Jessica Flores Design

A Birthday Dress

 My little flutterbudget turns five in two weeks.  She is spunky, perceptive, thoughtful, creative and bright, and she is growing up. This has been a summer of many milestones for Elnora Grace.  In the last month she has begun to buckle herself in her booster, she can ride about a mile to the end of the road with me on her bicycle with training wheels, she is jumping in the pool and going underwater like a flying fish, and she has become speckled with her first freckles, which she is more than delighted to share with anyone who cares to look closely at her little nose (and that one spot behind her elbow.)  These may seem like small everyday things to take for granted, but I think every mom knows how the littlest steps forward can tug at the heart and start us thinking about first rides on the bus, slumber parties and gossip, or send us off contemplating the last time a little hand will reach up for ours while walking to the school steps.  

Luckily, I have one more year to savor the littlegirlhood of preschool, and luckily, Nora still likes to wear the silly homemade things I make for her--like this party dress I finished yesterday with Heather Bailey and Amy Butler fabrics. 

Now before you start thinking how on the ball I am with this birthday dress, please keep in mind that this was supposed to be her Easter dress.  Three months later, I finally finished it.  But not before several hours of grumbling, ripping out seams, tugging on slippery fabric, and becoming ruffled with ruffles. . . I thought I would make a vow never to sew another garment again and then I pop it over her darling head, she twirls and giggles, and I want to sit right down and make her three more.  It's madness.  

The shirring on this was so much fun!  If you are a stitcher and haven't tried it, go get yourself a bobbin full of elastic thread and gather up some necklines!  I really can't wait to use this simple pattern for some flannel jammies and shorten it up for a couple of swing tops for school.  Can you blame me?!  She likes them, and before I know it, she'll be rolling her eyes at the mention of anything made by her mother!

Fun in the Sun

  Here are some pics from our glorious day at the Briar Patch last month.  Gasp!  Has it been a month already?  I know, that greeting is becoming all too familiar here, but summer is flying by as usual, and there's just no time to blog!  
 There are vacations to be had, parades to watch and join, pools to float in, sprinklers to run in, weeds to pull, and fruit to pick!  
 Thank you to everyone who came out to shop from my wares and also Mom's fantastic creations, including this gorgeous new collage.  Don't ask--I've got dibs on it!  How cute does that look next to my yoyo posies?!

I have been finding some nooks and crannies in my busy schedule to create.  This fine little zipper pouch found a new home via the Briar Patch event, and I'm working on a few new ones with wristlets.

I'm really excited about the new farmgirl cards. Two designs are ready to print, and I'm hoping to debut four of them at a private trunk show in September.  This will probably be at my home.  If you're interested in attending, please send me a note.  It will be a great time to get deals on the summer items I need to get rid of, grab some new fall styles, and place custom orders for the holidays while browsing through my fabric stash!

Time for bed.  Tomorrow brings another play date at the sprinkler park and maybe some time at the sewing machine in the afternoon! 

It's Gettin' Hot in Here!

 Well folks, the Johnny Bob room is heatin' up!  We have no AC out here on the frontier, and my machine has been buzzing along to help fill the booth at this year's Briar Patch Folk Art Gathering in Plymouth this Saturday. Go check out their blog for more information.  I just finished sprucing up their site with a new banner, content and borders.  Mom and I will be sharing a space again to showcase our latest creations:  antique key pendants, collage cards, altered antique glass bottles, scrappy scarves, headbands, pillows, and these darling little triangle wristlets and/or coin purses made from oilcloth.  
Nora thinks they look like little scones, and I've promised her one after the show.  

I've also been collecting jars for a while to turn into gift containers. 
   I tried my hand at etching some of them, but I'm not sure I arrived at the look I was after. 
   Either way, these make a fun, affordable way to store your craft supplies, cosmetics, candies, or present a gift.  They make me smile when I look at the sun glittering through them on my window sill every day.  

I was hoping to debut my new set of Farmgirl cards at this week's event, but I just can't foresee how I'll find the time to finish them.  So many projects, so little time, so much summer to savor!  Maybe next show.  I'm shooting for ArtBeat in downtown South Bend and a private trunk show at my house later in the summer.  I've been tossing around the idea of these home trunk shows quite a bit lately, but I'm not sure I'm ready to become your next friendly Tupperwear lady just yet.  When I have a show on my radar, I put everything on the back burner and get disappointed in myself when the dust piles up, or time is lost with Nora.  I'm just trying to keep things a little more even keel, but a girl can dream!  Once next week arrives, I've got a date with a very weedy garden and some smudgy windows!  

