fox and shop

Thanks for the mudroom love, I'm still delighted with that space and happy to have another project crossed off my list.

This winter we have had a backyard visitor. He comes a couple of times a week around mid-morning. He has comes very close to my backdoors and thankfully our dogs have not seen him yet. I'm not sure what the attraction is, as we do not feed him. But we do back on a lake so our yard is highly accessible.

I know it is mating season for foxes. I sure hope he finds what he is looking for. I'm so tempted to sit him down and explain that the city is probably not the best place to find a mrs. foxy fox but since he is here, my logic is irrelevant.

Isn't he lovely?



Onto other things... It's shop upate time and I have some gorgeous new vintage sheets that I've listed. I've actually listed over 20 new prints, so go check them out. Vintage sheets are like sunshine wrapped up in a blanket and I'm sure most of us could use a little reminder this time of year  :)











I do want this blog to be filled with eclectic bits of my life (foxes, fabric, etc) and part of that will include etsy shop updates. Hope you don't mind (In the rhetorical sense).
Well, I am off and running out the door. Have a fabulous Friday, xo.

shop update

One of the things I did manage to keep up with the past year was the duckyhouse etsy shop. I didn't manage any handmade goods in the shop this past year, rather I kept it stocked with vintage goodies like these:









You can hop over to my shop for a peek and check back as I will be listing more this week.

Happy Monday, xo.

vintage fat quarter sale

I'm having a sale on Mother's Day, May 13, 2102 in my etsy shop.



All vintage fat quarters are 15% off the regular price for one day ONLY; bundles & assessories are NOT included in the sale.



Use the code MUMSDAY2012SALE at checkout starting May 13th @ 12:01am CST to 11:59pm CST.  Now go shopping, have fun and Happy Mother's Day!

vintage pink!

A little something heading off in the mail soon. All saturdays should be filled with vintage pink-ness!

volume vintage

I did a shop update last night and it was a biggy. 35 new-to-my-shop vintage prints are now joining the existing prints that are in my shop. That's a lot of sheets and whole lot of laundry, ironing, cutting, photographing, editing & uploading. It's been a long time coming and folks I finally have pink in the shop and of course gorgeous blues, greens, yellows & oranges. It's all good. 



pinks, oranges, yellows: 



blues, greens, purples: 



yellow, oranges, pinks: 



Go here

shop

It's a simple update today, I've listed more items in my etsy store and have many more beautiful vintage and retro prints that I will continue to list during the month of August. I'd like to have my shop filled to the brim with oldies but goodies and then maybe soon I'll schedule some time to play with some of them. All work and no play is just not right.

open

I've been doing a lot of soul searching lately. Some of it has been very good, some of it hard to swallow. Among a pile of observations comes the one that gives me the most grief, it is that as of late I am indeed my own achilles heel. I have this awful tendency to talk myself out of things before I even get started. I suspect it is why I am reading books 1 & 2 listed in my right side bar. It's also probably why my dad used to tell me when I was a little girl to "put can't behind the door and do it".  I didn't like it very much when he would say that to me, mostly because I didn't understand how to go forward. I'm still working on it btw.



It is here where I sigh and say "why couldn't I be a first born with all their illusions of grandeur, they seem unstoppable".  In the pecking order in my growing up years I am the last of 13, yes I said 13! The baby of the family, my mum still introduces me that way on occasion. Umm, no mum, not much a baby anymore but nice try. I love her still for thinking of me that way.



I married a first born, boy oh boy is he an overachiever. I suppose that is why we make a good pair. He honestly believes there is nothing he can't do, I believe that about him as well. He ran a major youth movement in his teens, put out a CD, wrote a book, jumpstarted a new career after a major life shift in his 30's, and all that before he turned 40!  His resume is kinda intimidating and yet I still get to tell him to clean the toilets and put the garbage out...yes!!



