A World of Whimsy

This week....

Yet again I have been hit with a cold that has crushed me and ruined my chances of doing anything productive. Today, thanks to a strong dose of antibiotics, I have just begun to come out of my sinus stupor.  So until next time;  wash your hands, drink plenty of fluids, and be sure to  get some of sleep!

Adorable Adornments

Even though I was procrastinating, I finally found time to finish my double sided apron yesterday. It was quite quick actually. I stitched on the waist ban and added a few vintage buttons at the neck. I have to say I'm very happy with how it turned out. Inspired by a vintage pattern and sewn from recycled, and vintage linens it is fit for any baking enthusiast!

   

Inspired by the return of winter I decided to make some Holiday themed jewelry.  This  Fair Isle  mitten necklace brings home the nostalgia of winter-white days spent making snow angels and engaged in precarious snowball wars. I used soft pink felt recycled from a sweater I ruined long ago. I needle felted assorted colors on top, to mimic the look of Fair Isle knitting. I used embroidery floss to add detail and stitch on a back to the mittens. Cute and a tad kitschy, this necklace is fun to wear and makes me happy.

 

Best of October... better late than never!

My goal is to have a "Best Of" every month.  The problem this last month was that it was brimming with awesome activities, themed parties, and days filled with yummy treats. I've tried to scale it down. I mean we don't want to make September feel bad, do we?

1. Bake Sale Betty's

On the corner of 51st and Telegraph this little bakery is packed full every weekend. Brave the long lines for their apricot-almond scones. With chunks of dried apricot, a mild almond undertone and a crusty sugar topping. Also their fried chicken sandwiches are unlike anything I've ever eaten before! Delicious!

2. Oakland Parks And Recreation

For my birthday, Joe got me a wonderful present. A bike for himself. Now we go about town on our days off and visit all the beautiful and unique parks in the Oakland Area.  The most recent, The Morcom Rose Garden off grand avenue, is my favorite and hopefully the setting for our wedding next year.

3. Sabon

While in New York, walking through the cold and wind and rain, my friend and I stumbled upon this little shop.  My favorite product: The Patchouli Lavender Vanilla body scrub, their signature scent. My skin has never been softer!  Their face masks were pretty amazing as well.

 

4. KQED

Fall brings short days and long evenings. I can't think of a better way to spend those extended evening hours than curled up on the couch with Joe and the dog, watching Antiques Roadshow.  When the weekend finally arrives we watch Rick Steve's Europe and Lidia's Family Table while we have our morning coffee, and maybe some of those Apricot scones!

 

5. Halloween

What is October with out Halloween?   With A pumpkin carving party courtesy of Nora, a homemade costume and a wacky Halloween party filled with friends, this was a good year!  Definitely.

 

My pumpkin matched my Gnome costume!

Everyone sharing in the good times!

See you next month....

Homemade and Handmade....

Inspired by designing and sewing my Halloween Gnome costume I felt the need to continue my sewing endeavors.

From recycled fabrics I made a cozy tank-top with eyelet underlay, a teal green A-line skirt with more eyelet underlay, and with red felt and black embroidery floss I constructed a simple little hat that really pulled the whole outfit together. By the way, for those that aren't aware, that is how gnomes dance!

Scrounging  around in my fabric selections, I found the top to an apron I started this time last year.  Immediately I got to work. For my birthday I received this wonderful antique dress form and I was quite excited to put it to good use! I draped the printed bib on the form and pinned fabric and ribbon to it. It was wonderful to play this way. Pinning and un-pinning, changing fabrics and ribbons as I went.
I loved the peach and greens combination the best, and started sewing.

   
 

I added white eyelet fringe at the bottom. The apron is reversible or will be as it is not complete yet. The skirt has the same printed fabric as the bib on it's underside. The bib will have a button closure at the top with a sweet vintage button I have yet to decide upon.

Tune in next week for it's completion....