apples for an after dinner snack. They are simple to make: Core the apple and fill with a small pat of butter, a drizzle of honey (or brown sugar if you prefer), a few shakes of cinnamon, nutmeg and a tiny pinch of salt. Wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour at 350°F. Place in a pretty bowl and eat it as is or you can add a dollop of whipped cream if you like. We had ours plain and it was perfect.

Outfit:

Pictures by John Allen

the end of summer.

2011-08-26T12:08:00.006-05:00

Well, I'm back! I know it has been awhile, hasn't it? I've been through a whirlwind in the last few weeks. Went to California for my brother's wedding (more on that later) and then got back and had all four wisdom teeth removed and finally, finally I am starting to feel a little better! My left side still bothers me, so I'm still taking lots of pain medication, but I think it's starting to lighten up a bit. In the meantime, I've been spending a lot of time in bed and on the internet. In the next few weeks, I'll be packing up all of our belongings and then off Jed and I will go to Chicago! I'll elaborate more on that later as well. I'd like to start blogging on a more regular bases once we move and get settled in our new home. I would really love to start blogging more about our apartment and decorating as well. I've got a lot of ideas! I would also like to get better at my photography. Jed has a really nice camera and I'm determined to learn how to use it!

In shop news, I probably won't have a fall/winter collection up until after everyone else. I've got so much on my plate right now, I'm just going to focus on one thing at a time! After I'm settled in a little bit at our new apartment, I'll re-open the shop. I know some of you have contacted me about the seaside dress and a few other items and they will still be available. I'm thinking of making a wool coat for the winter collection, but I'm still unsure if I really want to tackle such a big project. But I recently came across some gorgeous wool and I really want to use it somehow! I'd also like to make some silk tops. And maybe some plaid tunics or shirts. We shall see! I'm also considering not making historical clothing anymore. But I haven't decided yet. It's just that it takes so much of my time and I'm frankly burnt out with all the custom orders. Each custom order takes so long, sometimes months. And it's mentally draining and stressful. I'd like to be focusing more of my time on my own designs and collections. SO anyway...that's what I've been thinking about lately!

I've also been thinking about fall fashion! What keeps entering my mind right now is jeans and pants. What do you think about the bell bottom trend that keeps popping up? I'm itching to get my hands on a good 1970s jeans pattern and make myself a pair. I'm also continuing to search for the perfect pair of pants. I'm thinking since my budget right now is so tight, maybe I'll just make my own pair. I've been looking at patterns from the late 1960s and early '70s. I like the pants that are straight and ankle length, slightly more slim but not "skinny." Perhaps made of wool or just a plain cotton twill. You know, the kind that hits a little higher than the hips, but not too high. I'm also thinking of a pretty drapey silk blouse with a simple collar and v-neckline. The length would be lower in the back than the front and pretty loose. And of course I am always a big fan of a good plaid shirt for fall season. Oh and anything equestrian! Riding pants, riding boots etc. I'd really like a good pair of riding pants and of course my dream pair of riding boots are always on my wish list! And as far as shoes, I did a little online shopping while I was on heavy pain medication (heehee) and bought these LL Bean Suede Blucher Mocs after thinking about it for awhile. Yep, I'm copying the fashionable Joanna from Cup of Jo! I can't wait to wear them this fall!

And now to talk about the pictures of my hair! Have you seen this? It's this ingenious way to curl your hair overnight with no heat and only a bit of water! I have really thick hair that is prone to frizzies, so I did this a few days after I washed my hair. I also use argan oil before putting my hair up and then also after taking my hair down to smooth out any frizz. Love that stuff! You should really try it! I felt like a 1970s Nancy Drew when I woke up this morning! I love my bouncy hair and I especially love that I didn't have to spend any time with a hot iron!

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy these last hot days of summer! xo

august already?

2011-08-08T10:17:00.004-05:00

Went to the lake yesterday for some fun with family. Jed and I took these pictures and I can't help but smile every time I look at them. I especially love this one, because it shows Jed's lovely smile.

I can't believe it's already the end of summer. We did get a chance to take a dip in the lake for the first time all summer (yes, way!) so Jed and I agreed we must try to go more often before the end of August. And now that it's the end of summer (somehow I always do my shopping at the end of the season...heh), I bought these awesome "mom" shorts at Target for under $5 bucks. I don't know what it is, but I somehow prefer the fit of these to the fit of those skimpy shorts sold in the "young adult" section of the store. Hope I get some wear out of them before summer officially ends.

Oh and yes, Jed and I are officially moving to Chicago next month! Thank you guys so much for writing to me and giving me so many wonderful suggestions! We found the perfect apartment not too far from Northwestern University. Yay! A little sad about moving, but I will rally my spirits and make the best of it. I'm determined to enjoy city life! And I'm so looking forward to decorating our cool new apartment!

P.S. I got my haircut and it turned out quite nice I think! I also made an incredibly awkward video to show how my hair looks in motion! :)

time for a haircut.

2011-08-04T11:24:00.002-05:00

It's been two years since my last cut so I made an appointment for tonight. Wish me luck!

breakfast smoothie

2011-07-25T08:04:00.004-05:00

Lately I've been making smoothies for breakfast. They are so simple! And they are good for you! I like to use strawberries, grapefruit, an orange and a banana most of the time. This smoothie pictured was made with strawberries (frozen, slightly thawed), blueberries, plain yogurt, honey and I think I added the juice of one orange. I use this hand blender (which is awesome). It was the perfect wedding gift J and I received from a dear friend. I highly recommend it! ;)

In other unrelated news, Jed and I are moving to Chicago in September and we are looking for a place to live. He's attending Northwestern University in Evanston, Il. Anyone familiar with the area and could recommend a safe place to live relatively close to the university? I'm excited to move, but also kind of sad to leave the place I've lived my whole life. I know it will be an adventure and I'm sure I will like it, but it will definitely be a change to move to a big city! We're planning to scout around sometime later this week. I'm hoping we can find a place to live without too much hassle!

