The Hermit of the Southern March

2012-01-11T15:45:00.001-08:00

“From my distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?” -Psalm 118:5-6

Sigh of relief

2011-12-29T14:03:00.000-08:00

I've had my embroidery thread stored various (inefficient) ways over the years. I've been wanting to put it on the little card thread holders for a few months now, but put it off since I'm not terribly good at embroidery and don't do it that often. I felt that my time and budget were better served elsewhere. However, while working on a Christmas gift which involved embroidery thread, I realized I should at least find out how much getting organized would cost, because, as tidy as I could make the container holding the thread, it still wasn't anywhere near even acceptably messy. A trip to Ben Franklin on 20% off day, and $2.79 (for box and cards!) later (but not counting the twelve NEW threads I picked out, pictured on the right...), I was on my way to the above blissful rainbow of perfectly tidy organization. Ahh!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

Source: 3krazychics.blogspot.com via Claudia on Pinterest

My only problem with this is that it's not at least seven times as long.

2011-11-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

I did not enjoy the book Wuthering Heights, but I've been curious to see a film version. It looks like it will have to be this one. And not just because Mumford & Sons wrote an itty bitty song for it. But partly.

Pea Soup Cardigan

2011-10-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

I started this in March, but didn't knit on it consistently until September. It's not a difficult knit, and the instructions are clear. I made the 6-7 year size, because I really wasn't sure how long it would take me, and I figured that gave me plenty of time to finish--at least 3 years, if it went to Anya, instead of Fiona. ;) The yarn is discontinued, so I'll spare you an in-depth review, but I like it very much (it's very soft, plus it's washable), and the color, which was hard to capture on camera (remember when we used to say "on film"?), reminds me of split pea soup. The buttons add a bit of contrast and utter girly-ness. I'm quite pleased with how this cardigan turned out, even if bits of it aren't exactly perfect.

Details Raveled here.

RFO (Recently Finished Objects)

2011-09-15T00:04:00.000-07:00

For a baby shower, booties sewn from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings and a red hat knitted (mostly) from an Apple Hat pattern. The parents are waiting until the baby is born to find out if it's a boy or a girl, so I tried to make something neutral.

I would have liked the buttons on the booties to be red, but I couldn't find the right shade.

When I saw the Southmoor Hat pop up in the Recently Added Patterns on Ravelry and noticed that it took one skein of Cotton Comfort, which I just happened to have (my mom picked it out for me on her trip up the East Coast last Fall), I knew I had to get the Fall issue of Knitscene, which was most fortunately at our local craft shop (and which I waited oh-so patiently to purchase until 20%-off day). The pattern was made for the yarn I had. I simply couldn't have not bought the magazine! All of the details are Raveled here. (Many, many details. Note that there is errata for the pattern on its page on Ravelry, in case someone who is reading this plans to knit it.)

This hat is great because my (not overly thick, but nevertheless) hair is piled up on the top of my head underneath it. I admit, I put on tinted lip gloss before having my husband take this picture. Oh, vanity!

I have several other projects that I've finished and never gotten around to sharing. I even typed up half-posts to remind myself to show them off, and that seemed to be enough to get them completely off my mind! Now it seems like so much work to go back through my 1.2 million photos (more or less) in Picasa to find the ones of what I wanted to share. We'll see if it happens. There's nothing particularly spectacular, after all, just little things. ;)

BSJ

2011-08-23T23:46:00.000-07:00

I realized today that I never posted about the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket I made for my cousin's baby boy. He's her first baby, so it's made in a neutral color so that it can be used for any future siblings, girl or boy. (All of the technical details are Ravelled here.)

It wasn't until today, when I was looking at the pictures I took of it in June, that I realized how pleased I am with how this turned out. It's certainly not perfect, but the pattern is so great, it's hard to not like the finished product, flaws and all.

I didn't do a very good job of sewing up the shoulder seams. They're kind of a 'decorative' finish, a-hem.

In case you've never heard of the Baby Surprise Jacket, it's called that because it looks like a somewhat flattish lumpy nothing as you're knitting it, but when you're done and you fold up two corners--surprise!--it's a jacket. It's really quite amazing. I kept pausing every few rows to fold it up and check the progress (not the wisest choice for someone who knits as slowly as I do, since that didn't exactly speed me up).

The knitting itself is quite easy, just simple increases and decreases in garter stitch; it's the directions that can be a bit...shall we say interesting? Elizabeth Zimmerman was a knitting genius, no doubt about it, but it can sometimes be hard for those of us who are decidedly not genius-inclined, knitting or otherwise, to perfectly understand her chatty directions. Or maybe it's just that I prefer a cut-and-dry approach to instructions. In any case, I made sure to thoroughly peruse the Baby Surprise Jacket Wiki on Ravelry before beginning so that I could wrap my brain around the gist of the construction and decide on my approach to the increases. I also made notes on the pattern so that when I make this again (and I most certainly will), I don't have to think as much. ;)

I hand-wrote a label with a fabric pen on pinked muslin and tacked it on the inside, because I figured a new mother didn't really need to try and figure out what size an item is or how to wash it. It gets the job done.

I used an organic cotton yarn that I bought when a local yarn shop closed their storefront. It's somewhat splitty, but so soft. I probably could have used bigger needles, but the finished knit is pleasantly squooshy, so it's fine.

I found the perfectly-coordinating vintage buttons at the thrift store. I was so pleased with them. I like the detailing that the shaping gives in this solid color. I wasn't able to go to the baby shower, but I heard that the BSJ seemed to go over well. I hope it gets plenty of use. :)

Princesses

2011-08-15T18:56:00.001-07:00

It's not every day little girls get to play duck-duck-goose with Cinderella and Belle.

2011-08-15T14:00:00.001-07:00

Revamped x3

2011-07-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

From this J. Crew halter-neck dress that I've had for years and never wore (it was too low to wear without a shirt underneath, but the shirt always bunched up, plus halter necks are uncomfortable):

To this high-waisted circle skirt that will be much more wearable:

I removed the bodice pieces, then folded the waistband in, bringing it down to 1 1/2" from 3". The fabric is a lightweight seersucker that needed some reinforcement in the waistband anyway. I stupidly and accidentally pulled the zipper pull off the invisible zipper, which meant I had to replace it. That turned into a series of mishaps, but it's now wearable, so all's well that ends well, right? I also took the halter ties and sewed them about 1" back from the side seams on the waistband (so that I didn't add any bulk to my waistline as viewed from the front) to be able to cinch it up a bit. It was a little too loose, otherwise. I might move the ties back to 2", but we'll see. I'm thinking this would be a nice way to make a skirt slightly adjustable.

You've seen the tired black shoes to perky purple shoes:

And now here's the matching bag:
It was a shiny black thing that I got at a thrift shop for $1 (it has a V!ctoria's Secret label, and was undoubtedly a promotional item--I saw this exact bag at another thrift store the same day I bought this one).

But now it is PURPLE. Very PURPLE.

I assure you, the purple of the shoes and the bag are the same. It's just that the lighting for the pictures was not. :) (Also, the paint wasn't completely cured in the above photo, so it looks slightly streaky.)

It was astonishing to me that this little bottle of acrylic paint that cost less than $2 made the shoes and bag look so good. You really cannot tell that they've been painted. I did two coats on the shoes, and four on the bag. It took overnight for the bag to lose all of its tackiness (well, besides the color--I meant a tactile tacky ;) ) and be comfortable to handle (in other words, don't do this a few hours before you need to use something, give it a day to be sure). The shoes held up well. I kept glancing down at the dance floor at the wedding, expecting to see purple streaks on it, but there weren't. They still look purple all over, and the bag looks like it was made that way.

The paint washes off of hands easily, which was good, because I got it all over mine. If anyone is going to try this (perhaps in a less bright color?), I would say to have at it. This was so easy to do. Cutting in the edges I think was a good step, but other than that, just go on in an orderly way, keeping your paint strokes going the same direction. :)

And here's the dress that needed purple accessories:

There was another lady at the wedding wearing the EXACT same dress. I admit, I was a bit embarrassed. That has never happened to me before (well, except for being a bridesmaid, but that doesn't count). She accessorized with pink, though, so of course I pulled it off better. (joking!) (The dress is a bit shorter than I usually wear, but I wore leggings underneath in case of unfortunate gusts of wind.)

Purple Shoes

2011-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

I think I need to apologize for this post. I was really tired and rambling on when I wrote it. Sorry!

I needed shoes to wear to my cousin's wedding next weekend. I found one pair of dark pink wedges that went nicely with the dress I'm going to wear, but with their 4 1/2 inch heels, I couldn't see myself wearing them ever again (I was close to six feet in them and pink isn't really my color anyway). I thought of wearing my vintage-looking brown leather heels, but decided to do something to some shimmery black ballet flats I had instead.

The original color. I got these at Target last fall for a really good price They look dusty and tired in this photo, but, other than the underneath edges, they actually didn't look bad in real life.

I came across this tutorial and, oh my lands, I loved those shoes so much that I decided to buy glitter as soon as the shops opened the next morning. However, as I was setting something on my desk a few moments later, I noticed some small bottles of acrylic craft paint (opens in pdf) that I've had for a while and recalled this tutorial I'd seen in my shoe re-vamping searches. Well, that decided it. I had the paint--in the perfect purple shade (Pansy), to boot--and I was procrastinating making the wedding gift (napkins), so painted shoes I would try post haste!

Sorry there's only one foot. I'd already started painting the other shoe before I realized I should get a 'Before' shot with them on my feet.

I cut in the edges next to the sole and the top first, then put on a first coat--easy peasy. The second coat, especially next to the edges, went on even more easily than the first. And, that was it. Two coats of paint--one thin (primer) and one thick (finish coat), and they looked brand new. A third coat might make them slightly more perfect-looking, but I highly doubt anyone will be looking at my wide feet intently enough to determine that there's a slight thinnish (not even really noticeable) spot in the color on one of them. Even if they did notice it, it's not like they're going to think, "Wow, Serena must have painted those shoes and not done a very good job. Tsk tsk."

Purple! The color coordinates perfectly with the dress I'm going to wear.

To say I am pleased with the way these turned out would be understating it. I love 'em! I was also rather happy when my husband looked at them closely and asked how I'd cut in the edges so well. As a house painter, he knows a good cut in line. ;) To answer his question, I used a 3/8" angle brush. It was perfect for the job, and did just fine covering the large spaces, too.

A side view.

So I ended up with the perfect shoes, that are more comfortable, wearable, and a much better color for me.

The "Casual Pose"
I apologize for showcasing my bony, veiny, flip-flop-tanned feet.

And, since I already had the shoes and the paint, they didn't cost me a penny. Woo-hoo to that!

***
Blogger is messing with me right now and doing all sorts of weird things, so I apologize for weird formatting and anything else, including the fact that I tried to schedule this for Monday and it published it under Monday's date but posted it immediately.

A Boxy Zippered Bag

2011-06-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

Made and written before the events of the past few weeks.

I wanted to make a little something for my dear friend Ashley, and for some reason thought a roomy zippered pouch would be just the thing. I thought she could use it for knitting notions, makeup, or to put toiletries in to come visit (hint, hint).

I chose the outer fabric: a beautiful rayon bias-cut skirt that was handed down and looked terrible on me. (Bias skirts have never flattered my pear shape.) I had a sturdy green cotton that matched perfectly to use as the lining. Against my better judgement, I decided to use the Weekend Away Travel Bag from Weekend Sewing. I knew I shouldn't have. I have vague memories of reading a review of the pattern that was not good. But I did it anyway. I have only myself, and the author and editor of the book, to blame for the frustration that followed.

I did not do a good job interfacing it. I can never seem to get interfacing just right.

The construction method is unintuitive, at best. The thick, unwieldy seams are difficult to wrangle into place, and the complete lack of useful diagrams was a serious oversight on the part of the editor. This is the fifth poorly written pattern I've used from the book, and I was tempted to pitch the thing out into the unseasonable and cold June rain we were having.

Zipper and side detail. The zipper is vintage, and the only one I had that was long enough. I wasn't sure about the color, but once it was together, I thought it went with the fabric very well.

I do realize that I did not help matters by using the flimsy rayon, but I thought that interfacing it lightly would help, which it undoubtedly did. The seams are thick no matter what, though, and putting it together, especially not knowing which way was up or sideways or anything, was a bear.

The lining, with a peak at the thick seams. You can't really tell how difficult they are to work with from this photo.

The shape turned out somewhat triangular instead of boxy. I think it's pretty anyway (I just love that fabric!), but I really wish I'd decided to look for an online tutorial (note the handy tabs on that boxy bag) instead.

Side detail, zipper unzipped. It's a nice size, I'll give it that.

The above mentioned boxy bag tutorial looks nice, but I think I'm going to wait to try it out. I need to make myself a zippered pouch for my knitting notions, and I think I'm going to use this nifty tutorial on Craftster, perhaps with a divider in the middle and a small pocket or two on the side. [I realize I have a problem following directions exactly, but I cannot seem to stop myself. Perhaps I do have only myself to blame for the problems I had with the boxy zippered pouch from Weekend Sewing.] (Note: zippered pouch for knitting notions made, sans divider and pockets...but I did make it a little wider.)

And, really, as long as Ashley likes it, it was worth the whole experience to make it.

2011-06-17T23:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your kind words and prayers. I have no doubt that everyone's prayers for us have been significant in helping us during this difficult time (James 5:16). Sorry if this sounds formal or stiff. Anything else would make me dissolve into tears.

I keep trying to write a post about this, and it keeps getting really long. This is as short as I could get it without it sounding brusque:

Wednesday evening, two days after the miscarriage, I was having contractions on par with transition, and significant blood loss. The pain, coupled with the blood loss and thought of the blood I passed on Monday evening (also a lot) prompted my husband and I to go to the hospital. I ended up needing a D & C to remove blood clots. My hemoglobin levels were at 6, half of what they should have been, so it was strongly recommended that I have a blood transfusion. I was not happy about that, but I knew that the fears I was having concerning that were based on odds: a missed miscarriage is rare, an incomplete miscarriage not common, and then, to risk HIV transmission from a blood transfusion, though not likely, is possible, and I felt that the odds were not in my favor. But I know, I know that God is not a God of odds or statistics. I still don't like it, though. The doctors and nurses were all so kind and sympathetic, that really, what could have been a horrendous experience, wasn't. [Edit: Not sure if I was clear that I just didn't like the risks of blood transfusion, and that I simply elevated the thought of those risks in my head.]

I'm home now, tired, sore, arms bruised and poked full of holes, sticky from IV and catheter tape, but no cramping to speak of, and blood loss down to drops instead of gushes. I had the mother of all headaches today, but it's better now as long as I don't bend over (I'm not really supposed to be doing anything but resting, anyway--I'm typing this laying down). I didn't know you could have a headache like that without having been beaten upside the head. My legs are rather wobbly, but I know I'll improve soon, though slowly.

I have been so supported and cared for these past days. I am so blessed. My husband has been absolutely amazing, and my mom, Mary, my sister-in-law, and my mother-in-law have all been doing and willing to do anything.

I'm very glad that things worked out the way they did. I was able to have the baby at home, and this whole incident was two days later, so completely separate from the miscarriage.

I read this post today, and she said something that my husband said a few days ago and which has been a great comfort to us:

Tucker [her stillborn baby] lived out every day God had ordained for him. His life was not cut short, it was lived just as fully as someone who we would consider had lived a long, full life. And God showed great mercy to Tucker. He leapt from the warmth and safety of my womb into the waiting arms of Jesus. He never knew or will know pain and sorrow, sickness, or sin. As we grieved the death of our precious son, he was in the presence of the Savior, living life more fully than I can even imagine!

This does not make it easy, but it is a comfort, and a joy, really. Thank you again for your loving words and prayers. They truly mean so much to me.

2011-06-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

For various reasons, I've waited to post this, but now I feel I can.

I had a prenatal checkup last Tuesday, and the baby had no heartbeat. I miscarried on Monday evening. It's been very, very hard, and we would very much appreciate your prayers. Thank you.

Osoberry Bag 2

2011-06-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

This is the second Osoberry Bag I've made. Why I haven't taken pictures of the first, I don't know, but this one is much better anyway.

I saw this fabric a few months ago and knew I had to make Mary something from it. "Something" meant "bag", but which pattern to use, and, more importantly, when and how I could get around to making it were questions that had yet to be answered. Then I stumbled across the Osoberry Bag and knew it would be perfect. Indeed, I had just enough of each of the four main fabrics to make it. After a trial run with the pattern to make myself an Osoberry (to work out any kinks and, well, make myself a bag), I finally managed to get around to Mary's.

I cut the Chirp! from the selvedge and zigzagged it on and I love this detail.

The Osoberry is nice because it has no ---OK, baby brain is hitting hard, what's the word I'm looking for?--- um, no zippers or buttons FASTENERS, that's the word. It's nice because it has no fasteners. It's just cutting and sewing (and pressing, of course). No fiddling with anything that might get frustrating. The top folds over to close the bag, but it can also stand up if you have plenty to put in it. I did use interfacing on this one, which might give it a bit too much body, but hopefully it will soften up a bit with use.

The bottom panel-pocket is stitched in rows to the main bag, which takes some time. I highly recommend a walking foot for that step to prevent any maddening puckers from forming. For my machine, the walking foot was a $20 purchase that has been invaluable, especially (as it's meant) for quilts.

