At the end of January, I participated in the Winter 10 x 10 Wardrobe Challenge. At the surface, it's an exploration of the creative possibilities of the clothes you already own. That said, there are many other lessons (and questions) that came up for me during the process. I highly recommend you try it! Here's what to do:

1. Pick out 10 of your favorite items of clothing (or little worn, or thrifted, or handmade – you choose the criteria) and one pair of shoes, and mix and match your chosen items for the next 10 days. You can choose to include shoes or not, and accessories are not included.

2. Document your outfit combos with photos, starting to create a personal wardrobe ideas database.

I chose the following items:

• my latest Metamorphic Dress (rust linen on one side and black and white ikat on the reverse)

• mauve Lander Pants

• my sand washed rayon Arenite Pants (pattern in development and coming 'atcha this Spring)

• black silk Matcha Top

• striped Stasia Tee

• mauve sand washed rayon Strata Top

• thrifted jean jacket

• thrifted wide leg jeans

• mama bird tee

• Ace and Jig reversible Inez top

60% handmade, 20% thrifted, and 20% store-bought, which is pretty representative of my wardrobe on a whole.

My absolute favorite item to wear was my pair of black Arenite Pants (shown above).  I seriously can't wait to get this pattern out into the world! They are so comfortable, and I feel like they are secret pajamas to the max, while being unique in their shape and drape in a way that makes you feel like a work of art. They feature a 2” or 3” soft elastic waistband – your preference – and either stretch knit cuffs or woven cuffs with an elastic casing.

I also found myself reaching for my Metamorphic Dress a ton - for the comfort, reversibility, and layerability. Same goes for the reversible Inez top – I almost feel like I was cheating by having the ability to reverse my clothing for a whole new look!

The challenge confirmed that I love certain dressing “formulas.” (They are NOT uniforms – I resist the idea of not having to think when I put something on in the morning. I LOVE thinking about creative options and color combinations … what I don't want is not knowing what shapes to wear that make me feel beautiful in my skin.) I can dress with a Metamorphic over wide-leg pants under a cropped jacket/cardigan till the cows come home and not get bored. I also love a relaxed top + Arenite pants + cropped jacket. Easy, but made creative with color choices and accessories.

Let's talk for a moment about accessories. They are magic. Your body will never grow out of them, and you can layer + play with them as much as you want to create a completely unique look. Scarves are some of my favorite pieces to play with. I'd never worn my hair in a full-on head wrap until this challenge, and oh my, I adore it. Perfect for day four post shower (I'm a homeschooling mom, y'all!) when I can't add any more dry shampoo without looking like I have a head full of cornstarch. I used this tutorial.

I did start to miss my other clothes by the end of the challenge, but managing to NOT reach for something different made me dig deeper into creative possibilities. Towards the end, and spurred on by a smidge of boredom, I came up with these two outfits (above), which I ended up liking quite a bit. I never knew that I could tie my Matcha Top like a button down shirt, but that really opens up new ways to wear it. I was also heartened to find out that you can successfully create a colorful capsule wardrobe. I love me some black, but I never wake up wanting to feel “neutral,” or wanting to look like all the college students living in my town. I'm too old for conformity, thank goodness. What freedom to be able to dress in a way that brings you joy, creative inspiration, and non-negotiable comfort!

I'll admit to having a moment of panic when I realized that, truly, I already have a wardrobe I love. What does that mean for my love of making? Is everything else from here on out pure excess? Sure, I could use a button down shirt and those black, high-waisted Ginger jeans, but truly, I am good. But geez, I'm a pattern designer, and sewing slowly and with love and intention brings me much joy. It's my mindfulness practice.

I determined that I can slow down my sewing even more, and include more heirloom pieces for my kids and quilt sewing for them as well. I don't need to purchase any other items of clothing, either at a thrift store or from ethically manufactured brands I do enjoy supporting from time to time. Given that my profession necessitates sewing women's clothing, I can auction off any excess garments for a good cause. (Our favorite is Partners in Health.) Something to consider, balancing need and the joy of making, and a 10 x 10 Challenge is a great way to assess your current closet. 

I've had the most calming, centering, beauty-filled book on my bedside table these past few days. It's Maya's creation - Reinvention: Sewing with Rescued Materials, published by Wiley. I'm so happy to kick off Reinvention's blog tour, give you a peek at what's inside, as well as host Maya for a behind-the-scenes chat about the book. Oh! And how could I forget the giveaway! Leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of your own, courtesy of Wiley. I'll draw a winner on Friday, May 4th!

