handmade kate

that extra day was heavenly...

Having an extra day over the weekend means the world to me now that I'm a working girl.   Normally my weekends are spent catching up on the errands and laundry that couldn't be fit in during the week, with only a bit of "me time" squeezed-in.  But one whole extra day--heavenly!
 

I started out the day making up a super-sized log cabin pillow and then promptly took it outside to enjoy the rest of morning with a book and a bowl of cherries. 


Next, a few lazy hours were spent in the sewing room, straightening up the piles of fabric and cutting out yet a skirt for me and a dress for Miss M's 5th grade graduation.

And as a perfect end to the day, a trip to Maple View Farm for some of the best ice cream 'round these parts!


Great Job, Ladies!!

for miss jenn...

Taking a cue from last week's burp cloths, I made a few dishtowels in a similar fashion.

A coordinating potholder, a purple plant something (I don't know my flowers very well!), and a gift card from Trader Joe's. Happy housewarming, my friend! 

hey nineteen!

19 years today.  I'm sure that there were quite a few who doubted that this just-past-nineteen-year-old's marriage would ever last, but I'm glad we never hesitated. Thanks for sticking with me Love!

my first at thirty-nine

I finally did it.

I made my first-ever quilt! 

Funnily enough, I've always had sewing machines that were considered "quilting" machines, chosen because they tend to have the most basic stitches.  My first machine was a 1934 Singer featherweight (I still love sewing on that dear one!) and next was my Bernina Virtuosa 153 QE (now vacationing at my Mama's house).  Then along came this dreamy machine thanks to the folks over at The Sewing Republic. But I have to 'fess up--I've never made a real quilt.  Patchwork projects, sure, but the thought of putting together and maneuvering all of that fabric for a quilt was just too intimidating. 

Lately, I've been inspired by Erin's and Daria's wonderful loop-de-loop quilting and some gorgeous new fabric collections. So when my fabric purchase from said collections arrived and they all looked so pretty together in a bundle, I thought to myself, "please Kathryn, throw that agonizing perfectionism to the wind,  and just give the damn thing a try!"  So I did, and I put it all together in a quilt. 

I had no plan or pattern other than to base it on the Floral Columns Quilt I had seen once in Kaffe Fassett's Museum Quilts, quilted up in those wonderful loop-de-loops.  And it had to have linen in it, too.  I fought that nasty perfectionism the whole time, worried that my loops weren't all the same size.  (Thank heavens for that dandy BSR--at least the stitches were even!)  Yet when I finished each row of quilting I would hold up the quilt and think "I love this!" in spite of all of the wonky loops.  I finished hand-sewing the binding last night and I threw the whole thing in the washer with a scoop Biokleen with my fingers crossed; then a bit of magic from the dryer.  It's comfortably soft and crinkled, warm but cool, and to me, just perfect.   A project that I think I so desperately needed to coincide with my (yikes!) thirty-ninth birthday.  About time, I say.

I took these photos this afternoon, determined to get them taken in spite of a slow, chilly drizzle outside. Now I'm warm and cozy, curled up on the sofa with my new quilt, a plate of take-out from one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants, with a kitty and my laptop on my lap.  Gary and I will be watching a movie as soon as the kids go to bed. 

Thanks for letting me share my little milestones!

   

girls and boys

Taking a break from a big project to whip up a couple of burpies for some sweet new babes.  Inspiration from the lovely ones Juliette made.  I only wish I had followed her tutorial--I'm a bit worried now about how the straight stitching along the edge will hold up with all those washings!  Zig-zagging (is that a word?) along the edges makes much more sense.

*Hopefully I'll get that big project posted tomorrow--that's my goal at least!

someone's in the kitchen with Mäda

My apron tutorial is now up in the Sewing Republic's project gallery! 

It's been all things kitchen-y around here lately with Miss M.  (Making waffles and peeling hard-boiled eggs being some of her favorite things to do)  We've bought a couple of cookbooks to try out, but most importantly, we now have matching aprons!  Not wanting her to be without the most important of kitchen accessories, I came up with this variation on a half-apron.  It had to have just enough ruffle and trim for her, but could be simplified for her rather "plain-jane" Mama. 

And here's my girl modeling her new apron, looking an awful lot like this young lady:

Gustav Klimt Portrait of Eugenia (Mäda) Primavesi    

I guess the 'tween stance has been going on for generations.

Happy Mama's Day All!

 

...and receive

Look at this gorgeous bag I received from Lisa for the Bend the Rules Sewing swap!

I've already nicknamed her my "Garden Beauty Bag."  Beautiful black and green linen with flowers of sweet Liberty fabrics. And people, she has outlined them with hand stitched beads!  Between that and the cut-work leaves, it is absolutely amazing!  Take a look at her post for photos that do all the details much more justice.  This is the type of sewing and crafting I dream of being able to do.  Lisa, I adore my new bag!  Thank you so much!

to give...

I finished up my Pleated Beauty bag last night for the Bend the Rules Sewing Swap, and it's off to Nancy in London today.   As soon as I saw her blog, The Philosophy of Lists , I knew I had to pull out some of my most-favorite-ever fabric. Her photos have such lush lighting--most are outdoor shots--and the green of England is ever-present and oh-so-pretty!  All those greens and browns brought to mind this fabric:

I hope she likes the combo--Tina Givens ZaZu in earth and lime and a smidgen of Joelle Hoverson's Cake Rock Beach, lined in my favorite linen for a bit more sturdiness.      

I hope you enjoy the bag as much as I enjoyed making it for you, Nancy!

And on a totally un-related note, I was thrilled to read that she has some "in-town" chickens, too!  (I've got to write to you about that Nancy!) I'm still working on the husband, trying to get him to go for our own backyard flock.  Just ask him how much I love saying "chicken tractor"!