Hello June!

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June!  It is an unbelievable beautiful June weekend in South Carolina.  Half the year gone by, though.  A week is a day is a month … When I lay my head down at night, I wonder where the time has gone and what I accomplished during the day.  The calicodaisy shop is buzzing right along and I have great hours at my part-time day job, so mostly I just wish I had a few more hours in the day to fit it all in.  

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Meanwhile, with my shop assistants’ help, I am busy organizing and reshuffling and throwing and sending to the thrift and organizing again in the sewing studio.  My husband is building two sewing tables right now from repurposed counter tops, so I can line the machines up in a row and move down the line for sewing piping or labels or serging, as the process requires.  I’m anxious to see how this will streamline my process.  I tire of switching out the machine feet, especially on the manual machine.  While I don’t think the place will be pretty enough for my personal goal of a feature in “Where Women Create,” it will be very organized when we are finished! 

Last month, I ordered something I’ve wanted for years but never jumped in, but for five easy payments with QVC, a digital pressure cooker is mine.  However, now that I’ve read up on pressure cooking in general, I think I wouldn’t be afraid of the new manual ones available now.  My mom is an expert with the "old" ones, but they are a bit scary. Anyway, success with the digital PC (pressure cooker) so far.  Last week, a whole chicken and a batch of Boston Baked Beans; yesterday a quick whip up of Italian Wedding Soup of sorts with my own ideas here and there.  This can be made stove top, of course, but it took just 6 minutes in the PC!  Recipe below. 

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Cherries are in season in the South - well, shipped in from California.  All the pie making stars aligned for me, and I had time, inclination, fresh fruit, and company to spur me on to making a cherry pie.  I even remembered to use a pie bird bought years ago at George Washington’s place - Mt. Vernon gift shop - with cherries painted on, too, so appropriate for the day and no soggy pie bottom. 

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What else?  Well, embroidered pillow covers, of course.  Clients have been sending in great ideas, and I just follow their instructions to new products.  I do love the appliquéd state pillow covers, as seen at the top of the post.  Everyone has a great idea for their states and color combinations.  A Louisiana one is up next in the orders in gold and purple.  I think a little heart added at the spot of the client’s town would be a good addition.  Must think on that.  AND, I am still surprised at the custom pillow cover “packs” ordered to decorate wedding reception sites.  It’s lovely to create an item to be part of the special day.  The best part of having custom pillow covers created for the day is that they are still useful for years to come in the home and add to the memory keeping. 

My blog posting time is up.  Must move on the next thing on the to-do list, and that would be Walmart.  You’ll have to give the soup recipe a try.  Even though it’s summer, the fresh lemon juice keeps it light and bright. 
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Mish’s Italian Wedding Soup 

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 yellow onion diced

1 cup of celery diced

6 cups of chicken broth

16 ounces of small meatballs

1-1/2 cups of uncooked piccolini pasta (small bowtie pasta) 

2 cups chopped baby spinach

1 clove minced garlic

Juice of half a lemon

1 teaspoon of sugar 

1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

Salt and Pepper

In the Pressure Cooker (my amateur instructions): 

1.  Heat the oil and sauté the garlic a bit, add the onion and cook until translucent. 

2.  Add everything else. 

3.  Lock the PC cover, set on High (15 psi), and pressure cook for 6 minutes. 

4.  Quick release at the end to release the pressure. 

On stovetop, this is what I would do: 

1.  Heat the oil and sauté the garlic a bit, add the onion and cook until translucent. 

2.  Add everything else but the pasta.  Bring to boil and then turn down to simmer for a while so everything can cook together. 

3.  Bring back to boil, add pasta, and cook for the time noted for type of pasta used.  

calicodaisy + destination wedding

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I may not get out of South Carolina much lately, but calicodaisy items are getting all sorts of invites to destination weddings lately!  Last week, monogrammed pillow covers and bridal accessories made it to the Bahamas for a wedding week of fun!  Incidentally, that's where I met my husband, but that's another story. 