hiking at pikes peak

2011-07-22T07:57:00.004-05:00

A few weekends ago Jed and I decided to go on a little camping trip/hike. We originally wanted to go canoeing, but that fell through so we headed about three hours north to Pikes Peak instead! At one point on the hike I was joking about how freaky it would be to suddenly come across a snake dangling from one of the branches. Right after that Jed said calming, "speaking of the devil..." and there we saw this rather scary looking snake on a tree next to the trail. I'm no good with snakes! I have no idea if it was poisonous, but it sure looked like it was! When it really comes down to it, I'm just your average wimp. I could live without snakes, thanks! Anyway, we had a lovely time, despite the heat that day (we have no a/c in the car)! Maybe our next camping trip will include a bit of canoeing!

making: strawberry rhubarb pies

2011-07-21T10:01:00.002-05:00

It's been a little stressful for both Jed and I lately as we decide what our future plans will entail. So I thought it might be a nice stress reliever for both of us to do something fun together. I made up some pie dough and took out the strawberries and rhubarb that I froze a month ago and we got to work! It was fun, easy and I think now Jed will become my new pastry chef! It is really fun to just make a little time out of your busy schedule to do things like this. Plus it made for a really nice late night snack!

{Recipe from Angry Chicken's "cheat sheet." By the way, I use her cheat sheet all the time!}

j+a wedding on {frolic!}

2011-07-21T08:24:00.004-05:00

Chelsea over at {frolic!} featured Jed and my wedding today! Go on over and take a look for more details. Thank you Chelsea!!

shop is back open!

2011-07-15T10:22:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know I'm back from my honeymoon (!!!) and the shop has finally reopened!

Also, check out this lovely photo shoot by Anja of Clever Nettle. She included one of the dresses from my current collection, the Flower Print Frock!

honeymoon in pei

2011-07-04T11:52:00.003-05:00

A few photos from our wonderful two week vacation! We both want to go back. We're a little blue because we both have to get back to work in a few days. But we're already planning a camping trip for the weekend!

Btw, happy 4th of July to all of you in the US!

married!!

2011-07-02T22:23:00.004-05:00

Jed and I are now officially married!! And I love it! I am still technically "away" because of the 4th of July holiday and all, but wanted to share my excitement with you! More on all that later. I've been up all day and got only 2 hours of sleep last night, so I'm going to catch up on some much needed rest! I'm slowly sifting through my massive inbox and I'll try to get back to anyone who wrote me as soon as I can! Have a wonderful holiday! xo

{photographed by john allen.}

10 goals for the summer.

2011-06-04T14:28:00.000-05:00

1. Get Married!

2. Take a trip somewhere I've never been.

3. Sew most of my summer wardrobe.

4. Swim in the lake as much as possible.

5. Paint and fix/reupholster old furniture.

6. Read books regularly.

7. Eat lots of fresh vegetables.

8. Find someplace to live.

9. Work hard.

10. Go camping.

Tricia inspired me to write my own list. How about you?

it's june!

2011-06-03T16:28:00.002-05:00

Spring is in full bloom these days. The flowers make me excited and dreamy. June is a big month for me! I will be turning 27 next week and the week after I am getting married! Then off to our honeymoon. I'll keep it a secret until I return. Makes it oh so much more exciting, don't you think? We will be flying there and the destination we picked out isn't your typical honeymooning spot, which I think makes it ten times more romantic. We're going to try and only bring carry-on luggage, in an attempt to make the flight a little less stressful. We'll see how that goes. I haven't been on a plane since I went to Europe about 5 years ago.

I know I haven't been blogging lately, but life has been busy busy over here! I am on my Pinterest quite often, gathering little bits of inspiration here and there. Whether for the wedding or anything that strikes my fancy. It's funny how this sort of thing relaxes me. I love to just sit down and scroll through, pinning anything pretty or clever that I see. I'm addicted, to be sure!

In other news, today I happened upon this charming article by Chelsea on Design*Sponge! She's wearing my Seaside Dress while making what sounds like the most deliciously romantic beverage. Of course I must try her recipe as soon as I can get my hands on some elderflower syrup! I'm all for a cool libation on a hot sticky summer night. Thank you Chelsea for your support! I'm quite honored!

Last but not least, in case you haven't noticed, my shop is closed for the time being. It will reopen when I return from my honeymoon in early July. I'll be sure to keep you all posted! xo

busy bee.

2011-05-17T15:55:00.000-05:00

Just checking in to let you all know I'm alive! I've been pretty swamped lately with about everything you could think of. And on top of it, haven't felt so great lately either. I never do so well when the weather changes back and forth (hot one day, cold the next). Perhaps it's all in my mind, though. But for some reason it makes me feel awful. Anyway, I'm working on a bunch of orders I received! Thank you to those of you who ordered something, and to everyone else who looked at my shop or commented about it! I probably shouldn't have put so much on my plate right before my wedding date (mid-June). And next week my sister wants to go on "one last sister trip" before I get hitched! So I'm trying to get everything wrapped up before I leave. Then I'm going to put some more dedicated time into wedding prep. I'm an incredibly bad wedding planner. Everything is changing on the last minute and I don't even have my wedding dress ready yet. Oh yeah...and I still need to find some shoes to wear too and flowers and make decorations... I'm learning there is no such thing as a simple wedding. Unless you just do it last minute, call up a few friends and go at it. Or simply elope! That would have been our preference, but I think having a wedding will be fun too! And then we will make some people happy because of it and I think that is a nice feeling. So rain or shine (let's hope shine...it's going to be outside) the wedding will go on as planned! Even if I have to tie a rope around my dress to keep it up. ;)

Have a great week everyone! I will probably post back here once things settle down a bit. xo

p.s. watching this movie lately. always makes me feel blissful. if you've seen it, the summer cottage is absolutely to die for. my dream home.

shop is open!

2011-05-06T16:20:00.000-05:00

The shop has been updated with all of my new spring/summer 2011 collection, finally! I also have a new website including the spring and summer lookbook that you can peruse. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you all for your patience! I know it has taken me a little longer to get my new collection completed, but I hope it is worth the wait! Have a wonderful weekend! xo

shop opening this afternoon.