The pocket lining looks like it's part of the same fabric collection as the two outer fabrics, but I don't know if it actually is. It was a weird square of fabric that was given to me with no selvedges, but it went so perfectly, I had to use it. One thing to note with this pattern: if you have a directional print (the two outer fabrics and the heart lining were), you're going to have to cut the pattern pieces with a seam at the bottom, and sew it before beginning the actual pattern instructions. It's a small step to take and well worth the minimal effort to avoid a bag with one side that's upside down.

The inside lining and pocket.

When I was taking pictures of the bag, I was horrified to notice this:

One of the few layers at the bottom corner seam hadn't gotten sewn with the rest of them. It's structurally sound, because of all the layers, but I couldn't just leave it, so I whip-stitched it down, then covered it with this yellow scrap:

I felt like it needed a tad more yellow, anyway.

I also added handles at the top of the bag. I like to have something to grab on (even though this isn't for me :) ), in addition to a nice long strap. I used a purchased webbing for the strap, partly because I didn't want to make one, and partly because I didn't have enough fabric to.

The outside pockets.

I'm pleased with how this bag turned out, and I think the Osoberry Bag pattern and instructions are quite good, not to mention free (I'm so grateful for generous crafters who share tutorials online). It's a great bag (I love mine), and fairly quick to put together. I think it would make a great knitting bag.

Lace

2011-04-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

Now, I'm not saying my idea was completely original, because Princess Grace certainly did it before I did:

But, I wore lace sleeves on my wedding day eight years and three days before Catherine:

(Forgive the horrible scan and the even worse photo. We had the worst photographer in the world, which I will regret to my dying day.)

Catherine did pretty good, though. ;) Her veil was lovely. And the tiara--well, you just can beat a real tiara!

Her sister looked beautiful, too. I loved the lilies of the valley in her hair. And I thought the Queen's yellow outfit was great.

After seeing the fabulous and usually ridiculous hats and fascinators that the guests to the royal wedding wore, I'm wondering if I could make something a bit more subdued to wear to my cousin's wedding this summer. Actually, much more subdued. Even then, I don't know if I could pull it off. ;)

(Also, how ridiculous is it for me to do a post with pictures of two beautiful princesses and...me? Heehee.)

Disneyland

2011-04-15T01:13:00.000-07:00

I feel like the story of how I ended up going to Disneyland unexpectedly needs to be told in full to do it justice, but that might actually use up the Internet, so I'll try to abbreviate it. It was so epically awesome, though, that I don't know if I'll manage. Oh, and I warn you: the following is not particularly well-written or edited, and I use a lot of smiley faces. I apologize.

Do you know that certain group of people who are Disneyland Fanatics? They speak of Disneyland as though it is a man-created Eden, the Promised Land, The, yes--The Happiest Place on Earth. I always looked at them a bit askance. I had never been to Disneyland before, but now that I have, I understand.

First off, going to Disneyland was a bit of a last-minute thing for me, though I still had more of a head's up than Ashley. ;) Ashley was flying down to help her sister (Mary) out for a few days, she thought, but Mary planned a surprise Disneyland trip for the two of them and Mary's nursling, Wilder. When Mary found out that Anya was weaned the evening before she left, she ordered me to go home and ask my husband if I could go. Let's just say that I had nothing to do with everything falling into place for me to go. As silly as it may sound, it was all Providential.

So we picked up Ashley at the airport, told her what we were doing (that was really fun), and headed south. Thanks to Ashley's awesome driving skillz, we made it to Downtown Disney for a delicious supper (what's up with crazy traffic on a Saturday night, Southern California?). We were able to meet some friends of Ashley's there (they go on date nights to Downtown Disney--don't you feel sorry for them?), and they told us about Griffith Observatory, which we decided to add into our stops for the day after Disneyland.

(The cottage of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Supper, hotel, up early. Beignets for breakfast (yummmm). Disneyland.

(It's a Small World)

The opening speech. The castle. Snow White's ride. The Teacups. Pirates of the Caribbean--I'm not mentioning everything we did. Pirates of the Caribbean is legendary, of course, and I loved it. I didn't know there was an Indiana Jones ride, which broke down when Ashley and I went on it (she found out later someone had dropped their sweatshirt on the track), so I didn't get the full effect until Mary and I went on it. Oh, yes. I went on all of the rides twice. I was completely and utterly spoiled. There's this marvelous thing, a pass for parents who have children too small to go on certain rides, that enables the person waiting with the child(ren) to skip to the front of the line when the first person has come back, and since we had Wilder with us, we were able to get that pass. The pass is good for two people, and Mary and Ashley being awesome, they insisted that 'since it was my first time', I go twice. I should have protested more, but I don't think it would have done any good.

(Jungle Cruise. The guide (?) we got was great.)

We met Ariel and saw a Princess show and Mary Poppins. All of the little girls there in princess dresses were so, so cute.

Mary with Wilder, Me, Ariel, Ashley
(In other words, I'm the only one without red hair) :)

We also went to California Adventure. Screamin', The Tower of Terror, Soarin'...oh, man, was it fun! We barely sat down the entire day (except on the rides), and I'm not quite sure what we sustained ourselves on (corn dogs and cookies), but we kept on. Back over to Disneyland for one more ride before the fireworks.

(Ashley is the redhead third from the left in the front, and I'm the dork next to her trying to take a picture of the view.)

The wait for Space Mountain was 58 minutes. Ashley insisted that Mary (who hasn't been able to go on it for a few years due to pregnancy :) ) and I wait for Space Mountain while she took the baby and secured spots for us for the fireworks show. At that point, I was dog-tired and thought, "I really hope this ride is worth the standing-up wait." As the picture below shows, it was. We kind of staggered out of there.

Then, the fireworks. It's not just fireworks, it's a show, with music and narration and the theme of it IS the theme of the park--it goes through it all. Oooh, pretty! Ahhh, pretty! Oh, there's Tinkerbell ohmygoodness that's a real person flying around up there! They have a real person on a line from the Matterhorn to the Castle and she goes around and the fireworks are exploding. It was crazy.

See that little speck there to the right of the castle? Tinkerbell.

Click on this one to make it bigger--Tinkerbell is right by the top of the castle.

After the fireworks, we went on Pirates of the Caribbean one more time and walked right up to the ride, no wait. :) We actually got great seats on the rides all day, and with using the various passes, the lines didn't seem bad at all. After Pirates, we did our souvenir shopping and then limped back toward the hotel. Ashley remarked that she felt like she needed some eggs, to which Mary and I as-heartily-as-our-aching-legs-would-let-us agreed. We walked to Mimi's--which was inexplicably closed. So we had to backtrack to Milly's, where we ate eggs and had amusing conversation that I cannot remember. It probably would not have been so amusing had we not been on the edge of delirium. :)

It was ridiculously fun.

View to the west from Griffith Observatory.

The next day, we headed for Griffith Observatory. That was such a great stop. I'm so glad Ashley's friends told us about it! The views were breathtaking--though, I should probably mention that the weather was lovely and the air, we were told, had been remarkably clear. I had The Keeper of the Bees in the back of my mind the whole time and those wistful thoughts I sometimes have of how amazing Southern California must have been in the Twenties--before everyone littered and made the sides of the roads look like garbage cans (what on earth? all that trash really surprised me).

The view to the east.

"I wonder if we'll be able to see the Hollywood sign?" we said on our way up. Yes.

Then we headed to Grauman's Chinese Theater where I did not rest until I found the Marx Brothers.

My foot is bigger than Chico's.

We headed to Santa Monica then and passed Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive. We discovered PinkBerry (our new love) and saw the Pier. I dipped my enormous feet in the ocean, and then we headed home, more or less. ;)

We arrived home around 2 am. And then at 2 pm that same day we headed to San Francisco to meet the Pioneer Woman. I've never driven to San Francisco before (I've always been a passenger), and I'm afraid I scared Mary and Ashley with my aggressive driving. I didn't even know I had it in me. We ate at Don Pisto's, which was deeeelicious and the only real, sit-down food we had the whole four days. :)

I don't think I've ever had so much pure, constant fun as I did on this trip. It was wonderful. ;)

Emerald Hamamelis

2011-02-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

Finally, the shawl is blocked, ends woven in, finished.

The details have been Raveled. This was my first true lace shawl. Well, it's only my second (finished) shawl, so there are still plenty of firsts to be had.

The yarn was from yarntini and was such a pleasure to work with. The pattern was lovely and perfectly clear.

And if you click on the photos, you can see the whole set of pictures I took of the shawl, both blocked and unblocked. Blocking is so magical. I love it.

I Met Ree

2011-02-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get the shawl I've been working on done so I could wear it when I met Pioneer Woman, but I didn't. I would have had it done if the redhead with the baby strapped to her hadn't all of a sudden taken her sister and me to Disneyland. I'd say it was a fair trade-off, though. Oh, but that's a post for another day.

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 115)

2011-02-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

Joining in 7 Quick Takes today. (Originally I typed "Joing". This does not bode well for the rest of the post. Please forgive any horrible errors.)

1
I've been trying to get the shawl I'm working on done before Tuesday. When I first decided to try last week (I started it at the beginning of January), I didn't actually think I'd be able to do it. But, amazingly enough, I think I will!

2
I'm reading One Thousand Gifts. If you don't have the book, start at the author's blog.

3
Pinterest is handy. Though, I realized that you kind of have to be careful if you're going to explore others' pins. Some can be rather risqué. Mine are safe, I think. I have no idea why there's the section in the middle of my pins of blankness. I guess I should do something about that.

4
I was brushing Fiona's hair so she could go to the paint store with Daddy when she asked, "Where's Mars?" I explained that it was in outer space, past the moon.
"How far is it?"
"Oh, I don't really know. Very far!"
She thought about that, then started on another subject.
"So I'll be able to read my car books!"
I was a bit confused at the change of subject from Mars to going to the paint store but responded, "Yes! That will be fun!"
And then I realized: she hadn't asked where Mars was, she had asked where Moules (the paint store) was. I just blithely told my five-year-old that she was going on a car ride to a paint store past the moon.

5
A couple of weeks ago I was really cold.
"Where is that awful draft coming from?" I exclaimed.
"What?" asked Fiona.
"That awful draft. Where is it coming from?"
"A giraffe???"
I don't know if she was more confused about the giraffe or that I was calling it awful, because giraffes are pretty cool in my book.

6
My next knitting project will be Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. I am very glad for Ravelry and the extensive information they have on this pattern there. Charted lace I'm fine with, but Elizabeth Zimmerman intimidates me.

7
I'm going to San Francisco on Tuesday with two amazing and lovely friends. We're going to have so much fun!

Favorite Cookies

2011-01-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Trina's post about Nut Butter Brownies (and by request), I thought I would share my favorite cookie recipe. They're flourless, dairy-free, and absolutely amazing. And they're so quick and easy. This is my very slightly different version of the recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet.

Nut Butter Cookies
1 c. sucanat
1 c. roasted and salted almond butter (you can substitute another nut butter, but I assure you, the almond is wonderful)
1 egg
1 Tbsp. vanilla
*see note below

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a cookie sheet/baking stone.

Mix all ingredients together (I just do it by hand) and drop by scant tablespoonfuls on cookie sheet, leaving plenty of room for spreading. This is a very sticky dough, so I'm afraid you're going to have to get your hands dirty. Bake 10-15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Don't underbake. I usually like my cookies baked for 10 minutes, to keep them nice and soft, but these cookies are better baked longer, probably about 13 minutes at the least. They remain chewy (with lovely crispy edges) even after baking for the longer time. Cool on cooling rack.

Enjoy!

*Now, you can add chocolate chips to these (I'd recommend chopping them up so that they're quite small or using mini), but I really don't think these cookies need them. These cookies can stand on their own feet! If you do decide to use them, add them after the other ingredients are mixed together, then proceed as usual.

Lately finished

2011-01-26T22:03:00.000-08:00

Well, not very lately, but I'm glad I didn't post the photos I took, because these ones are much cuter. I'm so glad to hear that they do, in fact, stay on! (Raveled.)

The Blue Castle

2011-01-24T22:02:00.000-08:00

Source: en.wikipedia.org via Serena on Pinterest

The second book I read for the L. M. Montgomery Reading Challenge was The Blue Castle. Unlike Marigold, I read Valancy's story as quickly as my eyes--and children--would allow. This was my second read-through of this book, and, if anything, I loved it even more than the first time. Next to the first three Anne books, this is my favorite L. M. Montgomery book.

The Blue Castle tells the story of Valancy Stirling, an old maid of 29 years. She lives with her unpleasant mother and cousin in fear and poverty with only the books of an author that writes about nature for comfort. When Valancy learns she has just one year left to live, she decides to take action, much to the shock and horror of her disagreeable and 'proper' clan.

This is the only one of L. M. Montgomery's novels that doesn't take place, at least partly, on Prince Edward Island. It's set in Ontario, and it feels so different from all of her other books. The difference lies in more than the geographical location, though. The main character is an adult, and we get only one or two brief glimpses of her sad childhood. She is not happy and has never been happy. Her surroundings are unpleasant and ugly. There is no love lost between her and her mother. She is crippled by fear. The time period is later than some of Montgomery's other books, too, with automobiles, movies, and Chinese food being ingredients in the story.

I enjoy how Lucy Maud Montgomery's love of nature shines through in this book (as it does in all of her works). Valancy traipses about the woods and enjoys lakes and sunsets and good fresh air and it makes me feel as though I was the one exercising my body in the great outdoors instead of not leaving the house so that I can sit and read. The landscapes seem more wild...rough...untamed than those she describes on Prince Edward Island. They're equally magical, just in completely different ways. There's a bit of a tang in the air, so to speak.

I love this book. I love the heroine, I love how she interacts with people after she leaves her mother's home, I love how she lets go of her fears and just gets out there. It makes me want to do the same.

7 Quick Takes Friday

2011-01-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

Joining in 7 Quick Takes Friday today.

1
I changed the look of the blog. If you read in a feed reader, you really are missing out. ;) (That coming from someone who doesn't know what she would do without Google Reader.) I felt like I'd stumbled upon an ice cream shop when I discovered that Blogger has finally added other font options. That was a long time coming. Too long. The only thing is, is the font I chose too difficult to read? There is also a new header. I had trouble with the font for it until I finally gave it up as good enough. And then I downloaded it to upload and it went fuzzy. I had to tell myself, "It's fine. It's really fine. For someone with your computer skills, it really is fine."

2 I decided to keep this URL (if you remember, I was wondering a few months ago about changing URLs and blahdeeblahblah), but clear out some old posts--make the blog a bit more streamlined and focused on made-things. And that's quite enough about the blog now.

3 I've often wondered, as we walked past this house, about the stuff hanging out the open upstairs window. The window would be open even when it was quite cold, and the stuff changed every so often and never looked very tidy. Last week, the missing piece of the puzzle appeared:

See him sitting there on the windowsill? The black and white kitty? It seems quite obvious now.

4
We've been enjoying our annual Spring-in-Winter weather. It comes around for a week or two every year in January or February.

5
I...think...the kitchen might actually get finished...soon. Which means I'll have a lot of counter space and, more to the point, a whole room for sewing and schooling and crafting galore. I have cushion covers to make! And curtains to hem! And--oh, the list is long!

6
Our clawfoot tub broke. I stepped into it one day and thought, "Something isn't right here..." Both legs at the back had fallen off (it is an old one, a hand-me-down from my in-laws) and it was barely being supported by the wall. Thankfully, none of the pipes broke. I don't know how, but my husband, with the help of a car jack, managed to get both legs back on. I figured out that the vibrations from the washing machine, on the other side of the wall, gradually loosened the already-broken leg and the screw in the not-broken-before leg.

7
Brie. How delicious is it? Amazingly delicious. I made two puff pastry-wrapped brie with a honey, garlic, butter sauce for Fiona's birthday party and every last bit of it got eaten. I hadn't gotten my fill, so I bought more and we ate it as a snack last night. I will be eating the rest as a snack tonight. And I have more in the refrigerator. Brie, in puff pastry with honey, garlic, butter sauce. Try it.

Magic for Marigold

2011-01-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

via on Pinterest

How much do you love the artwork for this cover? I am completely smitten.

This was my first time reading Magic for Marigold by L. M. Montgomery. It had a different feel to it for me from her other books. There was the same whimsical believer-in-fairies and thinks-her-own-thoughts child, but the focus was really just on that one child, and only as a child. [Jane of Lantern Hill is about 'just' a child, too, but I think the rest of her characters are adults at some point in their stories.]

The story is that of Marigold Lesley, a little girl whose father dies a few weeks before she is born, and who goes a good six months without a name. She eventually is named, after the doctor who saves her life, and goes on to live a delicious life at Cloud of Spruce (oh! what an enchanting name!) with her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother.

Every time I read an L. M. Montgomery book it is crystal-clear to me that the author loved:
-good food
-good architecture
-thick hair
-pretty clothes
-clean houses
-nature
-babies

(Of course, who doesn't love those things?)

It is a mark of all of her heroines that they can keep house and keep it well. 'Spotless' is the name of the game. They rise to the occasion and provide scrumptious fare for distant relatives that drop in unexpectedly, or venerable authoresses that arrive unannounced, and they do it cooly, composedly, in pretty clothes, though perhaps with one's nose stained red. At this point I am mixing up Marigold and Anne, so let's get back to Marigold.

I did not devour this book. I read it slowly. It is an enjoyable read, as all Montgomery's works are, but, perhaps, slightly slowish. Marigold, to me, was not the most stimulating character. She's really quite tame compared to L. M. Montgomery's other girls. I always love hearing the stories of secondary characters in L. M. Montgomery's books, though, and they definitely added a bit of interest to this one. Too, I enjoy her descriptions of Prince Edward Island, which is a magical place and apparently the only place in the world where winter is tolerable. So, while I was not overly excited while reading this book, it was certainly comfortable and cozy and familiar.

