viola & pearl

she wanted an american indian costume

2011-08-06T06:52:00.002-05:00

Aud's microsuede poncho is based on this simple tutorial, the skirt a basic, elasticized waist style with an uneven fringe. I made the headpiece by braiding and tying long fabric strips embellished with feathers and a few spare beads I had around, with bits and pieces of the same for the necklace pendant. The moccasins are by Minnetonka. Birthday and Halloween knocked out in one 2 hour punch? Check.

handmade birthday for the two year old

2011-07-12T07:38:00.001-05:00

Painted wooden lizard by Aud...

Painted ceramic bobble-head robot by Gage...

and a squeezable, wool felt and fleece monster friend by me.

simple yoke dress and blouse

2011-05-16T06:00:00.003-05:00

My search for a simple, adaptable, yoke dress pattern for Aud eventually found its answer in a nightgown pattern, Simplicity 8488. (This sleeve, btw, is not the one in the pattern.) The fabric is a lightweight corduroy I found at JoAnn's. In the winter, we layered it with a brown, long sleeved tee, tights and boots. For spring, this dress and shiny, fuschia Saltwaters make for a easy, cool outfit for church or play.

I made this version last fall from an Amy Butler Lotus fabric and the skirt from a Denyse Schmidt County Fair dot, which, serendipitously, matched perfectly, and were both in my stash. Love when that happens.

easter sewing for the boys

2011-05-02T06:00:00.022-05:00

Long overdue Liberty tie for the big boy using this tutorial...

A matching tie-appliquéd tee shirt for the little boy using my favorite appliqué technique from Last Minute Patchwork & Quilted Gifts...

And a simple pair of pants made from yellowish tan pinstripe denim.

(Not the best color description. It's actually a nice color.)

I made these from my trusty, cloth diaper ready pants pattern,

but cloth and I are on a break, hence the rolled waist.

Austin, Round One

2011-04-25T11:25:00.001-05:00

Rich and I went to Austin last 4th of July weekend. He dragged me around to various cycling shops (which I secretly enjoyed) and the capital (many, many steps) and I dragged him through quirky antique stores, handmade boutiques and fabric stores (at which point he decided to nap in the car). If you ever get a chance to visit Austin, I highly recommend it! Only an hour or so into our visit, we began reworking our 10-year plan to somehow accommodate an extended stint in this super cool city.

Some of the highlights of our weekend:

Mellow Johnny's, the bike shop/training center/cafe owned by Lance Armstrong, the kind of shop that makes a non-cyclist (like me) seriously consider making the change. Good coffee, too, always scores big in my book.

South Congress Street, also known as SoCo, home to iconic Allens Boots, curious goods and kitschy antiques at Uncommon Objects, St. Vincent de Paul, a vintage thrift store that my high school friends and I haunted back in the day (still going strong), locally handmade goods at Parts and Labour (basically felt like walking into Etsy embodied), and Amy's Ice Cream (mmm...Coffee Toffee...). Just to name a few.

And then there was Stitch Lab. Okay, so we're driving down some random street in Austin, just taking in the sights, when we pass a cute, little blue bungalow with a sign out front that says Stitch Lab. What?! Totally forgot that this shop, which I'd heard about for years, was in Austin. Our lucky day! (Right, honey?) Upon entering the store, I walk smack into the middle of a sewing class being taught by none other than Tina Sparkles, whom I used to watch on Stylelicious along with her other Austin Craft Mafia buds. An hour and a half later, I blissfully emerged with several cuts of lovely fabrics, Sublime Stitching patterns (love!), a stack of wool felt and a recommendation for what turned out to be an amazing local Indian restaurant. I have to tell you, I totally geeked out in there (as evidenced by the fact that I took a picture of the girl cutting my AMH voile; note the graciously tolerant smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes). This is what becomes of a person who lives in a city with no decent - modern - fabric shops and sewing classes.

Couldn't get a decent shot, but I had to share this great collection of vintage embroidery...

The haul:

And the perfect finish: sharing Indian takeout on the grounds of the Long Center, unparalleled people watching (picture an old hippie/cowboy in skintight jeans dancing the two step alone with his eyes closed in the street for a good hour or so, just by way of example), listening to the Austin symphony bang out Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture with real cannons, and watching fireworks light up the Texas sky. So good.

hanging with the other freeloaders outside the fence...

On the off chance you haven't wandered over here from mmmcrafts, the reason I dug these old pictures out from last July is that my bff Larissa and I have a trip planned to Austin in May! I have been trying to get Larissa to Austin for a crafty girl weekend for, like, ever. This is her teaser. And, as if Austin didn't have enough to offer already, it just so happens that this year's Renegade Craft Fair coincides with the trip I'd already planned to visit my folks who live down the road, so I talked (pleaded, cajoled, demanded) Larissa into flying over to meet me. Yay! I feel a serious geek attack coming on.

hankies for dad

2011-04-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

I made these simple handkerchiefs recently for my hankie-toting dad. Best I can recall, they're the first handmade gift I've given him since painting a rock in his image complete with sunshine yellow hair and a black-red slash mouth back in my kinder years. (Dad's hair was black at the time, but the black and red had run together, so obviously yellow was the next logical choice.) That rock was an overwhelming success. I know that because it still resides on his office desk.

These handkerchiefs are simple 16x16-inch squares with a 1/4 inch hem. One new technique I tried out was to sew along the raw edges half an inch in using my machine's seam guide (making what would become the new finished edge) before turning the hem. Doing so made my pressed edge much crisper and saved me from all of the precise measuring and marking that typically go along with hemming.

patchwork shower curtain

2011-04-04T17:09:00.001-05:00

My kids were enchanted by their cousins' bathroom last time we visited their house. My sister-in-law has transformed the small utilitarian space into an underwater paradise complete with a swirly, turquoise faux finish on the walls, ceramic tropical fish hanging from the ceiling and every fish-themed bathroom accessory known to retaildom. Very nice and very kid-centric. And while I greatly admire her generosity, both with her time and an entire room of her house, I'm not quite there. This was our compromise.

(Excuse the poor photo quality. This bathroom is dark with a capital D. I did my best for ya.)

Funny thing - I actually found a shower curtain that I LOVED from Target after I'd already raided my stash for the fabrics for this one (inspired by AMH's Seams to Me curtain). The Target curtain was right there, so affordable, so cute, the perfect colors (more on that later) and (drum roll, please) ready to hang. I snapped a shot and sent it to Larry then and there to share my good fortune, snatched the thing up and bought it lickety split. It was only after I left the store that I got her response which basically ran along these lines: "Love it. So much I bought it myself a few weeks back."

And now you know at least 40% of the story of our friendship. Is every BFF relationship so simpatico? It's a good thing we lives several states apart and have to do most of our communication via email or we'd basically be the same person.

In the end, because I am the Queen of Indecisiveness, I went back to my original plan, which was to make my own customized, patchwork shower curtain. I've been drawn to this color combo for some reason lately - pumpkin, turquoise, and spring green with bits of brown. Since I have one girl and 2 boys, I tried to give a nod to all three in my fabric selection, since it is, after all, their bathroom. Theoretically speaking.

Bits of floral Liberty print for Aud, fun little cars and vans for Ash, and simple plaids for Gage, my big kid, plus a few more of my favorites.

Construction details: The strips are ripped and top stitched down. So simple. I made the entire project even simpler by purchasing a super soft, creamy twin sheet from Target to use as the background fabric. (It was one of these, but my flat sheet was packaged separately, so I didn't have to buy an entire set. Cha-ching!) I didn't want to piece lengths of fabric together for the wide curtain and I really didn't want to buy major yardage, so a sheet was the perfect solution at about $10.

I flipped the sheet upside down so that I could use the nice wide top hem as the bottom of the curtain, cut off the narrow hem (formerly the foot of the sheet), adjusted the length and added a simple rod pocket. I wanted it longer than a traditional shower curtain, so I hung an extra pressure-mounted rod and raised it up about ten inches over my existing rod and liner. The width of the sheet was perfect - when it's completely closed, it's very slightly gathered.

I'm in love with John Golden. His "By Order of the Management" prints suit my benevolent dictatorship style of parenting perfectly. It was so hard to decide. They're genius, I tell you. Brush Your Teeth, Wash Your Hands, Mind Your Manners and Go Ask Your Father went across from the sinks.

Wash Behind Your Ears and Wipe the Seat went beside the shower and over the toilet. (Two boys, remember? John, how about a Lift the Seat sign next?)

By the way, if you like these prints, I just saw that JG has a store wide 25% off sale going on over at his Etsy shop. I think that started the week after I ordered my prints. Nice, huh? Still love him though.

Simplicity 2876

2011-02-21T20:57:00.001-06:00

This winter I took on my toughest apparel project yet - a lined, winter coat for Audrey. I was inspired yet again by the classic lines and beautiful textiles of Bonpoint's winter line for girls this past season. Alas, I was reticent to spend $300 for a girl's coat, no matter how beautiful. Enter Simplicity 2876. I tweaked a bit here and there, shortening the longer coat while keeping the pockets (which weren't on the shorter version) and simplifying some of the construction details that I found overly tedious and fussy. The tweed was a chance I took on an online purchase (my first from Mood) that totally paid off. Working with quality fabric is so worth the extra cost.

I was reminded of that fact while fighting with my chosen lining, which was out of my stash and ended up being somewhat of a nightmare. That's what I get for buying a cheap-y nylon blend. A fraying, snagging nightmare. Lesson learned for next time.

In the end, though, Aud's happy with its purple-y shine and I'm happy with the slightly stuffy tweed, so we're all good. I'm willing to make some small compromises as I force my own understated aesthetic on my effervescent daughter, who once informed me that "pink and sparkly go with everything".

I get so happy when I see little details like these sleeve bands. Can you see the little bits of brown in the tweed? It's hard to see clearly in these photos, but I love how these chunky brown buttons bring that out. I browsed handmade, wooden buttons on Etsy forever, then came across these at Hobby Lobby. Which I (humbly) think are perfect.

