handmade by maggielucia: What sweetness and contentment is today!

handmade by maggielucia: What sweetness and contentment is today!

What sweetness and contentment is today!

Today I find myself spending time in front of my comp. There are days when my time is so free and ample, that I have difficulty deciding what to do with it.

Oh I hear you readers' thinking aloud "wow, must be nice , having more time to do whatever you like!"

Upon arising, ( but after my first cup of coffee, good morning to those who are already up, and turning on my computer) I usually begin to daydream about the weather, and ( depending on the kind of weather)  what I might possibly DO in it/with it/about it ...well you get the idea!  That question settled, I might think about getting dressed, tidying up my bedroom, answering emails, posting new or old pics on facebook, chatting with my sister at work, doing last nights dishes, brushing my teeth ( but not necessarily in that order) Shopping some thrift shop or another, finding that perfect book, or trinket, for one of those beautiful people that inhabit my small world.

Well then, depending on things I accomplished yesterday, (or did not accomplish) I will start to get jumpy, anxious, and a little upset with my own attitude,  and lack of direction, including my inability to  stay on track, I begin to get that  guilt trip...you know the one...shoulda, woulda, coulda done this??

Now I know, dear Reader, that you have already forgiven  me for wasting that precious morning, that you all would have used more judiciously than I.

Upon reflection today, as I peruse  yet another sewing blog, or vintage yardsale online ;  refold and rearrange my beautiful new pile of fabric that came in yesterdays' mail, or admire yet again, that lovely sewing project  I completed last night,( or the week before, or the year before!) As  I wait,  and await, the arrival of that little yellow school bus,  carrying my sweet little granddaughter home from her Pre-K at lunchtime ~

I begin to  feel that small lump growing in my throat, and a soft smile building on my face.

What a sweetness, and contentment I begin to understand , is my life today.
How I have arrived at this spot in time, and how much I have accomplished, not THIS morning, but in all the multitude of busier mornings, that have made up my busy life ! My gratitude is infinite:  for the age I have become, for every wrinkle or grey hair I have earned, for the multitude of my blessings, and for this sunny morning,  that is mine to smile about and "waste" at my leisure.

Please, dear Reader,  remember to savour, and enjoy the blessing of yet one more sunny morning in your life.
                                          Margaret Louise  aka ~ Maggielucia

handmade by maggielucia: brand spanking old blog

handmade by maggielucia: brand spanking old blog

brand spanking old blog

 I have taken the steps to deactivate my fb page. I am going back to blogging, as it gave me more "stuff" I can do on a blog, as well as get back to the mainstays.

The blogosphere is a lot more fun and interesting, and offers many resources for gaining followers and support, as well as "likes/fans.


as previously done,  I will be posting new and old photos, information, other blog sites I follow in search of tutorials and inspiration.    also as a format for showcasing my small sewing business and my forays into new territory.

It's too soon to start gathering new friends and support...but, as Mae West is known for saying  " come on over and see me sometime"  maggielucia (margaret louise)

" the mariposa barbie safari"



my old stash of silk flowers and new fabric hairbands



I am feeling guilty for the six week absence and apologies are in order, so here I go "SORRY"  Big deal right?

                 When you only have  a handful of followers, all of whom you have been in contact with over the holidays, it really is no big deal, I plan on shamefully soliciting some new followers, so I can boast to other sewing bloggers that I am following!

As you all know first hand..I have not been idle! Right up to Christmas Eve I was busy sewing to fill special orders. I made and sold the bulk of 15 of my popular toddler book bags , 11 for friends/clients of my marketing manager, my sister Roxanne. She rocked my christmas shopping funds ...including buying ALL of my "scrappy zip bags". Yaaaaay sis !! also sold  a toddler blanket, and some sleeved bibs.