Comments are now closed. Congratulations to Emily who won a copy of Reinvention!

I whipped up a quick inspiration board, which is one of the projects featured in Reinvention .

I often think of Maya as the Burlap Ambassador - she's the wonder behind the burlap bins and inspiration boards that took the craft and design blogs by storm several years back. She's so much more than that, though - such a kind-hearted, deep feeling and thinking person. She's someone who I really look up to as I navigate the waters of motherhood, and I think you'll feel the same about her, especially after reading her book.

Me: It's an honor to share this space with you, Maya, to celebrate the release of Reinvention ! 

Maya: I'm so thrilled to have you be the first stop on my tour, Meg. I will always feel that you played an integral part of making this book happen, simply by giving me that sweet nudge that propelled me forward a few years back. It seems quite fitting to have you get the tour ball rolling, and comes as no surprise that you have asked such thoughtful and compelling questions.

Me: The organization of Reinvention is so compelling - you offer readers seven commonly found recycled materials, discuss a bit of the history behind each material, and offer tips on sourcing and crafting with each. What really caught my eye was your chapter on working with Tyvek, which is the fabric-like plastic material that is often used in mailers. Tell us how you discovered sewing with used mailers, and what other projects you have used them for. 

Looking back, I fully admit that this was one of those crazy pregnancy-induced projects. When else would someone find it necessary to spend weeks braiding, piecing, and sewing a rug for a play room? I can answer that! When that very someone found it INCREDIBLY uncomfortable to sit on the floor due to a burgeoning belly. The piles of t-shirt yarn were strewn across the room, threatening to consume her.

Poor lady. We crafters do the oddest things when we have a goal in mind, don't we?

I must be frank with you. This was not an easy project. Grumbles and sighs could often be heard coming from my sewing studio until late into the night. The braiding was meditative, but coiling it and stitching it together with the correct tension? Oh. My. I can't tell you how many times I had to rip the thing out and start over. Sometimes I would pull too tightly on the coil being attached and the thing would turn into a bowl rather than a rug. At other times, I would have too little tension on the braid, and the rug would ripple and wave. I never seemed to be able to get the hang of it - it was trial and error the whole way through.

I started off with the intention of sewing it together by hand, following the instructions in Handmade Home. I quickly figured out that hand sewing was not cutting it for the stretchy t-shirt fabric. I'm sure it would work wonderfully for woven cottons or wool, but the jersey was just slipping all over the place. So I switched to machine zigzagging the coils together, as shown in the photo below (along with cat hair and crumbs). Even with my walking foot and appropriate needle, I had issues (see above) that necessitated a lot of seam ripping.

In the end, though, I couldn't be happier with the results. I daresay it was even worth the effort. (Of course it was.) I just want to warn you that you'll likely spend a whole lot of time on this project, so if you're looking for a beautiful rug without the challenge of sewing it together yourself, you should check out Green at Heart's incredible offerings. If you are set on making your own (Laurine from Green at Heart said that she'll have some more t-shirt rug yarn available in the next few days) then set aside some quality time to become one with strips of t-shirts that are 1.5" wide.  

Even with all of the frustrating moments, I would do it again. I mean, how awesome is this rug? But you know what? I'll cross that bridge when I'm no longer pregnant.

Hooray! We're back online and, most importantly, showering with hot water! The dinner yesterday was spectacular. My mom has a knack for making an incredible food spread look effortless. If I had been in charge, I would have looked haggard, food stuck to my hair and clothing, unable to hold a conversation with anyone until everything was on the table. She rocks the kitchen, that mom of mine.

I thought you would get a kick out of my Black Friday "shopping" excursion this morning. It started at the end of my parents' driveway where I grabbed a handful of newspapers that had been put at the curb to be recycled. I threw those in the back of the car and headed to the craft store, where I bought four styrofoam balls and some masking tape.

Styrofoam balls, masking tape, newspaper, flour and water ... all I need to begin my most ambitious holiday handmade gift of the season. Puppets. Four of them, with a door frame puppet theater from fabric in my stash. I'm planning on using the tutorial for the theater below, which can be found at Petite Purls. 

Photo, design and tutorial by Nancy Anderson

This gift isn't for Finn, as he's too little yet to really use such a toy, but my nieces (who are four and six) will most certainly put it to use.