2011-05-06T09:48:00.000-05:00

I know I intended on having my whole line available for sale on Monday, but that didn't happen! So I'm planning to have it ready by this afternoon. I'll send out a newsletter when it's all ready. But you can check out my shop later this afternoon or evening. Or check back on this blog. I'll let you know when everything is up!

Happy Friday! xo

...

2011-05-03T08:08:00.000-05:00

I know many of you are waiting to see the new collection! It's almost ready, but something came up last week so I'm a bit behind. Still planning to open the shop this week, so check back soon!

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago while the flowers were just starting to pop up. I also have started painting again! It's really very calming. I found a gouache set at a charity sale a few years ago and am now just figuring out how to use this stuff. Very different than watercolor! I did use it like watercolor, though, adding more water than perhaps is usual for this type of painting. But it's really nice that you can paint on top of the color and build it up. Anyway, I haven't actually painted since the time I took these pictures. Hopefully I don't put it off for too much longer. It's really very calming. I'm always inspired to get out my paint when I read her blog. She is so talented! I love her flower and plant watercolors. That is what I really like to paint most of all. Plants are fun to look at and study.

Well, that's about it for now! I'll be working hard to finish up everything so I can open the shop asap! Stay tuned! xo

a first look...

2011-04-26T23:37:00.000-05:00

Chelsea of {frolic!} has an exclusive peek at my new collection over at babble.com. Please step on over if you'd like to take a look! My new website is almost finished and the spring summer collection will be added to my etsy shop by next week. I will be sending out an email to let you all know when that happens! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a few pictures from the new collection! Thank you, Chelsea! xo

-SOLD- toggle coat for sale.

2011-04-26T11:15:00.002-05:00

SOLD! Thank you!!

just a little peek...

2011-04-22T12:30:00.000-05:00

New clothes coming soon, and a new website...

spring yard sale!

2011-04-11T14:15:00.000-05:00

I'm selling a bunch of clothes over at my Yard Sale blog if you care to take a look! There are many vintage items from the 1930s-'60s as well some things I don't wear anymore. Please help me clean out my closet!

all things nautical.

2011-04-05T17:16:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought that the perfect striped top would be found in the girls section at Lands' End? I just got this striped sailor shirt in the mail in size XL and it fits perfectly and it's softer than the women's version. I also couldn't help but pick up this nautical tote bag while I was at it. If you ask me, you can never have too many striped tops or tote bags.

p.s. there's a "sail" (couldn't help it) going on at lands' end and today is the last day! 20% off sale items and free shipping. Just add the Promotion Code SPRINGSALE20 and PIN 1156 in the space provided at checkout.

spring is finally here!

2011-04-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

Jed and I went for a walk by the lake yesterday and it was the perfect spring day! Finally it is starting to warm up. Although today it is rather chilly out, I have hope that we'll be seeing a lot more green outside before long.

Let me start your week off with a poem by Emily Dickinson. One of my favorite poets (as well as Jed's). Although we don't have bees in the house, we have many wasps finding their way through the walls and cracked floor boards. And it reminds me that spring really is here.

THE BEE.

Like trains of cars on tracks of plush
I hear the level bee:
A jar across the flowers goes,
Their velvet masonry

Withstands until the sweet assault
Their chivalry consumes,
While he, victorious, tilts away
To vanquish other blooms.

His feet are shod with gauze,
His helmet is of gold;
His breast, a single onyx
With chrysoprase, inlaid.

His labor is a chant,
His idleness a tune;
Oh, for a bee's experience
Of clovers and of noon!

Emily Dickinson

scones for breakfast.

2011-04-04T14:36:00.000-05:00

My sister came to visit a couple of weeks ago and I made scones with lemon curd and fresh strawberries. If only I could have this every morning!

shabby apple dress giveaway!

2011-03-28T06:00:00.003-05:00

The lovely people over at Shabby Apple contacted me awhile ago about doing a giveaway for one of their pretty dresses! I am so excited! I've heard a lot about Shabby Apple; they have some very cute and vintage inspired frocks. I am so thrilled to be able to offer one of their beautiful creations to one lucky winner! I picked the Primavera dress for this giveaway. I thought it was charming! I think this would be the perfect frock to wear on a spring day or a trip to the beach! Perhaps even the perfect dress to wear for that summer vacation abroad? I think so!

How to enter:

If you are interested in receiving this lovely dress from Shabby Apple, all you have to do is check out the Shabby Apple Facebook page and if you are not already a fan, click the button "like" on the top of the page. Secondly, comment here with your name and an email address where I can reach you (USA residence only, please!). If you just can't wait for the giveaway, they are offering all of my readers a 10% discount! Just enter the discount code wildflowerspretty10off at checkout.

Annnnd... we have a winner! Congratulations goes out to Chloe! {I sent you an email with all the details.} Thank you all for participating in this drawing!

a short film.

2011-03-23T13:15:00.004-05:00

I know I am incredibly late in showing you all this, but better late than never right? Last Fall/Winter my sister Katie and my brother John wanted to make a short film about a seamstress working away in her studio, so they asked if I would be willing to be filmed. I said sure thing! Except I had a lot of work to get done, so what you are seeing is me actually doing work. Not just sewing random scraps of fabric. :) Hope you enjoy the amazing talents of my siblings! xo

p.s. i didn't dress in anything special for the camera either. i had at least one good layer of clothing under everything i was wearing. yes, my studio was freezing!

new things.

2011-03-16T15:58:00.003-05:00

I am working hard to get some new things made for the shop. New dresses and tunics mostly. And yes, more gingham! The time change has thrown me off a bit and I find myself making another cup of coffee in the afternoon. I am technically not supposed to make more than one cup a day (my own little rule...hah) but sometimes you just need that extra little "push" to get you through the afternoon. With the coming of spring brings many new things. The house is every which way as my roommate packs up her belongings to move into a new place and a new life. She will be missed! That leaves me with very little here, but I like it that way. I am finding endless amounts of inspiration from the lovely Ms Cumberbatch of Pure Style fame. I ordered a few more of her books and there are instructions in one of them on how to make slip covers for the chairs and couch. I already have a list of things to make this summer and many of them are included in her books. Paint [video] the dining room table/chairs white, make slip covers for the old couch, reupholster the chairs... Will I get it all done, do you think? We shall see. Summertime is almost here and I already have it pretty filled up. One of which is getting married! So yes, a full summer indeed!

