Out of the Hat

Sorry about the delay--I had a bit of a lie in today.

KELmomRN2b and Elizabeth are the two names I pulled from the hat.

---confetti throwing and horns blasting---

Kelli, a K for you? And an E for Elizabeth?

Cheery Finds

Spotted these in the $1/$2 bins at CVS today. Not sure what I'm going to do with them, but how could I resist?

Thanks and a Giveaway

Instead of saving this picture for Valentine's Day, I want to write a little love letter to all of you. (And there's a giveaway at the bottom, too.)

Thank you for all the lovely, encouraging comments about the blog, the new header, the cat jammies, etc. I hope I didn't sound too much like a whiner, but I just knew something was wrong. Thanks to Becca for pointing me in the right direction. Hopefully the feeds are now working correctly and you're all getting updates as they happen instead of once every three weeks!

A tip for other bloggers: Subscribe to your own feed so you know if there is a problem!

A few of your comments mentioned using bookmarks instead of feeds. I'm the same way! I love scanning through my list of bookmarks, choosing a link, then having that moment of anticipation, wondering if there will be a new post. I have a few feeds set up, just to be familiar with how it works, but I love my bookmarks best.

Another thing that came to light: Uncertainty about how to leave a comment. I agree, it is a little confusing if you're not familiar with it. If you'd like to leave a comment about a post, just click on the "COMMENTS" link at the bottom of the post. That will open a new window, which includes a box for your comment. Don't be wigged out by the "Choose an Identity" part underneath! If you don't have a Blogger account, you can just click "Name/URL" (and you don't even need an URL) or even "Anonymous" to leave your comment.

I'm so glad you like the new layout and the new header! After months of wishing I had more room to spread out, I found out all I needed was a different template. This is what I pictured all along--clean and airy. Of course, once I stretched things out, I needed a wider header. The mailbox picture is from a trip we took to Spain two years ago. We were driving from Alicante to Valencia, and zipped past this little row of houses in the middle of nowhere. I made note of some landmarks and, on the way home, made Gerry pull off the road so I could take a picture of those mailboxes. People have always been a little puzzled by that photo, "O....kay. Mailboxes?" Maybe now, in this context, it makes more sense.


Moving along...Do you all know how much I appreciated all the cat pajama love? I wish I could make you all your own pair of cat jammies. I think of all those wonderful, sweet comments every time I wear them.

Bridget asked about fabrics. Bridget, I'm a cheapskate. I drool over fabrics I see online, but I can't bring myself to spend that kind of money. I get most of my stuff on clearance at Jo-Ann's, secondhand from my mom or from thrift shops, or from discounted fabric stores. You're in Philly, and I'm not far from there, so I can actually steer you to some specific places. There is Gaffney's in Germantown (5401 Germantown Avenue, (215) 849-8180) which is wonderful, and Jomar which takes some patience and rooting around, but can be very rewarding.

Now, onto the giveaway. To show my appreciation for all the lovely comments lately, I will make a slipcovered pocket calendar (similar to the one I made for myself) for two of you! Just leave a comment on this post, and I will draw two names at random on...let's see...Saturday morning. So the deadline for entering will be 10 am EST, on January 31st. Yeah, January 31st sounds like a good day.

Thanks again, everyone. Hope those of you in the snowy regions are doing okay.

Perking Up

Yep, I made a slipcover for my pocket calendar. Because two years is a long time to look at this:

So next time you see a pocket calendar in the clearance bin and think, "That's perfectly serviceable, but I don't want to see baby polar bears frolicking on an iceberg every time I pull out my date book," remember, you can change that!

Cat Pajamas

Seeing stacks of pajamas on clearance everywhere has been making me very wanty, but I kept reminding myself of the stacks of fabric I already had at home. I also reminded myself that no commercially made pajama pants are going to be long enough once I wash them!











The tee had seen better days and was already residing in the "wear around the house" pile, so I added a cat face applique.











Ah! Custom pajama pants! I used Simplicity 7092 and added three inches to the length, so they'll be good and long and keep my ankles warm!

I Pick Petchy

If I could spend a day with any blogger, I think I'd pick Solveig of Made By Petchy.

