SouleMama

more kitchen stitching

More kitchen-themed sewing today! Have I ever told you about my "new pen" life philosophy? I'm sure I'm not the only one who lives by it's principles. Whenever I had a writing deadline in school that I just wasn't very motivated about working on, I'd buy myself a new pen. I know. It's just a pen, right? But for some reason...'just a new pen' was enough excitement to get me started writing. I'm not ashamed to admit that I bought a few 'new pens' at various 'stuck' points in the process of finishing both of my manuscripts.

The "new pen" approach, though, can be applied in many situations. Like in a Maine kitchen at the end of a long winter. A kitchen - when you're trying to eat as local and organic as possible - that has seen far too much soup of late. (I swear, if I see another root vegetable, I might cry.) You know I love my kitchen, but even I struggle in it this time of year with a lack of motivation. It's the normal late-winter boredom thing - soon to be remedied by the first greens, I know very well. But until then...I'm keeping myself cooking and in my kitchen with "new pens," or as the case may be, new bread bags. And patchwork kitchen rugs!

I was motivated by the arrival of the soon-to-be-released (next week!) Patchwork Style and Linen, Wool, Cotton - both part of the Make Good: Crafts + Life series (I love that the word series implies there are more to come! And I should mention that we share a publisher in Trumpeter Books.)
{Update: I've just heard that the books are available now at the website makegoodbooks.com.}

Do they look familiar? They both made their way around the craft blog circuit a while ago now as Japanese craft books. But the difference is that these are in English! Oh yes. I can read them! And make the patterns with ease! You know how exciting this is, right? I'm excited.

I've poured through each of the books so completely re-inspired by their pages, now having the words and the instructions to know what's going on. This patchwork rug caught my eye - as the author writes that it's meant to be 'soiled' as all kitchen rugs are. And the solution to that? Just sew another patch on! Brilliant. Brilliant in it's simplicity. And super fun to make, too. I used a linen on the front 'base', with loads of different scrap fabrics "patched" on. The back is a mattress ticking.

 

When I was done with 'mine,' I made a slightly smaller - and with brighter prints - rug my girl and her kitchen. (I say 'my girl's kitchen', by the way, because she's the one mostly playing with it these days. The boys played with this everyday at her age too. And I'm sure Harper will too! I get excited thinking about my grandchildren playing kitchen with me someday too. Is that bizarre?)

Until that day, though...I've got some more bread to make and likely some more soup too. Having a fresh new pretty rug underfoot makes just a little bit more fun.

Bring on the parsnips!

A Homemade Life

First up...about comments. Oh, there's so much goodness in there - always and everyday I read them all and am so grateful for what you share there. And now it's going to get even better - as Typepad has enabled threaded comments (and userpics if you so choose!). Yay! So now we can reply directly to individual comments, making the 'discussion' of blogging feel a bit more like a 'discussion' as it should be. Yes! So please feel free to chat amongst yourself (nicely, of course), and jump in if you think you can help someone else out with a reply!

Okay. Moving onto today's regular programming...

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By now, you've heard tell of the beautiful new book A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, of Orangette. But I can't resist telling you of my own love for it too. Because it's really one of those very special books. Part cookbook, part memoir, Molly weaves her recipes seamlessly into the stories of her life. Stories of love, loss, friendship and laughter. (I did lots of laughing while reading Molly's stories.)

You know how there are those people who you meet (or in this case, "meet," as we've only laid emails - not eyes - on each other), who seem so in sync with what they should be doing in their lives? Those people who have clearly landed themselves in their 'thing', and therefore...their passion, their talent and their energy just shines and radiates and seems, well, catchy?

It's a silly way to describe it, but that's what I think of when I think of Molly and the way she can tell a story. Her passion for food, for friends, for love and life...well, it's catchy. Reading her words always inspires me to do something - whether it be head to the kitchen to try out one of her recipes (so many of the ones she's shared over the years have been added to our regular repertoire), or into my studio to make something I'm excited about, or just to run and tell my husband how much I love him. Her blog posts have always done that for me (I save them for last just for that reason!), but her style just feels so very right in a book I can hold in my hands and snuggle up to read.

Molly's been on a bit of a tour with the book release, and I saw that she made macaroons (recipe in her book) to share at one of her signings. (Um, how nice is that?) Since I couldn't attend, I figured I'd make some myself - to celebrate in spirit. Alright, so maybe it was just an excuse to drizzle chocolate over some coconut and sugar. Whatever the motivation...I think Molly would get it. (and the results were delicious.)

Cheers to you, Molly! And cheers to us, for now being able to hold these treasured tales and treats in our hands (and mouths)!

Button It Up

Yesterday was a work day for me. I was supposed to be writing. Or cleaning up my studio so that I could make things. Or answering one of the many emails I owe people. Or any number of other 'productive' things. But what did I do for the better part of a day?

I played with buttons and industrial strength glue.

Good times, I tell you. Good times.

Susan Beal's newly released book Button It Up was the source of my obsession inspiration. The book is full of projects for putting beautiful buttons to use - everything from jewelry to home decor and clothing. My copy of the book has been tempting me since it's arrival. Because while the array of projects is diverse, so is the time and skill level needed to complete them. Perfect for just a quick little crafty button-love fix. (Okay...except that quick little fix turned into a whole afternoon affair as I kept making just one more thing!)

And before I go on, I should tell you that I may have a slight personal attachment to this book. See that page right there? With the fabric cuff? That's mine! It was great fun to contribute a project to Susan's book. (And amidst some very fine crafty company too, I might add.)

So yesterday, as I was clearing off my studio table trying to work, this book just wouldn't stop staring at me. It wouldn't stop! I caved. And before I knew it, a jar of buttons was dumped out on my table and demanding attention.  My first project were the earrings photographed above. Um, I love them.

And then...onto some magnets.(And that is Adelaide's fabulous zebra...in the 6:30am kitchen lighting that is not so fabulous.)

There's some great stuff - projects, button resources and giveaways - happening on the Button it Up website, so check it out.

A word of warning. All this buttony goodness is contagious (who doesn't love playing with buttons?). It's 7am in the morning (on another snowy day) and the kids have a jar of buttons waiting for me on the table. They want in on the action, naturally.

the Jane Austen Dress

Here's the dress! The one I finished in the wee hours before Adelaide's birthday. The one that miraculously fit without trying it on her as I went along. And the one she promptly put on first thing that morning, and has worn many times since, much to my delight. Ah, yes. The aptly named Jane Austen dress.

The pattern is from the newly published Mason Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines. It's been a while since I've been so excited about a new knitting book, but I'm pretty jazzed about this one. On first flip through, I think I bookmarked half of the projects to make...and it had me jumping up to the knitting needles to get started on this dress a mere 30 minutes after it arrived on my doorstep. Not to mention the yarn I immediately ordered for the next project in the book I'm most excited about (a linen knit table runner. Oh, yes). With their characteristic fun and funny style (their first rule of knitting, 'knitting is spoze to be fun!'), it's a pleasure to read just as much as the patterns have me itching to knit. Huge congrats on another beautiful, fun book, Kay and Ann!

The dress came together so smoothly. They estimated it as a 'weekend project' - and had I had a few less interruptions, I think that might have been just about right. I knit it up in some cotton yarn (which, tangentally, I found at a local thrift shop - as overstock from Silk City Fibers - for a whopping $1.99 for a gigantic cone-full. Thanks for the tip, Aprill!), in a color that will remind us of the ocean long after we're romping about by it in sleeveless dresses. I used the tutorial found on Ysolda to create the button loop in the back. And the skirt fabric is linen. (For anyone interested in making it yourself, I went with the 2-3 sizing, which I think it generous enough that she'll still wear it next summer.)

I think this might be only the second knit dress I've made for her (the first one here), and while, realistically speaking, they may be a little on the impractical side, I still love making them. There's something about all the extra work that goes into a handknit dress for me that makes it extra special. Thank goodness - for now, at least - she agrees with me on that one. She loves it.

The River Cottage Family Cookbook

We have a new cookbook love. The River Cottage Family Cookbook has quickly become a family favorite around here. Those of you across the pond are likely much more familiar with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and River Cottage than we are stateside. Just last winter, having coffee at a friends farm, I discovered the River Cottage Meat Book and couldn't peel my eyes from it - with the photography, the style, the recipes, and the overall message of food and our connection to it.