Marigold doesn't get carried away on flights of imagination to the extent that Anne does, she doesn't have literary aspirations like Emily, and she doesn't have the large (immediate) family of Pat. But she is a very comfortable sort of person to read about and sympathize with and I think she'd be a lovely friend to have.

My favorite part of the book was when Marigold sits outside with her great-grandmother and hears stories of when she was young (see book cover above). As I said, Montgomery's anecdotes concerning secondary characters fascinate me. They leave me wanting more--more information, more story, more more more about these people (and how much was based on real people?) and their lives and sins and joys.

I would recommend any of L. M. Montgomery's books. There is so much beauty in them.

I'm crazy about the art for this one, too:

via on Pinterest

SMS Reflections/Predictions

2011-01-14T15:33:00.000-08:00

Over at Sew, Mama, Sew! they're having a 2010 Reflections/2011 Predictions that you can participate in and possibly win a $15 gift certificate. I thought it would be fun to do, plus that gift certificate...

Looking back on the sewing scene of 2010, what trends stand out in your mind?

Owls and hexies. Oh, and ruffles ruffles ruffles applied to ev-er-y-thing, especially around the neckline. Unfitted, short dresses seemed to be a trend, too. With ruffles.

What were some of your favorite things? (Trends, fabric collections, patterns, blogs? Whatever you really loved.)

I loved the hexies, but I haven't actually made any yet. The Noodleheads Gathered Clutch was a favorite project (made a few times).

What was your very favorite fabric collection or print? (If not listed above.)

Castle Peeps by Lizzie House, hands down. I LOVE it, and I have yet to get my hands on it.

What was the best thing you made in 2010? (Be sure to share a photo!)

I liked the doll I made for my niece, though I don't necessarily think it was spectacular or anything. Same goes for the shawl I made my friend Jessica (not sewing, but...).

What is one of the best things you saw that was made by someone else?

Now that is a hard one to answer because I saw SO many amazing projects.

I loved this knitting basket

and this quilt (does it remind anyone else of Romeo + Juliet?)

and this blanket

and this pocket sampler quilt

and this map bag

and those are just recently seen things. I will not even attempt to go through my bookmarks from the beginning of 2010 and pick favorites from there. We'd be here all day.

What do you think 2011 has in store? (Again, trends, fabric, patterns, etc.)

I think hedgehogs will oust owls.

Anything you’re ready for the sewing world to get over?

I don't really want to name names, but there's a certain designer that I, for one, am quite done with.

What’s on your sewing agenda for 2011? What are you excited about? What would you like to learn more about?

For the first two questions: Getting my sewing area done and organized! For the third: I'd like to learn how to make the clothes I sew fit me well.

Care to chime in?

L. M. Montgomery Reading Challenge

2011-01-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

Carrie over at Reading to Know is hosting her third annual Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge this month. I'm starting a bit late, but I figured I'd join anyway. Since all of my L. M. Montgomery books are still packed away at some house or another I went to the library for the books I'm going to read, namely The Blue Castle and Magic for Marigold. Not terribly lofty goals, but goals nonetheless. I've read The Blue Castle once before, but I haven't read Magic for Marigold. I've enjoyed all but one of L. M. Montgomery's books that I've read (that one would be Kilmeny of the Orchard), but I absolutely lovelovelove the first three Anne books. I highly recommend them.

I encourage you to check out Reading to Know, even if you don't intend on joining the Reading Challenge. Carrie has very similar tastes to my own, so I enjoy hearing her opinions about books and the occasional movie. Hopefully you will, too!

Gifted

2011-01-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Made for some redheads I know:

A gnome for a three-year-old.

A notebook for her mama...

...and a felt needlebook for the same.

Mary and I stuffed each other's stockings this year (I got the idea here), and the -books above were part of that. Stuffing stockings is too much fun!

A Shawl, A Clutch, Two Dishcloths

2010-10-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

A Shawl,
for my friend Jess, whose birthday is in September, a combined birthday and Christmas gift for 2009. That's right. It took me a year to make her birthday/Christmas gift. It was a harrowing journey of patterns tried and not understood, tried and not suitable, tried and frogged, and finally, tried and done. It's my first finished shawl. When I was done knitting it I thought it was okay, acceptable-ish, at least it was done. Then I blocked it and it transformed into a drapey, silky, drapey, graceful, drapey thing with lovely subtley scalloped edges. And did I mention it was drapey? I was so pleased with it! And it blocked out so much larger than I guessed it would from just gently stretching and eyeing it.

The color is deeper than in the photos. The yarn used is Mountain Colors Bearfoot, in Teal. Now, I like the yarn, but it does have mohair in it, which I usually wouldn't go for. I thought it would suit Jess, though, and the quality is top-notch. There are very subtle color variations in the yarn which are simply scrumptious. By the way, do you know how hard it is to find the right purple yarn when you have a certain shade in mind? So hard that the shawl I made for my purple-loving friend Jess is teal.

I used a picot bind off, and I love it. It adds just a bit of interest to an otherwise rather plain shawl. Oh, wow, I just noticed that that bottom row (below the last eyelet row) should really be several rows longer. The proportions are way off. Yarn-amount-wise, though, I had to finish there. We'll not mention the other (numerous) mistakes I made on this shawl...

Edit: I completely forgot to mention the pattern I used. It's La La's Simple Shawl, and it is simple. I also didn't say how I was a nervous wreck when mailing this today. I purchased delivery confirmation because I thought they'd be more careful with it. ;)

A Clutch,
for Jess's birthday this year. I used the noodleheads gathered clutch tutorial, which I think is quite good. I made myself a wallet out of the same tutorial and I think it's just the bee's knees, if you'll pardon such an outdated and corny (but fun!) expression. I used ribbon instead of fabric for the front band.

I fixed the color in the above photo. If you click through to Flickr, the other pictures of the clutch are too blue. I buy Jess purple things, and she buys me green things. I don't like green, but...joking! I lurve green!

The inside. I used a pretty green print for the lining and didn't add any pockets, but did add a few fun things like a purple pen, a notebook or two, and a cute tape measure that made me think of Jess.

Two Dishcloths,
to go along with the clutch, because I like pretty things that are actually useful. The top one is a dragonfly dishcloth. The design doesn't really pop, but oh well. At least it's purple! The other dishcloth is just your basic granny's favorite dishcloth [which is the Best Dishcloth Ever]. You know, I've just decided that I think I want my grandchildren to call me granny.

You can see below the dragonfly a row in the stockinette where I had to rip back to after making a fatal mistake. I put the stitches back on the needle, which I've never done before, and I did it the wrong way, so you can see where the stitches were twisted.

I have so many other projects that I've worked on over the summer that I want to share, but that will still have to wait for now. I do love sharing crafted projects because I so enjoy seeing what others make.

Baby Hat

2010-07-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

For Mary's fourth baby. Note the neutral color. Is it a girl? Is it a boy? We shall see. We shall see. And the hat will be ready. Well, yes, ready, but will it be too big? It seems so big to me.

Used this pattern (Ravelry link--if you knit or crochet at all, and you have not yet signed up on Ravelry, go do so right now). For my next hat, I am going to try dpns because using magic loop on this was horrendous. Perhaps it was the worsted weight yarn, because I certainly didn't have such a hard time using magic loop on my Fern Glade Slouch, which was a sport weight yarn.

Speaking of my next hat, this little number caught my eye. The colors are just wonderful. I love the solid red with the variegated blue. I want to copy it exactly, which is rather unusual for me.

Modern Regency-Romantic

2010-06-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

Isn't she cute?

Pattern:

Sense & Sensibility Girls' Regency Dress, according to the "Drawstring" Gathered Dress instructions in the appendix (I have an older version of this pattern without the appendix, and if you do, too, you can simply go on the website and get the instructions there)

And:

The flared sleeves from the Sense & Sensibility Girls' Romantic Dress (had to cut them on the cross-grain, due to limited fabric), slightly modified to gather at the cap, which I won't do again. They poof a bit too much, but not in a good way. I think there's a reason these are set-in sleeves...

Fabric:

No idea who the manufacturer or designer is, and I can't check because it's being worn by a sleeping baby right now, but I bought it two years ago to make sheets for Anya's crib. This was leftover.

This dress was inspired by a hand-me-down knit dress that was my niece's. I love it in a rather ridiculously passionate way and have had Anya wear it from before it was too big until now, when it has reached tunic length. Realizing that the days that she'll fit in it are numbered, and being completely enamored of every aspect of the dress, I decided to make another like it. The requirements: empire-waist, easy to put on, elbow-length flared sleeves. The Regency Dress pattern fulfilled the empire-waist requirement, the appendix with elastic neckline and waist took care of the easy-on aspect, and the flared sleeves came out of the Romantic Dress.

I love it.

Next up: bloomers to match.

So pink it makes my teeth hurt

2010-06-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

One of my many nieces turned six this month, and she wanted "dresses and chapter books" for her birthday. Oddly enough, I was completely at a loss as to what sort of book would be appropriate--that is, not beyond her ability, but also not below where she's reading, so I went with the dress.

This is where the ukulele usually hangs.

I used McCall's 4422, a very simple pattern with just three pieces: front, back, and ruffle. And I didn't use the ruffle, since I wanted it a bit longer than the pattern had it (does anyone else always have to add length to skirts and dresses?). I've used this pattern before, but I can't for the life of me remember which niece I made it for, or what fabric I used.

The pattern has you use the bias binding on the inside, but I wanted to break up the ocean of pink a bit, so I used the, um, pink and purple plaid to make the binding and ruffle. I do so love homemade bias tape. It's much nicer than that horrid poly blend stuff that you can buy. And homemade is always cuter.

I had just enough of the plaid for the ruffle and a severely pieced length of bias. Oh, you wouldn't believe the sheer amount of minuscule pieces I had to sew together to make the length of bias needed. I was terribly afraid I wouldn't have enough...and then ended up with at least a yard over what was used. No idea how my estimate was that much off.

This plaid--it has a lot of bright pink in it, but the purple is lovely, and do you see the bit of green, yellow, and blue that redeems the fabric as a whole? The green also ties in with the green polka dots on that extremely pink main fabric. (I have a very poor relationship with reds and pinks in general, though there are certain shades that I am fond of. This does not happen to be one of the favored ones.)

****

And here is an eye patch I was working on for the same niece:

It wasn't a rousing success, since it's a bit big across, and the lens sleeve is a bit too small (and let's not look too closely at the embroidery, or, even worse, the blanket stitching), but it wasn't a complete failure, either. It works in a way, and I think I know what to do differently next time.

I had no idea how to do a blanket stitch, and, darn it, I can't remember how to even now, but I did find this lovely tutorial that was an enormous help while I was sewing the patch together.

****

Have a lovely week!

Sometimes...

2010-04-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

...I hear women say how bored they get/got when they were at home all. day. long. I assume they mean after they're done with all the essentials: cooking, cleaning, sweeping, vacuuming, laundry, laundry, laundry, baking, the children (not baking the children), because I must admit--

I

have

absolutely

idea

what

they

are

talking

about.

Recent Finished Projects

2010-04-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

A few knitted gnome babies, made with minor modifications (Ravelry link).

I still haven't figured out the best way to do the arms.

These ones (above) look so ape-ish to me. I've definitely decided that stuffing them does NOT help, and I won't do it again. The arms below aren't stuffed, and I think they look a bit better. The arm of the pinkish one that's lifted? It just does that. It never lays flat.

The one on the left above is made with the same modifications as the other two (basically just adding a few rows to make it a bit bigger). Compare with the first one I made for Anya on the right. (I like this picture because it looks like they're holding hands. Aw, how sweet. ;) Maybe the little girl that the green one is for and Anya will be friends.)

And, a mermaid for my niece for her birthday. I hope she likes it (I was told she is into mermaids and dolphins right now). The embroidery is horrible. So bad. The hair isn't much better. Honestly, I don't know why I get these harebrained ideas and then attempt to carry them out. They always turn out...poorly. It's not necessarily that I overestimate my abilities, but probably more that I think something couldn't possibly require that much ability. I'm always wrong about that.

The eyes are too light. I should have used a different color. The hair color was insisted upon by Fiona. I added the green to be kind of like seaweed.

The tail. I modified the pattern for the Mimi Kirchner doll and added a tail instead of legs.

All of these projects were stash-busters. And, even though the mermaid is hand-sewn, I had to clean my sewing machine area before I started on it. The Spring Cleaning Itch has hit.

So, this is before, with everything pulled out and piled up and disarrayed and disorganized...

And after. I should have opened the cabinet doors to show how tidy and organized everything is now, but I didn't think of it at the time, and I'm too lazy to take another picture.

I made a cover for my sewing machine. It needed it SO badly, what with the powdered laundry detergent sitting above it and all. It's simply a rectangle of quilting cotton lined with a twill (another project I cut up--the twill gives it the perfect amount of body), with ties added about a third of the way down from the top. This area looks so nice now that I don't know if I want to start any sewing projects. ;)

"Part of Plenty"

2010-04-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

My dad brought me a bouquet of daffodils on Sunday. I love daffodils, love them. They are the cheeriest, friendliest, most open flowers. When I was putting them in a pitcher of water, the stems creaked a bit, and that reminded me of a poem that I love. It's called Part of Plenty by Bernard Spencer. An online search yielded little information on the author--not much more than that he was English and part of a group of poets in the '30s (the Cairo poets? Egypt poets?). It's a sort of comfortable and lovely poem, and so I thought I'd share it.

Part of Plenty by Bernard Spencer
When she carries food to the table and stoops down
--Doing this out of love--and lays soup with its good
Tickling smell, or fry winking from the fire
And I look up, perhaps from a book I am reading
Or other work: there is an importance of beauty
Which can't be accounted for by there and then,
And attacks me, but not separately from the welcome
Of the food, or the grace of her arms.
When she puts a sheaf of tulips in a jug
And pours in water and presses to one side
The upright stems and leaves that you hear creak,
Or loosens them, or holds them up to show me,
So that I see the tangle of their necks and cups
With the curls of her hair, and the body they are held
Against, and the stalk of the small waist rising
And flowering in the shape of breasts;
Whether in the bringing of the flowers or of the food
She offers plenty, and is part of plenty,
And whether I see her stooping, or leaning with the flowers,
What she does is ages old, and she is not simply,
No, but lovely in that way.

2010-04-04T00:08:00.000-07:00

When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead... Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you... Acts 13:29-30, 38

Sunset

2010-03-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

SOOC

I went to get groceries the other evening and took the camera with me. I was very glad I did when I saw this sunset. It was even more vivid in real life.

Off the Needles: Super Slouch!

2010-02-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

(weird expression 'cause I'm talking to Fiona)

(also, I'd just been pulling it down over my face to peekaboo
with Anya, so it's not arranged perfectly neatly)

This is my first finished lace project. The pattern is Fern Glade from Knitty. It is a delightful pattern, and quite easy. Mine turned out extra slouchy, which I like (who knew slouchiness could be a good thing?). (The color is very close to one of the examples in the pattern, which was unintentional.) (I'm going crazy with the parenthesis today.)

I used a sport-weight cotton yarn that my sister-in-law found in some of her stuff and gave to me. The yarn is discontinued, which is unfortunate, because it's quite nice. The yarn, while lighter than what's called for in the pattern, was perfect because I wanted a light hat. It drapes nicely, and should be perfect for Spring.

For a while there I didn't think I'd get past the sixth round in the sixth repeat on this thing. I kept making many small mistakes: lazily not moving my lifeline up because things were going so well, completely forgetting which round I was on, tinking to figure out which round I was on and dropping stitches which necessitated ripping back two and a half repeats to the aforementioned not-moved-up lifeline--the drama, oh, the drama! To be sure, all the drama was in my head, but if it had been played out in physical form, it would have given Romeo and Juliet a run for its money. Or maybe it would be more like A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I haven't blocked it, and I don't think I will. We were walking around town today, and a lady at one of the shops (who was wearing a stunning sweater she'd knit) warned me that cotton stretches when blocked. It's quite slouchy enough, so I think I'll leave well enough alone.

That's a little of what I've been up to.

Scarlet Doll

2009-12-28T00:03:00.000-08:00

I love how this doll turned out. I made it for the girls' gift exchange with their cousins (on my side). The pattern used was a free one from The Purl Bee: Mimi Kirchner's Hand Sewn Felt Doll. The pattern was a delight to work with. I was a bit worried about cutting out all those little pattern pieces on felt, but then I found that the instructions have you transfer the pattern to freezer paper, which you then simply iron onto the felt. Makes cutting out a breeze.

As the name of the pattern indicates, the doll is entirely hand-sewn. I am very slow at sewing, but I was able to do this in about four hours, start to finish. It was the project of an evening, and an enjoyable one at that! I love the colors. The red is so vibrant, and the green and yellow accent it perfectly.

The expression on her face (I didn't use the one provided with the pattern) turned out rather rueful, which is not what I was going for. I intended it to be a sort of impish, cheery crooked smile...oh, well. The flower, with its pink center, though, turned out wonderfully! It's the perfect finishing touch. I should have stuffed her a bit more firmly (notice the crease in her neck?), but all-in-all I'm pleased, and I hope her new owner loves her.

