Rhinosaur River

My New Clutch

2011-06-25T22:53:00.006-05:00

In May, Kevin and I attended Robert Burns Night at his Masonic Lodge. This is a rather fancy affair, with the men sporting tuxedos, smoking cigars and drinking Scotch.

Fancy but also fun, as you can see.

As someone who spent 5 years as an at-home mom, swiftly followed by a return to college, where coming to class in pajamas and flip flops is the norm*, my wardrobe wasn't really going to work for this affair.

*Note: I do not wear pajamas or flip flops to class, but considering the number of people who do, I sometimes feel overdressed in jeans.

As you can see, I was able to come up with a suitable dress, but I knew that my mini-messenger purse was not going to work. So I made this:

It's Amy Butler's Stash and Dash Bag pattern. I made the large size, and, as noted in the pattern, it makes a great clutch.

It is just big enough to fit my wallet, some lipstick and my little Canon PowerShot.

I think this would also be great for someone who usually travels with a diaper bag. I often wished I had a small purse that held the essentials that I could throw in the diaper bag when traveling with my sidekicks, or grab out of the diaper bag when venturing off on my own. It's such a pain to carry a purse and a diaper bag.

This was a really easy pattern and a quick sew. It took me a couple of hours, but I am a little crazy about pressing and the girls were keeping me company while I sewed. Amy Butler is such a genius!

Hot Pack

2011-06-24T19:00:00.003-05:00

Hello!

I have made some stuff in the past 6 months, but I sure haven't taken any photos. Planning to do that now that the rain has stopped (I was all ready to make an arc, too!), but for now, here's my latest. And I will tell you what: this is the first time ever I have just whipped up something I needed, with nothing but scraps from the bin and no plan, and I was rather impressed with myself.

OK, so it's just a rice bag hot pack, but still.

See, Nora has had strep throat and a sinus infection for 2 weeks. Yes, two whole weeks. She got sick the first day of summer vacation, which was 2 weeks ago today. She went through 8 days of one antibiotic, initially improving and then getting much worse, and then got a new antibiotic. Last night, after she cried in pain for over an hour, I called my cousin/neighbor, who knows a few things about sinus infections, and she suggested a hot pack. And since Nora is a petite eight year old, I figured she needed an appropriately-sized hot pack. I think the finished size is 4 1/2 inches wide by 8 1/2 inches long. We microwave it for 90 seconds and she can hold it against her cheeks, her ears, her head, her eyes, etc. All of those things hurt right now. She loves this little thing so much that I had to promise Dana I will make her one, too, once I remember to buy more rice.

In case you can't tell, the white muslin is filled with rice, and the floral and dots flannels are a removable and washable cover with a Velcro closure. I don't know about Velcro in the microwave, so we pull off the cover before heating it up.

Nora needed a little treat last night, and of all the things in she could choose (I would have bought her anything in the entire grocery store at that point), she chose Panda black licorice. Where did this lovely creature come from? Grandpa Don loves this stuff, too.

I'll post some of my winter and spring projects soon. I promise.

Christmas Sewing and Knitting 2010

2010-12-27T22:19:00.004-06:00

This year, I kept my Christmas crafting to a minimal. And then I forgot to take photos of a bunch of things. But nobody had to open an unfinished gift, so I still consider the whole endeavor a success.

First, I made five scarves for people I love. I used the Misti Chunky Ribs and Ruffles pattern and Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca from my local yarn shop. And I managed to take photos of Dana's purple scarf and Nora's blue scarf. I did not block these though it's now clear that I should have.

Dana wore hers outside today and Nora didn't. They both came inside thoroughly saturated, and, as you can see in the photo, Dana's scarf grew. Frankly, the added length is welcome, and I plan to soak them both tomorrow and block them properly.

I have to say two things: this pattern is fantastic, and the yarn is super plush and soft. I am thinking of making just one more of these for myself. But we'll see. I just cast on for my first pair of mittens. They are for me, and I wish they were already done because I don't own mittens. I only own gloves, and they just don't do it for me when it's really cold out. My fingers need to mingle to keep warm.

I also made pajamas for my three loves. I have been sewing long enough and regularly enough that I already had all of the necessary patterns in my stash, and I had the right colors of thread, plenty of 1" elastic, and a roll of Wonder Under. And I am dorky enough that all of that made me incredibly happy.

First up: Kevin's flannel frog pajamas. My lovely neighborhood fabric store has a large selection of gorgeous flannel, but most of it is pretty girly. This was as manly as I could get.

I bought a brown tee at Target, then turned it into a pajama top. I found frog clipart online, printed it onto regular paper, traced it onto Wonder Under, fused the Wonder Under onto leftover froggy fabric, cut it out, fused it onto the tee, then stitched all around the perimeter to secure it. I have learned through trial and error that Wonder Under alone will hold fabric on for a while, but eventually it starts to peel off. The stitching looks cute and holds the decal on securely.

I totally lucked out with this gorgeous flannel. Nora's favorite color is turquoise. Dana's favorite color is purple. This fabric has both turquoise and purple, and my girls are still young enough that they get a kick out of wearing matching pajamas.

I found the long sleeved tees at Target and found flower clipart online. Same process with Wonder Under and stitching.

I added ornamental bows on the fronts of the girls' jammies. The ribbon is turquoise with chocolate brown stripes and it matches perfectly.

I also made 2 flannel kimono tops for my niece, Elsa, but I forgot to take photos of them. And we made these handy coasters as gifts for some special people, too. The girls had a lot of fun sifting through my scrap boxes, looking for fabrics that appealed to them. And then I forgot to take pictures. Oh well.

I hope you had a lovely, relaxing holiday!

French Seam Tutorial

2010-11-27T14:26:00.006-06:00

In my last post, I mentioned that I did French seams on the nighties I made for my friend Jessica's daughter Sophie.

French seams are pretty awesome. I don't have a serger, and while I do have a mock overlock stitch on my machine, it uses a ton of thread and the fabric still looks sort of messy. French seams are cool because they completely encase the raw edges inside of the seam so they are totally hidden. They can't fray and they look clean and crisp. They look deviously tricky, but they are really so very simple.

I thought I would write a little tutorial on how to do French seams, in case you are interested. Just keep in mind that I am pretty much self-taught in my sewing skills. I took a class in 10th grade, but for the most part, what I know I have learned by trial and error. This tutorial uses a finished 5/8' seam allowance, so you may have to adjust for your own project. One more thing: I have never written a tutorial before, so if you use it, please leave me a note in the comments and be brutally honest about whether it was helpful and what improvements I could make. Thank you!

FRENCH SEAM TUTORIAL

Step 1: Place the WRONG sides of your fabric together (opposite of what you would normally do). Stitch fabric together using a 1/4" seam allowance. It will seem weird, but you should be sewing on the right side of the fabric.

Step 2: Fold stitched fabric along seam line, this time with the right sides together. Press well. You want your seam nice and flat. Remember, you will be pressing the WRONG side of the fabric. Just go with it.

Step 3: Stitch on the wrong side of the fabric, stitching 3/8" from your first pressed seam. You are encasing the raw edge inside with this second seam.

That's it! This is how it will look on the wrong side:

And this is how it will look on the right side:

OK-that's how it normally looks, so this photo is not that impressive.

I hope you try French seams sometime. They are easy and quick, and kind of magical. Good luck!

Nighties for Sophie

2010-11-26T22:00:00.003-06:00

About a month ago, my friend Jessica emailed me and asked if I would be interested in sewing a nightie for her daughter, Sophie, for Christmas. She gave me a list of things Sophie likes, including dinosaurs, moons, cats, turtles and fairies. I found a bunch of options and eventually Jessica narrowed it down to two choices. Oddly, when you are sewing two of the same thing, it only takes a little longer than it would to sew one, when you would assume it would take twice as long. So I suggested that I just make two nighties, and Jessica thought that sounded like a solid plan.

I used McCall's 5969. And all I could think of the whole time I was sewing it is, why doesn't somebody make a ravelry-type website for sewing? This pattern had issues.

This is Nora, who is 8, wearing the size 7 nightie. Notice how her toes barely peek out the bottom, as the nightie goes all the way to the floor. When they first saw the finished nightie hanging up, the girls thought I had made myself a nice flannel dinosaur gown-that's how big it was. Oddly, the sleeve length is fine. I am trying to imagine the very tall child with freakishly short arms who served as the fit model for this pattern.

The casing on the sleeves was super weird, too. And the illustrations didn't exactly match the directions. I really hate that.

Here's Nora in the turtle nightie. It's a much better fit. I did French seams on both nighties wherever I could, as I do not own a serger. It worked really slick.

I shipped these off to New Hampshire on Wednesday and hope they arrive Saturday. I am really anxious to hear how they fit. I love how they turned out, with the soft flannel, the girly eyelet trim and the bows. I really hope Sophie is pleased with them.

Shirt Dress

2010-11-02T18:29:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, I spent a couple of days cleaning out our closets and delivering garbage bags of clothes and toys to friends and to the thrift store. It's shocking how much stuff I got rid of, and shocking how much stuff we still own! Where does it all come from?!

Anyhoo, Kevin went through his dress shirts and made a big pile to donate. Among them was a plain black button up that I couldn't stop thinking about. It wasn't anything special, which was the whole point: it was plain. See, I bookmarked this tutorial forever ago and have had it in the back of my mind ever since. And so, when the closets were all shiny and clean, I got out the sewing machine and scissors and went to work.

I found some lemon-lime Fairy Frost fabric in the scrap bin and thought it would be perfect for accent.

And it is perfect, as long as you have a thing for fire fighters. Which I don't. Not that I am against fire fighters or anything, but I sure don't need to dress my daughter like one.

So I went back to the scrap bin and found some pale blue Fairy Frost to add.

Much improved, but still lacking in the charm I was going for.

At this point, Dana and I took a little trip to the fabric store, where we found cute ribbon and fancy buttons.

Ta-da!

I am still not totally in love, but considering it used to be a man's shirt, it looks pretty great. I love the idea that my girls could wear dresses made from Daddy's shirts, but I think I made some weird choices on this, starting with the black shirt itself. I will probably try this project again at some point, as it was really fun. I like the idea of a nice, cozy flannel dress. Hopefully Kevin won't mind if I raid his closet again.

Elsa in Hat

2010-10-28T10:28:00.001-05:00

OK, maybe that hat I made was a little ridiculous.

I can't even look at Elsa in this picture because she is way, wayyyyyyy too cute!

Rhinosaur River etsy shop

2010-10-06T09:16:00.003-05:00

Good morning!

I spent the past couple of days doing all of the necessary things to get my etsy shop going, and it's finally open and stocked with trick or treat bags!

There are twelve trick or treat bags up, and all of them are a little bit different. I think there are around eight different fabrics used in different combinations. They are all fully lined in solid black Kona cotton, so there are no unsightly seams.

I am working on a couple of purses and will have them posted in a few days. I have a few other ideas up my sleeve, too.

Changing Table

2010-09-28T11:18:00.002-05:00

My brother and his wife are expecting their first child, a girl. She is officially two days overdue, so as I sit here waiting for the darn phone to ring announcing her arrival (in reality, my sister in law is at work and is decidedly NOT in labor), I thought I would post about her changing table.

My mother and father in-law bought this changing table for us when Nora was born. We didn't think we needed a changing table until we got this, and then we realized we NEEDED it. It has two shelves, which we used to store diapers, wipes, diaper cream, pajamas, etc. We used it through both girls, and then I lent it to a friend who had third child after giving away all of her baby gear. And then it sat in my garage.

So when I went to get it for Sam and Liz, I noticed that the pad was torn. Badly. It looked awful, and nobody would want to put a baby onto it. The pad itself wasn't torn-just the cover was. So you could see the foam beneath.

Anyhow, I looked around for a new pad and couldn't find one locally. This one came with the changing table, and it came from Toys R Us, which is no longer open in our city. And then I remembered that my favorite fabric shop carries laminated fabric, so I went shopping.

The fabric is from Amy Butler's Love line. I love that it is girly without being ridiculous. There's pink and purple and flowers, but it's modern and it doesn't scream "PRINCESS!"

I decided that the easiest way to do this thing was to rip off the old plastic cover and toss it, which I did. Then my plan was to sew the new cover together, wrong sides together, and to finish it with a coordinating bias tape.

OK, so sewing on the right sides of laminated fabric is pretty much impossible. The stuff is sticky! The feed dogs could not figure out how to get it through. So I improvised, and in the end it saved a lot of time and monkeying around. I cut 2" wide strips of regular woven fabric, also from the Love collection. I stitched the ends together so it would be long enough to go around the entire pad cover. Then I did the whole pressing thing to make it into 1/2" wide bias tape.

THEN I put the wrong sides of the laminated fabric together, and I sandwiched it into the bias tape. I stitched through all of the layers at once, so I had regular woven fabric under the presser foot and over the feed dogs. I went slowly, sandwiching the laminate correctly as I went. I went around 3 sides, then arranged the foam in the cover before closing up the last side. And then I stitched around the entire thing again because I am an overachiever.