I was thrilled to hear of the release of a family-style cookbook this summer by the same author (joined on this project by Fizz Carr). At nearly 500 pages full, it's chock full of family, farm and foodie goodness. I think what I like most about this book is that it's more of a whole lifestyle book, rather than just exclusively recipes. The recipes are so great. But there are some really great basics, too - solid and clear instructions for making all the dairy basics - cheese, butter, yogurt. And bread, too (lots of great bread instruction). Intermingled through the recipes are projects, too. For example? Starting a Garden. Making Your Own Salt. Hosting a Pancake Race. Awesome. We need to have a pancake race.

We've tried out a lot of the recipes in the past few months since the book's arrival. One has already been committed to memory - I make the "Fragrant Rice" at least once a week now, the recipe is so perfect. (Okay, confession: The fried onion and cabbage? Not so much. Maybe cabbage is a regionally acquired taste, though? Do tell, because it's one of the only foods I can't get anyone in this house to eat!) This week, I remembered to photograph these recipes-in-progress. Summer Fruit Tart and Pick-Your-Own-Minestrone. Both equally delicious, and almost entirely kid-made.

I think our kids were pretty involved with our family meal preparation before, but this book - it's words and images combined - have fueled an even greater participation. One piece of advice in the book about involving the kids is to 'take it outside'. So simple, and yet it wasn't something we were in the habit of doing. So, I've been sending the boys out with a cutting board and the evening's vegetables to cut. I have less mess to worry about on the floor, and somehow by nature of being outside - it becomes louder, more boisterous, and more playful of a process. It's become such a habit now for them to be involved in this part of the meal, that I'm sure it will carry back inside with us as the season changes, and there will be lots more exploring of the recipes and projects in these pages.

Artist to Artist :: inspiration & a giveaway

We've been hugely inspired of late by the book Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children About Their Art. I had originally picked it up at the library a year ago and loved it, but never quite had the time to share it with the kids as I had hoped. And then, my attention to it was diverted once again when our plans to visit the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (and purchase this book) were thwarted earlier in the year (oh, those silly brakes).

But no longer. A copy is happily in our hands. Not on our bookshelf, but literally in our hands...and often. First it was me inspired by it's pages. A visual feast, the book includes a letter from each illustrator to children, a self-portrait, a photograph of the artist (sometimes as a child), and a sampling of their work. I love that the letters to the children are as diverse and varied as the artists themselves. And yet - there are common themes, and recurring messages that shine throughout. Childhoods spent full of freedom to play and explore, an early love of art and drawing, creativity as an expression of self, etc. I find my ideas of children and art confirmed as I nod my head at each artist's thoughts on the subject, such as Ashley Bryan who says:

"In our earliest years there's no how? to our plunge into art. The doing gives the answer. There is no one way. Your work in art is original and there is no end to the adventure...HURRAH!"

Perfect.

It wasn't long before the curiosity of the little ones in my house was piqued by this book - largely by recognizing so many of the illustrators from books on their own shelves - Eric Carle, Tomie dePaola, Quentin Blake, Mitsumasa Anno, Maurice Sendak and so many more. I suggested we take the book on as a project - reading the section on each artist, and then search our bookshelves (and maybe the library) for the books illustrated by said artist - to give a closer look to and study their style.

We began, and quickly, they came up with an idea much better than my own. They decided that after reading about each artist, and finding books by them, they'd make their own book, inspired by the artist. Ezra chose Eric Carle to start with - entirely inspired by the photo of Carle in his studio - surrounded by scraps of paper on the floor. Creative chaos just like his own - yes, indeed.

After a trip to the art store for a new pile of blank books (we like to make our own, but we're also big fans of Bare Books for this sort of project), the reading, the studying, the painting, the cutting and writing commenced.

And thus, book #1 in this artist-inspired series by Ezra has begun. Mister Cook (different from his previous titles, "Mr. Cooker", "Restaurant Man," and "Farmer Cook" - the boy's inspired by food, clearly), a story in which a restaurateur prepares for a crowd, presents a feast, unleashes a giant spider on the crowd and then wonders why no one understood his practical joke. Ah. And all in the 'style' of, and with great inspiration from Eric Carle.

While I definitely can't take credit for where Artist to Artist has taken us, I do think it might be a great project other kids would be into as well. I can see it working at home, in a homeschooling plan, or in a classroom as well. And even if it doesn't become a grand project such as this, there is much to be inspired by in it's pages for young and old alike.

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The generous folks at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art have given me a copy of Artist to Artist to give away here. If you're interested in the book, leave a comment in this post, and if you have a favorite children's illustrator, I'd love to hear who that is! I'll select a random name from the comments on Friday, 8am EST.
And if you'd like to just purchase the book yourself, it's here on Amazon, and also available at the Museum's Shop, in addition to your local bookshop or library, of course!
 

Good luck!

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Thanks to everyone for playing along and for sharing your suggestions! The random number generator found the winner, Maya.

Mo Willems is our favorite!

I lovelovelove this book! Fingers crossed, but even if we don't win, I will buy this book. It looks fantastic.      

Posted by:maya | July 30, 2008 at 10:59 AM 

Sew U Home Stretch - and a giveaway!

Okay, so here's a little confession: My serger scares me a little bit. Sure, I've had it for three years and use it semi-regularly. But really, the only things I use it for? Finishing garment seams, the occasional rolled hem for pants and skirts, and making cloth diapers (which, alone, has made it 'worthwhile' for me, by the way). And each time I use it? I do so with half-closed eyes, and crossing my fingers that all goes well. That the tension won't get all wonky on me - or that I won't have to re-thread the needle (wicked scary). I do have a couple of serger book, which seem helpful in describing the machine, but not in applying its use to a design I'd actually wear. So I was pretty psyched this spring to check out the new book SEW U HOME STRETCH: The Built By Wendy Guide to Sewing Knit Fabrics by Wendy Mullin. It's been out for a few months now, so you might have caught some reviews (here, here, and here to name a few...and oh my - Melissa made the hoodie, which combines zipper and jersey, which pretty much makes her a goddess in my book). I should mention, also, that this book includes instructions on how to sew knits with a regular sewing machine!

So, I've been spending a lot of time with the book since it arrived. You know, reading about tension and other important serger-like things, and getting a little less scared by the page. I love how this book (like her first book) are organized - and the instructions just so clear. This weekend, I finally dove in with the "Tee with Rolled Hem Edge," and some thrifted jersey. And you know, it wasn't that scary. And in the end? I have a tee shirt. A simple, basic, stretchy-over-the-belly (an important detail), comfy tee shirt. It gave me a little bit of confidence to at least think about trying the dress in the book. I'm even thinking about changing the thread color - just for fun. I know, I know...I'm getting a little carried away.

The publisher Little, Brown has sent me TWO giveaway copies of Sew U Home Stretch. If you're interested, leave a comment in this post, and I'll use the random number generator to draw a winner on Wednesday morning, 8am(ish) my time. And because I like my grandmothers advice of making people sing for their supper (she really did), I'd love to hear your serger tip, tale, or drama in the comments. Or, you can just say hi. That works, too.

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Well, I had no idea how many of us were intimidated by those little machines! Thanks for all the lovely tips, tales, and hello's yesterday. Now, let's all go read some serger books and manuals and conquer those fears. ;)

We have two winners, Lindsey and Leah! Congratulations, and thanks to everyone for playing!

I love my serger (a Baby Lock), but it does scare me to use it sometimes. It's so fast, there are TWO needles, and then there's the blade!! I like that I can lock it if necessary. Threading it is easy enough, but my biggest trauma lately is that the left needle keeps breaking (three since I bought it in February). But oh, do I love it for making clothing and the first time I sewed with knits? Well, you can see my reaction to it here:
http://willowluna.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/a-whole-new-world/

Anyway, this book is on my wishlist, so I'd love a copy of it. Thanks for sharing your serger trepidation, it made me feel better about my own!

Posted by: Lindsey | June 17, 2008 at 09:02 AM

I love my serger, but am nowhere near using it to it's potential.  Maybe someday.

