stitching for sadie

How could I forget how much fun it is to sew for a little girl? Maybe it was Sadie's reaction to the pants I made her last summer, but luckily her tune has changed. Or perhaps it's the polka dots.

I was inspired by elsiemarley's pillowcase dresses and I had just enough scraps left from my ginham top to put together this tank. I didn't use a pattern - which truly is the joy of sewing for a 3 1/2 year old - and decided to only gather the front. The MOP buttons are just decorative, but they did a nice job of echoing the green polka dots. All in all it was a quick, simple garment that was fun to make and that Sadie has happily worn. And I've already cut out the next project: a three tiered skirt with an elastic waist. Sadie is really enamoured with skirts and dresses right now, so I better jump on the opportunity while it lasts.

The sewing will have to wait though - I will be absent from here for about two weeks because I'm hopping on a plane this Friday destined for...Paris!! I'm going with Ragdoll; she has a wedding to attend and her husband didn't want to go. I don't think she even got the question out of her mouth before I said "yes!". I have never been to Paris, and I'm getting more excited every day. Paris in the Spring with a girlfriend willing to do all the girlie things we want to do? I'm a pretty lucky girl and ready to be overwhelmed with inspiration. And if anyone has any "must-do" suggestions for Paris, please share. Little shops, places to eat, places to dream - anything! Oh, and I'll also take suggestions for how to handle leaving my favourite little girl behind, a whole ocean away. I may be excited, but I'm still a Mommy.

Gulp.

reading challenge #11

Hey - only two more to go!

This isn't the first time I've read No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod, but perhaps I should have taken my halfway-through bookmark as a sign. A few years ago I traded with Chris my Patrick McGrath's Spider for his MacLeod, and some part of me still felt obligated to finish the borrowed book. I couldn't remember a single thing about it though, so I started all over again and got bored at almost the exact same point. Don't get me wrong, the storytelling is top notch, I just think the novel wasn't for me.

The first third of the book was quite riveting; the characters were both tangible and endearing. And when I got to the moment of the terrible tragedy I gasped aloud, it was that shocking (even though it was the second time I'd read it). But as the story progressed too much time was spent between storylines. I almost forgot about Calum in his sad Toronto room, and I especially laboured through the Ontario mining camp section. It felt much like a director's cut - the length just wasn't necessary, and the story still would have worked without every single scene. And Alexander's twin sister's anecdotes seemed insincere and irrelevant, though perhaps she just wasn't a believable enough character. Definitely she was under-developed, but looking back, there weren't really any female characters developed fully. This is a story of men, and maybe that is why I was more emotionally detached than I have been with other East Coast novels.

Oh well, at least it's done and I can finally return it to Chris. And as for the knitting comparison: I'd say this was like a cardigan, but from a published pattern that is rife with mistakes. You go over and over the same section trying to figure out how to make it work. In the end you finish it, but you never quite get over how long it took to get there.

spring is gingham

With my May 1st deadline out of the way, the time has come to catch up on some practical sewing projects. This little tank is actually from the 70's pattern I found in the winter but with a whole whack of modifications. I just couldn't handle the sleeves, so I cut them right off and then had to put darts along the bust to help pull the shape up. You'd think this would be a disaster with gingham, but so far it doesn't bother me to see the lines intersect. The fabric is a seersucker-ish cotton which has already lived through an egg yolk spill (really, must I always slop something atrocious on a newly sewn garment?) I think my favourite part is the gigantic hem - it's about 4 1/2 inches and gives the shirt weight at the bottom. There is some debate whether I look pregnant or not when I wear it, but the low neckline has been given at least one rave review, for better or worse. Overall, a fun project and a nice kickstart to some summer sewing. And after seeing great garments like these, I'm itching to tackle more.

(Though I better improve my pressing skills, that hem is a sad sight when photographed!)

reading challenge #10

April was National Poetry Month and in its honour, I had a full-on spring romance with poetry. Not only did I savour every single poem in Anne Compton's Processional, but I also quietly took on the challenge of writing a poem a day (even though I totally forget how I stumbled upon this challenge). Ragdoll started writing poetry again too so I finally had the chance to read some of her fantastic (and even published) endeavours. The two of us are so inspired we may even take a poetry class in the fall. Ahh, I heart words.

Anyway, back to Anne Compton. PEI was a hard province to choose for, and I almost went with Saltsea by David Helwig. But I really wanted to use the challenge to go beyond fiction, and I needed a divining rod of sorts to find a new poet. With little more than an Amazon review as guidance, I gave Compton a try and I was spellbound immediately. As I sit here I'm not even sure how to describe it; her words just worked for me. Her way of using domestic metaphors was refreshing, and her references to nature were wonderful (and a great follow-up to Sharon Butala). I think I'll order her first collection, Opening the Island, right away because ending the day with her poetry has been an inspiring ritual that I'd rather not be done with. Not yet.

