Calamity Kim

Witch Wash Day

, originally uploaded by calamity kim.

This is the other side of Arsenic & Old Lace.
I had originally planned to sew down a doll dress to the center so that the doll could be put into the sleeves and "dressed" and then wrapped up in the quilt. I later changed it to a "clothesline" in the pumpkin patch because it just didn't tell a story hanging in the center of the quilt for no apparent reason.

Here's Hazel in her dress- still "hanging on the line"She can still get all wrapped up in her quilt and cuddled.

I am listing the doll & quilt on Etsy right now. I have to sell her before I decide to keep her, she's so stinkin cute! (sorry, she is sold,)Today was a bit windy for pictures, but I tried my best. I strung up a vintage sheet and had to put cement stones on it to hold it down. Photographing my stuff can be the biggest challenge sometimes! It is so nice and cool though- I might have to get on my bike and ride!

all you need

is love...love is all you need....

Bippity Boppity Boo!

I found this on eBay and was "Victorious". I have to laugh at their new ad campaign. I tend to watch things more than I actually bid on them, but once I do then I'm on it, hot & heavy until the battle is won. I have never considered myself to be competitive, but I can be under the right circumstances. This pattern is from the 50's and has lovely graphics and opens up to a full page with the pattern and directions. There are advertisements for  JC Penney's fabrics.
I can't imagine going to our local JC Penney's to get fabric. Anyway.
I have seen this on eBay before but didn't win.
This time I bid early and established my claim and got lucky.
I will trace it so that I don't damage the actual pattern and we'll see what the apron looks like. It has hidden pockets in the front and is full and flouncy.  I wish it came with little blue birds to help me tie it, also, but I'll just have to pretend.

I begin everyday by reading emails and drinking a cup of coffee and then I usually feed Sadie and either start sewing, cleaning or take a shower and go out into the world. This week I started a job and will be working MWF from 9-3. This will make Tues & Wed sewing days. So that leaves Saturday as major house cleaning day. What I really feel like doing is:
A. Curling up on the couch with my yoyo opera bag project and doing some embroidery/embellishing.
B. Riding my bike to the Library and curling up on a couch and reading magazines or craft books.
C. Riding my bike in the opposite direction, with a towel in my basket and getting to the beach before it starts to heat up and be miserable.
Nothing to do with housework or cooking.
Ugh.
I have things to mail before noon and so that is really going to be my priority.
The dog needs a bath so that will be my time in the water.
Unless I sneak her off to the Bay and play in the water with her and then bring her home and give her a bath! That would be fun! We do it about once a month and she loves it!I made her a dog bed on Wed night. I had purchased some yellow floral pillowcase fabric- like ticking with flowers that was near the other muslin and ticking. I used the bottom of her cage as a template- it slides out. I cut the rectangles and then cut several 4 1/2 inch strips for the sides. I sewed them on and made tucked corners and then sewed the bottom side to that. I left a hole for turning and stuffing and then after filling with an entire giant box of stuffing, I used my 8 inch doll needle and some perle cotton to create tucks. It turned out great! I then made a case for it from a pretty vintage sheet and now Miss Sadie has a lovely new (washable) bed and I feel proud to have made something practical for once. Well, my coffee cup is empty and there is much to do.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend...maybe I can fit some Cinderella apron time in on Sunday....did anyone watch Moonlight last night? mmm...good!
In case you missed it- its on again tonight at 8... I hope they repeat Grey's Anatomy, as I was watching the Office and taping Smallville and Reaper. I would love to hear what happened if you have a minute to recap it for me...How about Bionic Woman- anybody see that? It had my wonderful Starbuck in it! I am giving it another shot next week. Ya gotta love Fall.. By the way- there are only 12  cupcakes left in my Etsy shop until I make some more. If you are interested please email me first. I have sold several sets of 3 for $15- so thank you very much for the love!

wanna go for a balloon ride?

check this out

Love at First Sight...Affairs at the Meat Market or Dreamboat Isle #3

I had to go to the grocery store day before yesterday and thought I might get another rack of ribs for the Mr.
He loves them so.
I am still sticking to salad, but I do try to make him happy.
I do, really.
Even if the laundry is piled high and the house a fright- I still feed him ! (You should have seen his face when I gave him tuna fish with salad last night- pure joy!)
Anyway, there I was, strolling along, looking for a Bar-B-Que sauce and suddenly I see him.
OMG!
Our eyes met.
Golden Brown to Golden Brown.
I raise an eyebrow as I consider this man.
Cowboy hat, plaid shirt, blue jeans.
He is the strong, silent type.
A hot flash creeps up the back of my neck and starts to spread.
Droplets  of sweat form a puddle at the base of my spine.
My cheeks flush.
Why am I suddenly nervous?
Looking left to right, I reach out to take him in my hand.
Feeling the coolness of his skin- I know He is the One!
Poor Fred- what about him? Didn't I promise him my heart forever?
But this guy- he is Hot! He is Spicy! He does it in the Kitchen!
Mr Stubbs is his name.
Ladies & Gentlemen- He is A Cook! It says so right there!
I clutch him tightly for a moment as I take a deep breath and let him join the other men in my basket.
Paul Newman.
Wolfgang Puck.
Jimmy Dean.
and now, Mr Stubbs.
Yum! I can't wait to get you home and light some candles!

WIP

WIP, originally uploaded by calamity kim.

I have been working on this since Monday.
An hour here and there.
Its going to be a quilted opera bag.
Tea-dyed fabric used for the yoyo's.
Vintage glass pearls and cream colored glass beads and button hole stitch with Perle cotton form connections between the yoyo's. I really like the look and am going to add more embroidery and leaves as I sew it down to the black quilted bag.

June 070118

June 070118, originally uploaded by dustpanalley.