Posted by: Leah | June 17, 2008 at 10:24 AM

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i love dirt! - review & a giveaway

I've been excited for the release of I Love Dirt! by Jennifer Ward since hearing about it this winter. When I heard it was illustrated by the lovely and talented Susie Ghahremani, with a forward by Richard Louv, well, then I was really excited. The book arrived last month, newly released, and has lived up to my expectations of it. Perfectly open-ended, positive and gentle, the book is a compilation of 52 projects to 'do' with children in nature. The projects are arranged seasonally (love that), and cover topics from birds to leaves to sun and sky and wind and rain and everywhere in between. The projects are general and open ended, but each contain a "Help Me Understand" section that has more detailed info should you want to get a bit more specific.

What I love most of all about this book, though, is its simplicity. Because there are any number of books on craft projects with natural materials, or actual experiments you do in nature, with specific structured projects and such. I have a lot of them on my shelves, and sometimes they are quite perfect for what we need. But you know, for the most part - there they are, on my shelves; and then, there WE are - out in the woods. What I love about I Love Dirt! is that I can read a project, and it's just unique and simple enough that I actually remember it (Though, it's also a neat portable size, too if you wanted to carry it). So the next time we're out on the trail, or we're in the backyard, and I sense a need or a want for something different to do, something to get us started, the ideas I've read about come to mind. I've found this happening so many times since opening this book. Our favorite so far? "Try to build a birds nest, using materials around you in nature." What an amazing experiment in versatility, but even more - what way to marvel at just how difficult and truly awesome it is that birds do this. And a good example of how the projects are meaningful - they're not just projects, they're experiences.

I don't think kids need a lot of 'instruction' outdoors - really what they need is to just 'be' there. Based on what I've read in this book, I think Jennifer Ward would agree. But sometimes, a little direction, a little incenctive for the parent, another reason to head out, or a little stretching beyond what we normally do is really fun, engaging, and a wonderful way to connect with each other, ourselves - and the earth around us.

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Shambhala Publications/Trumpeter Books has kindly donated a copy of I Love Dirt! for a giveaway here. I'll use the random number generator to draw the winner, and announce it at the bottom of this post by Friday, 8am EST. So if you're interested, please leave a comment here. And because I would love to hear it, (and to make you work a little bit harder for a free book!), tell me something you love to do outdoors with children, or loved to do outdoors as a child yourself!

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Yay!! Trumpter Books has given us a second book for the giveaway, so the TWO lucky winners are Sandy and Julie. Congratulations!!

My boys are blissfully happy just splashing in mud puddles and making worm pies, although I prefer the mud pie variety over the worm ones.
Making tents out of blankets and setting up a picnic is pretty awesome too.

Posted by: Sandy | June 05, 2008 at 10:17 AM

After reading *your* book, my daughter and I have started going on nature walks. We collect things like flowers, baby pine cones and feathers. We don't have a nature table, yet, but we have a nature bowl. She loves taking things out and putting them back in all the while exploring their textures. I would love this book for even more outdoor ideas!

Posted by: julie | June 05, 2008 at 09:43 PM

 

 

 

The Splendid Table Cookbook Giveaway

I'm getting excited about food right now. I think there's a late winter point of despair (to put it in dramatic terms) when I am so sick of soups and the dregs of the 'root cellar' foods. I'm anxious for green and red and oh so much more. While it's still early, I can at least feel it coming. I think it has something to do with making the last installment in our CSA payment for the year, and the promise that fresh! local! yummy! produce will soon be ready for us each and every week. Ah...

Anyway, in anticipation of all that, I've been food-inspired lately. Opening favorite old cookbooks to find new things, and finding new cookbooks to put a spin on the old. One new arrival has been The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories, and Opinions from Public Radio's Award Winning Food Show. Amy shared a great review of it a few weeks back, and everything she said is so very true. I love the stories woven into the recipes. And the recipes are delicious, and well, 'different' than so very many other cookbooks. It feels like a 'fresh' cookbook if that makes sense.

I've actually photographed a bunch of the things we've made from this book in the past month, but this is the only one that I don't fear will have the effect of turning you away from the book. A food photographer, I am not (Delicious photos in the book - I'll leave it to the experts). Above is the Supper Tart of Red Onions, Greens and Grapes. See what I mean? "Different" - we make SOOO much pizza around here, and this was a perfect fresh spin on it for us - on puff pastry (I know, it's a tart, not a pizza, but the kids thought it was pizza). It was so good that looking at this photo is totally motivating me to make it again (for the fourth time) tonight. Yum. Another favorite has been Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash and Greens over Bow Tie Pasta. Again, just the right spin of yummy and new. Oh gosh, and the Retro Garlic Bread! Really good too.

Of course, I wanted to listen to the radio show after falling in love with the cookbook. And thank goodness for the internet (it's not carried on my local radio station), because you can listen to podcasts of the show on their website. (They've also got a really interesting year-long project going on, following 15 people eating a regional diet, each blogging about the experience - Locavore Nation).

As a little treat for YOU, the publisher, Clarkson Potter, has generously agreed to do a giveaway of The Splendid Table's new cookbook. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post before 7am (my time) tomorrow - Friday - at which point I'll choose a random number to send one copy of the book to, and announce it here at the end of this post. Good luck!

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Comments Closed. We have a winner! The Random Number Generator led me to Momma Roar, who wrote:

I'd love some new recipe ideas!! We live in PA in Amish country...where a lot of the meals I make are meat and potatoe AND basic. I'd love to have some new ideas!!

What fun!

Posted by: Momma Roar | May 01, 2008 at 04:45 PM

 

Congratulations! And thanks to everyone for playing!

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the sheep "on our farm"

(Looking for "Charlotte" at our CSA farm)

There are a lot of conversations around here that begin with "on our farm..." It's followed by any number of things, depending on who's talking. Because of course, our "someday farm" means five different things to all five of us. But we have so much fun dreaming about the possibilities, driving around perusing the possibilities (not yet! but it's coming soon...I can feel it), and talking about what we all do share in common for our farm plans. A near nightly conversation at the dinner table - always started by one of the boys - begins with "tell me the first three animals you want on our farm." Calvin's keeping track of it all on a pretty fabulous 7-year old version of a visual spreadsheet that I adore.

The chickens are a must (we all agree). A cow is a must (Calvin and I insist - Ezra's the swing vote, and we've still got some convincing to do with Papa). The donkey is uh, questionable (though Ezra is persistent on this one). As is the colt that Calvin wants to 'break' by his 8th birthday (just like Almanzo - his super hero). Adelaide will get her kitties. But sheep. Oh, the sheep are fast making their way to the top of my dream farm wish list.

Not helping has been the arrival of these two books in the past month. Shear Spirit: Ten Fiber Farms, Twenty Patterns and Miles of Yarn by Joan Tapper is a portrait of fiber farms in the US, with tales of their lives and animals, wonderful knitting patterns, and gorgeous photography sprinkled throughout. There's some knitting in here that I'm pretty excited to give a closer look at, but until then, this book sits on our coffee table for all to pour through the pages of farm life, and the amazing creative fiber works that come out of that (Calvin keeps stealing it away to his bed to look at the sheep -  I think I've got an ally on the sheep argument).

A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns by Lisa Lloyd is another I've been daydreaming in the pages of lately. It has some great information about handspinning, wool, sheep breeds and other technical detals like that. And then 26 amazing knitting patterns - each featuring a handspun beauty as well as a more readily available commercial yarn. The designs are gorgeous - a little beyond my knitting skill, perhaps. But that hasn't stopped me from admiring them and scouting our yarn for a pattern or two that I'd like to give a go at.

For now and until the time is right, we're all quite happy to get our farm fix at our local CSA farm (where this new little one was born last week - just hours before we visited), where they're kind enough to let us hang out and pretend. Which is just what we do.

in the Spring Book Basket

While it's been officially spring for a bit now, it's only been these past two weeks that we've seen any evidence of it at all around here. But now, the spring book basket is active and full and pulled from each day for some springtime reading. (And my apologies to those of you in the other hemisphere! My "autumn" book list isn't done yet!)

Our Springtime Favorites

Spring - Gerda Muller
Always a favorite, especially in the younger years. Gerda Muller's four season board books are such a treasure - with no words, but simple illustrations full of all the wonder of the season for children.

Fruhling - Eva-Maria Ott-Heidmann
Quite similar to the Gerda Muller series in concept, this seasonal board book is full of watercolors slightly more dreamy. Paired together, I think they're a wonderful spring visual for the young ones. (Adelaide at 2.5 adores these books).

Spring Is Here - Lois Lenski
Another one perfect for the littlest ones. Sweet and simple tale of springtime treats - gardening, animals, flying kites - all in simple rhymes. And paired with Lenski's adorable illustrations. This is one I remember loving from my own childhood.