Dawn was in the details: each branch a charcoal stroke
against the grey.

Only 3 more novels to go to finish up this challenge. Currently I have Mercy Among the Children picked out for New Brunswick, but for no good reason I just haven't been eager to get it. If anyone has a suggestion - or a huge high-five for David Adams Richards - please let me know. Thanks to a super father-in-law, I've got an Indigo giftcard burning a hole in my wallet.

reading challenge #9

I started The Perfection of the Morning by Sharon Butala one rare day when I was riding the subway alone. When I stepped off at Eglinton station a woman stopped me to say the book was an all-time favourite of hers, and that she happened upon it at a time in her life when she needed a change. The woman, who easily looked 20 years younger than she told me she was (and my goodness, I believe she told me she had 6 children!) left quite an impression on me and certainly inspired me to dive right into Butala's words that night.

Published in 1994, The Perfection of the Morning is equal parts memoir, meditation, and call-to-action. This title had actually been on my non-fiction wish list for some time, and I'd say it completely lived up to my expectations. I did however, read it at a leisurely pace and I'm not sure if that's because I was savouring the experience, or, being a city-dweller with little to no contact with nature, I just couldn't keep focused on the subject matter for too long. Butala herself admits that until you have a similar experience with nature, it is hard for a writer to find a common language to say what they want to say. Which leads me to one of my favourite sentences ever as written by Butala: "The world is more wonderful than any of us have dared to guess, as all great poets have been telling us since the invention of poetry." And being National Poetry Month (for which I have been writing a haiku a day, for better or worse) I think it's just a great sentiment to share.

I was also quite drawn to Butala's musings on how living in nature affected her dreams and the relationships she developed with the wild animals around her ranch. Also her thoughts about women were inspiring even though she admits to believing we have a long way to go before equality is ever truly achieved. Overall, it's quite a wonderful read - I just think the prose had a pace that I had to adapt to. And in the end it inspired me to do something totally new: I suggested to Jay that we disappear to a cottage this summer for TWO WHOLE WEEKS, somewhere that has land around it and a limited number of technological distractions. He readily agreed and we have now booked this vacation, which is my first two week vacation since graduating university. I just hope we city-dwellers can get through it without pining for the internet.

And the knitting comparison: since this is essentially a meditation on nature, I think a very meditative, repetitive project like a throw would be the most fitting. I have not knit a throw yet - it just seems like such an ambitious project to take on, but I can imagine the relaxing quality it would have. And I think this pattern by Norah Gaughan is the perfect choice.

cupcake love

Yum, yum. My Mom got me the best baking book EVER and now Sadie can enjoy moist, decadent cupcakes. I should probably explain: one of the main reasons we have been baking so much around here - apart from the fun factor - is that Sadie is allergic to both dairy and eggs. This makes sweets and desserts especially hard, but luckily the vegan route has been very kind to us. The cookbook Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World is hands-down amazing, and already we've adapted the recipe to make a full-size cake and it had none of the density of my previous cake attempts (sorry to Sadie - at least we'll get it right for birthday #4!) It was a sad day when we took Sadie to a birthday party and there was not one single thing she could eat, so now, cookbook in hand, we can bring along cupcakes and share around. Everyone wins.

Also, cupcakes are pretty much the most fun food to make. In the first photo Sadie is grouping sprinkles, which would appear to be a very serious matter. And icing? What kid can resist licking that sweetness off their fingers? Sadie was smitten with the chocolate icing from this batch, which yielded enough to top two dozen cupcakes (half chocolate, half vanilla). Note to self though: making two dozen cupcakes over a two day period is not good for your waistline...or Jay's. I guess it's not just kids who are smitten.

(And P.S. - what a fantastic cover design too. I just never want to put this book away.)

reading challenge #8

It feels a bit like cheating, but I chose a children's book for my Yukon portion of the challenge. Truth be told, it was downright exciting to get this in the mail from Amazon, probably more so than the novels. I mean look at those colours! This is Children of the Yukon by Ted Harrison, and although the content is years ahead of Sadie's interest, she was captivated by the paintings (especially the ones with purple and pink skies). And the best part is that I learned a lot about the Yukon that I never knew while getting to enjoy the wonderful illustrations. On a whole it may scream 1977 (the year it was published) but hey, I'm a child of the 70's and it feels perfect to me.

A very simple knitting comparison: although I have never posted the final garment, I knit the Swing Thing coat for Sadie in a very colourful Noro yarn. The striping effect resulted in a truly technicolour sweater for my little girl, and this book reminds me completely of the whole experience, especially watching the stripes take shape in my hands. And something tells me that a sweater just might come in handy in the Yukon.

bluebird

Ragdoll finished her book. Chris has 26,000 words. Unfortunately I am still bumbling through a handful of ideas, unsure if anything will be near complete for our May 1st pact.

