f.y.i.

This Friday I'll be closing up the shop until October 5th, so now is the time to snatch up anything you've had your eye on!

I'll be in New York visiting family and seeing the sights for the next week and a half so things will be pretty quiet around here. I may pop in to say hi if I have time, but if not I'll show you highlights of the trip when I get back! See ya!

i love elastic thread

This was probably the fastest and easiest sewing project I've done in a long time. Most of my time was spent rummaging in my scrap pile finding big enough pieces of fabric to throw it all together, the actual sewing was a breeze. If you haven't tried sewing with elastic thread, you must. It was like taking a regular sewing project and turning it into an 'instant' sewing project!

For a detailed tutorial on how to make shirred tops go here. I followed those directions for the most part, but since I was using scraps I had to veer off course to piece together the different tiers of fabric. They are all sewn to a large piece of cream fabric doubling as the lining for the inside of the dress.

weekend snapshot

This weekend was packed with family celebrations and a get-together with friends which made it a lot of fun, but also fly by way too quickly! This snapshot was taken in our friends big backyard - isn't the view so calming and peaceful? I love how the babies look like little farmers discussing their crop.

The next two weekends husband and I will be in New York City and Boston! Do you have any good tips on must see, must eat, must shop places?

new in the shop and happy friday!

I put some new vintage clothes in the shop suitable for the colder weather coming up! I am starting to get excited about fall, how about you?

Have a wonderful weekend!

little farm

Our garden has been less than stellar this year... a couple of zucchinis, a handful of peas, carrots that are still only 2" high, and tomato plants that are now just finally starting to produce (is the tomato season really this late in the summer?). Needless to say, I had much higher hopes and dreamed about eating fresh tomatoes way back in July (maybe I should look that up).

So that is where Little Farm comes in to save my pitiless garden and give me loads of locally grown, better than organic, flavorful vegetables. And they make me so happy that I wanted to share with all of you too, although if you don't live in the Provo-Orem area that puts a damper on things.

Little Farm is located in Pleasant Grove, and Lutie, the gardener herself, is world famous for her work in the field of radionics - which in a nutshell means she can tell what the plant needs nutrient-wise by testing its energy. Sounds a little strange, but don't judge until you've tasted her delicious offerings. And you can only get them right here.

And while you are there you can stock up on local free-range eggs, grass-fed beef, raw milk, raw cheese, and delicious homemade soups!

applique pillow tutorial

Danielle, from My Sparkle, is the talented older sister of my good friend Vanessa, and a total inspiration to me! Everything she makes is so adorable and she gives great tips. She recently posted this applique pillow tutorial at Bloom explaining how to use cardstock and aluminum foil to get perfectly formed shapes which I think is G-E-N-I-U-S!


For the full tutorial go here!

And check out Danielle's cute etsy shop here!

(photos by Danielle of My Sparkle)

weekend snapshot

fabric find { heather bailey wool felt }

Ooooh... love, love, love the colors of the designer wool felt Heather Bailey now offers!

(photo from Heather Bailey)

peach jam '09

This past weekend I tried my hand at canning for the first time. Our friends moved into a house with a mature peach tree and gifted us a huge bag full of perfectly ripe fruit. Immediately, my mind turned back to summer days when my mother hardly left the stove and rows upon rows of bottled jam, grape juice, tomatoes, etc. would line the counter. And it just felt like the right time for me to continue the tradition for my own family.

I followed the directions that are in the Ball pectin box, excepting I used honey instead of sugar. It is so delicious and I feel so proud seeing my own rows of pretty jars lining the counter. I already have very ambitious plans in my head for next year... I never would have guessed how satisfying it is to hear that little "pop" when the lid seals!

weekend snapshot

Hope you had a fun and safe Labor Day! We had a sleepover with the little miss' cousins and then spent the morning at the park. She had a great time going down the slide on their laps and I loved the fact that she walks so well now she could explore and play "on her own."

But the best part of the day was finding out that my sister-in-law took Labor Day literally and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy! Welcome to the world little one!

a quilt for mystery baby

I made this rag quilt a while ago and sent if off to my sister-in-law in New York who is expecting her first baby any second now. I absolutely love the fabric and felt it was pretty gender neutral (although husband was quick to point out there are quite a few floral prints), because they decided to wait to find out the gender.

So, we are on pins and needles waiting for a much anticipated phone call to tell us if we have a new niece or nephew. Can't wait to know who you are mystery baby!

And good luck Kristi, you are in our thoughts and prayers!

sunday best

Ambrosia Girl has started a Flickr group called Sunday Best to "prove that ‘modestly fashionable’ is not a contradiction." I already love it and if you are in need of some modest inspiration too then join up, the group is public. I'm usually not the type to take pictures of what I'm wearing, but this seems like it will be fun!