Under the Sun - Ellen Kandoian
This book is so wonderful for the way it explains the the path of the earth through the day - traveling with the 'sun' around the world in a day. I love it when science and nature can be explained in a fun story for children without getting too complicated or over their heads - and this does that. (I think this is out of print now - perhaps it's at your library?)

The Sun Egg - Elsa Beskow
I can't put a list together without including one Elsa Beskow. But this one is a favorite, and it's a perfect tale of spring. A young elf living in the northern forest discovers a mysterious 'sun egg' that has fallen from the sky, and the story is the tale of her travels to where it came from. This book has forever changed the way my family eats oranges.

A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox - Wendy Pfeffer
I really enjoy this series of seasonal books for the wide perspective of celebrations and traditions they provide. In addition to the science, historical and cultural tales of Spring, there are also recipes and activities in the back section of the book for doing your own celebrating of the season.

When Spring Comes - Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
I love this 'country' tale full of springtime adventures - sugaring, running barefoot, picking berries - all told from the dream of end-of-winter. A wonderful seasonal transition book - for when we're dreaming about the spring/summer which isn't quite here yet.

Spring's Sprung - Lynn Plourde
The spring colors incorporated into the illustrations here are stunning, and for that alone, this book is a gem. But I also love how these tales (she has one for each season) bring the season to life though a character, and this one brings to light a bit of sibling conflict - always a topic I'm happy to explore through story.

Inch by Inch: The Garden Song - David Mallet
Illustrations to go along with the sweet folk song, Inch by Inch - a favorite in our house.

Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots: Gardening Together With Children - Sharon Lovejoy
Such a favorite here. This book is full of gardening activities and wisdom for families - those with lots of gardening experience and those with less (that would be me). Her approach that encourages children to play and explore really appeals to me.

Paddle-to-the-Sea - Holling Clancy Holling
Not a spring book, per se, but there seems to be a springtime tradition forming of us reading this book. And it does fit in with the season, with it's telling of boats, and water melting and new streams forming.  We like to follow along on the map as Paddle-to-the-Sea takes his journey from the Canadian wilderness to the Atlantic Ocean.

Nature Field Guides -
This is also a time of year when our bags, baskets and pockets are full of nature field guides for identifying plants, trees, animal tracks and flowers. I pick up a lot of the small, vintage "Golden Nature Guides" while out thrifting. They're super handy, and beautifully illustrated. We also like a lot of the DK field guides, as well as the Fandex Family Field Guides.

As I was thumbing through the basket, I realized just how many were bird related! So, I'm saving those for a seperate 'Bird Book List' - look for that sometime in the coming week or so.

As always, we'd love to hear your favorite family Springtime reads in the comments!

Happy Spring Reading!

my "urchin beret"

I'm pretty much in love with my new hat. And yes - I know I just said that about another hat. It's not that I'm a fickle hat lover - it's that I actually - and sadly -have misplaced that hat (I'm not calling it 'lost' yet). A bummer to be sure. But - it also gave me the perfect excuse to knit myself another new hat. A silver lining!

The pattern is the "urchin beret" from Twinkle's Weekend Knits: 30 Fast Designs for Fun Getaways. It's a beautiful book, and the designs really are unique - but wearable. Wearable is important. I've been itching to make a sweater, and I think it might just come from this book - I'm deciding between the Nimbus or the Cloudburst. Such fun names, aren't they? And it just occurred to me (sometimes I'm slow to catch on to these things) where the name "urchin beret' comes from for this hat. It totally does look like a  sea urchin from the top! And how much do I love the thought of walking around with a little bit of the ocean on me in the middle of the winter, even if only in theory? So much.

(all of these photos are by my very talented and sweet Steve by the way.)

I do realize (now) that I've knit myself more than a few green hats over the years. But - leave me wandering in a yarn shop with no pre-determined plan and there's a likely chance I'll walk out of there with some green yarn. (This is Cascade Magnum, from KnitWit - a favorite local yarn spot.)

Oh, and, this book is aptly titled - particularly on the 'fast' part. This hat - knit on gigantic size 17 needles - was finished before the end of a movie. (Jules et Jim - oh my gosh, I love that movie - I could listen to this over and over.) Anyway, that's a fast knit. I don't really think of knitting as something that needs to or even should be done fast, but sometimes it's kind of fun when it is. Especially when there's snow in the forecast (and in Maine this winter, when isn't snow in the forecast?), and I want to wear my new favorite hat. Like, today, for example.

(Hang in there, local peeps & similarly snowed-over friends! Spring will come. And for now, we have some beautiful snow. This is my February mantra.)

Wintry Weather Favorites

{Aw, thanks. You are very sweet. I really appreciate your kind words about our little calendar. We had such fun putting it together...and after a little break from my scanner (or perhaps a scanning lesson for Calvin), I can't wait to see what project we begin next!}   

So...we've had some serious snow around these parts.The word is that this is the most snow we've had this early in the season in something like 40 years. The kids are beside themselves with glee at the outdoor play land we've got going on: cross country skiing, skating, sledding, snowshoeing, and generally rolling around in the powder...and Steve and Calvin are downright giddy about hitting the mountains for some downhill action this year too.For now, and for the most part - I'm rather enjoying all the snow. It's beautiful out there!  And inside is the pleasure of January nesting - we're getting in some serious couch time; drinking lots of cocoa and tea; playing more Animal Yahtzee than I ever thought possible; making lots of everything; and doing lots of reading. The couch and quilts and a pile of books are where it's at right now. In that light, I thought I'd put together a reading list of our favorite books from our Winter basket, and perhaps share a new list as each season begins this year.

Our Favorite Wintry Reads!

(A few that made their way onto the holiday list I did in November that really apply here too: Owl Moon - Jane Yolen; Snow - Uri Shulevitz; The Big Snow - Berta and Elmer Hader; The Story of the Snow Children - Sibylle Von Olfers; Winter - Gerda Muller )

And the rest...

Snowflake Bentley - Jacqueline Briggs Martin
I love this story - I love finding children's books that tell the true story of people following their passions. This story tells the tale of Wilson Bentley, the snowflake guy! This book usually inspired a great flood of snowflake making in this house, which I feel coming on pretty soon. Gotta stock up on my coffee filters. I keep adding Snow Crystals - one of Bentley's books - to my wish list, but it hasn't made it's way in yet. Maybe this winter.

Flannel Kisses - Linda Crotta Brennan
This was a recommend from our last book list, and I'm so glad for it. It's a short, sweet, and simple story featuring so many things we love about winter - snow, quilts, soup, family, and coziness.

The Tomten, and The Tomten and The Fox - Astrid Lindgren
Adelaide has a big Tomten thing going on right now - I can't even imagine how many times I've read these books. I adore everything Astrid Lindgren did, but these are really special, sweet stories. And just the right length for my two year old.

Flower Fairies of the Winter - Cicely Mary Barker
I found this book (along with the others in the collection) on a recent clean-out of the basement. I think I had them before the children were born, and I'm so glad I found them at a time when they can be so enjoyed. The poetry is simple and lovely, and of course, her drawings of the fairies and flowers are stunningly beautiful.

Grandmother Winter - Phyllis Root
I bought this book as a holiday gift after being reminded of it on the last book list. I'm so grateful for that reminder - it's such a sweet tale of the origin of winter, and we've been enjoying it's cozy tone.

The Snowy Day - Ezra Jack Keats
One of the few books I remember so fondly from my childhood. And my little ones love it too - of course, being by "Ezra" and all makes it a whole bunch more fascinating around here to my little guy. I love the simplicity of this story - and the 'blanket' of snow that arrives. Sweet, sweet.

Mr. Snow - Roger Hargreaves
I recently rediscovered these Mr. Men and Little Miss books when Edith & Edna started carrying them. Do you remember them? I remember reading them as a child, and my kids are as in love with them as I remember being. Reading them as a parent, there's a fine line between them irritating me and enjoying the simple stories. But these books have insipired a great deal of my kids' book making of their own characters, so for that I do love them.

Winter Waits - Lynn Plourd
I love this series by Lynn Plourd with of nature's 'family' personified through characters in each season. In this book, "Winter" is a playful young boy who sparkles in the snowy winter. This seems to be out on Amazon, but the Author (a fellow Mainer!) has links to purchase on her own website here.