I've been thinking a lot this holiday season about being thrifty, perhaps more than usual, given the health care costs we will be incurring due to Lachlan's condition. The main thing I'm doing for Finn this year is putting together the art/playroom, and trying to spend virtually no money on the endeavor. (More on that when I return home from our time in California.) He will get a few quality, wooden toys, but other than that, it's a simple stocking and a new playspace.

Since so many of us are needing to tighten the belts of our gifting budgets, I thought I'd point to some great, low-cost ideas for children's gifts.

• Put together a new playspace for your child, using thrifted furniture cut down to size (i.e. saw off the legs of an old desk to make a child-sized table. Again, more on this later!) Here's an article with some helpful ideas.
• Organize a spectacular dress-up area. Keep your eyes peeled for fun hats, shoes and outfits during thrifting excursions, or make your own. Dedicate a space for dress up in your home - set up one of those cheap wall mirrors next to a peg shelf. Add ribbon loops to all shirts and pants so they can be hung from the peg shelf, assuring that they are easily accessible to children and don't get lost in a bottomless toy chest. Place shoes and accessories in bins below the peg shelf. Remember to rotate the items on occasion to maintain the child's interest.
• Put together a "kit-in-a-box" gift that caters to your child's particular interests. I thought the veterinarian's case Amanda put together for her daughter was amazing. You could take this idea and apply it to any interest - an field explorer's kit, a baking kit, a sewing kit, a florist's kit ... really any interest you see emerging in your child could be nourished through such a gift.
• Stock your child's play kitchen with handmade felt food.
• Set up a birding area near a large window in your home.
• Re-organize and re-stock your child's art space or reading nook.

Leave a comment to share your own ideas!

Yesterday marked the first week of our 20-week CSA share! A four block bike ride is all that's between us and some organic yumminess, and Finn seems to know it.

He adores bike rides, and it's a fantastic workout for me, pulling the prince along while he munches on finger foods. We're so happy that he likes being in his trailer, as we prefer riding to driving, and live in a very bike-able area. Plus, Finn still doesn't adore his car seat (although he's more tolerant of it than he used to be). It provides us with the impetus to get around on two wheels instead of four. (For other biking families - we love our trailer, which we were able to purchase with the help of our REI member dividend. It's a Chariot.)

And here's the box - stuffed full of spinach, greens, lettuce, broccoli, asparagus, and - most importantly, strawberries.

With the beginning of our CSA share season comes a shift in my meal planning. Instead of fixed set of meals that we rely on during the winter season, I'm starting to plan my meals around what's in the box. I find that I rely heavily on Mollie Katzen's The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without, which has a very handy index and a panoply of dishes for a large variety of veggies. Tonight we're having Asparagus Crepes with Mushroom Sauce. Oh, Spring, I love you.

But I digress. Let's get to the red, juicy meat of this post. The strawberry.

Straight up for the babe, covered in dark chocolate for the parents.

Because, hey, I did tow him around town with sheer muscle force. He can have the plain berry. I'm taking mine with chocolate, thankyouverymuch! 

Check out LocalHarvest to find a CSA near you!

Did you know that sewing can be a sweat-producing workout? It most certainly can.

When you make three beach blankets-to-go from Handmade Home in one day between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m., you will burn a marathon's worth of calories. I kid you not. That, plus I didn't realize that the air conditioning vent in my studio was closed until well into the workout. Duh. Impromptu sauna.

The weddings made me do it. Two of them in one week, and a real desire to give handmade gifts.

Plus, how could I not make one for our own little family?  When you start sewing large projects like this, I think it best to take a tip from Henry Ford and go at it assembly-line style. It totally works - it's so much easier to do everything at once. These blankets even have handmade double-fold binding ... it's just as easy to make 24 yards as it is to make 8. Bada-bing, bada-boom.

And I LOVE them.

Our blanket's opening day ...

I used a combination of thrifted fabric, vintage sheets, and stash fabric to make the blanket top. The backing consists of some heavy-weight upholstery fabric that I bought for pennies last year when a local fabric store closed its doors. I love how the weight of the backing fabric makes the blanket so much more sturdy (and it has the added benefit of keeping it on the ground in the wind).

Three blankets at no cost, and three oh-so-useful handmade treasures. I can't wait to get ours really dirty. Like Amanda said, I'm sure it will be the backdrop of so many family adventures (and photos!)  Where will it visit - the beach? the gardens? national parks? How many family meals will it host? How many sets of little toes will it welcome?