And now that I am done, I feel like I should make a couple of absorbent pads out of Love flannel to go on top. Because you can't just change a baby on laminate because it's cold and kind of sticky, and because if there's an accident, there's nothing to absorb it-it'll just run off onto the floor or, worse, onto whoever is changing Baby. And so now that is on my to-do list, along with about 14 other things, most of which are huge and ridiculous projects (like painting the bedrooms).

I am going to go clean out my horrifyingly messy closet now in hopes that the phone call comes while I am in the middle of a disaster. I am dying to see what color Baby's hair is (in ultrasound pictures, she has a full head of hair!), what color her eyes are, and how chubby her cheeks are.

Dress to Skirt

2010-09-28T10:38:00.002-05:00

I recently went through the girls' dressers and closet, removing outgrown and weather-inappropriate clothing and things that required mending or a good stain soak.

And I came across this dress.

This is Dana's all-time favorite dress. She wore it for two summers, as often as possible, sometimes several times a week. It has been laundered about 10,000 times. The length is still OK, despite it being a 4T and her being in a 5 or 6 in everything else, so I was going to throw it in the summer bin in case it still fits her in June. And then I noticed that the stitching was coming out on the straps. So I brought it downstairs to stitch them back together, but it didn't work because the fabric on the straps was kind of rotten. There were so many tiny holes that there wasn't anything to sew together. I was trying to think of how to make new straps when it occurred to me that it's a 4T and the chances that it will be long enough next summer are slim to none. And if the straps are rotten, the rest of it can't be that far behind.

And so I converted it to a skirt.

I had Dana put it on so I could figure out how long to make it, and then, after she took it off, I carefully cut the bodice off and threw it away. I folded about an inch down along the waist to form a casing, and I stitched it down, leaving an opening for elastic. I had some 1" elastic in my stash, so I measured it around Dana's waist, cutting it 1" shorter than her waist is around. I fed it through the casing, stitched the ends together, stitched the casing closed and voila! A skirt!

I thought it needed something to spice it up a bit, but I didn't have any appropriate ribbon in my stash. I DID come across some ivory seam binding tape, so I fed it through my machine with the stitch length at 5, and then I pulled the bottom thread to gather it. I adjusted it so it would fit around the hem, and then I just sewed it along the hemline.

Dana thinks it's great! And the whole thing took less than an hour. I didn't even use pins!

Pickles and Hats

2010-08-15T23:06:00.003-05:00

I always forget how busy life gets in August. I have been busy making jam, picking and freezing quart after quart of raspberries, making pickles (over 50 quarts so far!)... Last week, Kevin's parents bought me a pressure cooker, which has me over the moon! Jerry, my father in law, picked me an entire grocery sack of green beans from his garden, and I canned 14 pints, including a bunch of hot dilly beans.

My friend Charity and I each bought half a bushel of pickling cucumbers from a local farm and spent a day making 44 quarts of dills. I have also been picking tons of cucumbers from my dad's gardens, and have so far made 9 quarts of hamburger dills and dill spears. I have a bag of 8 cukes sitting on my counter right now, meaning tomorrow I will make another batch.

Today I threw a baby shower for Liz, my sister in law, along with my sister Alyx and Liz's sister Cassie.

It's a girl!

Baby is due at the end of September, so I made her two hats:

The first one is the Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap. It's a nod to my dad and his Norwegian heritage. Plus it's so cute!

Here it is on Dana's baby, Dizzy. It will actually fit like a little pilot cap, framing New Baby's face, but Dizzy is the best model I could come up with. Since we know Baby is a girl, I did a yarn over rather than a make one because I thought the eyelets would look sweet, which they do. I also made the stripes 4 rounds tall rather than 2 rounds tall. I like the wider stripes.

Since our winters get pretty ugly, I also made a Meathead to keep her warm. It's 2 strands of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Bulky held together, so it will be really super cozy. The flower accent is just polar fleece from my stash. I sort of freehanded with my scissors, then found a suitable button in my button box.

Meathead and Cucumber

2010-07-27T17:15:00.002-05:00

I have been busy with various knitting, sewing and gardening projects this summer. I have finished 3 hats and am working on a gift for my soon-to-be-born niece.

This is a very small version of the Meathead hat that I made as a first birthday gift. I added the optional pocket and filled it with crayons. It's nice and warm for our hideous winters.

The season's first cucumber. I have picked 2 more since, with another waiting on the vine. There are 2 tomatoes that I had planned to pick today, but it's been storming since I woke up. Not worth risking my life over. I've been harvesting 6-8 pounds of raspberries every other day at my parents' house. I have made jam and frozen a bunch. I totally missed out on strawberries this year, as they were ripe very early. I heard from friends that the crop left something to be desired, so my disappointment didn't last that long. I did buy strawberries and blackberries at the grocery store for a jam-making evening.

The project that has been keeping me busy for the past few weeks: curtains for the girls' room. I have been working on them a bit here and there, on days when the weather is bad and I don't feel guilty for being inside, and they are almost done. I'll share when I am done-they are pretty cute!

Apologies for the long absence. We've had out of town visitors, daily swimming lessons, daily sailing lessons, more visitors, etc. Summer's kept us hopping!

White Chocolate Lime Ice Cream: Recipe

2010-06-12T11:04:00.004-05:00

I made ice cream.

A few nights ago, I woke up mid-dream when Dana climbed into our bed after a nightmare. I should probably not admit this on the world wide web, but I was dreaming about making lime ice cream with white chocolate.

And so I did. And it's really lovely. It's creamy and limey and sweet, and it's flecked with bright green bits of lime zest.

Both girls think it tastes like lime sherbet, and they are so right. I used white chocolate chips that I pulsed in the food processor, and I am not sure they add anything flavor-wise. In my dream, I was adding a stream of white chocolate syrup as the ice cream churned. In reality, I didn't want to completely mix in the white chocolate-I wanted bursts of it here and there. And I wasn't sure how to pull that off with syrup. Then again, it didn't really work with the chips either. Oh well. The ice cream is still pretty awesome.

White Chocolate Lime Ice Cream

1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups milk (I had 1% in the fridge)
1 1/4 cups half and half
1/2 cup lime juice (juice of 3 limes)
zest of 2 limes
1 cup white chocolate chips, roughly chopped

Mix sugar, cream, milk and half and half in a bowl. Let it sit while you deal with the limes. This will give the sugar a chance to dissolve.

Remove the zest from 2 limes and mince it very finely. You should have about 2 teaspoons of zest. Add this to the cream and sugar mixture resting in the bowl.

Half the limes and juice them (I needed 3 limes to get 1/2 cup). You may use bottled lime juice if you prefer, but since you need the zest anyway, why not use fresh? Add the lime juice to the sugar and cream mixture and stir until all of the sugar is incorporated. Pour into your ice cream machine and process according to the directions.

Once my ice cream was done churning, I transferred it to a freezer-safe container and stirred in the white chocolate chips. Then I froze it overnight.

I like the idea of pink lemonade ice cream, so I may try that next, subbing lemon juice and zest for the lime, and adding strawberry puree. Sounds refreshing and summery. Yum!

New Purse

2010-06-11T13:02:00.003-05:00

I made myself a new purse about a month ago. My old purse was beginning to fray all along the strap, and it bugged me to no end.

This is the perfect size for me, holding everything I need without allowing room to become unmanageable.

I went dark this time. I also used a cotton webbing strap.

I am not entirely sure about the solid black, but at least it won't show grime.

The pocket on the left side holds my cell phone. I sewed a snap in the middle of that pocket so my phone can't just slip out and get lost like it did with my old purse.

I also sewed a couple of mini tote bags for Sophie and Tommy, my friend Jessica's kids. But I forgot to take photos of them. Oops. I made those bags a bit wider than the other kid bags I've made, and I think that worked a lot better. I love the idea of a little tote made from fat quarters, but in practice, it's just not practical.

Sheep and Wool Hat

2010-05-02T19:06:00.003-05:00

Way back in February, I brought Nora shopping for yarn. She selected two skeins of Mirasol Tupa in her favorite colors: turquoise and pink (well, magenta in this case). I had a pattern in mind and she found it agreeable, so I went to work.

She asked about it regularly for 3 months. She was so anxious to get her hat!

Well...Nora was at a birthday party this afternoon and I sat down and finished it. When she got home, I tried to put it on her sweet blond head, and it refused. This hat was way too small! My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. The thing is, I KNOW I knit really tightly! But I did a gauge swatch and this was right on.

Nora is so sweet. She told me to give it to Dana, which I did. And Dana loves it. Loves it!

I don't know what's going on with the mouse.

The pattern is called Sheep and Wool Hat, but I cannot find it anywhere! I mean, I know I found it on Ravelry, but I can't find the blog where the pattern actually is. If you want the pattern, you can sure leave a comment and I will look harder. It's out there somewhere!

It's a great pattern with a lovely secret: it's double thickness around the ears! My whole goal was to knit a nice, cozy hat for our horrific winter weather. Nora's other hat is pretty, but it's not super warm and it sure doesn't cover her ears. She asked me to knit this hat again, only bigger, in the same colorways. And so I will. It was a simple pattern, easy to memorize, and the yarn is pretty swell to work with. So watch for another post of the exact same hat in about 3 months. That's the pace I work at nowadays.

Flannel in April

2010-04-25T22:32:00.003-05:00

Today we had planned to go geocaching, but instead it was cold and windy. And so we stayed inside to play.

I got out my sewing machine and went to work on a couple of flannel nighties for my little ladies. They picked out their own fabric a couple of weeks ago. It's been sitting, cut out, ever since.

Let's keep in mind that the girls are fresh from the tub, so their hair is wet and possibly unruly.

Nora picked out really plush flannel by Valori Wells. Actually, Dana picked out the same fabric in a different color for her last mama-made nightie. It's pretty sweet fabric.

Dana picked out baby boy flannel. I don't know what to tell you. Nora and I can't figure out what made her fall for this stuff. It's sort of thin, and the pattern screams "baby boy!" But she thinks it is fantastic, and as long as she's happy, I'm happy.

I have fabric cut for 3 more sewing projects. I have yarn for 3 more knitting projects. And 3 of my closest girlfriends are pregnant. I need to finish up my 6 projects so I can get to work on some teeny tiny things.

Una Fiesta

2010-04-18T15:41:00.004-05:00

Our friend Callie joined the Peace Corps. She's leaving for Guatemala in 9 days!

Callie hosts a Cinco de Mayo party every year (remember this post? or this one?). Since she will be gone this year (and next year, and I think the year after, too), she threw an early combo Cinco de Mayo/Adios party last night.

I sewed her a mini messenger bag as a going away present.

This the front, with the front flap closed.

And this is the front, including the strap. I used cotton webbing for the strap again. I think it will hold up better than quilting cotton.

The best side view I could get. The gusset is a dark orange background with magnolia blossoms.

The back view. There are pockets on the back (the magnolia fabric).

The front of the purse, with the flap open. There's a magnetic snap closure, and there are 2 pockets in front.

The inside. I am no photographer, that's for sure. There's an inside zipper pocket, perfect for securing small items. The pocket in my mini messenger holds lip balm and my Swiss Army card.

I made jalapeno poppers from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I did a few modifications: the bacon is Morningstar Farms, not actual pork; I used neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese and reduced fat sharp cheddar; and speaking of cheddar, I used a whole cup, not half a cup; and finally, I pressed little bits of pineapple into the filling. They were awesome, if I do say so myself. My friend Charity, who is 36 weeks pregnant, ate 5 of them. I love her so much right now! She also ate 4 pieces of cake at Dana's birthday party. She is so good for my self esteem.

Callie's pinata. She totally outdid herself. See all those mini pinatas hanging off of the branch? Those are miniatures of pinatas she has made for previous Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Is that not amazing? And this bird had actual feathers! And she stuffed it full of really clever treats, like peace sign necklaces since she's joining the Peace Corps, and balloons with globes printed on them. And chocolate.

Buena suerte, Callie!

Belated Birthday Purse

2010-04-08T17:11:00.002-05:00

Today is April 8. My sister's birthday was February 8. I have just now completed her gift. Shameful, considering I have had the fabric in my closet since November. And also considering that her birthday falls on February 8 every year.

I am really crossing my fingers that she likes it. I think the fabric is deliciously adorable. It's very narrow-wale corduroy, and the colors and prints are so sweet! I love owls and I love lollipop flowers. Hopefully my sister does, too.

I put a pocket on the outside, mainly to show off the contrast fabric. I am not sure what one would put in an exterior pocket with no fastener. Shopping list? Outgoing mail? Flask?

I also put little ties on it so she can adjust how cinched it is. And you can't really see it, but the button is shaped like a flower. It's really cute.

