house wren studio

happy birthday, sweets!

For Momo, our little sweetheart. We love you so very much!

Happy Birthday!
 
 

hats, hats, hats

 

The wind kicked up off the river the other day prompting me to think about making another version of the hat - for me and for class. Some folks are going to bring those Daddy-sized shetland wool crew neck sweaters. I love those because they give lots of felted fabric and the colors are always so rich. I think I have a shell pink Ralph Lauren one with cables. Popped collars and Palm Beach!

Anyway, this is what we can make out of those. A bit more refined than the other model and decorated with some of my cherished covered buttons. I like this one and expect I'm going to wear it alot.

Except that would mean I'd have to take off my Yankees hat! No time soon.

attn: silver bella hat class peeps

Just checking to be sure you all have your thrifted, wool sweaters washed, felted and ready to go for class next week. We're going to have some kind of fun cutting and sharing.

Thoughts and tips:

• If it has a hole in it, mend that before you felt or plan to cover it later with a patch or design. The hole grows in the felting.
• Mix and match colors and patterns. If you are still hunting, check the men's and children's racks at the Goodwill or Salvation Army.
• If it has a little acrylic in it, that's okay, it will be fine and still felt. Felting is an experiment - even for those of us who do it all the time. The best part is the surprise.
• If it's felted enough out of the wash, just air dry to avoid too much felting occurring in the dryer.
• Flush the washer with an empty cycle to clear the pipes of lint and check that dryer trap frequently as you dry. 
• Bring some buttons and yarn for decorating. And your camera .... expecting some creatively fantastic results!

 

please forward

photo courtesy of Nicki Dwyer

Halloween was quiet in my neighborhood. It used to be the best spot for trick or treaters, but town parades and busier, better blocks with more candy per square foot get the action now. We have lots of little wrapped sweets left over. Not a good thing for us, especially since Andy bought it early and opened the box early too.

This morning's inbox had an email from a neighbor who is collecting all the extra candy and sending it on to Operation Shoebox. I love that idea! And I love the timing here just before the holidays to begin thinking of ways to GIVE. So, pack up that leftover candy and anything else you can donate and send it to the troops. No postage required. The post office will give you a free shipping box. O, this feels soooooo good!

The photo above was taken by my dear friend Nicki. 25 years ago, that would have been one of our little ones dressed up in front of her house or mine. She just launched a blog about her historic neighborhood in the Central West End of St. Louis. Over the weekend, I helped her set it up and figure out the tricky Typepad templates to get started- so much easier after you have been using it for awhile. I'm excited for her to join the party.

Off to the post office with those kits (thanks!) and all the candy. Do it today... it's dangerous sitting in that basket by the door. xoC
 

little houses and pine kits

 

I'm packing up for Silver Bella and rediscovered some extra kits from last year's class. Thought I would put them up on Etsy for those of you who might be ready to make holiday decorations and gifts. The kit makes these two sweet 5" cottages and a little 7" tree. Templates, easy instructions and materials (but not the music-covered box) are included. 

Let's hear it for little houses! And little trees! Love them so much!

house wren studio sessions: the cottage class

On Saturday, nine creative and inspired women joined me and Suzanne (and Roxy) for a day of crafting at home, enjoying each other's company, delicious food and gifts. We gathered in my friend Jane's lovely living room to spend the day making felt cottages.

 

Gifted goodies. Coffee, Suzanne's homemade scones with clotted cream and jam. Visiting.

 

Stitching, engineering, decorating.

Suzanne's fantastic sit-down lunch ~ butternut squash soup with her cornbread croutons, tomato and gruyere tarts, shaved pear and beet salad....apple cake with caramel sauce!

 

Door prizes from Eliwill,

 

from Pam Garrison,

from Pretty Funny,

 

from Mary Engelbreit and my studio too,

 

from Papier Valise,

and Speckled Egg.

We shared materials, ideas, expertise, stories, friendship, laughs.

 

 

It was such a sweet day. The cottages turned out to be as unique and darling as each maker. I would have taken more pictures of the finished works, but the stormy skies and early dusk got in the way of that. Some have photos and kind words posted on their blogs about the day. I was so happy when every single guest asked when the next one would be. That's saying a lot since many traveled so far to attend.

