Bari J.

 Thanks to the generosity of our friend, Emily over at Ravenhill, I have two more of her fabulous dolls made in my fabric, Full Bloom. And these are for You!!!

 Just leave a comment and you are entered! I'll use the random number generator to pick two winners on January 5.

Spread the word! 

WARNING... BEEP BEEP ... WARNING... 

The following message is delivered by a bragging mother and it might make you feel like vomiting or otherwise becoming ill. You have been forewarned. I take no responsibility for any negative response you might have.

So... back to that jabber about my kids being talented and all: 

The girls and I were back at painting class this evening. And as you can see... they are clearly gifted. Anna can free hand just about anything. I have no sense when it comes to being able to look at a picture and then draw it. She can do it in her sleep. (As a side note: she's been doing it since Kindergarten. I noticed she would place her hand with her pencil in it above a drawing she wanted to do, move her hand in as if tracing it, and then place the pencil on her paper and draw... she's a genius, I know!) And I simply can't get over Emily's painting. I know I'm her mom, but I think it looks downright professional. 

This is Anna's work in progress based on a Japanese cartoon:

 

And here is Emily's finished Cabin in Winter painting.

 

I know, right? They are incredible!

I on the other hand, required much attention from our teacher. She may have been the tiniest bit frustrated by my lack of following directions. I'm just saying. 

This is my rose in progress. A bit cartoony. It needs several more layers of paint including a glaze plus I totally think it requires a stem because it totally looks like a floating rose here. **sigh**

 

BTW, we have a fantabulous teacher, Kathy McCartney. If you are in the SF Bay Area you might want to take a class...check out her work here.
 
 
 

 

I spent the past couple days sewing and making my favorite holiday treat, Kolatchkies: sweet pastry cookies sweetened with vanilla ice cream rather than sugar, and filled with your favorite preserves. 

These goodies are time consuming work, but really worth it. Just don't do as someone I know did, and try to double the batch in one bowl. (Your mixer will likely blow it's motor unless you are using industrial equipment... someone's Kitchen Aid was sorta' smoking after pulling that stunt... just saying.) 

Below is my mother's famous recipe.

Betty's Kolatchkies

4 c flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 lb butter

1 pint vanilla ice cream (slightly softened)

pastry filling or preserves (our favorites have always been apricot, blueberry and raspberry)

Blend flour and sugar. With a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine meal. Add partly softened ice cream and blend. Wrap in foil or wax paper and chill overnight. Roll out to 1/8" thick. Cut into small (2.5" or so) circles using a cookie cutter. Put a small amount of filling in the center of each piece. Fold sides together and pinch closed. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until slightly brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Can you see the perfectly spaced pleats in this ruffle? I made each and every one by hand. 

Errr... uhhh... They were made with a brand spankin' new ruffler attachment on my sewing machine.

I had no idea this existed, and now I can't believe I ever made a ruffle without one. Thanks to a suggestion from The Infamous Pam Kitty Morning, I went ahead and bought one of these sweet babies. And I just made 350 inches of ruffle for a project in about 5 minutes. 

Mine has three settings for spacing the ruffles, and I haven't tried it yet, but apparently you can create your ruffle, and attach it all in one fell swoop too.

So... ahem... if a ruffle-less project ceases to exist around here, you'll know why.

(((Since I know you now have to have one... To get one for your machine, contact the store you got your sewing machine from or the manufacturer.)))

Got quite a bit done this weekend. Book stuff, pattern stuff, even stuff for our house. While Super Husband worked at building in desks for the girls (hopefully will be able to show you before 2010 2011), I took down our old Restoration Hardware dark red curtains and made these from my Full Bloom fabric line.

 

to go with these:

 

Yes, I'm building my decor around a set of canisters.

It's like building an outfit around a pair of shoes or a great necklace. 
 

 

My first attempt at creating my own videos, this is a look at how the spring closures work on my handbags. They are available on the Alison Wristlets and Frannie bags. Both are available here.

 

I love Stampington Publications. I really, really do. Hope you get a chance to pick up the Winter 2010 issue of Sew Somerset. And not just because my Sew Scrappy Cuffs and easy buttonhole tutorial are in there... it's really a great magazine! There's info this time on bobbin stitching which I'm dying to learn. So, if my 13 year old doesn't steal it first (she found a minimum of four projects she wants to do), I'll be working on that this weekend.  

  

There's nothing like a beautiful package to brighten up your day. This package from Norway was just what I needed yesterday. I've been in love with Emily's (of Ravenhill fame) work forever. So these dolls in my Full Bloom fabric (mixed with some Heather Bailey fabric, I think) are gifts I will treasure always! Thank you so much, Emily.

 

(Go ahead, admit it, you're jealous!)
 

 

 
  Just listed in the Bari J. Store!