A Southern Holiday

Over Memorial Day I traded my peony gardens in full bloom for a neighborhood full of magnolias.  Our destination was Nashville, Tennessee.  My little sister flew south solitary as a black bird as soon as she was finished with High school and started making music in Music City. 
Her new home--Hillsboro Village-- has been our favorite getaway since.  Beautiful craftsman bungalows with tidy little front yards line the streets, and the village is full of friendly folks, fun boutiques, and famous landmarks like the historic Belcourt theatre and the Pancake Pantry.  The vibe is laid back, the weather is always better than what we have here, and you just can't beat the southern hospitality--especially when it means a free place to crash. 
 On this trip we happened to be throwing a housewarming of sorts for Regan's new apartment.  I'm sure our piles of damp shoes near the door, mattresses shoved into every corner, and toys littering the floor all weekend did much to break that house right in!  
 My sister's style is bohemian, natural, effortless.  I think she has some kind of gypsy superpowers that allow her to pull items from her closet blindfolded, twirl her fingers through her hair, and walk out the door looking like a primeval forest sprite.  Besides the natural curls and waif-like figure, I have discovered a couple of her secrets:  scarves

and boots.  

The scarf thing I can almost pull off.  The boots have yet to be proven, but I'm feelin' like I need to git me some.  

Though we stayed for less than three days, we packed a lot of R&R in.  My favorite moments were lunch with my hubby at Noshville Deli, a nap, and a trip to Cheekwood Gardens to see a Chihuly exhibit!  Check it out!!: 
We had planned on traveling up to Meijer gardens in MI this summer to see the exhibit there, but were thrilled when we found out we could catch one here! 

After a few days of so much excitement, inspiration and money blowing, our responsibilities and roots called us home.

It's always so hard saying good bye, leaving little sister all alone in the big city to make her own way.  
 This time my parents stayed on a little longer, and it was easier to let go in the parking lot of the good ol' Cracker Barrell.  
It was leaving that quiet, careless little space in time called "vacation" that was the biggest bummer.  As we drove north, I wondered if I really would miss home if we decided to uproot and move south for good--enjoy the mild weather, the art and culture of a bigger city.  But then the smoky mountains rolled down into flat green expanses of corn, and the hazy evening sun began to bathe the horizon in that peach fuzz glow that lights everything up like a pair of rose-tinted glasses. Harry the Dirty Dog welcomed us with a mischievous smile as we pulled into the driveway of the little casa we're working so hard to make a home, and I knew it wasn't just responsibility and roots pulling us here.  It was our heartstrings too.

Meet Me at the Lily!

I'm working on some new items for this show today, including a cute little zipper pouch from recycled tablecloth fabric, and another drawstring bag.  I'll also have this one for sale if it lasts on my Etsy site until the end of the week.  

 

Hope to see you there!

Soaking up Summer

The weather around these parts has been downright summery the last few days, and we've wasted no time soaking up the heat, wishing we could store it away for the next dreary 50 degree Indiana day.  My garden is in its prime with peonies nodding heavy on slender stems and purple irises shooting up like exclamation points in the soft waves of color. 
 We have splashed in the sprinkler, 

 enjoyed some silly time in the hammock
 , enjoyed some more silly time in the hammock with good friends
 feasted at a picnic in the shade of the front lawn, picked herbs fresh from the garden for dinner
 , and played all kinds of pretend.  Nora has taken to naming just about every inanimate object around the house.  
 This little wagon has been donned "little red," and when she found my great-great grandmother's dust cap in my linen drawer in the kitchen, she decided it was the perfect accessory for Little Red Riding Hood to wear while pulling "Little Red" and slurping a ice pop--red of course.  

After three hot humid days, a lightening storm popped up and knocked out the electricity on my way home from work.  For three hours we lived like Laura and Mary.  While Nora quietly looked through a new stack of library books in the "parlor", I cooked up a simple dinner on the hearth (gas stove), and Pa went to work digging out the new patio in the lingering heat.  While we waited for the power to come back, I enjoyed a long quiet walk to the end of the road. . . and came back to find Nora helping with the digging.  
 The treasure hunting uncovered some marvelous rocks and a bit of electrical wire. 
 After a bath and some good books, Little Red Riding Hood is sleeping soundly as the frogs peep loudly from the open windows and fans whir in the corners of the bedrooms.  My neck is achy from work, my wheels are turning with some business ideas and projects I want to share, and I'm anxious about leaving my own Little Red with a babysitter tomorrow, but my bedtime prayer is full of more thanks than petition tonight as I lay myself down to sleep.  Good night from our little house near the small woods!