I made 2 sofa cushions for 2 of my boys, in masculine patterns ( abstract) shades of rich brown faux suede... and sewed my first tote bag with a zippered closure and matching smaller zip bag for my dear mother-in- law, in a pretty red, white and navy denim type fabric. I was really pleased with these ...but...because I was on a deadline I did not manage any photos of these last items. I will take some pics during visits of above mentioned familys' homes, and post them at a later date.

The blessings just keep on comin' for me...a distant (BC) cousin has requested a baby blanket with 2 matching burp cloths, and so I will choose fabrics and make these this upcoming week. The baby that will receive this gift was born in November and needed surgery and a stay in hospital, but although still tiny, is thriving. God bless her!



finished hairbands..aren't they pretty?



Since she is family I plan to sew and include some little thing from me, to put in her parcel.

My 5 yr old niece Madison requested a special something before the holidays...but being so busy, I decided instead of trying to make it then, I would save the project for a special  " because I love you so much" surprise for later in the "blah" month of January,

when I get my predictable January post holidays blues.

She requested a hairband like '' mariposa barbie". Being completely unfamiliar with this creature.  I googled her and up she popped .The said hair creation is pretty, but really more like a wreath. Remembering my stash of pastel, fabric headbands, I pictured it in my mind,   a do-able  project I could play around with, use up some items I already had , and she would still think mine/hers was just as awesome!

 

So I found my trusty hot glue gun, my stash of flowers, (leftovers from crafts of earlier days) but lo, and behold...no purple and hardly any pink flowers (as she specified) and not a sign of sparkly butterflies that I was told were mandatory for a self-respecting"mariposa barbie" lookalike!

Well after speeding to my local value village and taking a shortcut to the closest Walmart...I managed to score all the supplies I would need to rock this project !! 

I could not fathom creating a flower and butterfly covered hairband for Madison, and nothing for my darling Maya, who, at 2 yrs old, copies and  emulates  everything her older cousin does.

 I made Mayas' in assorted colours and took photos this time.

They turned out really pretty, and on a scheduled saturday Madison visit and stayover, I presented them to both girls.

Madison squealed with delight (&  my heart swelled) and she pronounced hers' perfect and beautiful, and told me all her friends would wish they had one ( tactful 5 yr old speak for

"they will all be jealous as hell").



Maya wasn't too keen to model for me so I stuck in a video to occupy her!



They both tickled me by wearing them for the good part of a day, and therefore assuring me,  that it was OK to go on a mission,  or a safari, if necessary, in order to track down all items needed to   satisfy the whims of these two little girls.

 That I love and adore them...

is all the reward I need, apparently.( believe you me,  seeing these two enjoying/wearing something I created just for them, makes me ridiculously and embarrassingly happy).



my adorable, beautiful Maya




That it made everyone happy, brought attention to me, that with this joy, brings opportunity, and responsibility as a grandmother/auntie   I have a really important role in those little ones' lives.

I do not remember much of my grandmothers, and my aunties were further away then, than now( with internet etc),or deceased before I was grown enough to appreciate and reach out to them.

 These little girls are my blessings;  they are teaching me, and I am learning,  how womens' roles change, yet remain the same,  down through the years of lifes' journey.





my gorgeous, reliable, favourite little model



a visit to the museum

hello readers..I.wanted to talk about the previous week..it went by so quickly, I can hardly fathom it.

we have a museum here in my town called the  "Western Development Museum" and altho I have wandered around it many times throughout the years, I never got around to visiting it at Christmas time. For a full week they hold a Festival of  Trees,  an annual event geared to start off the holiday season and to fund raise for a local hospital here.

It is always looked forward to, for it has yet to disappoint.   Decorated trees,  surrounded by areas awash in colour and sparkle,  endowed with every imaginable ornament and object that could possibly enhance and trim a Christmas tree is on display, to dazzle and delight.

There are raffles and handcrafts sales, plus all the beautiful trees are for sale ( altho the prices are high) they are invitations towards spending for a very good cause.