Dust Pan Alley makes some mighty creative aprons, including this smock made from a man's shirt. How awesome is this? Click on the picture to travel to Flickr for more of her apron goodness

Framed Lark 002

Framed Lark 002, originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Just posting some Joy I found at Flickr today...My wonderful embroidering friend made this and it makes my heart so happy just to look at it! Maybe she can get some cards printed.....click on her picture and then her profile to find the link to her Etsy site. I am just too busy today- Trying to finish up some of my own projects! Happy Thursday- where has the week gone? Oh, my!

Percival 01

Percival 01, originally uploaded by Coppermouse Dolls.

This little fella looks up to no good! Made by Coppermouse Dolls. Click on the picture for more of her work

ACEO -Hedda

ACEO -Hedda, originally uploaded by Carambatack.

This lovely artist has so much talent and her "girls" are delightful...just when I think I have found my favorite she creates another one and I am lost.....click on the picture to see more of her work at Flickr

Look what I found on Flickr

, originally uploaded by Roshekie.

I love her dolls so much...they have character and their wardrobes are quite divine! Click on the photo to view more of her work

Trick or Treat!!! Sinister & Sweet Fake Cupcakes

Remember these? I finally got all the packaging details worked out and am putting some in the Etsy Shop. I will be making some for Christmas and some Shabby Chic ones as well. I first made a batch of these last year and included one with all my first purchases from Etsy. I have had many requests to share the recipe or sell the cupcakes, so without further ado... they are available. I can't share the recipe, however but I can tell you where to purchase it, if you are interested. On eBay, the seller named: thnkdfrent. I will post a link here but once that particular auction is finished, you will need to do a search for sellers ID's and find her. Please do not ask me for the recipe. It is only fair that you purchase it from her- I can't give away something that isn't mine. She will send you an easy to follow PDF File with many!13!!! other fake food recipes, including :MINI LAYER CAKE, VANILLA FUDGE SUNDAE, CAPPUCCINO W/WHIPPED CREAM, CHOCOLATE ICED DONUT, POWDERED DONUT, FROSTED BROWNIE W/NUTS, FROSTED CUPCAKES, CHUNKY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES, SHORTBREAD COOKIES, DECORATED GINGERBREAD COOKIES, LARGE LOLLIPOPS, CARAMEL APPLE W/NUTS & CANDY TRUFFLES. Its only $8.99.
If you would rather not do all that work and get messy and buy some from me, then that would be swell!

Mine are packaged in a spider bag with a bit of orange cream-sicle colored shredded paper and some spider confetti.
They would be lovely hanging on one of the black Halloween wreaths from Michael's with a big Halloween Bow or on your Halloween tree.
Don't have a tree?
Find some bare tree branches and paint them black or white and put them in a vase (milk glass would be good!) or a painted coffee can filled with a few inches of plaster of paris or sand to hold them down.
You could even put holes in a pumpkin and use it for a base- fill it with flower foam, stick in the branches  and instant "tree". It looks pretty cool with Spanish moss and spiders and tea-dyed cheese cloth dripping from it. Spooky!
{If you are using Spanish Moss from outside- remember to put it in the oven for a bit to kill any bugs that may be living inside it. } You can always buy it by the bag form Michael's or "Large Mart".
I use moss and the spider webs in a bag. The secret to making the fake webs look good is to pull it wayyyyy apppparttttt and strech it so that you have just fibers on stuff. Be patient with it. They are like Tinsel for the Christmas tree- a little goes a long way! Don't gob it on!

My cupcakes would be great displayed on a cake stand in your cupboard or just to "trick" the kids!  Get some while they are still available and I welcome any wholesale orders- so if you know anyone with a cute shop or have one of your own then shoot me an email and we'll discuss it. There are a few Real Cupcake Shops here in town that I am contacting about possibly having a display and selling some of my cupcake delights (aprons, chenille cakes, fake food, etc). I will be adding some great Halloweenish aprons to Etsy on Oct 1st. Are the leaves changing yet where you are? I would love to have some to dip into bees wax and hang from my Halloween tree...But for now...
It is so beautiful this morning that I think I might head out to the beach. My bike is begging for a ride and the ocean calls. I will be back later perhaps with a project that I started last night, while watching Heroes. I was so blissed out at getting to watch a new show, I almost floated off the couch! Thank heavens for the New Season! Happy Tuesday Morning Everyone!

Who needs Ribs?

After a week of salad, riding my bike 6 days,  walking 4 times, I am proud to say I lost 4 lbs!
I am taking charge of my out-of-control waistline and getting back into shape!
When I signed up to be a part of the Future MILF's Group that Lotta started in January I was full of hope and promise!
Then I trailed off, like I always do and after a summer of self indulgent cupcake rewards and key lime pie's I am ready to get back on the diet donkey and ride! Yee Haw!!!
The pictures on this post are borrowed from the Victoria & Albert Museum site which I found at My Half of The Brain's Tutorial site. Click here to go visit.

The V&A is featuring an exhibit called: The Golden Age of Couture:Paris and London 1947 - 1957 from now until Jan 2008. The New Look came after the War was over and  the amount of yardage required for each dress  shocked people used to  doing without for the War effort.  Times change don't they?  We are no longer asked to grow a Victory Garden or draw our  seam lines on our legs anymore. I almost wish we had to suffer  like our parents did. We would certainly appreciate things more. I personally hate to wear pantyhose but love  real nylons and garters. They are just sexier and  more comfortable.  I  hate the restrictiveness of girdles but  don't mind beautiful corsets. Strange the way that fashion dictates whats in and out.  In the sixties when those bras got burned was that in response to years of  men dictating what women should wear- of course it was! Freedom! So , even though I love this hourglass look with tiny cinched in waists- I could never pull it off! Not without getting a few ribs removed!  The  sacrifices one must make to cut a cool silhouette. I think I might print a few of these out and make magnets.  Really, there is nothing in my refrigerator except salad fixings anyway.  I have no  jelly even.  Poor , poor, pitiful  Kim.  At least I will have a waist .  Which is better ?  No, not cupcakes! Stop that! I need discipline!  Anyway, I am off to start my week- finishing up treats for the Halloween swaps and starting new swing jackets and purses and  fake cupcakes- at least those won't make me gain weight!

juggling-with-words-by Suana Verelst

juggling-with-words-, originally uploaded by amimotoys.