Brambley Hedge Winter Story - Jill Barklem
Oh, the sweet mice of Brambly Hedge...this one tells the tale of them preparing for a magical snow ball. It appears to not be available on Amazon, or anywhere else I can find, though perhaps I'm just confused by the different editions. Maybe the library is the best place to find this tale - I do think it's worth it, espeically for those who are in between the picture book and chapter book stage.

Winter Tree Finder and Winter Weed Finder - Okay, these I don't have yet, but I just ordered them from my bookstore, and I'm really excited to see them. We have a lot of nature field guides, but I don't have any that are geared towards the landscape of winter. So I'm eagerly anticipating their arrival here for some exploring to begin.

Do you have a Wintry Weather favorite I haven't listed? I'd love to hear in the comments!  It's kind of fun to settle into a long book inside, that reflects what's going on outside, isn't it? We think so. And on that note (and in the interest of exercising your scrolling muscles) - this is what it does look like outside here now - taken over the course of a day.

Have a cozy weekend!

Our Winter Reading Favorites

A note about Amazon: Since the start of this little blog, I've always used and linked to Amazon as a matter of ease and familiarity - Amazon as a website is one of the tools I use to organize my own book lists, seek out new books, and generally gather information. With that 'information' - I then head to either our library (when my fines aren't too high!), one of our favorite local independent bookstores, Powell's, or yes, sometimes Amazon, too. I want to let you know that I have recently begun participating in the Amazon Associates program, whereby I earn a small percentage of all sales made via links through this site. So, for example, if you follow any of these links below, or the Amazon links in my sidebar, I would earn based on anything you purchase in that shopping trip. I made this decision with the confidence that one - nothing in my content has changed or ever will change; two - my own personal buying habits will continue to remain as they always have; and three - that the earnings will - in a small but helpful way - contribute to my family. If you have questions about any of this, I'll do my best to answer them in the comments. I am not, however, up for debate. I trust that you will make the best decisions for your family, and  ask that you respect the ones I make for mine. Thank you!

And now let's talk about books...

There are a lot of books in this house - thrifted books, vintage books, purchased books, hand-me-down books, library books. They're on shelves, in baskets, under tables and chairs and in drawers. Really. While sometimes that feels absolutely magical and limitless when choosing a book, sometimes I know it can feel overwhelming too. So, for us - a system that's turned out to be really helpful is to pull them into 'themed' baskets - some that stay the same and some that change frequently. (As a side note - the kids love labeling the book baskets, with little tags they make for them, "library books, winter books, etc".)

Around the transition of each season, I pull - from all the various spots - our favorite 'seasonal' books, and these stay in a basket close at hand for the duration of the season. So the books are always around - they're just pulled a little closer to view when they're something we're focusing on, or the appropriate time of year. (The exception to this would be the straight-up traditional "Holiday" books that do get packed away with holiday decorations, because I just cannot bring myself to read The Night Before Christmas in July. I just can't do it.)

I tried very hard to keep it to our Top Ten, but you can see I failed miserably at that. I couldn't imagine leaving any of these out - they're all quite treasured by my family. So without further adieu, I bring you the favorites of our Winter books.

Christmas Treasury - Jan Brett
I can't imagine winter reading without Jan Brett's stories and tales full of scandinavian traditions. The Mitten, The Hat, and Christmas Trolls are our favorites, but I just found this treasury with a few more pulled together as one holiday collection. (As a side note - if you don't know about Jan Brett's website, and you have little ones, you must pay it a visit. It will keep you busy all winter long.)

Snow - Uri Shulevitz
This classic is simple and sweet and beautiful. When the snow starts to fall around here, we find ourselves quoting this one to each other a lot. "'It's snowing' said boy with dog. 'It's nothing' said Man with hat." It's one that contains enough repetitive phrases and such that it's a perfect read for the very-beginning readers among us.

The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice - Wendy Pfeffer
A wonderful non-fiction picture book which explains the significance of Solstice, as well as some of the traditions and ways that cultures throughout history have celebrated it. There are activities and experiments as well, making this one a really wonderful homeschool or classroom resource.

The Little Fir Tree - Margaret Wise Brown
I found a vintage copy of this one illustrated by Barbara Cooney that we adore, which includes music for the carols. I haven't seen the illustrations in the new one I've just linked to, but the story is a lovely one of a living pine tree and it's presence in a family's holiday. Brown's rhymes are so sweet and the story is soothing.

The Return of the Light: Twelves Tales from Around The World for Winter Solstice - Carolyn McVickar Edwards
This collection contains traditional tales that tell how different cultures celebrate the magic of solstice. While the faiths and different cultures vary greatly, the connecting themes of 'renewal' and 'change' and 'light' connect us all, and this collection is a wonderful demonstration of that through story.

Ollie's Ski Trip and Peter and Lotta's Christmas - Elsa Beskow
Two wonderful stories by one of our favorite author/illustrators. Calvin claims Ollie's Ski Trip to be his very 'favorite book of all' - (and we have a little bit of Jack Frost  in our dress up rack). It's one of mine too - full of magic and wonder at the winter season. Peter and Lotta's Christmas is equally as beautiful as Beskow's other stories, and includes a few sweet Swedish Christmas traditions in the tale.

Owl Moon - Jane Yolen
Owl Moon is essential winter reading! Jane Yolen so perfectly captures the simplest of activities and the magic and wonder and beauty within it. A walk in the woods to look for owls turns out to be a beautiful tale of all the magic of parent & child, nature & animals. This book has inspired many a nighttime walk around here. They're definitely magical.

The Big Snow - Berta and Elmer Hader
A wonderful tale of the animals of the wood preparing for winter, with a little help from some human friends. The children love to identify the 'signs' of winter that the animals sense. "They just know winter is coming, Mama!"

Nutcracker and Swan Lake - Lizbeth Zwerger
I fell in love with Lizbeth Zwerger's illustrations after recieving The Wizard of Oz from Amy a couple of years ago. Since then, our books illustrated by her continues to grow, and theyr'e always some of our favorites. These two tales are no exception - her illustrations bring these classic tales to life in a new way. In putting this post together, I discovered her illustrated version of The Night Before Christmas. I had no idea this one was out there, but it will most definitely be on the top of our wish list this year.

Winter - Gerda Muller
Gerda Muller's four seasons board books are one of my favorite newborn gifts to give. Without words, the pictures tell the tales of the seasons - in nature, animals, and people. I always think my children will have 'outgrown' this book, but they continue to love it. (It seems to not be available on Amazon, but it is available here at Nova Natural, where you can find a lot of the books I have in this list).

The Story of the Snow Children - Sibylle Von Olfers
Is there anything more magical than the thought of staring out the window at the snowflakes and having them turn into little snow children that carry you away on a magical winter adventure? Oh my. So much delight and goodness. The illustrations in this are simply stunning. (Not available through Amazon, but I did find it here at Three Sisters Toys.)

Nutcracker - E.T.A. Hoffman, Pictures by Maurice Sendak
Yup, two versions of the Nutcracker. Who can resist Maurice Sendak? Not I. The boys and I actually really love finding different illustrated versions of the same book - it's so fascinating to them to see how differently artists can interpret the same words. And well, this Maurice Sendak Nutcracker is a lovely one, and it's with the original text so it's a hefty and wonderful read.

Christmas in Noisy Village - Astrid Lindgren
This tale of Christmas contains all that I hope my children will remember from their own childhood holiday seasons - handmade gifts, baking, singing, celebrations with friends and family, and much joy.

I know there are other wonderful Holiday/Seasonal Book Lists going on out there in BlogLand, so if you've made one on your own blog, be sure to leave a link in the comments so we can see it! Additionally, if you have a favorite that hasn't been mentioned, let us know that too!

Happy cozy winter reading to you and the little ones in your life!

making books

- - "Amy [Amanda] my lazy sister is thirteen years old. She talks on the phone for an hour or two at a time. She has her own room and it is a mess. She always keeps it messy. When she goes places with her friends she always dresses nice and leaves her clothes on the floor."

- - "When Calvin was about to climb up the swing, he saw something. A turkey! Then he showed the turkey how to do flips. They were both wearing clown ties."