But seriously though, all this has me thinking that life is too short to wait for the stars to align and for all my ducks to line up in a row in order to do some of the things I'd love to do. You see I'm never in a rush, I have an over abundance of patience and don't thrill from the stress of deadlines, but sometimes you just gotta get a move on. In the spirit of carpe diem and NOW, I have re-opened my etsy shop.  I've filled it with vintage (sheet) treasures as well as some handmade goodness and have a ton more stuff to add. I realize that I most happy when I create and make things. I'm most drawn to my kids when I do the things that energize me. It's something that has been on very short supply for me for the past year (creating & energy) and I am only one who can rectify the situation.



I'll be re-examined my priorities over the next few months and arranging my schedule to provide me with a regular time for making, in addition to the homeschooling. At the very least it is a change, and I'm long overdue for the pot to be stirred. Go over and take a peek at the shop and support this handmade mumma if you feel so inclined.

vintage sunshine

I've been collecting all winter long, a pillowcase here, a pillowcase there. Last week I added another and was pleasantly surprised at how tall my stash is getting. I think I'm feeling another vintage quilt coming on and really I am without excuse don't you think?

found...

...at my favourite thrift spot. It was sitting alone on the shelf - waiting to be loved. I thought it was too good to be true, surely it had to have a crack or something right? Nope not a scratch.





It didn't even dawn on me to check to see if the clock actually worked until I got home. I wound it up and it began it's happily tick-tocking, which continues in my studio right now. It even has a functioning alarm but the little gold button that shuts the alarm off, is missing. No problem, until I find the replacement part, my paper clip is doing a fine job of keeping the alarm quiet.



I had the intention of putting this darling puppy clock in the girls' room when I finish decorating it, but I'm too enamoured right now to think about it so in my studio vintage puppy clock will stay. Safely on the shelf... sweet thrifted goodness.

hello and ...

go on over and say hi to Jen from Vintage Sheets who is featuring my "don't get out of bed pants" tutorial. Make one for you and one for all - Christmas is just around the corner you know.



Be back Monday with a proper update. Happy Friday, xxx.

treasure hunt

I wonder if thrifting has magical powers because I get the bug around the same time every year. It could be attributed to cabin fever and a need to get out on the town, but it usually starts around this time and continues on regularly, through the summer. 



It's not something I ever did as a kid, my mum just wasn't into that sort of thing.  She loves to go with me now and I think in someways it is a little outing we can share together since I'm not one for shopping in malls and such. My kiddos love a good treasure hunt too so when I announce "I'm going thrifting" they scramble to their piggy banks gathering a few coins in case they find a prize, it's the one outing they never want to miss. 



I have a wonderful thrift store just a hop away from my home.  It's in the middle of nowhere really, but oh so close and convenient. Truth be told I probably stop there once a month, but once the warmer weather hits we will make a trip there weekly. Last week I stopped by and stumbled upon this teacup and saucer. I couldn't resist the bright turquoise colors and oh, that bird!  I knew it had to come home with me. I can't imagine who tired of drinking tea in this masterpiece but I'm sure glad they did. 
Can you guess where we are going today?

quilt festival time

Yay! It's that time again. My entry for the festival is going to be a quilt I made and finished up in June. I love this quilt for a number of reasons; it's simplicity, the way the white fabric (also vintage) breaks up the diamonds, the patterned fabric has loads of orange which is fast becoming a favorite color of mine, but mostly I love this quilt because it is made of re-purposed vintage sheets which not only makes me happy, but also the earth.



On their own the sheets probably wouldn't have made it to anyone's bed as a fabric of choice now that the 70's have long past, but incorporating the bright sheets in bits and spurts gives new life to something that would have otherwise made it's way to a landfill site. Given the age of the fabric, it is surprisingly sturdy and oh so very soft.



Right now I have the quilt on my sofa table as a decorative table cloth. It cheers up my day when I see it and gives me hope on those days when I feel like I am never going to finish a quilt(s), like the three sitting on my table right now, ahem.



The quilt pattern is the brain child of Rosebud's Cottage and was orginally published in the Quilts and More Magazine dated Spring 2009. If I could name this quilt it would be called "happy" because that's just how it makes me feel.

I did it for love

But I have to acknowledge that there was a whole lot of luck entwined
as well.  It was one of those right place at the right time scenarios.