I found this at Flickr- Please go visit this Artist's Blog - she is awesome!

Suana  also sells stuffed toys at Etsy

No Matter What Dolls

"In the same way that birds make a nest of anything, children make a doll of no matter what" Victor Hugo.***

That is my new favorite quote.
I love it! Isn't it true? Didn't we all pick up a spoon or a twig and make that into a doll? I know I did.
It sparked an idea of Calamity Kim No Matter What Dolls"
- they might come to life at night while I am sleeping and make their own dresses or cut their own hair. They might have two left hands or one arm shorter than another. They might not be perfect.
Could I allow myself to do that?
Don't I always strive to make my creations perfect?
How difficult would it be to unlearn years of doll making experience to make simplistic Folk Art dolls with "issues"?
When I used to collect teddy bears, I would always look for the one with the most obvious faults- like one leg too short because I knew that no one else would want to adopt them.
I had to save the broken bears.

When I made Hazel I played around with the watercolor pencils and crayons and "ruined" her face. I was going for a dark circles- zombie look under her eyes but as the watercolor dried it leached under the fabric and ran in the most alarming way!
Not at all the cute little girl she had started out as.
I quickly covered that with several coats of gesso and sanded it smooth.
The white face taunted and haunted me for several days.
Finally I got out the paint and got up the nerve to paint her skin tone, eyes and cheeks. Then she seemed kind of surprised or maybe even spooked! Her black circled iris and small pupil gave the impression that she was on the alert or pensive?- perhaps frightened of the other children of the Night?

I'm quilting the Arsenic & Old Lace doll quilt today and just stopped to take pictures. I had totally forgotten that I wanted to try the pillow case binding and merrily started machine quilting before I realized what I had done! Hahaha! Then on the other side I realized that the giant tea-dyed yoyo pumpkins should have been appliquéd down after I had quilted the quilt. Ah, the learning curve, it throws me for loops like a cloverleaf around Atlanta!

I am learning to loosen up and go with it. Quirky lets it be known that it is handmade. Not factory produced clones of Taiwanese perfection.
Hand Made has Character.
I was hoping to get finished in time for a bike ride but the wind is already blowing and the clouds are rolling in! All Summer we had drought and very little rain- now in the last week it has been raining like Noah finished the boat!
Last night I had to delay dinner because the Mr got an emergency service call and so I hopped on the bike and set off towards the library to return the book on tape that I had been listening to all day. It was a Happy Zombie recommendation and a very sweet romance set in a small farming town. I enjoyed it and almost felt sad when it ended and I had to say goodbye to my new friends.
The rain began just as I was pulling up to the library and armed with the knowledge that sometimes it can rain on one side of the street but not the other I headed back toward home. In a few minutes I was drenched! So after flying home I took a nice hot shower and made a cup of tea. I enjoyed the ride anyway!
Sometimes ya just gotta go with the flow- No Matter What, Doll!

Dancing with the Dead

Maybe it was Oingo Boingo or Tim Burton that first made me aware of Calaveras or Day of the Dead Skeletons.
I really am not sure.
I have never been to southern California or New Mexico or been anyplace that these gaily dressed skeletons were on display.
I have seen them on Flickr and in books and I am in love with the images.
The sugar skulls are showing up in fabric and is being used to make clothing and accessories.
It really must be due to Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas that I first fell in love with his King of Halloween- Jack Skellington.  It is being released again, soon, in 3D!!!! Now, Jack has been used on products ranging from back-packs to beach balls to shoes and toys. I have a coffee cup, wine glasses,t-shirts, toys, figures, pins, a night-light and patches. He is Bone Daddy. He is cool. Still, after all these years. He has become an icon. With Halloween approaching I have been trying to get some merchandise of my own made for the Etsy Shop.  My fingers itch to get out the paper mache and paper clay and create some calaveras of my own.  I have never made sugar skulls  but found molds and how-to here. I book marked articles about Jose Guadalupe Posada to learn more about his satiric drawings and prints. I love his female Catrinas depicted with large hats and a few ostrich feathers. We all die- rich or poor he seemed to say. In the Mexican Culture they celebrate the Day of the Dead and make alters in their homes and decorate them with colorful tissue paper banners and sugar skulls with names of loved ones written on them.
I believe in different things but I can accept that other cultures have their own beliefs and I am interested in learning about those beliefs. (It doesn't affect my own spiritual beliefs.)
This is more about Family and remembering your loved ones that have passed away.  Celebrating their lives. If they were bakers then their calaveras would be depicted with chef hat and I think the comical nature of skellies doing things that the living do, is very funny. Maybe I have a strange sense of humor but I am not afraid of death and I think that its healthy to take the fear out of it by injecting some humor.We live. We all die.
One of my dearly loved Uncles- actually a cousin to my Mom died night before last, at midnight. His name was Uncle Larry and he gave me my first pieces of doll furniture. Larger scale and antique, even then. He was a true southern gentleman. Well educated and a nappy dresser. I loved him. He sold antiques for years and his calaveras would be easy to make.
America has always been a land of mixed cultures  and the melting pot  of diversity.  Halloween is  a pagan  holiday that has been commercialized and now morphed into  a  night to go trick-or-treating  at the mall because your never know what freakishness your neighbors might put in your kids bag. Sad.  When  I was young it was about watching The Great Pumpkin, Charley Brown and running through the streets with a paper sack and a plastic mask and  dumping all the candy out on the bed and  seeing what loot we  had gotten.  Now I like to decorate with Nicol Sayre paper mache figures and Dept 56. Halloween has become more elegant and not at all gorey in my decor. If I lived out west where it would be easy to purchase calaveras from road stands and markets I would certainly decorate with them.
My friend Amanda makes the most beautiful skelly dolls- all year long and can't keep them in her Etsy shop.