This event is centered right in the middle of turn of the century artifacts and antiques, amid stores furnished right down to the last amazing detail...livery stables, hardware store, general store, vintage and antique cars, farm implements, gigantic steam engines and farm equipment familiar only to the oldest residents of our province.

The museum has reproduced a primitive early settler dwelling, the sod house and surrounded it with tools for cooking, laundry, food preparation, and thousands of sepia tint photographs of early life on the prairies.

For native and settler alike, life on the prairie was hard and it took grit and determination to make a life here.

I grabbed my sons' wife, my 5 year old niece, and my 2.5 yr old grandbaby, and set out to attend the display at long last.





I took quite a few photos of the gorgeously decorated trees, and surrounding displays, but soon became preoccupied with keeping up to the children, who, although well behaved, were ever anxious to run ahead when they spotted the next delightful presentation.

The most fascinating and exciting exhibits for the girls,  I think,  were the dozens of moving Christmas scenes depicting fairy tales, animals, elves, skaters, santa workshops, and holiday carolers.


Naturally, it was an exceptionally cold week for the festival, and likely held some folks back from attending.  The crowd of children enjoying the wonderland for the tenth, or the first time, like our little ones,  made up for the weather with their excuberance and excitement.
I am so glad we had, and took,  the opportunity to visit the museum. I had forgotten how amazing and educational and plain old fashioned fun could be!

bye bye for now ..take care and visit my way again soon....

Saturday afternoon girl time

dear reader...well I am up and running again over here @ maggielucia (my name by the way in other places in time ~~ie: Margaret Louise.)

my 5 year old niece dropped by for a visit yesterday and we spent a quiet Saturday afternoon creating/crafting/sewing and generally having a precious few hours of

 girl time..alone for the most part, 'cause the other little one in my home was a party pooper and went down for a nap until 5 oclock, leaving us to our own devices. We made a fabric flower for her, 'cause she spotted one that I made earlier..."auntie, can you make me a flower like this one?" I said" sure of course and we proceeded to pick out the items we needed.


fun nail polish



 We went thru a  bag of scraps and she chose this Michael Miller stripe and the buttons and thread color as well.



fabric covered buttons hairclips

 I had purchased some notions for fabric covered buttons and we also made a couple of hairclips in the fabric of her choice.  They look really sweet and are sooooo easy to make. They literally took 10 minutes start to finish. I hot glued some clips to the backs, but later thought that for her thick hair,  bobby  pins with pads for glueing the buttons to would work better, so I went online and ordered some of those with larger clips.

anyway reader,  this is a short blog today as we have unexpected company and my kids are throwing together an imprompu and awesome dinner. ( won tons with shrimp and chicken and roast chicken asian style...(that noise you hear is my tummy) and ...wait for it....asian steam buns...( we love Coreys' cooking, he makes it look effortless.)

my obliging little model..so pretty

so bye for now ....adios amigos

 

but I digress...

hello reader...as you may have observed , there hasn't been a new blog from yours truly for a while.
Well, if you are a follower,  you already know that I banged myself up pretty good last week, and was advised by those people (physicians)  that supposedly know what they are talking about,
to "wear this immobilizing shoulder sling for at least 2 weeks"!!

that's all well and good for the first 5 or 6 days when you hurt like a son of a gun, then you start feeling better and the advice goes out the window.( Seriously now, you know that is true.)

If I could have back (regain) all my recuperative days/weeks after accidents/surgeries, I could probably live an extra couple of years or so, but on second thought,  if I hadn't spent all that time recuperating,   I likely wouldn't even be here to write this.!Life is funny that way!

  But I digress..what I wanted to express to you dear reader,  is how much I have missed the ability to work on my sewing projects and get on with creating some of the ideas crashing around in my brain...darned injury (shoulder dislocation and I don't recommend it!!!)

anyway , I found/stumbled on/clicked on a darling blog today, 'cause I needed a crafting fix, and following my favourites always gets the juices flowing, so anyway, this adorable blog is called http://craftingmakestheheartgrowfonder.blogspot.com/ and I am encouraging you all to check it out and make a comment, ('cause all of us bloggers love comments) these girls are sisters and create some adorable stuff.