Although it feels like Friday, I am happy to say it's only Wednesday. I'm off to alter a dress and then work some more on new frocks. I smell brownies and coffee and I think a bit of Pride and Prejudice might be in order for later, although I've seen it more times than I care to mention. Have a wonderful and peaceful week. xo

birthday boy turns 25!

2011-03-07T21:11:00.002-06:00

Last Friday we celebrated Jed's birthday. His mom got out the old picture slides and we watched them on the living room wall. Then we ate chocolate cake and Jed opened his gifts! It really was the perfect day.

lisette patterns

2011-03-04T08:34:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I received an email informing me of a new pattern line. When I read the name, Liesl Gibson (of Oliver + S fame), I knew instantly these patterns would be fantastic. And I was right! I often wished she would make adult clothing, after drooling over all of her adorable children's pattern line (just looking at them makes me want to have babies!) Ms Gibson is truly an inspiration! I cannot wait to try her patterns! And not only will she have a pattern line, but a fabric line as well! Her patterns and fabric will be available at your local JoAnn Fabrics. I haven't checked our fabric store yet, so I'm not sure if they are currently available. In the meantime, please go check out their wonderful website and blog. Happy sewing!

up the wooden hills

2011-03-04T08:32:00.000-06:00

Have you heard of Up The Wooden Hills? I just found out about it a few days ago from this gal. How perfect is this dress! I got really excited when I found her clothing. And you must go and peruse her lovely blog as well. She has exquisite taste. This dress reminds me so much of the 19th century, herb gardens and summer days. xo

cabbages and roses

2011-03-03T08:15:00.006-06:00

I just got an email announcing the new Cabbages and Roses catalog. After flipping through the "style guide" for both the clothing and the homeware, I find myself lost in an old English garden. And I would love to spend all afternoon going on a scavenger hunt in the woods, or lounging on a hammock reading a good book... Or perhaps I'll invite a few intimate friends over for a cup of tea and shortbread. I hope spring comes pretty soon, because I can't hardly stand the wait any longer!

Have a terrific Thursday! It's almost the weekend! xo

wedding registry?

2011-02-20T09:37:00.004-06:00

Jed and I haven't really discussed what we are going to do about the registry yet, but we're both a little unsure of how to go about it. You see, we'll be moving the end of the summer and it's going to be hard enough packing everything up and relocating. So having a bunch of extra things to pack and move on top of it isn't really very appealing. Any advice on what to do about a wedding registry if you're going to be relocating? I've heard of the "honeymoon registry" where people give you money for your honeymoon, but that doesn't really appeal to me. I have thought about signing up for something like Simple Registry but I'm not sure if people will be offended by this?? Any thoughts?

the pantry.

2011-02-17T10:10:00.003-06:00

Lately I've been agonizing over whether or not to purchase some items in bulk over at Amazon Grocery. I know most people will say it's cheaper to buy them at your local store, but it has been really hard figuring out Jed and my schedules to actually GET to a store! And I'm without a car, which makes it even more difficult. So finally I bit the bullet and ordered some items in bulk. I've heard mixed reviews about canned goods coming all bent up, which I'm not too worried about. Unless the dents open the seals. Hopefully in that case Amazon would send me new cans. But I am taking a little risk. The price is approximately the same as the store's cheapest brand. However, this way I can keep up a nice stock of tomatoes (we use a lot). And I also found some soup mixes by Bob's Red Mill that look fantastic. I've heard so many great reviews. It's hard enough to find time to make meals so anything that is healthy and EASY gets my vote! I'll give you a little update once my items arrive. By the way, I took advantage of a free month of Amazon Prime 2-day shipping. I'm going to cancel it as soon as I get the items, though. I don't want to risk being charged $80 after the free trial is over! Anyone else have experience buying groceries on Amazon? Or anywhere online for that matter?

february is a busy month.

2011-02-11T08:07:00.003-06:00

It's been quiet here lately, but I've been busy at work. I'm working on two historical dresses this month that will be worn by conference speakers for this conference. I'm about to put the finishing touches on the first gown, then I will dive into the second gown. I get a little stressed when I have such a tight deadline. But I did make time for some lotion-making and donut-making. :) And what's this? The weekend already? Where has the time gone?? I'm going to work really hard to finish this dress today and then this afternoon I'm goin' sledding! Finally! Haven't gone yet this year and I'm itching to go. And look...it's snowing again!

Happy weekend and if I'm not back here before next week, have a delightful Valentine's Day, even if you don't celebrate it. It's always fun to eat candy, right? xoxo

blizzard!

2011-02-02T10:13:00.003-06:00

Yesterday and through the night we had an awfully lot of snow falling and blowing around outside. Today when I woke up I saw mounds of snow and drifts everywhere! The snow plows won't be out this way for some time and I'm content just being here at home, sewing away on my sewing machine. I am hoping I will have time later to make up a batch of delicious donuts! It's a bit of a tradition in my family to make donuts on the first real blizzard (after all the holidays are over). Since I was home schooled growing up, we didn't really have to take a snow day, but since my mom is super nice, she decided to make one for us anyway. And she'd spend all morning making batches of donuts! So of course, I have to keep that tradition alive! Here's a recipe that looks mighty tasty...and easy!

p.s. speaking of donuts...

perfection.

2011-01-27T08:38:00.003-06:00

Isn't it absolutely perfect? I would love to wear this dress, all the time, every day.

my wardrobe: organizing.

2011-01-19T09:35:00.002-06:00

A little something I devised to assist me in the morning. Since it's so hard for me to figure out what to wear when I get out of bed every day, I thought perhaps it would help if I label the clothing in advance.

snow keeps coming.