(Okay, for the more observant of you, I admit, I have yet to tackle the buttonholes. My trusty workhorse of a sewing machine just couldn't handle the thick tweed. Still figuring Plan B. It's a good thing we live in the Deep South, so buttoning up the coat hasn't been a necessity.)

Nest Tree Topper

2010-12-29T15:52:00.000-06:00

Erm...hi. It's been a while. I won't bore you with stories of dead computers and overbooked schedules. Suffice to say, I've missed this space and sharing my projects here. I have been sewing and crafting a bit this fall, which I'll try to share when I can. Thanks, Larissa, for the kick in the pants I needed to post this little project.

Okay, so I've needed a tree topper for a few years now. I've made do with a bow of one sort or another, but that is so not my style, really. Last year I hemmed and hawed over a lovely glass and iron piece just long enough to miss it entirely when other more decisive people bought them all up. I have been intrigued by Anthropologie's nest tree toppers for a couple of years now, but completely flabbergasted by the insane price tag (what are they thinking???).

So, on a whim this year, unwilling to compromise and stick yet another bow on my topperless tree, I headed down to my local craft shop, picked up a few supplies and knocked out my own woodsy, nesty tree topper. I kept it pretty simple, with future plans to add more bits and bobs later.

I started off with a plain, straw, floral wreath, which I spray painted silver, then dusted lightly with ivory spray paint to soften it up a bit. Bits of straw fell off as I worked, leaving some of the natural straw color showing through. I liked that.

Then there was this lovely, dark gold, glass garland...

...which I wrapped loosely and evenly around the wreath, securing the ends on the inside with hot glue, like so:

Next came bunches of lovely, green moss, around the top of the wreath, again, hot glued down.

My "woods" consisted of a bunch of sparkly, silver-gold, floral picks (similar to eucalyptus branches) that I pulled apart. With a metal skewer, I poked holes into the wreath in random spots, filled the holes with hot glue, then stuck the shiny, little branchlets in securely.

Finally, with the addition of a few pieces of real lichen and a small nest (dusted with silver paint and occupied by some of the leftover moss and a sweet little bird), my nest tree topper was done. For this year, anyway. Next year's goal: find the perfect paper mache, wooden, or ceramic mushrooms to add to my little woodland scene. And maybe a few more birdies. Or maybe I'll just leave it as is...

put together a beginner embroidery kit

2010-08-11T18:12:00.001-05:00

I have had so much fun over the past week putting together this beginner embroidery kit for a very special little girl celebrating her 8th birthday. It was a bit of a risk - what if she's not interested? - but I decided to take the chance. I mean, she's in the direct line of craft greatness, so she's got to be interested, right? If not now, then someday. And when she feels that pull, she'll be prepared.

It all started with this book by artist Helen Dardik, which was the first I came across when looking for a simple, easy and engaging instructional book for the beginner embroiderer. Quite serendipitous, I thought, considering this little girl's mother is already a big Dardik fan.

[I now interrupt this post to slap myself in the forehead really hard.

I just headed on over to mmmcrafts for a link to where I know I've seen her mention Helen Dardik more than once, when I find this. That's right. She has the book. ARRGGG. I guess now you don't have to share your copy with the girls, Larissa. And in case you've already created and posted about an embroidery kit for them and I've just forgotten that as well, please don't remind me.

grumble grumble grumble...]

Okay, so, the first step in creating a beginner embroidery kit is to find a good book with clear instructions, detailed pictures, and inspiring projects. Preferable one that the giftee does not currently own or have ready access to by walking down the hall. This Dardik book is a good one. (Jenny Hart can also be relied upon for modern embroidery patterns that range from sweet to subversive. Her book Sublime Stitching is great, too.) Check out a couple of these cute projects from Embroidery for Little Miss Crafty:

Next, I included the basics: a 4" embroidery hoop, embroidery scissors, a few fat quarters (a couple of fun prints and a basic white) and a selection of embroidery thread in bright, girly colors.

Now for the fun part. A simple sheath for her scissors (made from fabric purchased here during a recent trip to Austin that I hope to post about soon.):

A needle case stocked with nice, new sharps and a few of my favorite vintage buttons:

And a pin cushion:

I knew I wanted to include a felt pin cushion, and that it should be something youthful and whimsical. I was inspired by the owl fabric and remembered AMH's owl ornament, so I started there with her pattern, but ended up resizing the body, then scrapping her wings and eyes and redesigning my own, and adding the breast piece. If you want to recreate this pincushion, I'd direct you to her pattern, then suggest that you tweak to your tastes like I did and stuff it a good bit fuller than you would for an ornament.

I placed all of these goodies in a perfectly sized, apple green suitcase (similar to these) from Kate's Paperie in NYC. I had tucked it away since my trip there last year, knowing that it would find its ideal purpose eventually.

And, finally, Gage wanted in on the sewing and gifting action, so he sat down and knocked this out for his little friend:

I tried to convince him to stitch "Hereto I plight thee my troth" but that was a no-go. In the end, he went with a simple monogram. Probably the better choice.

simple summer stone fruit cobbler

2010-08-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

I love cherry season. As a family, we generally consume about 25 pounds in a span of two or three months. (I'm not telling how much of that I'm personally responsible for. Ahem.) This simple cobbler is one of my favorite ways to eat cherries. It's also a great way to use all of those other yummy summer stone fruits, like peaches, nectarines and plums. This recipe is kind of a cheater cobbler: still from scratch, just without all that dough making, rolling and cutting. Perfect for surprise guests or afternoon cravings.

Summer Stone Fruit Cobbler

Batter:
1/4 cup butter (That's right. Real butter. I said it was simple, not healthy)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Fruit:
~ 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of the stone fruit of your choice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Prep your fruit, first, by washing it really well. If you're using peaches, nectarines or plums, remove the stone and slice your fruit. (I don't peel my fruit for this recipe because I like it to be a bit more rustic. Plus it's prettier. Suit yourself on this.) If you're using cherries, spend the next hour laboriously cutting and pitting the little wretches OR you could do like I did and buy yourself one of these handy little kitchen wonders and be done with pitting in mere minutes:

( I did the Snoopy Happy Dance when I first used this)

Okay, fruit cleaned, pitted and sliced (except for the cherries, which I leave whole), toss it into a bowl with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to mix well, coating each piece of fruit with the sugar mixture. (If I don't have time to let my fruit sit for a while, I massage it a bit, especially the cherries [really, I come pretty close to crushing these], to get the juices flowing really well. If you can let the peaches, nectarines and plums sit in the fridge for a couple of hours, they'll get juicy on their own.)

Preheat your oven to 375. I really like to use a well seasoned, cast iron skillet for this cobbler. The advantage is that it will give your cobbler a beautiful, crunchy, delicious crust. Totally worth the extra effort.

Melt your butter on the stove top in the cast iron skillet while you mix the batter. You want the skillet hot and the butter melted and swirled around the edges of the pan to coat the bottom and prevent the batter from sticking. Be careful not to burn the butter - if you're nervous about the multitasking, just wait until your batter is mixed to heat your skillet and melt the butter. You could also let your skillet heat up in the oven as it preheats, then take it out to melt the butter once your batter is mixed.

Now for the rest of the batter. This couldn't be easier. Blend the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk and vanilla well with a whisk and pour over the melted butter in the skillet or baking dish. Very important: do not stir. Distribute the prepared fruit gently over the batter, again without stirring.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the batter is starting to turn golden brown and crisping around the edges. Serve your cobbler hot out of the oven with ice cream or freshly whipped cream, if you like. Or, just as good, straight out of the fridge the next morning for breakfast.

learn a new art

2010-07-30T09:01:00.001-05:00

Did you know that, in addition to a staggering array of quality art supplies, Dick Blick also offers free art lessons? Geared toward school agers, these lessons turn otherwise intimidating processes, like silk screening, Secco or Shibori, into something a little less daunting - something even your kids could do - with the aid of printable pdf's and video tutorials. Plus, I know that when I browse through Blick's products, there are so many that intrigue, but I wouldn't know how to start using them. Each project links to the supplies needed where - imagine this - they can easily be purchased from Dick Blick! (This is not a paid endorsement.)

Try it. Who knows - your inner fresco-ist may have been waiting for an opportunity just such as this. Oh, and I guess you could also share these ideas with your children. If you're so inclined.

90 minute shirt trial run

2010-07-21T07:53:00.001-05:00

So here is my first attempt at making made's 90 minute shirt. I used a super soft, butter yellow shirt of mine for the main body and a faded chambray tee for the trim and pants (which I just serged at the cuff but will definitely be going back to hem - it will just look better, plus they're a bit long, too). Since I used a ladies' medium tee, I didn't have enough fabric for sleeves. Hence the muscle tee. I bound the arm holes using a method similar to this one from another tute. This first run turned out a little big, so I'll scale it down a bit next time.

This set was created as a wearable muslin, but after all that work I decided to embellish the shirt a bit anyway with a patch of my precious Kokka that I've been hoarding to use in a quilt for Ash one of these days. I made the patch by fusing some sewable Wonder-Under to the back of the fabric, cutting the patch shape out, then serging the edges. (I could have skipped the last step. I was feeling experimental.) Patch made, I removed the paper backing, eyeballed the placement, ironed it on and top stitched it down.

Drafting my own tee shirt pattern was confidence building and really pretty easy. Plus I have a HUGE stack of discarded tees to work with, so this is perfect. Thanks, Dana!

jam and bread

2010-07-08T10:30:00.001-05:00

My kids eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch almost every day. I had a pediatrician tell me several years back that daily PB&Js are just fine. At the time, I wasn't necessarily looking for affirmation, and I'm usually one to question any outside guidance regarding my kids, but considering how much easier this particular indulgence makes my life, I accepted the advice blindly and haven't looked back. So, that's how we've rolled for a while now but I have tried to keep our PB&Js a bit more on the healthy side, even more so lately with homemade bread and jam.