Their newest post is an adorable "house" so cute I had to" favourite"  it.

Insert photo here:   (problem is I keep trying to do this and it's not working, so....) you will just have to go to the above link and look for yourself or just take my word for it!!


... anyway my darling grandniece received her #2 birthday pressie from me earlier this week and here it is ~

 in case you missed it in an earlier post!     her mommie tells me that  her little one is obsessed with it.....and the "Dowa book and pensows" (make that twistable crayons ) absolutely a great gift for the commute to and from daycare and home!

 I just okayed my 5 yr old nieces' visit  tomorrow..and  I  plan to  photograph and post some new photos of some earlier toddler book/crayon bags I have for sale...not yet advertised, but are available for christmas gifting (i will include crayons and coloring books with each bag)

these are photos also from a previous blog and I show you again as these darlings are featured again in this one!

handmade by maggielucia: ...that spark of creativity.

handmade by maggielucia: ...that spark of creativity.

they're here..!

just a wee note dear reader..."they're here"...my new product labels that is !!

grab  a look.....what do you think?    I really like them...iron &/or sew on..
they are simple and pretty ! Jennifer of Jennifers'Jewels made them for me,

and I am plugging her store on Etsy 'cause I am very pleased with the positive and helpful transaction we had.

So, now I better get busy and put labels on my finished products, and then make my
hang tags and business cards and.......!!!

sewing made fun again..

 Dear readers...thought you might enjoy some photos of my 2009 creations, for it was last year that I started sewing again for real, ( I hadn't made dresses for many years, but now that I had 3 little girls to sew for, I thought it would be fun.)

It all began again when my Auntie and my  darling niece and her new ( and first) baby came out for a visit here from BC, there were lots of excited people here that couldn't wait to set eyes on them. 
we had a wonderful time, although it was in the -20s and -30s, the coldest week of the whole year, it did not manage to dampen anyones' enjoyment of their visit.

We were shopping in the babies' department,  and a casual remark my niece made, stuck in my brain.  She said she loved "babies in black"!

Well, later that  summer I decided to make some toddler clothes for my granddaughter and my grandniece...I remembered that remark, and began choosing some fabrics in black and white, solids and patterns.  I had an idea for sundresses, and for some ruffled
panties ( what we used to call bloomers) although I had never sewn anything remotely like that.

Undeterred, I looked around for some paper patterns and found a couple that I liked.

I proceeded to sew all summer, in black and white only, branching out to include making dresses for my beautiful 4 yr old niece. I did not want anyone, big or small, to feel left out in the dress department. I  branched out in colours too, some batiks, some novelty prints, and I tried to learn a few new skills along the way.

I found that I enjoyed renewing my craft and learning changes in technology. With help from other creative and talented people, who were using the internet to communicate through blogs and online shops, I found sewing could be fun again. I awakened from a long dry spell, (creatively speaking) and have  realized,  that by fueling my artistic and creative nature, I was taking a familiar path, and that only some of the fellow travellers have changed 

...that spark of creativity.

today I amused myself with a photo project. I wanted to show you,  two of my lastest little projects. 

First,  I had promised my granddaughter  (and myself) that I would sew her a book bag for the library. I love to take wee little kids to the library, I took my own when they were wee !  My theory is,  you just cannot start too early, when it comes to kids and books.  Also my grand niece is going to be two soon, so why not sew 2 library book bags? Make two of the same thing, no more difficult really, just a bit more time and fabric. A birthday gift and a promised gift.

 I just happened to have the perfect fabric in my stash too...both my intended recipients for this awesome little idea are age 2, and like most toddlers,  the same approximate age, are interested in the same t.v./ book/movie characters.