The event coordinator for this island destination wedding came up with the "wiggle" design for the oversized lumbar pillow covers at the top of the post.  Natural linen and shades of blue, very soothing.  The lumbar pillows were created for a seating area on a boat. 
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The monogrammed pillow covers were designed in shades of navy and tan, and then a number of accessories were ordered to show up as treats in the new couples' suite each day.  Towels, tote, bridal shoe / lingerie bag. 
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This is the third wedding pack of items created for spring wedding decor this season.  One more set of lovelies in navy and coral were sent out last week for another destination setting - can't reveal until June!  Navy must be the current wedding color trend.  My stash of navy twill and navy embroidery thread has dwindled fast this month. 
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Planning custom designed, home dec and accessory items themed for the wedding and reception is so smart really as the items serve a dual purpose:  They augment the wedding theme and then go home with the couple or serve as gifts to friends and family who helped with the wedding as a long lasting and useful memory of the special day! 

Just Getting By ...

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Do you ever feel like you're running and crawling at the same time?  That's my mode at the moment.  At the beginning of the day with the promise of about 17 hours before me, anything seems possible.  Lying back in the bed at night, I can't remember if I did anything important. 

I'm just chugging along in the sewing room.  A One Block Over Bee block was completed last night; uh, that's the June one.  Now for a paper-piecing July block, and I haven't opened the envelope for the August one, though I know it's a strip block, and I'm familiar with that pattern.  
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Baby gifts and going-to-college items such as embroidered pillow covers and towels are going out as well.  Isn't the little firefly darling?  Another custom bridal garter to make and send out this week.  Then, as has been planned for some time, 5-inch charm packs for boys quilts (prewashed fabrics) are getting organized for a photo shoot and listings in my shop this week or next. 

Sweet Daisy Wedding

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My dear friend, Leslie, has a daughter getting married next month.  An outdoor, daisy-strewn event has been planned, and I offered to create the ring bearer pillow and garter.  Simple white linen, a bright pink gerbera daisy, and silky ribbons create a sweet pillow for a little man to walk down the aisle.  There is a wide satin ribbon across the back that he can slip his little hand through and hang on to the diamonds! 

Fabulous Fourth!

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What a great weekend for our family!  For once, we were all in one place, of one mind, and having fun.  It's a good thing!  As promised, the weather was gorgeous.  No humidity and in the low to mid 80s.  Fantastic for South Carolina! 
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This is how our weekend began:  A lakeside wedding at sunset.  Isn't this a pretty wedding scape?  This young bride planned the wedding herself, and nothing could have been more perfect.  Her grandparents have a lovely place on the lake designed to handle crowds, and everything went so smoothly. 
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Here is the pirate-themed garter on the bride, and my girl caught the bouquet -- but we are saving her wedding date for hopefully at least a good five years away, not that there are any beaus on the horizon at the moment. 
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The sweet couple.  At the top of the post is the sun setting low after the ceremony, and then the fireworks kicked off at dark. 
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And then we had a marvelous Fourth of July afternoon and evening at another family friends' spread.  Along with a big BBQ, the couple brought in a local chamber orchestra to play for us (like we were at the Boston Pops!) and then choreographed a private fantastic fireworks show!  It was just lovely! 
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Camille and I fit in blueberry picking on Friday.  The blueberries taste wonderful and have been washed, dried, frozen, and baked in two different desserts:  The crazy blueberry breakfast cake we love and a blueberry-studded lemon meringue pie.  Going back for more later this week! 
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On a cherry-berry note, a cherry-embroidered tea towel was ordered this week by a favoite blog friend.  This was my sampler towel to test out the colors in the design and is now in the shop.  Looks Scrumptious! 

More...

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Wedding garters!  Making these is like scrapbooking.  Once you get started arranging and stacking embellishments, it's hard to stop.  Plus, all the stuff was out and I was supposed to be working on PAID orders, so, obviously, I was creating something else!   The chocolate brown satin and organza embellishments are so lush together. 


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And this one ... Black, White, And ... Glitz or Kitsch?  Just in case someone is in the market for a piratey garter with the jolly roger button like I made yesterday, I've got another one ready.  However, I wasn't going to add that embellishment permanently yet.  There is an option here to go Glam with a black ribbon, satin yo-yo, and rhinestone button.  Talk about dressing up or dressing down! 