She embroiders their faces and gives them charming names that hint at their cause of death.

Their dresses are trimmed in lace and they are so sweet and appealing in their stylish fashions. Images of Spanish Moss hanging from trees and sultry southern climates come to mind.

I think they are enchanting little ragdolls, much like Ms Amanda herself.

I have ridden my bike for the past few days, feeling like Pee Wee Herman but looking like Miss Gulch,  I am sure. Queen's song about bicycles  and fat bottom girls running through my mind. Trying not to get hit by cars. Pushing my legs farther. Trying to become stronger. Looking at the blue sky and all those fluffy clouds. Breathing fresh air. Thinking about Things.

My life.

My Family.

My Friends.

My Dreams.

My Art.

The things I want to do before I die.

Life.

Death.

Its all around us.

Babies are born every moment.

Joy.

I always think dying will be like sleeping.

A beautiful dream that you immerse yourself in and never wake up.

Colors and images so surreal and blissful.

Safe in the arms of God. 

Sad News, Oh Susanna

Perhaps you have heard of Susanna Oroyan?
She introduced me to doll making with her books.
I want to take a moment to remember her here- she lost her 7 year battle with cancer and is gone to a better place. She leaves us with inspiring books and dolls that give joy and happiness to all who see them. Thank you Susanna.

Ruffled Inspiration Or Hold The Pie and Pass The Ruffles

23 reasons to stay on diet and not eat ice cream or cake or pie. Found on Victorian Maiden site. Thank goodness it's all in Japanese and can't be bought and shipped overseas. 23 reasons to travel. Ruffles are worth the trouble. I love them on quilts too!

Quilting on My Mind

As I sit and sew,  random thoughts float through my head. I recognize the color scheme as Fall and think of the Sugar Maples that grew on the street where I grew up. Pushing the peddle I can feel the breeze ruffle my hair as I mentally ride my bike at top speed down the hill to the crossroad, where turning right takes me around the corner, past Ruby's Flower Shop. Turning left goes down a bigger, more thrilling hill that ends at the bridge over Flat Bottom Creek. I always turn left.
Leaves tumble under my presser-foot.
Pushing hard to get back up the hill is never a problem and I smile at Mrs Ham out in her garden of flowers as I go by.
What-A-Jolly-Street it is!
People on their front porch swings, mowing their yards, raking the leaves.
The smell of Fall in the air.
These are happy and relaxing moments.
The design bugs all worked out after days of doodling and wondering and mulling it over.
It's always there at the back of my mind, like the worms in the apple trees I used to climb- well, the worms were in some of the apples- not the trees!
Puzzling it out until I know I have it right.
The look I wanted to achieve.
Next is the layering with batting and pinning and then some stitching...needle into thread...my favorite therapy.
I hope your day is rich with memories and smells of something good cooking. I bought baby back ribs and marinated them overnight. Now they are cooking slowly over low heat and then The Mr will bar-b-Q  them up right on the grill. Yummm. The house smells great and I have 4-5 hours of sewing time...it doesn't get any better than that!

Every Cloud

waiting for pie

I don't know how I missed this movie coming to town...I was waiting for it and then maybe, I forgot? Maybe it wasn't released here? That's probably ok, because I am going to buy it when it comes to DVD and put it on the shelf right beside Fried Green Tomatoes and Practical Magic.

Naughty little Witch!

Naughty little Witch!, originally uploaded by calamity kim.

Working on the other side of  Arsenic & Old Lace today. I was surprised to see Hazel trying to help! She is just like her Mom! Calamity in the Craft room!

Quirks x 6 or What Me Quirkie?!!!!

Cheryl Tagged me for a MeMe called: 6 Quirks and I have spent some time dragging my feet over it. First of all, nobody cares about my odd quirks- do they?
Is that interesting?
Maybe if I embroider them a bit... anyway, here goes:

1. I hate over head lights! I will turn it off in a heartbeat! I find them harsh and glaring and totally uncomfortable.
2. I sleep with a stuffed animal. No, not Fred! I used to sleep with Rufus the bear for about 18 years until his ears had been stitched back on and then his neck got a little loose. Now I hold on to Otis the cat. It started after my Son Mark died. It's comforting and cheaper than a shrink.
3. I only drink cold drinks with a straw. I am not sure when this habit started but, now, when I try to drink something without one, it just doesn't seem right.
4. I don't talk or want to hear anyone else talk until after I have had at least 1/2 a cup of coffee. Don't...say...anything!
5. I don't have a lot of shoes, but you can find them all over the house. There are at least 2 pairs of my shoes in every room of the house- or so Fred says! I don't care where they are as long as you don't put them on the bed! Even if packing- don't you dare! I guess it's the gypsy in me- very superstitious about this being bad luck.
6. I am a magpie! If I am walking the dog and find something flattened and rusty in the road- like a bottle cap or bit of interesting metal- I have to pick it up and bring it home. If someone is walking with me, I have to defend my actions with " good for mixed media", which usually makes them roll their eyes and slap their forehead and say: "of course!"

Now, I don't want to actually tag anyone- unless you want to do it- like Natalie, Amanda, Carol, Barb, Vanessa and you! I am not sure if MeMe's are fun or boring or what? I have met my obligation with Cheryl- now I can sleep at night...***** Ok, so Natalie did this Quirkie MeMe and totally cracked me up! I have a love/hate thing with MeMe's- I really hate them when tagged- I would rather choose the ones I want to do- and besides, I stink at them!  am up to -what? D on the Alphabet MEME????

eek!

eek!, originally uploaded by calamity kim.

