The Royal Treatment

I have plenty of craft projects I could talk to you about today. Knitting, sewing, embroidery... it's all going on at my house. But I watched the Royal Wedding this morning and now I feel inspired. I'm a sucker for all the fancy pomp and circumstance. Yes, I need to talk about the hats!

The parade of hat nuttiness that was filing into that church this morning was a feast for the eyes of this American. But, in my estimation, the hat of the day award goes to Princess Beatrice for her Lady Gaga-looking 3-D ribbon. It just makes me wonder what sort of creative direction these ladies give to the milliner? Hmmm....maybe...."I need something really tall, and nuts...that will show up those b*stards for not inviting my mother!" One can only speculate.

Beatrice is the one on the right...

Seeing all these hats this morning has compelled me to share my own unique "hat" obsession with you - my antique hat pin collection. I credit my mother for starting me off with a few beautiful ones she found at an estate sale about 15 years ago. Since then, I've been picking them up here-and-there at antique shops and estate sales. As collectibles go, hat pins are awesome on a couple levels. First off, they can be really gorgeous. Here are some images from my modest collection:

I thought the corgi was a good one to highlight on such a royal day.

Some of the collection in their holders.

One of my more curious, hand-carved pins.

The second great thing about this kind of collection is the size of the pins. They don't take up very much room and they are easy to display. With all my recent pontificating about living sensibly, you'd think that I'd be against collecting things. Nonsense! I am against hording and collections that sit in boxes. However, I'm totally for surrounding yourself with beauty or collections that can be displayed tastefully.

So these pins sit on my bedroom dresser where I can appreciate them and muse about with who and where they have been in their lives. Man, I love objects with a history of their own.

–Cassandra

Finally.

If exasperation had a face, it would look like me.

Way back in September of 2010, I wrote about a shawl that I was knitting. At that point, I was about 40% done with the pattern - having taken the summer off from it - and speculated that I would complete the project by the end of October. Oh...how naive I can be at times.

The Garden Party Shawl, by Two Old Bags, is a relatively simple pattern with lovely eyelet rows and piquot edge detailing. (Don't judge it by the photo on the pattern, which shows the less desirable ruffle edge - entirely too girly for me.) I had never knit something this large but the pattern was so easy, I couldn't imagine having any problems at all.

I saw the pattern knit up at the 2010 Madison Knitter's Guild Knit-In. The sample, completed project was done with Irish wool which has such a stiff hand that the end-result was really crisp and beautiful. However, Irish wool is entirely too scratchy for me so I chose a sturdy but soft 100% wool from Galway, in a completely inoffensive mushroom color (of course.)

So, in September, when I blogged about this project, I was cranking away on the pattern and making great progress. It started getting tedious because the thing just grows and grows with each row so, by the time you're at the first bound-off edge, you've got about 350 stitches on the needles. My dogs loved it. They would sit on my lap and I'd cover them up with the work-in-progress. It was very warm and cuddly under there.

I quickly got to the first bind off, at which point you do a piquot edge and then pick up the stitches behind it and resume knitting the pattern for another 20 rows. In that second tier, the pattern calls for one more horizontal eyelet row in the middle of the tier. Yeah... Therein lies my problem.

Perfect little eyelet rows

For god-knows how many rows - about a bajillion, I think - my pattern was perfect. There was a lovely, straight, double-eyelet row down the center with horizontal eyelet rows coming in to meet the center row. All the little holes lined up exactly the way they were supposed to. I was a thing of beauty.

And then there was the second tier.

Things seemed normal. There was no reason to think that anything was amiss. And yet, for some unknown reason, the horizontal eyelet row would NOT meet the center row correctly and, as soon as I moved to the next row, everything would be off by one - the center eyelet row would be shifted over, as if it had been hit by a car or something and couldn't line up with the rest of its brothers. Rip, rip, rip.

I tore the stitches back and re-knit this section four times. And, let me tell you, when you've got 400 stitches on your needles, it causes much gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands. Finally, in frustration, I gave the work to my dear blogmate, Cassandra the Patient (and Lovely.) She tore it back for me one more time and, at that point, we decided that it simply wasn't worth the headache to try to force that uncooperative horizontal eyelet row into the second tier.

Second tier, sans eyelet row

 The Shawl Of Doom was finally completed on Sunday - and there was much rejoicing. Being able to wear and enjoy it now ALMOST negates the frustration that I felt while trying to finish it.

At the end of the day, the lesson is this - never, ever stick to a pattern that's fighting with you. Modify it, redesign it, make it your own but don't let the pattern beat you down to the point of wanting to chuck out months of work.

Not blocked yet, but it's pretty nice, huh?

 Now that I've beaten the shawl into submission, I'm going to tackle the Baby Blanket of Evil that I started years ago for my niece - when she was in utero. She's six or seven now. And her brother is four. I've got no idea who'll get this when it's done... but it's going to be done - mark my words.