2011-01-19T08:46:00.004-06:00

Busy, busy snow flakes swirling 'round and 'round... I'm a busy snowflake these days too!

{p.s. i've changed my new year's resolution from doing a full workout every day to instead doing crunches. and i'm much happier for it. maybe it will gradually change to a better workout. but for now, this works for me!}

Happy Wednesday!

.

2011-01-12T09:24:00.002-06:00

No title. Just looking at some old photos I took last year. Need to remember to take more pictures and blog more.

A blessed mid-week to you! xo

Listening to some Midlake again.

new year's resolutions.

2011-01-03T10:43:00.004-06:00

Here are mine...

Wake up a half an hour early every week day.
Exercise regularly, at least a couple times a week (hoping to fit in a little bit every day).

That's it! You'd think I'd be able to stick to that, but it's a lot harder than it looks. Today I finished the first day of exercise, but not the waking up early part. Oh, well. Good luck to all of you who have New Year's resolutions!

p.s. a few others who are doing their new year's resolutions.

on a cold winter's day.

2010-12-30T14:43:00.004-06:00

Today I've been nursing a head cold, and what I've found that helps immensely is to make a pot of soothing eucalyptis tea. It's very simple. All you do is take 1 tsp dried eucalyptis leaves and steep in 6-8oz hot water for about 9 minutes. I made a couple of pots today. You can also boil the leaves in a steaming pot of water and place your head over the steam to inhale. Wearing a towel over your head helps also, although it gets kind of hot, so I don't really like doing it for too long. I also made a pot of the most delicious vegetable soup. I highly recommend this recipe. I left out the pasta and forgot to get red peppers, but it still tastes amazing and is exactly what I needed today. Now all I need to do is make some bread and I'm set!

Any plans for New Year's Eve? I've already been to a couple of pretty great parties and since I don't really have any place to go this year, I think Jed and I are going to have our own little party. You know what I really want to do is make Jed another Christmas present and we can have Christmas all over again! Oh yes, did I mention I had a pretty spectacular Christmas this year? Everyone was so generous! Jed got me this lovely perfume. I've never owned perfume in my life (at least not the real stuff) so I am pretty excited about it. That means I'm all grown-up now, right? I got Jed a pair of much needed shoes. He looks pretty hot in them, if I do say so myself. And I also made him a picture album using pictures from our summer. I used MagCloud to make the picture book and then penned in a few memories on each page. I'm going to try and continue making albums for all the seasons I've spent with Jed.

Hope you have a wonderful New Year's! I'm taking it easy right now due to my cold and also for the holidays, but am planning to be back in full swing by the middle of next week. xo

p.s. are you the type who makes new year's resolutions? i didn't think i was, but am thinking about taking advantage of the new year and getting back into an exercise routine. i have a video called "ballet bootcamp" and i know the title sounds funny, but the one time i tried it i really liked it. thinking about starting it back up again. here's hoping i can stretch myself to get up a half hour early every morning...

merry christmas!

2010-12-24T17:39:00.002-06:00

Although this is a picture I took last year, it looked very similar outside today. We had a blizzard last night and the snow continued to fall today, so it's quite the winter wonderland out there! I'm here at my parent's house enjoying an early Christmas celebration and again tomorrow and the next day with extended family. Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!

shop update!

2010-12-10T15:30:00.004-06:00

Over at Big Cartel this time!

p.s. to those of you who have responded to my little announcement...all i can say is wow! you guys are incredibly kind and sweet!!! :) xoxo

j + a.

2010-12-09T13:00:00.005-06:00

Maybe you've wondered where I've been lately? Among other things, I got myself engaged! We kept it a secret except to close friends and family for a couple of weeks, but now it's official! xo

a surprise package from france!

2010-12-01T09:25:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I walked to the post office in the blistering cold to mail off a check for rent and to mail the terribly high gas bill. Yes, it's officially that time of year and I am learning that it is a huge headache trying to keep a really old building warm. So I've moved my sewing machine into the little entryway and turned off the gas. That was a huge relief. And it's SO much cozier in here. So anyway, you can imagine how I felt after mailing those checks off. But then I went into the post office and looked in my box! There was a little orange key, which means there's a package waiting for me! I opened the box and discovered a parcel from...France! My dear friend Valerie whom I met through my blog, decided to just send me a package because she's awesome like that! You know sometimes you meet someone and you know right away that they are a kindred spirit? Well it was exactly like that when I met Valerie. Oh, no, we haven't "met" in person, but I know in my heart that we have. It is more than seeing a person face to face to meet them. She is sweet and kind and incredibly talented. Not to mention she has impeccable taste in everything! She sent over a beautiful shawl she crocheted, a box of French chocolates, beautiful pocket calendar, tea and last but not least, the most sweet, kind and lovely note that she wrote to me. I don't deserve such kindness!! Thank you again, Valerie. xo

it was a good week.

2010-11-29T15:02:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving week was pretty awesome. SO much to be thankful for this year. Thank you all for sticking around here and for supporting me! You all have been absolutely incredible. I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving, for those of you who celebrate the holiday and also for those who don't. Now it's time to get back into the swing of things. And winter is almost here...I can feel it! Have a great week everyone! xo

my wardrobe: toggle coat.

2010-11-23T10:53:00.002-06:00

My new coat is finished! Now I'll be warm and toasty!

Happy Thanksgiving week to you! My guests are coming over tonight and guess what? I'm making chicken curry. Yeah, so much for wanting to be all vegetarian. But I thought I would pick something easy, that I've made before.

Keep warm. Be thankful. Drive safe. xo

{a few more coat pictures here.}

le loup-garou

2010-11-19T07:35:00.002-06:00

A new online boutique for you to check out!

{p.s. it's friday already?!}

hi!

