fruits of my week off

I took a few weeks off to gather myself and find direction for this blog (amongst other things), which I'll write more about later. I played mom-nurse to two sick kids for a week, too. But most importantly, I was learning to sew! 

Many months back, I stayed up until 3 am reading the entire Ermie blog from it's beginning post. When I got to the part where Jennifer launched her own line, I actually cried. The next morning, with only a few broken hours of sleep fueling my inspiration, I pulled out the broken sewing machine I'd owned for years and decided to finally learn the basics. Chris fixed it up for me and I learned well enough how to wind the bobbin and thread the upper thread, but life took some crazy turns, and I didn't touch the machine again until last week (the lower thread proves trickier, right!) 

I've had Jenny's enticing Wiksten tank pattern waiting in my dresser for several months with the promise that I would learn to do something with it. Seeing her creations in pattern form years back was a hefty influence in my wanting to make my own clothes. After reading Jenny's pattern, it was so very clear that I decided to just dive in, to use the pattern to help me learn my machine, learn sewing, all of it, even though I'd never sewn so much as a napkin.  

I headed to JoAnn's 50% off rack for some cotton fabric and found several cottons that were reminiscent of the garments in my Japanese craft books.  

After encountering a little snafu with my machine while sewing on the pocket, I sulked around for hours, cut a larger pocket to cover the mishap, and finally bought a seam ripper before it hit me: I will not replace this pocket! This imperfect pocket is the mark of my learning. This pocket says, "Someone made me. with her hands (and machine). while materializing a life long aspiration!"  Well, it says that to me.  And this mindset is just as much a feat for me as the sewing itself, I tell you; I'll likely wince at the pocket a few more times before completely believing my pep talk. 

I must say, it feels great to learn something new and love it, to overcome the challenges and feel as pleased with the outcome as the process. I fell in love with sewing from the second I began to cut the pattern, and my love only grew with each stitch and every "aha! that's what those lines on the needle plate are for!" type moment. 

I've wanted to sew for an incredibly long time and now that I know how much I love doing it, I'm certain it will stay a special part of my life. 

I can't recommend Jenny's pattern enough. It's easy to follow (it taught me to sew, after all!), the tank is such a flattering fit, and the pattern also provides a longer dress version. I expect I'll return to this pattern over and over again. My 2012 summer will be draped in it, for sure! 

Now, this new, hard-earned tank of mine needs a name, I think.  The first person to comment with a name shall name it (but we'd all love to hear additional suggestions.) 

What are your experiences with sewing? What's the last thing you made? Is there anything holding you back from trying?

Up next: more Finnish blogs and names, and a very exciting Ask segment with one of my favorite people.  




(p.s. I'm not drinking liquor while breast feeding; The beverage pictured is a club soda with olives! )

finnish names - part three

These three beautiful images come to us from a Finnish blog, run by Satu Palander--author, photographer and curator. 

bamarik, run by Outi, "an active seeker, interested in life, nature, people and adventures", is a must visit.

finlandia, run by Essi, is a "frame of mind and a collection of photographs".  I'm envious of all the mushroom hunts.

lumetta, run by Ritva, who loves "snow and silence, old and worn out things",  is so pretty.  Visit and get your snow fix if you're missing pretty fluffs this year in your neck of the woods. 

himalainen --  so pretty.

Varpunen ('sparrow') is run by Suki, mom to Varpu ('twig').  Don't these names sound so nice together? 

 Road Trip in Finland -- lots of design, lots of Finland. 

Yes, today I'm turning to the more modern in both entertainment and names: blogs and word names. There are a host of lovely Finnish blogs to please your senses, and some to get you thinking, as well.  When my first post in this series was included on a Finnish society and culture page on ScoopIt (curated by Ulla Saikku), I immediately began checking out all of the great sources there. I loved this article, in particular, on the successes of the Finnish education system.   

The beauty that abounds in the Finnish blogosphere is vast.  It's so vast, in fact, that there will be one more post on Finnish blogs and word names to follow this one! 

In addition to those pictured above, here are some more Finnish blogs for our first collection of links:

manteli --a mother and fantastic photographer is serving up slices of life. If snow, craft projects and wide-planked wooden floors are what you're craving, fill up your plate here.

