Happy Halloween

It's getting dark on halloween night. While watching the ball game. And no trick-or-treaters just yet. Hopefully we'll get at least one a little later. It was a gorgeous day on the last day of October. Orange colors were everywhere along with blacks (Go Giants). I put my orange sweater on. And an orange buttoned pin on my hair. Just to show the spirit. My dog was ready to greet customers after many many fitting sessions. Ready for a leaf monster? Here he is!

a finished product in full view...

from one of the fitting sessions...his long torso is perfect as a trunk of tree...

uhh, it's not fitting so well, mama...

d: what am i supposed be again, mama?

mama: a tree...

d: okay, whatever...

what do you want me to do again?

d: are you sure i look good?

mama: yes, you look stunning...

d: what is this thing called halloween anyway?

mama: the day you get a lot of treats...

woof! (welcome to peapod fabrics)

woof! (trick or treat)

woof! (happy halloween)

Sewing for Halloween

Done with Halloween sewing...Phew! You know I had been working on Dash's costume. It was a fun and creative project. I got carried away and spent way too much time on it, but never thought about what my two-legged boy wanted to be. He is older, and it's not about being cute anymore. It's all about a dark and scary thing. So I don't care that much, and I thought he didn't want to be anything this year. But, he decided at the very last minute what he wanted to be. Very Luckly, I had enough red and white felt, and heavy interfacing in my stash. Miracle! Between moving from the Giants game and sewing machine, I finished the hat and bow tie in three hours Thursday night.

trees for the dog...

a hat and tie for the boy...
yup, the dog will be a tree, and the human will be a cat...

On a Chilly Morning...

Brr...it was a chilly morning here. But, it was beautiful. The morning you appreciate sunlight at every corner of your home more than ever. Our living room faces East, so we get tons of light in the morning if not foggy. And it is my favorite time of the day. Earlier the better. In the morning sun light, I noticed toys on the floor, cozily messed up quilt on the bed, and felt leaves on the coffee table. They warmed up the room. I love the sunny morning in this time of the year. I just want to stay home being cozy. But, you know everyone has to work...so here I go. I made this felt leaf wreath three years ago. It brought a sense of autumn every year to us on our door at our old apartment, but it was sitting in the box since we moved to this new place. So I am repurposing it as Dash's Halloween costume. So I have those felt leaves...I found a strip of brown felt...Hm, what can he be? A tree! It hit me. while he doesn't know what he will be forced to be, he is very good at cooperating with fitting sessions. I can tell he will be a very cute tree.

repurposing is a good thing...

the first thing our silly dog does after greeting us in the morning is to get all his toys off the shelf...

and my job before leaving for work is to put them back on the shelf...

yes, mr.monkey senior lost his legs and arms after being loved so much...

and there was one more victim, mr. ducky jr. (not photographed)...i thought it would be too graphic for younger readers as he was beheaded...

an extra quilt is a must on a chilly night...and yes, i finished my duvet cover...

brr, this dog appreciates how cozy it is to curl up in a handmade quilt too...

the felt wreath i made and blogged back in 2007...

(my old old blog gone as i switched the site a couple of times)

look! i even had a class for it...

little noel was so happy finishing it...

Fabrics that I Want to Celebrate Fall with

From yellow to orange to green to brown to indigo to pink, and among other prints and colors, these fabrics inpire me for fall celebration.

eyeing for my tunic...

or this one...

Halloween Banner

So, is your home ready for Halloween? I was so excited about it especially this year. This will be our first year to give away candy. All these years, we did trick or treating, but did not receive trick-or-treaters as we lived on the top floor of the three-story apartment. Now we are in a neighborhood with mostly single family homes. I was expecting more of the festive spirit. Wrong! I know some of our neighbors have little kids, but no decorations. There is no holiday spirit on our block. Sad :-( I thought I wouldn't decorate either because I didn't want to be disappointed with no kids knocking our door. But, I saw there are two houses with so much spirit next to our street. Yes! I don't care if no kids show up. I started decorating our windows with spooky ghosts and bats. I also made a little banner for the front door. This is a miniature version of my regular sized banner hang at the shop. You know they are nothing new, but mine is fused with interfacing and sewn on ric rac. This miniature version is fused, but no ric rac. Just like my felt garland, just keep feeding the flags under the foot.

no template for the flags. they are all different sizes and uneven...

looks like the door itself is a jack-o-lantern...