A previously loved dress, filled with pink layers and girly appeal,
arrived at our house one day in early July.  There wasn't even time to
debate ownership as Miss J threw the dress on and began her
fashion debut.  It consisted of a twirl here and a twirl there while
Miss A looked on with eyes big as saucers and exclaimed
"mumma, I need a twirly dress too!"



As luck would have it, last week while thrifting some fabric caught my eye.  It was a pre-printed dress pattern, I assume someone had
good intentions to sew it up but never got around to
it.  Well anyway, while contemplating the work this dress would require it
dawned on me that the pattern looked very similar to said twirly
dress from July.  Hmm, things were starting to become very clear at that moment, Miss A was going to have her dress.



Once home I began the process of washing, ironing,
cutting and sewing.  I lined the upper bodice and topstitched.  The
lower half of the dress called for a simple gathered waist but instead I cut into three layers of graduating lengths and then gathered,
pinned and stitched.  Better all around for the twirl factor.



By next morning the dress was completed, washed and ironed.  I brought it to Miss A and she squealed with delight "mumma, it's an under the sea twirly
dress".  Her arms wrapped around my neck tightly and with hugs &
kisses she said "thank you mumma for letting me twirl too!"   Yup, I
did do it for love.

what is making me smile today...

The thrifting gods smiled down on me recently.



I stopped in briefly for my regular fix of vintage sheeting and instead found this lovely tea set beckoning to me.



It reminds me of Orla Kiely with that strong 70's vibe. 



Six delightful cups & saucers with a covered sugar bowl and creamer. I just can't stop smiling.

don't get out of bed

Yup, that is my motto this summer.  I don't want to get out of bed.  Oh that doesn't mean I'm actually horizontal, rather I just want to be comfy, all day, all summer long.  I can't think of anything more comfortable than when I first get into bed at night.  The mattress, pillows, sheets & quilt, they all call me to slumber.  It's a good feeling, one worth preserving and sharing. 



So here's what's up. I had a need to sew this past week, but didn't want to do anything too strenuous like finish the quilt on my cutting table which would require awkward body positions for basting and quilting.  I did something weird to my back/hip and so contortionist sports are not a good idea right now.  Instead I wrote up a tutorial for y'all in celebration of summer and all that is good about it.



Are you still with me?  It's a pdf download with lots of instruction and photos...don't get out of bed pants available on my tutorials page. Print it up and give it a whirl for yourself, kids, hubby, sister, mum, the dog??...well maybe not the dog but you know, anyone you can think of as long as it stays in gift format all is good.  The tutorial is meant for personal use only and items made from it are not to be sold. 



If you have any questions in regard to the tutorial just ask away.  Happy Sewing to you!  xxx

vintage appreciation

Over the past year I've been collecting vintage cotton sheets from thrift stores.  These little gems are hard to come by but each time I find one I bring it home.   I'm not sure what got me started on the idea of collecting them in the first place.  Perhaps it
was knowing that each sheet represented limited possibilities: experimental fabric; summer tops, outfits and accessories for the girls, a chance to
make what was once old, new; and maybe even a quilt or two.



The idea re-purposing isn't a new one and now with recession talk, being frugal is the new trend.  Let's also not forget the green aspect either.  Purchasing thrifted goodies keeps those items from otherwise ending up in a landfill.  Yes, more garbage is not what this earth needs, I'm sure of that one.  And while all of these reasons are wonderful and valid, mostly I think purchased the sheets because they were lovely, reminding me of childhood years gone by.  They may have even spoke to me, gently prodding me to take them home.  Does fabric do that to you too?



So the other day I pulled a few of my lovelies out of the cabinet and armed with rotary cutter I made a dent in my stash.  I cut and cut, until I had a pile of triangles.  Quilting was on my mind.  This quilt in particular, though my version is not going to be queen size no, I'm starting small with two quilts.  Just big enough for one person, or a few little people, or a picnic blanket...well, you get the picture.



I wish I had a lovely photo of the top pieced but as you can see the wind was not very cooperative.  I'll try to get another photo before the basting and machine quilting if I can convince my two little helpers to give me a hand.  They were all giggles trying to hold that quilt still.  Can't blame them though, it was comical.