Enter Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. If you have any interest whatsoever in trying bread making, but are intimidated by the process, I highly suggest that you check it out. The basic idea is that you mix up the bread (no kneading!), let it rise, then stick it in the fridge until baking day. When it's time to bake, take a hunk off the dough, shape it into a loaf, let it rest, bake it. Hands on time is literally about 5 minutes for the mixing and 5 more on baking day. Depending on the recipe you choose, you'll get 2 to 4 loaves out of every batch. The recipe I use for sandwiches is the Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, but I also like the whole wheat bread made with olive oil, both for loaves and for pizza dough. Seriously, folks, this is bread making at its simplest.

Then there's the jam. I have planned for years to learn canning so that I can line my pantry shelves with jars of homemade soup, homegrown (or at least locally grown) veggies and my own jams and jellies that actually taste like the fruit for which they are named. (The grandmothers were pro canners and food preservers.) This will be the summer. I am committing.

My first attempt: Ponchatoula Strawberry freezer jam made from berries that we picked at a local organic farm. Freezer jam is the gateway to true canning and preserving. So easy, so delicious, so addictive. And so fun when you can pick the berries yourself!

Here's the basic recipe, adapted from the one on the back of the Ball Freezer Jam Pectin box:

1 packet freezer jam pectin
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups crushed strawberries (I skipped the crushing and used my food processor)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
clean jars & lids

Mix the sugar and pectin thoroughly in a large bowl. Add your crushed or otherwise processed strawberries and lemon juice to the pectin mixture and stir for about 3 minutes. Pour the strawberry mixture into clean jars, leaving about 1/2 inch head space, and close the lids. Let the jars stand for 30 minutes or so until the jam thickens, then stick one in the fridge and the rest in the freezer.

I love that this recipe only calls for 1 1/2 cups sugar. Most jam recipes that I found called for 3 cups per pint of strawberries!Yikes. And this stuff tastes so fresh and summery. You must try it. My favorite way to indulge: a slice of homemade bread spread with cream cheese and topped with strawberry jam. Like cheesecake for breakfast.

As far as the peanut butter goes, I just buy a ready made organic variety. I guess I should look into making my own...maybe next summer. So there you go - healthy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Really pretty easy and soooo good.

On a separate note, I have been crafting some over the past few months, little bits here and there. Getting around to blogging about my projects hasn't happened though, obviously. Living before blogging, right? I'll try to get a few things posted soon.

For now, I'll leave you with a gratuitous baby picture.

birthday love from Atlanta

2010-05-31T21:42:00.002-05:00

Just right 1st birthday gifts for Asher...

and amazing 5th birthday gifts for Audrey.

The reaction:

Lucky, lucky us!

Oh, and by the way, Larissa, I just added the movie to my queue, so we'll see if it still holds the same allure now as it did when I was a kid. Popeye didn't fail me, so I have high hopes.

simple top for girls of all ages

2010-05-26T17:20:00.001-05:00

Here's an easy top I made for Aud last summer, but never got around to posting. I used this tutorial, which was super simple and straightforward, for the basic construction, adding a band of contrasting fabric along the bottom.

Image courtesy of Banana Republic

I was reminded of it recently when I saw this lovely, grown up version. Who'd have thought? Doesn't it look like a variation on the simple pillowcase dress that so many folks have made, including myself? Never really thought of making an adult version, though. I may have to go find myself some printed silk...

whether you're a mother or a child or ever were a child with a mother...

2010-05-07T23:24:00.004-05:00

Here's a poem for you...

The Lanyard by Billy Collins

The other day I was ricocheting slowly

off the blue walls of this room,

moving as if underwater from typewriter to piano,

from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,

when I found myself in the L section of the dictionary

where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.

No cookie nibbled by a French novelist

could send one into the past more suddenly—

a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp

by a deep Adirondack lake

learning how to braid long thin plastic strips

into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.

I had never seen anyone use a lanyard

or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,

but that did not keep me from crossing

strand over strand again and again

until I had made a boxy

red and white lanyard for my mother.

She gave me life and milk from her breasts,

and I gave her a lanyard.

She nursed me in many a sick room,

lifted spoons of medicine to my lips,

laid cold face-cloths on my forehead,

and then led me out into the airy light

and taught me to walk and swim,

and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.

Here are thousands of meals, she said,

and here is clothing and a good education.

And here is your lanyard, I replied,

which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,

strong legs, bones and teeth,

and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,

and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.

And here, I wish to say to her now,

is a smaller gift—not the worn truth

that you can never repay your mother,

but the rueful admission that when she took

the two-tone lanyard from my hand,

I was as sure as a boy could be

that this useless, worthless thing I wove

out of boredom would be enough to make us even.

(You should really listen to Billy Collins read this poem himself here.)

Happy Mother's Day to you all, and especially to you, Mom. Can't wait for you to get here so I can tell you in person.

hello mummysam, i love you

2010-04-27T09:32:00.001-05:00

I was just browsing Flickr for some wall art inspiration for Audrey's room when I came across these:

photos via mummysam's flickr

What?! Love them. And, apparently just about everything else this inspired crafter does. Maybe you've heard of mummysam, but I had not. I foresee many hours of poring through her archive... (yay for nursing breaks)

And we're all in luck - looks like she's got a book coming out this fall that's available for pre-order here. Can't wait to get my greedy little craft-book-obsessed hands on it.

photo via mummysam's flickr

Ha - just found this. So true.

aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh...

2010-04-14T07:12:00.000-05:00

I'm breathing a HUGE sigh of relief over here. What you may not have noticed is that my entire crafting life (aside from these little guys) has been put on hold since, oh, around October, when I started making this quilt for my bff, Larissa. For her birthday. Her December birthday. Right.

The front is made up of completely improvised, scrappy, log-cabin-ish squares. The back is pieced with leftovers, with a nod to the stacked coin quilt, which I'd originally planned to make for Larissa, until she wrote this post back in July. (A sane person might have taken that post as practically divine confirmation that that was the way to go. I, on the other hand, freaked out thinking that she, being the crafting whirlwind that she is, would make one herself that would far outshine my own in about a tenth of the time, and so changed my plans immediately. Then proceeded to hem and haw over design, fabric, etc. for the next 3 months, thereby killing any head start I might have had on actually finishing the dad burn thing in time.)

Okay, other details. Basted using this pinless technique, which I loved. Quick and tidy. Quilted in the ditch on the log cabins then in large, irregular, concentric squares around those. Made my bias tape using this tute, which, good grief, makes a lot of tape, then bound the quilt by hand using a similar method to the one described in this book.

So, anyhoo, it's done. Not my craft opus, which might justify its almost 4 month overdue arrival, but made with love all the same. Hope you like it, Larry.

you wear it well

2010-03-17T15:41:00.001-05:00

Asher, 9 months

See any resemblance?

My good friend Amy of Amy Prats Photography came over last week to document The Hair. You can see a few more shots of our boy here and, while you're visiting, find some great tips on getting better results with your own photography. Bonus!

eyvind earle

2010-03-11T21:44:00.007-06:00

I don't really consider myself a huge Disney fan, not like some people (I know one 30-something man who hits the Magic Kingdom 3 or 4 times yearly - without the wife and kids), so when this exhibit came to town, Rich and I thought we'd take the kids for their sake, not so much for our own. I guess we've become jaded by the commercialism and general gagginess of our princess-saturated market, to the point that we forgot just how much genius went into making the classic Disney films so, well, classic.

Okay, so we were wrong and you should totally go check it out if you're anywhere near New Orleans while this exhibit lasts and you have an interest in the creative process. It was great.

I was already a fan of the fabulous Mary Blair, so seeing her original sketches and paintings up close and in person was a treat. (By the way, Disney has recently released Blair's iconic concept art in the form of storybooks retold by current authors - Cinderella, Peter Pan (those mermaids!) and Alice in Wonderland.)

Even better, though, was discovering Eyvind Earle, background artist and creative director for Sleeping Beauty. Okay, so I've seen Sleeping Beauty at least half a dozen times and never really noticed the scenery all that much. But, again, seeing those hand drawn cels in person! Dreamy. I especially love the botanical details (me = former plant geek). Earle had a modern sensibility that made his art really striking for its day. (From what I gather, that didn't win him the affection of some of his more traditional fellow illustrators. Boo.)

Sigh...

refashioned men's shirt

2010-03-01T06:00:00.012-06:00

This is something I've had on my mind for a while now since I've got a growing collection of cast off, button-up shirts crowding my craft closet. This project totally appeals to my craft pack rat sensibilities. ("I could do something with this" is a phrase often heard in our household.)

Before I tell you how I did it, I have to give props to My Mama Made It for all of her cute shirt reconstructions and this blouse by Angry Chicken. Both served as the kick in the pants I needed to finally take on this little project. So, here's goes. Forgive the lack of technical terms.

The starting point, one of Rich's dress shirts (thanks, hon!):

First, I flipped it over, back facing up, and cut off the sleeves and collar.

Next, I tried the shirt on and decided where best it would fit across the chest and under my arms. On me, that required raising it up about 3 inches. I had to cut new shoulders and neck openings, fortunately under the back yoke, which I removed completely. I made the neckline lower in the front than the back by about 2 inches. (For the back neck line, I ended up cutting about 1.5 inches above a button. I'll show you in a sec how I finished that off.) I also drafted new side seams to fit my form a little better (but not too much - it's still a fairly loose fit). Here it is, right sides facing and basted:

I tried it on again to check the fit before sewing the seams. To finish the arm and neck holes, I applied a water soluble hem tape to the wrong side edges and turned them under twice, topstitching 1/4 inch from the edge.

In the back I added a new button hole and a covered button in one of my favorite fabrics. I don't love how this part turned out, but it's rarely seen, so I'm not stressing. Ignore the sloppy stitching.

On to the embellishment! From the leftover sleeve material, I cut three strips, approximately 3 inches deep by 20, 18, and 16 inches wide, respectively, then serged the edges...

and used my ruffler to pleat the pieces.

Finally, I eyeballed their placement on the front of the blouse (formerly the back of the shirt), pinned and stitched them down along the ruffle seam line.

Ta DA!

