western top

i finally got a chance to use a pattern from the sewing patterns book basic black, which eric got me for my bday.  i used pattern a, a peasant shirt.

i actually have minimal amounts of black in my wardrobe.  i prefer COLORS!  i was inspired to make this top from anthropologie.

shirley got me checkered cotton double gauze from her most recent trip to japan.  i particularly love that the checks are rectangular and not square on her fabric (unlike anthro's top which has square checks)!  here i am cutting the fabric, with lil' fuzz grooming himself in the background.

this fabric is so soft.  and even though the fabric is double-layered, the material is thin enough so that it is super breezy.  this pattern called for turning bias strips into...

bias binding.  blehhhh, my worst nightmare.  there is nothing i hate more than making and using bias binding.  i would rather handstitch 2 buttonholes than make bias binding.  i have this nifty gauge to make bias binding, but this fabric was too thin and fiddly to use the gauge.

i had serious doubts my narrow shoulders would fit the boatneck top, but the shoulders of the shirt are holding on for dear life!  it fits perfectly!  whoo!

i wore this on the 1st day back from spring break.  eric snapped pics for me in the morning before i left.  i wouldn't normally wear the ties tied, but at school, i have to be more modest hehe.

of course i had to test out the swingyness of the peplum bottom!

wheeeeeeeee!  i caged lil' fuzz just to make sure i wouldn't stomp him by accident.

back view, but blurry because i am such a speedy spinner:

the blue in the fabric started bleeding into the white whenever i ironed it with steam, so i still need to wash it in vinegar to hopefully set the dye.  didn't stop me from wearing it to school though!

and, the fuzzfeed:  this weekend, it was 68 degrees on sunday.  we decided to introduce lil' fuzz to the outside for the 1st time.  we started by confining him to this pen that eric got, just so he could get accustomed to the noises of nature (or brooklyn).

this lil' guy is bold.  he quickly started nosing around at the door, trying to figure out a way out.  soooo, we let him out!

fuzz went to town on the lawn.  he seemed to think there was a limit to the supply of grass available, so he tried to eat as much as possible.  i thought i'd be nice and show him the wild mint, as it is better for him to eat than random weeds, but of course he then started decimating our wild mint collection.  this might be my fav pic of the day:  "oooooh, fresh herbs?"

the fuzzfeed

there's a new bunny in the house.  we've named him lil' fuzz (like lil' wayne, lil' kim, and lil' bow wow.  side note: bow wow should shorten his name to lil' wow, hehehehe).  he's already a year old and quite the little mischief-maker.  here he is on his first day home.  poor little dude is a bit stressed after his neutering.

he's wild with energy.  eric has built him several tunnels, and the little guy loves to run under and through everything. (fuzz, not eric hahahahha)  here he is in his temporary digs and working on his potty-training.

for a white rabbit, lil' fuzz does a fantastic job grooming himself.

he has brown patches over both eyes and has spotty brown ears.  he also has brown at the bases of his ears.  his head is super fuzzy, hence the name lil' fuzz.

between his ears in the back is a stripe of white fur that always sticks straight up.  eric's been calling him magua, after the character in "the last of the mohicans" with a mohawk.  

last weekend we lit the last of our wood haul from ct.  lil' fuzz enjoyed his first fire.  it was toasty.  he loves to snuggle.

he also liked to sit right up to the warmth, just like the cats and bunks.  it was rather toasty.

stretching out after spending the day tunneling:

eric just bought him a luxury loft rabbit condo.  it was made in slovakia.  he spent all saturday putting it together.  not easy.

we're calling all lil' fuzz updates the fuzzfeed, like buzzfeed.  hehehehe.

shorts in time for shorts season!

well, shorts season a year later, hehehhehe.  i started these shorts last year.  right after i finished eric's navy carhartt work pants.  that was last april.  these used the same pattern as those pants, but with slightly wider leg openings and cargo pockets!  facings and pockets were made with interfaced navy fabric.  topstitching was done in navy too.  check out the fly:

so proud of it.  i only had to restitch it 4 times...

the cargo pocket was longer than i would have liked.  next time, for the next round, i'm going to make them a little shorter.  topstitching all the details was quite fun.

naturally i used navy vintage buttons for the waist and 2 per cargo pocket (next time i'm only going to do 1 per pocket).  eric picked them out.  yes, maybe an hour was spent on button-selection again, hehe.  i hate making buttonholes.  HATE IT.  eric was in charge of splitting them open.

the back:

check out those cargo pockets!

happy shorts season!  i really should make myself shorts, not like these though.  one day.

new pillowcases!

spring break was so productive.  i gave these sad pillows a facelift!

the botanical print linen was from ikea.  $9.99 a yard, from which i was able to make 2 pillowcases!  i still have a bit left and plan to make a lumbar roll once i get my hands on some stuffing!

2 skirts into 1

mom was throwing out these 2 skirts of hers that she never wore.  there was this royal blue one, some wool/acrylic blend:

and this grey one, in a wool/acrylic blend with too-cutesy beading to one side:

i've had this free knit skirt pattern for ages.  AGES.  it's super cute, but i had no clue what fabric to use.

and then i had the brilliant idea to use BOTH skirts for their fabric to make this lindy petal skirt.  i really wish i had enough of the blue to use it for the waistband.  however, the waistband of the original skirt was much narrower than for the lindy, and i really wanted to do a wider waistband.  SIGH.  so charcoal grey waistband it was.

'round back:

i quite dig this skirt and actually had finished it before spring break, so 2 weeks ago.  however, it was rainy today and i didn't feel like wearing a skirt.  i'll post a pic of me in it soon!

i got really fly brass and leather pulls for my sewing desk from anthropologie!  they were sold out online, but i thought i'd try visiting the store and hunting around JUST IN CASE.  sure enough, they had some in the clearance bucket.  $2.95 each!  woot!!!

rest in peace my sweet boy

my dearest bunksy passed on march 15, early in the morning.  it was quite sudden and he was having difficulty breathing and digesting his food.  he refused to eat the day before.  eric found him in the morning; he looked like he had died peacefully in his sleep just before and was still warm.  we buried him at the foot of his beloved rose bush, the one that had all the lower leaves and petals eaten.  it makes me happy to think that he will be part of that beautiful bush this spring when it blooms.

eric laid rocks on the site and a braid of sweetgrass, and i put one of eric's geodes that i found in the garden to mark his space.

the other one in the pair i keep on our fireplace mantel to remind us of bunks.  when we eventually move from this house, i will take this one with us, so we will always have it with us.  we will also take several cuttings of the rose bush.

some fav pics of little bunksy: here he is entranced by squeeks' tail.  that beloved cat tail...

ooh, what's this?

just gonna take a little sniff... and secretly attempt a nibble!

busted.  tomato saved.

my sweetest little bunks.  i will never forget you.  may you discover all the sweetest carrots in heaven.  you are so loved.