hom spun::japanese sewing book

Japanese craft books are true love, in my opinion. If I had a million dollars I could easily spend the majority of it on these Japanese craft books and fabric/supplies to make everything in them. I got this new book called "hom spun: sewing book." It's delightful. I have brown linen for the wrap dress, but there are so many other garments in there I want to make. Which one should I start with? Hm.... it's a tough decision. Especially seeing as I have like, NO time to work on anything for myself right now. {more pictures here.}

Also, I got my heirloom tomato plants and seeds! I'm a little nervous about this garden business. But hey, there is a first for everything right? I hope I don't kill anything. Worse, will anything actually grow?? We shall see... It's almost the weekend and my friend Alanna is finally back from France! She's making dinner tonight. I imagine something delicious and utterly French. I can't wait. This weekend is another shape-note sing as well as barn dance in the evening. I can see it's going to be a good weekend. Later!

sneak peek

Yes, I'm going to toot my own horn and share some pictures I quickly took this afternoon. I'm really excited about these. They're trousers I am planning to sell in my shop very very soon. I have other items I plan to make as well, but it's been rough finding the time to work on these. I just got a huge commission from a living history site and that work load coupled with my regular work makes sewing on the side pretty difficult. BUT, I'm working as fast as I can and hopefully within a few months, I will have my shop open with my new (old-fashioned) line of clothes based on vintage patterns and original 1930s-'40s garments. I tell everyone I love men's working wear, so why can't women also pull off this look? Here's my attempt at it. Stay tuned for more sneak peeks!





{a few more pics here.}

back from the past.

I'm back and finally recovered from the weekend. For some reason it always takes me at least a few days to recover fully after I come back from a living history event. This one was so much fun. It's really what I needed after all that silly internet drama. THANK YOU guys for being so nice to me! All your comments made me smile. There's always going to be someone who hates what you do and that's just the way it is. And that surely isn't going to stop me from having fun!



I haven't much time to blabber on today, so I'm just going to leave you with some images from the weekend. The event was held in a little village called Boonesfield and the time period was 1856. We had an election (where women were not allowed to vote, but a few of us women wrote in names and one actually got counted! hah!) and there was a lady's lyceum on women's rights. My friend Brandi spent months putting this together and it turned out absolutely fabulous. There was dancing, singing and banjos in the evening and throughout the day. And there was an array of candy and goods at Deborah's mercantile. I sometimes wish I could just live like this forever. It's nice to come back to the modern world, though. I do enjoy many of our conveniences. I never know quite how glorious a shower is until I come back from one of these events. I'd say the event was a total success and I'm eager to go back in time again. {Gosh I love being a nerd.}



{More images from the weekend here and here.}

hi.

{after dinner with friends. more pics here.}

Yes, it's been awhile since I've written anything on here. It's been busy! I also got to deal with a bit of internet drama in the last few days. Yep, someone found my flickr pics and gave me a lashing. I usually don't think twice about those, but someone who apparently knows me has done this. I only wish those people would come to me directly if they have such a problem with me. Oh, internet...I have this vile relationship with thee. Sometimes you are kind and other times you give me a slap in the face. Well, it's what you get when you put yourself out there like I have. And it really should come to no surprise. It is SO EASY to judge another simply by pictures they post or little things they write. According to my stalker, I write too much about my hair and sewing. Well, if you guys ever get tired of reading about my hair or my sewing, please let me know. Or better yet, just ignore me. I swear I won't take offense. For all I know, I'm the only person who reads what I write on here. Dude, I don't even care if others read my stuff or even look at my pictures! I've found a lot of inspiration for my daily life through other people's photographs and the stuff people write on their blogs brings me joy. I write on here to give back, in a way. I do it to connect. That doesn't mean I don't have friends outside the computer screen. I may not have much of a life and spend most my days either sewing, watching old movies or dreaming about my garden. I will hang out with friends on occasion and yeah, I do interact with real live humans, even though it may look like through my flickr photo stream that all I do is take pictures of my hair and the clothes I sew. Anyways, just wanting to let you know that the pictures I post and the things I choose to write about on my blog are only a tiny portion of who I really am. It takes a lot to truly know someone and I've learned it does no good to judge. But that's my opinion and it sure is a free country we live in so with that said, feel free to take everything I say with a grain of salt. :)

Now off to the weekend! I'm heading out where there is no electricity, no phones, no internet, no cars and lots of music 'round the fire, lots of laughs and loads and loads of good times with amazing friends. I'll be back here with more pictures of my hair and sewing talk on my return. *wink*

weekend!

• It's a beautiful Friday and a perfectly wonderful May 1st!
• I'm thrilled because today I finally finally finnnnallly paid off my car I totaled last July! Now to save up for another one! Woohoo!
  
• Planning an heirloom garden for the first time all myself. I have so many ideas!
• I finished a project and ready for the weekend to begin...
• Going to lunch with a friend in Mt. Vernon and to the Chalk Walk which I've never been to before. Hope it doesn't rain! {Oops...Maybe I shouldn't say that.}
• Also going to a barn dance tomorrow night in the Amanas. I am aching to dance!
• Dandelion petal sorbet? Heck yes!
• Two new dresses from Salvation Army all for under $9 bucks. SCORE!
• New sewing projects brewing. Picked up some brown linen to make this dress.

Suffice it to say, it's been the most perfect May Day I could ask for and it looks like a grand weekend to come.