So when I mentioned to my friend Neva that I'd made this blouse out of one of Rich's old shirts, she immediately responded, "Rich had a Puffy Shirt?!" Um. No. I was both flattered and chagrined. It's nice that she just couldn't imagine a pretty, feminine blouse having once been a regular, old men's dress shirt. On the other hand, she apparently thought that my husband might have, at one time, worn something like this.

love birds

2010-02-23T21:32:00.001-06:00

I whipped some sweet little birds up for the kids from this simple tutorial the night before Valentine's. Of course, I didn't get around to taking pictures until much later, after they'd been loved up a little. (Can you guess which one is Asher's? I'm now rethinking the wisdom of small felt parts on baby toys...)

Aside: I would really like to explain where I've been these last months, why I haven't posted, why all holiday crafts are posted weeks after the actual, relevant holiday... Can I just skip all that and say I hope to have a few things to show you in the coming weeks? No promises, just letting you know I am still here.

Christmas package for the mmmcrafts family

2010-01-12T06:00:00.007-06:00

Some fun Christmas crafties made with the kids, thank you, Martha...

A little retail love from one of our favorite places...

A couple of local edibles...

a favorite book for the girls...

And a nose warmer (by request) and old license plate (he collects them) for Mr. mmmcrafts.

And I got these!

happy birthday dear larry

2009-12-17T15:03:00.001-06:00

Well, I figure the birthday of my bestest friend in the whole world is worth dragging myself out of blogger hibernation to send out some well wishes in her honor. So, to the most creative, industrious person I know, not to mention, funny, loving, generous and beautiful, happy birthday, my dear.

Oh, and since I couldn't pull off getting your gift to you in time for your actual birthday, I'll just share a teensy sneak peak...

As is becoming tradition, you'll be seeing the real deal some time during your birthday season. Just trying to make the party last, you know?

Simplicity 3678

2009-09-30T14:57:00.007-05:00

Ever since this guy came along, I've been racking my brain and scouring my closet for some non-maternity, nursing friendly, but still stylish clothes to wear. I daydreamed all summer about finding the perfect button front dress patterns so that I could then fulfill my other daydream, which is being able to wear simple cotton dresses every day, cool in the summer and perfect for layering in the fall. Something similar to this or this, maybe.

Daydreams aside, for the most part, I end up wearing knits, since I can't seem to button up any of the few button front blouses and dresses in my closet. Hence my foray into the world of home sewn knitwear, starting with Simplicity 3678.

Here's my take:

Pattern sizing:

Okay, so I generally wear a size 10 these days in ready-to-wear clothing. If you've never sewn clothing from a pattern before, take note: you CANNOT go by your regular size when it comes to choosing which size to sew from a pattern. Really, you can't even go by your measurements. On this pattern, if I went by my measurements, I would have sewn a size EIGHTEEN! (What is up, pattern companies???) I guess, if I had to nail down a general rule of thumb for myself, I'd split the difference between my measurement-indicated size (18) and my ready-to-wear size (10). For this dress, I made a size 14 and it fit pretty well. Just let your ego go, ladies, when you're sewing from these patterns.

Did it look like the pattern photo on the envelope when I finished it?

I think so. Plus a few (ahem) extra pounds of model underneath and a more open neckline/bodice which I'll explain in a sec.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Very much so, in theory. Still figuring out how to sew knits without it becoming a comedy of errors. See below.

Fabric used:

A thin, cheapy, for-experimentation-only knit print out of my stash. (This could explain some of my problems.)

Any adjustments made?

Um, yeah. I tried sewing the neckline and facing with a double needle, to give the dress a more professional finish, but I just wasn't happy with 1) how the facing was laying (it was really bunchy) and I could just imagine it flipping out every time I wore the dress (assuming I ever actually got that far) and 2) how the fabric actually bubbled up between the two needles. (Anyone know what that problem was all about? Double needles are meant for knits, right?) So, anyway, not wanting to spend time troubleshooting or seam ripping, I serged off the seam and facing.

Then I tried turning a narrow hem and stitching it down without a facing. Which I think would have been fine had I not (apparently) stretched the fabric as I sewed, so it got all wonky and wavy. So I serged that off.

At which point I tried Heat N Bond No Sew hem tape, because I had it on hand. I stuck it onto the inside of the serged edge, folded it down, then tried to stitch over it with my trusty double needle. Surprise, surprise, that didn't work. Apparently, when they say No Sew, they mean it. It kept gumming up my needle and breaking the thread. So I serged that off.

Finally, I purchased this lovely little product from my local fabric shop, so much more appropriate, and used it to stabilize the newly cut and serged neckline, turned it under, and stitched it down. Done, but now my dress absolutely requires a cami underneath. Which I probably would have worn anyway, so no big loss. (pointedly ignoring precious loss of time)

The only other "adjustment" was that I serged the bottom hem and left it at that. L-A-Z-Y. But, hey, I think I paid my dues on this little project, especially considering that it may never pass through my front door.

Would I sew this pattern again?

Actually, yes. I think so, if I had a nicer, more sturdy knit to work with. And assuming the Wonder tape washes up well, I'll stick with that little revision to the pattern. Facing schmacing.

The final product, as photographed by my 6-year old:

simple baby gift

2009-09-04T06:00:00.003-05:00

A simple, sweet, topstitched blanket for the new babe of an office mate of my husband's. Only impressive to the non-sewer who can't quite figure out how such things are made. Thankfully, the parents of this recipient qualify.

What is impressive (to me at least) is that I actually bought this fabric locally, in a land of copious batiks and country granny prints. And not much else, until now. We have a new fabric shop in town! The polka dot fabric is a high quality, super soft flannel and the other is, well, you can see for yourself, a fun, eggy print that appealed to the birdlover in me. (The flannel color's not really true in this photo - it's a really pretty pear green. Love it!) And I noticed some Amy Butler (fabric and patterns), Heather Bailey, Anna Maria Horner (oilcloth, at that) and Portabello Pixie patterns among the racks on my last visit. Fun!

Katy Kitty

2009-09-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

I finally finished a Katy Kitty doll, the pattern for which my talented friend graciously gifted to me when it was first published. Since I didn't have any corduroy that would work, like the pattern recommends, I went with a heavy, natural canvas for the body and a tan felt face. She's a Siamese kitty, apparently. The skirt and sleeves are remnants from an old Freshcut charm pack that I used to make these coasters way back when. Love that fabric...

more quilt pictures, as requested

2009-08-31T06:00:00.003-05:00

Please excuse the wrinkles. This quilt is already well loved!

where I join the Princess and the Pea parade

2009-08-28T06:00:00.009-05:00

I've spent the better part of the summer waffling between projects to make for two little sisters' birthday gifts. My complete inability to decide now means that one girl's gift is overdue by 3 months and the other's by a few weeks. (In my defense, I did have a baby in there somewhere, but still. Three months, people!)

Then I came across this great book by the talented Lauren Child and these two sets. What modern, fabric and fairy tale loving girl wouldn't be inspired? Plus, we're already huge fans of Ms. Child's work around here. And I've been obsessing over this fabric (so perfect for Audrey)since it came out, so the story's been on my mind. I couldn't resist this project.

A few hours of stash raiding and totally, shamelessly copying someone else's clever idea produced this:

I made the mattresses pretty thin, with just one layer of lofty batting. I know how I feel when space-consuming toys come into my home, so I didn't want to make the set too large. There are twelve mattresses made from various calico prints. The bottom mattress has a little gathered pocket to hold the pea. 'Cause I know if it were my kids', that pea would disappear in about 7 minutes flat.

For the pea, I crocheted a small ball out of wool felt, then lightly felted it by hand. I can't find the pattern I used, but this tutorial would work just great, too, I'm sure. You might need to use a size smaller hook for a bit tighter gauge to get results like mine. For the felty look, I rolled it in my hands under VERY hot water for several minutes then plunged into cold water. Squeeze it out and let it dry. Done.

I also threw in two simple, sweet nightgowns to fit the dolls that I made for the girls last year, so they can be used as Princesses. (Hopefully these make up for the fact that I sent a joint gift this year...)

Superhero Cape

2009-08-26T06:00:00.004-05:00

Like I said, amidst the diaper-changing, nursing, schooling and nose-wiping going on around here, I have managed to squeeze in some much needed craft therapy. This session came in the form of a birthday gift for a special boy.

My kids spend the better part of every day dressing up and "playing pretend". A few weeks back, in the middle of an intense make-believe session, Gage realized that he couldn't be a proper superhero without the outfit to go with. And so, the cape request. It needs some embellishment, but considering that it was whipped out mere hours before his birthday party, I'm feeling pretty good.

I kind of made it up as I went along, but this cape is very similar to the one here. I guess the main differences between my cape and the one in the tute are these:

1) I used a whole yard of fabric for mine (she gets two smaller capes out of one yard),

2) I bound the edges with double fold bias tape instead of serging them (too lazy to change out the thread in my serger), and

3) I attached a full, wool felt collar to this one that would stand up in the back. I think that gives it a little more dramatic flair, don't you? Plus it attaches in front with Velcro, thereby eliminating the need for Mama to tie it on every time he decides he wants to be a Super.

Oh, and I used my favorite freezer paper applique trick for the "G". It's a pretty simple technique. First, I got my wool felt piece ready by attaching iron-on fusible webbing to one side, leaving the backing paper attached. Set that aside. Next, I printed the "G" on my printer in the size and font I wanted, then traced it onto plastic-coated freezer paper, plastic coating down. (These steps could probably be consolidated, if I just printed directly onto the non-plastic side of my freezer paper. Thoughts?)

Okay, so next, I ironed the freezer paper, again with the plastic side down, onto the unfused side of my wool felt, then cut the "G" out of the paper, felt and fusible webbing all at the same time. Peeled the fusible webbing backing off the bottom and the freezer paper off the top and Bam! A perfect "G" patch ready to be ironed on and stitched down. I just used a simple straight stitch around the edges, but, of course, you could use any stitch you like. Or, if you used No-Sew, you could believe the Heat'n'Bond folks when they say you don't have to stitch it down. That's never worked well for me, though. Especially for kids' stuff that will probably need frequent washing.

Gage wasn't the only birthday kid on my list. More birthday posts to come once I'm sure they've been received.

And, for more fun with freezer paper, click here...