Baby Boy Outfit

2009-12-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

I made this outfit recently for a friend who is expecting a baby boy in January. I made this in a 12 month size because it's nice to get clothes for when Baby is a bit bigger. I used the Kai's Shirt and Huck Finn Pants patterns from Weekend Sewing. I think if you added a bit of length to the shirt it would fit an eight-year-old. It's that roomy. The pants--well, I think they'll fit over a disposable diaper. Cloth though? No way. I should have just used the Sense & Sensibility Girls' Pinafore and Pantaloons pattern for the pants. (I've used the Pantaloons for a boy's pants before, and it worked just fine.) I'm pretty much not in the least impressed with this outfit. I love the fabric, and the buttons are utterly perfect, but I don't think I'll use the patterns again. Quite frankly, the more I make from Weekend Sewing, the less impressed I am. It was about a 3 1/2-4 star when I first got it, but I think it's dropped to 1 star (using Amazon's rating system). I'd show you the Yard Sale Skirt that I made from it, but I'd have to get a pixie to model it. Apparently it's not designed for human proportions. (I made it according to the corrections on Heather Ross' site, too, and the correction is WRONG. You need at least EIGHT panels. EIGHT. Not six. EIGHT. Unless you're a pixie. Then you could probably get away with the six.)

A close-up of the shirt fabric and buttons. Do you know how hard it is to find a decent fabric for a boy? I'll spare you a description of the agony I endured in searching for a suitable fabric. This is what I settled on, and almost gave up after showing to my husband. His initial reaction was less than encouraging. He thought the pant fabric would make a great little boy's shirt--I agreed, but there was nothing that coordinated with the plaid! I couldn't make a whole plaid outfit! He did like the two fabrics made up together, though. They worked well together. Though, since the fit of the shirt is so forgiving, I felt like it looked like a pajama shirt paired with a nice summer pant, but, oh well.

Hm, I'm not sure if you can really tell from the picture, but I put a tag (a scrap of fabric with pinked edges) in the back seam of the pants (and the shirt) with the size written on it because it is SO nice to know what size an outfit is supposed to be. I love handmade clothing, especially for little ones, but it's rather bothersome to not know what size an item is supposed to be. Do I put it on baby now? Pack it away for the next six months? The next twelve months? It's nice to know. Or maybe it's just my somewhat extreme minimalist approach to children's clothing wherein both of my children have, combined, about half the clothes of one of their cousins. The elastic is adjustable, with a button and buttonholes applied, which is why it's hanging out of the seam. This is a nice idea, in theory, but the book applied it very badly. She has you measure the baby's waist (why-oh-why do some patterns not include a simple guideline for length of elastic in waistbands? what if you're making a gift? for someone across the country? or not yet born?) and sew up the back seam. So you have to seam rip it to adjust it. For pity's sake, if you're going to do that, just sew up the elastic in the first place and re-sew it if you're going to go to all the trouble to seam rip the back waistband to get at it. I might have a poorer opinion of this feature than I might otherwise have had, but I made the shirt first, and if I went into that...well, I won't.

OK, I'll stop now! (Sorry, it's been kind of a rough week, and I guess my cynicism is coming out in full force. Also, I might not have been as clear as I could have been with some of my explanations.)

Quote

2009-11-10T00:06:00.000-08:00

Always keep the Cross between you and others, remembering what heaven has done for you both.

~Todd Johnson

The Best Oatmeal EVER

2009-11-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

I modified this recipe from Nourishing Traditions (an okay cookbook). You've never eaten oatmeal the way it should be eaten until you've tried this!

1 c. rolled oats
1 c. water
2 Tbsp. plain, whole-milk yogurt (or whey, which is the liquid that separates from yogurt)
Mix all ingredients in pan you'll cook it in, cover, and let sit overnight (at least 8 hours, but you can go as long as 24 hours).

The next morning, add salt and cinnamon to taste and cook on medium for, oh, 3-6 minutes, to desired tenderness.

Serve slathered in butter with Grade B maple syrup or honey to taste. (You really must find Grade B. Grade B actually tastes like maple, while Grade A justs tastes sweet--no flavor! Not that I'm opinionated about it or anything.)

(No picture, because it doesn't last long around here.)

Green Crocheted Blanket

2009-10-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm at a standstill with this blanket. It's one I've been working on for Anya for a Very Long Time. Either it's done and all I have to do is weave in two ends...

...or it's not done and I have to figure out some sort of edging. The edges are nice enough as-is, quite straight and even, but nothing fancy (though the picture below, which is very bad, makes it look uneven). I can't seem to find a pattern for an edging that I like, which kind of makes me want to be done.

And then, if I don't do an edging, should I do a few more rows with the remaining yarn? 'Cause it seems to have somewhat odd length-to-width proportions.

Thoughts? Opinions? Ideas? Help!

Impressed

2009-10-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

After I wrote yesterday's post I realized I should contact the publisher and let them know about the mistake in the instructions for the bag. I emailed them and received a reply this morning. To my discomfort, the publisher had seen my review on Amazon! To my delight, they offered me my choice of another of their Make Good titles. I chose LINEN, WOOL, COTTON. I would like to note that, until I went to their website last night, I hadn't realized that Handmade Home--which I've mentioned a few times--was published by the same company. I haven't written up any clear thoughts on Handmade Home yet, but I absolutely love it; definitely 5 stars. So, between the 3 stars for the Carefree Clothes for Girls and the 5 stars for Handmade Home, I expect good things of LINEN, WOOL, COTTON. At least 4 stars. ;)

Anyway, I wanted to share about this, because I was very impressed that the publisher wanted to, ahem, 'make good' (the pun was too good to pass up!) the fact that I didn't care for Carefree Clothes for Girls.

[Handmade Home links are affiliate links. Is this something I need to disclose in every post I do that in? Or should I just stick a disclaimer in my sidebar? I know nothing about this sort of thing.]

Carefree Clothes for Girls: A Review

2009-10-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

I was browsing Amazon.com's sewing books a couple of months ago and stumbled upon Carefree Clothes for Girls: 20 Patterns for Outdoor Frocks, Playdate Dresses, and More (Make Good: Crafts + Life) [Amazon affiliate link--which seems kind of silly, since I don't really recommend this book], which hadn't yet been released. It looked good, so I preordered it using a couple of giftcards bought using Swagbucks [disclosure: that's my referral link for Swagbucks*]. Well, suffice it to say, I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it. I wrote a review for Amazon, and you can find that here [that's just a normal link].

Here's the bag that I made from the instructions:

In my review, I stated that I followed the instructions meticulously so that I could better review the book. That's true, of course, except that before I started following the instructions, I pieced the fabric that I had, so it doesn't look much like the bag in the book.

I also completely forgot that I didn't add the leather and button closure. That's really not a big deal, though. If I happen to stumble across a small scrap of leather, I can add it on easily.

See the shoulder strap and the raw edges? Those raw edges are driving me bonkers! These pictures were taken on our way to the library, and by the time we were done at the library they were already much more frayed.

Fiona seems to like it (and I do too, more or less--the dimensions are great). The strap is long enough that she was able to put it on backpack-style when the across-the-shoulder mode got too tiresome for her. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with this. Right now it's hanging up and it's the official holding area for her library books. It's a good size for library books, which is the only reason I'm not replacing it with this backpack (which I desperately want to make) at this very moment. It looks like a great backpack, but I don't think it's quite big enough to put picture books in. So we use this for now.

*I've been using Swagbucks for a while now and whenever I reach 45 Swagbucks, I redeem them for a $5 Amazon gift card. It's enabled me to buy a few books that I wouldn't otherwise have been able to.

Random Linkage

2009-10-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

What I've been working on: my first lace knitting project, a Dane Shawl

I laughed hysterically over this photo: Eye Contact at Awkward Family Photos

I'm trying to figure what I could make for my brother that could incorporate this: Mario across the NES ages cross-stitch pattern

This pillow is so cute! Our couch accent pillow (singular) could use some serious sprucing up (and maybe a companion or two). Maybe I can squeeze this in among all of the essential projects.

I recently discovered this blog through another blog: A Sparrow's Home. She lives on Prince Edward Island. Be still my Anne-loving heart!

Sunday's message at our church was so good: Following Jesus and Fishing for Men

Highly Recommended Posts!

2009-10-05T00:03:00.000-07:00

Anna has two excellent posts up about common breastfeeding mistakes. I've heard of every single one of these time and again. I highly recommend that you check them out! (I'm not feeling well, otherwise I'm sure you'd get quite an earful from me on the subject, since it does tend to be one of my favorites...)

Common Breastfeeding Mistakes (Part 1)

Common Breastfeeding Mistakes (Part 2)

Sunday Skirt

2009-09-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

When we dedicated Anya I decided that Fiona needed a nice skirt to wear. Sure, she had the Bo-Peep Skirt and her Easter dress from last year (I made it large so she could wear it for a long time), but she needed something new--and something that matched the new (unstained) t-shirt I had just bought her. The yard of Kaffe Fasset that I bought to make a car-seat blanket for my friend provided more than enough for a skirt inspired by the Oliver + S tutorial. Honestly, once you've glanced at that tutorial you don't really need to look at it again. I used a straight-grain binding (instead of ribbon) which was also left over from the car seat blanket. I really like how this skirt came out. It's such a quick and simple and cute make. Perfect for little girls to wear and easy for mama to make.

Repurposed Bloomers

2009-09-28T00:03:00.001-07:00

When I was composing this post and had no more than gotten the title typed up Anya hit a few buttons on the computer and published it. Such are the hazards of blogging while one's children are not asleep. Here is the real post.

When we dedicated Anya she wore a beautiful white old-fashioned dress with tucks and lace insertion that my mom made for Fiona's dedication. I didn't have anything for underneath the dress, though. I can't remember what I used for Fiona--I think it was cooler and I used tights. (It was longer on Fiona because she was younger.) I decided bloomers made from the excellent, wonderful Sense and Sensibility Girls' Pinafore and Pantaloons pattern were in order. But, the perennial question: what to make them from? It just so happened that I had a hand-me-down Lucky brand tunic that was adorable and looked terrible on me. But the hem had lovely lace and the bloomer pattern just fit across the width. It was perfect! I didn't even have to hem the bloomers because of the lace! These whipped up so fast. Ah, I love this pattern! And I love the way these bloomers turned out!

(Note: I did my usual modification of widening the leg a bit to reduce the taper--a very easy and very quick change. In fact, I don't think you really even need to alter the pattern. You could just mark on the fabric where you're cutting.)

Sunday

2009-09-27T00:03:00.000-07:00

Psalm 27:1, 5, 13-14

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will lift me high upon a rock.

13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

14 Wait for the LORD;

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the LORD!

Monkey

2009-09-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

Finally, a monkey made from the Molly Monkey pattern!

Miss Monkey has a ribbon around her neck because in the photo she's sitting with the other gifts for my niece at her birthday party.

You can't see the mouth well, but it's there, just the standard Molly Monkey mouth. I must draw your attention to her nose, though. Yes, I know you can't see it very well but those two little dots? My first successful French knots ever. I can't express how excited I was when I actually made that first French knot. I have tried many, many times to do French knots, following instructions to the tee, and was never able to complete one successfully; it always just turned into a normal, tiny stitch the moment the needle was through the fabric. This time I held the wrapped thread down to the fabric with my left thumbnail while drawing the needle through, and presto! French knot. Who knew it was so simple?!!! I had a crazy desire to cover anything and everything with French knots come over me after the second French knot was successfully made (thereby proving that the first wasn't a fluke), but I suppressed it in favor of getting all four of the softies actually done. ;)

And there you have it: a Bunny, a Kitty, a Koala, and a Monkey made from the Molly Monkey pattern. I will never make four softies at once again. That was brutal.

Koala

2009-09-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

The third softie I made was for my baby. She has this amazing koala grip when I'm holding her, so I decided to make her a koala. If I'd realized how utterly delightful it is to say 'koala' many times a day, I would have made sure we had something with a koala on it long ago!

I used a fat quarter of Joel Dewberry Deer Valley for the body of the koala, and strategically placed the pattern piece to showcase the flower. The other print is a cotton velveteen that I will never use again. Could that stuff be any harder to work with? No, no it could not.

I'm not quite sure what happened to my sense of color harmony when planning this one out. I think that I was so eager to use the Joel Dewberry that I completely forgot that I would be putting the brown of that next to an entirely different brown for the head and limbs.

As for the face, really the only thing koala-y about it is the nose, if that! I tried to make the ears a bit wider, but, inspired by this Melly & Me pattern, I decided that these looked acceptable. (Aren't the Melly & Me koalas sooo cute? I wish I'd remembered about that pattern before I was in the throes of softie-making--I could have gotten that pattern and saved myself a whole lot of trouble! All of the Melly & Me patterns are wonderful. What is it with all of the amazing Australian crafters? How do they come to be so spectacularly good?)

Anya seems to really like her koala (an affection I'm cultivating), for which I'm glad.

Next up, and last, is the Monkey.

Kitty

2009-09-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

This is the second of four softies I made as birthday gifts.

The Kitty is for another cousin's daughter.

Quick recap of what applies to all four softies: Made from free mmmcrafts Molly Monkey pattern. Used pattern at 70%. Did not make hat, skirt, and shoes included in pattern.

Modifications: Made into a Kitty.

Again, pleased with nose and mouth, not so much with eyes, though the Kitty's eyes turned out the best of the bunch.

Next up is the Koala.

Bunny

2009-09-14T00:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I planned on doing one post with all four of the softies I made, but with moving and not being sure when I'll have an internet connection again, I decided to schedule a series of posts, and, therefore, I am going to d-r-a-w out the softie reveals. Don't expect much, because I'm not terribly pleased with how they turned out.

This is the Bunny, made for my cousin's daughter. The ears either flop forward over the eyes or way back behind the head. I should have done a small pleat at the base to make them lay better.

The following applies to all four softies that I made:

It's supposed to have a hat, a skirt, and shoes. I didn't make the hat, skirt, or shoes for various reasons, the most important being that I made the very serious mistake of making four of these at once. Don't do that. Only make one at a time unless you want to push the borders of sanity.

I used the (free) Molly Monkey pattern from mmmcrafts. I'm not going to link because, while I wasn't terribly pleased with the pattern, it was free, and I'm sure a lot of my (slight) displeasure was from my own mistakes, so I don't want the generous designer to see this and be hurt and/or think what an ungrateful wretch I am.

Modifications: Well, obviously this is not a monkey. Also, I used the pattern at 70%, since I didn't want a softie as big as the pattern makes. I'm very pleased with the size. I didn't use corduroy for the body, just a simple quilting cotton from my stash. All of the softies used stash fabric.

I like the embroidered nose and mouth, as imperfectly stitched as they are, but the eyes gave me fits. I'm not so pleased with those.

I accidentally overstuffed this. I used a cotton stuffing for the first time, and I think it's much different from polyester stuffing.

All in all, this turned out okay. It was presentable enough for a gift, so I suppose I can count it a success.

Next up is the Kitty.

Yellow Watermelon

2009-09-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

I was a bit stunned last week to cut into a watermelon and find it yellow. I didn't know there was such a thing as yellow watermelon. It was good, though not exceptional (it was going up against the most amazing watermelon I'd ever had from the week before, though). It tasted like watermelon. ;)

Doll Slings, among other things

2009-09-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

It seems I've been tending to make things in fours lately--four mei tais, four softies, four doll slings. It's exhausting. Of course, I realize there are only three slings in the above photo, but I made four, I assure you. Plus one for me. Not for dolls of course, but for babies. Or one baby.

Anyway...

I made four doll slings: one for my three-year-old, and three for my nieces. They all love them. I used the instructions and dimensions in Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule. When I was done making the doll slings, I thought to myself, "Hey, might as well make myself one to try out with a real, live baby!" because, wonderfully, it took only about 45 minutes to make the four doll slings--including picking out fabric. Woo. Hoo. That's some sort of record for me. It usually takes me twice as long to just decide on the fabric.

The instructions in the book provide dimensions for three adult sizes: Smaller, Average (5'6" to 5'10"), and Larger. I'm 5'7" and my fabric was a few inches smaller than what's called for for the Average size and a few inches larger than what's called for for the Smaller size. I decided to go ahead and make it, knowing that there are plenty of mamas that I could give the sling to if it ended up too small. It's not too small, which brings me to the point of all this rambling: I think, if you go by the dimensions given in the book, that you'll have to shorten the sling a bit. This isn't a big deal, but be prepared. If you didn't know this, you could be disappointed thinking your (took you a whole half hour) project is done and it's not. [Side note: You know if your baby is at the right height on you if you can bend your head and kiss the top of baby's head comfortably. I can't tell you how many times I've seen babies being worn too low. My back aches just thinking of it.]

Honestly, I didn't expect to like this pouch sling, because it's just a non-adjustable ring sling, right? Ah, wrong! It's actually, for a one-shoulder carrier, quite comfortable. The fabric spreads across your back quite nicely, and you don't have to pull and tug at it to get it that way. Like I said, it's non-adjustable, but I'm cooking up a modification to fix that...

I tried wearing it across my right shoulder--so that baby would be on my left hip--which is the opposite of how I usually do it, and I discovered that my right shoulder simply cannot handle that sort of weight. Five minutes and it felt like it was going to fall off, or like I'd been lifting weights for hours. My right shoulder got messed up in a fall when I worked at Starbucks, and I don't believe it will ever be the same again...considering it's been almost five years. However, my neck didn't hurt afterward, and that's saying something!

I usually have something like 5 baby carriers with me (I'm a babywearing fanatic, I tell you), or at least in the car, at any given time because you never know when one is going to get unwearably dirty or when someone else is going to need to borrow one. I think this would be a great sling to have stashed in the car for times like those, and also for quick dashes into the post office or whatnot.