Trick Or Treat?
I will be wrapping some of these up and offering them in the Etsy shop soon. I think I saw Halloweenish cupcake boxes at Michael's Arts N' Crafts... I was making these the other day and before I knew it, Fred was walking in the door- he had worked late and it was nearly 8pm... He said oh- wow! You made cupcakes and I was tempted to let him break off a tooth, but I didn't want him to mess up the cupcake! Teehee! He said- are we going to eat dinner tonight? I had completely forgotten about making dinner- I was too wrapped up in fake fun food! oh, the calamity! Yesterday I bought him some cans of soup, in case that happens again- soup is good food- right?

Emilie Simon

Thank you Miss Amanda for sharing this with me....I love it so! Reminds me of The Great Mr Burton's work! I should have been a claymation artist! What fun! I love the band....

Or maybe you would prefer this? It reminds me of Tord Boonjte 's work....

Arsenic & Old Lace Doll Quilt Tutorial

This is a very simple quilt top to put together.
This Doll Quilt will have two very different sides and I am still working on it.
I wanted to start this tutorial so that you could get started if you were so inclined.
Before you can begin sewing and cutting you will need to gather some bits of lace and tatting from your stash and tea dye it.
This is one of my favorite things to do!
* Just put your spaghetti pot on to boil, filled halfway with water.
* Add 6-7 tea bags and let steep for a few minutes.
* Start throwing in bits of lace and fabric and stir.
* Let sit on stove top or take outside and let it sit in the sun- I stir every now and then and when it gets to be the shade I want I take it out and lay it out on cookie sheets and bake it in a low- 170 degree oven.
* If you bake it at a higher temp it will darken and brown in funky ways so be careful- you can make it darker but unless you add bleach you usually can't get it lighter. If you have never done this you may want to keep the temp low. I like it browned and "grunged" so it's your choice.

Cut 2 black fabric pieces 30 x 6". Lay out tea-dyed lace on in desired order.

Adjust lace until you like it and then pin in place.
I have small pieces that I have saved for years because they were hand tatted and I just didn't want to throw them away. You can use old linens or embroidered things. You could use vintage handkerchiefs. Dig through your stash. Sometimes you can buy big bags of notions and lace at the thrift shops. These are great to experiment with. Cotton will accept the tea differently than rayon or synthetics so you always get a different look.Once you begin sewing down the lace using beige or cream colored thread you can also add some lines of decorative stitching between rows of lace. Sometimes it will pucker and you get an almost smocked effect. Allow yourself to play. Give up to the organic and free will of the cloth. If it puckers- so what! When you quilt it it will all be puckered and textured so go with it!I see so many people that criticize their work because of a wrinkle or a pucker- it isn't a fault, it is a "design element"!
Due to the high color contrast the decorative stitches pop and gives an almost sampler feel to this section.
Once you get it all stitched down, take a moment to iron it lightly and cut stray threads and then lay your acrylic ruler along the raw edges and trim so that you have a nice straight edge.

The next step is to choose a decorative fabric to sew beside the black & lace sections. I love the vintage look of this cat fabric and it suits the mood I am creating. I don't usually do kiddie prints and prefer more adult, sophisticated novelty fabrics. If you are making this for a child you certainly could use kiddie fabrics. The choice is yours. Remember that you can always tea-dye the entire quilt when it's finished to bring all the colors down a notch too.
Cut 4 strips- 3" wide by 30" long.
Pin the right sides together and sew with 1/4 " seam allowance. Trim threads and iron. Set these pieces aside.
Pull out some Fall & Halloweenish fabrics to cut for the next section. T
his is some of the fabrics I pulled to try. I wanted to keep mostly browns, ecru, black, rust but also wanted a few purples and yellows to give it spark. I have lots of corny fabrics! Spider-webs, scrolls, checkerboards, tea dyed cats...I was really going to keep it the same as the lace colors but didn't want it to be mousey and dull.I found some Civil War Reproductions in my stash along with some golden batiks and French toile.
Keep in mind your finished size and you can even use a ruler if you want.
The center section is going to be about 8" wide.
Iron and stack your fabrics together. I cut these fabrics about 8 x 12. Using a fresh rotary cutter blade will allow you to whack about 4-7 pieces at once. I lay an acrylic ruler down and then cut wedge shapes. Don't cut too sharply at the points- think wedge not triangle. These can be wonky- they can be straight- what ever your design muse is calling for. Watch where your fingers are- we can't afford any trips to the ER due to distraction with Rotary cutters! Ouch! Therein lies the Calamity!Sew these wedges together until you have a 30 " length. Iron in between each seam or wait till the end- it is very important that you do iron this though.Trim edges and then sew to black & lace section that you did earlier. Iron seams. Feel a sense of accomplishment because you have finished your top!!!!! Yee Haw! Wasn't that easy?

The other side is going to be very different and You are going to love it!

Grab Your Broom And Ride!