I put another pocket inside. I also used cotton webbing for the straps. This is the first time I have ever used pre-made purse straps. It saved a ton of time and they will wear much better than cotton fabric straps.

Since the purse is fully lined, it's reversible. So if my sister prefers the lollipop flowers to the owls, she can just turn the whole thing inside out. Fun!

I am going to run this down to her right now. Cross your fingers for me!

Peeps

2010-04-07T22:52:00.003-05:00

Now that the girls are getting older, they notice things like holiday decorations. For example, my sister is a huge fan of Halloween, and she puts up a gigantic Halloween village every year. This year, the girls asked me when we were going to put up our Halloween decorations. Except that we don't own any Halloween decorations.

So I have been working on holiday decorations. One occasion at a time.

I spent a couple of gymnastics sessions cutting bunnies out of felt.

I had thread to match each bunny already. I just had to buy ribbon.

Ta-da! It's a Peeps banner! The girls love it, and it was really easy.

I made one for Grandma Bev too. She hung hers over their patio door. Now I want to make us a second one so we can hang ours over our patio doors next year.

If you want to make one, go here to view the tutorial. Some people have the best ideas!

Central Park Hoodie

2010-03-23T22:58:00.002-05:00

Wow-I haven't posted since February 15!

Well...let me fill you in the Ravelympics: I failed. I didn't finish either of my projects. In fact, I didn't even start the hat. However, I was thisclose on the sweater. All I had left was seaming and the front band.

I finished a week late, on March 7. On the one hand, I didn't meet my deadline. On the other hand my hoodie is done! And months earlier than I thought! I was certain it would take me an entire year to knit, and it ended up taking 4 months.

Here are a few photos, with the warning that I have not blocked it. The front band is ribbed and sort of shrinks up the length of the sweater. Blocking will help that. I just need to do it. Also, I can't decide on buttons. I am still trying to find the perfect ones.

Also: photography is not a talent of mine. I tried. Sorry.

Here's the back. Some people continued the cable pattern all the way up the hood. I opted not to. I was already trying to keep track of where I was on the cabling around the front of the hood, and I was NOT on the same row on both sides of the hood. I didn't feel like I could throw in a third cable to keep track of and keep my sanity.

Here's a close-up of the cabling on the back.

The only change I made: I went up one size for the sleeves. I read time and time again that the sleeves were tight. Thank goodness for Ravelry! Mine are perfect!

The verdict:
Yarn- I absolutely love this yarn! It's Manos de Uruguay Rittenhouse.

Pattern- So easy to follow. If I ever knit it again, I will do the body in one piece, not 3. Seaming is fine, but why bother if you don't have to?

Ravelympics- Mixed feelings about this. It was helpful to have a deadline in mind to urge me to keep going. However, towards the end, it was stressing me out. I knit to de-stress, so it seemed counterproductive. I will sign up again next year, but with more realistic goals so it's challenging AND fun.

As for the hat, I am working on it. About 3 weeks ago, my right arm started to ache, and then it started to get numb. I finally went to the doctor and she took some x-rays and it looks like 2 of the vertebrae in my neck are compressed, and they're pinching a nerve. For about 2 weeks, my wrist hurt so much that I couldn't really use my fingers. Which meant knitting was out. I start PT on Monday, so hopefully this will get sorted out so I can get back to life.

Meanwhile, I have some old stuff to post in the next few days.

Ravelympics 2010

2010-02-15T11:17:00.003-06:00

I signed up to participate in the Ravelympics this year.

What, you ask, is the Ravelympics? Basically, you set a knitting goal for yourself. You cast on during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and must be completely finished by the end of the closing ceremonies. Most local yarn stores have teams. I am on my LYS's team.

I am competing in two events: eventhathalfpipe:

This will be a hat for Nora.

And eventwipdancing.

Eventwipdancing is where you complete a WIP, also known as a work in progress. I plan to complete my Central Park Hoodie.

That photo is what I have completed as of this morning. The back and the right front are done, and I have about an inch more of ribbing to do, plus the rest of the left front. And then I have the sleeves and the hood, plus the border thingy on the whole front of the sweater. I spent the opening ceremonies working on the right front and got almost all of it done then. Very gratifying.

The whole point of Ravelympics is to challenge yourself. I am not sure I can finish these projects in 17 days, but I am sure going to try! I sure would like to wear my hoodie before it gets too warm, around about July.

Another Knitting Bag

2010-02-14T11:18:00.004-06:00

I sewed another knitting bag. This one is for my mother in law, the woman who taught me how to knit.

I liked the Amy Butler home decor weight fabric so much for my own knitting bag that I chose it again for this one. Dana helped select the fabric. Notice the pink.

So you can get an idea of the size, here's Dana modeling it. Keep in mind that she is a petite 4 year-old.

A shot of the interior. I am not even sure you can see the pockets in this photo.

I am really loving my own knitting bag, so I kept this one almost identical. I think the only change I made was to the zipper panel. I figured out a way to sew the zipper in uniformly and neatly. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, maybe you can see the zipper.

I gave this to my mother in law a few days ago and she is pretty excited about it. This makes me so happy!

White Chocolate Raspberry Birthday Cake

2010-02-10T21:02:00.002-06:00

This week at Sunday dinner, we celebrated my big sister's birthday. I baked a white chocolate cake with white chocolate frosting and raspberry filling.

I wish I would have had time to throw some white chocolate curls and fresh raspberries on top. Or maybe some fresh flowers. That would have been pretty. Unfortunately, I started baking at 8:30am and didn't finish until 1pm. So let's just say it was a time consuming recipe, and I was glad to be done.

See how pretty though?

This is a very heavy cake, with very heavy frosting. It is lovely and delicious, but not for the faint of heart.

The recipe is here and I didn't make any real changes, other than adding the raspberry filling.

And now I am going to go run 18 miles to work off this cake, plus the red velvet cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-02-09T09:47:00.004-06:00

Really, doesn't the title say it all?

Well, maybe a photo or two will help illustrate the point.

Last week I bought a mini muffin tin. I had it in my head that, if I am going to insist on baking cupcakes constantly, it would be better to have minis. Because then the kids get the joy of eating two cupcakes, and I get the joy of knowing that 2 mini cupcakes are actually smaller than one regular cupcake. Don't you love that logic?

With Valentine's Day coming, I thought red velvet cupcakes were in order. The girls both adore Valentine's Day, what with the pink, the purple, the hearts, the sweets...

Nobody wanted to help bake them. They were too busy practicing cartwheels. Nora did come in to check on me at one point. Her comment? "Why are you filling those little cups with ketchup?" You see it too, don't you?

While the ketchup cakes were baking, I mixed up the cream cheese frosting. I used 1 1/2 bricks of Neufchatel. It was all I had in the fridge, I swear. But look at those flecks! Those are not poppy seeds. Those are specks of vanilla bean. I am slowly using up the vanilla I made last year.

Here's one rack of minis cooling. Yes, there's another rack cooling, too.

Dana sampled one by stuffing the entire thing into her mouth in one bite.

One rack of frosted mini cupcakes. Final cupcake count: 88. Not a typo- I ended up with eighty-eight teeny tinies. I know.

But aren't they so cute? Nora said, "Mom, the frosting is good, but the cupcakes are great!" Coming from a girl who normally licks off the frosting and throws the cake away, that was pretty awesome to hear.

New Nightie for Dana

2010-02-06T11:25:00.002-06:00

Way back in August, I went to the fabric store for a specific project. Dana was with me, and she saw this soft flannel and went nuts! I was completely taken by this reaction to fabric by my wee 4 year-old. And so we bought it up, along with fabric for my original project. I went home and prewashed it immediately. And then I folded it up, put it on top of my dresser, and got busy with other stuff. For 6 months. Ahem.

I finally had a few hours to dedicate to Dana's new nightie!

Orange and yellow are such a welcome break from purple and pink.

Though the trim has both purple and pink in it. It's a coordinating flannel that also has the yellow and orange in it.

I debated putting the trim around the sleeve cuffs, but finally decided against it.

The fabric is Valori Wells. Like I said, softest flannel ever!

I finished it up this morning and surprised Dana with it. She told me she's going to wear it all day long, plus tonight. And then we had this photo shoot. I think she enjoyed it.

Baking AND Sewing!

2010-01-15T16:23:00.003-06:00

I had plans today, but they never really came to fruition. So I took the opportunity to be extra domestic: I baked AND sewed!

You all know I bake cupcakes a lot, but some holidays get ignored. Like, did I make Christmas cupcakes? I can't even remember. But I bake Valentine cupcakes every year. Even if they're really super early, I bake them. Because, of all of the holidays, Valentine's Day is the one that really begs for gaudy, chocolaty love. And also, it's one of the rare opportunities for me to use my heart platters.

When I resigned from my job, this is exactly what I envisioned: welcoming my daughters home from school with freshly-baked treats. Nora was oh so happy to see these today!

Tomorrow we are going to a baby shower, and even though I bought something off of the gift registry, I really could not see walking in without something handmade to go with it. Because you can dress a baby in anything and she can't argue about it, and trust me-that does not last.

Yesterday, Dana and I went to the fabric store and selected this fabric. I can't even tell you how much I love it. It's the softest flannel ever, and the birdies are sublime. You can't really tell, but the trim and ties are a coordinating floral, which you can see here. They are both Valori Wells, and I had such a hard time picking which specific fabric to use as all of her flannels are adorable.

The kimono top was made from this tutorial, and I found the pattern for the bloomers in my pattern box. I don't know where it's from! Hopefully the new mama will like this set!

Insomnia

2010-01-12T20:54:00.002-06:00

For the second time in a week, I woke up way too early and, after tossing and turning for an hour, finally got out of bed and baked. I believe I mentioned that last Monday.

Yesterday: same thing. Maybe it's a new Monday thing. Anyhow, I got some raspberries and blackberries outta the freezer and made muffins. Which worked out well because I brought them and all of their buttery goodness to my PTA board meeting and only ended up bringing 2 back home.

I also baked a loaf of maple buttermilk bread and made honey butter to bring to knitting that night. But I didn't think to get a photo of that.

Any requests for next Monday?

Knitting Bag-Ta Da!

2010-01-09T11:29:00.002-06:00

I finished up my knitting bag last night!

From the outside, it looks pretty much like every other tote I've ever made. It's about 17 inches wide by 11 inches tall, with a 5 inch bottom. Did I mention before that it's Amy Butler home decor weight fabric? It is. And it's awesome because I didn't have to use any interfacing. I am not in love with interfacing.

But this time I added a zip top to keep all of my knitting stuff safe. Nobody needs to lose their scissors or darning needles, right?

The zip panels-they almost killed me. It's not that they were hard-it's that I had to make up how to do it. I am certain directions exist in abundance on the world wide web, but it seemed so easy until I got into it. And by then, it was too late. There were details I should have worked out in advance, but I didn't know about them until I got to them. So the two ends of the zipper aren't identical, but it's my bag and I sure don't care.

Here's the inside (I know-you needed me to clarify what you were looking at). I sewed pockets in so I can keep stuff organized. So the pocket you see here is for a pattern. Right now, it has a magnetic board with my Central Park Hoodie chart and pattern. I made the pocket big enough to fit 8 1/2 by 11 papers.

And on the other side, there are tool pockets. I have my cable needles, a gauge check/ruler thing, scissors, my circular needle bag, a tape measure, etc. I also sewed a few pockets to accommodate a pair of straight needles, a set of double pointed needles, and my cell phone.

I feel like I need to sew a matching tiny bag to hold things like stitch markers and darning needles. They would fit in the pockets, but it seems that, if I need one of these tools in the middle of my knitting, it would be easier to grab a little coin purse thingy than to root around in various pockets for something so small. So I will probably whip that up next.

I love how I can put extra yarn and my project in the middle and they are safe there.

I want to use this for a few weeks to see if there is anything I would change, and then I told my mother in law I would make her a knitting bag, too.

Fabric and Stuff

2010-01-04T07:47:00.002-06:00

Red and green M&Ms have been replaced with these. We pulled down all of the Christmas stuff yesterday and I went on a cleaning frenzy, much like the rest of America. Someone climbed into our bed to snuggle around 6:00 this morning and I just could not fall back asleep. So right now, there are brownies cooling on the counter and muffins in the oven. Muffins made with strawberries and raspberries I picked in the heat of the summer. I needed a little reminder that it isn't always -3 degrees and that there isn't always ice on my bathroom window.

I bought this fabric in November so I could finally make myself a knitting bag. And it has sat in a bag in my closet ever since. This weekend, I pulled it out and pressed it. Then I went on a mad hunt for my tote bag pattern. I searched in every single location I may have possible stashed it and came up empty handed. The thing is, this "pattern" I speak of is nothing more than two sheets of graph paper with drawings and measurements on them. So it is conceivable that someone (i.e. me) recycled the whole works without realizing it.