Have a great Labor Day!

Baby Shower Gift

2009-09-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

I was privileged to be able to watch a friend give birth to her second daughter last night. The baby is absolutely beautiful! She was three weeks early...and 9 lbs. 4 oz.!

My friend's shower was last Friday. Somehow, I miscalculated my flannel yardage, and ended up with just two burp cloths and a skimpy receiving blanket. I wanted to make something more, but couldn't figure out what to make--I looked through Weekend Sewing and Little Stitches for Little Ones and neither inspired me at all. I finally hit on an idea: a car seat blanket, that my friend can leave in the car in case she forgets a blanket, or to cover the seat to keep it from getting too hot. I was able to find a yard of one of the fabrics she wanted to use in the baby bedding, though it did happen to be in a different colorway.

Here it is:

I did a simple 9-Patch design because I am NOT a quilter. This is before washing. The green fabric is Wonderland by MoMo. I couldn't find a link to any for sale. I can't remember what the other one is! If someone really wants to know, I have the selvage still.

The squares were 7", so the finished size ended up around 20"x20".

The back. It's Kaffe Fasset Verbena (that link is for the wrong colorway, but you get the idea--this is the one that she wanted for the bedding). I bound it in a solid cotton using the instructions at The Sometimes Crafter--mostly. I could not figure out one bit in the third part, but it looks fine anyway.

The blanket with the receiving blanket and burp cloths. I got the flannel at Fabric Depot in Portland when I was up there in June. It's buttery soft!

My friend appreciates hand-made gifts, so she seemed to really like it. Of course, it's nowhere close to the AMAZING bedding that her mother-in-law made! Oh, I wish I'd gotten a photo of that gloriousness to share!

Super Duper Moist Chocolate Cake and Mascarpone-Butter Frosting

2009-09-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the bad picture of an even worse frosting-job.

My mother-in-law's birthday is a couple days before Anya's, and I offered to make the cake for the family get-together.

I've made this recipe before, and it always turns out delicious. It's from a church cookbook; this one happens to be from Reality, the college ministry of Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara. It was printed in December 2003 by Jumbo Jack's Cookbooks, according to the page that would normally have the ISBN. I'm telling you all this because if you happen to stumble across a copy, I highly recommend it. My dad's wife bought copies for a few of us kids, and I'm very glad she did.

It's a very easy and quick recipe. I like it, and I'm not big on cake. I used two Pyrex 9" pie plates and had enough batter left over to make a tiny cake for Anya's birthday. It's even better the next day, so don't be afraid to make this the day before.

Super Duper Moist Chocolate Cake (from Kate Merrick)
2 1/2 c. lukewarm water
3/4 c. vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)
3 eggs, room temperature
1 T. vanilla
2 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 F. Use two 8- or 9-inch cake pans (or pie plates...), or one 9x12-inch pan. Grease and lightly flour the pan(s). (Note: In case you haven't heard this tip, instead of using flour to dust a pan that a chocolate batter is going into, use unsweetened cocoa powder. It's far better. No plain flour taste marring your chocolatey goodness!)

Beat first 6 ingredients (through cocoa powder) in a large bowl on low speed until blended. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth (batter will be thin). Pour into pan(s). Bake 45 to 55 minutes (it only took my oven 40), until toothpick comes out clean (don't overbake).

Cool cake in pan(s). Frost only when cooled. If 2 layers, lay first layer upside down on plate, frost top and sides. Lay second layer right-side-up and frost. Top with flowers, sprinkles, etc. (or not--I don't feel this cake and the following frosting require any doo-dads).

Another terrible-looking cake. I am not good at prettifying food.

Now, the cake recipe calls for your basic butter frosting with unsweetened cocoa powder added to taste. Delicious, yes, but I wanted to switch it up a bit. This is what I came up with:

Mascarpone-Butter Frosting (from yours truly)
8 oz mascarpone
1 stick butter, room temperature
pinch or so of salt
1 T. vanilla
16 oz powdered sugar

Blend all ingredients well. Frost cake, and refrigerate. This is a very soft frosting, so don't try to do any fancy rosettes or piping. This is a 'rustic' look. ;)

This frosting is amazing, if I do say so myself (and everyone else loved it, too). It's also extremely easy--as you can see, it's just a basic butter frosting with mascarpone instead of milk. And the mascarpone--oh, it adds so much! The frosting has a rather whipped-cream-y taste to it. I've used actual heavy whipping cream in place of milk to make butter frosting before, and, I assure you, it doesn't come close to this. It's amazing. I'm going to have to keep mascarpone in my fridge at all times from now on!

Quote

2009-08-27T00:03:00.000-07:00

Bring home fabrics that you are drawn to, that you love, that fit your taste and style, and that you can see yourself using. You may find yourself intrigued by a color, a texture, a certain design or style, or just that certain special something.

"Handmade Home", Amanda Blake Soule

(I haven't bought any fabric lately, I just thought it was a good quote. Especially the bit about seeing yourself using it...)

Anyone else having formatting and publishing issues with Blogger? It's not been cooperating with me lately.

A Hat

2009-08-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

[Finally posting a finished sewing project.]
* [Blogger's not separating my paragraphs.]
I wanted a hat when we went camping for Independence Day that wasn't a large sunhat, but the alternative, a baseball cap, is not really my style. So off to my pattern stash, erm, I mean, collection I went and pulled out McCall's 4607 (OOP), a $1 clearance-sale buy.

I went with the pink (bottom right corner) version, minus the ribbon. Pink bows are wonderful and all, but not really my style.

For fabric, I had a half yard of Metro Blue Goes Green that I bought with a gift card and frittered away for a just-right project because I loved it oh-so much. I was a bit concerned that, with all of the pieces (there are six on the crown), it would be too busy, but decided to just go for it. The result:

Sure, it's not perfect, but I like it! The pattern is super easy, too. It goes together very easily, and very quickly. (And it is shaped like the one on the pattern cover, it's just a weird angle.)

I believe the only part of the instructions that I didn't follow was for the brim. It called for buckram, but I didn't think that it needed it since the fabric is a fairly firm quilting cotton. I just used a single layer of a medium-weight non-fusible interfacing, and it worked great.

The inside (above). I used a scrap of brown cotton for the lining, and rayon grosgrain to cover the seam. Rayon grosgrain is dreamy, by the way. Polyester grosgrain does not even compare.
*
I made another for a friend, at Mary's request, out of a polyester tweedy sort of fabric with metallic threads going through it. The fabric was awful! It frayed like crazy, and ended up smaller than the cotton version because of all the fraying. I didn't get a photo of it (because I had no working camera at the time). I also have another cotton version cut out and partly sewn up, but it will have to wait until more pressing sewing projects are done. I think it will be for Fiona--with a bit of elastic at the back, it should fit her. And after I get done with hers, I'm going to try modifying the pattern a bit to come up with something slightly different.
*
All-in-all, it's a great pattern, easy to sew up, and indulgently quick. If you can pick up a copy somewhere, I highly recommend it.

Strawberry Apron

2009-08-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

Tied in the front

I was able to get enough power out of some batteries to take photos of this apron with our old camera. This camera sucks 'AA' batteries dry in a matter of a few shots.

This is the Sunday Dinner Hostess Apron from Weekend Sewing. I pretty much followed the directions, except for putting the waistband on a bit differently. I'm looking forward to trying out more projects from this book, particularly the Yard Sale Skirt. I also really like the look of the Kimono Dress, if I can just figure out how to improve the sleeves. I'm not a fan of large sleeves on myself.

Tied in the back

It was simple enough to make. The pattern pieces and directions are clear. This is definitely, for me, a hostess apron, because I need full coverage--I'm a messy cook. Also, the fabric I used is slightly nicer; it's not a workhorse. It might be nice as a sewing apron, to keep snips of thread off. While it's decent-looking, there are imperfect bits to it.

The above photo is of the back of the apron at the waistband--the topstitching from the front doesn't line up perfectly. It also shows the end of one of the ties (both are like this) where I was unable to topstitch because of the bulk of the seam. So it's certainly not perfect. But maybe someone would like to have it anyway? Because...

It's a giveaway! Yes, finally, I've gotten around to doing the giveaway I mentioned 80-something posts ago (this is also the small surprise I alluded to a few posts back). I have a huge long explanation about why it took so long to get around to this, but we'll just leave it at "I was busy."

I might just have to include a bar of my favorite soap with the Strawberry Apron...though I'm not sure of the scent yet. I love them all.

If you'd like to be entered to win this apron, just leave a comment on this post. If your email is not in your profile, either leave it in your comment so I can contact you, or check back to see if you're the winner. Everyone is welcome to enter, but only one entry per person, please. I'll choose the winner in a week or so, using a random number generator, or maybe by drawing a name out of a hat. ;)

The giveaway is now closed.

An Epiphany

2009-08-11T02:09:00.000-07:00

I was reading Small Notebook the other day. She was talking about collections, and how she collects plants, which I think is wonderful. If I didn't kill plants just by looking at them, I would love to have a collection of houseplants. At the end of the post, she asked what others collected: Books? (Yes!) Fabric? And that's when it dawned on me. My fabric stash is more than a stash. It is A Collection. This explains so much: why it is so difficult to decide on which fabric to use for a project, why I work myself up about it so, and why certain pieces always get saved. This fabric that I have, it's more than just crafting supplies, it's A Collection.

That said, I am trying to reduce the size of this Collection so that only the prize pieces remain. However, I know that it will never get down to a 'reasonable' size. Because I'll always see a fabric and think, "That would make lovely dresses for the girls!" Or, "That would make a great apron!" Or, "That would be gorgeous as a bag!" Or, simply, "I want that." And, while I've been able to get a decent amount of sewing done lately, I will never have the time or inclination to sew every bit of fabric that I own. Because, after all, it is A Collection. And people don't use up their Collections.

And, yes, I am done now. Because, pack rat that I am, you don't want me to get started on my other Collections.

(Heavens to Betsy, you would not believe how strange the word 'Collection' looks to me right now.)

Aubergine Shepherd's Pie

2009-07-10T00:03:00.000-07:00

I was on Recipezaar the other day looking for a Shepherd's Pie recipe and came across Shepherd's Pie With Eggplant. I certainly wasn't intending on making a vegetarian shepherd's pie, but I happened to have an eggplant that needed using, so I decided to give it a try. By the way, isn't aubergine an infinitely more beautiful name than eggplant? Anyway, I didn't follow the recipe exactly (how very strange for me--ha!), so here is my variation, based on what I did and did not have on hand:

Aubergine Shepherd's Pie

2 large potatoes (I actually used 1 large russet and 3 small red--it's what I had)

1 Tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c sour cream

Cook scrubbed and unpeeled potatoes in boiling water until soft. Drain and mash with butter, salt, pepper, and sour cream. Set aside.

1 -2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

garlic powder

1 tsp salt

black pepper

1 lb eggplant/aubergine, in small cubes (1 eggplant)

1 green bell pepper, minced

1/2 tsp thyme, basil, and oregano

1/2 c butternut squash puree (I add this to everything)

1/2 c (or more!) cheddar cheese, grated, packed

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large, heavy skillet, saute the onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in butter until onion is soft, 5-8 minutes. Add eggplant and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and covering with lid in between stirrings.

When eggplant is cooked through add green pepper, butternut squash, and herbs. Continue cooking 5 minutes more.

Remove from heat and toss with cheese and vinegar. Spread in a buttered deep-dish casserole. Spread mashed potatoes on top.

Bake, uncovered, 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

* * * *

I don't think I've ever had shepherd's pie before. This was really good. Of course, it is no one-dish wonder, which is the type of recipe I usually like to make. Oh, no. You should have seen my kitchen afterwards. It was a disaster. But the dish was quite tasty and my husband really seemed to enjoy it, and that's what matters!

Breastfeeding: Part 3 (What you need to breastfeed)

2009-07-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

Things needed to breastfeed:

~Yourself

~Your baby

That's it.

OK, OK, that is all you need, but there are a few things that can make it a bit easier:

~Burp cloths. For spitty babies and leaks from mama (more on that below).

~Nursing pads. Some women (myself included!) leak. Like crazy. Like a fountain. Or a waterfall. Maybe the fountain and waterfall part is just me. In any case, you have two choices: disposable or reusable cloth. There are some lousy cloth ones for sale out there. I believe it's the Medela ones that I like the best, though I've only heard good things about the wool ones, which I've never tried, unfortunately. You can make them, too, of course. My homemade ones didn't turn out, um, very well (an understatement).

~Nursing bra. I didn't have a nursing bra with Fiona. For two years. Nope. Just a regular one that I pulled up or down. Worked fine. I did get a nursing bra with Anya, but I stopped using it a couple of months ago and went back to regular. I used a Bravado nursing bra, and I highly recommend it. Even though it was the removable foam cup that broke my washing machine. ;)

~Nursing cover up. A receiving blanket works, as does a generous burp cloth. Of course, you can use those fancy-schmancy nursing covers, too. I've never bothered with one since I actually prefer to nurse away from everyone else--it's just my introvert way. And at a certain age, my babies get too interested in what's going on around them to pay attention unless we're alone!

~A hand pump. Now, this isn't reallllllly necessary, but an inexpensive hand-pump can be nice to have. I used one at the beginning both times to help relieve engorgement a bit. It was also nice to have recently when Anya wasn't nursing as much because of her lack of appetite from roseola. I was able to give myself a bit of relief and get breastmilk for someone who needed it.

~The number of a good lactation consultant or friend with experience breastfeeding. This is invaluable!

Anyone else have breastfeeding essentials?

Breastfeeding: Part 2 (In which I ramble extensively and share personal experiences)

2009-07-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

The comments on my first post about breastfeeding were so wonderful! I quite literally got chills reading them (yes, I'm a silly girl). There were some wonderful tips there, too, which I highly recommend reading! You ladies are simply lovely!

One of my biggest concerns with breastfeeding is the lack of education and support for mothers. It's easy enough to hear "Breast is best" and sit through a breastfeeding class while you're pregnant, and know that it's the best thing for your child, but when it gets down to the nitty-gritty, it's very easy to lose perspective. Especially for first-time mothers (and especially in the middle of the night), I think, it can be hard when things don't go smoothly right off.

In the comments from the previous post, someone made an excellent point about surrounding yourself with people who will support your breastfeeding. I know women who started out breastfeeding, and when things got rough, they didn't have support or information to help them out.

In my experience, it's very easy to second-guess your ability to breastfeed. With Fiona, I worried so much in the first few months that I didn't have enough milk because she cried so much (with Anya, my engorgement went down so quickly compared to with Fiona that I worried I was losing my supply--a quick call to the lactation consultant alleviated my fears). I thought this blog post dealt nicely with that concern, and so I won't go much into that. I will add, though, that every woman's breasts are different, and will produce and hold different amounts of milk in a given time period, so some women might nurse every two hours, while others might be able to go three hours in between feedings. It also depends on the baby, of course!

If someone is uncomfortable with you breastfeeding, you can take the opportunity to educate them about the enormous benefits of it!

about the benefits of breastfeeding. (Those were just from a quick Google search.)

Breastfeeding isn't only good for baby, it's good for mama. I read recently that one reason some doctors think that breastfeeding helps to prevent breast cancer is that when a woman is breastfeeding, she is less likely to have a monthly cycle; this reduces her exposure to estrogen, which is a carcinogen. (Sorry, I can't remember where I read that, and I don't seem to have saved the link.)

Did you know that it's possible to breastfeed an adopted baby? Diane did it! So did an aunt of mine.

And remember Naomi and Obed?

Breastfeeding is an amazing, wonderful experience, and, like I said in my first post, it's worth whatever you have to go through to do it!

I have to tell you, before my niece was born five years ago, I never really thought about how to feed a baby, which seems odd to me, since all I ever wanted was to be a wife and mother (and my siblings and myself were all breastfed). My sister-in-law breastfed my niece, and that was really my first exposure as an adult to breastfeeding. When I was pregnant with Fiona, I intended to nurse her for a year, as recommended by the AAP. After she was born, we had some problems (almost immediately) which were not helped by the rude nurse at the hospital, but which were thankfully cleared up fairly easily with a visit from an amazing lactation consultant at home. Though I have to admit, if it hadn't been for the persistence of the nurse-lactation consultant in checking Fiona's latch at her three(five)-day appointment, I might not have pushed through. I won't go into all of it, but my milk came in soooooooooo fast, which complicated things a bit. After that, though, I began to march to the beat of my own drum. I held off on solids a bit longer than recommended. I nursed Fiona for two years. I intend to do the same with Anya. I was going to wait even longer on solids with Anya, but she was quite obviously ready at 7 months. She also got teeth much, much earlier than Fiona did (her current count is four--three on the bottom and one on top). It's very interesting to me to see where I've gotten to and where I've come from in the last three or so years.

I'm typically a pretty nonconfrontational person, but in the past few years I've tried to be more bold in speaking of things that I'm passionate about, especially breastfeeding and babywearing. These are things that I think aren't given the support and praise that they deserve, and I want to make it known!

If you're a breastfeeding- or soon-to-be-breastfeeding-mama, arm yourself with knowledge and support! Another comment on the previous post mentioned nursing strikes. Another aunt (I have many) stopped nursing her youngest at nine months when she went on a nursing strike, because she didn't know that's what it was. She just knew that her daughter refused to nurse.

I've not always had smooth sailing with breastfeeding, but I am so glad that I was able to get the help I needed to persevere and nurse my children successfully. (By the way, roseola really takes away a baby's appetite--I learned this recently when Anya had roseola and barely nursed for a few days.)