I won't say writers have it easy, but what I do envy is that they can print off their project and place it on a table with a satisfying thump. The pages will be crisp and in order. Our feedback will start from an expectation of storytelling. But how do I pull together something that is as tangible, something that has a clear starting point for discussion? Do I gently place a series of bluebirds on the diner table formica and hope the chaos of lunchtime doesn't kill the silence of these creatures? Of course, I may just be procrastinating with this line of thinking - at least I have a goal, a pact, and on May 1st I'll get some sort of face-to-face feedback about my work from people I admire.

So, about the bluebird. I've always avoided blue because it's just one of those colours that doesn't speak to me, but during my week off I realized it was right colour for this work. I'm leaning to the gray/blue end of things, but for me colour is incredibly symbolic and I'm still happy with this decision. I wasn't entirely sold on stitching paper onto my last bird, so I'm trying embroidering one letter at a time, with an idea of how I can arrange them later on. I prefer that it is all fibre now, and the blue linen is so melancholic and quiet. I'm not sure if I like the wing much, so next time I'll embroider before I piece together the body. Of course, these are small details, but I overthink them and it can keep me from progressing entirely. I'm trying to push ahead regardless and with Jay spending every night in studio for a show he'll have in June, I've been joining him instead of knitting on the sofa. Thankfully, every little bit adds up in time.

Which reminds me, as much as the sofa is beckoning me over, it's time to go play with blue.

15 years later

Most "making" came to a halt while I was sick, but there was one project that I managed to finish. The joke though is that I started this project at least 15 years ago. I'm pretty sure it was the end of highschool and my Mom and I scored a Vogue Crochet magazine (I say score because it really was a highlight, and yes, I was that geeky for crafting even as a teen). The magazine made granny squares look pretty hip. Not so hip however was my choice of wool; it seems I haven't always been the wool snob I am now. I purchased some (gasp) 100% acrylic boucle yarn for this endeavour in a surprising combination of black, gray, yellow, orange and aqua. How I managed to keep all the yarn and squares in one place for more than a decade is beyond me. And even more beyond me is how I remembered it while I was languishing on the sofa.

Fifteen years ago I hadn't a clue for calculating yardage, so I never would have had enough yarn for a full blanket. I managed to finish up a baby-sized blanket which has already worked well as a lap blanket/cat magnet. I ran out of the black yarn completely and used Fable alpaca for the last two squares and the picot edge which is hard to see in the photo (I must stop using black wool if I ever want a decent photograph!) Part of me is planning another granny square project, especially after seeing this, and this and this. You'd think after 15 years the style would have gone back into the closet, but there is still a really hip edge when you use the right colours and wool. I can promise wool snobbery for my next one, though I may be wooed by the ripple pattern instead. Who doesn't need a project to sit around for another 15 years, right?

reading challenge #7

Knock on wood, but I don't often get blown over by winter bugs, but oh my did I get trampled last week. I only made it into work for one morning and I was dragging my heels the whole time. It was just some viral infection, but I barely had the energy to get off the sofa. Even sitting at the computer was unthinkable. When my eyelids weren't hurting I at least got a bit of reading done and even took a break from my Canadian list to read Belong To Me by Marisa de los Santos.

But back to the Canadian list. I think a review may have hinted at this allure, but certainly the short story title "The Day I Sat with Jesus on the Sundeck and a Wind Came Up and Blew My Kimono Open an He Saw My Breasts" gave me reason enough to try A Song for Nettie Johnson by Gloria Sawai. And I figured a collection of short stories would add variety to my reading list. Lucky for me, it was a delightful read.

All but the final three stories are set in one small Saskatchewan town and I appreciated being able to link characters and storylines. My only criticism is that the collection wasn't entirely set in this town; by suddenly changing locations and introducing new characters 3/4 way through, I felt a little cheated, like I hadn't been given notice that my time with this town was coming to an end. But it is only a small criticism because the stories that followed were compelling and complete themselves. And anyway, the very last story was the Jesus, Kimono and Breasts adventure so I sure wasn't about to abandon ship.

Whether through the voice of a teenager, mother searching for her estranged husband or a recovering alcoholic, Sawai's interest in faith is always present. However, there is not a single word that is preachy or absolute - faith is viewed through the thoughts of each character as merely a fact of their identity. Basically their identity is informed rather than formed by their religious belief. One passage that I just had to earmark was this:

"But one thing I do know. And no one can argue against this fact, whether they're Communists, Christians, Buddhists or Jews. There's no nation in the whole world, not a single solitary one, without mothers."

I think that calls for an "Amen".

And my knitting comparison: A Song for Nettie Johnson is like a 10 row-repeat lace scarf, something Louisa Harding would design. I can never memorize a lace pattern so I have to reference the row order for each repeat and I learn something new about lace each time I complete a section. Plus no repeat can stand on its' own, only the collection of repeats really creates the garment. There is just no match for lace - I am always amazed that something so pretty can be knit by hand.