- Alex the Willful

In My Room

We are in the process of sorting through mountains of stuff at my house. Donating, organizing, tossing... all in the name of sensibility. Unfortunately, the surface has only been scratched. This coming weekend we are hoping to tackle the basement. Ugh, the basement. It is riddled with things of little use and no beauty (thank you for the expression Jane Austen). It's time to be ruthless. We need the usable space down there because I have grand ideas. I need a studio.

Can't you just smell the turpentine in this room?

20 years ago when I was an art student, my studio was a messy place with smelly paints, drips, and splashes. It wasn't beautiful, but it was what it needed to be. That sort of work and environment doesn't fit my life at this moment. And that's okay, I'm having a really good time exploring my talents when it comes to stitching of all kinds. And, my new studio will be a sensible place for such work.

Alex wrote about her new studio room a while back, and I think it has been stuck in my mind since. My family (rightfully so) is really tired of the sewing machine on the kitchen table, stacks of fabric on the island, and yarn falling out of every closet when you open the door. The things that are not useful in our house are taking up too much room, making the things I use all the time the clutter. Ironic, huh?

There are 3 blogs that I follow whose authors have studios that take my breath away. If my forthcoming modest space can have even a drop of the charm of these studios...I will be a happy girl indeed.

Ana Maria Horner
This studio space is still under construction...but, ooh la la...you can see where it's headed. Lots of storage, interesting lines, space to think and dream. It has been really fun watching this construction take shape over time, and Anna Maria has thoughtfully shared her decision making, trials, and excitement with her readers. There are lots of good ideas here to inspire my new room.

I can't wait to see how Ana Maria fills this space.

Alicia Paulson
This studio is pretty much the most amazing place I've ever seen. If I could spend my days in this place I'd be the happiest girl on the planet. It would be like working in an enchanted cottage. I will spend some time figuring out how to get a smidge of that vibe in my studio.

I bow down to your greatness Ms. Paulson.

Amanda Soule
This mama of (soon to be) five is a woman after my own heart. Here studio is realistic, practical, sparse, and charming. It is probably the closest thing to my studio reality. I love the way she welcomes her family into this room. There are children's drawings on the walls, and nothing is so fussy that little people couldn't come in and lend a hand once in a while.

I would love to be a fly on the wall when Amanda is making with children in tow.

So, with the dream for beautiful/sensible place of my own...I march forth to purge (and purge and purge) the house of clutter.

–Cassandra

Quilts for Japan

No pithy title today - just a serious update on our last Crafting for Charity event.

These are on their way to Japan

As you may know from our previous posts, the company that Cassandra and I work for generously gives each employee a half day a quarter to do charity/volunteer work. It can be anything from Habitat for Humanity to volunteering at your kid's school. So, we formed a Crafting for Charity group that takes over the work room in our local sewing/knitting shop and spend a half day making stuff to give away.

We've made sundresses for an orphanage, no-sew fleece blankets for an animal shelter, scarves for the homeless, and knitted hats for preemie babies. At our event in February, three of us decided to take on a pattern called the Take-Along Quilt from the book Craft Hope by Jade Sims. None of us had quilted before so assume what you will... Needless to say, we weren't able to finish the entire quilt in one four-hour period so the remaining work was waiting for us last Friday when we took our next charity day.

A week before our charity day, someone sent me a link to a blog post by the editor of Quilters Newsletter. The exact post was as follows:

Quilters Newsletter has long enjoyed a friendship with Patchwork Tsushin, a leading Japanese quilt magazine. So when Editor in Chief Naomi Ichikawa emailed to say her magazine is collecting comfort quilts for those impacted by the recent earthquake in Japan, we wanted to join the effort. QN will gather quilts from U.S. quiltmakers then forward them to Naomi and her staff, who will deliver them to those in need.

This is when I start believing in fate or divine intervention or something. How perfect is it that, just as we're about to finish three quilts, we learn about a way to give to relief efforts in Japan? The idea that our small gift might bring comfort to someone who has been devastated by the events there is really moving.

I love how they look rolled up!

 So, we hurried to finish all three which I'm proud to say we accomplished. They were boxed up and mailed out two days ago with instructions to have them delivered to Quilters Newsletter today. Sadly, they got hung up in Colorado because of inclement weather but they're rescheduled to be delivered on Monday and then our first-time, rather amateurish attempts will be sent with the more serious quilts to warm someone during this crises. When something like this happens, it really solidified why we do this charity work.

I hope that whoever ends up with my little quilt doesn't look too closely at the stitching.

- Alex

I'm a Sensible Girl?

I am a person who tries to pay attention to what the universe is saying to them. I take note of my dreams, the things that seem to catch my eye on TV or online, and the stuff that comes up in basic conversation. Sometimes a trend develops, and that's when I have to delve deeper into that subject. Right now I am being drawn to the idea of simplicity.

