My own mum passed away this month 16 years ago. 16 years. My goodness, how quickly time does fly. And in the intervening years she has never been far from my mind, but it is always now that I think of her most. Around Mother’s Day, in May. I was just 18 when cancer got the better of her. From then until now so much in my own life has changed, and with it the things I remember about Mum ebb and flow. Initially, railing against the injustice of losing a mother, I remembered the immediate past; specific dog walks, conversations, arguments and time spent together. I remember the lost feeling of no longer having the one person that knew me best.
As time went on, I thought of different things, and wished to speak to her not only as daughter to mother, but also as woman to woman. To talk about love and life, paths to take, finding partners and losing them, and knowing just when you’d met the one person with whom you wanted to share a life and family. And children, to talk about children.
Now, as I sit at the sewing machine or knit with Maus at my side, as we choose books at the library, as we feed the dogs together or plant the vegetable garden, I catch glimpses of the woman I imagine my mother to have been when she also did these things with small children at her side.
My dad has long since remarried another wonderful woman, and she is one of the 2 Grandma’s Mausi and Cub are lucky to have. As they grow I will tell them about their Granny they never met, and I will be saddened from time to time, by that very fact. But that sadness is fleeting; a brief summer rainfall.
I no longer mourn the loss of my mother, but am thankful instead for the mum who left me with countless memories and examples to learn from. A mum who ran a busy household and laid the groundwork for the strong, independent women her children would become, and from whose example I learn as I find my own way as mother.
Introducing Katie Daisy…
A love of the wide open sky and the simple pleasures in life is what Katie brings to her art, and she has imbued each painting with sunshine and summer breezes! Her lettering and flower accents have a lovely vintage country feel and the quotations she chooses speak of slowing down and getting outside. Two important things worth being reminded of!
Since graduating from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2009 Katie has been busy travelling and painting. She has a lovely etsy shop, and her work can also be seen at retailers throughout the States.
I asked Katie some questions ::
Little Wool Maus: Your art is beautiful and really invokes the feeling of a warm summer day in the country. How would you spend a perfect, lazy summer day?
Katie: Summer days are made for laying in a field of wildflowers, watching clouds go by and cooling off with a dip in a country creek.
Little Wool Maus: You’ve written that you are a wanderer at heart, and are currently in the Pacific Northwest…do you have your next destination in mind?
Katie: I long to be back in my original stomping grounds – the Midwest! The Illinois prairie is so magical to me… I might spend some time there this summer with my friends and family. I also have a grand journey planned down to Texas and up the California coast. Have you ever been to Big Sur? That place doesn’t even seem real.
Little Wool Maus: Do you have a favourite album that you listen to as you work?
Katie: My favorite daydream-evoking album is It’s A Wonderful Life by Sparklehorse. Mark sings of beautiful images such as “shade and honey,” “more yellow birds” & “may all your days be gold.” It’s the perfect soundtrack to fall asleep in a meadow.
Little Wool Maus: Finally, what are you most looking forward to now that the weather is turning warmer?
Katie: I’m looking forward to everything! Outdoor dinner parties with friends, going on long walks ’till dusk, canoe trips that creep into the night, and drinking lavender lemonade on my porch, to name a few 
.
You can check out what’s new with Katie on her blog and on her facebook page.
All pictures used with permission from Katie Daisy.
Each day brings something new to the front garden…some plants and flowers I am familiar with and plenty of floral mysteries as well! Who can help identify these plants?
Mystery plant # 1
Mystery plant # 2
Mystery plant # 3
Mystery plant # 4
Mystery plant # 5
Mystery plant # 6
KCWC ended on Sunday, but it took me a while to get these last few photos…
The last piece I worked on during kcwc was this Oliver + S ice cream top. I must admit that my sewing got a little side-tracked this week-end by the raised vegetable bed that was put into position. It needed filling of course, and then there was the planning of where to put the vegetables and which ones should go into the bed as opposed to being grown in pots…
Needless to say, while I was busy getting soil totally embedded beneath my finger nails, sewing was not at the forefront of my mind! However, as the purpose of kcwc was just to set aside 1 hour a day for a week, I think I can still say I fulfilled that goal. I just didn’t exceed 1 hour a day for the last 3 days!
Both fabrics are from the ‘Outfoxed’ collection by Lizzy House. Come on now, little wee hedgehogs…how could I not sew somethings with that?!
Shown with the Basic Pocket Pants.
Project details ::
And as a wrap up to the spring 2012 edition of kcwc, this past week I learnt the following:
- sewing with a 2½ year old on my lap can be done quite successfully
- making a button hole really isn’t that difficult (I really love my sewing machine!)
- sewing is best accomplished while the babe is sleeping…whether on the sheepskin or in a sling makes no difference
- I sew clothes for my children as much for myself as I do for them. It is incredibly therapeutic to create.
What fun I’ve been having with kcwc! Day 3 and part of day 4′s addition to Mausi’s collection is a pair of basic pocket pants from Meg McElwee’s ‘Growing Up Sew Liberated‘. With the exception of denim overalls, these are also Mausi’s first pair of ‘jeans’! These were particularly fun to make, not only because the pattern was straightforward, and they came together easily, but also because the denim fabric is thrifted and I was able to turn this…
Thrifted denim fabric from a size 16 skirt bought for $2.50!
into this!
The ‘inside’ of the skirt is now the ‘outside’ of the pants.