- - "Then he went home. Then he played soccer. Then he went home. Then he ate corn on the cob. Then he played soccer again"

Excerpts from my three favorite books - My Lazy Sister by my sister written many years ago when she was 8; a collection called Stories By Calvin, written by Calvin two years ago; and Mr. Soccerball, written by Ezra just this summer (the sequel for that one is in progress at the moment-I can't wait). These books are so very dear to me - I read them over and over and over and smile, and I will most assuredly treasure them forever. These were the first, but there are piles of these books now - in various stages of completion - among our things.

I keep a supply of these simple little handmade books accessible and at the ready for when the kids' book-writing inspiration strikes. The construction - on my end - is basic - heavy card stock folded in half, with 10-20 pages or lightweight paper on the inside pages, all stapled together on the fold. I started making them this way after receiving some similarly made and loved books from the Grecos. They're quick and easy, and yet, an absolute favorite thing for the kids to work on.

Our bookmaking has been fueled in recent weeks by the arrival of two wonderful bookmaking books.The first - How to Make Books: Fold, Cut and Stitch Your Way to a One-of-a-Kind Book is a guide to basic bookmaking, containing step-by-step instructions on a variety of methods. It's got me itching to take the needle and thread to some paper. Calvin's often asked about the construction of books, and this has given me lots of answers on the different ways it can be done. Though I think it's really geared towards an adult reader, the kids have been really interested in what's inside it too - I see some fun collaborations happening.

The second book that's being fought over explored daily around here is The Book Book, by Sophie Benini Pietromarchi. This book is really hard to explain - it's such eye candy and poetry and instruction and inspiration all rolled into one. It's written for children and covers not only the how of bookmaking, but the what to include in your book - characters, themes, ideas for inspiration. Really really good stuff, and put together so creatively. It's got everyone around here thinking differently about our bookmaking - and including things like fabrics, found objects, and food (!). The Book Book is published by Tara Publishing - a small and amazing (I'm in love with nearly their whole catalog now) independent publisher out of India. In addition to Amazon, it's also available on the their website here (where there's free worldwide shipping and screen printed gift wrap - ah! - before the holidays), and of course - also available by request from your local independent bookstore. 

Ah...new fresh inspiration for the little and big writers / illustrators / poets / bookmakers in the house. We're going to have fun with these...

new cool-weather favorites

I received a copy of The Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for All Seasons: Sweaters and Accessories for Men and Women a few weeks back. The style is what I would expect based on their past books - lots of accessible, modern, and mostly fast-knitting patterns. This latest book is full of knits for all year round - from sweaters to tanks and a few smaller things too - for both men and women. I was very excited to get knitting something in here.

Because I was in an instant-gratification kind of knitting mood, I went with a hat. From the book, it's the "Out of Retirement" hat, knit with Misti Alpaca Chunky from my stash. It knit up quickly, and seamlessly (well, actually there is a seam, but you know what I mean). Really - any wearable knitting pattern that knits up fast and calls for the use of a big ole' button? A winner, for sure.

Can I tell you how much I love this hat? No, really. I looove this hat. So much that I've been wearing it everyday nearly all day - even yesterday when it was (a very crazy) 75 degrees. Yup. I love this hat. It even warranted it's very own pair of fingerless mitts (knit from the pattern in Melanie' Falick's Weekend Knits). We're not going to talk about how many pairs of these I already have, or how ridiculous that might be, because the reality is that they just make me happy. And fingerless mitts and this new hat together? Makes me very happy. Bring on the real fall.

Gluten Free Girl, by Shauna James Ahern

I grew up eating what most of us in this country were eating in the 70's and 80's. My sisters and I joke about the point - well into our teens - at which we learned you could bake a cake without a Betty Crocker box, or the discovery of lettuce other than iceburg. Oh, the food of our childhoods - The brands. The salt. The sugar. (and for me, like many others - the childhood ulcers, asthma, and allergies that went along with the diet). Oy. I remember clearly the moment when I was 13 years old and babysitting in another home - and opened the fridge to discover shelves full of green stuff. I had no idea what any of it was. But I knew I wanted it - needed it, in fact. Next came the discovery of an old, worn and tattered Moosewood Cookbook that I opened like it was some sort of precious artifact (well, it is, really), and brought home with me to devour the unfamiliar words in the recipes. It was then - much to my parents credit - that I began doing my 'own' grocery shopping. Wandering around the natural foods aisle grabbing tofu and fantastic foods mixes - having no idea what to do with any of it, but knowing that it was a start. I've learned a lot about food since that point 20 (gulp) years ago, and I'm still learning a lot about food. I can happily say that my fridge looks more like that one full of green stuff than I ever thought it would. Good food is important to me - important to my family. And the most basic - and yet, revolutionary - thing I've learned about food is how directly it is linked to every sense of my health - of mind, body and spirit.

I've had these food memories and thoughts on my mind since receiving Shauna's book last week, and reading her story of finding the 'right' food for her. And today, I'm honored to be a stop on her virtual book tour for the release of Gluten-Free Girl: How I found the Food That Loves Me Back & How You Can Too. The book arrived last week - and I gobbled up the entire book in one day's worth of our adventures - sneaking reads whenever I could until I reached the end. You could say I devoured it - laughing and tearing up throughout it. Shauna writes from such an open and honest heart - the one we've come to know through her blog - and the result is a truly beautiful book.

And, you might be wondering, no we are not gluten-free. This is a book about food, love, health - the whole 'life' picture. The story of her path to wellness through food is so inspiring. And throughout the flow of her storytelling in the book, she weaves in information about Celiac disease, tips on living gluten-free, and an array of delicious-looking recipes. Anyone already living gluten-free - or just beginning that path - will surely find much in this book to add more beauty, joy and good food to their lives. And everyone else who reads it will think a little differently about the food they eat, where it comes from, how it is prepared...and the kind life in which it all happens.

This weekend we made the Curried Carrot Soup from the book. It was a big hit - sooo good and deep in flavor, and so perfect for the fall evening in which we ate it, after a long walk in the woods.

Cheers, Shauna! It's a beautiful book you've shared with the world!

Apples for Jam

I might as well admit it. I originally bought Apples for Jam : A Colorful Cookbook for the cover (see below - next to the cake!). Sight unseen - I ordered it entirely based on the cover photograph. Crazy, I know - but luckily in this case, it turned out to be a really good choice. With a staggering amount of recipes (200 to be precise); stunning photography and writing of food, family and life; as well as artwork by her children scattered about - I really like this book. Oh, and the whole thing is organized by color. By color. Oh, so visually dreamy. I don't think I've ever had a 'cookbook' I've looked at like this one.

The recipes (oh right. the recipes! it is a cookbook after all) are really good, too. They're simple in nature and construction - family food, if you will. And with a little tweaking here and there, I think a lot of these will find their way into our own family food repertoire. We started with a dessert - we happened to have everything it needed on hand, and well, desserts are always a good place to start, don't you think? With some butter and buttermilk from dear Dulsie, and the very last of our backyard blueberries of the season - it made for a super yum mid-day, early afternoon snack. We barely saved enough for Papa's arrival home from work. (But we did. We would never forget Papa with the daytime dessert making.) And yes...I do know that this makes perhaps recipe #4 that I've shared that involves a baked blueberry thing. Hmn. Well. I don't really know what to say about that. Blueberries are good!

Berry and Buttermilk Cake, Adapted from Apples for Jam

1.5 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
freshly ground nutmeg - a few grinds
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh berries
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (for topping)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk eggs until fluffy in another bowl, then add all wet ingredients. Mix dry and wet gently until combined. Spoon mixture into a 12x8x2 inch pan. Sprinkle blueberries on top. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool in pan before cutting.

(Oh, and since writing this post, I've made the winter squash fritters from this book, too. Um. Soooo good.)

Simple Gifts to Stitch

Earlier this summer, I received a copy of the new book Simple Gifts to Stitch: 30 Elegant and Easy Projects by Jocelyn Worall. There are some wonderful home and baby sewing projects in here for varying skill levels, as well as some helpful sewing tips (and my favorite - a glossary of fabric terms). There are a few projects in here I think I'll try in the future - particularly around holiday gift-making time. But right away, the first project that grabbed my attention was the Pintucked Table Runner. Something about pintucks pleases me to no end. I can't explain it - but the same thing goes for pleats and gathers. Strange, I know.

The pattern called for linen, but I didn't have enough linen to make a runner the length I wanted, so I went for some crisp shirting fabric I had on hand, and used muslin as the backing. I'm pleased with how it turned out - the directions were easy to follow and it worked well with the fabric substitution too.