Great style, down to earth, fabulous thrift shop finds, and the cutest Ruben I've ever seen.

Of course, I'd need my own barge to drag everything back home from Norway.

Change

I thought it might be time to change the ol' blog a bit. A new header (I never was satisfied with the last one), a new layout, some new colors. How do you like it?

I've been kind of down about my blog lately. Hits are down. Comments are down. It's frustrating. I feel like I'm missing something. Any suggestions? I'd especially like to hear from other blog owners, either in comments or email (darlingpetunia@aol.com).

--sigh--

Yes I Can

It's been a long time since I last knitted a pair of mittens. It was during Winter break from my first year of college, and I'd just learned to knit from the girl who lived in the room next door. I had one of those old Learn to Knit books, featuring dweeby models wearing all manner of knitted garments, including ponchos, a funny cowl/hat combo dubbed "a helmet," and several versions of the ubiquitous booties with pompoms.

I picked a pattern for two-needle, cabled mittens. I followed the directions and was amazed to see my first cables appear. The mittens were a success, save for one small detail: The yarn was ugly. I never wore them, but I think those mittens are still in a drawer somewhere at my mom's house.

Subsequent attempts to make mittens have been disappointing. Never a fan of sewing up the seams, I've chosen patterns for four-needle mittens. I'm comfortable with four needles and have made several things using them, but for some reason my mittens never turn out.

Then, the other day, I realized I should just go back to what works for me and make the two-needle mittens. That Learn to Knit book is long gone, but I found a new pattern, and I'm giving it a go. I can do this.

Lest You Think I've Been Lazy

Something about snow on the ground and low temperatures makes me want to knit, so I've been doing some stash busting. As with sewing, I have the hardest time deciding which yarn to use with which pattern, so I started with some of my least favorite yarns and made some scarves to donate to charity. With these textured yarns, I stick to simple garter stitch, because nothing shows up anyway.



Don't those fence posts look warm? I'm definitely not a knitting enthusiast, but it is nice to get something done while watching tv or riding in the car.

I've also had a few requests for handbags. For the top one, the request was for "greens and browns" for "a retro girl." I hope it fills the bill! I love how the bottom one came out. The no-wale corduroy looks almost like suede.



And finally...aprons! I have one done and three in the works.

"Ward?! Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. We're having pineapple upside down cake for dessert. Your favorite."

Guess the Blog

I'm well overdue for another "Blog I Like" post. Here's a hint:


Hmm, what is that? Is it...? Might it be...?


Selvedges? Right you are! That can only mean one thing: Jodie's blog, Ric-Rac. So why do I like Ric-Rac? Well, Jodie is super talented and super funny. (She also posts pictures of her kitten, which is always a plus in my book.) Reading her blog gives me a virtual poke to get off my tush and making something already! I have to admit, though, when I see all her delicious fabrics, I get a little jealous! I started my own collection of selvedges last year when I saw this adorable bag. My mom saves hers for me as well, and she gets all excited when she has a particularly nice one for me! Isn't that funny?

Stuck a Feather in His Cap

Mr. Owl is self-conscious about his bald, pointy head. "All the other owls have square heads and feather tufts! Why am I so funny looking?" Well, because that's the way the pattern was drawn and I didn't question it, that's why.

Columbia Lily suggested the addition of feathers, and I liked that idea, but the previous picture of Mr. Owl kind of hid the extent of his problem, and I didn't think feathers alone would cut it. How about a hat decorated with feathers? He seems to be posing with more confidence now.



Making the feathers was fun! They might be confused with leaves, but it seems appropriate to have wonky feathers on a wonky owl.


Edited to add: I've been wondering if anyone would be interested in making a trade, Mr. Owl for ???

Warm Piggies

Look how happy my feet are with their snuggly new fleece socks!


I found a hole in the heel of my favorite fleece socks right before Christmas. I already had a pattern for socks, purchased at the thrift shop for a dollar, but I didn't have any fleece. My brother, an avid thrift shopper, hooked me up with a pullover to use for raw materials. Knowing him, he paid about fifty cents for it.