Or, enjoy some random birthday weekend pics:

This is the second year that Gage has requested a chocolate cake with green icing. Can do, buddy.

And we just couldn't go home without more overpriced, cheaply made, plastic toys courtesy of Daddy, could we?

Done.

2009-08-24T06:00:00.003-05:00

photo by Amy

I'm still here! And I've actually been accomplishing some crafting lately. Like this quilt. It's finally finished, completely hand tied and hand bound. Which I know probably sounds pretty simple to some of you, but was quite an accomplishment for me, what with the recent changes around here. Once I figured out how to work this thing to my handsewing advantage, it was all good.

You can see that her bed is red, with a pink Jenny Lind changing-table-turned-night-table-slash-storage-shelf. Plus there's a Somerset Gold dresser in the room. I'm about about eclectic, use-what-you-have decorating, hence the quilt's pink, red and yellow color scheme. It all pulls together quite nicely, if I do say so myself.

what I got

2009-07-29T14:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry, Larissa. You can comfort yourself with the knowledge that I apparently went a good bit crazier than you did with this sale. And I, too, am waiting on my backorders. Erm...and that second order. (That one was totally your fault, though.)

Here's one frustrating thing about impulse fabric shopping, for me. Just how much fabric do you buy? A yard? Two? Some of these beauties I have specific plans for, so those were easy, but the others were a yardage crap shoot. I just wanted as many of those yummy prints as I could possibly get. I ended up going with around a yard each thinking that that would be plenty for simple outfits for Audrey (most are 54" wide), bags, or throw pillows, for which my sofas are crying out. No self control, I tell you.

Another frustrating thing about impulse fabric shopping? That it generally happens when I'm not actually getting any sewing done. But, hey, my fabric shelves sure look pretty these days...

the elusive (and reversible!) Easter dress

2009-07-13T17:50:00.002-05:00

Elusive because it's July and I'm just now getting around to showing it to you. Reversible because, well, you'll see.

Check out the inspiration dress by Neige.

And now for the finished product:

This dress was a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants project whipped out the week before Easter. I ran out of gas after some frustrating issues and, even though I felt like it really needed something extra in the front - like the pockets in the inspiration photos - I just couldn't summon the will to go on.

So she wore it backwards, like so:

Which I actually liked. But since I knew it was designed to be worn differently (by me, but still), I felt a little funny about it all day. So let's just call it the Reversible Easter Dress and I'll feel better. Like it was for purpose, as my kids would say.

Now, about the fabric. The Liberty floral was a dream to work with. (Isn't that what you're supposed to say about Liberty fabric? Anyway, that's what I'm telling myself in an effort to rationalize the hefty price per yard.) But seriously, it is beautiful, soft fabric and a very nice weight for this kind of garment. I used this for the ruffle and tie. I think, should there be a next time, I'll use something lighter. More like a voile or something, 'cause this cotton was a little stiff. It does, however, make for excellent twirling...

big fabric sale...

2009-06-27T16:00:00.002-05:00

images courtesy of www.hancocks-paducah.com

I have a sneaking suspicion that there are those among you who share my weakness for a bargain, especially when it comes to fabric. (I know there's at least one of you out there.) Whether or not we've actually got projects lined up for the use of said fabric. Ahem.

So, I have to tell you all about this great sale that Hancock's of Paducah is having. Their sales are always worth checking out, anytime, but they seem to be particularly rich right now, full of Amy Butler (mostly), but also some Denyse Schmidt and Joel Dewberry. Even their 54"wide home dec lines, like Nigella and Ginseng, are going for $4.98 per yard. Down from around $16 per yard. Hard to resist, even if they are just going to pad my stash for a while.

Oh, some tips: If you just look through the sale lists under $5.98, $4.98, and $3.98 per yard, you may miss something. I actually searched for "Amy Butler Nigella" and "Joel Dewberry Ginseng" using the site's keyword search and saw a lot of $4.98 per yard (or $2.49 per half yard) prints than were not listed in the sales. (Make sense?) It's just too bad I figured this out after placing my own order...

Also, don't worry if you notice that a lot of the choice prints are on backorder. If you go ahead and order them, you'll receive your cut from the next shipment they receive, still at the sale price. I've done this in the past and they haven't failed me yet.

belated thanks...

2009-06-23T14:32:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Larissa for the sweet nominations last month! (I actually owe her for a lot more than the nominations, considering that the majority of folks who come my way arrive here via her incredible blog.) You're so cool.

And, of course, I'd like to spread the crafty love by nominating a few blogs myself:

La Maison Boheme: I came across this one just a few days ago and have enjoyed browsing her lovely collections of design photos. I especially liked today's post. Not that I'm a huge fan of pink. In fact, I've spent much of the past year trying to persuade Audrey to branch out from her long-standing pink obsession. But, when Asher and I came home from the hospital, my dad had gotten me a gorgeous bouquet of perfectly pink roses. Those silly flowers made me smile every time I passed by them in my living room. Which makes me think a dash of more permanent pink might not be so bad in there. Anyway, cute blog. Check it out.

image via Three Potato Four

Three Potato Four: Okay, so I know these guys don't need a shout out from little ol' me, but I still feel the need to express my appreciation for their great taste, which makes their shop a real treasure trove. The blog highlights shop updates and the search for more vintage and modern goodies, plus the way Janet and Stu infuse their unique style into their home, family life and travels. A few of my favorites from their shop: this, this, and these.

And, finally, Lucy and I: This is a sweet blog by a fellow SAHM, or WAHM, depending on what stage she's in, how she's feeling, or who's asking. When she's "officially" working, the author designs, sews and sells clothes for moms and daughters. When she's not, she designs and sews simply for herself and her two girls. I really like her simple, classic aesthetic and materials. Oh, and she has another blog, shampoo free, that I find intriguing...

So there you go. Thanks again, Larry!

and now the fun really begins...

2009-06-12T08:32:00.003-05:00

Asher is here! And so is my mom (yay!) - keeping the house clean, kids entertained and all of us well-fed while we get acquainted with our newest little blessing. Life is good.

holding pattern...

2009-06-05T16:20:00.001-05:00

I've been out of touch with the blog world for a couple of weeks, getting ready for baby, handstitching the binding on the quilt, hosting house guests (my good friend and doula, Laura, and her kids), spending time with my mom and as much one-on-one time with my kids as possible. And trying to keep myself from counting the minutes until I go into labor and move into the next phase of this crazy, blessed life we lead.

Oh - and I've been cooking. It's been fun finding new ways to use the CSA veggies that I might not have otherwise bought.

What we've gotten recently: summer, pattypan, cucumber and coccozele squash, lettuce, beets, green beans and new potatoes.

And the new recipes I've tried so far:

Country Club Squash Casserole with the summer squash. I found this recipe on a random search for a casserole I had during my college years.

Orangette's Squash and Pecorino Frittata with the coccozelle. This was really delicious, but I think I'll use the stovetop to broiler oven method next time. Flipping it was a little challenging. For me at least.

Fresh corn saute with tomatoes, squash, and fried okra from Bon Appetit Fast, Easy, Fresh with the patty pan. We liked everything but the patty pan. If I try this again, I'll use a more flavorful squash, like zucchini, if I can't get more coccozelle. Any suggestions on what to do with patty pan squash in case we end up with more?

This cucumber salad, which was just what I hoped it would be. A really light, fresh, summery side.

Alton Brown's Pickled Beets. I'm not a huge pickled beet fan, but these were really easy and tasty. I plan to use the leftover roasted beets to make Orangette's Beet Feta Tart tomorrow after our farmer's market trip, if I'm still playing the baby waiting game.

Then there are the turnips from the past two bushels I've gotten. About 3 pounds of which are still sitting in my crisper while I wait for inspiration to strike.

Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe

2009-05-20T06:00:00.009-05:00

Like I said, I want to share my recipe for Roasted Root Vegetables. Really, it's not so much a recipe, per se, as it is a loose formula, very open to the adjustments of individual taste and seasonal availability. Also, I have to say, for integrity's sake, that I read a lot of recipes in an effort to come up with what I like. So, I could have totally lifted this from some chef somewhere inadvertently. Okay, I feel better. Here you go.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

4 to 5 medium, red-skinned potatoes, washed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 to 4 medium turnips, washed, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 or 2 medium to large rutabagas, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
3 to 4 medium beets, washed, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
4 to 5 springs of fresh rosemary
4 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 to 3 large heads of garlic, tops trimmed off evenly

3 to 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, more or less
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Like I said, this is really open to interpretation and is infinitely adjustable. If you can't stand turnips or are a little wary of the rutabaga, leave 'em out and add carrots. Or more potatoes. Whatever you like. Just keep in mind that you should have everything cut around the same size so that your vegetables cook fairly evenly.

Now, once your veggies of choice are all washed, trimmed and cut, toss them into a big bowl with the herbs and garlic. Season with the salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle with olive oil. Get your hands in there and give the mixture a good toss to make sure each piece is evenly coated. Once the veggies are seasoned and oiled, spread them evenly on a large baking sheet (or two, if necessary) or a baking dish, like so:

Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 or so minutes and rotating the pans if you've got more than one. Your veggies should be tender and golden brown (the white ones, anyway) when they are nicely roasted. Note: Most of these root vegetables will cook at about the same rate, but keep an eye on each variety to make sure one isn't overcooking. The most likely culprit for overcooking - sweet potatoes. The turnips will probably take the longest to soften up and brown.

You can serve this dish as a side, but it's hardy enough for a vegetarian entree, I think, like I've got up top with a simple salad. And, yes, that is a paper plate. Photo stylist, I am not.

Patched Jeans Tutorial

2009-05-18T06:00:00.015-05:00

Earlier in my pregnancy, when I was outgrowing everything in my closet, there was one pair of jeans that still fit. Unfortunately, they seemed to rip in a new spot every time I bent my knees. So, out of desperation and an appalling lack of decent, local, maternity jeans options, I patched them. Not sure where that put me style-wise, but they got me by in a pinch. I did have fun figuring out the patching process and will definitely use it on kids' clothes in the future.

