Stories - Then & Now
Pieces of the Past
When I began this blog, I hoped it would inspire me to complete the many unfinished projects I have tucked away in my sewing room. I know we all have them; my stash, however, is shameful. I believed that if I shared these neglected treasures with my audience, I might get busy and finish them. So far it's working!
Hi. It's Laura. I'm excited to be here for the first time!
Growing up, sculpting in clay was always of interest to me, definitely my favorite time in art class. I am intrigued by imperfect adorability, asymmetric cuteness and, in particular, animal expressions, both real and handmade.
My son, Montana, is an illustrative artist and my daughter, Laura, a poet. Not too long ago they collaborated on a work entitled: Bunny Business.
Montana spent the summer of 2010 on the coast of Maine. He combed the beach, gallivanted with Travis, his best friend, and filled a large pad of fine paper with drawings. Toward summer's end, he returned to New York, settled in Brooklyn and engaged Laura to write about his newest collection.
During the 2013 holiday season I traveled to Maine to visit family on three different occasions. This is significant because I live in New York and the drive to Maine is not a short one! Worth every stretch of highway and ensuing fatigue, each trip served up a different kind of fun.
Like my mother and me before us, my daughter and I sewed together when she was quite young. Lucky for me, one of Laura's favorite tasks was to stuff the arms and legs of the soft dolls and animals I made. She used our favorite tool for this - an ice tea spoon - and always did a great job.
One day, though, Laura wanted to make her own doll, no stuffing required!
I made many dolls over the years, Raggedy Anns and Andys among them. One, in particular, became my daughter's beloved friend in childhood and found her way to memory lane in Laura's first New York City apartment. Unfortunately, Laura's Ridgeback puppy, Toulouse, found her way to Ann!
I was going through some childhood treasures in preparation for my blog launch and came across a special item to share. This was one of my first sewing projects under my mother's guidance: a doll-sized bedspread and matching sham, complete with pint-size pillow insert. (circa. 1959)
The Early Years
It's Christmas Eve.
Tomorrow I am headed to Brooklin, Maine, to spend the day with my daughter and her family. Brooklin is a tiny hamlet (population 824) on the Blue Hill Peninsula in Downeast Maine. It's the middle of nowhere. Gorgeous nowhere.
Every now and then a blog post is extra special. This is one of them. Oliver Rabbit and I had a busy summer full of craft fairs, custom orders and pattern development. Halfway through the heat of it all, I received an email from one of my readers. It wasn't an ordinary email; it was Karen's story about learning to sew:
To bestow a gift that you make yourself can bring immeasurable joy to both you, the creator, as well as the recipient; the value is two-fold and encapsulates emotional elements of life that satisfy our human condition.
SewMamaSew, a blog about the history, craft and artistry of sewing, recently ran a comprehensive series on their site entitled, "6 Weeks of LOVE for Softies." Throughout this awesome collective the term, "softie," encompassed stuffed animals, cloth dolls, soft sculpture and fabric toys.
Here is Peter CottonTail - hoppin' on over to bring you a delightful basket full of sewing fun! What's more adorable than little plush rabbits! Easter is on its way - make something special to tuck alongside the colored eggs and jellybeans.
Happy New Year!
I can say this, right? It's still January. I was about to write, "Where did the rest of 2014 go?" But I know exactly where it went and why I've been MIA on my BLOG for so long.
MOON SANTA ORNAMENTS SEWING KIT - prototyping & perfecting
Much to the delight of her many friends, I posted a photo of my daughter on my personal Facebook timeline last week. She was sitting at my kitchen table testing the first sewing kit
It's been a very productive sew-cation day here in my studio. I really should tidy up the mess I've made but I'm on the couch and my feet are up and somehow I think I'm just going to fall asleep right here after I share this post.
I've spent the last several months working with wool felt, hand-sewing most of what I made. Today I decided to dust off my sewing machine,
We've redesigned the rabbits! (slightly) Still made of super soft, pure wool felt, they are now entirely hand-made and measure approximately three inches tall when sitting.
Every now and then I talk about the "magic of making something" and the joy it brings. This especially holds true when creating a spontaneous gift and this project was no exception. Well, actually, it totally was. Exceptional, that is.
Happy Mother's Day!
To every mother across the globe, especially mine - wishing you a wonderful day of joy and cherished memories.
I believe milestones such as new calendar years or birthdays that launch a fresh decade of life truly force us to reflect. Consciously or not, we ponder our state of being. For many, this process of reflection triggers resolution; naturally, as we age, the significance of this activity intensifies.
It seems only fitting I take a trip down memory lane to introduce my new Santa Doll Pattern. When I was eight years old, my grandmother traveled from Louisiana to the northeast for a summer visit. We took a trip to John Wanamaker's Department Store in Philadelphia.