Well, I've rambled on enough. The meat of what I wanted to say is in the first post, anyway. I hope that even a small bit of this was helpful to someone.

I was going to conclude with this post, but I think I'll do a third, with the stuff you need for breastfeeding. That'll be a quick one. ;)

I didn't mention the names of the ladies whose comments I mentioned in case they didn't want to be brought into the discussion.

Breastfeeding: Part 1

2009-06-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

I wrote a very long post about breastfeeding but was a bit hesitant to post it. It just seemed like so much at once. Mary suggested that I break it up into parts, so that's what I'm doing. This is Part 1. It's not what I'd put as the first part normally, but it's so important, and I know there are some soon-to-be-breastfeeding mamas out there, so I thought I'd just post this right away, and follow with the other stuff.

Some women can start breastfeeding with no help at all. They take to it like ducks to water. That is wonderful. It makes me very happy when a woman has no trouble learning to breastfeed. But other women do need help. I was one of them. I always try and give a few tips that I hope are helpful to soon-to-be-breastfeeding mamas, especially first-time mamas.

If you have trouble breastfeeding:

~First, know that there is almost always a solution to breastfeeding problems. Being unable to breastfeed is rare, given the proper help.

~Get help if you're having trouble, and get it quick! Be insistent, persistent, whatever it takes to get the help you need now.

~Not all lactation consultants are created equal. If one is less than helpful, find another one, pronto. Also, if the cost of a lactation consultant deters you, consider how much more you'd spend on formula, among other things. If you qualify for WIC, they will often (always?) pay for a lactation consultant or have one to help you, which would make it free.

~If breastfeeding hurts, get help. If you're unsure about anything (milk supply, how often baby should nurse), ask! Do what you must to get the help you need, and do it quickly!

~I cannot emphasize enough how important your husband's support is in this. You know it's pure love when the man you married will pump your breasts for you. (Why, yes, I do know this from experience.) (Educating daddy on the importance and health benefits of breastfeeding, and letting him know your commitment to it is crucial. He can help you stick to your guns!)

~Realize that all babies are different. If this is your first, throw out any preconceived notions about how a baby "should" act or how often they should eat. If it's not your first, I'm sure you've already realized that not all babies are the same.

~Finally, know that breastfeeding is worth it. No matter what you have to do, you will not regret putting the effort into nursing your baby!

Any other breastfeeding mamas, either current or former, have tips to share?

Part 2 coming soon.

Bo-Peep Skirt

2009-06-15T00:03:00.001-07:00

This is possibly the cutest skirt ever. Not necessarily this one, but any skirt made from Anna Maria Horner's Bo-Peep Skirt instructions from her book Seams to Me. You could make it in burlap and it would be adorable. This one is made from Alexander Henry Tillbrook. It will be worn for several years, from the look of it.

Blue and Green Rose Dress

2009-06-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

This is what I made for my niece for her fifth birthday. I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I used fabrics from my stash, but I think the rose print's selvage said Anthropology. The pattern is the cutest dress in the world: Portabello Pixie Claire. It's the Round Apron option. The only modification I did was to narrow the waistband (no, wait--I lengthened it a bit--see below).

Okay, review of the pattern:

The directions are great. They're chock-full of pictures. I love pictures! The text is just right. No confusing wordiness here. Just what you need to know what to do. The instructions come in booklet form, in full color. They're very nice, and very easy. The pattern is printed on a white paper that's somewhere in between a tissue pattern and a heavy white paper pattern. It's very nice.

There are three options (well, four, technically): the Round Apron dress, the Petal Knot Apron dress, and the Peasant dress (or top--that's the fourth option). They are three different sets of pattern pieces (that is, they're not all the same pattern piece that you put together differently for the different options). The Round Apron dress has an elasticized neckline, the Peasant dress has a shirred neckline. I was going to make the Peasant dress at first, but then I realized that the neckline was shirred, not the elastic casing I was thinking, and I only had black elastic thread, so ended up doing the Round Apron dress (and glad I am for it!).

I would definitely recommend this pattern.

Now, back to the particulars of the dress above:

I usually (meaning 'always') lengthen skirt/dress patterns. Going from the pattern cover, I decided I didn't need to add too much length. I made a size 6, but used the size 7 length. Pretty simple.

I used French seams on the sleeve and side seams, bias-bound the skirt seams, and used an overcast stitch on the skirt/bodice seam (I didn't want to add any more bulk).

The sleeves are raglan, and, as one who has never successfully attached a set-in sleeve in her life, they're glorious. That's actually one of the things I keep an eye out for when looking at patterns: non set-in, preferably raglan, sleeves.

I did notice a minor typo on the Round Apron dress back bodice piece; it said to cut two on fold, but you only need one. It's easy enough to figure that out.

Below is a close-up of the embroidery I did on the apron. It didn't turn out quite as well as I'd hoped it would.

The sketch I did for the pattern was much better, in my opinion. Too bad my sad embroidering skills didn't translate it too well.

Green Anna Tunic

2009-05-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

Another Anna Tunic. There was a small tip or something that I wanted to share that I forgot to last time, but it's completely flown my mind. This one is for Mary. Who came to my house yesterday, took my laundry, washed it, and hung it to dry--including diaper laundry. Now that is the definition of a friend! (My washing machine is broken.)

Button close up. I love my macro.

Aaaand all four buttons, looking wonky. This color green looks stunning on Mary, with her spectacular red hair.

Edit: Ah! I remembered the tip I was going to share: I can get the Anna Tunic on over my head easily without unbuttoning it. I'm pretty sure you could make one without the back closure and be fine with on/off-ness. Sure the buttons are pretty, but if you didn't want to use buttons, they're really not necessary.

Also, I didn't line this one either. I really think the lining would be quite uncomfortable.

Book Review: Historic Photos of the Chinese in California

2009-05-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by Turner Publishing and asked if I would like to review their new book, Historic Photos of the Chinese in California by Hannah Clayborn. Um, yes please! I love photography, I love old photographs, I love history, I love California history. This book was practically written for me. I eagerly awaited its arrival and I was not disappointed.

Pros:

~Nice size. Not too big (some photography books don't fit anywhere). Just the right size to see plenty of detail in the photos, which, of course, are all black and white.

~Lovely paper. Some photography books are too shiny (you know, when you have to keep changing the angle of the book to move the glare around). This paper has the perfect sheen.

~The layout...the layout has me in raptures. Each page is dedicated to a single photograph* with a caption that happens to contain just the right amount of information. Each chapter has a one-page introduction. It is the perfect amount of text for a photography book.

~Subject matter: Historic photos (you know you love them, too!). Specifically, the Chinese in California historic photos. I learned from this book that there's very little written information on the Chinese and their (very large) part in building California because of rampant and horrible racism. Photographs are what we have to document their lives and significant contributions here up until around World War II. Old photos are wonderful.

Cons:

~I really can't think of any. The book is awesome. The quality is top-notch.

I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this one to myself. My husband actually got his hands on it before I did and loved it. My mom looked through it, as well, and also found it fascinating. I know that pretty much every member of my family would enjoy this book.

I think my favorite photo is on page 58. It shows two wee girls (they can't be any older than six!) carrying babies on their backs. The carriers look like mei-tais. You really don't see many old photos of babywearing! I loved all the photos of children and families. Because of terrible laws that made marriage difficult for Chinese men, there aren't too many pictures of women and children. This book might be about the Chinese in California, but it gives great insight into the history of all Californians, even if indirectly. I only recognized one photo, which is of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. I'm sure most of you have seen it--there's a woman in a light coat with her arms akimbo in the bottom left corner. Everything else was new and wonderful.

I highly recommend this book. I do realize that if you don't live in California the subject might not be quite as appealing to you, but they have others in the series. There's Paris, Fort Lauderdale, and Alaska to name a few. Hmm, Honolulu...that might be a good Christmas gift for my dad and his wife...I'll have to keep that in mind.

All-in-all, Historic Photos of the Chinese in California is an excellent book, and one I'll be glad to look at time and again!

*Have you ever noticed how in some books containing old photographs, they'll have a few pictures on the same page and it's always the one you want to study the most closely that's the smallest (you seamstresses out there, you know, the one with the pretty dress with lace insertion and pintucks).

Disclaimer: I hope you all know that I would never give a dishonest opinion here on this blog! I was very pleased to receive this book, but had anything not been satisfactory, I would not have felt the least bit of compunction in pointing it out. This is my honest opinion.

Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes

2009-05-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

With great difficulty have I pulled myself away from Etsy and Flickr and the Holga obsession they've been feeding to bring you this post.

You can't really see the cottage cheese in the potatoes, but I assure you, it's there. Not pictured: Corn on the cob. ;)

For dinner tonight we had corn on the cob, grilled asparagus (thank you Mary!!!), and cottage cheese mashed potatoes. Everything was delicious. It was light yet filling and nice and fresh! I tossed the asparagus in olive oil and a bit of salt and a leetle tiny bit of garlic powder. Yum. The mashed potatoes were very good. A bit different, with a nice, mild taste to them. I bought cottage cheese at the store last week for my husband, since it was on sale and he likes it every now and then. (I get a craving for it every once in a great while, have a spoonful, and am set for the next two years.) Well, that stuff just sat unopened in the fridge, glowering at me every time I opened the door. I decided to make use of it somehow. Following is a rough 'recipe' of what I did, in case anyone would like to try this yummy dish. Don't worry--you can't mess it up.

Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes

3 medium-ish Russet potatoes, scrubbed (not peeled), and cooked

2-3 Tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

a bit of thyme and oregano

a very little tiny bit of coriander and nutmeg (so little that you think you won't even be able to taste it)

3-4 huge, heaping soup-spoonfuls of cottage cheese

Mash it all together.

Obviously you can increase this quite a bit. Basically just make mashed potatoes and throw cottage cheese in there until you have a good ratio going. You definitely want to be able to taste the cottage cheese.

....

From start to finish, prep included, the whole meal only took about 45 minutes to make, with very few dishes used. This one is going on the menu rotation!

Repurposed Skirt

2009-05-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

Or should it be repurposed tunic, since that's what it originally was?

My dad and his wife got me a beautiful tunic-y shirt on one of their trips to Hawaii last year. I was pregnant with Anya, and I think they meant it to be a maternity shirt, even though it wasn't actually maternity. I loved it. The fabric was beautiful! But the style--sooooo unflattering on me. The neck was too wide, it was baggy except for some shirring in an area that made me wonder if it was meant to hit at the waist or the hips, and the length didn't really work, either. But the fabric--so pretty! I pulled it out the other day and thought "I'll make a dress for Fiona!". I then held it up to her and realized that there was enough length for me to make myself a skirt. Fiona has more than enough clothes, anyway. A-hem.

See? So very, very unflattering. I admit I tried to make it look as awful as possible so that it would be like the before and after pictures you see in magazines, where the before has the person glowering and unkempt and the after they're smiling brilliantly with a red-carpet-worthy hairstyle and makeup.

So I cut it up and sewed it back together, using the shirring as the waistband. I had to piece the sleeves into the bottom tier to make it wide enough. I am quite pleased with how it turned out. It was a quick project even with figuring out how best to utilize every piece.

After. Isn't it worlds better? It looks better with a purple shirt that I have, but it was in the wash.

I love the length, and it is incredibly comfortable. I'll be wearing this a lot this summer!

Skirt, Headband, & Purse

2009-04-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

This is the gift I made for my niece for her third birthday.

I put the trim on just the front half of the skirt. I didn't have enough of the grosgrain to go all the way around. I'm not quite sure about it being on only the front half. It looked fine on Fiona (it's so nice having a daughter the same age as her cousins for fitting purposes), but I dunno...
Detail of the ribbon indicating the back. It's a lovely, soft rayon grosgrain, so it won't be scratchy at all.
A little purse. Another aunt asked my sister-in-law on Facebook what our niece wanted for her birthday and 'purse' and 'headbands' were among the items listed, so I decided to make a matching purse and headband. There's a sparkly star button on the front, which is a bit hard to see in this photo. I don't have a picture of the headband--just picture the strap of the purse in headband form, and you get a pretty good idea. ;)

A completely gratuitous close-up of the ribbon, for macro-loving me. I stitched the lace over the very bottom of the grosgrain to cover up a marker scribble that Fiona put on it. It worked perfectly. I used a tiny zigzag to attach the lace at the top, and stitched down the bottom, as well, with a straight stitch so that it wouldn't turn up after being washed and require ironing. [taps head] See, I'm a smart one, I am. Always thinking of how to make life a bit easier, even if it's just to prevent a quick slick of the iron.

The rayon grosgrain, by the way, is positively dreamy. It is wonderful to work with, and it has a lovely sheen. The difference between it and normal ol' polyester grosgrain is remarkable. It is so easy to get a beautiful top-stitching on it.

Friday Linkage

2009-04-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

Just one link today, I think. I'm trying to get a birthday gift for my niece done (and I'm quite tired, with a fussy baby, to boot).

the call is coming from within the house! (a film noir) :: This is hilarious. I've been alternately chuckling and shuddering about this all day. And the photo to go with the story? It truly captures the sheer horror of creepy crawlies that can, given the proper circumstances, consume some of us. For me, it's spiders. What scares the living daylights out of you?

Anna Tunic

2009-04-22T23:11:00.001-07:00

Well it took me a while, but I finally finished an Anna Tunic for myself. It is a very simple, very easy top to make! (If you ignore the abysmal instructions...I have expounded on my dislike of Amy Butler instructions before.) I did have to go and make things more complicated than they needed to be by adding piping, but it was worth it! I think the piping adds so much!

My arm has a greenish tint to it in this picture; if you look at the color of the walls in the photo below, you'll understand why. I couldn't get a very good picture, and no matter how I bent my arm, it was still a large presence in the overall composition, so you'll just have to bear with me. ;)
I need to tweak the yoke just a bit. It's extremely comfortable, but it doesn't lay quite right, so next time I'll fiddle around with it to see if I can make it lay smoother. As you can see, the armholes are nice and high. No need for a camisole or undershirt! I made the mini-dress length to show off my legs. Ha! No, I made the mini-dress length to wear as a tunic over capris because the tunic length was a bit short for my liking. I do have to hitch it up a bit before I sit down to nurse, otherwise the extra length pulls down and I have to wriggle around to shimmy it into the right position.

I didn't line it--it seemed as though it would be too bulky and uncomfortable. I bias-bound the armholes, which is the only change I had to make.

Overall, a cute pattern that's easy and makes up quick! I think it will be lovely for summer!

Edit: Ooooh! I just noticed that this is my 400th post! Rather fitting, since I started this as a crafting blog.

Friday Linkage

2009-04-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

Seems to be clothing-oriented today.

An Open Letter To the People In the Fashion Industry Who Design Clothes For Grown Women :: Hilarious and true. And might I add my pet peeves? 1) Dresses are always too short. Even if they were knee-length on me like they're 'supposed' to be, that's not a length I wear. What is wrong with tea length? 2) Is it so hard to make skirts and dresses that don't require a slip? 3) So many cute dresses, so little for a breastfeeding mother to wear.

Garter Brim Baby Hat Pattern :: Isn't this adorable? Thank you Anna for writing up this pattern!

Southwestern Coleslaw :: I may have a slightly inordinate adoration of cabbage--except when it's normal coleslaw or sauerkraut. This recipe, however, sounds delicious! (By the way, Simply Recipes, which I recently stumbled upon, is an amazing site! I highly recommend it!)

How to Make a Felt Baby Toy with a Crinkly, Crackly Recycled Surprise! :: I've often wondered what I could use to make a crackly baby toy. Who knew the answer was so simple (and right at my fingertips)?

Vintage Pattern Contest :: Have a vintage pattern you've been wanting to sew up? Here's the perfect excuse to drop everything else and do so! For me, the hard part is deciding which one...

How to REALLY QUICK unpick... :: Excellent pointers.

V&A Wedding Fashion :: I love wedding dresses. Love 'em. Almost as much as cabbage. (Ha-ha.) Really, though, while I was never one of those little girls who had their wedding planned down to the last gory detail from the time they were five years old, I did dream about the dress. I would love to have a subscription to a wedding magazine so that I could drool over the dresses every month. The V&A site is really neat because it has so many old dresses! In fact, I'm thinking of submitting the photos I have of my great-grandparents on their wedding day in the '20s, and my grandparents in the '40s...

And I'll leave you with this awesome quote, courtesy of Scribbit, that says so much about knowledge, wisdom, and tomatoes: "Knowledge is knowing tomatoes are fruit. Wisdom is knowing you don't put them in a fruit salad."

BUMP!

2009-04-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

For Campbell's third birthday, I really wanted to make a hedgehog, inspired by the book Ten in the Bed by Penny Dale. I just had to make this for him. I was going to try and figure something out on my own, and then, in a case of utterly perfect timing, Lollychops posted this. No figuring out needed.

I tried to make him look as much like the hedgehog in Ten in the Bed as possible. It would have been better if he was a bit lighter brown, but it kind of works. I did completely different shaped, and sized, spines than the ones Lollychops did. I embroidered his face. I attached the spines (looking back at the instructions now--I just kind of winged it) in a more complicated way. Sigh.

And I didn't stuff his nose enough--it got a bit...deflated...when I embroidered it. Probably all of him could have used a bit more stuffing, actually. I added the legs because the hedgehog in Ten in the Bed has legs. At first, I did fabric legs, intending to stuff them. I made them to the same proportions as in the book, but it looked really weird! So I went with felt and scaled the proportions back a bit. I hope that Campbell likes it!

