kitchen window

the new year is inspiring.  i am truly excited to create new goals, start new projects and have new experiences.  i keep thinking of the changes i want to implement, the pieces i want to sew & the techniques i have yet to try.

i am so motivated, yet my big commitment to 2012 is to slow down, be more focused and to appreciate the wonderful people & things that already surround me.

in honor of this intention, here is something simple in my life that has no need for change…my kitchen window.  i love this growing collection of vintage bottles…the colors are fantastic and always make me smile when i’m cooking or just passing through.  yes.

smile

yes, a teepee.

my daughter recently turned two and for christmas i made her a teepee.  she has a great imagination & loves to organize her things.  i knew she would love having her own space!

years ago, i made a one for the boys, but at some point it was left out in the rainy yard.  i still had the old poles, so we spray painted them to look like new and i started sewing!  i used fabric that i had on hand, so the gift cost absolutely nothing.

it was quite a statement on christmas morning and i’ve been rewarded daily by watching her embrace her special space.  on a gray day it can get a bit dark inside, so i strung a small vintage chandelier inside…right above her wicker chair & basket of bears.

perfection!

boundless

i adore the infinity scarf.  so simple, so comfortable.  i’ve been making these scarves like crazy and wanted to share.  i made my first one in bamboo/cotton jersey, then decided to get creative.  i tried combining fabrics, which creates a lovely twist of color &/or texture.  i absolutely love how differently they each look & feel.

super soft bamboo cotton jersey infinity scarf 

vintage abstract print & mocha linen infinity scarf

chocolate velvet & linen print infinity scarf

fuschia silk tweed & linen print infinity scarf

beautiful coral silk kimono fabric & silk iris print infinity scarf (light as a feather)

i feel encouraged…

the first few days of january i felt really inspired.  new year, new goals, new projects, new everything, right?!

then my kids went back to school and the early morning routine was a quick slap in the face.  brushing teeth, forgotten backpacks, homework, whining, uneaten breakfasts, early morning traffic…aackk!

i spent the morning hiding in the world of pinterest, blogs & facebook…trying to motivate myself towards all the great lists i created but days ago.  thank goodness for ryan gosling, huh?  i’ve been enjoying the hilarious handmade ryan gosling for weeks now…but this one made my day mean something again.

when it’s cold outside…

one of the projects i tackled this winter was wool felt slippers.  i started out with this simple template & tutorial at martha stewart.  first i made one in my size and tweaked the pattern until it fit & looked the way i wanted.  i made these for a dear guy friend, my brother and my nephew, so i used a men’s shoes sizing chart to create individual patterns.next, i fused several layers of wool felt together to make it thicker and added a layer of fusible fleece to the sole for cushion and warmth.i cut the fleece 1/4″ smaller than the sole piece, to reduce bulk in the seam and then covered it with another wool felt sole piece.  i sewed the main pieces together across the top seam and the back heel, leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance.  i then sewed the top pieces to the sole.  this was a bit tricky, but went pretty fast once i got the hang of it. i blanket stitched the exposed seam with a contrasting wool yarn to give the slippers a lovely, handmade finish.lastly, i made monogrammed flannel fabric bags to present/store them in & cute holiday tags from wool felt scraps.  what a fun project & a great gift!

some necklaces…

i absolutely love to peruse pinterest…it’s filled with fantastic pictures, vibrant colors & clever ideas.  last month i saw so many great diy necklaces, i decided to try my hand at a few for my friends.  for the first two necklaces, i found some really fabulous diy jewelry tutorials at flamingo toes and changed them up a bit to fit my style & what i had on hand.

for my friend jen (creating bits of envy), i made an anthropologie inspired fabric flowers necklace, using two layered vintage fabric scraps, some wool felt, seed beads & a vintage topaz bead for the clasp.

for my friend sarah i made my own version of the anthropologie beatrix necklace, also utilizing the flamingo toes tutorial as a guide.  i used vintage brass chain, vintage silver chain, pearls, beads, & vintage lace with rhinestone buttons sewn on.  i really love this necklace…I think I need to make one for myself next!

for my niece i made a t-shirt necklace.  she is eleven & has a fun energy, so i figured a combination of sunny yellow & neutral gray would be youthful, yet still sophisticated.  the process is really simple…just cut strips of tee & pull them until they curl.  here is a basic tutorial…although i love that you can really change this up with the colors, length, twisting, braiding, beading, etc.

onk annual auction designs

our boys attend the japanese immersion program in portland and i am on the oya no kai, inc. board…the non profit organization that supports the japanese immersion program.

micah & i have collaborated on the design for oya no kai’s annual auction poster & t-shirts for the past three years.  here is the poster & tee design from last year.

we really wanted to change it up this year, so we designed something beautiful, wistful and simple.  i really love how it turned out!  here is the poster, t-shirt & bag from this year.

2012

my husband (micah kassell) gave me a lovely gift for christmas.  he is a wonderful father, talented artist, fantastic musician and amazing husband…lucky me!

he made an art piece in celebration of our family and i plan on using it as a daily reminder in 2012.  he was originally going to put our names on it, but thought that would be unfair to our new baby arriving in march.  instead, it’s stamped with kablamo, an amalgamation of kassell, blatter & mori.  happy new year!

(21″x 29″ on watercolor paper, mounted on wood)

hello 2012!