I know, I know...simplicity is one of those buzzwords like creativity that inspire people to the navel-gazing that leads to a grand proclamation about sweeping life changes... and in the end you just stay the same. Trust me, I'm tired of the hype too. So, instead of saying that I'm simplifying, I am being sensible.

This is what a sensible person's pantry looks like.

If I'm being honest, living more simply means being more like my Great-Grandmother. And she was wonderfully sensible. Her home was warm and inviting with useful handmade items everywhere. It was neat as a pin (from basement to walk-up attic) because there was a place for everything. Cleaning for her must have been a snap because there was no time spent on clutter-clearing. She had beautiful things that you could really appreciate because there weren't distractions everywhere. That house had the vibe I'm striving to manifest in my own home.

Putting stuff in bins is not cleaning.

Sensible Home = Peaceful Mind

Much like the addict who hits rock bottom and never touches their vice again, I think I've had enough of the clutter in my world. Literally and mentally. First and foremost, I need to pare down. Shed things that are no longer useful and make a sensible place for everything I do need. This is quite a task! My first step is to fill my car with items to be donated. Then I can start to evaluate my space and find sensible places for sensible items.

The donation box is one of my best friends.

Once I get a handle on my environment, then I can turn my attention to the other parts of my life that need this treatment. Sensible foods, sensible gardening, sensible yada yada... happily turning back the clock 75 years and sharing the wins and losses with you.

–Cassandra

Jewels of Denial

I was an artistic kid. Right on through college, my focus was on art, in some form. Sometimes it was drawing (I'm pretty mediocre), sometimes pottery (also mediocre), some art history, and eventually interior design.

Then I got married, had a baby and, suddenly, didn't have time to sit around a contemplate the mysteries of  cerulean blue or Basquiat. In 18 months, all my dreams of being a boho artist in NYC were dashed.

Interestingly though, creativity can't be killed. It will bubble to the surface somehow, someway. For me, it came out in cooking. I had to cook every day and I discovered that I could get pretty creative with recipes. As a result of years of playing around in the kitchen, I'm a confident and decent cook who will, often, take risks with good results.

Once my son was in high school and fed himself most of the time (Easy Mac and potato chips, mostly), I found myself in need of a new creative outlet. In my neighborhood, there was a bead shop that had the most enticing front window filled with a gorgeous array of semi-precious stones and stunning finished jewelry. After a number of weeks of window gazing, I finally screwed up the courage to go inside. I wandered around, entranced by the colors and shapes, and was pleased to find that a strand of semi-precious stones isn't all that expensive. I also discovered that (like most craft shops) the staff was completely willing to help me learn whatever I wanted to learn. I had found my new muse.

Cassandra and I have spoken before about the siren song of craft supplies. When one starts a new craft, it's very easy to become enthralled by it and want to buy all the gorgeous bits that go with the new hobby. With beaded jewelry-making, very few tools are actually needed but it's not unusual to fall into the abyss of beads. As I mentioned, even semi-precious stones (including pearls) are pretty inexpensive when viewed individually. It isn't until you have a rubbermaid container full of them and realize that it's a few hundred dollars worth that the depth of the obsession comes to light. Like with yarn, there comes a point where I had to put a moratorium on bead buying. The rule (for all my crafts) is, "Supplies can only be bought with a specific project planned."

Another issue was that, while I enjoyed the action of making jewelry, I'm not an active wear-er of jewelry. I created hundreds of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more - sometimes even specifically FOR myself - but rarely, if ever, wore them. I'm not a big jewelry fan. I like it on other people and I like to wear things that belonged to my grandmother or mother but, in general, I wear the same silver hoop earrings and single silver ring every day. So, for the most part, I just gave it all away as gifts. Eventually, I stopped doing this craft because I figured people were sick of getting my jewelry for every gift-giving opportunity.

A rosary made by me

So, I'm left with a big box of beads, good tools, and an occasional desire to break it all out and start again. I won't get rid of my supplies because the day will come when someone wants a necklace for a wedding or a specific pair of earrings and I'll be able to make these items without having to re-invest in the hobby. Plus, every once in a while, I love just looking at the beautiful beads and imagining what they could become.

- Alex

Quilts for Japan

Happy Friday everyone!

This afternoon, Alex and I are lucky enough to be heading out to Stitcher's Crossing for another of our Craft Hope group meet-ups. Last time we started on some Take-Along Quilts and we are hoping (fingers crossed) to get them done today.



We will be shipping off our finished products to the Quilts for Quake Survivors organization. Here is a small bit of information about this group:

Quilts finished and received by April 22nd will be sent to Patchwork Tsushin in Japan who will distribute to those in need. Quilts finished after April 22nd will be listed in our etsy shop with 100% of the sale going to Mercy Corps and Peace Winds.

Luckily, I think we can get these mailed on Monday and they will be there before the April 22nd deadline. I can't think of a more devastating experience than having everything taken away from you within moments. It feels really good to be able to help...even in such a small way.

So, I'm off to be a good global citizen! Talk to you next week!!

–Cassandra