I love my local antique mall

I spent the better part of Thursday afternoon at the huge antique mall near my house. I could browse for hours in that place. The turnover of their merchandise is fantastic so I can revisit every month or so for 'new' items. I've been on a vintage tin kick for a while, and I bought two yesterday: one box ($3.5) and one bowl ($3.5). I also bought a blue Ball jar for $3 which I'll probably use to keep flowers. Not a huge spree, but a fun one.

Inspiration Wednesday:

Anthropologie is one of my largest suppliers of eye candy. So naturally I found some project/design inspiration in their August catalog. I particularly love this hodgepodge sweater. I remember seeing something similar a while back and having the same reaction to it; therefore, it must go on my To Make list.

The last time I visited the Anthropologie store I spent over an hour leafing through their collection of travel and design books. I'm going to have to commit several of these to my collection.

I heart embroidery...

The heart is my favorite part of the body and not for its figurative meaning of love. I just really enjoy the heart and all its striae. Anywho, this is another work completed while watching a Netflix movie. I found a line drawing of a heart on Google Images and I copied it onto a piece of scrap linen. I embroidered the image in red (of course). Ultimately, this piece will probably be added to a quilt. I've wanted to make a redwork quilt for some time -- this might be my start.

Embroidered textile postcards.

I like to keep my hands busy while I'm watching movies/tv. As soon as my first Netflix movie came in, A Very Long Engagement, I decided to go to work on my latest Swap-Bot postcards. The theme for this swap was textiles. I received some really cool postcards from other ladies, mostly quilted pieces. I decided to embroider some linen for the cover of my postcards. Here are a couple:

Bridal shower deliciousness:

I hosted my sister's bridal shower a little over a week ago. The menu was not diabetic-friendly, but wonderful just the same. A couple shots of the sweet table:

Because I love roses...another drawing.

I still haven't found a suitable frame or recipient for this drawing. I drew it a few months ago when I was extremely bored. For now it sits in my computer room waiting for a destination.

Some summer shots.

Just some pictures from the backyard.

Online postcard swap

I am always searching for interesting things to collect. I recently stumbled upon Swap-bot, a website that allows people to swap various items (almost anything). I signed up for a couple of postcard swaps to get started. One category of postcard exchange was called 'body parts'...of course that intrigued me. I wanted to share a picture of four handmade postcards I sent that featured my favorite body part (my hands)...The whole idea of body part themed postcards might seem a bit creepy, but it's perfectly normal I assure you. Anywho, it is fun to see what total strangers come up with through their own creativity.

I've been pretty consumed by MCAT study lately...

But here are a few books that have made it to my late summer reading list (after the 07.24 test date). I'm looking forward to some non-science, easy reads.

Pinwheel quilt

I made this quilt several years ago during my winter break from school. I was very into the pink/brown color combination then. The quilt measures approx. 4'W x 6'H. It's a good all-purpose blanket. I use it while I watch tv, knit, read a book, etc. I encourage all quilters to try at least one pinwheel quilt. It was tedious, frustrating and fun at different points during its production.

Felted bag

My sister provided me with the handle/lining to make this bag. I took an old recycled/felted sweater and cut a bag shell out of it. I finished by embroidering a flower on it (many french knots). The picture makes the bag look oddly-shaped. It's very old lady, very me.

Coffee + book = a good afternoon

The book:

The D.O.s: Osteopathic Medicine in America

I'm very interested in medical history. Even more so when it encompasses the field I plan on going into. Interested? Check it out here.

The coffee:

Mandy's Mocha

The recipe:
Combine 1 cup brewed espresso, 1.5 cup steamed milk (skim or whatever), a heaping Tblsp. of cocoa, another Tblsp. of sugar. Mix well. Cover top of cup with whipped cream and sprinkle some cinnamon to taste. Enjoy!

An Altered Urban Aran from Paton's 'Street Smart'

I adored the sweater Jared (b r o o k l y n t w e e d) created using Paton's 'Street Smart' Urban Aran pattern. He modified it to create a very functional cardigan, see here. I used the same pattern and made similar modifications to produce this:

I began knitting the sweater in December ('06) and completed it about a month ago. I used Elann's Peruvian Highland Chunky yarn in Red Maple. Of course being June, I haven't had the opportunity to wear it extensively. I am definitely looking forward to the fall.

Excerpts from "Gee's Bend: The Women and their Quilts"

I wanted to share a few pictures of my favorite quilts from "Gee's Bend: The Women and their Quilts." This is a fabulously illustrated book of quilts from the south (Alabama) which features stories and narratives of their creators. I saw the Gee's Bend exhibit a couple of years ago at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and have been in love with these quilts since. The Annie Mae Young quilt has inspired me to create a denim quilt made out of my father's old work jeans. Another popular material used in some of the Gee's Bend quilts is old flour sacks (during the Great Depression, women would use whatever they had).

Below I have shown the artist on the left with her quilt to the right.

Nettie Young

Annie Mae Young

Linda Pettway

The Making of Knitting Needles (Part II)

I thought I would post my handmade knitting needles. I made most of them from oak and the others from various hardwoods. For the tops I used covered buttons from scraps of fabric I had sitting around. If you like them, you can buy a set at my Etsy shop.

Summer, summer, summer, summertime.

I'm not posting a project today. Instead, I wanted to share some pictures of flowers from the garden.

A collaboration with my sister.

My sister and I each embroidered part of the flower on this pillow. The pillow was a birthday gift to our mom a couple of years ago and was meant to blend in with her "Shabby Chic" decor.

The making of knitting needles...

Today I spent the better part of the day buying supplies (dowels, pencil sharpener, sand paper, wood finish, etc.) and shaping several sets of knitting needles. I made these once before, but this time I hope they turn out a little better. Once they're finished, I'll post another picture of the completed project.

Bag lady.

I went to the American Apparel store a few months back and saw this simple bag (American Apparel LA-Z Girl) that I wanted to duplicate:

(Picture taken from American Apparel site)

Here's my version in green (bigger handle and boxier shape):

My sister's wedding favors

Today I am featuring a picture of my sister's wedding favors-to-be: potted alyssum. That's right, this past Saturday she and my dad planted nearly 250 alyssum in tiny pots. Fingers crossed that they stay healthy and thriving for the August 11th wedding. More on the wedding to come...