It wouldn't have been too hard to draft a pattern from the existing socks, but this made it even easier.

There was juuuuuuust enough ribbing from the neckline to use for cuffs. The pattern gave directions for either ribbed cuffs or a lycra edging, but the only lycra I had was hot pink. That would have been a little hideous!

I was always hesitant to try this, because I don't have a serger, but the pattern's directions tell you very clearly, step by step, how to get around that. Hooray for the Green Pepper pattern company!

Note to my brother: More fleece shirts? Look for ribbing I can use!

Bye, Christmas

--sigh-- It's time to take the decorations down. Epiphany has passed. Russian Orthodox Christmas has passed. I have no more excuses. But before I do, one more look.

I had nowhere to hide Miss Wilma Pinny during the festivities, so I dressed her up for the party, too!


My flowers looked nice for two weeks! That was $16 well spent.


I'll miss the glow of the tree at night.


And all my favorite ornaments.



(Isabella will have to find a new place to hang out, too.)


My mom used to take the Christmas tree down while I was at school. I'd get home and smell that "pine needles in the vacuum" smell and know right away what had happened. I'd always be a little sad. Still am.

What Have You Been Reading?

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green: (Young Adult) Loved it. It has buddies. It has angst. It's quirky. It's witty. (Don't be afraid of the math.) Try it. John Green has a blog too.







All We Ever Wanted Was Everything by Janelle Brown: Just when her husband hits it big, he divorces her. A much edgier book than most of its type.

Death's Autograph by Marianne MacDonald: I thought I might try a new mystery series, but it wasn't that exciting. Set in an antiquarian bookshop. (Maybe that should have been a clue!)

Murder with All the Trimmings by Elaine Viets: Didn't like it as much as the Dead End Job series, but it was okay. The main character is a mystery shopper.

Accessory to Murder by Elaine Viets: See, I didn't hate it! I read a second one. I liked this one better, because the mystery shopping was more integrated into the plot.

The Invisible Wall: A Love Story that Broke Barriers by Harry Bernstein: A memoir about a street in an English town where all the Christian families live on one side, and all the Jewish families live on the other. Great book.






The Anglo Files by Sarah Lyall: Subtitled "A Field Guide to the British," it has its moments, but was not what I expected. I mean, no chapter about tea?

Owl Try This Again

Right before Christmas, someone donated a book for our library sale. It's volume 2 of a series from the eighties called Stitch by Stitch. I paged through it, looking for hidden gems, and found this guy. Yeah, I know--he's not exactly a gem. He's kind of cross between an owl, a duck, a penguin, and then throw in a little Nauga. Grrr!

But I thought maybe I could tweak him a little and come up with something cute. I knew I'd spend all afternoon trying different shapes and combinations unless I gave myself a deadline, so I allotted an hour and a half, tops.

I started with a plaid, corduroy skirt from my refashion pile.


The rest of the fabrics were in my scrap basket. (Yay! Used some scraps!) You can see I made a lot of changes and left some things out. Even with the clock ticking down, I tried different eyes, different wings, put things on, took things off, until I finally just had to sew everything down the way I had it and hope for the best.


If I'd had the right color, I think some rick rack trim would have been neat. I did add a touch of black to his eyes.


My husband said he needs a mouth. A mouth? He has a beak! I do think he needs something, but not a mouth! Maybe a hat?

Bias Bliss

I've been meaning to do a post about printed bias tape. Yes, I know I can make bias tape out of any fabric I want, but there's just something about finding a package of ready-made tape. That's how you know you're a sewing geek, by the way. If you get all giddy at the sight above? Geek.

Here are some examples from the late 70s and early 80s. I broke open the brown dots to use on a skirt facing. None of those make me go weak in the knees, but they're fun for a little touch here and there.

Now this...this one I love. I purchased a precious meter of this in a shop in Spain. I didn't exactly know how to sew at the time, so I only got that little bit.


These aren't exactly bias tape, but a little ironing will take care of that. Check out those strawberries! Flashback to my childhood!


And finally, the cutest bias tape I ever did see. I will never open these; they are just for gazing at, as they are.