Ah, pintucks, how I love thee.

inspired by green

Just a couple of steps north to DownEast (yes, DownEast is truly is NorthEast), and the landscape is ever so slightly different than what's outside my own door. Just enough so that I noticed throughout our week, and marveled at the color - the rich lush moss, and all the green.

I might be particularly noticing this right now, as I've been spending a lot of time visiting The Art of Embroidery again. This book amazes me - full of beautiful inspiration from nature and then the translation to art and craft through embroidery.

There's a bit of embroidery instruction included in the book, but I think it's best use is as a beautiful reminder of the inspiration that really is all around us - everywhere. Grass, moss, fern, leaves. Everywhere and Anywhere. It's there.

and a little more green today from my flickr favorites:
into the woods
spirals
leaves
bouquets from above
ground floor
the forest floor

family classics in the making

I was doing a clean up this morning of our 'coffee table' which clearly should be renamed Book Deposit Table. As I was putting some of the books away to start fresh for the day (it will look like this again by 6pm), I was thinking about our 'system' of books, how they're organized and how we use them. I know, not deeply profound - but still, I'm interested in these things. I was so shy as a little one, and the school library - with it's quiet and gentle librarian - was one of my favorite places. At home, I made pockets and due date slips and had a recipe box as a 'card catalog' and insisted that my sisters 'check out' any and all books in the house through me. My favorite part was sending out late notices (ironic, given my late-fee problem?), which I would slip under their bedroom door very officially. Some of my kids' books that were mine still have their cards in the back, along with the "Property of the Blake Library" bookplates that I made.

I don't think I'm over the top about our book 'system' now (sadly, half of our adult books sit in the musty basement, having their shelves taken over by picture and board books) - but there is just enough order to them so that, hopefully, we'll know where to find something when we look for it. They're loosely organized by theme, and on shelves in whatever room we'd most likely read them: the most frequently read books close by and at the ready; The vintage bird book pile that I'm amassing? Always within reach - and right next to the window; And we always have a basket of seasonal books handy too; A basket of library books (not that keeping them all in one place helps me actually return them); An always-rotating basket of frequently read - usually 'new' to us - books right next to the couch (these are the titles I usually share in the sidebar); and on and on.

The point to all of this (yes, there is one, I'm getting there), is that as I was putting the books away, I realized there was a small pile that had no 'home' at all. Meaning that they are so often read by my little ones right now, that putting them away on a bookshelf even for a few hours, is futile. This pile hasn't changed much in a year or so - these are the books that the boys pick up several times a day, nearly everyday, and just look and look and look. When things are getting a little out of control around here (that happens), the kids will plop down (sometimes on their own, sometimes on my suggestion) with something from this pile to chill out. They're their 'comfort' books, in a way. And I suppose, they're becoming our family classics.

Do you have one of these piles too? Or did you as a child? The go-to, must always know where they are, books in your home? I'd love to hear what's in your pile. (though I'm torn between fear and excitement about ours growing at your suggestions!)

Summer Mama Reading

I received an early copy of the book, Finding Your Inner Mama: Women Reflect on the Challenges and Rewards of Motherhood, edited by Eden Steinberg, which is available this week. Beyond loving the cover by Susie Ghahremani (of Boy Girl Party), the book itself is pretty fabulous too. I'm not really a fan of the 'how to' parenting books. I've never found a whole lot helpful in those. I think it's that many of them focus on the 'act' of parenting and not the 'heart' of parenting. The action without heart just doesn't really work for me. The hard "work" of being a Mama (for me) doesn't come from the structure of our home or the discipline 'method' we use or any of those actions, but rather on the inner work that we do to be the kind of parent we want to be. And so the "Mama" reading I enjoy most is hearing women's stories. I really want to read women who like being a parent (even if that's not the case every moment of the day. trust me. I get that.). Finding Your Inner Mama is a collection of essays by women just like that - smart, funny, and thoughtful women who like being a Mama, but are realistic in their sharing of the challenges and struggles as well.

There are many in this collection whose writing has inspired me greatly in the past - Ariel Gore, Myla and Jon Kabat - Zinn (whose book Everyday Blessings is my all-time favorite parenting book), Adrienne Rich, Andrea Buchanan, and Anne Roiphe, as well as many others that are newer to me. The diversity of not only the women, but also their writing styles and experiences, makes for a full, rich picture of motherhood. The circumstances of my own mothering may differ greatly from some of the writers, but the common thread of thoughtful mothering is truly inspiring and connecting. And I think honesty, inspiration and connection is something all of us can use a little more of as we find our way in this sometimes-seemingly-solo role of Mama.

over-the-top cuteness from bend-the-rules sewing

Way back when (eons in internet years), in early 2005, I befriended a certain not-so-Angry Chicken, when we began our blogs in the very same week. Our conversations revolved around babies, breastfeeding, homeschooling, homebirthing and a little bit of interfacing and fabric thrown in for good measure. Very good stuff. Over time, our conversations grew to include books and publishers and literary agents, as first she began her book, and then I followed. It felt much like being pregnant at the same time as a dear friend, except of course, Amy actually was pregnant too. It's a tricky balance - finding the time to write (or work or play or do anything else, for that matter) while still maintaining the most important role of all - Mama - but Amy does it beautifully. I watched my sweet friend closely in her own process, and learned so very much. I'm incredibly inspired and also incredibly proud of her.

So you know, I truly loved Bend-the-Rules Sewing before it was published. But a few days after it's arrival here - when I was still carrying it with me everywhere I went to look at the amazing photography and Amy's super-cute illustrations - I realized I loved the book for more than just being my friend's book, but also because it just happens to be a fabulous sewing book (that's my completely unbiased opinion). So many people ask me for a good beginner's everything-you-need-to-know-but-stylish-too (really, that's just what they ask for), and until now, I've had nothing to offer them for a suggestion. I'm so pleased that Amy's book fills those shoes and more. Amy's fun, light, smart and quirky voice shines in this book and makes reading patterns a blast. And the sewing tips in the beginning of the book are full of info for beginners and more experienced sewers alike. That girl knows her stuff.

Adelaide adores this book too (loving all the cute babies right up), so I let her pick the first project (sort of...maybe I encouraged her a little). It was kind of a tough choice - there are some really great kids patterns in there, which I think is really lacking in sewing books in general right now. Ultimately, we went for the Woodland Elf Hat - oh, so good. The pattern was super easy and fun to follow. It's generously sized so that I know it will fit Adelaide all winter. I used a felted wool blanket, and it's just the right thickness to not be too heavy. You know, for those July days when I convince her to wear it all day. Thank goodness she loves hats.

Thank you, Amy, and congratulations on yet another birth this month! Yay!

embroidery dreaming

This is the last of the smocks made for an Edith & Edna order. I think it's my favorite, even though Calvin told me it doesn't look like a teacup. Harumph.

The embroidery was inspired by the arrival of this Japanese embroidery book (ISBN 8347-2421-2) from SuperBuzzy (mail from SuperBuzzy is good mail, indeed). A few more book scans:

 

We're getting snow today - six inches of it. I have nothing nice to say about that. Steve says it's what I get for swapping out the winter gear for the beach toys and sandals. And spring skirts. And again, I say, Harumph.

So this morning, I'm headed back to my coffee to dive into this book for as long as I can, daydreaming about visits to the beach with summer linen smocks with little red riding hood embroidered on them. My vision involves lots of sand, baby toes, and ice cream. Ooh...and maybe some embroidered picnic napkins! Yes.

One Skein, One Bowl

I was in a bookstore last weekend--just browsing, of course. But I did manage to walk away with just one book (hey--I was impressed), and fittingly it was One Skein, by Leigh Radford (author of Alterknits...still on my wish list). I seem to have a short attention span with my knitting projects these days (currently, I have five going, all of which I rotate getting bored with and moving onto another...this is a big shift from my former start-to-finish kind of knitting style. Hmn.), and so of course this book really, really appealed to me. Or, it could have just been the amazing colors chosen for the book cover. Yummy, no?

Anyway...good stuff in here. Really good stuff. Lots of 'use your stash' stuff, which I love for many many reasons. Some great patterns--knitted rug (so drawn to making one of these, even though I have a crocheted version that I've never completed) and bath mat, baby bolero, hat, felted bowls and lots lots more (sorry...scanner and I weren't in the mood for cooperating today.)