 

So, I'll be thinking about that. And asking Suzanne to dream up another menu. (Seriously- the food was too amazing!) And although our craftiness filled Jane's spacious living room, I think it made the day extra special to be in a cozy, beautiful home. With purring Roxy investigating all the baskets and welcoming laps.

Thanks to everyone for coming. Some of you will be at Silver Bella in a few weeks. Looking forward to another chance to see you! There or here. xoC

12:25 a.m. update from Roxy

The class was faaaaaaaantastic!

Tracy wins the scarf giveaway!

Go Yankees! Woo-hoo!

Good night.

handmade giveaway

A few weeks ago I was fooling around with the stack of doilies I have. And I had some vintage silk yardage that I wanted to test wash to see what would happen to it. The strip I cut across the width of the yardage ended up to be just the size of a scarf and was so soft and relaxed after washing.

Somehow I got the two things together with this nifty brainstormed concept....doilie + silk strip = a cool necktie scarf! One end of the scarf slips through the doilie open at top and bottom, stitched on the scarf sides only. So you don't have to knot it, just push the long end through the open doilie. I added some extra tatted trim to the scarf ends and was really delighted with the simplicity of it. Old things recycled- and so perfectly repurposed. My new favorite accessory.

Soon after, I wore it to the Union Square Farmer's Market in the city with Suzanne and our friend, Heidi. One of the hip, twenty-something flower sellers asked me about it and I was so flattered. Kind of made my day.

So, if you like it too, just sign in here with a comment and you might be the one to win it- or one just like it. I made a few more. 

This is the promised 600th post giveaway (drawing on Friday). Because I couldn't have gotten this far without you!  Thanks again for coming by here. xoC

too sweet, so cool

Busy here wrapping up details and kits and menus and door prizes for the class Saturday. The weather was terrible over the weekend so it kept me indoors burrowing through the studio and stash in search of bits to share next weekend. Those felt cottages are so fun to decorate. And then there are all the surprises arriving in the mail!

When I was in St. Louis, Mary and Phil had a bunch of us over for dinner. (Her stunningly cute house is even cuter when it's full of old friends laughing, catching up, playing Apples to Apples!) She just sent me some signed goodies to give away.

Pam did the same. And I kind of want to keep it, but of course, absolutely will not. There might be more at Silver Bella. I'll save up for that.

 

Heather from Speckled Egg sent packets of millinery and beads and charms to sew onto the cottages. And something is coming soon from Janice at Papier Valise. You know that Beth from eliwill is sending a beautiful handmade necklace and my shop friend Stephanie is contributing some of her fabulous costume jewelry. I'm adding some things to the table too.

Speaking of fantasy cottages. I mentioned last post that my mom had a cottage in Carmel 20 years ago. She and her husband Charlie named it Nevertheless after the punchline of a favorite joke. The houses there don't have street numbers- they have names and it's a royal pain trying to send something UPS to a house without a number. Anyway- I painted up a tile sign that said Nevertheless and Andy framed it in a wooden plaque. (That was right about the time that Country Living did a story about my hooked rugs and clocks and handpainted tiles.)

When Mom sold their beloved cottage after Charlie died, she intended to take the sign with her - sentimental reasons. The new buyer said that would be a deal breaker. So, of course, she left it behind. For different reasons we have often wondered if it's still there.

Well, what do you know! A few of you wrote and offered to go find out!

Fast as I could, I google mapped the street and found it. The very kind and diligent Marianne took her camera and actually went and looked for it last weekend. And reports that yes, it's still there! The sign hangs out front.

 
 
Remarkable. So .... since I had that google-earth link, I went over to Mom's and we visited the cottage, took a google walk down the street, turned right and went all the way to the beach. We stood in the virtual sand, looked over at Pebble Beach and the cliffs, then out at the ocean.

 

It was completely fantastic! And just a little too much to take in.

Thank you so much, Marianne, for your touching kindness and for sending us back to that happy time. It was bittersweet. In the nicest way.

Next post is the promised 600 giveaway. Come back soon. xoC

nevertheless

 

Hi friends! I'm back home, but a bit overwhelmed with things waiting here for me.

Getting some very exciting sponsors together for the upcoming cottage class. Can't wait to see what they send for doorprizes and goodie bags!

More on all that soon. xoC

p.s. In the 80's and 90's, my mom lived in Carmel, CA in a darling town cottage she named Nevertheless. Sometimes wonder if my handpainted sign still hangs out front.