May 2019 – ann wood handmade

He’s done something. I’m sure of it. It’s all over his face. More about this naughty little beetle in a minute. First I want to tell you about some simple things that are bringing me joy this spring. Since you found your way here they might be up your alley too:

1. sewing in bed

It’s always on the joy list, such a gentle way to wake up. Get something ready to sew the night before and there is nothing at all to think about. Just start sewing. My current bed sewing is sails and needle books (I can’t stop making those little pages). Simple, meditative stitching.

2. the adventures of althea

This is sweet, and beautiful and funny. Dawn Smith has created a magic world for her tiny rag doll and she photographs Althea’s adventures daily.

Follow her while she has tea and visit friends and gardens. It’s awesome.

3. lilacs

It’s such a glorious smell and gone so quickly. When I wake up to the cool spring lilac air I have no choice but to sew in bed. It’s the only responsible thing to do.

4. homemade spray starch

It’s easy to make, cheap, works beautifully and it is non-aerosol and packaging free. Most importantly I did not have to leave my apartment when I ran out of spray starch for my sails.

I love to iron. I’ve been sorting through sail fabric for ships, ironing it and making neat little piles. This is also called procrastination. Productive procrastination but still… Anyway the homemade laundry starch adds even a little more joy to the ironing party.

The starch is just cornstarch and water. Add a couple drops of lavender oil (or whatever you like) for a glorious fresh laundry smell. Laundry is right up there with lilacs for me smell wise. Plus I feel super thrifty and oldschool.

make some laundry starch:

Whisk 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 2 and ½ cups water. You’re already almost done.
Bring the mixture to a boil, boil for about a minute while stirring.
Remove from the heat and let is cool to room temperature, add a couple drops of scent if you like and pour it through a strainer into a spray bottle.

5 sketchbook

My daily painting and drawings. It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times, such a huge pain in the a** when I’m super busy. But the joy wins. And it makes me a better thinker.

and a little bonus joy:

I love this tea! I drink buckets of it all day long. You can find it in most grocery stores I think.

what’s on my work table this week

You have met the guilty beetle, the naughty little fellow is regretting his mischief. He is made from gorgeous and very old French scraps. I’m working on lots of misbehaving little french anthropods.

And ships. I love living with them and have been without a personal fleet for too long. This one has a final layer of old paper collage. Come make beetles and paper ships with me this October – I’m teaching several workshops in LA at French General – find info and registration here.

PS – What are you working on? Have you made a doll bed? What smell transports you?

Make a whole stack of them, they’re just the right size for the clothespin doll bed and super quick and fun to make.

These little quilts are the sort I imagine the Sock’s family has mountains of in their big black house in Woebegone Pines. Haphazard, make-do sorts of things, accidentally charming pieced together leftovers, all thread bare from keeping generations of mischievous Socks offspring cozy.

To make your little quilt print the template and gather cotton scraps. Start freestyle piecing them together.

The template makes a doll quilt that is 6 and 1/2 inches X 7 and 1/2 inches. Exactly the right size for the clothespin bed.

You can stitch by hand or machine (I like to use the machine for this). When you’ve got something bigger than the template pin the patchwork to a backing fabric with the right sides together and cut out. Save the patchwork scraps after cutting – you can stitch those together too. You can add a layer of lightweight cotton flannel inside if you like. I prefer the way the quilt drapes without it.

Tip: If you are making a few quilts make one big piece of patchwork and cut them all out. It goes quickly and I think it makes the most interesting compositions.

Stitch the patchwork and backing together. Leave a little opening at one end for turning and clip off the corners.

Turn it right side out and use a chopstick to poke out the corners. Press it and whipstitch the opening. You can quilt through it or not. I mostly went with not but did add some sweet red ties to one quilt.

To make the quilt drape nicely over the bed arrange it and then press it on the bed with a hot iron along the curves and folds.

It’s all ready for mr. socks. I made him pajamas too (using the free little pants pattern) for an even cozier situation but he refused to wear them. You know how mr. socks is…