Oh, Jackie O!

I was thinking of the days when I would walk into Banana Republic and purchase a couple basic dresses and automatically had an updated wardrobe. The fun begins when you accessorize.  You ladies know what I'm talking about.  

So the other day when I saw my youngest switching up one of her basic dresses and looking so lively and youthful, I had a deja-vu moment! {snap}   The queen of understated and classy:  Jackie O! was the style icon of the shift dress.  She looked savvy, hip, and elegant.  All the time.  I'm pretty sure she awakened every morning, stretched her arms above her head; looked into a mirror and saw an easy, glamorous first lady looking right back.  She was the epitome of naturally fresh and put-together!  That lady was, I'm also pretty sure, just plain perfect!

So why not do the same thing as Jackie O!  A shift dress paired with flats and you are one classy gal!

Once my creative juices began flowing, I got to thinking what if I take a basic pattern and amp it up with funky fabric. So I did.  Basic pattern, funky hot pink and orange dots!

  

I'm only speculating but I think I'll need a pair of Jackie O sunglasses to shade my eyes from the pink glare!  Now that's a bright idea!

If Picasso Stitched A Pillow

During the cold and rainy winter I had to keep busy when it seemed too cold to do the gardening.  Where I live a dip below 60 degrees is cause for bringing out the winter parka!
I purchased some linen; located Picasso's Flowers of Peace and traced it onto the fabric.
 I got busy embroidering.  Backed the pillows with a blue on blue ikat fabric; stuffed them and ooooo-la-la:  see how they perk up the place.

 She'll be moving into her own place soon and I think these will make a colorful, cozy addition.

If I had to speculate I'd guess these will be used in our first pillow fight! I think I'll win.

Sew 60's

We searched the internet for just the right pattern and when we found this one, with only a few clicks, we purchased it.  Straight from 1963 and just look at that original 65 cent price tag!

When it arrived, 8 days later, we had quite a giggle at that triangular scarf. Even so, that's next on my list to whip up!  {toothy grin}

First up we made a pair of hi-wasited, side-zip shorts.  And she loves them. She put them on as soon as I finished the last stitch in the hem.  And she looked darling in them.

After the shorts we were off and running, putting together a shorter version of the skirt.

I couldn't help but sing along with Nancy Sinatra: 
"These boots are made for walkin' and that's just what they'll do..." just because.  Just because I was having flashbacks to 1963 when my sister and I had our very own go-go boots and sang a rousing rendition and danced around the house.  And somewhere in there I landed on Sonny and Cher's "I got you baaaaabbeeee.  I got you babe." 

I'm only speculating but I think this week I'll sew up another pair of shorts and dart around the house singing and waiting for her to walk in the door from school and marvel:  "Mom!  These are so cool they are better than I even imagined."  And that is the real music to my ears.

Timber

Between our yard and our neighbors' yard was a line of six eucalyptus trees.  They've lived in their home 24 years and the trees were planted and well established before they moved in.  The tree trimmers estimated them to be 55 feet or taller.  Beautiful, stately and fragrant.  Our primary shade trees so I hated to see them go.

On day two of the tear down, a nest of squirrels was discovered.  The momma was gone (probably to a safer place) but the kits were huddled together.

We corralled them and took them to a wildlife rescue station.
Now we have a yard full of sunshine and our beautiful shade trees are gone.  Time to plant another avocado tree.

I'm only speculating but I'm pretty sure the neighbors (and probably the squirrels) will enjoy avocados for a long while.  Wholly guacamole!

Pajama-rama!

In the last year I bet I've made a dozen, or more, pairs of pajamas.  There's something about the cozy feeling of soft, fresh, clean, flannel that makes me want to curl up and say "Ahhhh."

 I did a pair of navy blue for the husband of my Michigan-Martha-Stewart friend (I am still looking forward to a picture of him all dapper looking as he rides out another Michigan winter) and a pair of light blue pajamas for myself and my Michigan-Martha-Stewart wing man for our trek to Country Living Magazine's antique and craft fair last fall.

And several other pair I gave away as gifts.

When the college friends of my daughter's ooh'd and ahh'd over the psychedelic 1970's inspired pair, she promptly called home.  "Mom, if you feel like it, do you think you would want to make a pair of pajamas for Pri and Emily?  I mean, Mom, wouldn't it be nice if they could feel cozy while we hunker down in this nasty winter storm?"  A Mom's got to do what a Mom's got to do I always say.  So I got busy again.

As I post this I've got them boxed up and ready to ship.

I don't have to speculate too much because when these girls get their cozy, snuggly pajamas and with graduation only two months away I think they'll be hunkering down with a warm cup of tea, a couple granola bars and a number of long nights of study.  Bottom's up girls!

Dress Up!

You already know we finally hit our winter weather and have been keeping ourselves busy sewing dresses.  Once we finished the red polka dot, twirly dress, I took her to a fabric store where she browsed.  In less than 5 minutes she had already spied the perfect fabric:  a heather gray and white pinstripe, seersucker.  And again, it's a twirly dress.

Just to see the look on her face and hear her exclaim:  "Mom, this looks better than the dresses in the stores.  And it's lined and everything!" makes me swoon.

Ha!  And to think we're accomplishing all this on a 40 year old sewing machine with only straight stitching and zig-zag.  I tell you, they do not make sewing machines out of iron anymore, do they?

I'm speculating that we'll be taking a trip to the fabric store again this weekend and I'm all twirly inside wondering what we'll do next.  I think I'll dress up for the occasion.

Sew Simple

February proved to be a chilly and rainy month.  Oh, but we needed the rain and actually got excited to see standing puddles in the backyard.  To brighten up our days we got busy sewing.

She's got a flair for the 1940's-inspired dresses.  If it has a "twirly" skirt, she's sure to perk up.  And she's particular.  "I want red with white polka dots".  And besides all this, she has my heart.  A Mom's got to do what a Mom's got to do!

A trip to our local sewing and notions store and a thumb through pattern books got us revved-up. Voila!  We even found the perfect fabric.

 A little cutting.  A little fitting.  A lot of thread.

And she has a new dress.

It's really quite simple and I don't have to speculate, as soon as she twirled, danced, and smiled we got busy on another one.