It's OK though. I made a new pattern with some changes to make the thing more knitting-friendly. I am adding pockets inside to hold things like needles, tools, and a pattern. I am also adding a zipper on top. Hopefully I can sew this up this week, since the pieces are all cut out now.

My parents returned from Huahine last night. Kevin picked them up from the airport and when he got home, he threw these onto the couch next to me. I thought, at first glance, that they were pareos for me and the girls, but it suddenly dawned on me that there was a selvage edge! Fabric! Yay fabric! I am sorry to say that this may have contributed to my insomnia this morning, as I lay awake thinking of different things to use it for: a little lap quilt! Skirts! A bag! So I guess I'll think it over for a little while longer.

Also: vanilla beans! This I am thrilled about, too, as I am nearly halfway through the vanilla from last year. And since it takes 6 months to steep, I say it couldn't have arrived at a better time!

Custom Handbag

2009-12-14T13:29:00.002-06:00

About a week and a half ago, a mom who is on PTA with me told me she heard that I sew bags (thanks, Missy!). She told me that her mom has a bag she loves, but that it's a floral print and she wishes it were solid. She asked if I might be able to recreate the bag for her. The one catch? Her mom lives out of state, so I would have to rely on a couple of photos and measurements. I thought it sounded fun.

I finished it yesterday and am dropping it off today. I am so nervous! I think it's cute, but I am not positive it is what they both envisioned. So keep your fingers crossed for me!

Here is is with the ties loosely knotted. It's pretty much rectangular.

And here it is with the ties as tight as they go. It's a more rounded appearance, as you can see. She liked this feature on her current bag.

Here's a close-up of the button and front pocket. See how the black fabric is quilted? I bought it like that-I did not actually quilt it. It's really cute! And the batting provides stability, so the bag doesn't fold in on itself.

And the inside, with some pockets. Actually, all around the bag there are pockets: a couple for pens, one for a cell phone, a few to hold papers. I didn't do an inner zipped pocket and I kind of regret it.

Like I said, I am really nervous for her to see it! It's really hard to try to recreate something for someone, especially when you can't actually touch it and see how it was made.

Meathead

2009-11-29T16:32:00.003-06:00

Sunday means family dinner in this neck of the woods. Literally, considering I pretty much live in a commune.

This Sunday we're celebrating my brother in law's birthday. His name, coincidentally, is Kevin.

Family dinner is potluck, and I made birthday cupcakes. Keenan, my nephew, told me his dad's favorite color is blue, so I went with it. Why not?

Our gift to him? A hat, of course. Meathead, to be specific.

As soon as I saw this hat, I knew I had to make it for him. He is a social worker and he enjoys entertaining his clients with his crazy hats. This one fits the bill.

The yarn is Mirasol Sulka, a blend of merino, alpaca and silk. It's incredible-so soft and warm. I am in love with every Mirasol yarn I have touched. Hope Kevin likes it, too.

Busy Times

2009-11-16T14:45:00.003-06:00

Oh, this fall. This fall has been so busy, I have hardly had a chance to breathe. It seems like there is something going on every single day, and many days, there are multiple things. Which is why I haven't posted anything in 2 weeks.

I have been working on this leaf beret for a long time-maybe two months! See how it's finished here? What you can't tell is that it is gigantic. I tried it on and it was at least 2 inches too big around. It fell into my eyes and looked so ridiculous.

And so I ripped it out. I unraveled the whole thing and wound the yarn into a ball so I could start over. And now I am almost done with take 2. And it is so much better! It fits like it should, which is lovely.

If you click on the photo, you can see it much larger. Which you should do, so you can see the leaf pattern. This was my very first time knitting from a chart! And while it was a little weird at first, I kind of love it now. It makes sense for something like this, where every round is different than the one before it. My mother in law bought me a really cool metal board and magnet set, so I can put the chart on the board and hold it in place with the magnets. There's one really long magnet to mark your spot with. So great, this set. I am not in love with the leaf pattern, but I do like knitting it and I love the yarn. So much. It's Mirasol Tupa, and it's half merino and half silk. It is so soft and it has this sheen to it. I love it.

And this is my new yarn for my new project, which I will begin as soon as the beret is done. It's Manos Del Uruguay Rittenhouse, which is a plied merino. It is incredible! So soft, so lovely, and the tag for every skein has the name of the woman who spun it written on it.

I am about to embark on the biggest knitting adventure I have had: my first sweater. Well, technically my second sweater, but my first sweater was size 6-12 months and was for Baby Dana. It took me 9 months to knit that tiny thing! This sweater is for me, and it will be significantly larger and more complicated. It's the Central Park Hoodie, and if you look at the pattern you will notice it is cabled. I am both terrified and excited to be starting this. Thank you to Tracy, who invited me and Dana over to wind my skeins into cakes on her swift. THAT was fun!

And a little bit of sewing has happened, too. Just a bit. I made Dana a skirt out of scraps. She loves it! Even though it isn't pink or purple, her two approved colors. She had no shirts to go with it, so I found a tank and a long sleeved shirt at Old Navy and spiced them up with the Amy Butler print and some Wonder Under.

Clearly she has had her photo taken before. Little ham!

Random Produce

2009-11-02T19:56:00.003-06:00

My parents have a Granny Smith tree in their yard. It is a prolific tree that produces gigantic fruit. Unfortunately, the apples are dry and sour and not useful for anything other than baking. And really, you can only bake so many apple treats at once.

So today my dad called. He was working outside and caught a glimpse of the Granny Smith tree, leafless but heavy with fruit. And he thought he would taste one. Just for the heck of it. And they are delicious! He suggested I come over and pick a bunch, not for baking but for eating.

So we put on parkas, hats, mittens and boots because it was cold out, and we trekked next door with a bag. We each tasted an apple, and WOW-my dad wasn't kidding! They are awesome! Juicy, sweet and delicious. Apparently they need to freeze 30 times or so before they are edible. So we picked a tote full, which probably weighs 20 pounds.

And then we picked some carrots. Check out the size of this one! That is MY hand, not a child's hand. Just ignore the Littlest Pet Shop bandage. I had a run-in with a paring knife while prepping the carrots.

And at dinner tonight, we finished off the first jar of pickles. Remember back in August when I made pickles? They are finally done and are amazing. What a relief!

So remember way back in January, when I made vanilla out of beans my parents brought back from Huahine? I've been using it for a couple of months now and it is so very nice. I split this into 5 smaller bottles for easier use, and I have already finished one of them. There's a teeny bit left in this bottle, as you can see. But do you see that brown stuff all over the bottle? That's the vanilla caviar. It is lovely stuff.

I am finishing up a small knitting project, and hopefully I can post that tomorrow. Things have been crazy busy around here for the last 2 months. I am thrilled that things may slow down. Even with the holidays approaching, it can't be as nuts as September and October were.

Whatever it is I think I see...

2009-10-25T13:16:00.002-05:00

My sister has a big costume Halloween party every year.

She is crazy about Halloween-she has a Halloween village and everything. There's a trophy for the best costume, and votes are drawn out of a plastic pumpkin. Serious stuff, folks.

The past couple of weeks have been incredibly busy around here, and I didn't have a chance to even think about what my costume would be. I know we had a whole year to come up with something, but it seemed so far away, and there was so much else to do.

So yesterday afternoon, we met Grandma Bev and Great Grandma Gloria near the mall so that they could take the girls for the night while we went to the party. Kevin had a costume figured out (Jack Bauer , complete with CTU badge-so funny!) but I had nothing. I ran into the fabric store with a half-cooked idea (someone on a blog I read made a costume like this for her dog) and came out $13.08 poorer with a bag full of felt.

We got home at 4:30pm and by 7:00, I had this:

I was in a hurry, so I used Thermoweb to make iron-on letters, which worked pretty slick. Last year I was a crayon, also made of felt, and I had the bright idea to use Velcro all up the back. That was a mistake. This year I sewed in a 22-inch zipper, which was simple and much more effective.

Despite the fact that there is absolutely no shaping and I look like I am wearing a potato sack, I am pretty happy with how this came out. I will probably wear it trick or treating with the kids. And it's gigantic enough to fit a nice, thick sweater underneath.

I didn't win the contest, but I don't have room for some lame-o trophy anyway. :)

Lavagirl

2009-10-21T17:33:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted in a while because I haven't really finished anything lately. I am in progress with Nora's Halloween costume, three trick-or-treat bags, a hat (my first attempt at knitting from a chart), harvesting and freezing carrots, and various PTA duties.

The only thing I have finished lately is this:

And right now you're all scratching your heads, trying to figure out what the heck. Well, I will tell you what the heck. Dana wanted to be Lavagirl for Halloween! Her favorite movie is The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lavagirl. It's a Disney film, a few years old, and I could not find a ready-made costume. In fact, I couldn't even find a real photo to go off of. Everything I could find was much like this, which is so not helpful. But I found a superhero costume pattern and did some heavy improvising, mostly using liquid lame. Gorgeous!

I have since added a few details, but I don't have photos yet. I just added some fancy buttons on the belt and gauntlets that are supposed to look like control knobs and such. Dana loves her costume, and I have learned a valuable lesson: lycra isn't very fun to sew. It's slippery and hard to cut. And while the stretchiness came in handy a couple of times, it mostly was annoying. Yet it was still fun to sew the costume because the girls were both so excited about it.

Nora is going as Dorothy, and the pieces are all cut out. I started sewing early this morning but didn't get very far. Maybe tonight. We'll see.

Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

2009-10-04T11:17:00.004-05:00

Miss Josephine turns 3 tomorrow, and her birthday party was on Saturday.
She told her mama, Charity, that she wanted a Scooby Doo party, and I, of course, had a cake pan for that!

The cupcakes are supposed to look like Scooby and his spots.

Dana adores Scooby and wanted her photo taken with this cake.

I've used this pan to make cakes for Zak, Keenan, Nora, Dana and Josie. Everyone sure loves Scooby Doo!

Salsa

2009-09-25T11:53:00.003-05:00

My little brother, Sam, asked for salsa. I had a bunch of tomatoes left after making all of the spaghetti sauce, so I harassed my knitting group for recipes and then grabbed onions, limes, cilantro and jalapenos at the grocery store and went to work.

I used a recipe for fresh salsa from my friend Jill. She advised against canning it. Which is cool, because my friend Heidi provided 2 recipes that are great canned. I think that will be our weekend project.

Onions, garlic, cilantro and jalapenos. Can you smell it? Almost, right?

It made about 3 pints. I kept one and delivered the other 2 to Sam and Liz's refrigerator, being extra careful to go in the back door to avoid Diogi, who, in his skunk-sprayed state, was locked in the front porch.

I think this salsa is fantastic. In fact, I think I will go have some right now!

Tomato Sauce

2009-09-22T18:51:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Dana and I picked these from my mom and dad's house:

So just to clarify, we picked 2 gallons of cherry tomatoes and a big basket of regular tomatoes. Plus, on top of these lovelies, Kevin's mom gave us a gallon of tomatoes.

And so, since Nora and Dana ask for spaghetti every single night for dinner, I thought it would be smart to can a whole bunch of sauce. (Let me clarify that I do not actually serve spaghetti every single night.)

I halved the cherry tomatoes and sliced the regular tomatoes into thick pieces, chunked up some onions (some from our garden and some from the grocery store), cut the tops off of several cloves of garlic, drizzled it all in olive oil, sprinkled it with salt and pepper, and roasted it for half an hour in a hot oven.

Doesn't it look gorgeous, all browned and juicy?

I carefully transferred the roasted items into the food processor, along with fresh basil (some from my garden and some from the grocery store) and whirled it up.

I did this many times.

I ended up with 16 pints of spaghetti sauce!

I know that some of you can't understand why I made pints instead of quarts. The thing is, a pint of spaghetti sauce is exactly the right amount for two adults and two little girls. Nothing ends up in the garbage, and nothing ends up getting moldy in the back of the refrigerator.

Tomorrow there will be at least 2 more gallons of ripe cherry tomatoes. My little brother has requested salsa with lots of cilantro. I have never made salsa before, much less canned it. I may have to do some research here. Anyone have a good recipe?

Fall Fest

2009-09-22T18:29:00.002-05:00

Fall Fest was on Saturday, and it went pretty well!

I sold eleven bags! Now, that may not seem like that many, but it became pretty obvious that this was the wrong venue for selling bags. People were buying apples, pumpkins, corn, jam, pickles, flowers. Bags? Not high on the list.

My friend Charity was awesome! She procured a table from her mother in law, drove us out to Chester Bowl, helped set up, and sat with me under the blazing sun all. day. long. Then she helped me load everything up, drove me back to her house and made me a nice, cold drink. I love her so!

I learned some very good lessons. For example, don't start sewing 3 weeks before the festival. Bring a tent. Wear sunglasses and sunscreen. Bring lots of water and a cooler.

I fell asleep around 6:30pm on Saturday and didn't wake up until 8:00 Sunday morning. And I had a great time cleaning up my gigantic sewing mess from the kitchen table on Sunday.

