
a close up of ms. darcy doo

sir fraiser mclovin

i have many exciting projects going for mother's day, but i'll have to wait till after sunday to post pictures.... in the meantime, i've discoverd that my purse sculpture makes an excellent door stop, and looks failrly realistic.

for comparison, my real purse:

things that make me giddy- simplicity patterns now have a small collection of patterns created by cynthia rowley! they look very cute, and i can't wait to attempt one or two for some new summer tops or dresses.
i really like this one, i'm thinking the sleeveless version (top left) will be perfect as a beach cover-up.
coming soon: my project ideas for mother's day
slowly but surely i'm chiseling away at my stone. it's really harder than it looks (the process not the stone) and i'm continually having to rotate the piece focusing on all sides, never working one side more than the others. we'll see how things go!
the stone with the crude cray model i made

my tools and stone

i've been a bad crafter lately, but last week was my spring break so i chose to indulge a very guilty pleasure rather than doing anything crafty. my guilty pleasure has been reading these books, i started the first book on tuesday night, i read the second book in 24hrs, finished the 3rd last night, and i've just started the last book. granted, these are not the greatest works of fiction ever and are way below my reading level, but there is something delightful about reading books that are like candy and appeal to the adolescent girl in me.
anyway, i took a break from my power reading to go to my friend robin's gallery reception. my friend robin is in his senior year at csulb and is working on his bfa in illustration. last night's show was at the student galleries and was a showcase of works from all the seniors in illustration. his work is truly amazing, and i now wish i had taken pictures of some of the other student's work too!



**update**- thanks mom and dad!!!!
here are the "baskets"; i plan on finishing the edges with some bias strips and the handle will either be out of canvas or a fabric that coordinates with the baskets.

these were easy to make, but i wasn't terribly happy with how the double-sided interfacing went in and i had to deviate from the pattern a bit.

also, here's one of the easter egg's with a pocket. it looks a bit wonky because it's stuffed with tissues (i left the stuffing at home). i also sewed this on the machine, i think i'll sew the other ones by hand.

now on to the next project, an abstract/non-objective stone sculpture. i'm using an alabaster stone called "angel fire", the shape i've come up with is i diamond with opposing concave circles.
my stone (i wet it to give an idea of how the color will look once polished)

a rough clay mock-up of the shape i'm going for

we'll see how things go, i'm a bit nervous, i know the stone wont be as forgiving as the clay.
fabric easter baskets for the little ones in my life

adorable easter eggs with secret pockets to go in the easter baskets

and these delicious looking cupcake pops, i think done in easter colors, these would be a fun addition to the baskets.

now all i need is time to make these things...

pinning the pieces together

laying out the sashing and squares

the quilt is now almost big enough to cover a full size bed, i'm pretty sure i can adjust the pattern to fit a queen bed. i already have fabrics picked out to make the next one (which might be a birthday present)....



my friend veronica's birthday is here again (i made her a bag last year) and this year i plan on making her this very cute ipod/camera cozy (via sew, mama, sew) with a matching tote bag.

and these super delicious looking cookies from the blog a friend to knit with.
next on my to-sew list is making a little gift for my friend laura. she just started a sewing class, so for a little encouragement (and because i plan on making myself one) i'm making this adorable pin cushion (it was featured on etsy's how-to tuesdays).

lastly, i brought my sculpture project home to finish over the weekend, there is so much detail on the purse, it's all a bit daunting.
le sigh, should be a nice weekend.
as promised, a better picture of my bag...

and some updated pictures of my sculpture, slowly but surely it's coming together. i'm feeling very inspired by the work of marilyn levine.


for contrast, this is what marilyn levine's bags look like. yes, that is clay.

hmmm, something to aspire to?


in other news, i'm beat! between work and school and the gym, i'm worn down.
maybe in a good way? my weeknight going out routine has definitely been put on hold.
maybe i'll make this duvet cover from amy butler to make my sleep a little more sound.

this weekend i completed my apron (the one i want to use during my sculpture class), so i wanted to share photos both of my apron and of my project in class.

this was my piece at the beginning of class last night. during class, i hollowed it out and did a lot of carving. the difficulty with sculpting this purse is that the lines on the purse change a little bit every time i move it around. otherwise, i'm very happy so far and other students keep joking that i'm already done (i wish!). 

i'll take pictures again tomorrow, my piece has already changed quite a bit. i have to say that with weekend sewing, sculpture, going to the gym and doing yoga all of them have contributed to my feelings of calm and peace these days. i hope everyone has hobbies or activities that make them as happy.
weekend sewing by heather ross (she makes the fabric i'm using for emilee's quilt)

zakka sewing, zakka means household goods in japanese. a couple other bloggers have mentioned this book and if you read this blog you know i love japanese fabrics. plus, how cute is that squirrel teapot cozy?!?!?

bend the rules sewing, another favorite in the blog-o-sphere. i've looked through it a few times and it has some darling projects.

go me!!!

