There's a dog on your towel

Black backstitch on dog outline.

Split stitch on collar. Clear bead stitched on for collar loop.

French knot for eye.

Pencil color used for shading.

My sister Rikki Tikki Tavi commissioned me to stitch a black Labrador onto a tea towel for a dog owner gift.

New to embroidery, I stitched directly onto the towel but now experimenting with stitching on accent fabric and sewing it as an applique. Messy straight stitches used with fringed border instead of turning under the raw edges. Hopefully, the fabric won't unravel. Using the applique application allows you to stitch on tea towels that would otherwise not be appropriate for embroidery.

These tan and ecru check cotton weave towels found at Pier One.

Eddie Ross before a hair cut and name change

Watched a recent episode of Fine Living's "Whatever Martha" and spotted a young long haired dude named "Eddie Roskowski" preparing Whoopie pies with Martha. The nasty hair distracted me at first but before long, I realized that Eddie Roskowski (sp?) is Eddie Ross! The same guy that worked for Martha Stewart's magazine and threw a few mean queen snit fits on Bravo's Top Design. I take a look at his blog every once in awhile and dig some of his projects but often wondered how much of media whore one guy can be but get it now because he is chasing the dream of a television pilot, God bless him and his easily recognized ferret eyes.

Go gently into that good night

Thought you were too classy for a fleece Snuggie and think those leopard print Slankets are tres declasse'? Do you feel that just because you're a shut-in, it doesn't mean you can't be chic? Vogue to the rescue!

Run, don't walk, (oops, sorry, crank up your riding cart) to purchase this soon-to-be-sold-out pattern (#1181) and be sure to find some shiny flammable fabric. Match it to your most problematic bodily function for easy concealment. Cancel your newspaper subscription, purchase and open a 50 pound bag of cat food, duct tape that remote control to your armrest and wait for a peaceful end.

Sweet dreams, lady.

Recycled art

Check out the Earth Counts Green Matters art exhibit at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Most of these pix are works by students with a few by art teachers. Amazing talent!

Sock monkeys

Love the Kia Sorrento commercial with the child's backseat toys coming to life and taking a joyride to Vegas. The sock monkey getting an embroidered tattoo is quite clever and I find it curious the tattoo scene isn't included in every airing. Is it too edgy for some demographics?
When my grandmother made sock monkeys for the younger grandchildren, I was too old to want one but they've always amused me. Thinking the sock monkey is an American phenomenon. Okay, just checked, it is. The history is interesting and you can check it out HERE.
This sock monkey fabric cracks me up because of the creative layout but even more so for the name: Sock Monkey Yearbook.


And that's what I like the most about the sock monkey icon and its many treatments. It is an interesting American story, not trademarked and ripe for many interpretations.

Check out this custom $1500 sock monkey dress by artist Rebecca Yaker at Hazel and Melvin's Room site.


But wait, how funny is this sock monkey dress with the red monkey butt?

Sock monkeys in a blender? Yep. Got that.

Elizabeth has been at the paint again

Check out her newest project

Before~~

After~~

Pretty fabu, right?

This shirt could legally drink

I wore this shirt the other day and realized it's been in my wardrobe for over 22 years.

Now that I sew, the construction of clothing is of more interest than when I was just buying off the rack.

Yep, it's routinely machine washed but with very little dryer time.
(I place cotton shirts in the dryer for a couple minutes, remove and give the shirt a hard snap shake and then hang to dry

---> resulting in almost zero wrinkles.) All original buttons still on shirt.

French seam on outside seams

Flat felled seams on inside

Finished edges on hem and button placket

No raw edges anywhere

Yellow

--Country Living

-- Elle

When someone says they like yellow, I feel my upper lip go up.

It's not a color I have ever liked although I have a pastel yellow Gap jean jacket that I wear with khakis. While I appreciate yellow in home decor, it is way too happy and sunshiney for my jaded attitude. Watched "Rosemary's Baby" (1968) last weekend and the use of a sunny and optimistic color played a subliminal part in the sinister movie. Rosemary (played by Mia Farrow) decorated a spacious but gloomy Manhattan apartment (The Dakota) by painting dreary wood antiques glossy white, just like Sister Parish was preaching at the time and decor D-I-Y bloggers are doing today while thinking themselves to be original. Anywho, Rosemary decorates the nursery in crisp white and bright yellow because the gender was unknown in those days. Rosemary herself wears cute yellow mini-dresses. Pillows and accents of egg yolk golden yellow dotted the living room.

And I watched and again appreciated yellow in someone else's interior.

But MY favorite fashion moment was seeing Rosemary's full length plaid skirt with turtleneck. How I love me some plaid!

--FrockTalk.com

'Nuff said

Cat food messenger bag

How "green" is this?

A messenger bag I made from a cat food bag and free notions. You heard me.

Cleaned and rinsed cat food bag and then kinda made it up as I went along. Instead of attaching a button or closure, I fashioned a tab with a heavy but sparkly belt buckle from the People Give Me Stuff stash. Give me something and I will eventually use it, I tell you. The weight of the buckle will keep the flap down.

Lining made of quilting cotton with a scrap fabric pocket for interior. "Boxed" the corners for a flat bottom.

Because men's neckties are cut on the bias and thus, not very stable, I zigzagged the crap out of the necktie strap. The quilting effect feels fabu.

One side of the strap was long enough to double on itself to form a pocket with the broad tip plus a cell phone pocket.

Look closely for the tie point below the orange stitched strip.



Opposite side of strap with a toggle closure to hold keys.

Just in case you're afraid that I don't know this bag is as ugly as homemade sin, let me assure you, I do. Heinous, perhaps. I was playing around and didn't wanna "waste" good bias tape and a pretty necktie if it didn't work. Thinking I might wanna make another now that I've learned a couple tricks.

Check out my previous cat food tote.

Oh wait, there's more!

A wallet made of the remaining piece with bias tape and a snap.

That's one cat food bag with practically no waste!

Ribbon whore strikes again!

It's been a looooooong time since this ribbon whore has added more ribbon to the obsession but much like a giant snake that waits to feed, I have bided my time. Have ya ever seen footage of a goat being swallowed by snake*? That's me and my new ribbon acquisition. Whatchathink?

That's 100 yards of ribbon goodness, people!

Would you like to indulge your inner ribbon whore? Check out this link to The Ribbon Factory close-outs but look at the other pages for more temptation. This is my first order and I will definitely add them to the good ribbon source bookmark list. Quick shipping and good quality.

*Ho-ly Mother Of Pearl - I just googled "snake swallows goat" for images and . . .well, I needed a Poise pad. Still shaking off the creepy creeps. You're welcome for my NOT posting it for you.

What's up, Home Squirrel?

Y'know how your family or friends have their own special language and shorthand? They do, I tell ya! Well, amongst my and sister's female friends, we used to call each other "home squirrels" instead of "home girls" so when baby sister Rikki Tikki Tavi's friend had a baby last week, I opted for a home squirrel embroidered onesie.

The orange knit fabric is cut from an old t-shirt of mine. Sulky transfer pen used for tracing image and ironed on to fabric.

Left squirrel - split stitch. Right squirrel - backstitch.

Both with (securely stitched) bead-y eyes.

Go in for notions, come out with fabric

Thinking fun appliques are the

future use of this

wood grain print fabric.

Only to be used ironically, I promise.