Don't get me wrong: I love to sew. I never got sick of sewing. I just wish I would have had more time so I could have enjoyed it more. Because rushing through it sort of sucked all of the joy out towards the end.

Next year it will be so much easier!

Tote Mania

2009-09-13T11:38:00.002-05:00

My love took the girls out on the town yesterday so I could sew. I finished six bags, and I am up to 12 done now! Not bad for less than 2 weeks.

I started with these two Amy Butler prints.

The girls have been really into playing with Duplo blocks lately, and the other night Kevin pointed out that Nora had a little block assembly line going. So I took a cue from her and sewed these two bags simultaneously. And you know what? It didn't take twice as long to sew two bags.

Then I moved on to this, as I have been imagining how lovely it would be since I sewed its mirror image last week. And I love it. I am tempted to keep it for myself.

Then I sewed the other one of these.

On Thursday night, my friends came over to help cut out fabric. I sewed four of the eleven totes they cut out, starting with these funny doggie totes. Dana selected this fabric. You might have to click the photo to see it larger.

I love how these bright totes turned out. So cheerful!

Here's the mirror of the Eiffel Tower tote. I think I like this one better, with the towers as the accent.

Finally, the other turquoise tote.

I have fabric for four more cotton totes and three canvas totes cut out, thanks to my friends. I hope I can finish them all by Friday night!

Bold Tote

2009-09-06T18:21:00.002-05:00

Final tote for the weekend. I am officially out of interfacing.

More Michael Miller fabric. The blue stuff is called Pod Vine. I can't figure out the name of the floral.

Inside view. I used a black zipper.

Yep, another one.

2009-09-05T19:48:00.002-05:00

I made another one this afternoon.

The fabric is Michael Miller, Lava Flowers and Lava Leaves.

I swear-I love each tote more than the last. And I am getting faster at sewing them, too. Which is nice. Because I have many more to make.

I have another one in the works for tonight, and then I am taking tomorrow off. Mostly because I bought all of the interfacing they had in the weight I needed at the chain fabric store, and my favorite neighborhood shop is closed until Monday. At least, I hope she's open on Monday, what with the holiday and all.

Some Progress

2009-09-04T14:39:00.003-05:00

I spent two after-bedtime evenings cutting up fabric. I cut ten yards to make ten totes. I intended to then interface all of the pieces, then move immediately on to installing the zippers on all of the inside pockets. However, at some point, it got sort of boring. So I stopped cutting interfacing when I had enough for 4 bags, and have moved onto actually sewing. I have finished two more kid totes and two more adult totes, with a third planned for tonight.

This spider fabric is pretty cute, but was sort of hard to work with. My rotary cutter did not enjoy it. I am not sure why. My girls really want these for Halloween.

Is this cute? I can't decide. I have been oohing and aahing over the Eiffel Tower fabric for months. See, when Nora was 3, we asked where she would like to go on vacation, and she told us she wants to see the Eiffel Tower. What kind of 3 year-old wants to go to Paris? I love that she thinks big, and we promised to take her there when the girls are a bit older.

Nora thinks this bag is lovely, so if nobody buys it, she has dibs on it.

Here's the inside. I used a red zipper and I think it came out pretty nice. I am not afraid of zippers.

I really love this fabric combo. It's from Laura Gunn. I can hardly wait to make the mirror image tote. The green fabric is gorgeous, with little birds in cages. It's a bigger print, so it doesn't show its true beauty as the contrast fabric, but I think it's going to be amazing as the main fabric.

Here's the inside. You can see the print a bit better. I used a green zipper, but it looks sort of gray in this photo. Weird.

Anyhow, I promised the girls ice cream, but I have to vacuum out my car first (don't ask). More sewing tonight, and more photos when I have a few more finished. Feedback would be much appreciated.

What have I gotten myself into?

2009-08-31T12:15:00.001-05:00

My friends talked me into getting a table at Chester Bowl Fall Fest.

I tried to tell them all of the reasons I couldn't sell bags. I told them it takes too long to cut out all of the fabric. They organized a fabric cutting party so they can help me. I told them I don't want to stand there all alone all day, hawking tote bags. They offered to help me man my table. I told them I don't even have a table. They said they do, and I can use them. Then they talked about putting 3 tables in a u-shape, and covering them with pretty fabric, and then with my bags. My friend Charity works at Maurices Corporate and even asked people in her office what they would look for in a tote bag or purse.

And so, I went to the Chester Bowl office and bought the very last table. Then I bought some graph paper, looked through some catalogs to figure out the perfect tote bag size, and set to work making a pattern.

And here is my prototype. I found a couple of pattern issues, but they're easy to correct and I think that pattern #2 will be perfect.

This is the inside. See the zippered pocket? I wanted to add more pockets, but friends, I have to sew at least 20 of these by September 19. I have to keep it simple.

And this is tote #2. Same pattern. I made the pattern so that I take 1 yard each of two different fabrics and make mirror image totes. Does that make sense? So one bag takes one yard of fabric.

These two yards are Amy Butler. I always look at these two fabrics and swoon. I am really excited to make a bunch of bags in combinations I have been imagining. I have so many swimming around in my head right now!

I am going to make a bunch of these kid totes, too. They are perfect for a coloring book and a box of crayons, or a few books, or some guys, or a water bottle and some snacks. The possibilties are endless. I am making some in Halloween prints so they can go out trick or treating.

I am kind of scared about this whole thing. I will have to sew a bag every day from now until Fall Fest in order to have 20 totes for adults. Plus I have to squeeze some kid totes in there, too. Good luck to me!

If you're at Fall Fest, come and visit. I'll be looking for you!

Pickles!

2009-08-21T22:10:00.002-05:00

Oh, how I had been dreaming of making pickles!

Nora and I got up really early on Saturday and went to the farmer's market in search of pickling cucumbers. I bought 2 pounds, but we ate those all up that same day! Crunch, crunch!

And so on Wednesday, I got up really early and went back, hoping to buy many more. Except that there were none. Fortunately, one of the farmers told me she was planning to harvest on Thursday. So I gave her my phone number.

Today, she called! It totally made my day. I have had a bottle of vinegar and a box of pickling salt sitting on my kitchen counter for over a week.

So this afternoon, we ventured out to the farm to pick up 1/4 bushel of pickling cucumbers. Luckily, the farm was not far from our house.

When we got home, we scrubbed the kitchen sink and then filled it with teeny tiny cucumbers and cold water.

Nora helped me scrub the little buggers with a vegetable brush (she scrubbed one and then asked if she could eat it). Then I cut off all of the blossom ends because I read somewhere that they contain an enzyme that makes pickles get mushy. Which sounds pretty gruesome.

Then, we put 10 pounds of ice into our camping cooler, put the clean cucumbers on top, and poured in some water. The cucumbers swam around in this icy bath for several hours while we walked next door to pick grape leaves, dill and raspberries.

Don't they look so eager to help me? Actually, they did an amazing job. We set up an assembly line, with a bowl each of peeled garlic, grape leaves and dill heads. Each girl put these into five jars, for a total of ten jars, and then filled them up with icy cold cucumbers. (FYI I also read in several places that grape leaves ensure crunchy, crispy pickles.)

While the girls played with Polly Pockets, I boiled the brine and ladeled it into the jars, then put on lids and did a 5-minute process. I also had to call my mom in to rescue me when I ran out of brine and had no more vinegar. She brought a bottle over even though she was busy with other things.

You're supposed to wait 8 weeks to try them, but I am not sure I will make it that long. I really want to go try one now, even though they are still warm, and warm pickles don't sound that great. I'll let you know how long I can contain myself and how they taste.

I am already dreaming of pickle spears and hamburger chips. Though that might have to wait until next year.

Lots of Baking

2009-08-12T20:04:00.003-05:00

I am so thrilled that my freezer is full of strawberries and raspberries! My kids love frozen berries and I love smoothies, plus I love baking. Clearly.

So my parents have a little raspberry patch that is absolutely bursting right now. Every other day, we go out and pick big bowls of berries. So it only made sense to make a raspberry dessert for Sunday dinner.

I chose this gorgeous raspberry white chocolate cheesecake with homemade raspberry syrup. It was incredible! Except that it only used 2 cups of raspberries and hardly made a dent in the harvest.

On Monday morning, my mom showed up at my house with 2 dozen canning jars, including a dozen jam jars. And so I planned to make raspberry jam in proper sized jars.

This morning, though, Dana begged to make a raspberry pie. She even got out a big sheet of paper and "wrote" out a recipe for raspberry pie and then set to work getting the ingredients together. She filled a bowl with hot water, mixed in 2 cheddar bunnies, and started heading for the sugar. Adorable as it was, I couldn't allow her to proceed. I know of no pie that calls for a gallon of water.

But I did know a recipe that called for no water and four cups of raspberries. Dana did most of the mixing. She is becoming quite skilled at mixing, and didn't even mash up the berries.

Now, I must have rolled my crust a bit thin, because I had a big ball of dough left over after making this pie. So after I got it in the oven, I rolled out the leftovers and lined my mini pie plate. Then I went rummaging in the fridge and found some blueberries.

And, since I only had enough dough for a single mini-crust, I made a crumb topping.

Tonight, after dinner, I sliced the pies and passed dessert plates out. I set Dana's down on the table and she gave me a very concerned look. I was truly expecting joy, as I had spent the hottest day of the year baking this at her request. Instead, she said, "I don't know if I like this. I wanted to make it for everyone else." Which made me simultaneously annoyed and very happy. Because I myself don't really love pie, but my two blonds adore it, and it makes me happy to bake their favorite desserts. I know exactly where she's coming from, this wee one.

Anyhow, I have enough berries to make a batch of jam, hopefully tomorrow.

Sour Cherry Slab Pie

2009-08-03T19:28:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I realized that my parents' sour cherry tree was full of ripe fruit. I am almost positive they love growing fruit for me to steal, so I did just that. I got out the step ladder and picked every single cherry I could reach. My dad wouldn't let me get all dangerous and dumb and made sure I didn't stand on the second to highest step, which was clearly labeled "Do NOT stand on or above this step!" Is it sad or funny that my dad still had to keep an eye on me while I picked cherries? Anyhow, there are still cherries on the top of the tree, but only birds and people over 5' 3" can reach them.

I think they look quite cheerful in my colander. Little do they know they are about to be turned into a sour cherry slab pie...

OK, I know this doesn't look like much straight from the oven. I mean, anything could be inside. But trust me: it gets better.

See? Tell me that doesn't look like a little bit of heaven!

I used the Smitten Kitchen all-butter pie crust recipe, which is unbelievable. And the tart filling pairs so perfectly with a sweet-tart glaze of confectioner's sugar and lemon juice. Oh, man! I think I ate three slices of this stuff today.

I love this concept of a slab pie. I am looking forward to trying other fillings now that pie crust doesn't scare the heck out of me. Goodbye, waistline!

Raspberry Jam

2009-08-02T09:47:00.002-05:00

Last week, Kevin's parents picked us 30 pints of raspberries from his Aunt Linda's farm. I cannot begin to tell you how excited we all were about this! We love raspberries in this house. In fact, Nora sat down and ate an entire pint herself immediately.

I know you only counted 29 pints. Remember what I just told you about Nora?

We ate many, many fresh raspberries, but 30 pints is a whole lotta berries. I froze about 2 billion berries for future use, and then I made jam.

I have to tell you that the recipes out there on the world wide web are sort of scary. They include ratios like 4 cups of berries to 6 cups of sugar. Why not just eat candy? I finally found a recipe that called for 4 cups of crushed berries to 3 cups of sugar.

See my "new" canner? My friend Tracy told me someone was offering a hot water canner on Freecycle, so I emailed the offerer and somehow managed to snag this for free! I have been dreaming of jam, pickles, canned peaches and green beans ever since.

Two cups of mashed raspberries. I enjoy mashing berries with my potato masher. Why is it so fun to squish them up?

I obviously used a cooked jam recipe. Basically, I heated up 4 cups of mashed raspberries over medium heat. When it was hot, I added the 3 cups of sugar. Once it came to a boil, I stirred and stirred for about 15 minutes, and then I poured it into the hot jars for processing. Pretty easy!

I thought I had jelly jars, but it turned out I had pint jars. I ended up with 6 pints of jam, which should last us a while!

And take a look at the Raspberry Incident of '09. It's good for a laugh.

For my Mama

2009-07-24T20:37:00.003-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday. Happy birthday, Mom!

Have you met my mom? If so, you are well aware that neutral is not her thing. She loves color, she loves patterns, and she loves things that are vibrant.

She has a skirt that she wears a lot. It is very colorful. It has many tiers. Did I mention she wears it a lot? Well, I decided it needs a break, and the best way to make that happen is to throw something else into the rotation. Like a similar skirt. Similar but better. And so I made her one.

You're going to have to click on that photo to see it larger. That way you can see the variety of vibrant prints up close, and you can see the fancy schmancy trim better.

