Spruced Up Cardi and Decole Goodies

Ah Decole - a love affair has begun! These are my second and third additions to my budding Decole collection - a mushroom teapot for one with matching cup. How cute are these!? I think that I've decided to start collecting tea for one sets, since we're such big tea drinkers. They're so fun and lovely and they just make tea time special!

Moving on from the Decole gushing - on to some craftiness!

I've been on a real clothes revamp kick as of late. I almost pledged for Wardrobe Refashion this time around, but I opted for quietly revamping on my own without the pressure of having to post about it. Which of course...I am doing right now! I've had this particular cardigan since highschool, and as you can see it's on it's last legs. I patched it up the best that I could and gave it a little pizazz...



Ta-da! A blanket stitch here, a blanket stitch there and my cardigan is as good as new! Well - rather old and worn with some new fancy decorations! I did learn from this project that when embroidering onto a knit with yarn, best to stay away from nubby yarn. This red had little multicolored nubbies in it, and instead of adding interest here and there, the color plops just got all knotted up as I went along. I'm also not trying to be a dorky supermodel in the picture on the left, I just wanted to show that the stitching was on the cuffs as well. Cute, no?

Well Cassie is trying to eat/fight with the cord connecting to my keyboard, so I suppose I must sign off. Before I do though, check out this. Our dear, Dawbis is having a little picture party!

Cheers!

A wee matryoshka

Finito!



* I received a comment today that made me want to clear something up. This is an original embroidery design. I did not take Sarah's matroyshka stamp, stamp it on to fabric and embroider it in. If you look at the stamp and my embroidery they don't look anything alike.

A bit of morning

Martha Stewart Living, yummy oolong in my yummy Decole tea for one set, thrifted polka dotted napkin, packages to be sent to blog friends in awesome Gumby stationary - (until I went all the way to the post office and found it closed because it's a national holiday, sheesh), embroidery work in progress - can you tell what it is yet?

Rockabilly Boobholder

This is what became of the embroidery WIP that I showed you a little while ago. Pardon my goober-ness in the photos...NOT too photogenic today! I doctored up an old office shirt of my sister's that was Goodwill bound using this tutorial from Craftster. So easy! The thing that took me the longest was the embroidery and that only took me a couple of hours of work. The sparrows are Sublime Stitching patterns from Jenny Hart's book. Love that woman...her patterns are so cool and I probably would've never picked up embroidery had I not seen her patterns in Bust.

Close-up of the stitchery:

Anyone want to swap?

I am desperately seeking the Marie Claire Idees Winter 2006 issue. Not the latest one, but the one before that. My brother bought me a subscription to MC Idees for Christmas, which I have been anxiously awaiting, and I have received no magazine. Invoice for a gift subscription for $0 dollars? Yes, check. Ugly free nylon tote bag? Yes, check.

I called the company - waited on hold for 12 minutes of horrific flamenco music to be told in about 30 seconds that my brother hasn't paid yet.

What?!

It's the middle of February!!!! Really?

I'm not really surprised, more mad that I've missed out on an issue, because the whole reason that said brother got me this subscription is because Barnes and Noble doesn't carry it anymore. Boo Barnes and Noble.

SO! If anyone has this issue and would like to trade for another magazine or for crafty goods, let me know.

End of rant.

It's here, it's here!

Here is a little glimpse of my kitchen wall, with its new addition "Buzz" by Flossy-P on the left. This picture does not do it justice! The colors are so lovely in person and there is just something about it that makes me smile! I have never wanted a piece of art so badly, and here it is hanging in my home. I'm so happy!

However, for the time being it is living in a rather sub-par frame. Alas, we are poor, so I bought the only cheap frame with a mat in place that I could find.



Vomit. There is something I positively hate about cheapy frames with the fakey silvery/gold border, gack! So I took measures into my own hands with a red Sharpie, (to go with my Amelie themed red/green kitchen).



Voila! Crappy frame, slightly less crappy, and I must say that on the wall it does not look half bad! As soon as I can, the lovely "Buzz" will be housed in a better frame, but for now I think it's alright!

Stamps Feet!

my "nephew" oskar and i "singing" to eachother...aaaaaaaaah!

LESS WORK!

MORE CRAFT!

Hopefully something of interest will be posted here tomorrow...if ANYBODY is still with me - sheesh!

Until then a few linkety links:

Gorgeous. Expensive. Basically, I'm jealous.
My husband bought this for me for Valentine's Day! Hurrah! I've been drooling over this like a madwoman!
A teapot and one cup en route from the UK...I can't wait!

Crafty? No. New Hair? Yes!

Inspired by fabulous hair (and awesome clothes too) at Amores de Toquio Flickr Set.

This weekend = Lounging with hubby, more craft room revamp work, more CRAFTING, more Snow White, and the First Annual Bubba Gump February Seafood Festival at my sister's house. Weekends rock!

P.S. My hair has never been this straight in my life! I'll post some pictures after washing it and all of the fun layers should pop out.

My ballet students are so cute!

No pictures, just a little story today...

I was teaching creative dance today to four and five year olds. I started teaching them about using different facial expressions when they dance. I asked them to make happy faces, sad faces, scared faces, etc.

When I asked them all to make their best sad face the wee-est little girl in the class tried to put on a sad face and then cracked into a big smile. She giggled and said, "Miss Sarah I can't make a sad face because I'm too happy!"

It is these moments that make my job worthwhile!

Picking Up the Needle Again

I have not embroidered anything in such a long time! I've recently been inspired by the lovely Floresita's projects. Check out this pillow case! Swooooon...

Anyways - I've been disappointed in myself for just looking at beautiful craft blogs and not being inspired to actually get off my bum and DO SOMETHING! I expect this project will be revealable within the next few days. Perhaps tomorrow or Friday. I'm so excited to be doing something for myself that's all mine mine mine mine mine. *Does happy little greedy crafty dance!*

Cheers!

I love my job!

It's been a busy weekend seeing fabulous dance performances, teaching dance workshops, visiting friends and not really paying attention to the Super Bowl - except for Prince of course - did you SEE that turquoise suit? Fabulous.

Short post today - I'll leave you with this picture - yes I get to do this all the live long day. I love it!

Patience and Little Stitches

Last week I put one of my scarves up for sale and I realized that I wasn't quite happy with it. So I've made a couple of improvements to my little dotty lovelies. I really admire the teeny blanket stitches that my mum does on her ornaments, so I've attempted to have a little patience and make my blanket stitches much smaller as well. It looks sooo much better. I've also added interfacing under the dot appliques so that they're a little more stable.

There...



that's much better!

P.S. The red one will be for sale in my Etsy shop, the brown one is a gift. I have plenty of material left to make more brown ones...what do you think, should I pop those in the shop too?

P.P.S. I love waking up to sunlight and snow - and Robot Chicken!

Beautiful Gift

This gorgeous vintage undergarment was given to me by one of Matt's bandmate's Annie. A friend of hers was helping to clear out a house full of vintage clothing among other antiquities. (I wish I could have been there!) She sweetly put this aside for me. It looks like it has never been worn - it's bright white and perfect! She told me it's most likely from the turn of last century. Swoon - I'm in love, but I have a dilemna...

The piece has a crotch, so it's shaped like a loose bathing suit. I would like to wear it as a tunic shirt, but - GASP - I would have to cut the crotch out. Matt's bandmate has said that she would do the same, but I'm having creeping guilt for "destroying" a vintage garment in such perfect condition. But then again, if I don't modify it, it will most likely sit in my drawer forever.

What would you do?