Keys.

My grandmother used these old fashioned keys up until the day she died in 1999. As a young girl I always thought they were very odd, but interesting. Different. I had never seen anyone else use these long skinny keys for their homes. Later on I learned this was because she had never changed the locks on her doors since she purchased her home in the 1930s.

After my grandmother passed away, I put the key she carried with her on a ribbon, and wore it around my neck. It was something of hers I could always keep with me, and it made me remember her. Maybe a strange artifact to remember someone by, but it had meaning to me.

Although it was a simple necklace, if you could even call it that, I got a lot of compliments on it, and many requests for one. I could never part with my own of course, but when I'd come across interesting old keys at flea markets or antique shows I'd purchase them to give to friends.

They did not have the same sentimental value, but it was fun to think of who might have owned each key. Who where they? Where did they live? What did they do? If not a house key, what did it open? A great opportunity for story telling and creativity.

There is something very special about these old keys.

Available in my shop.

Baskets and Bags.

Leaving projects laying around is a huge no-no with a dog and a cat running around the house. My two especially love getting tangled up in yarn and thread. Easier access to projects means more get completed, so this situation doesn't work very well for me. Although probably healthier, I don't want to run up and down the stairs every time I want to knit a few rows or stitch for a few minutes. I've seen these clever baskets with fabric sewn on top to keep things safe inside, in several magazines and around many craft blogs. I thought this would be a perfect solution, so I made up a couple myself.

I like the knit Ikea baskets for this project because of their flexibility. They can also be stored easily when not in use. The fabric I used for the larger basket is from Erin McMorris' Park Slope collection, and the fabric on the smaller is a corduroy print from good-ness.

I made up the larger basket a while ago, and it has worked out great. It's the perfect size for my knitting and supplies! I added some handles for easy toting, and they have been very useful for when I've wanted to take my knitting out and about with me.

I decided to line the smaller basket since I didn't bother with the larger one. I used a pink and white stripe cotton, although it really just looks white in the picture. It was a huge pain to get the lining to match up with the outer fabric, and to get the hand-sewn stitches to look half decent on both sides. I'm not sure I'd bother lining one of these again. I think that double sided fabric I love so much might be a good choice for next time.

I finished up another project earlier today. This one being a tote bag for my mom to use for the extra books and reports she lugs to school. She's a grade one teacher, and I wanted something fun that was still appropriate for work.

I used another corduroy fabric from good-ness. You would not believe how soft this fabric is! The big polka-dots add some fun while still being a bit subtle, and she just loves them.

The lining is made from some fabric I found at one of the Church Bazaars I went to earlier this month. It's a darker pink so it isn't too bright, but it adds some colour to it. The polka-dots are still my favourite part though!

It was definitely a busy day for crafting.

A New Shelf.

This was another weekend full of visits to Bazaars(sadly, this was the last weekend for the Christmas Bazaars in my area), Flea Markets, Antique Shops, and Thrift Stores. I've been on the hunt for some good pieces of furniture lately, especially a bookshelf. The cheaply made particle board is slowly being phased out, and the good quality solid wood furniture is taking over. I like pieces that will last, and pieces that can fit into many designs and spaces, not unlike my new(old) dresser. I ran into this piece today, and although it's not exactly a bookshelf, it is just perfect.

For the moment it will be used for storage in my bedroom. The cubbies are the perfect size for those cube wicker baskets that can be found nearly everywhere, so I plan to purchase a few for smaller items. The other cubbies will be used for small blankets and pillows, and books.

I can envision this piece used in many spaces to come - storage for toys in a playroom, placed in an entryway to hold baskets of hats and mittens with a tray for keys on top, used to store books and records, kept in a dining room as a sideboard with pretty dishes stacked inside, or used as a television stand in a family room. So much more than a bookshelf! This piece has a long, long life ahead.

Snow.

This morning I awoke to find a blanket of white covering the world around me. The first snowfall to remain on the ground this year, although there have been a few snowfalls already. I bundled up and took Lola for a walk around the neighbourhood to take it all in. I have to admit I am not a fan of winter. There are things I love about it - my favourite holidays, the warm food, toasty socks, cute hats, scarves and boots, curling up under a blanket with a good book, some handwork, and a cup of cocoa, or perhaps a loved one - mostly indoor things. Talking about this makes me long for a fireplace..and perhaps a mudroom so I wouldn't have to wipe up the floor every time Lola comes inside. I don't like the wet, the cold, or the drivers who are in desperate need of a class or two on winter driving. I'm also not a fan of the mass amounts of snow that accumulate on Lola's furry legs, and melt all over the house once she comes inside. I do think winter is rather pretty though.

As we walked I could see the last remains of Fall peaking through, as the warm sun began melting the snow away. I have trouble letting go of Fall every year, especially when it's as beautiful as the one we just had. The crunch of the snow under my feet is never as satisfying as the crunch of the leaves in the fall.

I love the little bits of colour you can find if you look closely.

And all the interesting shapes to be seen.

I guess winter is not so bad after all. Well, if one can get past the cold and the wet, the roads, and little dogs who track snow throughout the house.

Curtains.

I had my eye on this drapery fabric for quite some time. It's sort of a thin brown cotton-canvas with a beautiful floral pattern done in white. The pattern almost exactly matches the pattern on the bedspread, but in a different colour of course. At $25 a metre it was a little more than I wanted to spend, especially since I'd need five metres for this project. Luckily, I visited my local fabric store two weekends ago and found it onsale for $8 a metre! I quickly bought it up and began sewing. I love the way the curtains add so much to this space.

Unfortunately, I dropped my camera and the flash broke, so I can't give you a better look at them up just yet.

You can get a better look at the colour and pattern here, or in the sneak peek you got in my last entry.

Better photos once my camera is fixed!

Projects in the Works.

My craft projects are becoming much like my reading endeavours - I jump into too many all at once and have trouble finishing any of them. I'm reading nine books right now, and have as many craft projects started, with even more on my mind. Of course all of this takes a back seat to class work. The trouble is I have less motivation to finish a project if I let myself start several at once. If I limit myself to one I'll finish much quicker so I can move on to the next. I need to start doing that again. This isn't even all of it..

Hopefully I'll have some completed projects to share soon!

Remembrance.

Remembrance Day was yesterday, and this has been a week of Remembering for me. The focus on Remembrance Day is put on those who fought with arms for our country, but my thoughts turn to so many more. I think of those who fought in many ways to give us the opportunities we have today. I reflect on those strong souls who have changed the world, many forgotten and without credit, and those who continue to change it. I think of family, those who have influenced and changed my life. Today it is important for me to stop and look back, as well as forward. Yesterday I sat with a stack of old albums by my side, one of my favourite pastimes, taking the time to reflect on each aging photograph. These faces bring me comfort and strength.

I've heard the story of each photograph many times, slightly changing depending on who the teller was.

Some of my favourite memories are looking through these albums with loved ones, many of whom are no longer here to share them with me.

And some of whom I've only ever known through these photographs.

It's a good thing I know the stories by heart.

In a way I'm sad that most of my photographs are stored on my computer. I think half the fun of looking at these photographs is holding the album in my hands, turning each page, and seeing the fading pictures arranged thoughtfully on the pages. Clicking a mouse is not quite the same.