I cut all the pieces out one evening ...no pattern...just a fairly sure idea as to size and handle length, pockets, and so on.  While I was planning them out, I felt sure I should add some pockets, especially for coloring supplies..either for the new, twistable crayons (these are fabulous by the way, no more broken crayons etc) or washable markers. Crayola has my vote for great selections,  in above mentioned items.

 I also knew they had to have 1 or 2 kidsize deep pockets, for all those important, can't leave home without, emergency items   like fruit bars,  cheesy penguins,maybe a pullup, and a couple of wipes for messy fingers.
The following day,  I sewed these darlings up (adding a last minute D ring, to the outside of each bag, for clipping on some other toddler necessity.)

Upon completion, I found I had just enough scraps to create a good-sized zip bag,( to clip onto the marvelous D ring,)  that could hold whatever amazing, interesting, and priceless found object encountered on any given day.

Today, as I was setting up the photo shoot of these little bags, I couldn't help but look at them in admiration of my own creative genius. C'mon you know you do it, I know you do, that happiness one feels when you tap into that spark of creativity, and plough ahead as if possessed, until upon completion....no matter how large or small, difficult or simple..there it is ...done!!  and you feel thankful that you have been blessed with this need to create...and there is the pride of  accomplishment.

Well,  several days later,  I felt I also would like to include a bedtime storybook, and a dozen of those cool twistable crayons, in the birthday girls' coloring/snacks/treasures/library book bag. Done...so I wrapped it up prettily, and tightly and I knew I had sewn a treasure  that happened to be a bag!!

that makes me pause...

Today is my oldest sons'  birthday #44.

Somehow I never pictured  my own children reaching their 40's....yet here they are!!
That makes me pause, and ask myself, "how come, ( as their mother)  that fact  makes me sound a lot older than I actually feel?"

Well, luck, some would say, has a good deal to do with having that feeling.
I am still able to work at doing things I enjoy,  and receive satisfaction from, such as
sewing ( which I love)
shopping (fabric, grocery)
cooking (when it suits me) and caring and sewing  for my 3 favourite little girls.
reading, watching movies, and working at my part time occupation as healthcare provider, and the list goes on.

Several years ago I did indeed feel much much older...I was unable to walk without the aide of a walker, while I waited for hip surgery. That was a very valuable life lesson for me,( although I have gone through many other surgeries) the inability to walk was super awful and really depressing. When I could later walk, dance, bend, and even get down on the floor, to play with my little niece and later my grandbaby.I thanked God and modern medicine.

It occurs to me that we shouldn't wait for special occasions to count our many blessings, even when our kids do reach their 40s...maggielucia

Nana and her little sweetie!

Just practising my blogger skills ...enjoy!

~ tonight  I just wanted to let you know that..

I didn't sleep well last night.  I stayed on my comp waaay too long into the little quiet hours when the rest of the house was fast asleep, but when I finally called it quits, I had a real doozy of a headache !

I  noticed that I was  clicking on "help", in the program I was using, way too often, and I just kept getting more and more confused, so I finally  decided to pack it in, at last, and put myself to bed.( smart person) good plan.

        of course by the time I actually got "into" bed it was around 1 oclock.
        I tossed and turned for 3/4 of an hour before I decided I really should eat something!! so I got up and went to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal ( what else does a person eat at 2 in the morning?)  well,  long story short,  I got a maximum of 3 hrs sleep ..TOTAL ! And it wasn't like one of my usual get up at 9 a m and live in my jammies 'til noon either ...i had a very important early morning interview, so that meant hair, makeup, clean clothing,  and mouthwash AND deodorant !

Well, I managed to grocery shop,  mail a letter, and recycle some huge plastic bags full of gallon size milk jugs. You know how that is?   You are out anyway, so you might as well make it productive, right? well the day wore on, and it was not a total loss.

of course I promised myself I would stay off the computer tonight, watch tv and fall asleep early, but.......

