three little birds

I have a song running through my head. It might go away, but then I start back up on sewing my little birds, and the darn thing is back again. That's okay, it's not a bad song. The bad part is really that I only know one line of it, and I'd just have that one line running through my head all day. So ... I looked it up. And I'll pass the gift along to you. It can run through your head all day too. :) You can thank me later.
In any case, in a previous post I mentioned the mobile I wanted to make for above Emily's crib (oh yeah, she has a name now, in case that wasn't mentioned before... that project is moving forward too). I found a site that had a pattern, so I diligently tried to copy the pattern (without a printer, I just eyeballed it) and numerous adjustments later, I still had only these stupid, retarded looking birds. More like jacked up seahorses than anything.

Embarrassing. I kept with it for longer than a person should admit to, so I won't tell. In any case, I discarded the "official" pattern found online and made up my own. These were significantly cuter, but I really struggled with them. Each one has flaws due to my inability to sew with precision in small tight spaces. These are little birds, you see. Sewing with the machine meant corners got all bunched up, thread got all tangled, fabric unraveled. I can't decide if it's my machine, or me. Regardless, sewing in small places inevitably leads to a jumble of threads knotted up with fabric all jammed into the machine's innards requiring scissors and patience to extract. I started sewing them by hand, which was much less frustrating.

But then I had a revelation. More like I saw some other cute birds online that were made of felt. Felt! That would solve all my problems! So here they are ... little birds.v3. I think these may very well be the final version. Using a whole www worth of inspiration, but maybe, finally, MINE. We'll see how the next step of the project comes together ... mounting them onto twigs. It could very well be just as irritating and drawn out as this has been.

Put a bird on it.

I know the bird thing is overplayed maybe, but I don't care. It's not overplayed in my house. And so anyway I had this idea to make a mobile for over the baby's crib, and it was originally spawned from something I saw in one of those freebie magazines I got from the first OB/GYN visit ... it was just a tree branch (no leaves) that was spray painted silver and had crystals dangling from it. I thought that was totally awesome. I love the DIY-ness of it, the fact that it's not some Disney character training my child to be a consumer before she can even focus her eyes properly. But the crystals thing? Smacked of princess-hood to me. Too girly. Too pretty-pretty. And then I thought that I'd make a bunch of tiny stuffed animals out of fabric scraps and hang them from the tree branch. All the different colored fabrics would be good for little eyes to examine!
And then I saw this and now I know exactly what I'm going to make. OH. MY. GOSH. Love it. I am drawing patterns as I type. :)

The Big Project

I've been without projects lately, having left the dance troupe for a while I'm taking a break from dance-related projects. Additionally, I've been engaged in what one friend called "some pretty complicated cell division." Which had wiped me out big time. But now that I'm feeling a lot better, I'm compelled to start another big project. For a long time I've wanted to paint the floor of my house, but the idea of the chaos that would be required to do so has had me cringing. But since I'm supremely motivated to create a healthy beautiful baby space, we're going to start with one room and make it beautiful. So far, just getting everything OUT of the room has proven to be a challenge.

First thing to do is to re-locate my office, so that there will actually be space for a crib in the room. And then, to paint the bookshelves (which means removing all the books, ugh) because I want to convert some of the squares into cubbies for storing clothes and diapers and toys and stuff. I'm fairly traumatized about getting rid of my books. I haven't made any decisions yet; they're all in the barn, waiting for me to get brutal. I just .. ugh. It's really hard to part with some of the books that have become treasured favorites, even if I don't think I'll read them again.

In any case, the painting of the shelf is going ridiculously slow. Short attention span, combined with the necessity of SEVERAL layers of paint, is making me full-on sick of the project. But I know it will be so beautiful when it's done (and practical!) so I'm more motivated then usual.
Anyway, I'll be sure to keep you posted on the progress. If any. The floor painting part of this job isn't even on the radar yet.

Now what?

I'm nearly certain that I mentioned going to an event a little while back at Yarns at the Adobe where I got to meet a pair of really sweet Pygora Goats (Pygmy-Angora cross, I believe) and then there was a class on spinning afterward. I got some photos of them, but they're on my other camera so I haven't uploaded them yet.
I was surprised and thrilled to find that my friend Heather was in town on another matter but was able to stop by. We chatted while she set to work on her beautiful spinning wheel (I want one!) and I tried to re-acquaint myself with the drop spindle.
Heather gave me some lovely material to spin that she had created herself, and I'm still really awed by her generosity. Not only is it very pretty, but I know the stuff isn't cheap, so I am terribly appreciative. And now that I have this pretty stuff, I am not at all sure what to do with it. It's not a lot ... I can probably make a hat, but it's not very even, and I don't know that I could make a presentable hat out of it. My first instinct is to make a scarf, and I was thinking of crocheting something like this one. I love it. But I'm afraid I won't have enough to make that. I just don't know and I'd hate to get halfway through and not be able to finish it. Unlike with other yarn, it's not like I can just go buy another skein.

In any case, I'm still searching for the perfect pattern. I'm thinking something where you can really see the yarn itself, the pretty peppermint twisting of each part of it so it doesn't get lost. I'm almost thinking of just making a little macrame neclace, or headband. I'm just completely unsure. Perhaps a little purse, or ...?

Latest Obsession

Maybe it's laziness but I'd like to think it's more about cleanliness ... whichever -ness it is, I've been fascinated by creating patterns on the computer using Adobe Illustrator. It sort of started when I began reading this blog and becoming just overwhelmingly inspired and excited by some of the things I saw there. And it sort of got worse when I went to a local fabric store and went gaga over several amazing prints on display and had my arms FULL of bolts of fabric before I remembered that I'm not buying any more fabric. Ever. So I put them back. But that didn't mean I didn't want them. The thing is, though, that I'm more interested in the colors and textures of the fabric itself than I am in actually making anything out of it. Well, that may not be entirely true, but I do find that fabrics I really love I resist using, because nothing is good enough for them. Which sounds just plain stupid, but it's true. As if it is doing any good in the filing cabinet. (Yes, I keep my fabric in a filing cabinet, you got a problem with that?)

In any case, I started thinking about pattern, and wondered if I could design my own. The first attempts were pretty lame, I'll admit it. But I'm feeling like I'm getting the hang of it, and I'm starting to create patterns that I'm proud of. Here they are, in order of when I made them.

So what's really cool is that I discovered Spoonflower, a site where you can design and upload your own patterns and get them made into one of several different fabric types. That seems really awesome, and I'd be totally into it if not for the fact that the fabrics seem really pricey to me. Maybe someday, if I come up with the perfect project and the perfect design.

Swoon!

As long as I am not making anything lately, then I'll just post more pictures of things I'd make if I was talented and motivated enough.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/69138771/asymmetric-sepia-tatted-one-of-a-kind
This necklace is more practical, but look at all her stuff and you'll see amazing masks ... ooooh.... Seriously. I need everything she makes. For no reason whatsoever, since it's not something I would feel comfortable running in. Or hanging around the ranch in. Or really going anywhere except maybe a goth club or masked ball or something. But I still want them.

Love.

Just this... I don't have time to post. But really. I must have this hat. Barring that, I must learn to make this hat.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68696413/beret60