Monday, June 28, 2010

High waist shorts

As promised, here are some photos of me wearing the linen high waist shorts that I made :)


They look cute with the cropped shirts that I have been buying.

I also got this shirt today that I think looks cute with it:


I'm glad I found this shirt, I was planning on making one, and I think it will go with my Audrey Hepburn pants when I make them.

I didn't use a pattern on these. I don't usually use patterns because I am imagining something specific in my head, and I can't normally find a pattern that's exactly what I want, so I just buy a little extra fabric for trial and error :) I do the same thing with knitting, if I use a pattern, I almost always modify it in some way. Are any of you the same way?

Have a lovely day!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Sewing storage boxes


Yesterday I bought some boxes to hold some of my sewing and knitting supplies, everything was getting a little spread out.



I love the map print, maps and globes as decorations are my favorite.

Anyway, not much to share today, just my little boxes, and I have collected a few more things for my giveaway, I will post about it soon!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Miss Indie

Miss Indie is having a super cute Hello Kitty giveaway on her blog!


How fun is it that it's Hello Kitty themed? There are lots of ways to enter, so make sure you get your entries in!

By the way, I have started collecting items for my first giveaway! I don't know when it's going to happen just yet, but it's going to be cute!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Paper bag shorts

I love the high waist shorts with a cropped shirt look, it looks so vintage and pretty, ever since I saw Sabrina, I wanted to look like this:


Or at least have that outfit :]

It just looks like summer to me



Unfortunately, not too many stores sell high-waisted shorts, and if they do, they're not as high as I would like, so I made my own! They are linen paper bag style shorts



I will take a picture wearing them, I promise, but by the time I was finished, it was too dark outside to take pictures. I didn't use a pattern because I couldn't find one, but they came out really cute and they fit great! I'm so excited to wear these all summer, they will go with anything!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

My Garden!

I wanted to show you what I'm growing in my garden!
There are tomatoes, corn, carrots, peppers, zucchini, onions, parsley, basil, honeydew, and raspberries. I'm really excited, this is my first ever garden!

There are already 2 red cherry tomatoes and 2 green peppers growing!

There are also strawberries growing!



And I planted another few things the other day, so they haven't grown yet :]


The bigger one is rosemary, and the smaller ones are sunflowers, forget-me-nots, parsley, cucumber, and lemon basil.

I'm excited to have my own fresh ingredients for cooking!

Have any of you planted gardens this year?


Also, I have seen some bloggers replying to comments on their blog page, which I think is a good idea, because I always want to reply, but I don't know if the commenter will ever read them! So, to Julie, I had no idea hairpin lace could be so beautiful until I saw those links you posted! I really want to try out those gorgeous patterns! P.S., I love your blog and your knits are beautiful! Plus you're so darn cute! I think the same thing about Anna! Love your blog and knits too! Same with the cuteness :] Thanks for commenting on my new pattern! And yes, I love reading your sister's blog too! And it was kind of funny, she posted a comment here and said I should read your blog! It really is a small blog world!

I seriously love getting comments, thanks to everyone who takes the time to comment on my little blog!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Sorry!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a few days! I was at a family reunion for the past few days, and I didn't get a chance to get online!

I want to thank everyone who posted kind comments about my new pattern!
A lot of bloggers have been posting about honesty, and in the spirit of that, I want to say that I really love getting comments on my blog, especially nice ones, expecially from knitters that I look up to and from bloggers that I regularly read!

So, when I was gone, I went to the craft store and I found a hairpin lace kit! I had never heard of it until I saw it in a vintage 1950's pattern book, and I tried looking at my local stores, but I just figured that no one really used this technique anymore, but I found it! Here's what it looks like:


I know it doesn't look like much now, but you make lots of strips and then you connect them, and it looks awesome when they're all connected, here's a picture from my 50's pattern book:



Also, in the same spirit of honesty, I worry a lot about what I'm going to post here, I have lots of things to post about, but I never know which one to post about first, and if I should combine things into a post. Anyway, I'm learning as I go, and I'm having lots of fun doing it!
Thanks for reading!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Newport Beach Pullover!

My newest design, the Newport Beach Pullover is now for sale on http://www.knitpicks.com/! Here's the Ravelry link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/newport-beach-pullover

The Newport Beach Pullover is an off-the-shoulder sweater knit in one piece with no seaming. The relaxed gauge creates a light and drapey fabric. This sweater reminds me of my hometown in southern California. It’s the perfect sweater to wear on a chilly day at the beach.