The fabric used for the pocket binding, waist band and cuffs was left over from the lining of this project. I did make one small alteration to the pattern. Instead of having the right side of the cuff lining fabric on the right side of the pant leg, which is the way it should be if the child will start wearing the pants at full length, I put the lining fabric on the inside of the leg so that I could roll Mausi’s pant leg up and the fabric would still show. The smallest pattern size was a 2T, and the length was still just a tad too long for her, but not by much.
I feel that the pockets gape perhaps a little too much, but I suspect that I may have stretch them a little when sewing on the bias binding. I will have to make note of that for next time, as I think that there will be more of these to come.
Project details ::
Pattern :: Basic Pocket Pants from Growing Up Sew Liberated Size made :: 2T Fabric :: Thrifted denim as the main fabric (wrong side out) and flower print accent fabric from Lecien (‘Memoire a Paris’).Day 1 of the KCWC has passed, and day 2 is well on its way, and I’m quite pleased that I managed to get in the required hours (and then some)! I even have something to show for it :: the sleepover pajamas from Oliver + S. I had been meaning to make these pjs for ages, but just couldn’t get started. This week presented the perfect opportunity. Made even better by Maus being dry through the night for just about an entire week now. That deserves a new set of pjs I think!
Project details ::
The Kids Clothes Week Challenge (KCWC Spring 2012) starts tomorrow over at elsie marley, and seeing as the Maus is in need of some new clothes, I am going to give it a go. The challenge is not how many articles of clothing you make, but rather that you make time to sew kids’ clothes. 1 hour each day for the week, beginning Monday. I can do that…I think.
I’ve selected my fabric; some left over from another project, some thrifted and some bought on sale (and not) just for the occasion. I’ve chosen the patterns and the first one is even ready to go (gasp!). I think I’m ready!
I’d like to introduce Cubit’s Organics, a small Toronto-based organic seed company specializing in rare and heirloom seed varieties. With a special interest in urban herb and vegetable gardening, owner Laura Watt believes that everyone can grow their own organic produce in whatever urban space they have available.
Laura lives in Toronto with her husband Ryan (partnering in her business through design and photography), their young daughter, 2 cats and their mascot of a dog, Hazel. They are excitedly awaiting the arrival of another babe towards the end of the summer.
Emphasis on community as well as supporting local producers and suppliers is important to Laura and her family, both in their business and everyday lives. She is a strong proponent of local farmer’s markets as well as sourcing her environmentally-friendly Cubit’s packaging and supplies close to home. She is also busy working towards becoming a La Leche League leader and supporting breastfeeding women in her community.
Growing an organic home vegetable garden is a wonderful way to have healthy, fresh vegetables for family meals, while also continuing to preserve heirloom varieties and the natural genetic diversity of these fruits and vegetables. Laura strongly believes that growing and eating organic food is “one of the best things you can do for yourself and the environment”.
Visit Cubit’s Organics etsy shop, and check out their blog!
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Laura has generously offered a 6-pack of herb seeds as a giveaway!
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This giveaway is open to Canadian and US readers. To be entered into the giveaway, please leave a comment here. For up to 2 additional entries mention this giveaway on facebook and/or twitter and let me know you’ve done so (leave an additional comment for each).
This giveaway will end, and comments will close Saturday April 28th at 9pm est. The winner will be selected by random number and announced here Sunday morning.
Photos used with permission from Laura Cubit’s Organics.
One of the many things I am enjoying about our little house this spring is discovering what has been planted in our front garden. There is no grass in our front garden (and therefore happily requires no mowing), but rather a collection of plants and bulbs and a little tree. I have in mind things I would like to add, but I will wait to find out exactly what is there before I add any other plants. And what fun it is to discover the plants, figure out just what they are and watch them start to grow this spring.
We’ve had a few croscuses, a cluster of daffodils is just about to bloom, and tulips are well on their way.
A small plum tree with three varieties of plums grafted onto one rootstock is covered in little white flowers and tiny fresh green leaves.
Plum blossoms
But even more exciting for me, as this is afterall the first real garden that my little family has had, is the discovery of some of the other plants that may not be uncommon, but I have never had the pleasure of getting to know. Although my mum was an avid gardener, and now my father and step-mother have gardens, apart from a deeprooted sense that these spaces need plants and plenty of green, I couldn’t tell you the names of most garden plants.
Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
Ah, the thrill of meeting you bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)! I hear you spread quite quickly, hurry up and fill in the little slope you are growing on!
Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis)
And it is very much a pleasure to see you little wild lupine (Lupinus perennis), I can’t wait to see you in flower.
There are still a few mystery plants that I have left to identify. Does anyone know what this is?
Mystery plant # 1 (Identified! – Wild ginger Asarum canadense)
I saw the same thing growing on the forest floor amidst trout lillies just the other day while out for a walk with Maus and Cub. I assume it is an Ontario native plant, but I am not sure.
Today seemed like the perfect day to start some flower seeds inside. Mausi’s Auntie M had come to visit, and so the 3 of us set to work making little paper pots out of old newspaper and a funky little wooden potmaker I bought at Lee Valley.
With Auntie M‘s help, Mausi carefully filled all of the little paper pots with seed starting soil and then we planted seeds in each. On today’s planting list: a Calendula mix, a Zinnia mix, French Marigolds, Thyme, Oregano and Coriander.
Neatly arranged in a plastic tray with a clear dome on top, these little pots are now sitting on our kitchen counter under a window, and with luck we’ll soon have little sprouts to tend.
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