 

Country Girl in the City

 
  Thanks to all of you who came out to see me at Urban Lily yesterday and purchase a thing or two.  We had a great day selling our wares, meeting new folks and chatting about future projects.   A special thank you to Amanda, who graciously opened her boutique to me for the day and made me feel so welcome.
  She even shared her mannequins!  Now I have a picture to share of one of my wrap-around tops!  Isn't that necklace adorable too?  If it's still there on my next trip, I'm going to have to snag it.  During the afternoon I was able to embroider the band of another one in black.  It's going to be a challenge to keep these available for my customers, though.  I want to wear them so badly myself!

I left all of my merchandise at the store, so you can check it out there anytime for the next couple of weeks.  Here's the really fabulous news, though, if you didn't get a chance to come out yesterday:  Urban Lily is hosting a "cultural bazarre" during South Bend's First Friday event on June 4.  I'll be there with even more goodies and will be joined by several other artists. We'll be set up from noon to 9 pm (though I can't guarantee I'll be staying that late into the evening.  It will probably be 6 pm for me).  Hopefully we'll have sunnier weather than yesterday (and smoother hair and table cloths!).  

Until then, I will be cleaning house, trippin' down south to help my little sis set up house in a new apartment, enjoying the beginning of "school's out!" days, and trying to stitch up some new headbands, tops, scarves, pillows and more just for you!  

You Are Invited

 I found this sweet little flier on my Facebook page this afternoon posted by Urban Lily.  Don't I feel special?!  Please note the extended hours.  We're also working on setting up a second showing during South Bend's First Friday event in June.  Stay tuned for details!

Freebies this Friday!

 

Just stopping in on this rainy afternoon to let you know about a special offer at my show this Friday at the Urban Lily in South Bend.  Stop in between 12 noon and 5 pm and receive a free yoyo posie with any purchase from my collection!  Amanda will also be offering a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate to the shop, so come on in and shop for some lovlies to make your summer wardrobe extra stylish.  

 

Happy 100th!

 Just after I clicked "publish" on my last post, I noticed a tiny little counter on my dashboard reading "99" beside the number of posts published to this blog.  Since then, I've felt a little timid about writing this auspicious entry.  I don't have an epiphany to share today or a sentimental journey through the last three years.  As much as I love this cozy little corner of my world,  I'm lucky if I find the time to upload one picture a week.  Today would be a great time to run down a list of resolutions for the next 100 posts worth of life, but I'd much rather resolve to simply live:  to soak up life without listening to that nagging voice in the back of my mind trying to find the words to describe the moment on the blog, or regretting that the camera is not at hand.  Remember that holiday not-to-do list from December?  I'm penning one for the summer.  

The one thing I immediately knew I would share on this 100th post is my very first sewing project.  
 Nora found this little guy upstairs at my mom's house while they were cleaning out my old closet.  I remember my grandma Ginnie helping me make him at her house when I was little -- I can't remember how old I was -- I can remember the names of 90% of the people I meet on a day-to-day basis, but ask me how old I was when I first went to summer camp or met my best friend from elementary school, and I'm at a loss. I do know I must have been older than 6 or 7, because the stitches on the edges are pretty darned straight and consistent in size.  Don't ask me exactly what kind of creature it is or why he's crying.  I don't remember being particularly sad when I made it.  

I'd like to think I've come a long way since that first project. Last week I made a special little tote for my mom for Mother's Day.  She needed a little something to take her knitting out in. 
Version two features one of the quilt blocks I picked up at the Country Living Fair back in September.  I was thrilled to get a call from one of my friends today who wanted to buy one of my scrappy scarves and see a few new bags.  She ended up snatching this one before I even had the chance to post it here.   
 The pattern was adapted from an Amy Butler design, and I've got some more alterations to make before I can claim it as my own and market them in earnest (I'm picky about the plagiarism thing). Look for similar ones at the Urban Lily show next Friday along with a darling new bag I call "Hazel Goes to Vegas."  

Thanks to all of you who stop in to read about my latest creations, encourage me through your comments and support my hobby with your purchases, however small.  There have been plenty of times when I've thought about packing all of the feedsack up and sending it to the Goodwill.  Just the moment I do, one of you blesses me with a compliment on a project or post or grabs something from my Etsy store.  You remind me to hold to a favorite verse from Proverbs: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy."

 I'm counting on much life and joy in the next 100 posts.  I hope you'll continue to follow along.

Love,

Jessica