A Whale of a Tale

Today I'm not going to chat about anything crafty. Today I'm blogging for blogging's sake.

Let me share a passage from this very thought-provoking book I'm reading:
"You may dream about an animal. It is useful, upon awakening, to follow that animal in your imagination. Animals often appear in dreams to show us a path beyond ego. We see this in Alice following the the white rabbit or in Dorothy following her dog Toto. A new world opened to them when they let animals take the lead." ~David Richo

Que: Having dreams about whales. A lot.



Photo courtesy Animal Planet

So I'm left wondering what our higher power or the neuro net is trying to tell me. I have always loved marine life. There was a time when I wanted to be a marine biologist & made a whale mobile for my bedroom; however, I don't think I'm in the mood for a career change at the moment...

A.  Am I suppose to spend more time on the water?

B.  Should I somehow incorporate a whale theme into the etsy shop I want to start?

C.  Should I be taking a tropical vacation to swim or kayak with whales?

D.  All of the above.



And with that fluke I invite you to interpret my dreams & bid you adieu.



♥lucy

5 Lovely Things on Monday

Today marks a new beginning. I'm starting a new series of posts (inspired by another blogger gal I follow). It is going to focus on five lovely things every Monday. I figure it's a great way to start off my week, every week.

Here goes:   

Girl time getting essentially free
Kate Somerville oxygen facials & MAC makeup makeovers.



Going to the Ballard Market with a bff &
 the sweetest baby & corgi ever

 

Bags with {ruffles}
I adore Gussy's stuff- check out her store!!



My daffodils are blooming!



 

Lastly, who knew being stodgy could be so lovely? ;)

Have a lovely Monday.

love you all,

♥lucy

Looky Looky

DUN-DUH-DUH-DA!

[trumpets sounding]

She's finished!! After a hot date with my seam ripper last night & some major lessons learned the Amy Butler Birdie Sling is done. And while it's not perfect I'm still a very proud little seamstress.

And here she is again with Willis sneaking in the shot-- such a ham.

A peak inside

Lastly, a dorky self portrait of yours truly modeling :)



probably should've planned my outfit better today as my
"picnic table" flannel sort of clashes- oh well, you get the picture

As I mentioned there were some minor snafus along the way but they taught me some valuable lessons. So along with the skill set I learned from this project it was a great experience & I would highly recommend this pattern for beginners!!

Sewing/Life Lesson Checklist:
1. Do not be hasty with your endeavors or they will turn out sloppy.
2. Take it one stitch @ a time...
3. Sometimes things are every which way & inside out before they get figured out.

Ok, so the above is super corny but you all know it's true. Who knew sewing was so insightful? :)

Make it a great week!
♥lucy

Waitress Blouse Revisited

This morning I was going through some of the "forgotten" clothes in my closet when I came across this gem. While I adore the 1960's waitress vibe the sash has always drove me nuts. It never stayed in place no matter how much I ironed; hence it's been rather lonely for a year or two.

Then it occured to me that the mustard-colored thread currently loaded in my Brother would match... [wheels turning]

Ah ha!! I can topstitch the sash in place & then it won't shift or roll up- genius!!! 



Ironed, pinned down & ready to roll

In under any hour I've got the finished product & this blog post up. Viola:

Happy Saturday & Spring Forward! 

ciao,

♥lucy

Lunar Lunacy

Mardi Gras was a strange, strange day. I'm not sure what the planets were/are doing but they sure threw me for a loop earlier this week... but hey, it's almost the weekend & then we get to "spring forward" on Sunday. Personally, I'm a fan of "falling back" because it = an extra hour of sleep. However, I do like the signs that spring is creepin' in.

yep, that be daffs in a Fiestaware pitcher shot with my retroCamera app

The only thing I'm quite sure about this week is that I am kicking butt on this Amy Butler Birdie Sling. Assembly has begun!! An anonymous reader suggested I do a "work-in-progress" post so here she is:


exterior panel



a closer look @ the pleating



lining! am very proud of my close pattern match with the pocket- can you see it?

My next hurdle: piecing the panels together & creating a "gusset". Stay tuned, this bad boy will be done very, very soon.

cheers!
♥lucy

Birdie Sling Beginnings

Two posts in two days- look at me go! As I said in my last entry, I'm really excited about my new projects in the works. Yesterday I spent about two hours cutting out the pattern pieces for my Amy Butler Birdie Sling.

But I'm using these lovely fabrics:

magenta= lining, goldenrod= straps & band, floral= large bottom panels 

Joel Dewberry + Anna Maria Horner prints= ♥

Earlier today I was admiring other people's finished versions of this bag & it's got me even more motivated. This lovely sling will be my first go at fusible interfacing & fleece lining- wish me luck!

♥lucy

Put It To Use.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Right? As I have adventured into the world of sewing this slogan couldn't apply more. The first time I travelled to the fabric store with a project supply list I was greeted by an unpleasant surprise. One would think that by hand-making things you can save money...then I realized that all of the designer fabrics I was in love with go for about $10 per yard.

[gasp/sigh/tear]

This was sort of a let down but there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Some very clever ladies have shed light on how to incorporate "cheap" fabric into my projects so I can still afford to indulge in beauties by AMH & AB.



I have a crush on this Anna Maria Horner collection

So what's the answer to my woes? Two words: thrift stores. Goodwill's linen section is a sewing lady's best friend. A queen sheet is almost 7 yards of fabric & costs under $5!

 

goodies in my arsenal

Sheets are perfect for quilting projects OR lining where you need a considerable amount of fabric but it won't necessarily be seen. For example, last weekend I put together an apron for my mama & used a portion of an old white sheet for the lining. (I think this linen was once my Cleopatra Halloween costume;) I want to keep the finished project a surprise for mom but here's a peak:

Also note that the apron's main fabric was a king pillow case I got on clearance at TJ Maxx--

the ruffle at the bottom was already there!!

So while we're talking thrifty linens I have to give props to my creative friend Ellen who entered a potholder sewing contest. It was made entirely of vintage sheets (except the embroidered flower).



Marvel at the loveliness



And while she didn't win the grand prize her entry was featured on the Prudent Baby website!!  Yay, El!!

So go forth my lovely ladies & scout for fun linens at your local thrift store this weekend!!

♥lucy

p.s. Ok, so please excuse the bordering-on-fake-enthusiasm amount of exclamation points in this post. My creative spirit has been very well-nurtured over the past few weeks & I am truly excited about some projects I finished & am just starting. Plus, a very successful splurge at the Ballard Quilting Loft's Anniversary Sale last week with Ellen has only fed my exuberance even more! :)!