T Towel Tea Towel

Guess what came today? My t towel tea towel! I've been kind of obsessed with these ever since my friend Erin showed me a prototype last March. I think the concept is ingenious, the execution is impeccable, the look is hip, and, overall—it's just so darn clever. Comes in blue or red.

Only problem is, I don't want to dirty it. However, to not use it is to deny it some of its cleverness. For if it is just a "T" typography screen print that I hang on my wall, the pun is dead. And I love the pun. But I also love the design, so—my chocolate-milk-fingered kitchen, this tea towel shall not dry.

Maybe it will make an appearance at my next tea party, however.

How do you like your T?

Sunday Brunch Jacket

I finished Louisa's fall jacket a few weeks ago but she's just starting to wear it now. I used my first Oliver + S pattern: the Sunday Brunch Jacket.

I had high expectations for this pattern considering all its rave reviews, and of course, the fabulous instructions and diagrams made even this fancy jacket a breeze to make. The seam binding tape on the inside really makes the jacket look professional.

The fabric is upholstery weight, ("dry clean only,"which I chose to ignore. It seems fine and I've washed it a few times now). A nice cotton that I found at Valley Fabrics in Stuarts Draft. I think it was $6.50/yard. The wooden buttons and bias tape were a few dollars and the pattern was $16, so the jacket cost me less than $30. And when I make the pattern again, it will be a fabulous deal for such a stylish little jacket. She gets compliments every time she wears it. I might make it with just two larger buttons (like they did on the purlbee) next time because buttoning (and unbuttoning) all four is kind of a chore.

I would like one in my size.

Next up, Leo's jacket! Just sewed the buttons on last night.

Update: Here she is wearing it a couple months later on New Year's.

Beach Party Dress

For Louisa's birthday, back in May, I made two versions of the Beach Party Dress by fiddlehead (a free pattern download!). I made the 24-month size and made a couple alterations the second go around.



The first version I made in Blue Wings from the Storybrook collection by Alexander Henry (bought on sale from purlsoho.com) with some yellow checked gingham for the lining (a fat quarter from Ben Franklin). It turned out a little big in the top and too short in the length, so when I made the final party-dress version I took it in an inch or so around the bodice and made the skirt two inches longer.




I also added a panel of the lining fabric to the elastic section in back, which wasn't necessary, but I like the look of it. I used two different prints from Heather Ross's Far Far Away line. It's a very nice double guaze that I also bought at Purl Soho when I was in New York visiting Meredith for my birthday. I store bought pink bias tape which was much easier (and cheaper) than making my own, especially since I was using such fancy fabric. Also I hate making bias tape.

Here's Louisa's dress from her first birthday. It was made from some simple cotton from Ben Franklin using Heather Ross's Smocked Sundress pattern from Weekend Sewing. 12 month size. Super easy, even for my first time sewing with elastic thread.

Garden Expansion

Now that we know we are not moving til (at the earliest) next August, we are making our garden twice as big this year. Ordered all organic seeds from Seeds of Change and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Planted lettuce last weekend and finally got the peas in the ground today. Started basil inside last week.

AJ hand tilled and cleared the new part of the plot while I cleaned up the existing area and planted the lettuce on March 7.

The basil seeds I started inside on 3/8 look like this on 3/16.

The finished expansion with posts in the ground and the pea trellis up. AJ did that work this weekend while I was in New York and I planted the peas today with compost from his parent's farm.

The onions and garlic in the foreground are from last summer and the parsley in the middle of the plot is coming back from last year too.

My bulbs emerging on March 6.

How they look today, ten days later.

Tete a tetes are blooming! One of my favorites.

Martha Stewart Multi-Grain Bread

From the February 2010 issue. Yum! I have to admit I had never made my own sandwich bread before. Turned out well, and even with organic ingredients it is much cheaper than the local organic bread I usually (and will most likely continue to) buy at the store.

Yoga Mat Bag

I was excited to make something to hold the fancy new Manduka yoga mat my sister gave me for Christmas. So, my sewing project for the January blizzard became Amy Butler's Nigella Yoga Mat (free PDF pattern here on her site).

I used Full Bloom in coral from her August Fields line. The fabric is home decor weight, and I lined it with a pale pink heavy weight cotton so it is sturdy without any interfacing.

The pockets are just big enough to hold my eye pillow and some extra hair clips.

Sand Box

Louisa's first birthday present came a week early... A.J. built her a deluxe sand box!

Natural Easter Eggs

This year, instead of using an old PAAS kit from the dollar store, we tied flowers, leaves, grass and weeds onto the eggs tightly with string and then boiled them in water with lots of onion skins. The trick is to use a lot of thread, wrapped around and around. There are more instructions here.

They turned out very pretty and 100% non-toxic, especially when the eggs come from the organically-fed chickens in my parent's backyard.