I wanted to make something right away, and the felted bowls were calling to me most of all. Here's mine, using stash leftovers of Lamb's Pride bulky.

I see many, many, many more of these in my future. So fast, so seamless, and so satisfying.

Creative Embroidery

I managed to get about 30 seconds in the adult stacks on a library trip last week, and this was the one book I grabbed. Creative Embroidery by Jean Nicholson, published in 1960. I opened it up immediately to this passage:
"in these days of mass production the assertion of one's individuality is very important....the desire to enrich an article or to make it more interesting, whatever it may be, should be strong enough to overcome any preliminary hesitation....anyone who has the creative ability necessary to perform the actual embroidery, and the desire to create something beautiful out of ordinary things, has the germ of an artist in her make-up. Often the materials themselves suggest a treatment, and really all that is necessary is to pause with a needle and thread in one hand and the material in the other. It is in that moment that the special qualities so valuable to the artist--awareness and inquisitiveness--are required......Perhaps you recall the charming design on the manhole cover just outside your front door. Another careful look at it, and then, with the aide of a dinner plate and pencil, a designe quite oringinal in it's employment can be made. All around us there are sources of inspiration...."

Right on.

She talks a lot about cut-outs for designs. Love these three...especially the middle one.

These remind me so much of the designs you would do with henna. The designs are all quite simple, really...but lovely and intricate to look at, I think.

I find both of these sets so beautiful.

These are napkin rings, but when I first saw them, I thought of wristbands. I might just have to make some as wristbands...

And this stuffed and embroidered cat? Oh my!

Books: a list, and one for you

I took the We're Reading book list off this page shortly before the holidays, thinking that no one read it anyway. But I've had lots of feedback telling me that people liked it. So it's back! Down in the left sidebar. See it? I've even added notes this time around. Fancy.

Okay, and speaking of lists, I'm struggling with the Daily Reads list. I use bloglines, and so, really, my 'daily reads' list numbers quite a bit higher (ahem) than the 17 sites I have listed here. But I know that some people really use those lists to discover new blogs. I'm thinking about doing something that changes each month perhaps (a la Tania), just leaving it be, or deleting the list altogether. (Am I thinking aloud again? Ignore me...) Does anyone have an opinion?

Moving on...sometime last month, I was completely devouring the words of the amazing Alicia at Posie Gets Cozy, as she was talking about the book Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson. Alicia's words about the novel were so moving, that I moved right on over to a bookstore and got myself a copy. I would never dare to do justice to a book like that by fumbling around with words myself to review it, so let me just say that this book was every bit as beautiful as Alicia said, and so utterly well crafted. Yes, that's the perfect word. It was so well crafted. And so now I want to pass that on to someone else! The first person to email me at            that you'd like the book, it's yours. Shipping's on me. on it's way to it's next reader!

Vintage Children's Book

I found this book, The Twelve Days of Christmas (published in 1949) with pictures by Ilonka Karasz at a yard sale a few years ago, for 25cents. I was very drawn to the illustrations, and the colors in particular, and very happy to spend a quarter on it.

This is the first image--the partridge in a pear tree, and each page as something is added, the one above it moves up a bit. So it looks like this at the end:

Is that not gorgeous? I even love the typeface:

I knew nothing about this artist when I bought the book, but now know just a little bit about her career (um, really, how did we survive before Google?). She's most well known for her work with The New Yorker, but she did an amazing variety of other work--furniture design, textile work, and eventually was a leading wallpaper artist. I would love to see some of her wallpaper designs, but even with the beauty of Google, I still can't seem to do so.

The book is in rather shoddy condition--but only the binding and cover. I've thought about having it repaired, or just using the pages as prints--but really--you can't take just one of the twelve days of christmas, now can you?

Holiday Reading Favorites

In between the crafting and baking, and singing of carols (Johnny Cash's Christmas is in permanent rotation now, but where oh where is my Elvis Christmas CD??), we're also doing lots of holiday reading. Here's what's on our coffee table right now. (Sorry for the annoying Amazon "search inside" images...)

Christmas Trolls by Jan Bret. Sweet, sweet story of two trolls learning the meaning of christmas, and I adore Bret's scandinavian styled illustrations. And yes, Anamaria, I do just want to jump into this book and "live" in their home! So cozy! Calvin and Ezra are often playing "Mig and Tig" trolls from this book and teaching each other the "spirit of christmas" just like in the story (of course, this also means that they play the "fighting" that the trolls do too).

Peter and Lotta's Christmas by Elsa Beskow. This one just arrived at our home (via Advent stocking #2!), and Steve's been reading it, so I can't say much about it yet. But Elsa Beskow is my favorite children's author/illustrator so I know I'll love it. Her illustrations are so wonderful, and the stories are so simple and sweet...even if there's some language that's a bit outdated (there's always one little thing in each book that we choose to "edit").

Winter Solstice by Ellen Jackson. Another new one to us this year, I like the history and global perspective in this book, showing where lots of our modern holiday traditions originated from.

The Shortest Day: Celebrating Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer. I like how this one combines the spiritual aspect of solstice with science, history and culture. Beautiful illustrations.

Winter by Gerda Muller. We have all four of these season books, and they're so lovely. They're board books with simple illustrations (no words) of seasonal activities. Our copies are all well loved from so much looking.

The Snow Tree by Caroline Repchuk. I stumbled on this book at a yard sale and fell in love with it's simplicity and beauty. All the animals in the forest bring their special things to decorate a winter tree, with simple sweet illustrations (all on a very neat textured paper). I love that it fits for all religious and spirtual winter celebrations.

The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren. Calvin used to get a little freaked out by the gnomey guy...but now he's a big hit around here, thankfully for Mama who loves to read this one.

 
The Return of the Light: 12 Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice by Caroline McVickar Edwards. Okay, so this isn't a favorite yet, but it's on it's way in the mail to us, and I'm really excited about it. Full of Winter Solstice short stories, and it also includes a section with rites and songs.

THe Magic Dreidels by Eric Kimmel. I looove the gorgeous colors in this retelling of the fable, "the tablecloth, the donkey, and the stick".

And of course, The Grinch. Though it's hard to consider this a holiday book since we read it all year long. This, and Horton are Ezra's two favorite books. I think I could read them both without looking at the books....he probably could too.

edited to add: how could I forget The Night Before Christmas? As we read that this morning and got to the line, "he had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly," Ezra stopped me to say, quite as if he'd discovered something very exciting, "Mama! Your belly does that too!". Why yes, my dear, it does. It certainly does.

So, that's what we're reading! I'd love to hear what you and your little ones are enjoying this holiday season....

Fiber Books for Kids

I'm always on the lookout for books for kids that relate to fiber/sewing, etc. I thought I'd share a few of our favorites--most of these are in our collection, but a few I'd like to add soon.

Pelle's New Suit, by Elsa Beskow. One of our absolute favorite books, about a boy who needs a new suit as his own is getting too small--he trades his "work" for all the steps of the process of a new suit--shearing the wool, spinning the yarn, weaving, sewing, etc. Lovely, lovely illustrations by Beskow.

The Mitten, by Jan Brett. The story of a mitten knit by grandmother that gets lost in the snow and has lots of adventures with the animals along the way.

Red Berry Wool, by Robyn Eversole. Lalo the lamb wants a sweater like his shephard. The story is his adventure as he tried to turn his own fleece into a sweater. Very endearing story of love.

Grandpa Bears Fantastic Scarf, by Gillian Heal. So sweet. Each day, Grandpa (yes, grandpa knits!) knits a bit of his life into his fantastic scarf--his feelings, experiences, etc...until it's a long, full life full of a scarf. He teaches his grandson to do the same--weaving the past of his ancestors in too. Lovely, lovely book.

A Symphony for the Sheep, by Cynthia Millen. A poetic story of the life of sheep and how their coat is turned into clothing, set in Irelend. Illustrated with hand colored woodcuts.

A New Coat for Anna, by Harriet Ziefert. In post World War II, a mother trades and barters to have a coat made for her daughter. In the end, they visit the sheep to show them their wool as a coat! Sweetly illustrated by Anita Lobel.

Something From Nothing, by Pheobe Gilman. (Thanks to LoriKay for this recommend.)  Grandfather, the tailor makes his grandson a blanket, which then becomes a jacket, a button, and a story. Beautiful illustrations!

That's all I can think of at the moment. Do you know of others?