I'm smocked, smocked, to find that, um, smocking is going on here.

Several years ago, when I was simultaneously making my wedding dress and some pillows for an art show/sale, I came across a sewing book in the public library. It caught my eye so I tossed it on my "to check out" pile. It was just one of many sewing books that came home that day. I did not know at that time that I would soon feel compelled to buy my own copy (after checking it out for a ridiculous number of times in a row) and that I would, in fact, often take it to bed with me and occasionally have to wipe a bit of drool away. And what book was it?
This book!
Yeah, maybe it's just me, but I love, love, love, looking at all of the textures and techniques over and over (though tracking down the proper diagrams to go with the instructions is a little difficult.) I'm a girl who loves color, so I'm sort of surprised that a book so full of monotones/neutrals excites me so, but it does. Which brings me to this. Again, gasp. I saw this book after looking at this blog and after a little frantic online searching, remembered that I work fairly close to a giant Japanese bookstore that would probably have it in stock.
And it did! So I had a little less cash and a little more happiness that day. The ISBN is 4579110714 if you don't work a few blocks away from such a bookstore.

All of this is a roundabout way of saying that I sat down and made some pillows using these elements as inspiration.
Some version of them may end up over here, if I can get my act together.

And I almost forgot, but this was also very inspiring.
Subtle, no?

Strange and True Indeed

Do You Have the Time?

My grandparents had a cuckoo clock in their living room. I remember the sound of it tick-tocking down the hall at night after everyone had gone to bed.This guy doesn't make any sound, but he is a little cuckoo.
This is my contribution to Craftster's Challenge #18, Felt inanimate objects.

April Apron

A fun trip to Chicago curbed my last minute sit-down-at-the-machine sewing time so a lot of this guy was hand sewn on the go. I am pretty happy with it's overall springy look and I seem to have anticipated the May/June Tie One On theme of "pockets". I am surprised how "mod" my tastes are at the moment. My friend Christie made that kooky little beaded owl staring out at you from the detail view.

Chicago was lovely. It went from winter (though I know 40 degree temps don't really count as winter in Chicago) to summer (91 degrees?!?) in 2 days. We saw some friends, some bookstores (this is awesome and now it's mine, too), some music (the point of the trip) and some culture here and there. This painting was really my favorite, though. That blue...it is really wonderful to see paintings in person that you have only seen in reproductions. One fellow there was determined not to forget his experience. He moved methodically from painting to painting, snapping a picture of each one. I don't recall seeing him look at painting except through the viewfinder.

A drink in a fancy place. (Palmer Hotel--now a Hilton, but I'm ignoring that modernization.)



Some appealing public modern art.
(We're not the only ones taking our picture there.)

My kind of town, indeed.