Oh, how I love that bird fabric! I just think it is adorable. I hope she loves it, too, because it is the main panel.

So this skirt: wow, was there a lot of cutting and measuring! And gathering! Oh, the gathering. However, it was all very easy to do. It was time consuming, but the monotony of gathering is very relaxing, and I enjoyed it. Plus, it was really fun to see the skirt come together as each new tier was added. The edges of the trim are raw and will fray up in the wash, which will be even cuter.

The only downfall of this skirt is its weight. It may not look like it, but there is a lot of fabric here. Like 4 yards of fabric. But let's be realistic here: It's Minnesota. I was happy for my wool socks last night. The weight is probably not such a downfall.

My mom opened this gift a couple of hours ago and immediately asked me to make a matching top. Not tiered, of course. Just a simple tank out of one fabric. She hasn't decided which fabric yet. Don't worry, though-I will post photos when it happens.

And a Tote

2009-07-23T08:50:00.002-05:00

Are you sick of totes yet? Yeah, I didn't think so.

I made this for Taylor, who will turn 6 next week. I am pretty sure she doesn't read my blog so I feel safe posting it. I just have to get a couple of books to stash inside. I am thinking Junie B. Jones. I know she's kind of bratty, but the chapters are so short that early readers can go it alone if they want. And Taylor is quite the reader!

I originally bought one yard of the pink Fairy Frost fabric. I have made three totes with it and now have about a quarter of a yard left. My scrap bin is getting really big! I need to come up with some projects that use scraps only.

Happy Thursday!

Pain au Chocolat

2009-07-22T09:36:00.006-05:00

My sister had a Bastille Day party on Saturday, and we were supposed to bring a French food to share. I was going to take the easy way out and bring a baguette, but then I had the great idea to make croissants. So off to the World Wide Web I went!

And I now present to you: Pain au chocolat!

These were so delicious, and so easy. I SWEAR.

You will need:

1 package of frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 jar of Nutella
Seedless raspberry preserves
powdered sugar

Unfold your thawed puff pastry and cut into thirds along the fold lines.

Roll each third out to about 16" long on a floured surface. Then cut it into thirds again. (There are 2 puff pastry sheets in each package. You will cut each sheet into thirds, for a total of 6 strips. You will cut each strip into thirds, for a grand total of 18 mini strips. I worked with one strip at a time, making three complete Pain au Chocolat at a time.)

At this point, I put my Nutella into a pastry bag, the very same bags I use for decorating cakes and cupcakes. If you don't have one of these, you can put yours into a plastic zipper bag and snip of one end.

Then I squeezed three lines of Nutella onto each mini strip. Mmmmmm...Nutella...

Next, spoon a bit of raspberry preserves onto each mini strip. I used about a teaspoon. Use more or less to suit your taste. You can even omit it all together, or use a different jam. Whatever makes you happy.

Then, gently cut 3-5 vent holes on the raspberry side. Fold the raspberry half over the chocolate half and seal the edges. You can use wet fingers to do this, or you can use egg. I just used my fingers. Make sure they are sealed well or they will explode open in the oven. They are still delicious, but not as pretty. In fact, they look sort of like hot dog buns when they explode open.

Put some baking parchment onto a baking sheet, and put the pastries on top. Leave a couple of inches between them. I have jelly roll pans (really big cookie sheets with edges) and I could only fit 7 pastries on at a time.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.

Once they are cool, dust them with powdered sugar. Voila! A beautiful and delicious dessert or coffee accompaniment. I think my dad called them "scrumpy." Nobody could believe I made them.

Now you go make them. They are so easy and so worth the small amount of prep work.

I have many varieties floating around in my head. Like, how about pie filling? Or apricot and white chocolate? Oh, the possibilities!

Socks: Ta-da!

2009-07-21T12:06:00.003-05:00

I finished my second pair of socks yesterday! And it's even more exciting because I made this pair for myself. Meaning I get to enjoy them for many moons.

It's not that easy to take a photo of your own feet, but I did it anyway. I really love how this yarn makes its own stripes. I didn't know it was going to do this. I know, I know-self-striping yarn isn't a brand new phenomenon. I just didn't realize this yarn was self-striping until I got into the pattern a bit. I am very pleased.

I just added these photos to Ravelry and realized that I started them on April 20 and I finished them on July 20. Isn't that fun?

Now I understand why Smart Wool socks are so expensive: All that soft, wool yarn and all that time! Then again, it isn't the same to just buy socks and put them on. I like to believe I will love these more because I have three months of my life invested in them.

My mom was teasing me about finishing up wool socks in July. Sadly, it's about 60 degrees and rainy today, and wool socks really are a good idea.

I have a recipe to post later, when I have more time. Also, a sewing project is winding down. I have been busy inside during this cold spell!

I Have Succeeded at Pie Crust

2009-07-15T17:00:00.003-05:00

I have the most exciting news: I have cracked the code of pie crust.

Wait-you don't think this is exciting?

Let me elaborate. My Kevin, love of my life, best friend, partner in crime-he doesn't really care for baked goods. He likes chocolate chip cookies and he likes pie. That's about it. You can imagine my pain, as baking is my number one hobby, even before sewing and knitting.

Now, I can make chocolate chip cookies in my sleep. I have the recipe memorized to the point that I don't even think about it-I just grab the measuring cup and dump everything into a bowl with no thought. This bores me.

And pie? Oh, pie. Our relationship has been tumultuous. See, I have worked for years to figure out pie crust. Every time I attempt pie, I end up swearing, crying and stomping my feet. It is not pretty. And it is rarely worth it to the lovely people who have to live with me. Plus, I don't even really like pie. There, I said it. I love the idea of pie. I love making the filling. I love picking various fruits, I love the smell, and I love how a cooling pie looks on the counter. But I detest making crust.

Every time I would attempt crust, it would fall into a billion pieces when I tried to pick it up to put it in the pie plate. I know pie crust is supposed to be flaky, but really? Aren't you supposed to bake it first and enjoy the flakiness second?

Anyhow, today I cracked the code.

My mother in law picked some rhubarb for me out of her garden, and I wanted to make Kevin his beloved raspberry rhubarb pie. So I got out Bev's crust recipe and my ingredients and went to work.

The pie crust code is actually a two-part secret.

Part one: use a pastry blender to blend the flour, salt and shortening together. When it looks like crumbs, sprinkle in the ice water and continue to blend it with the pastry blender. Don't get all fancy and try to use your KitchenAide stand mixer and dough hook. Don't get all fancy and try to use your food processor with the dough blade. Just DON'T. It is not worth the emotional pain. I know it seems easier, but it is actually a recipe for disaster.

Part two: Roll it out on your ceramic stovetop. For real. My brother in law always rolls dough out on his ceramic stovetop and I have always raised an eyebrow at it. Today, I thought I should give it a try. I mean, it works well for him, so why not? Lo and behold, I rolled out the bottom crust for the raspbery rhubarb pie, folded it into quarters, picked it up, and placed it into the pie plate in one piece. With not a single problem. Ditto for the top crust. Folks, I was so excited about this that I set to work making an apple pie for Nora with the exact same results.

It was painless. It was, I dare say, enjoyable. And now my house smells amazing and my husband and my firstborn each have their most favorite treats.

Bev's Crust Recipe

3/4 cup shortening
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4-5 tablespoons ICE WATER

Mix salt and flour in a large bowl. Add shortening and, like I said, mix with a pastry blender until crumbly.

Sprinkle on ice water. I add 4 tablespoons, mix with pastry blender, and add more, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it is the right consistency.

Divide in half. Roll half out on top of floured surface (ceramic stovetop, yeah?). Put in pie plate. Fill. Repeat with top crust. Bake as directed.

Scarf+Ice Cream=Climate Confusion

2009-07-14T18:51:00.002-05:00

Did I mention that I finished my scarf on Sunday? I did! I have just been busy blocking it, so I couldn't post a photo until now.

I do not have great photography skills, so it was hard for me to capture the zigzag kind of pattern and the wavy edges. Especially because it has been raining all day, and there weren't any clear surfaces in my house except for this small piece of kitchen floor. The girls were in fort-building mode.

Hopefully, better photos of me exist somewhere. If you click to enlarge, I am pretty sure you will see strawberry splattered on my face and soup on my shirt. Nice accessorizing, right?

Really, though, I am very happy with this scarf. It is so soft and squishy, and it is about the perfect shade of green. And I do enjoy the wavy edges and the lacy holes, even though they made the actual knitting sort of a headache.

And here is why there is strawberry splattered on my face: I made delicious strawberry ice cream today! It involved the blender, freshly picked strawberries, and much dairy. Maybe some sugar, too. The girls enjoyed watching it swirl around and become ice cream.

Doesn't it look yummy? And pretty, too?

I threw the ice cream canister back into the freezer because I remembered how much I love homemade ice cream. Nora asked if we can make sherbet next, so I am on the hunt for a recipe. She wants lime. Any ideas?

Strawberry Season

2009-07-13T21:12:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again!

On Saturday afternoon, we took a girls-only trip to Finke's. Grandma Bev drove, and between the four of us, we picked five gallons of berries.

We brought home three gallons, and I hulled and froze half of them for future use. Don't they look luscious?

I used a few to make a dessert for Sunday dinner. The crust is made out of crushed pretzels, sugar and butter. Mmmmmmm....

Tonight, I made a very small batch of strawberry jam while Kevin took the girls down to the lake to throw rocks in. I did a cooked jam and ended up with four half-pints. This was my first attempt at canning by myself, and I am happy to say that all four of my jars sealed! Which is extra exciting, since I don't even have a canner. I had to use a big stock pot.

I have the ice cream canister in the freezer and we are going to make strawberry ice cream in the morning. And that will be pretty much it for our berries. Because we just ate about a billion fresh, too.

I can't wait to go back and pick some more!

Summer Shimmer Scarf

2009-07-10T12:00:00.002-05:00

Well, it's summer, so I can usually be found in Mom and Dad's gazebo, either reading or knitting, while the kids swim. I just finished reading this. It was entertaining, in a sitcom kind of way. I enjoy those characters, but the storyline? Eh. But you know what? It's summer. It's a good time for sitcom reading.

And besides, I am back to knitting already. I am about halfway through the Summer Shimmer Scarf, which I am making for Finny and Donk's Craft: Along.

I started this at Knit Night on Monday and I have to say-it was a rough beginning. Now, I am not sure if it had anything to do with the fact that I was busy talking and eating while knitting, or with the presence of Heidi and her newborn son Wil, who is too cute not to stare at, but I had to rip this thing out THREE TIMES before I could get it right. I kept losing two stitches somewhere. And by the time I figured it out each time, it was not worth trying to un-knit. I just frogged it. The third time I counted and came up with 18 stitches instead of 20, I had to close my eyes and s-l-o-w-l-y count to ten. But it is all OK now. I have had 20 stitches for a long time and am halfway done.

The yarn I chose is a bamboo and silk blend and it is so incredibly soft! Clearly this will require some blocking when I am finished. Oh, and please disregard the cigarette box. Please! I reached that point in my yarn cake where everything fell apart. My dad looked over at me and said, "How do you knit when your yarn is in a big snarl like that?"

SO...I began The Great Untangling of '09. Except that this yarn is slippery. VERY slippery. So while I was trying to wind the untangled portion into a nice ball, it kept slipping off and tangling back up. I convinced my dad that it wouldn't be such a big deal if he just took his cigarettes outta the pack so I could use it for my yarn. He's a helpful guy, and pretty reasonable, so he complied with my wishes.

If this heat keeps up, I should be done with the scarf by the end of the weekend.

Independence Cakes

2009-07-04T11:34:00.001-05:00

Happy Independence Day!

Last night, I dreamed that I made cupcakes and arranged them to look like the American flag. Not too hard to make that dream come true! Though I wish I had some fancy cake decors or something to spice them up a bit.

Do you have big plans for the Fourth? My sister is watching the girls while Kevin and I attend my friend's wedding. I am so very excited to see the group of girls I spent every moment with in high school. I haven't seen most of them in years. After the wedding, we're grilling with my sister and her family and then walking down to the lake to watch the fireworks.

I had just a tiny bit of batter left after making 2 dozen cupcakes, so I poured it into two silicon heart cupcake molds that were a gift from my aunt a few years ago. The teeny tiny heart platter might look familiar. I have a larger version of it, too, and they were wedding gifts.

Two happy cupcakes. They were so busy playing dress-up that they didn't even realize I was baking.

I hope you enjoy the festivities today!

Charity's Mini Messenger

2009-07-01T09:48:00.003-05:00

My friend Charity liked my mini messenger bag so much that she wanted one for herself! We walked up to the fabric store last week and she selected her fabrics. She fell for the apple fabric and went from there!

There is a double pocket on the front, under the apple flap. You can see where it starts because the stripes aren't the same. I just couldn't line up stripes of different widths. I tried!

There's another double pocket on the back. That would be the lollipop flower fabric.

