Spring is here!!!

Spring is here in full bloom! Wish I was a better photographer to share with you how truly beautiful our garden is!!

beading in progress....

I am currently working on this tiny beaded purse. I am using teeny-tiny Japanese beads and a flat weave to construct it. It reminds me of the collection of antique purses that my Mother has, and that I have always admired.

Vintage kimono fabric skirt

A few months ago I made a skirt out of indigo kimono scraps. I wasn't entirely happy with that skirt. So I have made this simple wrap skirt. the main part is made up of indigo linen and the trim is vintage indigo kimono fabric pieces.. The simplicity of the skirt pattern seems to suit the fabric much better!

Bali sarong dress#2

Finished this dress a few days ago. It is also made from sarong fabric from a Bali shop.

Twig-handle tote

Just finished making this little tote bag to carry my French books in. Loved this linen! I found it in the Spotlight furnishing department, which to me, seemed to have a bit of a French feel to it. The twigs for the handles are from my garden! (This pattern can be found in Last Minute Fabric Gifts by Cynthia Treen)

Bali Sarong Fabric

It's taken me awhile to get around to it, but I'm finally using some of my Sarong Fabric we bought in Bali. They are hand printed fabrics, so they have the beautiful variations that you would expect! The dress design is rather simple, and as there was a limited amount of fabric, the trim around the neck, waist and back ties is a quilting fabric bought at a local shop. I'm very pleased with the finished dress!

Embarrassing situation drives woman to create!!

Okay, well I'm not a prude, but nor am I a woman who wears too short skirts for my age or low revealing decollete's, I'm just not comfortable with that kind of clothing. (If I had the figure to carry it off, perhaps I would test this to the limits, but I don't.) So, I was absolutely horrified when a few months ago, while waiting for an appointment a man approched me and said he could see up my dress!!! he well maybe could have been right, or he could have been a pervert, I'm not sure. But the idea left me feeling a bit wierd. Then, in my email came the Craft newsletter I had just subscribed to, and the answer was before me!! Lovely Haly Pierson-Cox had run into embarrassing skirt dilemmas while living in New York, and posted an easy "How to Make a Custom Pair of Tap Pants" pattern on blog.craftzine.com. Thank you Haly, problem solved and I've had a lot of fun making them! (Oh,and thanks to Darn Cheap Fabrics having fun checked silk on sale for $5 a metre, I sort of expanded on the tap pants idea...)