Maaman Uuni --mother of six (no, I don't know their names!) and finder of pretty pictures and words.

minulta (formerly chocolate circus)--a portrait of a beautiful Finnish family life and stunning images.
I'm smitten with this home. 

oh! the light today --so pretty and fun to read.

Lehmuskujala --pretty images and even music.

VIA --run by artist and mother Liivia. I've long had her images amongst my flickr favorites, but only just recently have I discovered her accompanying blog, much to my happy surprise. Her traveling lifestyle with her sweet little girl will fuel your wanderlust.

In keeping with the more modern, I turn now to word names.  Here are some Finnish words that sound very much like names to my ear. Please correct me if I've gotten something wrong, and thank you in advance:

the virtuous and spiritual:
Aito (true/ genuine)

Autuus (bliss)

Halu (wish/desire)

Henki (spirit)

Ilo (joy)

Kappeli (chapel)

Koti (home)

Ohimo (temple)

Onni (fortune/luck)

Osa (fate / destiny)

Rauha (peace)

Sisko (sister)

Sivi (chase)

Toivoa (hope) (verb)

Toivo (hope) (noun)

Tosi and Totta (true)

Unelma ( dream/ day dream)

Usko (faith)

Uusi (new)

Veli (brother)

Ykseys (unity)

trade and craft:

Kutoja (weaver)

Lanka (yarn)

Merimies (sailor)

Mylläri (miller)

Neula (needle)

Ommel (stitch)

Seppo (smith)

Vasara (hammer)

the musical:
Balladi (ballad)

Harppu (harp)

Kello (bell)

Kantel (the national instrument and part of the ballads used for kalevala)

Laulu (song)

Laulelma (tune/ditty)

Sointu (chime or note)

the literary:
Eepos (an epic)

Kertova ( an epic narrative)

Runo (poem)

Satu (fairytale)

Tarina (tale, story)

Taru (story, great myth)

and from today's bloggers (all female):
Satu


Outi


Essi


Ritva


Suki


Varpu


Ulla


Livia 

I hope you will savor the links and names over the coming months. My intention is always for each post to be something to return to, rather than something to digest all at once (thus the tidy archives, so you can put it out of your mind and know it's bookmarked here for you, so there's never a need for mad link clicking and speedy viewing). Still, I hope the list doesn't overwhelm, just the same. 

Any favorite Finnish blogs of your own?

Up next in the series: more blogs, word names, nature names, and naming practices. 

Happy week!

baby alba

When I came across this beautiful family last week (thank you Leigh and Elizabeth),  I wondered about and marveled at many a thing.  When I went to the blog We Live Young to read about the home birth of their daughter--you all know I relish a great birth story-- I was equally blown away by their lives and names.  Nirrimi (sister Pixie) and Matt have so eloquently documented their journeys through pregnancy and birth, and shared bits of their exciting lives with us.   I'd say traveling the world as career photographers and film makers at the age of eighteen is pretty exciting, anyway. 

Make no doubt about it, they're young, but quite ahead of the game--no, they aren't even playing it--and show a wisdom and readiness beyond their years.  I wonder, perhaps, if this might be attributed to the pursuit and development of passionate interests as children (a luxury we often assume belongs only to adults, as our kids spend hours a day behind desks).  I wonder if it might also be attributed to seeing so much of the world so early--sewing oats by traveling to India at sixteen, rather than engaging in drug binges at twenty. from never being told "you can't", "that's just not realistic" or "this is just the way the world works; get in or get left behind." I wonder if it might come from encouragement over fear, from cups filled with as much play and beauty as competition and productivity. Then I wonder if this might be the way of coming generations, with so much information and so many resources at their fingertips, assuming we are able to let them dream and explore.  Wondering doesn't make it so, of course.  But I like this picture, just the same. 

Their beautiful new daughter's name (oh man, is she squishy)?
Alba Joy Firebrace (she took Mom's surname. )

This is one name story I can not wait to hear.  

Congratulations Nirrimi and Josh! and Welcome baby Alba! 