After a week of drafting and planning  I began the actual construction of the Halloween Doll Quilt for The Doll Quilt Challenge Group over at Flickr.
I like it, so far and think it might just turn out all right! I will show you soon, so keep checking back. It's interesting how I have a certain idea in my mind and then it deviates once I start to sew. The plans fly out the window and I am doing something different because the fabric led me in that direction! Like the Blog Plans that I had when I began this post. I start on one subject and usually find myself talking about something else entirely! I have been known to post about one thing while totally showing pictures of something else all together!  There in lies the Calamity.
You"calamity-ettes" have been so patient with my non-crafting posts- I really appreciate that!
My Blog is a place for all things concerning my life and the craziness and craftiness that occurs in the chaotic glitter sprinkled Calamitous Craft room and I am so glad that I started this- it will be a year next month and this is my 535th post. blah, blah, blah, right?  The friends that I have made here are priceless. You are encouraging, kind, supportive and  give me JOY! I read all your comments and appreciate you taking the time to leave them- even if I am terrible  at getting back to you- please know that I read them and they make me smile. Sometimes I get so caught up in reading your blogs that I forget to comment. I just read and read and then click to links and get lost in The Land of Blog. It can be lovely and relaxing and filled with unicorns and rainbows.
Sometimes I get lost in a dark and foreboding woods filled with scary images and depressing words~ a Blog so negative or miserable~Like bittersweet dark chocolate without the pleasure.
I quickly hit the back arrow and get out of there before I have to go take a shower. Dark & Dirty Blogs give me goosebumps!
Blogs are a reflection of the people who write them-If you are whimsical and bright and happy- so is your Blog. It makes sense that certain types of people gravitate to certain websites or Blogs also. I am basically a Craft/Style Blog. Or I try to be.
I don't usually post about fashion, but I have. I love Vintage and it shows when I put up pictures of Shabby wonderfulness and old fashioned Gibson Girls wander through my posts. Sometimes showing off bloomers and bits of lace.
I have known a few Happiness Hoovers in my lifetime- you know, those people who Suck All The JOY out of the room?
If you don't agree with their perceptions or attitudes they look for a weak spot and jab, quickly and efficiently slamming you with negatives until you find yourself on your knees, begging for one more chance to prove your worth.
I have a certain amount of blind faith that the people who read my Blog are here because they have a kindred spirit of craftiness or because they find my stories amusing and somewhat entertaining.
I know I'm not as funny as Lotta at Mom-O-Matic or as good a photographer as Natalie.
I am naive enough to expect that people read it and enjoy it whether they leave a comment or not and don't read negative things into it. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to my Cyber Sistahs who read me regular and leave me comment cupcakes full of happiness and love. Thank you for your support! Speaking of cupcakes....I have some Spooky ones to tell you about, but first I have to set up the photo shoot. I'll try to be back later with some Show N' Tell.

Little red painting By JamJarArt at Flickr

Getting to Know Anna Maria

I was visiting Anna Maria this morning on her Blog and was delighted to listen to her on Lori's of Sew Forth Now Podcast and learn more about her experience in sewing and fabric designing.
It was really neat to have a voice to go with her image- even though she sounded very grown-up and not as little girl voice as I had imagined.
You know how you see a picture and then think that they must sound like they look? She looks like she is barely 21, so, naturally I had assumed she would sound like that with a little small voice. Not True! She sounds smart and creative and energetic and mature and confident. Thoughtful, kind and loving fit in their also. My favorite line was: " My favorite project is the one I am about to start". That is so true for me as well.
I get obsessed with designing, drafting and putting the pieces together and don't sleep well until I have started it and gotten some of the urgency to fade.
If the idea is working I can set everything else aside until it's done.
If it isn't working or I hit a snag I have to set it aside until the EUREKA! moment when I get it!
The wrinkles get ironed out and I am back at the machine- doing what I love to do!
Go listen to Anna on Podcast and see if you recognize a little bit of yourself in her words. Photos are from Anna's Blog.
Look for her Fabric at your local Quilt Shops or try here.

Wait in delicious anticipation for her new fabric next Spring and her book coming next Fall!!!

What a wonderful world! Chocolate Lollipops indeed!

Princess Priscilla

Princess Priscilla, originally uploaded by calamity kim.

Fred said she looks like a pig.
He asked what on earth made you make it out of pink velvet?
That just screams Pig!!!
She is goofy and silly!
He said someone would fall in love with her, just wait and see....

The Name Game!

Monica has been gone too long- Thank Heavens she's Back and playing Games! Her Friend Freddie Subaru posted it on her Blog and Then Monica Joined in and invited all of us too- I cracked up!
The Name Game
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet,current car) Jazz Durango,
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie), Rocky Road Oatmeal Raisin
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name), K She
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal), Aqua Dog
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born), Leah Eatontown
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first), She-Ki
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),The Sea Glass Sweet Tea
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers), TroyJohn
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy), Obsession Almond Joy
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ), Pansy Flynn
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter), Hunnicutt Houston
12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower). Halloween Hibiscus
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Peaches skirtie
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree), Egg Sammie Dogwood
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”), The Quilting ThunderStorm Tour.

If you decide to play then leave me a comment with a link to your Blog or Just leave it in my comments if you don't have a Blog! That's fun!

[Today is the 4th Anniversary of the day that Fred Proposed to me,  so we went out to dinner.
We went to a Korean Restaurant and had some delicious Korean beef, Hawaiian Tuna and some ice cream that was wrapped in rice dumplings or something- strawberry, vanilla and green tea.
Then we went to the beach and walked and watched the sandpipers chase each other and talked about the last 4 years and how things have changed. Some good, some bad, but certainly different than it used to be.
He proposed to me at the beach and we were very nearly in the same spot.
There were a lot fewer people around this time, because it has been cloudy and raining softly all day.
The water was a beautiful color of light green and the clouds were gray, dark blue and brilliant white. It was gorgeous.
No matter what happens, I will always have some nice memories of my time with Fred.
He is a romantic at heart.]

oh, the calamity

, originally uploaded by calamity kim.

Sometimes when I make bears they seem to wear my expression.
If I am happy, so are they.
If I am mad or silly- they wear that same look on their faces!
I think that FiFi will wonder why her bear (on the left) seems kinda grumpy...
Perhaps I should think happy thoughts like Peter Pan and try again?
The Princess Priscilla (on the right) is looking kinda goofy or perhaps she smells something (with that Giant Snozz she's sporting!) I am going to go work on some more....Maybe I'm out of practice?

Gorgeous Grandsons!

I just had to show these guys off- Austin is 3, Hayden is 17 months and Dylan is 2 days old here.
I just think they are adorable!
Lexi is a super wonder woman! Maybe we can find a Mary Poppins for her!
Lord knows she'll need the help!

Birches

Birches, originally uploaded by HelenJr.

I wish we had trees like this where I live. I miss real trees. Palms and Florida oaks with their tiny leaves just don't do it for me! Thankfully I have Flickr at my fingertips when I miss the trees... I am sewing and will have some cool stuff to show & tell tomorrow! Hope all is well with you and yours on this fine Sunday.