There were ten in the bed and the little one said, "Roll over, roll over!"

So they all rolled over and Hedgehog fell out...BUMP!

Muffins

2009-04-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

I made muffins today. I enjoy making muffins because they are so simple and so quick and sooo delicious! I have a few muffin recipes that I've used a couple of times each, but nothing that is specifically for blueberry muffins, so I went poking around Allrecipes and found Blueberry Pumpkin Muffins. I doubled it and made minor modifications. I didn't want to use the can of pumpkin puree that I have for these, but I had 1 cup of frozen, homemade butternut squash puree. I figured it was worth a try, so I thawed it, used it in place of the pumpkin, and was not disappointed. The muffins, just out of the oven, have a deliciously crispy top. They're moist and quite flavorful. Here's my version:

Blueberry Butternut Squash Muffins

makes 24 preheat oven to 400 F

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. quick oats

1 1/3 c. white sugar

1 Tbsp. and 1 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup butternut squash puree

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 c. butter, melted (1 stick)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. molasses

1 1/2 c. frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.

Mix flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in mixing bowl until evenly blended. In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients except blueberries. Gradually add wet to dry, just until all ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling to top.

Bake until tops spring back when lightly pressed and edges are golden brown and delicious! (About 20 minutes.)

I'd like to try these with buttermilk in place of the evaporated milk I used. Buttermilk makes quick breads so very delicious! When I use buttermilk in place of regular milk in my pancake recipe, the difference is astounding.

All of us who eat solid foods around here really enjoyed these muffins. I'm curious to know what others who might have tasted these muffins thought of them...(hint-hint, Mary!)

If I remember to, I'll take a picture of a muffin in the morning before they're all gone.

Enjoy!

Recent Craftiness

2009-03-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

That's 'craftiness' in reference to made objects, not in reference to wilyness. You know, in case you thought I was being sly.

Henry's hat. Done in the nick of time. We were over at my mom's last Sunday, and I really didn't have to watch my children, what with Grandma being there to lavish affection on them, so I took advantage of that and finished this hat up. I thought it was going to take me eversomuch longer than it did! I had the first 4" done, and had only the shaping left, and it went so quick. Later that evening, when I went up to see my sister-in-law and Baby Chloe, I grabbed the hat and stuck it in my purse. It was a silly thing to do--I mean, Mary wasn't up at the hospital so it's not like I'd have a chance to give it to her--or so I thought! I used this pattern from Ravelry (you're going to have to be logged in to see it).

A bag for my sister-in-law who is due in mid-April. Her baby shower was yesterday, and since this is her fourth girl, the ladies who put it on decided that we should concentrate on gifts for the mama, instead of the baby. (Believe me, she has everything she needs!) I, a-hem, 'whipped' this up because I really didn't know what to make for her. I got these fabrics back around December, intending to make her birthday gift out of them--something for her kitchen, since she's always wanted a yellow and black kitchen. That didn't happen, so I used them for this bag, which I was thinking would be good as a library-book bag. I did the embroidery to snazz it up a bit. The 4 [Star] has a double meaning, one of which is about 8 or 9 years old, and which I won't bother to explain, and the second of which comes from the fact that my sister-in-law is having her fourth girl; it's for her four stars/daughters. Sappy and sentimental, I know. But it totally works with the first meaning, too. And I never claimed to not be sappy and sentimental.

A close-up of the embroidery, which I played around with in Picasa. I really should have left well enough alone. The original photo looked quite nice to me. And then I brightened it...and sharpened it...and enhanced the saturation--and that was when the original all of a sudden looked incredibly dull. I love bright, saturated colors!

I also made a receiving blanket out of this Valori Wells flannel. I didn't take a picture, because I was literally finishing it as I was supposed to be walking out the door, but what's shown on the website does not do the fabric justice. There are more colors and designs and they all work together gorgeously. I love Valori Wells' designs, especially her Sole.

The mama I made the mei tai for a few weeks ago was at the shower, and I am happy to report that the straps are long enough for her! I was a bit concerned, since she's rather tall, and I didn't extend the straps like I usually do...if you remember.

More craftiness to come over the next few weeks or so.

Quote

2009-03-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried. ~ G. K. Chesterton

Irish Soda Bread

2009-03-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is Tuesday. I hope you're planning a menu involving cabbage and potatoes, among other things. There are approximately five million recipes (give or take) for 'traditional' Irish Soda Bread on the internet. They all claim to be authentic. If the recipe has caraway seeds, the recipe-maker swears up and down that 'real' Irish soda bread must have caraway seeds, their Irish great-aunt-in-law-who-they-got-the-recipe-from told them so. If the recipe does not have caraway seeds, the recipe maker swears on their mother's grave that their Irish grandmother-who-they-got-the-recipe-from would have keeled over at the thought of putting caraway seeds in soda bread. I won't even go into the raisin debate...

I personally favor the non-caraway bread (and I think we all know how I feel about raisins in baked goods). A few years ago, I found this recipe--or maybe I found a recipe similar to this, and then combined it with another soda bread recipe that I had and this is a hybrid (I can't remember), and so, of course, it could not possibly be 'traditional' Irish soda bread, since I am, after all, an American who did not have their Irish-great-grandmother-who-they-were-named-after's soda bread recipe passed down to her, more's the pity. This recipe does, however, make quite a decent loaf of Some Sort of soda bread that goes very well with corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes. It also goes well with beef stew, so I'm sure it would be great with a lamb stew. I've gotten rave reviews every time I've made it (I usually make the soda bread for our family's St. Patrick's Day bash).

Irish (American?) Soda Bread

3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour (or a combination of the two)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. buttermilk or sour milk (see below)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Lightly grease and flour baking sheet. In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Add buttermilk and mix to form ball. (You may need to add a bit more buttermilk.) Knead lightly until dough holds together, about 1 minute. Shape dough into a 6-inch round and place on prepared baking sheet. Cut an X 1-inch deep across top of bread.* Bake until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, about 40 minutes. Transfer bread to rack to cool enough to handle. Serve warm if possible. If not serving immediately, wrap in tea towel to prevent drying out. Wrap leftovers well in foil. You can also dab water on the tea towel to help prevent drying, and a few drops on the bread itself when reheating/toasting helps, too.

Sour milk: You can substitute sour milk for the buttermilk, if you don't have buttermilk (you can use it for other recipes that call for buttermilk, too). To make sour milk place 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in measuring cup. Add enough milk to make two cups. Let stand 15 minutes.

*A note on cutting the X: It seems like using a serrated bread knife makes this a bit easier.

For more Irish deliciousness, check out Allrecipes St. Patrick's Day recipe collection. (I so want some colcannon right now! I love cabbage!)

A Thought

2009-03-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

It is a cruel deception to bite into a cookie expecting chocolate and instead taste raisin.

Commissioned Mei Tai

2009-03-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

Not really much to show off unless there's a baby in it, but you can see the fabric. They're both Amy Butler. Normally, I wouldn't have chosen a solid Amy Butler (what's the point of spending that much on a solid? you're only paying for the name in this case), especially when my local fabric store carries several shades of a beautiful chambray, but it was the only solid that was the right shade of blue. The dots I just love. That shade of green...yum.

I've made this mei tai at least three times before this, yet somehow everything that could go wrong, did. First, I thought I got too little of the blue fabric. I always piece the straps for the sake of frugality, but when I cut them out, I was far too short of scraps for anything but the most minimal piecing. It wasn't until I was turning the second waist strap that I realized, I don't need a second waist strap. I always use that second piece to add to the length of the shoulder straps. Then, I sewed the body together in a way that would leave the flannel interlining exposed, so I had to rip that out and re-do it (this, after making certain that I did not do the same thing with the padding on the shoulder straps!). Then, when I had it sewn together the right way, I turned it and found a flaw in the fabric right at the top in the middle. I finally decided/figured out that I could just flip it over and have that bit be the inside bottom. Phew! Such a seemingly simple project--it is, after all, just rectangles--and I made it so complicated. But it's done!

Oh no. I just realized that I forgot to do some stitching across the shoulder straps to keep the batting in place. And I've already delivered it (the picture is of it on my lap on the way to church). Oh dear. I guess I'll ask the mama-that-I-made-it-for's sister-in-law to do a few lines of stitching the next time they have a family get-together. Said sister-in-law has my old sewing machine on semi-permanent loan, so I hope she won't mind too much.

Fionese

2009-02-24T23:27:00.000-08:00

Today, I was eating some Cadbury eggs--not the creme ones, the ones that are just chocolate with a candy shell--and gave one to Fiona. She took a bite and exclaimed in astonishment, "There are chocolate chips in here!"

Later, I was sitting on the couch, trying to concentrate on something, and Fiona was talking and talking and talking. I was thinking, "Please be quiet," but this is what I said:

Me, excitedly: Why don't you go talk to your dolly?! [Congratulating myself on my brilliance and redirection]

Fiona: I don't want to talk to my dolly! I want to talk to people. Dollies don't talk.

Touché, my child. Touché.

Listen To Your Nose

2009-02-24T00:09:00.000-08:00

If you're ever sitting in the living room, and you start to smell a peanut butter sandwich, but you know there are no peanut butter sandwiches in your house, and you also know that you aren't smelling it because your three-year-old is getting into some peanut butter because you are allergic to peanut butter, so there's none in the house because you also have no self-control, and she's outside playing in the pouring rain with daddy anyway, and you have lentils cooking on the stove, you should know that it is not, in fact, a peanut butter sandwich you are smelling, but burning lentils.

Flannel

2009-02-10T00:54:00.000-08:00

I have a nasty old cold. It's no fun. The only thing that's been getting me through it is a hot rice sack on my face (oh my sinuses) and a flannel burp cloth. I grabbed the flannel burp cloth at random today, because it was the closest available thing that I could use, and discovered that it is wonderful for a leaky nose. All handkerchiefs should be made of flannel. The end.

A Sort of Conversation

2009-01-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

Fiona: Where's Mary?

Me: Mary?

Fiona: No, Campbell.

Me: Oh, where's Campbell?

Fiona: No, Audrey!

Me, thoroughly confused by now: Where's...Audrey?

Fiona: Yes!

Me: Um, she's at home.

Fiona: Oh. Is it raining or snowing?

Me: Uh, neither. You can see that. You're looking out the window!

Fiona: Oh.

What?!!

Perhaps I'm being paranoid...

2009-01-24T00:43:00.000-08:00

...but I find this rather humorous.

These are snips from the e-newsletter I received today from my local yarn shop. I know for a fact that that little word, 'evenly' was not in any of the newsletters I received before I started to take a knitting class at said shop. Take this snip, from the December newsletter, for instance:

Notice no sign of the word 'evenly'. Now why would I think this word has appeared because of me? My gauge is, shall we say, abysmal...pathetic...nonexistent...Any of those words will suffice. Believe me, I am trying very, very hard to get some sort of even gauge. I'm trying. I'm really, really trying. But I can't seem to get it. I'm not terribly nimble, and it's realllllly showing. But I'll keep on. It has to click sometime, right? In the meantime, though, I seem to have scared clarity into the newsletter. Good to know!

This is possibly the coolest thing ever...

2008-11-22T01:16:00.000-08:00

Earth View The view of earth from about a bazillion satellites (I may be in a hyperbolic mood).

Cloth Diapers

2008-11-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Blogger is spacing paragraphs very randomly, so I'm going to take matters into my own hands. Bring out the asterisks!

I briefly used cloth diapers with Fiona when she was about a year old. The thing I learned from that was you have to be set up for cloth. I wasn't, and I didn't want to invest a lot of money in cloth at the time (I would say mostly because of dreams I entertained involving early potty training...). However, with Anya I decided that I just needed to go for it. I registered for all I needed to cloth diaper at Natural Babies (I didn't need anything else for the new baby), and so only had to spend a little of my own money to get my stash going. Following are my reviews of what I've been using.

(1) Happy Heinys One Size Diaper

(3) bumGenius! One-Size Diaper w/Inserts 3.0

The above four diapers are one-size diapers, meaning they grow with your baby (which is how I justified the cost!).

(2) FuzziBunz size small (I got these on sale.)

The six diapers above are all pocket diapers and work the same way. They have the waterproof outer layer (of course), with a lining of polyester fleece. You put a fleece insert into a pocket between the two layers to make them absorbent. The polyester fleece is supposed to have more of a 'stay-dry' feeling on little bums. These are like disposables--once the insert is in, it's all one piece to put on baby. I am very happy with the quality of all three of these brands. They're all very well-made, and they'd better be, considering how much they cost. I'll get into it a bit more below, but I honestly don't think these are much easier than prefolds. Two exceptions: 1) At night, in the dark, half asleep, you don't have to make sure a prefold is laying in a cover correctly. 2) Out and about, if you have to change Baby in a tight spot (like on your lap, as I've done many a time), same thing: you can practically do it one-handed. I've been using these at night because of reason #1, and for the stay-dry feeling, since Anya doesn't get changed every two hours at night.

While I love the fit of all of the brands above, for some reason, I LOVE the FuzziBunz. I have no idea why, because they're all virtually the same. A couple of notes: 1) The inserts of these three brands are interchangeable. The different inserts fit and work in all of them, even though they're slightly different shapes/sizes. 2) You don't have to take the inserts out before putting them in the wash. They will come out on their own.

I have two contours, which you need covers with. The first is a Kissaluvs NB/S. I bought it to trace and make my own contours, which, while the plan worked just dandy, ended up being rather a waste of time (again, more on that below). It's a nice diaper. The second is a Baby Greens Newborn Contour. I got it for the newborn stage, since it has an umbilical cord dip and Fiona's umbilical cord stayed on forever. It was over a month, I think. Anya's only stayed on for a week. This one is okay, but perhaps a bit thin. I wouldn't buy it again.

The majority of my stash is prefolds, which you need a cover with. I got five newborn size, since I don't have enormous babies, and it's nice for diapers to fit. The rest are infant size, though I can't remember exactly how many I have at the moment (at least two dozen). I opted for the unbleached, and I love them. They are nice and absorbent, and, (this was an epiphany to dull-witted me) you don't have to fold them lengthwise. Yes, as crazy and edge-of-your-seat as it may sound, you can fold them widthwise. Which makes 'em a whole lot easier to fit in a newborn size cover, since you don't have to fold an edge down to make it fit. Hm, I'm not explaining this well. I'll try to take some pictures to show it better.

I was concerned about using prefolds since I thought you had to use pins or a Snappi. Turns out, with the covers that I got, you don't have to pin/Snappi. You can simply lay the prefold in the cover and put it on baby all in one piece. I'm not sure why eliminating one little step made such a difference, but when I found that out, I became a lot less anxious about cloth diapering. It's almost like using a pocket diaper. It's very easy. Also, for out-and-about, I believe they are a bit less bulky than the pocket diapers. With prefolds, in the diaper bag, you need just a few of them and you could have just one extra cover, plus the one on Baby. (I have this wet bag for the diaper bag. I like it a lot.)

Being able to simply place the prefolds in the cover without pinning also makes contours unnecessary. You can use contours layed in the covers like the prefolds, of course, but they're no easier. That's why it was a waste of time for me to make the contours. The prefolds are more absorbent, too.

More good points about prefolds: 1) Easy-peasy to wash and dry. 2) Very absorbent. 3) Cheap. 4) Versatile (need an extra burp cloth?).

For a stay-dry-feeling at nighttime, you could use a fleece liner between Baby and the prefold, though Anya doesn't seem to be terribly bothered by it. Every baby is different, though.

Now, the reason the prefolds don't have to be pinned are the covers I decided on. You are able to lay the diapers in the following three covers. If you choose a different cover, the prefold might have to be pinned/Snappi'd. (I recommend the Snappi!)

(2) Bummis Industrial Super Whisper Wrap I read that just about everyone loves these. I'm the exception. I don't really like them--at all. Maybe when Anya is bigger they'll work better? They don't have a gusset at the leg opening, and Anya is not a hugely chubby baby, so they don't fit well. I am glad I followed the ultimate cloth diapering advice: Try several different brands to find what works for you.

(4) Prorap Classic Three newborn size and one small. I love these! They are very inexpensive, too; the cheapest covers I've seen. They don't have Velcro on the inside of the diaper to attach the tabs to when washing, but latching it normally (like on a baby) works just as well. This is a thin cover, slick on the inside. It has leg gussets and fits wonderfully. The newborn size also has a cord dip.

(3) Bummis Super Brite In size small. I love these, too! These and the Proraps are my absolute favorite, even over the pocket diapers. These do have the bonus laundry velcro tabs, and the tabs themselves can be overlapped, which is nice on a newborn or skinny baby. And, let's just say it right out: they're cute! Actually, my husband thinks they're funny. Either way! These have leg gussets and are slick on the inside, too.

The Super Brite small worked on Anya as a newborn, though they were a bit big and I preferred the newborn size Proraps for the first week or two. She was born at 7 lb. 15 oz. and only got down to 7 lb. 11 oz. at her 3 day checkup, and has gone up from there. So, the Super Brites will work on a 7 1/2 pounder.

I lovelove the Proraps and Super Brites with prefolds. I truly don't think you need anything else. The pocket diapers are nice, but not necessary (and they're expensive!).

I was so anxious about cloth diapering: Would it be too hard? (No. Not at all.) Would I be able to keep up on laundry? (Yes--a big one for me, since I hate doing laundry!) Would they work well? (Yes. Very much so.) All of my fears have been unfounded.