2010-11-15T16:20:00.004-06:00

I had a good weekend, how 'bout you?

whole wheat chocolate chip cookies are oh so good.
wool undies. (i actually found some for a little less on ebay, only they are not 100% wool.)
how to wear a dress five different ways. (more here.)
have you seen the pictures from little winter? sends me straight into the holiday spirit.
pretty holiday hair and red lips!
gifted magazine, have you read it yet?
martha's lovely little zine. i will show you mine soon.

Question: What to make for guests next week? Thinking of making vegetarian lasagna or minestrone soup or...? Vegetarian would be fun and although my guests aren't vegetarian, they appreciate foods without meat from time to time (as do I).

my wardrobe: winter coat.

2010-11-12T07:53:00.007-06:00

I decided a couple months ago that I *had* to make myself a new winter coat. The one I'd been wearing I sewed on Thanksgiving about, oh... three years ago? And while I can still technically wear it, I really want a new one. So I bought some really nice twill weave wool (feels slightly felted, which makes for lovely sewing) in brown and cream. Then I bought some huge (okay, only 2") toggle buttons (they are wooden, but look a bit like bone). Next I had to figure out what pattern to use and what lining to use, because I always seem to think of the lining last (I hate lining). I ended up using some cotton/linen check fabric I already had, because I was determined not to buy anything else. Then I found this really great 1960's coat pattern (I ended up buying two, one in a larger size and then when I got lazy and didn't want to grade the pattern, another in my size). One big thing I forgot about when making this coat was that the pattern called for shoulder pads. I didn't read the directions before making the coat (or really during, either) so when it came to attaching the sleeves, I couldn't figure out why the shoulders were so huge! Then it dawned on me. So annoying! I ended up having to take in the shoulder seams another 5/8" and then move the sleeves in by almost another inch. It took some fiddling, but I finally got it. I should have checked that before cutting out the coat, but I didn't want to make a mock-up and I didn't feel like reading the directions completely through before starting. What can I say? I get lazy sometimes when sewing for myself. :) But in the end, it all worked out. I'm still waiting on the rope I ordered for the button loops (woven cotton cord is harder to find than I thought). But I am really happy with how it turned out, especially seeing as I didn't exactly spend the time to make a mock-up and all.

Pictures to come once it is completed! And a very happy weekend to you all!

{above images: 1. dear creatures coat., 2. simplicity 4110, 3. vera coat., 4. carven tweed toggle coat.}

pretty clothes.

2010-11-06T11:36:00.004-05:00

All so very lovely. They are on my imaginary wish-list. I especially love the turn-of-the-century styling of the first blouse. Details are everything. I want to start making clothes for myself that add those little hand details. Like smocking or embroidery, the little things that take time, but are completely worth doing.

{all images from COTON.}

another new top coming...

2010-11-05T08:28:00.002-05:00

Can I just start out by saying black is really really difficult to photograph? Because it is. I took several pictures but these were the only two I think are OK. I'm gonna have to get my brother involved for some better modeling pics, methinks. The lighting wasn't so great either, which probably made it even harder. Nonetheless, I have a new top! And this one I'm quite happy with, I must say. It has french seams throughout, along with a bit of vintage lace and vintage (rust proof!) hooks and bar closures. It is made of black 100% linen and is a nice medium weight. The drape is heavenly. I might even make this into a dress for the holiday season. I have been in a strange holiday mood lately. Like, I am already watching Christmas movies ("Christmas in Connecticut," anyone??). I know it's way too early to get all excited about Christmas, but I guess my excuse is that I am trying to inspire myself into creating new holiday worthy garments. And this is what I came up with recently. I really want to keep this one because it's so flattering on me, but honestly haven't very many places I could wear it. My wardrobe basically consists of garments that will keep me warm while I work. I don't go out much at all and when I do, the people I go out with aren't the types who dress up. But perhaps I could justify wearing one of these with a thick lambswool cardigan (can you tell I've been lusting after one at J Crew?). Yes, I think I could justify it. Well then, maybe I will be greedy and keep one for myself. :) Anyway...so this will be in the shop SOON. I know I have like two other new tops I keep meaning to put up, but I finally just graded the pattern. Once I complete a few big projects (that means working this weekend, unfortunately) I will have them up in the shop. I am trying not to overload myself by putting new items in the shop while I'm stressing over other projects. So maybe I'll get those up next week.

Have a super weekend!

{p.s. i made a few more mark-downs in the shop today!}

harvest calico blouse.

2010-11-01T17:09:00.004-05:00

So guess what? I am going to sell one of the tops I was originally making for myself after all. Why? I guess I didn't realize that the color wasn't "me" when I purchased the fabric. Oh, well! Maybe someone out there will see it and snatch it up. I made it in size small and it's available in my Big Cartel shop and Etsy if you're interested. I'm really happy with how it turned out, so I may be making more of these calico blouses for the autumn/winter season. I plan to make another for myself in a different color and pair it with a silk undershirt for really cold days.

Although one of the tops I made I am not keeping, I did manage to make another button-up for myself on Saturday. It's made out of a really lovely woven cotton that is brushed on one side, which feels super soft and comfy next to my skin. It will be great to wear to my brother's barn party next weekend. I'll share pictures soon.

I hope everyone had a spooky Hallowe'en! I did! My boyfriend and I watched Sleepy Hollow (which I hadn't seen before) and some kids banged on our door rather loudly at one point, which freaked me out. We didn't have any candy because I was told no one really comes out this way, so those little brats didn't get anything. Jed did go out and get some candy later, even though no one else showed up. That's okay! More candy for us!

Have a wonderful week and hello November!

sewing for myself.

2010-10-28T10:20:00.005-05:00

I know I said I don't like to sew for myself, but I've decided (once again) that sometimes what I really want I just can't buy or I can't buy with the money I have to spend. So I purchased some fabric to make a few simple fall/winter tops to wear with cardigans. I'll probably use my own pattern and change a few features on them. I'm leaning towards using the Phoebe top pattern and making it a pullover and adding long sleeves. I might also make a back opening version. We'll see. The top three fabrics are the ones I've chosen and perhaps a woven plaid. And maybe I will make a few to sell in the shop. Do let me know if you are interested in something like this. I will share pictures when they're made (hoping I'll find time after work to sew!)

