66 years

this past saturday  (sept. 17) was my parent’s wedding anniversary….number 66!!  over 3/4 of their lives have been spent together as man and wife.  and part of me wants to stop right there.  i mean, doesn’t that just about say all that needs to be said?  but of course i’ll say more!

those sixty-six years brought three children, eight grandchildren and so far, two great-granddaughters. they built a family business together, dad served the public as a township trustee for over 30 years, while mom served by working polls.  there were amazing camping trips (taken in a handcrafted trailer that dad built), ball games, piano recitals, boy and girl scout adventures and more square dances than you can shake a stick at.

i’ve tried to calculate the meals they’ve shared, the number of colds they’ve suffered through together, how many nights they couldn’t sleep until they talked through their day…but there is no calculator for those things.  but is there a secret?  they haven’t shared that yet, but from my viewpoint it must be truly liking the person you are with, whether they are wearing their angelic halo or their devil horns.

we have truly been blessed as their children to be a part of those sixty-six years…to have them as our role models in life…to have that bar set high, and yet know that it can be done because they have done it.

congratulations dad and mom.

frame up

an old painted wood frame caught my eye in an antique shop last year, and i immediately knew what i wanted to do with it.  the faded colors were the perfect complement to my studio walls…but what to put in it.

just about every item in my studio holds a place in my heart, whether it’s the photograph amy took of my featherweight, the cabinet built around a screen window from my oldest son brian’s log cabin, the button tin that was my grandmothers or the miniature sewing machine that kyle created.  i don’t put items in the studio that don’t have meaning to me.  and what is important to me right now?  snapdragon studios of course!  so now i knew what to frame…i just had to figure out how to go about it.

i had thought that i’d simply print my logo large enough to fill the frame.  but that turned out to be “impossible” according to the printer.  so i printed it as large as “possible” and used my handy-dandy non fabric scissors to cut it into an oval similar to the frame.

then i needed a background.  that took weeks!!  every time i thought i had chosen the perfect fabric i’d find another that made me doubt my choice.  i tried burlap, solids, wool, denim…and i ended up going with one of my faves, which also currently covers my inspiration board.

the white gloss paper against the fabric was waayyy to much contrast.  something had to be done.  pearl cotton to the rescue!  i blanket stitched the paper to the fabric.  i pre-punched the stitch holes on the paper using a needle to keep everything neat and avoid a tear and it worked great.  foamboard for the backing and it was ready to hang.

it was a dark and stormy night the night i hung and photographed it…thus the eerie shadows!  actually it brightens up an otherwise dead wall.

amy and i are planning a photo tour of my studio soon.  i can’t wait to share it with you along with a ‘historical prospective’ of how i finally landed a studio space at all.

where do you sew?

a new outlook…OR, a new look out

so, this happened.

after giving us a beautiful view for 30 years, our tired old windows have retired.  they still gave us a great view, but unfortunately they also let a lot of unwanted cold (or hot) air into the house.  it was time to go.

we’ve been “working” on this for over a year now…getting quotes that rivaled the national debt and listening to sales pitches regaling the benefits of “only our windows”.  it finally came down to the question of did we trust the people installing our new (and last) set of windows.  i think we found the right people…if you’re in central ohio i highly recommend window span.  and no, they did not pay me (or offer a discount) for that reference!

the old windows were classic multi-pane, but this time around i went for the prairie look, and i’m really happy with them.  especially in the bay window….they give me an unobstructed view.  and the best part is they tilt in for cleaning….i know that’s not something new, but it is for me!  and since the back of the house is actually a 2nd story and the ground is hillside, the back windows were a pain to wash.  but no more!!

so now i have a new look out…and even a new look peering in.

next up….a bit of studio bling!

the elves and the shoemaker

I MADE SHOES!!  i know i’m a bit late to the party, but hey!  i made shoes (without the need for elves!).

last fall at quilt market  i was fascinated as i watched carolina moore (craftmoore on ig) working on espadrilles while shuttling back and forth to our hotels. i could tell she was hooked and i even offered my feet just in case she felt like making a few extra pair (sadly, she did not).  so…i had to do the next best thing…make my own.

make them i did, but not for me.  this inaugural pair was a birthday gift for my sister.  she’s one i can always count on to appreciate my handcrafted gifts (yes, even the ones i promised 2 years ago and have yet to produce….i knew you’d bring that up sis, so i beat you to it!).

i used dritz soles along with their exterior fabric and thread for the hand stitching.  first time on a new project i like to follow directions as much as possible. i did not however purchase their package of lining fabric…there’s plenty of fabric to choose from in the studio.  i debated about using the purple lining…it used to be her favorite color, like 3 decades ago, but maybe people change…i wasn’t sure if i liked the purple with the multi stripes.  it wasn’t until the shoes were complete that i noticed the picture on the packaging….multi stripes with purple lining…talk about subliminal advertising!!

if you’re late to the espadrille party too, i highly recommend the process.  i mean, you make shoes!!  for the most part they were very simple, but here are a few techniques that made it just a bit easier on my hands.

* i used a curved upholstery needle…the curve made stitching much easier!!

* wax the yarn/thread very well…it really takes a beating going through the soles and the wax helps it not only glide, but keeps it from fraying

* i tried many thimbles!!  i have all kinds, leather/metal/plastic/rubberized, but i kept taking them off to pull the yarn through the stitch.  so i donned a latex glove (which i admit was stolen from my father’s hospital room) and it worked “like a glove”!!  i wore the glove on my “working” hand and it really gave me great grip on the needle.  my fingers were grateful!

the espadrilles have been presented and were well received….enough so that she was willing to allow me to photograph her feet.  now that’s sisterly love!!