I have other pictures to upload, but I'm about to leave to go to California, like, right now :] and the picture uploader isn't working right.
Anyways, I'm really excited about it, and it's only $1.99 with Knitpicks Independent Designer program!
Have a nice day!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Aprons and blankets

Just a quick little post today :] I finished the apron! It's made of cupcake print fabric. I want to take better pictures, but here's one, I didn't have any makeup on, so I got just the apron in the picture :]

It's a large picture so you can see the print


I had a little bit of an issue with the pockets, but I fixed it, and I think it came out great!

Here's a better view of what the pockets look like




I also got some new fabric to make more aprons!



My sister picked out this fabric, I bought some christmas fabric, I know it's early, but I really liked the prints :]

I'm leaving for a family reunion tomorrow, and I made a couple flannel blankets for my aunt who is about to have a baby boy!




I love making flannel blankets, I get cute prints and use the decorative stitches on my sewing machine, it has all kinds of cute embroidery stitches like flowers and bunnies. I used trucks and little criss cross stitches for these blankets.

By the way, I have news for tomorrows post! I can't wait!
Have a lovely day!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Apron, scarf, and queue

Right now I am finishing a really cute apron, here's a little peek:


It's this pattern, view A (main picture) and it's a reprinted vintage patterns, I love those, but, as you know from my last post, I love real vintage patterns even more, there's just something about finding a pattern for a dress and thinking about how maybe someone bought the pattern to make a dress for a special occasion. Anyway, I will take pictures in it when the apron's finished! This will be my first apron! I really want to make more, it will be a fun way to use holiday and other printed fabrics!
I also found my dad's scarf, I made it for him, and he lost it, like right away, so I never got to take pictures of it, I want to take more, but I was so excited about finding it that I snapped a couple, here's one:


I really loved the way this scarf came out, too bad I found it right when summer is about to start :]

I was also looking through all my knitting books and magazines, and I was looking at all the patterns I really want to make, I bought the magazines and books specifically for the patterns, and I haven't made them yet.


 Of course, I think all knitter's "to do" lists grow much faster than we can keep up with :] I have never really used my queue on Ravelry, I mostly just save things to my favorites, but in the last couple of days I have been updating my queue, and putting it in order of priority, and I'm excited to start, I feel like my projects haven't had much direction. I think it's because for the past year I have been doing a lot of designing and not a lot of projects for myself. Well, now I think I want to work on some things for me :]

Well, that's it for today! Have a nice day!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Vintage sewing finds

I learned to knit about 2 1/2 years ago, and since then, I have been knitting most of the time, and I haven't been sewing as much, but lately I have been trying to sew a lot more. I love vintage patterns and I have quite a collection now. I wanted to show you a couple of vintage sewing items that I found at an antique store last week. First, this adorable sewing basket!


It has pictures of sewing supplies on the top and on the inside are holes for thread to go through. It also has handles that are threaded through the top and attached to the inside, so you pull the top open, and pull the handles to close it. I love it! I also got a couple new vintage patterns


I have also been going through my sewing stash, and I found this pattern that I want to make as soon as possible!



I love the skinny, slightly cropped style, and I've always wanted pants like Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face


I think the pattern is a similar style. I have also watched seasons 1-3 of Mad Men, Mad Men - Season One and I can't wait for the 4th, so that probably explains some of my recent inspiration :]


I love Betty.

Also, I made this granola yesterday, it is so amazing.


So todays post had lots of pictures, and went off topic at the end :] Have a nice day!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

My sister's birthday!

It's was my sister's 16th birthday yesterday!




She's on the left, I'm in the middle and my other sister is on the right, this is from our trip to London and Malaga last month (that's another post for another day) I can't believe she's 16!

For her birthday we did a little shopping and saw The Last Song, we all loved the book:

The Last Song
The Last Song

We loved the movie too. We also got cupcakes from Sweet Tooth Fairy, they seriously have the best cupcakes! They are NieNie's favorites too :]



 That's it for today! Thanks for reading!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Design previews!

Right now I'm swatching for a new sweater design that I'm really excited about! Here's a sneak peek:




It's for the Knit Picks independent design program, if you haven't checked it out yet, it's amazing! All the designs are by independent designers, and they only cost $1.99! I have another sweater that will be available for sale on the 17th! Here's a peek:



I'm super excited about it! I will post more pictures and the link when it comes out on Thursday!