{p.s. thank you all so much for your comments on my boot dilemma! i had already pretty much decided on the bean boots because they are way more practical than the canvas riding boots. and i know i would be much happier if i waited to get a pair of riding boots all in leather as i have a feeling the canvas would get dirty after a few wears. i'll let you know when i get the bean boots and how i like them. i'm going to wait a bit, since i don't actually need them until we get some snow on the ground.}

two pair boots, but which one?

2010-10-27T08:46:00.003-05:00

I need a good sturdy pair of winter boots and I know which pair I'll really get a lot of use out of. But the other one is calling my name too and I know I shouldn't buy both...or should I? Which pair would you buy if you had my dilemma? L.L. Bean Boot or the Lands' End Canvas Riding Boot?

what i've been working on...

2010-10-22T23:05:00.002-05:00

...more soon.

Enjoy your weekend! xo

man-proof 1938.

2010-10-21T08:45:00.005-05:00

I love this movie. I could watch it over and over, back to back and not get tired of it (I have). I realize my taste in old movies differs quite widely from many people and so most likely others would not be quite so enthusiastic as I am over this film. But it's one of my more recent personal favorites. I discovered this gem on Youtube several months ago. I don't know if it's still online, but I did an evil thing and downloaded each video to my computer so I could watch it through iTunes whenever I wanted. But yesterday it was on TCM and my mom taped it for me, so now I can watch it on a real live television!

This film is about a girl named Mimi Swift (Myrna Loy) who is infatuated with this guy Alan Wythe (Walter Pidgeon) who is a bit of a playboy. Mimi has a pretty amazing mom (Nana Bryant) and a close family friend named Jimmy Kilmartin (Franchot Tone) who she doesn't realize is really the best friend she's ever had (not until the end of the film, that is). She thinks she's in love with Alan and she's going to do all she can to nab him, even after he's married (to Rosalind Russell). Jimmy and Meg Swift (her mother) know she is going to get herself hurt and tries to stop her, but she won't hear any of it. My favorite part about this film is the relationship between Mimi and her mother. They just seem to get along so perfectly together. And of course it doesn't hurt to have lots of lovely clothes, a cute cozy home (I love that plaid couch and the square cushions!) and of course a happy ending. It's the perfect movie to put me in good spirits. Does the trick every time. I don't think it's available on DVD, but watch for it on TCM, they play it every now and then. If you are into old films as much as I am, this one is sure to become one of your favorites.

"joanna" dace coat ::SOLD::

2010-10-20T14:51:00.004-05:00

Well, turns out I haven't worn the coat more than a few times. So I've decided to sell it. Yes, I am being ruthless in my closet! It is size small (ask if you need more specific measurements, it fits around 34-35" bust) and I altered the fit of the coat only slightly so it was more flattering. Here is the back view. Retailed for $395 and I believe it was on sale when I purchased it for $110. I'm selling it here for $80. Please email me if you are interested. gracefullady@gmail.com

{SOLD} Thank you! :)

mark down.

2010-10-14T08:59:00.004-05:00

I just marked down the remaining two Dorothea dresses in my shop. I'm making room for new items coming soon. These are marked down to $180. Please do take a look! xo

coming soon: flannel work shirt.

2010-10-12T15:34:00.003-05:00

This is my newest design that I've been working on. It's made of a lovely cotton/wool flannel. I have enough fabric for five tops so once they are gone, they are gone.

a review.

2010-10-12T14:55:00.007-05:00

I received the items I got from the CSN Stores in the mail the other day and finally got a chance to use my new saucepan! I'm actually going to be giving this to my boyfriend because he doesn't have a saucepan at his apartment. But I thought I would test it out before I gave it to him. I made a simple caramel syrup using my own recipe (brown sugar, butter, milk and vanilla extract). I love this saucepan because there are pouring spouts on either side of the pan, which makes it nice for sauces. I also like the clear glass lid so you don't have to keep lifting up the lid to see how everything looks while it is cooking. I believe it's also oven safe, which may come in handy down the road. AND on the side of the lid where the pouring spout is at, there are small holes for straining liquid from pasta or other food that need straining. One side has slightly larger holes than the other. Perfect. No need to use a colander!

The next item I received was a basic cheese grater. The big reason for getting this was because I'd like to make my own laundry detergent and almost every recipe tells you to grate a bar of soap. The only grater in the house is one that grates cheese and another that grates very fine cheese. I needed one in between these, so I got this multi-purpose grater. It's exactly what I was looking for. Sturdy and sharp. This is an essential item to have in your kitchen, especially one like this that will not rust! I will be using this a lot, that's for sure!

another yard sale!

2010-10-10T13:08:00.000-05:00

This time I'm cleaning out my closet. This is the first round. I will probably do another sale later this month, depending on how much time I have. Just email me with the items you would like to purchase and your zip code. I will try to update the list periodically throughout the day.

Fall Clothing Sale::

wardrobe basics :: boy's wear

2010-10-06T08:14:00.004-05:00

Have you ever thought about wearing boy's clothing, or do you already? I've been on the hunt for good basic plaid flannel shirts and it's really hard to find. Most of women's clothing are fitted or they just don't look as "classic" as I'd like them. I love just your basic men's shirt, but men's clothing tend to be slightly too large for me (oh, I still wear them anyway) and I thought I'd check out the boy's section over at LL Bean. I noticed in the comments section that someone else ordered a boy's shirt to wear herself. She says she normally wears an xs petite and ordered size medium. Obviously not everyone can wear boy's clothing, but it might work if you generally wear a size small. I'm considering ordering a shirt in size medium or large. I'll let you know if I do and how it looks.

{ll bean boy's shirts. view 1, view 2.}

apple orchard pt 2

2010-10-06T07:59:00.003-05:00

Some more pictures from the apple orchard visit awhile back. Also experimenting with Jed's Canon film camera. Always exciting to see how the pictures turn out. They were ok, but I am still getting the hang of the camera. Obviously Jed took the ones with me in them. ;)

{please do drop by my friend casey's blog for an interview she did with me! xo}

wardrobe basics.