(images: all courtesy we live young)

Myrtle

 

Myrtle is a delightful new shop in L.A.'s Echo Park neighborhood, run by Whitney Bickers, which is stocked solely by independent female designers! How about that? Designers from MCMC fragrances to Shabd to Fieldguided to Dusen Dusen (first image) to Filly (second image) fill the shop, which looks so cozy with it's rosy hues and vintage touches. The shop's accompanying blog is also full of pretties, and here is why Whitney chose the name Myrtle.  I can't help but look at Myrtle now and see a name just as stylish, laid back and beautiful as this shop and the goods it caries. 

-- images: all courtesy of Myrtle. first row by Kate Miss, store shots by Jennifer Parry Dodge of Ermie

When I was laboring with Valo June, there were several natural elements that welcomed my focus throughout much of the labor: namely the sunlight on my ivory bedroom walls and a beautiful crape myrtle tree outside my window-- the wind was blowing and it was practically snowing it's white blooms. We were in hot pursuit of an -o ending name, and Valo 'light' was perfectly appropriate to the setting in which our baby  met the earth, but we didn't even consider Myrtle.  

Since growing into a more bonafide name lover, I've often found myself asking why Myrtle wasn't given a better look by us, even if it ultimately went unchosen.  Given my penchant for words that end in -le, and my unwavering love of the word/name Myrrh (not to mention my adoration of "old lady" names), Myrtle seems like a combination of sounds that would really light a spark with me and so many others. At the time, though, I just couldn't hear it's natural melody for some of it's previous associations.

Well, in just shy of two years, my ears have seen the light. heard the light. heard the music of Myrtle, and after meeting Whitney's shop, my associations have been beautifully rewritten.  If you, too, are ready to shake any old, unsavory associations with what is really a beautifully melodic word chock-full of positive meaning, head on over to Myrtle's blog to free your mind. 

Myrtle  -- a nature name, names the evergreen shrub and the crepe myrtle tree, among other plants.

Myrtice or Myrtia -- variants of Myrtle.

Mercia -- is an ancient Roman deity connected to the myrtle plant, also known as 'Venus of the myrtle', with versions Murtia and Murtea, as well. Christian scholars later interpreted her as the goddess of sloth and laziness, but this is thought to be very inaccurate, so don't let it deter you if you love it!  Mercy makes a nice nickname, as well as a nice name on it's own.

Myrrh -- (or Myr)  my favorite nickname option for Myrtle, and a fantastic stand alone choice for a name.  a nature name within a nature name!

Tilly -- she could also go by 'Tilly', should you want to honor a relative, Myrtle, but aren't so pleased with  her name-- I do hope you'll come around, though.

In addition, being that there are so many different types of myrtle plants, there are several good smoosh potentials here for middle names, whether you smoosh them or hyphenate is up to you, of course:

Honey-Myrtle 


Rosemyrtle


Grey-Myrtle


Bayberry -- another name for one type of myrtle plant.

Sweet-Gale -- yet another name for the previously mentioned plant, and a fresh way to spice up Gale/Gail for any of us with familial ties we'd like to honor.  I rather like Ada Sweet-Gale (AHH-dah). Remember, the middle name's greatest attribute (and biggest shame) is that it doesn't usually see any use, so be adventuresome if it pleases you!

If you need reasons beyond the wonders of nature to get behind Myrtle, there's no shortage of human namesakes: a Hawaiian princess, a baroness, and plenty of literary references, as well.

Ultimately, many may still have too many "old lady" associations with the name, but like all generational associations, these too shall pass. And they will pass ever more quickly in an age where things are put out to pasture and then revived as cool relics quicker than ever before.

Do you have trouble hearing the purer sounds of names, free of any past associations with them? How easy is it to change your associations? Is it a matter of simply replacing them with new ones, or does challenging them on a philosophical level ("Aunt Ethel was awesome, why shouldn't I?") work for you?  Have you been to the shop? Don't you love the female designer theme it's got going on?!

I think as people are more and more inclined to seek meaning in the names they select, Myrtle will be picked up for it's beauty and nature associations, and perhaps for it's sentimental ties to a bygone era full of people we've loved. Yes, that's right, maybe even for it's ties to the "old ladies" who taught us to sew, jar pickles, and make perfect biscuits.    

The old ladies are alright!