I'll tell you how I did it. This was the problem:

First, I trimmed away the flap:

Then I started the patch. I wanted it to be strong enough to hold up to stress and washing with the denim, so I fused two large fabric scraps together using Heat'n'Bond fusible interfacing. I'll get to the hem tape in a sec.

This is an older Amy Butler print from my stash for the front side and just any old scrap for the back (the black gingham). I fused the two scraps together (following package instructions), then trimmed the fused piece into an appropriately sized patch. Make sure when you try this that you leave at least a 1/2 inch overlap around the edges of your hole to give yourself plenty of stitching room.

Okay, patch done. Now, with the jeans inside out, I lined the edges of the hole with fusible hem tape. Following the package directions to fuse the patch over the hole, make sure that you cover it entirely with plenty of room for stitching. Not that I pictured it this way above, but you'll need to lay the patch so that your main fabric is showing through the hole when your jeans are turned right side out. You knew that.

And, here you go, right side out. I still pinned around the hole before stitching, just because I didn't really trust the strength of the bond made by the hem tape to hold up to hand sewing through heavy denim.

Use any stitch you like to finish the edges, starting (and finishing) your stitching inside. Not sure what you'd call this stitch I used. I just knew I wanted it to be a little rough and organic looking. And fast. If you choose to use a straight stitch, or something that doesn't actually grab the edges of the denim, you may need a little extra space between your stitching and the edge to allow for fraying.

If you're not into colorful patches, use denim scraps for a simpler, distressed look. This is a good way to make your favorite pair of jeans last a little longer when they start to wear out. Crafty, economic and earth-friendly to boot. The grandmothers would be proud.

Felted Wristlets

2009-05-13T06:00:00.003-05:00

So, the timing is not ideal for felted wool wristlet making, but since a couple of you asked, I'll tell you how I made them. You'll just have to remember this post next fall!

Okay, first step, find yourself a felted sweater (look at thrift stores), or felt a 100% wool sweater yourself. (Here is a helpful link for those of you who've never felted a sweater before. Just note that she recommends cutting all seams and removing ribbing prior to felting. In this case, I just washed the sweater whole, then cut the sleeves off after washing. If they come out of the wash somewhat misshapen or with the seam in an awkward place, just rewet and reshape, then allow them to dry before moving on. I reshaped mine so that the seam was on the inside of my wrist.)

Sweater found, make sure that the cuffs have plenty of give and fit your hand comfortably when pulled up to your knuckles. If it's too tight, and rewetting and stretching don't help, well, you might want to find yourself another sweater. It would really stink if you couldn't wiggle your fingers once the thumb gusset is sewn.

Next step: cut the sleeves to whatever length you like. My original cut in this picture is longer than the end result. (I trimmed a couple of inches off when Rich said it looked like I had wrist casts on. He was totally right, proving that even a male engineer can possess some form of fashion sense. Go figure.)

Next, turn the sleeves inside out and try them on, pinching between your thumb and forefinger to determine where the thumb gusset should be. I marked a narrow angled seam with a Sharpie. Keep this angle narrow, so your thumb has plenty of wiggle room and there is less bulk once you turn the wristlets right side out. With the sleeves still inside out, pin and stitch through both layers along the lines. (I doubled stitched mine for strength.) Stitching done, carefully clip inside the angle to its point, making certain that you don't clip any of the stitches, like this:

Turn the wristlets right side out and voila! Since my sweater was pretty fuzzy from the felting process, I used electric clippers (sans guard) to "shave" and clean them up. The felted sweater fabric was so thick that I really didn't have to worry about making a hole, but proceed with caution if you decide to use this method.

Finally, the fun part... embellish your wristlets in one or two of so many fun ways. Add some decorative buttons, needle felting, a crocheted trim... all the things I considered doing before I finally decided to keep it simple (and sane), since I made these as a last minute project before a trip.

Do these instructions make sense? Any questions? Feel free to ask and please share if you decide to make your own!

proof

2009-05-11T06:00:00.009-05:00

See? Audrey's quilt is actually coming together! It's all over but the tying and binding. I'm leaving it on the kitchen table as incentive to work on it every little bit in between laundry loads, kid conflict resolution, and peanut butter and jelly sandwich making.

Like I said earlier, I plan on tying it with red thread. The problem: I don't want to be kicking myself the first time I wash it and the ties bleed all over the fabrics. I have treated the thread twice with Retayne, as recommended by my local quilt shop, but it stills bleeds a bit when it's wet. Any suggestions?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to finishing the quilt and moving on to smaller projects, like crib bedding, in my sewing room. Aside from the obvious inconvenience of commandeering the kitchen table for sewing, there's also this:

I blame Gertie for my not having finished this quilt yet. I forgot how crazy kittens can be! Here she is completely depleted of energy from climbing the quilt as I'm ironing it, attacking every loose string, and attempting to eat pins. Which she totally would have done if I hadn't intervened. Speaking of kicking myself...

Saturday morning rituals

2009-05-08T13:55:00.001-05:00

My favorite thing to do on Saturday mornings is head down to our local farmers' market. Ours is small, but great, with live music (usually bluegrass, zydeco, or folk), some really beautiful organic produce, grass-fed beef, organic poultry and fresh seafood, fabulous bakers, various ethnic foods and fresh fruit popsicles (that's Gage sharing my favorite, creamy avocado - sounds gross, but, oh my!).

What I'm most excited about this season is that one of the farms is (finally!) selling shares of its produce. I've been looking for a local c.s.a. since we moved to this area, so I had to jump right on this one. Here's my first bushel from last week:

Kale, spring onions, radishes, beets, turnips, carrots, tatsoi and red leaf lettuce. Heavy on the root vegetables this time of year, but that's fine by me. I have a favorite recipe for Roasted Root Vegetables that I'd hoped to share today, but I'm doing well squeezing in this short post.

My mom and dad have been here this past week and we've been in serious Baby Prep mode. Washing clothes, arranging the nursery, shopping... Now I have GOT to go work on a certain birthday girl's already belated gift. Oh, and pack up Mother's Day gifts for belated shipping. Not to mention our anniversary Monday, for which I have close to nada planned or prepared.

In the meantime, got any root veg recipes to share?

and baby makes five...

2009-04-29T06:00:00.005-05:00

'Cause we got a kitten. Meet Gertie.

One might question the wisdom of entering the world of pet ownership at this stage in our lives, but my mother-guilt finally made me succumb. If you saw my kids dragging around a ribbon with a loop tied in the end (like a leash) and pretending it's attached to their invisible pet, you might understand. Then again maybe I'm just a sucker. Either way, the deed is done and it's been a little like a trial run for having a newborn in the house.

The cat was originally named Gerta by the Humane Society employees. Rich nixed that one right away. Then when names like "Ook" (courtesy of Gage) and "Lovey" (Audrey) started being batted around, the need for quick and decisive action became apparent. So Gertie it is.

A few finished projects...

2009-04-27T06:00:00.003-05:00

N'kay. So I owe you documentation that I am indeed finishing some of the projects I've mentioned starting lately.

First, the crocheted scarflette. I'm not sure I'll ever wear this one. But the process of making it scratched an itch for a day or two, so I suppose it's done it's duty. Any scarflette opinions out there? They look cute in photos, but I'm not sure how well they translate in "real life", you know?

Next, a patchwork scarf, inspired by the one in Denyse Schmidt Quilts. I love hers in the book. All brown wools and tweeds interspersed with bits of red and peach accented print, backed with a soft, peachy silk. But, alas. I had a black coat to match. So there you go.

And, finally, a pair of cozy wristlets made from a wool sweater of Rich's that I felted and hacked (thanks, hon!). My favorite kind of project - simply made with what I had on hand and, start to finish, only took about an hour. And I actually wore something I made! Perfect.

In fact, here's proof - a shot of me wearing both the wristlets and the scarf (you can see bits of them, right?). I'm the one in black sitting next to the gorgeous girl in green (my sis-in-law, Cindy) on the subway.

Not a very timely post, I guess, what with the cold weather accessories and all. Ah, well. The scarf and wristlets were great to have in NYC. I love wristlets! So practical. And it was kind of nice being one of the only tourists not sporting a $5 souvenir pashmina around my neck. (Not that I didn't totally succumb to the pressure and come home with six of them anyway. )

I should learn not to make promises of future posts, but I hope to show you some of the maternity clothes I've put together some time this week. And maybe, just maybe, a quilt. Or, at the very least, a quilt top. I mean it this time.

see you next week...

2009-04-13T10:50:00.001-05:00

Well, I made it through and accomplished almost all of my goals this weekend. I finished Audrey's Easter dress, supported the husband and got him off on his trip, had a great day of worship and fellowship with friends yesterday, and supplied Easter baskets that, if not filled with gourmet confections and handmade stuffies, more than satisfied the kids. As any collection of sugar-laden, mega-processed, spare-yourself-the-mommy-guilt-and-ignore-the-ingredients food products will.

I did not, however, make Gage's tie. Poor kid. At least he's blissfully unaware of my neglect. The kid really couldn't care less about what he wears to church. Especially since we've established that the Storm Trooper costume is definitely out of the question.

What I failed to realize in my planning for this week was that, of course, Rich would want to take the camera to Brazil with him. So, no pictures of Easter, or anything else this week, for that matter.

I'm using my camera-less state as a good excuse to take a short blogging break. My sewing goals for the week: work on (and perhaps finish?) this, make some of these, and, yes, still try to get around to the tie.

Wish me luck and catch you next week!

complications

2009-04-10T12:26:00.004-05:00

Okay, so the plan was to finish the dress and have pictures up for you by this morning, but that fell by the wayside when I ended up having to spend last night in the hospital. Nothing too scary, just some strange pregnancy related stuff going on that keeps all of my pregnancies exciting and eventful.

I'm good now - and most importantly, home - but definitely not up for a photo shoot. I figured out the buttonhole issue and finished the dress, though. So that's moving in the right direction. Except that, true to form, I'm not happy with it and am trying to figure out how to squeeze in some alteration time tomorrow between watching Rich run this in the morning and helping him get off to Brazil in the afternoon. Oh, and Gage is still expecting his tie by Sunday morning.