2010-10-05T13:18:00.007-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about cold weather basics. I now live in a building that is basically like an old refrigerator. It locks in the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter. So instead of dressing like it's still summertime all year 'round, you gotta dress like it's 50 degrees inside (because it is). This morning I went into my sewing room and put on my red wool hood, wrapped a blanket around my waist, wore a pair of wool socks and wool slippers and then a long wool cardigan over the top of a plaid shirt and long sleeved knit shirt. I was still cold, and unable to move I might add. Not ideal wear for working either. So I got to thinking about my wardrobe and how it would be nice if someone could put together a list of basics. Just your good old basic jeans, flannel shirts and pair of good boots that work for winter snow and rain. I put a file on my desktop and I'm beginning to acquire a list of items online that I am interested in adding to my "basics" wardrobe. Ideally I would make most of my clothing, but I don't have time and when it comes to the end of the day, I'm really not interested in doing a lot of sewing for myself. That may change, but this is how I feel for the present. That said, I've already purchased a vintage pattern and wool for a new winter coat I plan to make myself. Go figure...

Here are a few items I've found that I think are made reasonably well and should be sturdy and last a long time.

{top to bottom: lands' end striped top*, lands' end "canvas" slim jeans, ll bean flannel tucked shirt, ll bean sturdy black leggings, sunday factory top, fox river red heel socks, lands' end chelsea boot**, ll bean 10" maine hunting shoe.}

*i own this top and love it. exactly what i was looking for. btw, i ordered a size xs.
**similar to the ones from toast, only not as expensive. not sure of the quality, though.

fabric for sale!

2010-10-03T16:43:00.003-05:00

I am getting rid of a ton of fabric that has been in my stash far too long. Also a few unfinished projects along with the patterns. I priced everything super low. There's lots of silk chiffon, printed cotton voile and more! Please stop by if you are interested.

two pair trousers {sold.}

2010-09-29T10:16:00.006-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know I'm selling two pairs of denim 1940s trousers I made. One in waist size 27.5" and the other 30". Stop on over to my Yard Sale blog for more info. I have decided I probably won't be selling these trousers in my shop. I'm concentrating more on tops and dresses right now and also using patterns I have drafted myself (that way I don't' have to worry about copyright issues and all that crap). So get them while they're hot! :) Generally these would be selling for closer to $120, but I am pricing these at $65, so I am cutting their price considerably!

{They are now sold! Thank you!!}

Then all you'll need is an old straw hat and a worn out pair of shoes. ;)

a review to come...

2010-09-28T16:28:00.005-05:00

You might remember the give away I did on this blog awhile back. Well I was contacted again by the same people to do a review for one of their items. I'm not usually one to do reviews on this blog, but I thought it might be worth a shot. They seem to have quite a large selection and several stores to choose from. Their selection ranges from bar stools to cookware (thinking the cookware will most likely be my review).

Stay tuned. :)

p.s. thank you for all the comments, i am doing much better! now to get the heat working so my workroom can stop feeling like a refrigerator! also, i know i owe a lot of you emails and i will hopefully get to those later this evening (if not this evening, soon). xo

dreaming of warmer weather.

2010-09-25T20:46:00.003-05:00

I would love to write a post about all the coziness of fall, but I'm afraid all I can think of right now is the warmer weather of summertime. I am sitting here eating tomato soup and apple crisp (last of the apple orchard apples!) and kind of ticked off that I feel so miserable. But I suppose colds and sickness are what come with the cool weather. My body just needs to adjust to it. Perhaps it would help if I actually closed the window to my bedroom? It's just that this Iowa weather is so unpredictable. One day it is warm outside and the next day it is freezing cold and rainy. Well, I do like fall, but I have to say my body adjusts to the cold rather dreadfully. I have been drinking a lot of tea and that helps a little. And I love the cozy feeling of being warm inside while it's cold outside. However, I live in an old house/church and it has its disadvantages and this is definitely one of them (staying warm)! (Besides the random freakishly large spiders, weird crawly bugs and the occasional bat.) It's the time of year when everything wants in. Now I just need myself a nice space heater. But I will say, baking things in the oven helps warm up the kitchen/living room immensely.

By the way, I am truly sorry if I owe you an email, I really wanted to get caught up today! But it seems all I did was laze around and sleep and read Nancy Drew and haven't gotten a stitch of work done. Ah, well. That is what Saturdays are for, right? Have a lovely and warm rest of the weekend!

apple orchard.

2010-09-13T23:45:00.002-05:00

Hello! It's been awhile since I've been on here. Busy busy and computer time is slim. But I'm enjoying the gradual change of weather (though there are days I think it's not so gradual). Going to the apple orchard is something I look forward to every year since I was a little girl. Mom used to take us kids out during a week day for a picnic and apple picking. We'd always have a basket for windfall apples and one for picking off the tree. The ones off the tree had to be extra special. The ones off the ground we made apple sauce and apple turnovers. Mmm. I've already made a batch of apple turnovers this year (Jed and I had them for dinner the night of the apple picking!) and I know I'll be making many more. Hope your weeks have been grand and the move from summer to fall isn't too drastic of a change. I am thinking of lots of plaids this year. Thinking up a plaid flannel pullover top with a hint of wool. Snuggle time!

calendar collaboration.

2010-09-01T10:20:00.003-05:00

Hello and happy September 1st! I have an exciting collaboration to share with you for this month. The lovely and super talented Shanna Murray contacted me last month about doing a calendar collaboration with her for the month of September. I was completely surprised when she wrote me about it. I never thought she would ask *me*! I was excited and agreed, but a little worried because I was afraid I would not photograph anything quite good enough. But I was up for the challenge and took five photographs, sent them to Shanna and this is the one she chose! I'm so happy with the final calendar. She does the most lovely work. Please do drop over to her space and take a look.

::

In other news, you must go right now and take a look at the gorgeous clothing from Ilana's new F/W look book. Amazing.