September 2008 Archives
In the playroom, we have a little sofa. I got this sofa from Craigslist about 5 years ago, and I've tried to sell it twice now -- with no luck. It's a nice sofa, really, if you can look past the frayed upholstery and 70s vibe. It's a Henredon brand, which is supposed to mean it's great quality built to last, which is what the guy who sold it to me said. I was on the verge of just dropping it off at Goodwill, when I thought I just might be able to salvage it with a new slipcover.
I discovered that sewing a slipcover is really hard. I started with a nubby, silk-esque muslin as practice but it took so long and was so freaking difficult sew, I decided to just keep it as the actual slipcover.
You can see kind of what the sofa looked like before here.
And this is what it looks like now. It's far from perfect, but I like the imperfections and the obviously homemade feel of it. I made the pillow covers too, and I think the polka dots and soothing green colors add a playful yet calming touch to the room. My favorite part is that you can see the sweet little legs now that I've sewn the skirt out of sight (it's hidden beneath the slipcover).
Maybe in a few months after I've forgotten how hard it is, I'll try making another slipcover with the lovely linen fabric that I originally intended to cover the sofa with...
Have been sick. Not sleeping a whole lot. Pretty colors make me feel better. These orchids are a thank you gift from a neighbor for some cookies I baked. I have fantastic neighbors.
Some squashes from my CSA box. The russet colored sweet potato is the Japanese variety called "satsumaimo" and is not actually part of my CSA stash, but it looked good there.
An onion, up-close and personal, also from my CSA box. I love getting my weekly fresh produce and I've started to call the vendor "my farmer" -- he's the sweetest guy and loads my box up with extra stuff every time.
I'm loving green right now. Koom Koom is enjoying an apple from our friend's apple tree. Yum.
Meet Colette. I'm tweaking the doll pattern I created and am trying to find just the right balance between the head and body. This one is pretty close. I'm actually quite satisfied with the way she turned out. Colette is a flirty little French girl and loves to wear scarves.
I got the first aid kit box at a yard sale and it still has some very old bandages (unused) and other medical supplies.
A close-up. I waffled between using pink and red for the lips and am glad I used the red. Makes her seem more sophisticated, I think.
The hot air balloon is also from a yard sale (the one held by the woman who used to own a kid's boutique). It was brand-new and retails for a little under $100. I got it for $11.
The Koom Koom likes Colette a whole lot too. The dress that uncannily matches the doll is handmade by Obachan. Obachan turned 60 yesterday! Happy Birthday, Mama!
You can also see remnants of her fairy "tattoo" on her arm -- it's her new thing. All right, off to the park we go.
Though the two are not related, Kumi turned 25 months a couple of days ago and I made a blouse that seemed fitting for the fall-like weather that we're already having here in Seattle.
MF calls it the "70s grandma top". Though it came out differently than I thought it would, I kind of like the retro, flower-child feel of the blouse. The pattern is from here.
This photo is very blurry, I know, but I love it. It's the natural, happy expression that I have a hard time capturing with my camera because she's so good at posing now. Sometimes I think I should change up the way I photograph my handmade clothes, but I like the continuity of it. The slight prop changes make me happy. I'm a creature of habit after all.
We are still having sleep issues. Kumi can climb out of her crib now and at some point in the night we will invariably hear the banging on the door accompanied by a plaintive "mommeeeeeeee!" We've succumbed once too often and let her sleep in our bed and now she won't have it any other way. On the rare nights when we have enough resolve to let her cry it out, we find that's she's fallen asleep on the floor, her little hand sticking out from the 1-inch space under the door. I then feel guilty about the whole thing and let her sleep next to me the next night and the cycle continues...
But we figure, she's only little like this once. I like hearing her contented deep breathing next to me, and have even gotten used to the frequent whacks and kicks that assail me every time she tosses in her sleep. I like that when we have no backbone and let her pitter patter her way into our bed, she sleeps in until or 8 or 9am and wakes up in the sweetest of moods. For now, it feels right.