I think I'll go take a nap.

learning curve

2009-04-08T10:09:00.003-05:00

Have I mentioned that Blogger is making me INSANE??? Just had to say that. And ask for your patience. And a blind eye to annoying formatting mistakes.

progress, bit by aching bit

2009-04-08T09:45:00.014-05:00

Okay, so this picture isn't the best, but I had to document that I am, indeed, making progress on Audrey's new dress. I was rocking along yesterday, thinking to myself, "Wow. I think this is actually going to be the first project that I haven't screwed up in some small step along the way. My seam ripper is happily resting in it's little cubby, unneeded by me, Master Seamstress. La la la..."

Right.

This is what I call "Sewing Karma". Just as soon as I go getting prideful, I trip over some totally avoidable flub up. This time it wasn't terrible - I just have one seam to rip out. The real problem is that I'm ripping a seam to make a buttonhole (that I forgot I needed) and my machine is not cooperating on buttonholes these days. And I am so close to finishing this dress.

I'm considering handsewing the buttonhole. I've only done that once before and it worked out well for me. But that was a much heavier fabric and on a garment I felt fine experimenting with. Hm.

Anyone out there with brilliant troubleshooting skills and a detailed understanding of Bernina's automatic buttonhole program? Surely, among my vast following of readers (snort), there's got to be someone!

See you Friday, hopefully, with good news.

I've got nothing. (Okay, well, maybe a little something.)

2009-04-06T10:10:00.004-05:00

photo courtesy of www.paristriptips.com

My goal for every single day of last week was to at least get a dress cut out for Audrey. The farthest I got was washing the fabric and futzing around with pattern ideas, finally deciding to draft my own. Which terrified me when I thought of cutting into Liberty fabric with an untested, self-drafted pattern (even if it is a really simple one), so I, of course, will have to make a trial run dress before I start the actual new spring dress. The self-imposed deadine for which is this coming Sunday.

So, since I have nothing to show you on that front, no decent pictures yet of this, I leave you with drool-worthy inspiration in the form of Bonpoint.

Rich and I stumbled upon this treasure trove of impeccably styled and crafted children's clothing last year in Paris. I spent as long as I could perusing, scrutinizing and memorizing the tiny, smocked, Liberty (of course) rompers, too-chic-for-kids t-shirts, and understated, yet luxurious frocks. That visit was far too short. (Rich, too, found it drool-worthy, in an entirely different way.)

In case you're wondering why I didn't bring home any of these confections for my own little prima donna, the price of one tee was right around 60 euros. But, hey, if that sounds good to you and you don't live in New York, Paris, or Rome, you now have the option of shopping Bonpoint's e-boutique. At the very least, the entire site is great for inspiration, complete with its own little pint-sized look books for the stylistically challenged.

New York was a dream trip last week, but my one regret was not getting to the Upper East Side to idea shop Bonpoint one more time. I wasn't too upset about it at the time, being exhausted and full up with girly fun, but writing this post brings it all back. I better go now before I get too worked up. Besides the fact that I totally could have had a dress cut out by now.

Oh, wait, I just remembered one more thing about my visit to the Parisian Bonpoint. While I was there, I met a fellow New Orleanian. She was drawling loudly to her adult daughter that she (the daughter) should seriously consider opening up a Bonpoint in her own hometown, London. As she was busily buying up one of everything in the store. Funny, chatting there with her halfway around the world from our common home, and yet still worlds apart...

Hope you have a productive day!

What I picked up in NYC...Part 2

2009-04-03T06:00:00.004-05:00

Okay, I admit it. The thought of hitting Kinokuniya and Purl Soho played no small part in helping me decide where my sister-in-law Cindy and I should take my mom for her 60th birthday.

So when we arrived in Soho on Thursday, I wasted no time heading (oh, so casually and unselfishly) straight for Purl. Where I then spent an hour poring methodically over every bolt of fabric, giddy with the knowledge that I was actually going to choose my fabric in person rather than via the internet, while Mom and Cindy hit the streets seeking out their own shopping inspiration.

I feel pretty good about how I came out. I actually had projects in mind this time - which kept me from losing all control and buying up random bits that I would later regret not purchasing more of, since I only bought the minimum amount because I loved the print, but wasn't thinking ahead as to how I would actually use it. Not that that's ever happened. I'm just sayin'.

Okay, on to the projects. A new spring dress for Audrey,

(By the way, do you have any idea how difficult it was to choose just one Liberty print? Purl's online selection seems to be just a sampling of what they actually have in stock. In the end, I basically had to close my eyes and point to make the final decision...)

a tie for Gage,

and a patchwork quilt for the soon-to-debut Third. Who's a boy, by the way.

Okay, so I did go a little nuts over the Kokka fabrics. I went in planning to buy some of the Flying Machines fabric, couldn't decide between two colorways, and ended up with a yard of each. Cut. After which I found the robot fabric and fell immediately in obsessive love. So it seems that Gage and the baby are going to share a plane/race car/robot room. Sort of an All Things Mechanical theme.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some sewing to do...

Score! or What I picked up in NYC...Part 1

2009-04-01T06:00:00.022-05:00

image from savagesromance.files.wordpress.com

I'm back from my super girly getaway to New York City - exhausted, broke and full of inspiration for new projects this spring.

No comment from those of you who know about the ridiculous, ever-growing list of things I want to make, not to mention the towering pile of unfinished projects threatening to swallow up my craft room. Like you could say anything anyway.

Fueling the insanity was a trip to Kinokuniya, a humongous Japanese bookstore across from Bryant Park that's packed with great paper goods, unique toys and gifts, and - most importantly - row upon row of beautiful books brimming with crafty inspiration and, best of all, the patterns.

Here are a couple I picked up, along with some of the projects that sold me on them. I don't know the name of the first book (sorry - I don't read Japanese), but it's full of unusual projects using wool felt. The second is Machine Made Patchwork.

Oh, and I just might have picked up an extra Machine Made Patchwork for a certain super crafter who's looking to get into quilting... I'm sure you'll be seeing her completed projects from this book long before I actually get around to finishing one myself.

gone granola

2009-03-20T08:10:00.006-05:00

A while back, I started researching homemade granola in an effort to get some morning nutrition into my always-in-a-rush, "Coffee is breakfast" husband. I did some looking online, played around with a few recipes, and finally landed on my own version below, which has since become a family staple. We eat it daily as cereal (no icky preservatives or dyes!), a handful at a time for a snack, over yogurt, with berries and cream... Yum.

What you need:

12 cups old fashioned oats (basically one large box of Quaker)
¾ cup wheat germ
1 ½ cups sesame seeds
3 cups slivered or sliced raw almonds
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Optional adaptations:

Add 3 cups dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut. (Love the flavor. Not so much the fat.)

Add ½ cup milled flax seed. (The only reason I leave this out is because my husband has convinced himself that he's allergic. Hmf.)

Add chopped dried fruit. (Mix it in at the end, after baking.)

Change up the nuts. (Pecans are DELICIOUS in this, but make sure you don't overbake them – bitter! I made this mistake early on and now they're outlawed. Unfairly.)

Okay, so here's how you make it:

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Separately, mix the spice and wet ingredients thoroughly, then pour them over the dry mixture and give it a good, thorough stir. (I like to get my hands in there to make sure it mixes well and every little oat is covered with spicy, sugary goodness. But I guess a large mixing spoon might also do the trick. Suit yourself.)

Spread an even layer on a nongreased baking sheet (I use three at a time for this size batch). Bake at 300 degrees for about an hour and a half, stirring every 15 minutes or so, or until the granola is consistently golden brown.

The process is a little labor intensive, but totally worth it. (Really perfect for a rainy afternoon when you're stuck inside. The entire house smells like oatmeal cookies. Mmmm.)

And with that much granola, it's not like you'll be doing it that often, right? If you're concerned about the amount, cut it down. Or freeze it in portions and use as needed. There's no science to making or eating granola, so consider these some loose, but proven (by me at least) guidelines and go make up a batch of your own!

Anthropologie pillow...of a sort

2009-03-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

I love Anthropologie, but I mean, for real, I'm not likely to be dropping $65 for a pillow any time soon. So I cheat. This cute little pillow started as a reversible Anthropologie placemat that I opened up on one end, stuffed and stitched closed. Just that easy and for all of about 7 bucks.

If I get ambitious one of these days, I think I'll embellish it with some contrasting embroidery around the medallion designs. Or maybe stitch on an interesting fringe. Hmmm...

That does it.

2009-03-16T06:00:00.006-05:00

photo courtesy of http://www.purlbee.com/

I have been making a real effort lately to unclutter my calendar, say no to new commitments (within reason), etc. Being 28 weeks pregnant on top of being perpetually overcommitted makes this a real necessity. To the point that my husband made it an official "What I Need You to Do Differently During This Pregnancy" declaration in front of our entire Bradley class. Lovely.

So, in that context, I was really fine with not making Audrey a new Easter dress. She's got plenty of cute, spring dresses and, if I get desperate, I can always go shopping.

That is, until I saw this. How can I not make her a new dress when Gage could so easily have a new tie to perfectly match? That would just be irresponsible. Wouldn't you agree?

And I do have a visit to Purl coming up in a couple of weeks...hmmm...

I told you so.

2009-03-13T06:00:00.005-05:00

See? I already have a project in the works using a bit of my new fabric. (Sorry, Larissa.) And this one I have to actually finish because it's for my upcoming vacation. (Girl trip two weeks from today! Woohoo!) Nothing like a deadline to get my lazy rear end in gear...

Erm...I bought more fabric.

2009-03-11T06:00:00.007-05:00

..and all it took was an innocent email check and a sale notice from these folks.

Larissa, you know what my fabric stash looks like. More coming in to feed the hoard than going out as finished projects. But it's not like I was out there looking for it this time.

Also, in my defense, some of this fabric was only $2.98 a yard. Stuff by Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner... I mean, really, could you have let that pass you by? And I will use it. I will.

Easiest dress ever!

2009-03-09T06:00:00.003-05:00

Which I guess most people who sew knew a long time ago. It took me a while to get around to this one - a basic pillowcase dress.

