The California Casita

I've landed and my home base for the next three weeks is my home town - the place of my birth and breeding - Paso Robles, CA. I'll be staying in a little mother-in-law suite, situated in the back of a family home. This has been lovingly named "The Casita" and was built by my brilliantly talented step-father and mother. (Remember them on Houzz HERE, HERE and HERE?)

The Casita has a judicious floor plan that includes a perfectly appointed tiny kitchen, a bathroom with stand-up shower and closet, and a ship's ladder that takes you from the bathroom up to the coziest loft bedroom known to man.

The main living area has just enough room for two club chairs, a TV and a fold-down table that can be pulled out if needed for a meal. A beautiful stone hearth at the center of this wee house is the sole source of heat. The home has a distinct Arts & Crafts vibe with wood beams, mission style furniture and leaded glass light fixtures.

(Thank you Mama, for making such a beautiful place for me to land 

during this crucial time of renewal and healing.) 

Sashiko Embroidery

Lately I've been drawn to simple repeated patterns. Whether I'm sewing or painting or setting the table, I like the calm and ease of repeated natural forms. Sashiko is a Japanese style of quilt stitch that dates back to the 1600's. It's simple, but disciplined pattern is so beautiful and meditative.

Shashiko translates as "little stabs". It's a reinforcement stitch meant to strengthen places of wear and tear on garments and textiles. It's traditionally seen as a running pattern using white thread on indigo cloth, but I see it used everywhere now, especially in multicolored Kantha cloths.

I have some mending to do on my son's denim jeans, all of which have blown out knees. I think I might try this stitch to shore up the rips.

Fallen Log Postcard Holder

Texas has already seen its share of storms this fall and our neighborhood is littered with fallen tree limbs. So this weekend, my son Walker and I set out to harvest some of these limbs for a little craft project: photo and postcard holders. The idea came from Amanda Soule's book, Rhythm of the Family: Discovering a sense of wonder through the seasons.

Walker, 6 years old, was very keen to use a real hand saw. We picked out a few lengths of wood and cut them into small and large lengths to be used for our holder. Then we cut a 1/2 inch score into the top of the branch to hold the photo. After some light sanding (a job that Walker really got into) our holder was ready to display photos and postcards.

Not only was this a fun and short project my kiddo thoroughly enjoyed, it was also a great opportunity to explore our neighborhood, notice the flowers and take in some autumn air. These little holders will make great Christmas gifts as well - hand made with love by a proud six-year-old.

Handmade Gifts

Part of my Radical Homemaking journey involves reusing materials I have on hand. I am very conscious of what our family is throwing away and I love to give tired household items a second, third or fourth life as something new.

Now I'm extending this thinking to my gift giving habits. In our family, summer is the season of birthdays. If I headed to the store to buy new for all of my family and friends, I would be broke. I would have also overlooked some wonderful gifting opportunities. Here are some great hand made gift ideas that I want to try! Each of them can be accomplished with items I already have on hand in and around my home.

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Drop Cloth Clutch

This clutch was made using canvas drop cloth from an artist's studio. When the canvas had served it's purpose, the artist used left over paint to cover the canvas and cut it into swatches. It was then stitched up into this awesome fold over clutch.

Materials I already have on hand:
  -  old canvas drop cloth
  -  paint
  -  vintage zippers purchased in bulk at a thrift store
  -  sewing machine

Mandala Paper Weights

These flat stones have been decorated with Mandala style markings, just like you'd see Henna artists make on skin. I think they're gorgeous!

Materials I already have on hand:
  -  flat stones
  -  Sharpie

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Mismatched Pillow Cases

Pillow cases don't take much material and they are exceedingly easy to construct. Even someone with the most basic sewing skills can accomplish this patter. These have a fancy crochet edge, but ribbon or vintage lace would be just as nice.

Materials I already have on hand:
  -  scrap material and vintage sheets
  -  sewing machine

Knitting | Wool from Five Green Acres

I am not a knitter. I just want to get that out of the way before I begin today's post. But after spending four days in the woods with knitters of all walks at the Squam Arts Workshops, I've decided to try my hand. A lovely roommate sat down one night with me and showed me how to cast on, knit, purl and correct my crappy work. Thank you, friend.

I also came home from Squam with one beautiful aqua hued skein of wool from my friend Mary Jo, a sheep whisperer and homesteader who hails from Wisconsin. You can find her blogging at Five Green Acres. Her wool is exquisite and was the sole inspiration for my current knitting project. It's a cowl. There is no pattern. I just made it up as I went. Here are the results...

How did this lovely length of wool come to be? Well... Mary Jo plays midwife to her yews. Then she raises them, shears them, cleans the wool, dyes the wool, spins the wool and then sells it in a lovely bundle to you. She's a ground-up kind of girl, that Mary Jo. It's astonishing, really. Check out her impeccable handiwork below...

And here is Mary Jo and her family on their homestead in Wisconsin...

If you're interested in knitting while at the same time time laughing your ass off, you should definitely pick up any book written by the talented Stephanie Pearl McPhee, also known in knitting circles as the Yarn Harlot. You won't be sorry.