I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.
- Robert Frost, from "Birches"

Dusty Daydreaming of Duke & Dylan

This is my Brother Glenn, aka Duke. He works for European Traditions and His birthday was Sept 6th. He turned 53!!! Wow! I can't believe he is that old- he still looks like he did when he was 30!!! Lean, mean, tanning machine! I took a few pictures around the warehouse. The furniture is mostly made in Turkey from salvaged 300 year old wood. They also carry the Theodore Alexander line which is simply gorgeous!

If you remember back a few months ago when I went to clean the tile floors there I said I would show you pictures of it filled with furniture, so now I am. It is the only place that I enjoy dusting- mainly because the furniture is so beautiful and also because there is a huge sense of accomplishment!

The area that they closed off with walls and are using as a showroom stays pretty clean but the warehouse part gets a lot of sawdust and leaves blown around. It can be messy, but also like a treasure hunt. It reminds me of when I would visit my Grandmother Hattie Mae and find any excuse to go down into the basement. It was cool and dusty and dark and mysterious. I would never go down there after dark, except holding my Grandfather Troy's hand.There were shelves filled with canned vegetables and tools of every description. A coal pile looked like treasure to me. Berry picking oak baskets hung from the beams far above my reach.

(This is my favorite sink by the way! ) My Grandmother had an old fashioned ringer washer in the basement that I would beg her to show me- after she finally did~ I was so glad that we didn't have to do that all day! She had a real modern washer and dryer upstairs and didn't even want to think about the old days!

(This is my dream sofa) I have a glass ring that my Grandfather had hanging by an old rusty nail above his tool table. I have kept it for 40 years in my little tiled wooden box that I got at the first craft show I ever went to. It originally had a divider for cards inside, but I took it out to fit more treasure.

My Grandfather was a Tile Mason so anything with tile has special meaning for me. He had a shed attached to the garage with all his left-over tile from jobs he had completed. He would whistle between his teeth and under his breath as he unloaded it from the old Black Ford truck.The memories are all that are left. The house and property long since sold. The garage and basement cleared of everything. The new people who live there know nothing of it's history. I want to write them and tell them before I die, but I resist the impulse. Maybe it's OK for me to let it go. They will make their own history.Hattie Mae smelled of rosewater. She loved flowers and planted a huge garden full of gladiolas and baby's breath and dahlias and mums. She would fill vases with them.

I love the painted pieces that European Traditions sells as much as the stained and varnished. They all have great character. So, the New Grand baby has been born!!! Dylan was 9 lbs 11oz and 21 1/2" long! Lexi delivered him at 10:01 pm on Sept 6th- I wish I could have been there. I will never forget his birthday- being that it's on my Brother's Birthday! What a present!This would look great in his room- wouldn't it? So, I have more pictures in a Flickr set if you want to see more- I need to go make breakfast and get busy on the project I started yesterday. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and if you are ever in Sarasota, stop by the warehouse and say Hi to my Brother! Maybe you could help him dust?

Catastrophe Kim and her Cavalcade of Chaos

So last night I made the Chicken Enchiladas, which were fantastic! Not our usual diet-light foods. It was delicious! Fred made the comment that it was excellent and I suggested that the next time I get in "trouble" he remember how good the Enchiladas were. "Sort of like a get out of jail free card? he said." Yes, that's it- a "Get Out Of Calamity Free Card."

I imagine that my namesake Calamity Jane must have really been  an un-wanted sight!

ca·lam·i·ty (kə-lăm'ĭ-tē)

pronunciation n., pl. -ties.    1. An event that brings terrible loss, lasting distress, or severe affliction; a disaster: A hurricane would be a calamity for this low-lying coastal region.   2. Dire distress resulting from loss or tragedy. [Middle English calamite, from Old French, from Latin calamitās.]

It's like my other favorite word:

ca·tas·tro·phe (k-tstr-f) n.

1. A great, often sudden calamity. 2. A complete failure; a fiasco: The food was cold, the guests quarreled the whole dinner was a catastrophe. 3. The concluding action of a drama, especially a classical tragedy, following the climax and containing a resolution of the plot. 4. A sudden violent change in the earth's surface; a cataclysm. [Greek katastroph, an overturning, ruin, conclusion, from katastrephein, to ruin, undo : kata-, cata- + strephein, to turn; see streb(h)- in Indo-European roots.]

I can make a mess of things in a heartbeat! I forget. I spill. I break!! I am a mess at the best of times! I laugh about it, but sometimes I wonder if I broke a mirror or saw one too many black cats?
I went to the store yesterday and in spite of the list that was left laying on the desk, I forgot q-tips!
There were some in the shed where I left a large handful that I had taken to clean Sadie's ears after her bath.
I laugh,  but the Mister is not amused! When I was single there was no one to criticize or tally my misadventures.
Now there is a witness! Sometimes in his work he needs to test out surveillance equipment and he sets up hidden cameras.
I laugh as I see myself dropping, spilling, wiping, mopping my way around the casa.
Yesterday I was setting my tables back up in the sewing room and I reattached the multi-plug thing to the table leg with the Velcro tabs and as I was leaning down to pick up the storage boxes filled with buttons and crap-ola I kept feeling something warm- like a warmth in the air. It was then that I noticed the iron had a red light on. Well, of course, it was plugged in to the plug island thing. Geez! Yes, Calamity waiting to strike!!!!!
How many times in my childhood did I hear the phrase- She's gonna burn down the house one day!

So I am going to print up a bunch of Get Out Of Calamity Free Cards and keep them in my purse until I need to whip one out and use it! 
Too bad I didn't think of that when I was 3!
Would have saved me from all that  time with Dad's Army Belt.
It would have only worked once with him though.
Anyway, I have lots to Make & Do today! I am getting started on Halloween Doll Quilts and finishing a few more things. I hope you all are on your toes today, watching out for me and my Sister Catastrophe.    