My "trial run" was this nightgown, made from a really soft, vintage pillowcase and some gingham bias tape I had laying around. I encased elastic across the neckline (front and back) and used bias tape to finish off the arm holes and form the ties. I also secured the ties at the shoulders with a few hidden stitches so we wouldn't have to deal with any wardrobe malfunctions should they come untied.

Start to finish, this little project took all of about 30 minutes. My favorite kind.

So I made another one. I just kind of made mine up as I went along, but you'll see that there are several ways to get the job done.

Here are a few easy tutorials:

red instead

a room somewhere

freshly picked

Try it out!

quilt for the girl

2009-03-04T07:40:00.000-06:00

I've wanted to make a quilt for Audrey for, oh, about a year and a half now. Looking at patterns, collecting and playing with bits of fabric, generally stalling the entire process. (See #12 of the Procrastinator's Creed. Kindred spirit, whoever came up with that one.)

So, I'm pleased to announce (again, mainly for accountability's sake) that I have selected and cut all of the pieces for her quilt. Now that she's officially out of the crib and into the big girl bed(okay, this happened almost a year ago), which is in dire need of some proper covers.

My original plan, way back when, was to make a very simple patchwork quilt of various and random calico squares, tied with red thread/yarn. After much deliberating, that's what I'm back to. Which is good, because it should be fairly quick and easy. Whenever I get around to making it.

The Girl Needed a New Friend

2009-03-02T06:00:00.002-06:00

So, my daughter Audrey has this stuffed dog, Meow. Meow was a gift from her grandparents and dons a black Harley bandanna around her (or, depending on the day, his) neck. Meow is Audrey's baby, puppy, kitty, best friend, and loyal audience.

Now, I'm fine with Meow. But a girl needs more than just one beloved doll. Especially when that one is a steadily-growing-grungier labrador from the local Harley dealership.

So, for her last birthday, I made this doll, inspired in part by Hillary Lang's creations. Well, I guess you could say more than inspired by Ms. Lang, and more than "in part", since I basically used this pattern, but redesigned the head and added accessories. And a matching backpack.

Being a fickle three year old, Aud wasn't thrilled at first with the doll. Until I pointed out that this baby doll actually looks like her. You know, sort of like her own little baby Audrey. I guess that appealed to her budding vanity, because the doll has since joined Meow as a regular bedfellow. Oh, and the backpack was an big hit right away. I'll tell you more about that another day.

Rocket Man

2009-02-27T06:00:00.004-06:00

Here's a gift I made recently for a new, little man at church. The pattern for the rocket and alien ships are from Jenny Hart's Sublime Stitching and the booties are Heather Bailey's Bitty Booties. All in all a very simple, fun and fast gift to make.

One trick I used for the first time was to iron a piece of plastic coated freezer paper (plastic side down) to the underside of the onesie where I would be embroidering. The paper provided the perfect stablizer for the delicate tee and kept it from stretching while I worked. Once my needlework was finished, I tore away the paper (gently!) and voila - done.

Ah, the wonders of freezer paper. If you're new to the freezer-paper-as-crafting-tool game, here are a few links to open up your world even more:

mmmcrafts
The Crafty Crow
Craftster

Have fun!

Afghan Squared...and delayed

2009-02-25T06:00:00.002-06:00

So, remember when I mentioned being holed up for a few frigid months in northwest Colorado? We moved there right after this back in January 2007.

As you might imagine, I was very motivated at the time to start a warm, preferably woolly, project, both by the cold and the boredom/mania that comes from being snowed in with 2 small children. I chose this.

Not so much anymore having returned to the Deep South where we run our air conditioners in January and I can throw the kids into the backyard as needed. Still, I hold out hopes of finishing this afghan eventually. I figured that posting about it would provide some incentive. We'll see.

Dressing for Paris...ha

2009-02-23T06:00:00.005-06:00

Last spring, my husband surprised me with plans for a trip to Paris for our 12th anniversary in the summer. My emotions went from shock to glee to dread as I thought of my boring mommy wardrobe and lack of Paris-worthy attire. I mean, I try, but this is Paris, no?

So after lots of fruitless online shopping and staring blankly into my closet for hours, I hit a fun local shop with Larissa and found these, which I promptly embellished in an effort to make them more individual and cool. I don't have any before pictures, so I'll just tell you, the mustard shrug was plain and the green jacket had some pretty hideous brass and pearl buttons.

I used Amy Butler's Lotus Lacework in Grey for the appliques, attaching them with Heat 'n' Bond, then embellishing with tiny, ivory French knots.

For the jacket, I just changed out the buttons for some that I covered myself from my scrap bin.

Okay, so I'll admit that I didn't have the courage to wear either of these pieces in Paris. No, I didn't find that all stylish Parisians wore only black, but these just didn't seem right, either. (Plus, I find that I'm not much of a teensy, fitted shrug girl - maybe 15 years and 20 pounds ago?) Still, I had fun playing with them.

And, in the end, who really cared what I looked like in the presence of this beauty? Certainly not me. (Now, if I could only remember this fact as I plan for/stress over my upcoming girl trip to NYC...)

Botchalato

2009-02-20T06:00:00.012-06:00

My son Gage has a talent for giving his "friends" interesting names. Meet Botchalato. "Botch" for short. (I try not to take that too personally.)

I am a huge fan of Hillary Lang's work. Her toys and dolls are what inspired me to start dollmaking a couple of years ago. So when she released the Spaceboy & Robot pattern a while back, I immediately fell in love and bought it. And when my recently robot-obsessed son's birthday rolled around this year, I had the perfect project ready to go. Which, to my mind, proves that impulse buys are totally justified.

Gage wasn't completely jazzed about the robot until I explained the function of each of the buttons and snaps. Like, as in, "This one raises his left arm, this one his right...and don't ever push this one unless you're prepared for serious Super Blast Off mode." Mission accomplished.

Sometimes sick pays off...

2009-02-17T06:00:00.012-06:00

It's been a while since I picked up a crochet hook. I like to crochet, but I'm really more of an instant gratification girl, so sewing is usually my craft-of-choice. This weekend, though, seeing as how I was feverish and pitiful with a cold, I had the perfect excuse to sit on the couch with my hook and yarn and craft up a little something.

Here's what I came up with, using this pattern as my starting point, but making a few changes along the way. (The biggest change - adding a few rows to make it wider and adjusting the ruffle as a result - probably not necessary if I'd made a swatch and adjusted my gauge in the first place, but, like I said, instant gratification. Prep work doesn't happen when you're crafting on the fly.)I think I'll use these buttons just above the ruffle with snaps inside for the actual closure. (The original pattern provided for button holes between the "petals" of the ruffle, but I'm not crazy about how that looks on mine.) I love these buttons. I dug them out of a bin at a little antique store in Meeker, Colorado when we were holed up there for a few snowy months. I've been hoarding them away for the perfect project.

This is not the perfect project. But, hey, since they're just decorative, I can easily snip them off later and not ruin the function of the scarf. So there you go. I'll get back here soon with pics of the finished product.

Rice Pudding

2009-02-13T07:00:00.006-06:00

The March issue of Bon Appetit showed up in my mailbox this week . Yay! This is the one magazine these days that I sit and read from cover to cover. One of my favorite bits is the Cooking Life article by Molly Wizenberg, my favorite food writer and author of the award-winning blog Orangette. In the March article, Sweet Memories, Molly writes about her dad's love affair with rice pudding and her own rice pudding coming-of-age, including a simple, definitive recipe.

So, ironically, I discovered this gem of an article when I sat down to dinner with my treasured magazine last night. On the menu? Rice pudding. The kids and I are nursing colds and the husband was out of town, so dinner had to be something simple and comforting that could be made quickly with on-hand ingredients.

Armed with some leftover basmati and the dregs of a carton of whipping cream, I decided to try my hand at making rice pudding for the first time. (Like Molly, I was slow to come to an appreciation of this simple comfort food. Even as an adult, I haven't eaten it often. So, I'm no expert, but I had an idea of what I wanted it to be like. If only I had squeezed in some time to read my Bon Appetit earlier!) After unsuccessfully Googling for recipes, here's what I came up with on my own:

Stir together the following ingredients in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil:

2 to 2 1/2 cups leftover basmati rice
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 2/3 cups skim milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon

dash of nutmeg
1 heavy pinch kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup raisins

Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low-medium. In the meantime, beat 1 egg until slightly thickened and lemony in color; set aside. Stir the rice mixture off and on for about 20 minutes, until it takes on more of a loose, creamy, pudding-like consistency. (At this point, I stirred in 2 tablespoons of butter. Probably not completely necessary.)

When that's done, stir about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the hot rice pudding into the beaten egg. Then, slowly add the warmed egg mixture to the rice, stirring vigorously and constantly to prevent the egg from curdling in your pudding. That would be bad.

Continue to gently stir your pudding for about 5 minutes, giving the egg time to cook and finish the thickening process. Note: the egg bit could totally be skipped, if you wanted a little looser consistency.

And then you're done. Slap that creamy goodness into a bowl and indulge. I liked it warm. The kids approved. We'll see this morning how it holds up cold.

Hi, my name is Robyn and I don't blog.

2009-02-12T18:35:00.002-06:00

At least that's what I've been telling myself and a certain insistent friend for a while now.

I do, however, craft. I inherited a compulsive need to make, which you'd know if you saw my stash of afghans, doilies, embroidery and quilts passed down from my grandmothers and their mothers before them. (These inspirational crafters, my grandmothers, were named Viola Mae and Pearl White.) And I can't leave out my own mother, who kept me in handmade clothes as a kid. She continues to inspire me with her DIY attitude and artistic ability.

So, this crafty blog is named after my grandmothers, but it isn't exactly a tribute to them, although they're as deserving as any dedicated crafters could be. No, it's more a tribute to the past and those things that, at least in my mind, define what was best about it: a focus on family, a handmade home, cooking from scratch, prudent, DIY sensibilities and a simple, sincere faith in God.

It's quite possible that my mother and the aforementioned friend are the only two people who will ever read this blog. So here you go, ladies.