I'm also very excited that 3 of my designs will be in the book Vampire Knits: Projects to Keep You Knitting from Twilight to Dawn. A bunch of beautiful designers and I collaberated with the author, Genevieve Miller (Rav link). I can't wait until I can share some pictures with you! The book will be released September 14th, and it's available for presale!
We also have a website, http://www.vampireknits.com/, where you can see the cover and get more information!

So that is all the latest news with my designs! Thanks for reading!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Susannahbean's Birthday Giveaway!

Susannahbean (one of my favorite blogs to read) is hosting a giveaway for her birthday! She is giving away some super cute items! There are 3 ways to enter and it ends on June 16th, so make sure to get your entries in!





Seriously guys, I can't wait until I have enough followers to be able to host a giveaway here!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Chair makeover and cute pillows!

My mom is amazing at finding cute vintage and thrift store finds and giving them makeovers. She found this cute wicker table and chair set for me. I loved them because Summer Roberts from The O.C. had the same set in her bedroom :] (Who else is a fan of the show?) Anyway, we both decided that the chair needed a makeover, it had a not-so-cute 90's flower pattern cushion and pillow. So I bought 2 yards of really cute fabric and 2 pillows from Ikea and I covered the pillows and the cushion with the fabric! I used bright green piping on the cushion and yellow piping on the pillows. (Click on the photos to make them larger) Here's the before:


And here's the after:



It's so cute and cozy now! Here's a close up of the fabric:



Lots of birds and leaves and flowers and colors! It will work for any season! The funny thing is, about a week before I did this, I was about to give the chair and table away, I liked them, but I didn't know if I would ever make new pillows for them. I'm so glad I didn't give them away, because I love them now!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Twisted Diamonds Throw

Just thought I would share my most recent knitting FO, the Twisted Diamonds Throw from the Moda Dea Home Collection 1 booklet. Technically, I finished it on Feb 28th, but I just took more pictures of it. I finished it for the ravelympics, so it was definitely difficult to finish in that amount of time, but it came out so pretty!



More details are on my Ravelry.

Have a nice day!

Monday, June 7, 2010

New Background!

Do you like my new background? I love it! It's from Shabby Blogs. They have so many cute backgrounds and buttons and other things to decorate blogs, I couldn't believe it when I read that everything was free! I think my blog looks quite pretty now :]

Candied Pears

I would have posted yesterday, but I didn't have access to a computer at all! I swear, things to post about are piling up! Today I thought I would share my new favorite dessert, Candied Ginger Pears from The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone.

I hope I get better at this food photography thing. My recipe is adapted, since I haven't used ginger yet when I've made it, and I cook the almonds in maple syrup instead of brown rice syrup. I'm not even sure I'm supposed to post adapted recipes from books :]
Candied Pears
1/4 cup finely ground almonds (I normally just chop mine finely, but you can put them in the food processor)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 pear, halved and core scooped out
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold apple juice to help dissolve
Extra tbsp maple syrup, optional
Place pear halves in a small saucepan and add apple juice and bring to a boil, reduce heat and boil for 8-10 minutes until pears are soft. While pears are cooking, heat a dry skillet over medium heat, add the almonds and toast, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and golden brown. Add the maple syrup, stir, and cook until the mixture thickens, set aside. Remove pears from apple juice and place on a plate. Add cornstarch mixture to apple juice in saucepan and whisk constantly over medium-high heat fir 3-5 minutes until mixture thickens, remove from heat. Fill hollows in pear halves with almond mixture. Top with apple juice sauce and more maple syrup if desired.

This is seriously my favorite dessert. I definitely recommend The Kind Diet, I would have bought it just for the recipes! And this dessert is even from the "Superhero" section, so it's super healthy, but it's such a treat!

Let me know if you try it! Have a nice day!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

2 in a row!

I'm very excited about this blog now! I think when I first tried blogging, I just didn't feel like I had enough to share, but I have so much going on right now! I am slowly but surely stocking up my etsy shop, I have so many wonderful things that haven't been listed yet, but I have listed this flower print fabric hair rose:


It has a rubber band attached to the back so you can use it on your ponytail, bun, braid, etc! Here's the link to the listing: Floral Fabric Hair Rose and I have so much more coming soon!

I also took the SAT's today. This was my first time taking the test, even though I'm 21. I wanted to be able to apply to colleges, especially study abroad! I think the test went pretty well, about 1/4 of the math looked very unfamiliar, but there was nothing I could do about that, I haven't taken a math class in about 4 years!

I'm very optomistic about things right now, I think maybe it's the summer that makes anything feel possible. What are your goals? I want to hear them, short term or long term :]