The inside. I did a MUCH better job on this inside pocket than I did on my own. In fact, the whole bag was way easier. I think the hardest part of making bags is cutting out the pieces. I am really bad at using the rotary cutter and mat. I do better when I have a pattern piece to pin to the fabric, i.e. something to cut around. Measuring and cutting is not my cup of tea!

I plan to bring this to Charity this evening. I hope she loves it!

...and one more...

2009-06-28T21:43:00.000-05:00

Here's one last tote. For now, anyway.

Today we went to our friend Emma's seventh birthday party, and this was her gift. Her favorite color is, of course, pink. I love the main body fabric-I have ogled it many times but never had the right project for it. I think this worked!

You can probably tell that I love to sew these totes.

I am taking a break from them for a while though. We're caught up on birthdays for the moment, plus I am busy making another mini messenger. Not for me, of course. Photos in a few days, when I finish it up!

Yes, Another Tote (and more cupcakes)

2009-06-26T21:29:00.000-05:00

Well, one might argue that I am nothing if not predictable, and I would not be one to disagree. Evidence is below, in the form of a tote bag and some cupcakes.

I made this for Adrea's sixth birthday. Adrea is my neighbor, plus she happens to be my cousin's daughter. Which I think makes me her second cousin, but I consider her more my niece. She loves pink and she loves pretty, so we thought this fabric was perfect for her. The pink part is actually swirled with shiny pink.

Here are her party cupcakes. Her mom, Jenni, baked the cupcakes and made the frosting. All I did is tint it pink and purple and swirl it together to frost them. The kids sprinkled on colored sugar for a little oomph. Pretty fancy!

Summer Sewing

2009-06-25T07:55:00.000-05:00

I haven't been crafting much lately, as we've spent all of our daylight moments outside. However, I have two things to show you today.

Here is a tote I made for our friend Miles for his third birthday. I actually sewed this in April, when I found this awesome robot and rocket fabric. Click on the photo to enlarge it so you can see the cool red fabric, too. Miles's birthday was a week and a half ago, so I couldn't post this until now. Didn't want to ruin the surprise in case he reads my blog.

On Monday, Nora went to swimming lessons and then we went to our friend Charity's house. She lives in a most convenient location. Get this-we walked up to my favorite fabric store, which is one block from her house! Charity was just as smitten as I am with all of the amazing fabrics. She picked out this adorable animal fabric for a tote for her 2 year-old, Josie. I used lime green thread for a bit of contrast. We plan to drop it off after swimming lessons today. I sure hope Josie likes it!

On a related note (sort of), I may have mentioned the heat of late. After spending our days swimming and playing in the sand next door, we are exhausted, starving and hot. I am having trouble coming up with dinners that are filling and appealing to the children but do not require the use of my oven. I can't stand to warm my house by even one degree. Last night we had eggs. The night before, we had tacos. The girls do not like barbecue, so that makes my life tricky this time of year. Please-if you have any ideas for hot weather meals that little girls enjoy, I would love to hear them. Oh, by the way, we are vegetarian. Or tofu snappers, as my father refers to us. I'll just be here, waiting for the advice to pour in...

Garden!

2009-06-24T12:41:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, Kevin's parents came over with the most delightful gift: fencing!

They worked with Kevin for two afternoons installing this around my vegetable garden. I can't even tell you how exciting this is! Last year, the deer and the bunnies ate everything in my garden. I was not very happy to have spent hours and hours weeding, tilling, planting, watering, weeding, watering, weeding, watering and weeding just so the local wildlife could eat everything.

It's been really hot here for the past few days, and I have been vigilant about watering and weeding, and everything has just sprung up. I swear the tomatoes have grown several inches this week! And look at the flowers! This means I will actually have tomatoes to harvest this year!

My dad had extra onion sets, so Dana planted a row in our garden. They are growing like weeds. I am thrilled!

Peas! I am very happy to see peas coming up. I planted them along one edge of the garden so that they can grow right up the fence. Smart of me, no? Yeah, it was Jerry's idea, not mine. That's Kevin's dad.

These are pole beans. I chose yellow because I am lazy, and I will be able to see yellow easily when it comes time to pick them. Green beans are much harder to spot, since they are the exact same hue as bean leaves.

Cucumbers! These are actually in my flower bed, but I am still very excited about them. Fresh cucumbers are my all time favorite garden treat. I like them even better than garden tomatoes. Isn't that crazy? I planted four plants, one on each side of my 4-sided obelisk. I should have planted 40 plants because I love them that much.

Some color, just for fun.

I have other things growing in the vegetable garden, too. Things like Swiss chard, kohlrabi, spinach, carrots. Kevin's dad had a huge selection of seeds leftover from his gardening adventures, and he shared them with us. Those tiny seedlings are hard to photograph still since they are very tiny yet. I also have a pepper plant and some basil. But really-how many plants do you want to look at?

I have a couple of sewing projects in the works, but it has been much too nice out to sit inside sewing. I will probably start the one tonight though.

S'Mores

2009-06-14T09:45:00.001-05:00

I found this recipe a couple of weeks ago and couldn't stop thinking about it. I finally made it last Sunday to bring to our weekly family bbq.

Yum-all those marshmallows!

It's just a s'more in a pan. Really easy and really yummy. The only change I made was to use 8 chocolate bars instead of the 7 called for.

It's better than a campfire s'more because the chocolate is actually soft. That is the one downfall of a campfire s'more: hard chocolate.

Mini Messenger

2009-06-13T23:24:00.000-05:00

So Nora has been asking and asking for a messenger bag instead of a backpack. All of the ones I can find are intended for laptops, and because of the extra padding and everything, they are really heavy! And bulky! And the straps are ridiculously long. And because of these issues, I told her I would figure out how to make her one, one that is lightweight and smaller and with shorter adjustable straps. I promised to do all of this in time for school to start in the fall, but one night I was doing something or another and I found an online tutorial for messenger bags.

Since my sewing skills are a work in progress, I was a bit hesitant to just jump into this. So I looked through the rest of this woman's blog and somewhere saw mention of a smaller version. So I decided to make myself the mini messenger as a trial and, if it worked out and wasn't too complicated, I could make the bigger one for Nora for school.

And you know what? It totally worked out and it was pretty easy!

You actually follow the sewing directions for the regular messenger bag, but there is sort of an addendum tutorial with the smaller measurements and some other notes if you want to make the mini messenger.

The mini uses three fat quarters, two zippers, a magnetic snap, and about a yard of interfacing. So I made this for about $10! This photo shows the front of the bag, with the flap closed.

I used Amy Butler fabric and I have to say, it turned out really cute. I love it! Do you see the magnetic snap there? It is sitting right in the middle of two pockets. I keep my phone in one and it's perfect. The flap actually covers the pocket and prevents the phone from just falling out. Nice!

That's the inside of the purse. It has a ziptop closure, so I don't have to worry about my wallet falling out. Also, do you see that green zipper inside there? It has an interior zipper pocket! I still can't believe I sewed an interior pocket! It was actually very easy, but don't tell anyone.

This is the back. There are two pockets, but I am not sure what I will put in them. Maybe a mini Kleenex packet or something I won't worry about losing. They don't have closures, so whatever I stash there won't be super secure or anything. Still-there are five pockets, plus the main part of the bag. I will be able to carry everything I need in an organized fashion.

Sometime soon I will take Nora to select fabric for her school messenger. I can totally make her one without pulling any of my hair out! I am really excited!

Nightie for Nora

2009-06-07T09:46:00.000-05:00

On Friday, my dad took Nora and Dana to my nephew Keenan's baseball game. That left me with a couple of hours home alone. I used my time to sew a nightie for Nora.

I love how it turned out!
The fabric is flannel from Sandi Henderson's Ginger Blossom line. I saw it at Hannah Johnson and knew that Nora would love it. It has her two favorite colors: pink and turquoise.

The pattern is McCall's 5744. I saw a sample of this nightie on display when I bought this fabric and I loved the crossover style. So cute! And talk about customer service: this isn't a pattern she sells-she was just looking to display the sample nightie-so she let me borrow HER pattern!

I cut my own bias tape for the contrast. I know it's a whole lot easier to just buy a package of it, but it looks so sweet with the coordinating fabrics, and plus, do they even make flannel bias tape?

And here's the best part: Nora absolutely loves it! She could not believe I made it without her even knowing. Which completely cracks me up, because my dad dropped the girls off while I was in the middle of this project, and I continued to sew while the kids played. I was three feet away from her, with fabric scraps everywhere, and she never really noticed. Kids are so funny sometimes.

She got a bit wacky for the camera.

I need to go buy this pattern in the smaller size so I can make one for Dana, who has asked very kindly for a nightie, too. Coming right up, friend!

Cinnamon Rolls, As Requested

2009-06-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

Nora's school serves breakfast every morning, to every child who wants it, free of charge. She is not interested.

Lately, though, she has been asking me when they will serve cinnamon rolls. She thought yesterday was the day, for some reason, but when she got to school with an empty stomach, it wasn't the day after all.

Today is her last day of first grade. I thought cinnamon rolls would be an appropriate sendoff, so I stayed up until 12:35 prepping them. You know how that pesky yeast needs time to rise and all.

So anyhow, I know y'all probably think I work for allrecipes.com, but I don't. I just like making recipes that other people have tried. This cinnamon roll recipe has 5 stars from almost 3,000 people, so I knew it would be a winner. It's right...........here!

I followed the recipe as-is except for two things. First, I don't ever buy margarine, so I used butter in the dough. Second, it was late at night and I got confused and mixed the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon all together for the filling instead of spreading the butter on the dough and topping it with the cinnamon and brown sugar. I have to say that it actually worked better. Everything stayed put instead of sliding off and all landing on the bottom. Don't the little pinwheels look cute?

The other thing: after I took the above photo, I put the cover on the pan, put it in the fridge and went to bed. By morning, they had grown and were touching each other. A nice, slow, cool rise in the fridge worked just fine.

After letting them warm up on the counter for 30 minutes this morning, I put them in the cold oven, turned it to 350 and baked them for about half an hour.

Once they cooled a bit, I turned them out onto a cutting board and returned them to the pan upside down. Why? Because I could see the filling oozing all over the bottom of the pan, and I could see no oozing on top. I flipped them over so the filling would run back down and coat the other side, too.

At this point, I went to wake Nora up. I asked her if she could smell the cinnamon rolls and a big smile spread out across her face. Later, she asked Kevin, "Do you smell that? Mom made me cinnamon rolls!"

Finally, I mixed up the cream cheese icing and slathered it on top of the warm (NOT HOT!) rolls. Nora licked the spatula and Dana licked the beater. Then Nora licked all of the icing off of her cinnamon roll, ate two bites, and went out to catch the bus. Meanwhile, I grabbed a cup of coffee and proceeded to eat two rolls.

I am very tired today. However, it was totally worth staying up too late, getting up too early, and seeing that smile on my girl's face.

Me! A WINNER!

2009-06-03T22:34:00.000-05:00

It's true! I was one of the winners of Finny and Donk's Craft: Along!

Just for the May projects. But still.

I won for the shirt and shorts I made for Dana.

I only win bragging rights, but still. I am excited.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

2009-06-03T13:28:00.001-05:00

I had never made a pecan pie before. In fact, I haven't even eaten pecan pie before. But Saturday was my dad's birthday, and I volunteered to bring dessert to Sunday dinner. And for some reason I thought to myself, "Dad loves pecan pie!" So I went and found a recipe on the world wide web.

Sorry about the distracting pattern on the dishes. It isn't the best for photographing food.

Anyhoo, this pie? So delicious I couldn't stop thinking about it until the last slice was gone. Because the longer this pie sits in the fridge, the better it tastes. And it's super easy!

The recipe is here, but I am going to rewrite it because I made a couple of minor changes.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup whole pecans
single crust pastry

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Line either a deep-dish pie plate or an 11-inch tart pan with pie pastry. Trust me-there is too much filling for a regular 9-inch pie plate. We hate when pie filling overflows into our oven.

3. Melt the butter in a heavy pan on the stovetop. Mix in the corn syrup, sugar and cocoa powder. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. This could take a little while. I cooked mine for about 15 minutes, until it was really smooth.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add a bit of the hot chocolate mixture and mix it up. I think this is called tempering. If you just throw the eggs into the chocolate on the stove, they will scramble. This extra step prevents that from happening. Because who wants scrambled eggs in their pie?

5. Add the tempered eggs back into the chocolate mixture and mix well. Add vanilla and salt and mix well. Finally, stir in the chopped pecans.

6. Pour the pie filling into the unbaked shell. Arrange whole pecans on top in a pattern that pleases you. Bake for 55 minutes.

7. CHILL WELL and serve. Like I said, this tasted better on day 2, and better yet on day 3.

It's like a chewy, delicious brownie full of tasty pecans.

