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happy summer!

hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat...

a pair of 2nd graders got on the bus this morning, then (hey presto!) this afternoon they returned home as 3rd graders!  and in true Ohio weather form, there was a mist of rain mere moments before the bus arrived, causing the crepe paper streamers to nearly go bust all over the place.  just like last year.  i suppose that's Mother Nature's way of being part of the tradition, like the bus full of cheering kids + sweet driver honking the horn.

that's right, my friends, school is out for summer!  we still need to put together a summer fun list like last year, but a few for-sures we are looking forward to include slower living, a really simple garden, bike rides on every trail we can find, ice cream fridays, swimming in the lake, berry picking with friends, sandwiches by the river, so many popsicles, nature friends' meetings in the woods, daily art time, a few camps, a trip to disney (!), rearranging + redecorating the girls' bedrooms, moving my studio back home, weekly visits to the library, picnics whenever and where ever, hanging up the beautiful artwork that came home, and so much more.

what sorts of fun things do you have in mind for summer?  is yours written down, perhaps in a bucket or on a chalkboard wall? i have a summer camp board on Pinterest filled with ideas for lazy days.  the girls talk a lot about hosting their own crafty kid camp with friends this summer - they are full of ideas, too.  but just in case, i may make an "i'm bored" jar to have on hand for when the need arises.

but right now, today, we are taking the day off and just enjoying the moment.  xoxo

kids clothes : bermudas

i love that my kids love and appreciate their handmade clothes.  hearing things like "they fit me so well!" is music to my ears.  and i love love love that they are becoming more and more interested in the design + making process.  talk about motivation to create more clothes for them, um yes.

not to be ignored in this love fest is the value factor.  for example, these bermudas were made using materials from around the house and in my stash = free.

as the weather gets warmer, i foresee more of these being made + worn very soon.  i love the length of these shorts for my girls, too.  just above the knee and roomy so that when the kiddos grow (how quickly they grow!), they'll still be a respectable length on their legs.  bermudas are super simple, the same process as making wide leg capris, just a little bit shorter.  and the possibilities for customizing them are endless.  just ask your little designers.  xoxo

falling cables [a capelet to knit]

a few years ago, Jennifer at CraftSanity contacted me to see if i would design a knitting pattern for an upcoming issue of their print magazine.  it was early summer when i started, although we were looking ahead to the autumn issue.  Fall is my favorite season of all (if one can truly have a favorite season, they are all so uniquely beautiful here in Ohio).  i closed my eyes and thought ahead to the textures and hues of Fall.  the lovely people at Briar Rose Fibers offered to contribute my choice of wool for this project, and their rich colorways helped put me in the right mood to knit for a cooler season.  before i knew it, the idea quickly surfaced for a slim-fitting capelet draped with cables:  Falling Cables.

it's a great piece for nearly every season, as is evidenced by my daughter's recent restyle of it to wear to school in springtime.  i love pieces that can transition from season to season, and especially for children, pieces that grow and evolve with them.  one thing i really dig about Falling Cables is that i had not even anticipated my girls would do wear it as a skirt someday, but there it is.  imagine if you had two differently-aged children, they could even share wearing it for years.  love that.

simple + superdelicious supper: DINNER PIE

the last-minute dinner-making scramble happens to the best of us.  especially when there are activites, lessons, sports, and not to mention a sunny day when everyone (including the cook) would rather be outside.  enter the simple supper.  i have a few go-to entrees that i rely on for when time is tight, leftovers are plentiful, or i just don't want to do so many dishes.

Dinner Pie is a favorite.  now you may be saying, "hey jennifer, that's just a quiche."  au contraire, mes amis.  perhaps some may call it quiche, but if you are looking to sway a skeptical diner or two (children... husband... just saying), my experience is that calling it "pie" works wonders.  try it on for size.

a shining star

the devastating passing of Kathreen Ricketson and her husband Rob Shugg has weighed heavily on my heart all day.  Kath was a truly inspiring creative force with whom i have had the honor and pleasure of working with over the years, as have so many of you.  her legacy will live on in the inspiring community she pioneered all those many years ago.  and she will be missed dearly.  xoxo.

patchwork switch plate : HOW TO MAKE

fact:  there are scraps of vintage fabrics strewn about the house.  i can never seem to part with even the tiniest bit.

fact:  for months, the light switches in our sunroom has been without a cover.  it was misplaced during the renovations and had yet to be replaced.

one thing led to another...

eeep!  patchwork switch plate LOVE!  want to make one?  or more?  (me too!)

WHAT YOU NEED:  fabric scraps, a switchplate (they are stock items at most hardware stores; this one cost < $2), Mod Podge (i used Fabric Mod Podge, but regular Mod Podge would also work fine), a paintbrush, wax paper or freezer paper (to protect your work surface), and a craft knife + self-healing cutting mat.

HOW TO MAKE:  lay out your fabric scraps in a way that makes you happy.  place a piece of wax/freezer paper on your work surface.  brush a thin coat of Mod Podge onto the switch plate, then apply a fabric scrap to the surface, smoothing out any air bubbles with your fingers.  apply another coat of Mod Podge on top of the fabric scrap.  repeat this process with the remaining scraps to cover the entire top surface of the switch plate, including the openings.  allow to dry overnight on a piece of wax/freezer paper.  when dry, place the switch plate onto a self-healing cutting mat with the right side facing down.  use a craft knife to carefully cut out the excess fabric that covers the openings for the switches, plugs and screws.  use appropriate hardware to fasten the switchplate to the wall.  super simple + love!

i hope you enjoy it all the time :)  happy making, friends!  xoxo

surfacing

oh, hello there.

my goodness, how time flies - or drags or slips away from you, depending on how you look at it - when you are busy.  life since my last post many weeks back has been full and rewarding in so many ways.  you see, i have been working on something near and dear to me.  something big.

last summer, after many long discussions with my husband and friends about directions in life, i came to the realization that in my heart of hearts, i am both a maker and a teacher.  i love to make things by hand:  knitting, sewing, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or crafting with my kids.  i taught foreign language for over a decade (prior to becoming a mother) and loved it.  yet it took me all these many years to recognize that even though i was no longer working in a traditional classroom setting, i have continued to teach all along.  it has simply surfaced with different subject matter (handcrafts + homemaking) and in different formats and venues (writing the blog, magazine articles, and books).  part of what i love most about making is sharing the whole "How to Make" with people like you.  and i want to continue along in this direction.  so i hunkered down and devoted considerable time and energy to creating my next proposal.  much to my delight, shortly after it was sent into the universe, it was warmly embraced by Roost Books (an imprint of Shambhala Publications).  yes, friends, i have written another book!