I throw the dirty diapers in a wet bag in the laundry room, and then, when there are enough, I throw the whole kit 'n' caboodle in the washer. With breastfed poo, you don't have to scrape it off or anything. I do a soak, adding vinegar and/or tea tree oil occasionally, then a heavy wash, then an extra rinse, all in hot water. I hang dry my prefold covers, so they'll last longer, but machine dry everything else. We have a front-load HE washer, and it's been working quite well. (Top-loaders are supposed to be a bit better, since you can really soak the diapers.)

Most of the time, I have the prefolds layed in the covers and ready to go, but even when I don't, it only takes about 2 seconds extra to do it when changing a diaper. Really, it is so easy. When I had Fiona, I thought I would only use cloth diapers after pigs flew. Now I regret not using them with her. It's painful to think how much money we could have saved.

I think that's just about it. I really like Green Mountain Diapers. They have lots of good information (New to Cloth Info, and How To), Snappis, diaper liners (for when Baby starts solid foods), wipes (I've just been using some inexpensive washcloths that I got on sale, dampened with plain water), and anything else you might need. They do a very good job of explaining the different covers. I thought they carried Proraps, but I don't see them on the site, so they must have stopped carrying them. Hm. Anyway, it is late, and I am tired, and I could probably go on for another good while, so I think I'll stop myself now. I'm sure I'll think of something else, and so I'll put whatever extra I think of in another post. I hope this was helpful to anyone who has/is expecting a baby.

Roadside Beauty

2008-08-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

Little Lambkin

2008-08-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

I made a little lamb from a free pattern. Great pattern: super easy, very quick (even for me), and sooo cute. A little lamb from this pattern just might make it into each baby shower gift from now on. Oh, and did I mention that you can make it from scraps?!!!!!! I LOVE making things from scraps!!! And, for even more variety, you could really get those ears to stand up in quirky and unique ways.

I made this out of a scrap left over from a receiving blanket. I was worried the print might be too busy--that you wouldn't be able to focus on the face--but I think it turned out just fine. I used embroidery floss for the eyes and nose. I also used some on the nape of the neck; the flannel isn't firmly woven enough, I guess, and when I was trying to get the needle with embroidery thread out through that spot, it frayed it a bit. So, some white embroidery floss and a few lines of decorative stitches around the neck later, I have a lamb wearing a three-strand necklace. Oh well.

Now, this was intended for the new baby, what with it matching the receiving blanket I made for her and all, but Fiona clutched it lovingly to her chest when I was done with it and exclaimed, "My lamby! Tank oo Mommy!", so we'll see who actually gets to claim ownership.

A Birdie in the hand...

2008-07-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Two of the other projects that have been keeping me busy were Birdie Slings, a pattern from Amy Butler. I'll say this right now, before anything else: I do not like Amy Butler's instructions. They are much too wordy. What should say, "Stitch. Press. Turn. Press," says something like this: "Next, using your sewing machine which has been threaded with a coordinating thread, stitch along the seam that you just pinned, removing pins as you reach them. Then, using your iron, which has been turned on, press the seam that you just stitched. After that, turn the bag right side out through the opening you left in step 3b. Make sure you poke out all the corners using your corner-poking tool (for instance: a pair of scissors, a pencil, etc.). Then, press the seam that you just turned out and poked the corners out, using your iron which has been turned on." Yes, I am exaggerating...a little bit. So, her instructions are a chore to muddle through, but her designs are cute. I do realize that her instructions are probably great for beginners. She also makes some interesting interfacing and reinforcing choices--not necessarily on this pattern, but on others of hers that I've used. I've kind of learned to just do the patterns my own way, following instructions where needed, and adapting interfacing instructions to my own preferences. After all that (my goodness, I complain about her being wordy?!!!), on to the finished products:

This one is for my sister-in-law. I thought she would like the colors. I like the colors. I really wanted to keep this for me. Especially since, once it was made up, I realized that it would make a great diaper bag--it's so roomy! Here's a shot of the inside:

Ah, this picture does not do the roominess justice. Notice the bands and pockets made out of the same fabric as the main bag on the outside. This is because I am a cheapskate. If you add seam allowance to the band where you're supposed to put it on the fold, you can cut the two contrasting bands out of the scraps from the main panel. You can also get the small pocket, and, again adding seam allowance, the large pocket. So I did it because I'm a cheapskate, but it turned out so cute! It looks like I did it to be artsy. I also did two different coordinating fabrics for the band and handles, instead of one, like the pattern calls for: I thought it would look good. And, cheapskate-ness striking again, I cut the handles in a much more fabric-efficient way (which of course involved adding seam allowance!). For this bag, I didn't use the interfacing called for. I like what I used. It's a bit stiffer than what's called for and lets the bag sit open nicely. Anyway, I loved this bag so much that I made myself one:(For some reason, the angle of the pictures make the bags look lopsided. They look much better in person.)

I was tempted to make mine just like my sister-in-law's, but where's the fun in that? Two bags exactly alike = no fun at all! So out of my fabric stash came these three fabrics. The main panel and handle fabrics have been in the stash for quite a while. The band is a fairly recent addition, but all three go very well together. I basically used the interfacing called for on this one, but did the second layer on the outside band out of the stiffer stuff I used for the orange bag.

The bag wanted a row of bright pink rickrack along the center of the handle, but had to settle for two rows of green rickrack on the band, since I didn't have any bright pink rickrack. (We attempted orange and blue rickrack on the handle, and also pale pink lace, but none of them worked. It was bright pink or nothing, for the handle, at least.)

The inside. I added a lavender rickrack key fob in the side seam just below the band. I must have a designated spot for my keys! I also added a third pocket, though you can't tell from the picture.The inside stuffed! A couple of burp cloths, some cloth diapers & covers, a package of wipes, a receiving blanket, a wet bag, an outfit, and nursing pads (which you can't see). And there's still room to spare!

I made this as a diaper bag, but 'had' to use it tonight as my market bag. Thursday evenings in the summer is a farmers market/street fair downtown. I thought I'd try it out and see how it held up to fresh produce (and ice cream bars). I also wanted to show it to and show it off to Mary, who I went to the market with. It's thanks to her that I was able to make these at all, since she bought the pattern and loaned it to me!

I feel like this pattern is a lot of work, but I think that's mostly because of all the interfacing. I do not like cutting out and fusing interfacing, and it's especially not fun in the summer. Overall, though, it's a pretty simple, straightforward bag, and I do recommend it. Thanks for looking!

Sewing MADNESS!

2008-07-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't been on the computer in at least five days. The reason: I've been sewing like crazy (I think it's some strange sort of nesting: sew, sew, sew). I've also been getting things organized for the new baby, but the main reason was sewing. And, oh, the madness! I've gotten four birthday gifts done--yes, two were for birthdays back in April, but still...The others are for birthdays in August. I'm trying to get as much birthday sewing done before the baby comes as possible. I've also done at least a dozen flannel burp cloths (for gifts and for my baby), receiving blankets, cloth diapers, and two bags--which deserve their own post.

Here are a few of the finished products:

An apron for my three-year-old nephew. From a tutorial linked by Sew, Mama, Sew! I just roughly followed the instructions. I widened the bottom measurement to 9". I cut the front on the fold and the lining on the selvedge, adding a seam allowance, of course. This was so very easy and quick! I am very slow, usually, but this didn't take long at all.

Top photo: closed. Bottom photo: open. Obviously.

A contour cloth diaper I made (on the left in the photos). I used a prefold and traced a purchased contour (on the right) for the pattern. I had to sew the tabs on (made from the scraps left over from cutting out), and then just zig-zagged the edges. I did sew a 3/8" straight stitch along the edge, as well, for additional sturdiness. I made about a half-dozen of these. I was going to make more, but then found out that I can just lay a prefold in the covers I'm using without pinning or Snappi-ing. I figured I could see how the contours work compared to the layed-in prefolds, and go from there.

A sampling of burp cloths made. The two on the left are for my baby. Aren't the duckies cute?! The two on the right I made for my sister-in-law and for a friend. I made more than this, but they're all out of the same fabric. Oh, and these have been washed, and are ready to go, hence the rumpled appearance.

Knotted.

Unknotted, so you can see the shape of the top. It's hanging on a branch, not floating in thin air.

A Japanese Knot Bag. This looks much better when there is stuff in it. The tutorial was good. There are a couple of things I'd do differently next time, but they're all personal preferences. It's kind of a nifty little bag for your keys, lip balm, and a few other small things. I think it would be really cute done up all fancy for an evening bag.

A Go Fish! game for my niece's birthday. I'm hoping this will be lots o' fun. I was inspired by this tutorial. I thought the tutorial called for fusible fleece. It doesn't. (I didn't actually read the directions, instead just assuming from the photos.) I used fusible fleece. I think it worked well. What I did:

First, I drew a fish shape. Easy. Next, I traced that shape onto the fusible fleece. (I made a few a bit smaller, and two big ones, for variety.) Then, I cut the fusible fleece fish shapes out and fused them onto scraps of fabric. I cut those out, one side having the fusible fleece, the other not, then straight-stitched around the edge, making sure to put a magnet in. Then, I shook the magnet down into the nose of the fish and did a little curved stitching to keep the magnet in the nose. Last, I pinked the edges. To attach the magnet "hook" to the pole, I made a little cloth bag, put the magnet in there, and sewed it to the ribbon "line". I wanted to do something that wouldn't be easy to swallow, you know...just in case! I also made a drawstring bag to put all the fish in. We'll see how it goes over.

Well, those are some of the projects that have been keeping me busy. Another post coming up with more!

Strawberry Dress & 34 Weeks

2008-07-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

I made a baby dress for my cousin's wife's baby shower gift. I used a strawberry print from my stash. It looked pretty, and old-fashioned, and like something she would like. I used muslin as the bias binding and the same for the bloomers. It didn't quite match the strawberry print, but I think it looked okay anyway. I used Simplicity 3508 for the dress, but did not follow the instructions. I just did what seemed easiest. I did mess up on the armholes, but it wasn't a tragic mistake, so I just left it. I'll know better for next time! I used the Sense & Sensibility Pinafore and Pantaloons pattern for the bloomers, since I didn't care for the diaper cover included in the Simplicity pattern.This pattern is very, very easy--especially if you put it together sensibly instead of according to the included instructions. The major thing was the neckline: the instructions have you make a guide out of heavy paper, sew over it, tear off the paper, then bind it. Yes, well, I ran gathering stitches and marked the guide points on the bias binding. Very simple.

Bloomers

2008-07-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

I made bloomers for Fiona to wear on July 4th to go with a polka-dot dress I found at a thrift store several months ago. This is possibly my favorite outfit of hers right now!

Isn't she so cute?!

I used the Sense & Sensibility Pinafore and Pantaloons pattern. I love that pattern, both for the pinafore and the pantaloons. I did widen the legs, instead of using the pattern as-is (a bit tapered), because I thought it would look better with the ruffle. I used an old sheet for the fabric--it was a very nice sheet that started to get holes around the elastic that I couldn't bear to throw away. The white of the bloomers and the white of the trim might not match perfectly, but they're buttery soft! I'm very pleased with the result.

Literary Meme

2008-06-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Rebecca.

* (Oh my goodness, what is wrong with Blogger not letting me have paragraphs?)

Who is your all-time favorite author and why?

This is something I have debated within myself many, many times. I finally decided that my go-to answer would be C. S. Lewis. I've loved every book of his that I've read, I love the way he thinks and words things, and we have the same taste in many things! If you haven't read "Till We Have Faces", you must. There's a quote from that book that I love that I will try to post soon.

Who was your first favorite author and why? Do you still consider him/her to be among your favorites?

I will have to say Beatrix Potter. Need I say more? Her illustrations are amazing, her words are charming, her characters lovable...even the annoying ones! (Silly old Jemima!) When I was about 6 my mom made me a stuffed animal bunny. I named her Beatrice in honor of Beatrix Potter. I know I changed it up a bit from Beatrix to Beatrice for a reason, but I can't remember why now. (I still have Beatrice--or rather, Fiona does!) And, yes! She is most definitely still among my favorites!

Who is the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors, and why?

Charles Dickens! I have raved and raved about him on this blog a couple of times, and he is very quote-worthy. His books are classics in the very best sense of the word. I still can't get over the fact that it took me almost 25 years to read one of his books for the first time. You have no idea what fuel that gave to my fire to homeschool! When I think of the stuff I had to read in public school...

If someone asked you who your favorite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth?

C. S. Lewis, Charles Dickens, L. M. Montgomery, Jane Austen, and, for good measure, Patrick McManus (I can't read his books without crying with laughter). Besides Dickens, who is a recent addition, they've all been favorites for YEARS. They aren't going to fall of this list, that's for sure! And Dickens is most definitely here to stay!

I'm not going to tag anyone, simply because I've seen this meme on so many blogs lately that I'll probably tag someone who has already done it! Here are the rules if you want to do it:

~Link to the person that tagged you.
~Post the rules somewhere in your meme.
~Answer the questions.
~Tag six people in your post.
~Let the tagees know they’ve been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog.
~Let the tagger know your entry is posted.

Leave a comment if you do this meme, so that I can stop by and see what your favorites are!

Craftiness

2008-06-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

Here's my craftiness from the past month or so. The quality of all of these photos isn't great, but you can at least get an idea!

An apron for my mom's birthday. I made it last night. Her birthday was May 28th. Procrastinator, I? How dare you imply such a thing! It's from the Indygo Junction Bon Appetit Apron pattern. I reviewed the pattern here. I did the neck straps a bit differently this time, and like this way better. The apron is lined in a light green gingham, which I think coordinates very well--though I forgot to get a photo, so you'll have to take my word on that.

A bag to hold chalk on the chalkboard side of Fiona's easel. There's a shelf on the whiteboard/paper roll side for crayons and such, but it really needed something on this side--especially since Fiona favors the chalkboard side. I used scraps (yay!), and put some 1/2" (I think) cording in the top hem to hold it open. I don't know why, but I absolutely love this bag and the way it turned out. I used French seams, and it is quite sturdy. I think it looks really good with the green with polka dots contrasting, yet coordinating, with the pink, which has spots, and a leetle bit of the same green. Yes, I just love this silly little bag (which is fulfilling it's purpose beautifully).

An organizer for the back of the car seat. As you can see, it was desperately needed. The top comes down a bit, but it still works. Just four pockets, but four pockets that are very useful. I'm making another one for the other seat, which does have one pocket, but will be better with four (actually five, just one hidden)! Oh, and I do still need to trim the elastic down there on the right.

A cloth shopping bag based on a plastic shopping bag for my dad's wife for Mother's Day (I did give it to her that day, I just haven't posted about it until now). I used pineapple fabric because my dad and his wife LOVE Hawaii and go there often. The peppers on the inside are because my dad likes spicy food. I got the idea of modeling the bag on a plastic grocery sack from a tutorial, but I wasn't crazy about the way it turned out, so I won't bother posting a link. For the amount of work involved, I'd rather make a different type of bag. It looks more simple to make than it is.

And, last photo for today, the bag I made for my mom for Mother's Day. I planned on making it like the plastic sack tutorial, but after making the one above, scrapped that idea. I modeled this on a paper grocery sack. It turned out okay. It definitely needs some refinement! It's quite symmetrical, it just doesn't look it in the photo because the side is slouching down. Which reminds me, I should have used some sort of interfacing on this, but the lining fabric is an interesting texture, and I didn't think it would fuse well. And I was being lazy. But it really wouldn't have fused well, so it would have been a waste of time anyway. While I love the body of the handles, I forgot, yet again, to turn the raw edges under! (I did the same thing on/as the Jenny Bag handles, just a different size. I love this way of doing handles--they're so sturdy!) So, I satin-stitched over the ends. That's definitely the least-good looking part of the whole thing. The fabric is the same as the apron I made for my mom, just with the colors mixed up a bit.

I've also done two more Scrappy Log Cabin blocks. I tell you, they keep getting more and more interesting looking. When I'm done with it, it's going to be a sight to behold, I'm sure. I'll post pictures of those some other time. I need to go make Lemon Bars for my dad for Father's Day!

Another Ruby Doll

2008-06-07T00:33:00.000-07:00

I made a Ruby Doll for Fiona for Christmas. I made another one tonight for my niece's 4th birthday.They really aren't the same doll, even if their facial features, hair, and ric-rac look eerily similar. Oh, well. I really liked the face I did on Fiona's, so why mess with it? Oh, and that's a pin on her left side there: I still need to hand-sew that up. I was waiting because I Fray-Checked the living daylights out of it, and didn't want to sew on wet fabric.

I also started using my scraps for the log cabin blocks. Actually, I got to use all scraps for Addie's Ruby Doll, too. Here's the result of the log cabin attempt (with apologies for the scuzzy ironing board cover):

Okay, I admit, I have a problem following instructions word-for-word. Instead of 12 logs 1/2" wide around the 2"x2" center square, I did 8 logs that are 1" wide. I'm definitely sticking with the 8 logs. While this is quite easy, it's very time-consuming for slow-poke me. I won't tell you how long it took me to embroider that simple little face on the Ruby Doll. [At least 45 minutes.] The block is 6"x6", which is 1" wider than it would have been following the instructions. While I can't say I'm crazy about the combination of fabrics in this particular block, I do think that when it is combined with a bunch of other colorful blocks, it will look good, if somewhat busy!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I intend to enjoy myself at my niece's birthday party and my friend's baby shower on Saturday!

Scraps Galore

2008-06-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

I think I know what I should do with my abundance of fabric scraps:

Scrappy Cabin Challenge Tutorial