 I suppose I am no different  than anyone else (isn't that something you think about?)   so here I am again, but it is earlier, and I really want to learn how to do this blogging thing correctly you know....God knows I am no techie...and I would like to make it pretty, and interesting and fun,  so I need to  learn how to create links, post photos  ,mine and other more creative peoples' stuff and......

........well,  tonight I just wanted to let you know that !


        

       
       

inspiration and other stuff..

I don't know how  other crafters/sewers/bloggers,  get inspiration for their projects.

Yesteryear, my ideas came from movies, Sears' catalogues, a few old standbys like Good Housekeeping and McCalls magazines, and whatever paper patterns  were  available in department stores.

Today,  my inspirations can come from anywhere in the world, literally. The internet has certainly become my latest (and greatest ) source of ideas.. talented people from every country,  exhibit their wares and creations,  and a click of your mouse can transport you into any studio you may want to visit.

Take Etsy for example...a worldwide marketplace that a simple, homebased crafter like myself  could never have imagined , even 5 yrs ago .. exhibiting, and offering for sale, her often flawed and occasionally beautiful handmade items.

When my boys were small, I turned out cozy pyjamas, sturdy and functional pants/ shorts, and interesting  shirts,  although the fabric  choices  available to me then were very limited.    That old (back then  it was considered very high tech) Necchi sewing machine was my ticket into the world of fashion at the time, when Twiggy and Carnaby Street and hippies were in vogue !

I sported Nehru collars and cuffs in bright paisleys,  wide flared maternity pants, canary yellow jump suits and appliques on torn bluejeans...yes I said bluejeans!
I taught myself to sew (at least more creatively) after learning to sew the obligatory apron in home economics classes in high school.

My younger readers here,   are going to say "huh" to this post and regard me as a relic of the stone age, even though I am  more than 2 decades and less than 10 decades old.

And yes, I still love to create and sew,  ( on my much newer machine and even newer serger)  and I no longer sew for my boys, but now turn out beautiful clothes and other goodies for grandbabies,
nieces and grand nieces .   ....  until later Lucia

when we were little girls

my sister Sheila and I were left to fend for ourselves a great deal.  Let me tell you that those  were the days when we did not own a television.  When we did eventually get one, it was one of those tiny, black and white jobs, and our first really riveting programs were Red Skelton (1953) I Love Lucy (1953/54 etc) and our scary late night favourite..Alfred Hitchcock...(1955) meaty and frightening fare for a couple of very young girls.

We lived in a number of basement suites in those days, the " father knows best" image,  that later was popularized, on that little black and white tube of a television, didn't exist in our house.
What did exist was an absent, (thankfully) father,  and a hardworking mother,  who tried her best to manage 2 jobs . One of those jobs kept her away late at night.   I remember this being pretty scary for 2 kids with endless energy,   and unlimited imaginations.

For some reason, and for most likely a monetary consideration, there was never a sitter. 
This of course, allowed us free rein to indulge our passions, which for the most part, were games
that encouraged us to create costumes, out of whatever was at hand, or found in our mothers' dresser drawers.
I am positive there could not have been,  more fantastical or beautiful creatures, anywhere in the world, to rival our make believe ballerinas, or princesses!

There is an unmistakeable message here, in my remembrances, and my memories, that speaks to me of
that unfettered spark of creativity that caught fire here, and blazes still in those two little girls...Lucia

a place to keep my stuff

This last few months I have been distracted by thoughts/ ideas/worries/ and seeing visions. I know....your first thought is ...she really should see a reputable specialist in that particular field !  right ??
  
Well no,  let me explain, and simplify that statement.  I love to make stuff. I have always loved to make stuff !
I have of late decided  that I need a space to keep my stuff ( not an extra closet or any real physical place) I  decided that I really haven't anyone I can discuss my stuff with: you know, bounce those ideas/thoughts/worries and visions with ....so I decided to put my stuff in here ....in a blog !