The Pirate's Bride

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This week I've been working on a young friend's bridal finery.  She is having an outdoor wedding Saturday.  Thank goodness a big rain is wiping out the humidity as I write, and I understand we should have some lovely summer days through the 4th!  Here's hoping; this is South Carolina, so it can be quite muggy.  The bride is young and cute and forgot that the rest of us might not hold up to lovliness for the duration of the wedding in the heat and humidity.  That and mosquitos!  I think I'll be wearing one of those new clip-on bug inhibitors.  Maybe if it's embellished, no one will notice. 

Back to the bride:  My creative help involved embellishing the veil by handsewing floral lace with little pearls all around the edge and then a coordinating string of rhinestone flowers across the edge of the comb.  Very simple and so sweet.  The bride is a little thing with a mop of red curly hair.  She doesn't need much embellishment herself! 
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The wedding decor is lovely in teals and white, but for the groom, all things pirate are in order.  So, here and there will be little details of the piratey sort.  Thus, the garter.  Isn't it great?  I had just discovered this little jolly roger embroidery when the bride told me her idea.  How perfect! 

For The Wedding Planner

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A couple of new embroidery designs for the newly engaged and upcoming bride and groom are available for sewing out.    These will look great on t-shirts, bags, acessories, home dec, etc. 
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Please contact me at my calicodaisy handmade shop if you would like to design something special. 

 (The actual digital embroidery designs are not for sale.) 

On a related subject of weddings, my 22nd wedding anniversary is today!  Too bad we don't plan ahead ... this could have been a beautiful 3-day weekend away. 

calicodaisy on Etsy Weddings Showcase

Today I have a spot on the Etsy Weddings Showcase.  If you pop over, use the drop down menu on the showcase page to choose "weddings."

Of course, I purchased the spot earlier in the month to showcase my wedding garters and hoped I chose a day when upcoming brides and their moms were cruising Etsy. 

Have you used this option before when listing your items?  Twice last year I purchased spots, once in the Ultimate Bridal Shower and once in the Baby category, and it worked out well for me.  Even though I only sold one or two items on each of those days, the exposure and return customers were worth it.  Plus, both times new customers had great ideas for me which added to my inventory list. 
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To participate, just go to the "Your Etsy" page.  At the far right of your listed items, you'll see the "promote" option.  Just click that and follow the path to choosing the proper category and date to be showcased. 
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Too bad I forgot about my showcase day this week!  I had plans for some ring bearer pillows and more casual garters with embroidered monograms.  I'll just have to do it again when I'm ready.  This pretty flower is destined to top a ring bearer pillow.  Love the 3-D look for this little presentation of loveliness. 

Pretty In Pink and Lime Green

While surrounded by a mountain of paperwork, all I want to do is get creative.  I'm not allowed, though.  I must finish 2009 before 2011 arrives.  

Nearly there:  All papers are now organized in monthly folders and receipts in corresponding envelopes.  Look close, and you'll see Jan and Feb 2010 are already filed as well.  All that's left is to itemize the individual items in the proper accounting categories.  Won't my accountant be happy with me!!  There is just the little matter of payment that must be attached....   

Between duties, then, I want to show off the pretty Ballerina Bride garter above.   The lace is so filmy.  I'm so anxious for a real bride to choose one of the little creations I've added to the handmade fair shop. 

Oh, and a new crocheted scarf design is on my shelves.  The Shelly Scarf is designed by me -- not too difficult -- with a pattern in the works, but this one is in the shop.  I've done all the math so one can make it longer.  The scarf works up very quick, probably around 90 minutes, as I've used a large crochet hook.  Use a smaller hook and thinner yarn, and you would have a very filmy, lacy confection around the neck!  What do you think?  Isn't it great how it rolls up and looks like a rosette? 

Something Old, Something New

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Well, everything new here, but the sentiment tells the story.  One of my BFF's in Atlanta is soon to be the mother-of-the-bride!  That has put us in the wedding crafting mode, and I've taken on the bridal garter design and ring pillow.  This rosette design with ivory lace is my favorite. 

I couldn't stop at just one of course! 
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Playing with my light stands in the living room:  

This shoot was set up on the piano bench with the light stand very close to the subjects.  Lots of practice needed and numerous attempts at getting the lighting right.  My photos still required the flickr editor to correct the exposure.