Jane was rather pretty in her younger days, wasn't she?
Before the Wild Bills and Booze.

Everything Nice...

Everything Nice..., originally uploaded by boofrumom2.

Sometimes, I get emails that are so nice, I get a tear in my eye.
A sweet sadness floods over me.
Thank you.
All of you.
You are all just so Nice.

Front of crown

Front of crown, originally uploaded by Vintage Flair.

This is made by Vintage Flair....I really dig it! I just found several rolls of chicken wire at Goodwill for next to nothing...I am going to file this in my Great idea file and we shall see....

need some vintage to make you swoon?

My creation, originally uploaded by Jeanette Pedersen.

this ought to do it...

Be still, my beating heart!

My creation, originally uploaded by Jeanette Pedersen.

lovely to look at....

Delightful Dover's Enticing Books

Do you know about Dover Publications Website and it's free samples? I just found out about it. I am delighted to be able to sample some graphics! I buy Tom Tierney Paper Doll books when I can find them, but from now on I might have to just order direct! Please visit them and sign in with your email address for free samples! It's easy and fun and you might find a few books you can't live without! Sorry to tempt you...especially after yesterday's " Get rid of stuff" post! Hahaha- I am like a pogo stick aren't I? UP & DOWN!!! Yeehaw! Anyway- I am busy re-organizing my sewing room, going to the post office and grocery store- [This is for dinner!] I'm burnin daylight as Grampa used to say! Gotta Git!!! ( I thought some of these coloring book images would be lovely embroidery patterns...)

Darkly Dreaming of Darling Dexter

sorry, not this guy

Even though he is quite charming in a brainiac sort of way.

I mean this Dexter: below.....I didn't know about him until last week when it came out on DVD.

Now, I am hopelessly hooked.

I might have to get Showtime....since we canceled HBO because of Deadwood and Sopranos being gone we might as well.

I love it that he takes out the bad, vile people.

A serial killer who kills serial killers.

Dexter also works as a Blood Spatter Expert for the Miami Police Dept.

The new season starts on Sept 30th and there is a new book by Jeff Lindsay out on Sept 18 called Dexter in the Dark. You can click here to read the first chapter. I like to read mysteries and suspense and a little blood doesn't bother me. Skip this post if it bothers you. We rented The first season and savored every delicious suspenseful moment. You won't believe who the ice truck killer is....

News Slash!

Have you been watching the news? Did you see this? OMG!!!!

The Weight of Unnecessary Items

Chaos in The Craftroom! When  I have a garage sale, it is necessary to remove the two 6 foot and one 3 foot tables from my sewing room. The "STUDIO". I have several more tables in the storage room in the carport. They are buried under Fred's keyboards and bins of cords and amps and music detritus. We have a lot of stuff! It's when I start to search for something that I realize how MUCH there is. The older I get the more I am aware that these belongings don't mean anything. How can they if I have even forgotten that I have them?
So, My Brother Glenn and I joined forces once again, to commit a sale.
Pricing is all relative- there is the price You paid, the price it's Valued at, the price you Want for it and the price the buyer is Willing to pay.
First of all, the moment after the cashier hands you the receipt, the value has just decreased by 50%. If you set up a table in the parking lot and tried to resell your new acquisition- would you be successful?
Location is everything, isn't it?
Selling out of your garage or carport is a whole lot different than St. Armand's Circle. People want to say "it was a steal" not: "they robbed me!".
So, you think because you have had an item for 10 or 20 years and cherished it -that other people should pay for that? At least admire the patina of age and crackle of time?
When some chick picks up my butter yellow Homer Laughlin Bowl and says- "This is old- I'll give you a quarter for it" I cringe.
I have buyers ask if I had a store- did it go out of business? I say "yes, The Kim's Comfort & Joy Store- never heard of it? That's why we went out of business." They say "Really?" I answer "No, not really." They seem disappointed somehow, maybe they would like to be able to explain why I have such good stuff at my yard sales. It's not crap. It's clutter. When I take it all outside, my home becomes more simple, serene. Less chaotic.
I spoke with a lovely woman named Susan who bought some of my painted shabby chic pieces and she said that because she has never been married or had any children that she loves her things. They take on an inordinate importance to her.
I said, yes, I understand that. My parents love their things. Things can't hurt you. They hold memories and moments of your life in their shadow.
If you sell something someone gave you does that mean you don't treasure their love? Maybe it means you are secure enough in their love not to need a reminder of it.
Maybe it means that I need to feel lighter, less encumbered by the weight of material things. I want to lose more weight. Feel lighter in body and spirit and surroundings. I want to float. I want to fly.
I really want to eliminate some of the junk.
The things I have accumulated and love but don't need and would forget if they were out of sight.
Those things  can go live someplace else and enhance someone else's life.
I need my fabric and my sewing machine and my Dog.
Maybe my red riding hood or  Nicol Sayre witch. Those things give me so much joy that I can't let go. Not yet. 
We did the sale for three days and now I need to put it all back. My sewing room is a mess- but an opportunity to organize again, really.  Oh, I am such an optimist, aren't I?

There is a sale every month at Riverview High School and I might do that next month. Then I will start giving it away or discarding it until I can walk through my house and feel light again.
Maybe this is part of growing older?
Maybe it's the gypsy singing in my ear?
Knowing that you can't take it with you and no one is going to value it as much as you do anyway.
I have always tried to fill that empty spot inside my heart with stuff.
Getting back my childhood dreams of presents under the tree.
Now, at 46, I realize that I have all that I need in my heart.
If I feel hollowed out some days then I need to rest and work in the garden or take a walk or wash the dog.
That helps fill me back up.

It's too ironic that I have begun to feel this way about stuff considering that I Make stuff.

I want to create more of the very same stuff that I now know that I can live without.

Isn't that funny?