maggie makes

i saw kasey keller

2010-03-12T07:01:00-08:00

Last night I went to my first Sounders game. And in true Seattle style it was wet and cold. The game wasn't a part of the regular season so the tickets were general admission and lucky us, we got front row seats.

The game might have been the worst I have seen them play. While we were in the other team's half of the field almost the entire game, we were never able to pull off a goal. So many missed opportunities.

Even though we lost, it was a great experience. Seattle Sounder fans are truly like non other in the league. Dedicated, spirited and LOUD! It was nice to yell with others for once, rather than at the TV. My voice is still hoarse!

I am looking forward to another great season.

i hate perfume

2010-03-11T16:25:00-08:00

CB perfume, by Christopher Brosius is so much fun. The scents names and combinations are outstanding. Especially the ones names for moments in time like, Memory of Kindness, In the Summer Kitchen and Winter 1972. Just brilliant.

So many memories of mine are related to smells, good and bad. Hyacinth reminds me of a summers morning at my grandparent's house, playing chinese jacks in their driveway. A musty cinnamon smell of trees reminds me of Caumsett Park where we used to play spy and ran from the enemy groundskeepers. The smell of orange blossoms reminds me of the only time I have seen my father cry when on this day 7 years ago my mother died suddenly. The smell of skunk reminds me of the summer vacations we took road trips to Nags Head.

While skunk probably doesn't make the best choice for a wearable scent, the idea of using scents to bring back memories and the feelings associated with them is just so beautiful to me. The connection makes a perfume have so much more meaning to an individual than some commercial store brand that is overly complex and ubiquitous.

I would love to find that Caumsett Park scent but I have never found anything close. Until then I will stick with To See a Flower which is an amazing replica of my childhood memories with my grandparents.

giveaway: fabric flower bags

2010-03-09T21:41:59-08:00

I can't help myself, I love wrapping and packaging. So of course that means I had to make these sweet little drawstring bags for my giveaway kits this month! Each one includes everything you need to make your own set of fabric flowers, leaves and branches to decorate your own handmade basket or one you already own.

I especially love the basket weave fabric which is a part of Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley collection. It is even more beautiful in person, has a really nice smooth texture and a little Japanese quality to it. Definitely one of my new favorites.

If you would like to win on of these kits, don't forget to leave a comment here.

sneak peek: flower adorned easter basket

2010-03-07T16:35:20-08:00

I am excited to share with you the March tutorial project, a fabric flower adorned woven Easter basket. Making these flowers is seriously easy, addictive and a great way to use up your scraps. The woven basket is also easy and makes a great background for the colorful flowers inspired by all the cherry and plum trees blooming everywhere right now. I should have the tutorial completed and posted in a few days, so stay tuned.

The March giveaway to go with the tutorial is a kit that includes everything you need to make your very own fabric flowers. Perfect for decorating a handmade woven basket or one you already own. Three winners will be picked at random on March 14th, so leave a comment to enter.

Julia is the maggie makes flickr pool winner again this month! I will be shipping out your kit soon!

hair work

2010-03-03T22:24:15-08:00

Have you ever heard of a hair wreath? I hadn't until a few weeks ago. G and I were in an antique store and come across one that was really amazing. Our photos didn't really turn out all that well, but Becky at Sweetie Press Pie took this great shot of one that was similar. Can you believe that is hair?!?!

Turns out in the 18th and 19th centuries using human hair was very popular to make things like rings, necklaces, pins and earrings. Victorian women would use the hair from their loved ones to make these mementos. I assumed hair work was mostly mourning works, but I learned that wasn't true. Certainly some of them were, but it sounds like just as many weren't.

Hair wreaths were often family trees of sorts. They are made from numerous people's hair and are kept open at the top to allow for the addition of new family members. Typically on the back of a wreath there would be a label with the donor's names.

The craftsman ship is amazing and the designs are beautiful, but I still can't help feeling creeped out. I read someplace that they thought it was similar to new parents keeping a lock of their child's hair. Some how it is just not the same to me.

alternative form of transportation: feet

2010-03-02T21:46:34-08:00

It is a new month already! So that means a new habit to lessen my impact on my surroundings.

The weather has been great. Seattle translation = we had at least 1 hour of sunlight! Seriously, in the winter you wake up and its dark. You go to work, eat your lunch inside, because its dark, windy and raining. Then when you leave it's dark. After living here so long it has really started to get to me. But the summers are amazing, light all the time, so I put up with it. Besides it's beautiful. Mountains, lakes, forests, ocean........

Ok so now that the weather is getting better and it is light out by the time I leave for work, I am going to start walking to work again. I am going to shoot for three times a week. This way I will get to enjoy some of the lovely outdoors, maybe get some vitamin D every once in awhile and get some exercise while I drink my coffee in my ceramic cup. (So far so good on the cup, I only forgot it once!)

old singer

2010-02-28T15:12:18-08:00

This machine has no hope of ever working again, but its beautiful adornment was too much for me to pass up. I have no idea what I am going to do with it, but its decorations and engravings would make terrific embroidery designs don't you think?

I wish they made machines this beautiful today. While I really like my machine, it still just looks like a huge piece of white plastic. Not very inspiring.

adorable dinnerware

2010-02-24T22:09:21-08:00

Have you seen the new featured seller on Etsy, Ninainvorm? I hadn't seen her work before but according to her "as seen in" and "on websites" section of her profile, chances are I might be the only one. But they were too cute to pass up.

The original plates are adorable to start with, such great motifs. I love the birds and the stylized flowers, great inspiration for embroidery! The touches of color she adds is a nice little modern touch.

If you like them too, check out her blog for more of her work.

monogram embroidery pin

2010-02-24T21:46:30-08:00

One project completed! This is a little embroidery pin that I made for G to bring to his mom when he visits her this weekend. She seemed to really like the placemats and napkins we made her for Christmas so hopefully she will enjoy this too. I had been thinking about making one for my Grandmother's birthday coming up and wanted to give it a shot.

I have never stitched on felt before and I really enjoyed it. But I do have a slight problem with stretching it out when I hold it. The first one I tried on some beautiful felted wool but I ended up stretching it out of shape terribly. So I used wool felt which was more forgiving.

I am slowly getting better at a few of the stitches. I still end up ripping things out and starting over a few times with different colors or different thread thicknesses, but I am making progress. I like that the projects are small so when I don't end up liking something, I don't mind as much since my time investment is so little.

The clutch still never got done. It was for G's sister. I guess that will just have to be mailed at a later date. I am ok with that.

finish what you started

2010-02-23T18:52:34-08:00

I am drowning in incomplete projects and I really really really want to start some more. I am trying to discipline myself by giving myself deadlines or requirements before I start another. I have been unsuccessful so far. I am very stubborn sometimes. Instead of motivating myself to complete these projects, it just means nothing is getting done. I supposed doing something, even if its not completing my existing projects is still better than doing nothing, right? (how is that for justification :)) Ok, its weak, I.......will........finish.......this........clutch..........tonight.

Wish me luck.