Sew & Tell - Akiko's Dresses

Well, it's October, but it seems like less people are sewing than the same time last year??? Hmn, I wondered...then Akiko and her two little girls showed up at the shop. Yay! Yes, mommy's hand made dresses are the best! Look at those cute dresses/tunics she made. Reds make it so happy. I love this large sunflower print from Japan! So bright as it represents Wakana's happy outgoing characters. Well, Kazuha was a little shy that day, but warmed up as Lucy the dolly cheered her up. Her dress is also showing her quiet girly side. Well, mom knows who they are. Good choices. Great dresses. Thank you, Akiko, Wakana, and Kazuha!

happy wakana having fun with dash...

wakana kindly put another mommy's handmade dress on for me...

blue chambray fabric is so earthy and relaxing.

it gets better and better as it gets washed...

these details stand out because of its simplicity...love it!

Trees

It's a beautiful morning here. The skies are high. The sun shines. And the air is crisp. Love that fall is in full swing. From pink to green to orange (not quite in san francisco)...we saw trees showing changes with the seasons. Enjoy your Friday!

spring, in japan...

summer, at sequoia national park...

pine cones have dropped...

so have autumn leaves...

fall, at golden gate park...

four seasons trees, at peapod fabrics...

Sew & Tell - Sara's Pillows

I hope everyone is coming back to sewing as fall has settled in. It's the best season to sew something for home. Pillows make good gifts while being easy for beginners. So you might want to jump start for the gift season. Like Sara did. She made these pillows, and the butterfly print is for her niece. Don't they look like butterflies? What a coincidence! The shape is perfect to support your neck. They got ribbon loops on the two ends for easy adjustment to find your most comfortable position. She found this free pattern and instructions here. While they look like butterflies, I thought she brought gigantic bones for Dash :-) Thank you, Sara for sharing!

butterflies?

or bones?

Yard Work

We've enjoyed the beautiful Indian summer weather this weekend working outside. It's been so warm. Perfect for yard work. Well, this is the reason for my back pains and dirt in my nails. I didn't keep the "before" picture, but our backyard was nothing but a wild prairie full of three-foot tall weeds. I wanted it to be better looking, but you know how much work it needed...I already had a million things on my plate. But, after Dash joined the family, I just wanted it to be a fun place for him to play in. So we started to weed, but discovered the yard was pretty sandy. After all, rooting the weeds wasn't such a good idea. Dash started to dig like crazy wherever he smells gophers. And sand bathing and all...you know how dogs love to be dirty. But, I don't. So I had to do something. Quick. Before the rain starts in winter. First, putting lawn wasn't optional due to a lack of the budget. But, I heard that one sod would cost only a few bucks at Home Depot. So we worked hard in preparation. Leveling out the yard was the hardest as the house stands on a hill. Well, it is still not leveled perfectly, but I don't care. We bought 20 sods first and worked up as we went. Little by little. Everyday before going to work. It still has a lot to do, but at least we have a sand free zone in the middle.

the house came with landlord's vintage gardening tools...

i had no idea how heavy one sod was...it is HEAVY!

the vegetable bed...you see how unleveled the yard is? it used be much worse...

sunshine color tools...i shouldn't tell you that i use tongs to pick up Dash's stinky business...

what do I do with excavated rocks?

put them on the wall...

made a ring...

and a heart...

a lunch break...homemade pesto spread open sandwiches...tomatoes and ham with slices of onion...

for this pesto i mixed basil and a bit of cilantro and cashew nuts instead of pine nuts...yum!

rearranged bricks for the small patio area...

neighbor's succulents outgrowing into our yard...

broken bricks make a little accent around a plant...

the first 20 sods (19 in the photo) placed...

those yellowed sods were sitting aside for five days after purchased...hopefully they come back healthy...

more bricks needed for an expansion of the patio area...

for now stepping stones add a charm...

california poppies in mixed colors and white clover seeds waiting to be spread...

dash: what are these? they smell good...

(obviously the fertilizer is attracting this dog with everlasting hunger. he's been eating the seeding soil and having upset stomach. he woke up every couple hours to go to potty at night. mama needs sleep :-( much worse than when my son was five-months old...

it is very nice to feel green under my feet...