A blanket like this isn't just handmade - it's a maker of memories.

For those of us whose pocketbooks can't handle buying holiday gifts at Anthropologie ... why not MAKE your pocketbook out of Anthropologie? (Magazines, that is.)

I've been having fun with beautiful magazines and my Xyron 900, sewing up a set of these recycled wallets for stocking stuffers. Honestly, it's more difficult photographing these darn wallets than actually making them! Laminated items don't do well in any light as far as a camera is concerned. Trust me - the finished product is much more charming than these photographs show.

The wallet has a change pocket, a place for credit cards and license, and a spot for bills.

Edit: Comments are closed - the winner has already been selected!

And I'm giving one away! I couldn't resist giving a little something back after all of your kind words about my book deals and baby. Leave a comment and I'll mail you the Anthropologie embroidered pillow wallet! (Sorry, the purple shoe/cat wallet has already found its way into my purse somehow ...) Comments will remain open until Sunday evening, 9 p.m. Eastern. I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner, who will be announced right here on Monday morning.

Also on Monday, I'll put up an easy tutorial for making your own recycled magazine wallet, so that everyone can "win!"

Edit: Here's the PDF tutorial so you can make your own! Be sure to print it off at 100% scale. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend,
Meg

I took a moment this morning to enjoy some leftovers from dessert and game night with our new friends. The apple galette was to die for. And the teacup and saucer? Part of a set of five - a lucky thrifting find right up the road. This picture doesn't do them justice. They make me ridiculously happy. This is my first cup and saucer set. No more drinking from the "Congrats Graduate" mug that I've had since 8th grade. Goodbye and good riddance to all the ugliness that once tainted my tea. I feel like, once and for all, I have left that limbo of the post-college years. (This period was exceptionally long for me, due to the move to Mexico and all, with its accompanying pressure to keep all material possessions to a minimum.) My house is finally starting to feel like a home.

Now I just need a frame for my mattress so we can stop sleeping on the floor - and a dining table. I'm waiting for the perfect, pine farmhouse table to show up on one of my thrifting outings. Thumb twiddle. In the meantime, these teacups are the icing on the cake, even though the cake's not quite done.

Other things:

- Sign-ups for the Holiday Traditions Exchange are officially closed. Thanks for your enthusiastic response! I have a handful of partners left to email. Please email your partner to introduce yourself right away and keep your commitment to your partner. If, for some reason, you aren't able to get in contact with your partner, shoot me an email. I could have goofed and sent you the wrong address. In any case, once you have made contact, remember that it is incumbent on you to send out your package by December 13th. (Earlier if you have an international partner!)

- Thanks for the tips on fusing plastic bags. If you're interested in trying, check out the suggestions in the comments, and be sure to proceed in a well-ventilated area due to some concern of fumes. (Don't worry, I tried this before I got pregnant, and in a well-ventilated area!)

- Speaking of pregnancy, my little tenant is finally starting to make me look pregnant. At least I think so. The world might just assume that I'm waist-less. Ah well. I owe you a belly pic. And I owe myself a few pairs of maternity pants. Old Navy? Any other non-frump suggestions?

- Stay tuned for big news tomorrow!

Introducing ... my fused plastic bag purse, purchased from a local artist a while back. I was totally taken by this technique and had my heart set on making a few of my own. I found the blogosphere has already provided several helpful tutorials: here and here.

But I just could not get my bags to fuse properly. I tried all sorts of settings on my iron, but it appears as though my iron and I don't have the best relationship. Have I been defeated by plastic bags and a temperamental iron? Is there any hope for me and my iron? Can we work it out?

Have any of you tried this technique before? Any tips?

Happy weekend,
Meg

Autumn is coming, branch by branch, to North Carolina. I've come to truly appreciate my solo evening walks through the neighborhood. I'm an avid fan of "other people's landscaping". Not that there's anything grandiose or showy in my neighborhood - I just love it every time I pass by an old, rusty wheelbarrow, filled with potted flowers, parked in lawn. Or the bicycle with wire baskets that has been upcycled into a planter. Such good ideas.

Other news - we heard the baby's heartbeat yesterday at my prenatal appointment! It's nice to know there's a little human in there, swimming away without a care in the world.

And OH MY GOODNESS. Some of your comments on my last post just cracked me up. I never knew that it was so common to become queasy at the mere smell of one's husband! Ah, such great stories in retrospect!