a few good things from today. My daughter has had the flu for over a week, as in flat out on the couch can only watch t.v. and eating very little. I've been warding it off as best I can, not easy when up multiple times throughout the night, all part of being a Mom I suppose. Luckily we still have a few good things left in our fridge to get us through.

oh, and those fabrics. I swear when I get a fabric order in the mail it feels like Christmas, especially when two gorgeous fabrics like this show up! The left is a plum french terry and the right is a grey jersey patterned with black polka-dots, both from Organic Cotton Plus. The left is intended for a pair of track pants for my daughter and the right will be a tshirt, or a t-shirt dress for her, I haven't quite decided. But I do love the two of them together!

still full-out winter in these parts. Will be nice to get a ski in over the upcoming Easter break, but after that we will welcome Spring with open arms!

Anna Atkins

These cyanotypes by Anna Atkins have such an ethereal beauty. They aren't exactly photographs, as there was no camera involved but rather a kind of impression of light and shadow on paper. Anna's was the first published book of such works. These are photograms of various British algae which she collected and dried and then catalogued in her book. The process is said to combine her love of art and science. You can find out more here if you like.

I have been toying around with the idea of working with dying some of the garments I am working on with indigo. Maybe I am just dreaming but the thought occured to try something similar with the indigo and some hand drawn resist technique on fabric. So many ideas, so little time. For now I will just enjoy these . . .

new skirt and blouses

I recently added a few new blouses to my Sweet Jane shop . . . made with the sweetest vintage cottons.

Amy Blouse

Emily Blouse

Missy Blouse

Molly Blouse

 

 

and a new skirt to my Meadowsweet Organics shop . . . all for girls of course!

Evelyn Organic Skirt

a new dress

 A new dress that I made from some *new* vintage fabric I acquired recently. It is gathered at the neck with bias and closes in the back with a button and loop closure. This print definitely puts me in the mind of the beach and I think it would work well as great beach cover-up, too. This is for my Sweet Jane shop and I will have one available in sizes 2T, 4, and 6 next week.

floral and folk

Had just enough of this fabric left to make two of these dresses in a size 2T. Slides over her head for easy dressing and secures in the back with the bias ties. Easy peasy! Go here for a more detailed look!

Evelyn

so happy to finally include some organic fabrics in the shop! I'm starting off with Evelyn, an organic cotton sateen from the Harmony Art collection. It is a wide-width sateen (110") that I am also offering at a 55" width. The 55" width is great for those who would like to use the fabric for making dresses or blouses and need more length than width, but is also still wide enough for sewing a baby or toddler's quilt, a duvet cover or bed sheets.

I really do love the soft hand of this fabric, as its name would imply is does have a more satin-like feel than your regular quilting cottons (although I like those, too), but this fabric does have a nicer drape for garments such as dresses or blouses. A very versatile fabric, indeed!

  
Happy New Year, everyone! I think we have finally emerged from the crazy winter weather we have been experiencing. The upside is that I have been happily hibernating which suits me just fine and I have been popping in and out of my sewing room as time allows.

A new product I've just added to my Sweet Jane Shop  - headscarves for girls, featuring some sweet vintage cotton fabrics I have been cherishing for a while now. I will also be adding a new skirt to the shop when I get it properly photographed.

Hope you are all having a great start to your year!

snow day!

SALE!

HATS OFF to my customers for the rest of this year! Buy one hat and get the second hat 50% off using the coupon code HATSOFF during checkout. OR, but two hats and get the third one free! (use coupon code B2G1HAT). Coupon codes are good until Dec. 31st!

holiday shopping

The holidays will soon be upon us so I thought I'd post some suggested "shop-by" dates:

within Canada: Dec. 11, to the U.S.: Dec 10, and Internationally: Dec 6
  

new hats!

A couple of the new hats I just added to my Meadowsweet Organics shop. I have been plowing through all of my fabric bits and decided to mix it up a little bit to make these funky little numbers. Most are one of a kind of course! :)

The Betsy Blouse

The Betsy Blouse, sewn with a pleasing vintage plaid fabric in my Sweet Jane Handmade shop. Sizes 2T thru 8 youth.Check it out!

A new dress in my Sweet Jane Handmade shop made with classic vintage fabric from the 1970's!

Oh, and detailed with a little wooden button and denim pocket (organic cotton / hemp blend) for good measure!

a hat and a song

A new sleepy-time hat in the shop, or as I sometimes call it the Wee Willy Winkie hat, this time in candy cane, or Cat in the Hat flavour, or "Argh Matey", whatever suits you, really.

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,

Up stairs and down stairs in his night-gown,

Tapping at the window, crying at the lock,

Are the children in their bed, for it's past ten o'clock?

In other news, am loving this song by Don Brownrigg, Sweet Dream Sleeper. Don is based in Halifax but actually hails not far from this neck of the woods in Newfoundland (Codroy Valley I believe). I can't believe I had the good fortune of hearing Don perform this song and a few others live at a Singer/Songwriter Circle this past Spring at the Trails, Tales and Tunes Festival in Norris Point. I would have bought his album on the spot after hearing him but he didn't have one at that time. Good news is that his album is set to be released on October 22nd. Check it out. I can't wait to hear the rest of the album.

And because you're gonna want to sing along, I've included the lyrics here for you.

SWEET DREAM SLEEPER

rest your bones
your day is done
your gentle soul
on the run
close your eyes
hop skip and jump
on the lam
and over hump

you're never gonna get that far
you're never gonna reach part of your heart
you sweet dream sleeper
you never gonna reach that high
you never gonna see if love’s nearby
you sweet heart keeper

With a heart like a hammer
thump de dum thump thump thump

Chase your dreams
through your nightmares
Mean your words
and say your prayers
You left your mind
go pale and numb
locked your heart
out in cold blood

you never wanna reach that high
you never wanna see if love’s nearby
you sweet heart keeper
you're never gonna get that far
you're never gonna reach part of your heart
my sweet dream sleeper
with a heart like a hammer
thump de dum thump thump thump

dreams aren’t as weak as we are
the mind’s not as weak as the heart
sleep my little sweet among the stars

you're never gonna get that far
you're never gonna reach part of your heart
my sweet dream sleeper
you never wanna reach that high
you never wanna see if love’s nearby
my sweet heart keeper
On the lam and you’re in the dark
you’re never gonna get close to your heart
my sweet dream sleeper
my sweet dream sleeper
with a heart like a hammer
thump de dum thump thump thump

credits

released 09 August 2013
Written by Don Brownrigg

this and that

Some lovely apples that were made up into an Apple Pandowdy earlier this week. I have no recipe as I just throw this together as shown by my mother: oats, brown sugar cinnamon and butter. 

A cute drawing I found on the top of our fridge of Maya with her Nanny H. and my mother's dog, Rocky (and some other fashionable unknown lady). Don't you  just love the details?

And lastly a photo of some cupcakes my daughter and I made for her birthday. Snapped it just before we were about to head out the door to the swimming pool for her party.

Hope you are all enjoying these beautiful Fall days!