Butterfly Shirt

2009-05-28T14:57:00.001-05:00

Leave it to me to squeeze a project into the middle of four other ongoing projects. This one, though, only took about 15 minutes.

Dana has a thing for butterflies, and this shirt had a stain that didn't budge after an overnight soak on Oxyclean. So...I remembered back to the May Craft: along projects and thought I would give this a try. I just traced a butterfly cookie cutter. I didn't even have to sew a single stitch!

And remember back in April when I turned a pair of Dana's jeans into fancy schmancy jean shorts? It made sense to me to make this stained shirt match the shorts for a complete ensemble: shorts, shirt and purse (not pictured here). I figured she might actually wear the whole outfit, despite having a dress-only policy 98% of the time.

I was pretty proud of myself because her comment when I showed her the shirt was, "Thank you, Mama! I'm going to only wear this now!" So I guess from now on, she will either be naked or in this outfit. At least, that's her story.

Now, back to scraping old varnish. Bleh.

Works in Progress

2009-05-27T19:44:00.000-05:00

I am working on many things right now. I am not finishing much. But that's fine with me. I am (mostly) enjoying working on all of these things.

The paint is not exactly the hue I had envisioned. But after working with it for hours, it has really grown on me. Which is good, because I have so many hours left of working with it. It's the scraping that's doing me in. For one thing, I'm not very good at scraping, and for another, I am accident prone. The bloodshed has been minimal thus far, thankfully.

Yarn. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wool is self-striping! I've had this project on the needles for over a month and am itching to finish up.

Mending. Lots of it. Requires a functional sewing machine. Which is actually within grasp. But more on that tomorrow.

Fabric. Flannel fabric, to be precise. All washed and ready to be cut.

In the coming days, I hope to have photos of finished projects. They're all getting close!

A Little Bit of Sewing and a Little Bit of Crazy

2009-05-12T22:07:00.000-05:00

I am planning to use my sewing machine up until the bitter end. Just so you know.

Last night I cut out and started some pajama pants for Kevin. Dana selected some pretty wild shark fabric from Hancock.

Today I did the finishing, meaning the casing, elastic and hemming. In total, it may have taken two hours, but I think it was less. Pajamas are pretty easy, but I did spend a bit of time with the seam ripper: once because I messed up, once because the machine balked (I rethreaded it and was able to finish the pants without trouble), and once because I had to make the waist tighter. I rather like making pajama pants. I can use some pretty crazy fabric and it doesn't really matter because nobody sees them, except for the people who live in my house and the people who read this blog. That's all.

Kevin tells me he likes these pj pants, and that they are comfy. I choose to believe him.

In other news, my mom gave me her composter! Can I tell you that I have reached a new level of dorkiness by how excited I am about this?

Dana and I did our grocery shopping yesterday, and today I cut up the pineapple and watermelon so it's ready to eat. I filled my giant mixing bowl and happily toted it off to the composter behind the garage.

See how much rotten produce I already have? Isn't is so not interesting? I know it isn't, but I am excited. Excited by the fact that this stuff will be useful to me instead of going into the trash. There are husks from 16 ears of corn, plus my pineapple and watermelon peels, plus some stuff I pulled out of the fridge that was past its prime. According to what I have read on the World Wide Web, I will have some lovely, nourishing compost for my garden in 3-5 weeks! Yay for compost!

This is the outside of the composter, for anyone who is actually interested. It isn't as fun as one of those that you can spin, but it is gigantic and will serve my country living well.

Look at what I have become: one photo of something I sewed and three photos of compost.

Blackberry Cupcakes

2009-05-10T20:21:00.001-05:00

On Saturday evening, we attended our friend's belated annual Cinco de Mayo party. It's a potluck, and rather than making something Mexican, I, of course, made cupcakes.

I had been dreaming about this recipe for a week, and when I saw blackberries on sale at the grocery store near our house, it seemed meant to be.

Aren't they beautiful? The icing has butter, cream cheese, and blackberry preserves. It is a lovely color for sure.

But you know what? These were just okay. The cake was very heavy and tasted oddly like cornbread. The icing was delicious, but it had only a tiny hint of berry taste.

For the time this recipe took, and the quantity of ingredients required (6 eggs! 3 cups of sugar!), it wasn't worth it. But they sure are pretty!

And I may well try the icing again with a different type of preserves. Maybe blackberry isn't a strong enough flavor. But the party sure was fun!

A Dress for Dana

2009-05-05T12:24:00.000-05:00

I really love fabric.

I recently bought this lovely fabric on Etsy, with my Little D in mind. Her favorite color is purple, and my favorite color is green. Surely you can see why this trio was so appealing to both of us.

It's from Michael Miller. I think it comes in some different color schemes, too, if purple and green aren't your thing. The one in the middle is called Feeling Groovy. I can't remember what the other two are called.

Ever since I made Nora the ill-fated fairy dress, Dana has been asking me to sew one for her. And that's just what I did over the weekend.

I used the same pattern as Nora's dress, with the skirt from the pattern and the bodice traced from a different dress. As you can see, the bodice wasn't a perfect fit. It sort of slips off of her shoulder. But Dana doesn't seem to mind, so neither do I.

Here's the back view. My knitting group met last night, and I used Heidi's machine to sew buttonholes onto the dress. Dana picked some fancy lavender heart buttons, which are not really visible in the photo. But they look pretty sweet.

On a sad note, my machine started acting extra funky towards the end of this dress. I finished it without major problems. However, I went to take in the waist on a pair of shorts for Nora and wow-no dice! The top thread goes in just fine but the bobbin thread doesn't catch. Heidi, who knows a lot more about machines than I do, said it sounds like the tension is going, and there is no hope for it if that is the case. And since I have had it at the shop twice and he hasn't had success with it, I think its time is up. I knew this was coming. I just can't figure out why, when all I can think about is sewing, my machine decides it is done. Bad timing!

Jeans Transformed

2009-04-27T11:22:00.000-05:00

Some of you know that my mom is a champion garage saler. If you want something, you can put in an order with her and she will find it. Last summer, I mentioned I wanted an ice cream maker, and we found one later that week - a Cuisinart for $10! My blender broke and she found me a hardly used Kitchen Aid for $5. And clothes! She finds the cutest, most fun clothes for the girls.

While I was going through a tote of size 4s that Nora outgrew long ago, I found a pair of jeans my mom had gotten her at a garage sale. They had sunflowers embroidered all over them, and a cute yellow snap. Unfortunately, the knees were worn out. One had a big hole and the other was one fall away from disaster. Clearly Nora had loved these jeans, but they weren't going to work out for Dana. So I decided to turn them into shorts. I grabbed my scissors, pins and some fabric leftover from my owl pajamas and went to work.

They came out a bit long, like Bermudas, but I figure that the weather is rarely HOT here, so Bermudas are perfect.

To make them, I cut two pieces of fabric that were twice as long as the diameter of the leg opening. Does that make sense? I hemmed one edge and basted the other. Then I pulled the basting to gather the top edge and pinned it to the shorts. After stitching the ruffle in place, I steamed it down and top stitched. It took like an hour to make these shorts and two purses.

Yes, purses. See, when I cut off the legs above the knees, I realized that there was a long section that was just fine. So I cut the knees off again and used the cuff of the pants to make two purses, one for each girl. Because I didn't tell you yet that Nora also has these jeans in a 6, though the knees are still intact.

To make the purses, I cut 2" wide strips of the yellow fabric, then pressed them twice to make bias tape. I sewed this around the top raw edge of each purse, sewed wide ribbon handles on, and sewed the bottoms together. Voila! Two purses and a pair of shorts in one hour. Awesome morning!

Job Board

2009-04-24T15:44:00.001-05:00

I have been meaning to post about this for a while now!

For the last few months, I've been trying hard to enforce certain chores, mostly for Nora, but a bit for Dana, too. Running a household of four requires cooperation, and we are trying to teach the girls that we must all work together as a team to run this house. It sounds a little bit cheesy, but that is OK because us Ackers really do love cheese. Some of us even want to make our own cheese, but that's a different topic...

A few weeks ago, Soulemama posted about the job board she made for her family, and it inspired me to make one for us. Of course, ours is tailored to our specific family and needs, but I definitely got the idea from her. For example, I am a little crazy when it comes to grocery shopping, so I do not have a grocery list or meal plans on our board. Nope-I actually have two Excel spreadsheets in which I do my meal planning and grocery listing. The grocery list has a column for each aisle at the grocery store we go to. That's how crazy I am in that department. But I digress. Actually, that is why I need the spreadsheets for those two tasks: they keep me on track.

Anyhow, the job board. It was really very easy, and Nora, Kevin and I worked together on it.

First, I took a piece of fabric large enough to cover our cork board and sewed a pocket to the bottom, the same width as the board. Then I stitched the height of the pocket in four spots to make the one pocket into five pockets. Next, Kevin used the staple gun (and a hammer) to attach the fabric to the cork board.

While all of this was going on, Nora illustrated jobs onto index cards, which we then laminated. She also illustrated the specialist classes at school, two of each. More on that in a sec.

This is what the finished product looks like. Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, Kevin thinks it looks a bit like a Christmas present. And he might be right. In my defense, though, I was just trying to coordinate with our paint and curtains in the livingroom. And our livingroom does not look like Christmas.

Here's a closer shot of the pockets. The empty one is for when Dana starts elementary school, for her specialist cards. So what the heck do I mean by that? Well, there are four specialists at school, and they work on a rotating schedule. So one week, Nora has music on Monday, gym on Tuesday, library on Wednesday, art on Thursday and music again on Friday. To keep track of this (mostly because we keep forgetting to return her library book on the right day), Nora made two cards for each specialist, and each Sunday we pull down the last week's cards and put them up in the right order for the upcoming week.

The $ pocket has jobs the girls can earn money for, such as putting silverware away or folding socks. Or pairing up socks. You know what I mean. They can earn $0.25 per job-nice! And, of course, the D pocket has Dana's jobs and the N pocket has Nora's jobs.

So, each morning I tack up each girl's jobs. As she completes a job, she untacks the card and returns it to her pocket. By the time dinner is done, her cards should all be back in her pocket. See how easy that is? Also, if she does jobs for money, she puts those cards into her pocket, too, so I can keep track of what I owe her.

So far, it's working pretty well. They like the cards, they like the fancy tacks, and they like earning money. And I like being reminded of Christmas all day long. Just kidding. You should click on this photo to enlarge it so you can see Nora's fancy illustrations. I particularly like "clos in the landre", with the clothes hanging in thin air above the hamper.

Wedding

2009-04-20T11:15:00.000-05:00

Proof that I wore a fancy schmancy dress.

From left: Alyx (my sister), Tara (the bride), Linh, me, Charity, Jodi.

Dresses...Ta da!

2009-04-20T09:06:00.001-05:00

I know each and every person who reads this blog has been on the edge of the seat waiting to see the completed fairy dress. So, without further ado, here it is!

This is the front. Remember, I copied the bodice of a dress Nora has that fits her well. Also remember that my sewing skills are borderline acceptable, so the fact that I even attempted this, much less succeeded, is nothing short of miraculous. Needless to say, I am pretty proud of myself.

The bodice fabric is from the same line as the skirt fabric, but it isn't the exact same blue. So, to tie it all together, I made my own bias tape out of the leftover skirt fabric (can you believe I did that?) and sewed it around the arm holes and neck line. It really did bring everything together.

Here is the back of the dress. See the buttons? On Friday I went to my friend Tracy's house and used her machine to make 2 buttonholes. That afternoon, at home, I sewed on the two buttons. When Nora got off the bus, I gleefully held out the finally completed dress, thinking she was going to be thrilled, and she could hardly give me the time of day. For real. I finally got her to try it on, just to see if it fit, and she loved twirling in it, but she informed me it was not fancy enough to wear to a wedding. My eyes almost bugged right out of my head. I tried to explain that the very reason I made this dress, out of fabric SHE HERSELF hand selected, was for Tara and Dan's wedding. She did not care. I spent some time trying to convince her to wear it, but my pleas fell on deaf ears.

I was disappointed at first, but then I got over it. After all, she is only 6. And her view of a ball gown did not match mine. Oh well. She will wear it to places less fancy.

Also on Friday afternoon, Jim called from Midwest Vac and Sew and said my machine was done. He told me he took off all of the covers so he could watch the parts move. He oiled one part. He has no idea how or why, but it now works. He did not repair anything. He didn't see anything wrong. But it works, so that is all that matters for the moment. I am just crossing my fingers that it actually is fixed, like he somehow unwittingly unstuck a part that was sticking. Because there is nothing worse than an intermittent problem. At least he witnessed the crazy behavior with his own two eyes before the miracle fix.

So on Saturday morning/early afternoon, we ran a couple of errands as a family. Fun times! One of the stops was to pick up my machine. And who knew how important this little stop would be!

See this black dress? This is the dress I wore to the wedding. I know-I can't believe I wore that, either. I am not sure I have ever worn something quite that fancy. Even when I went to prom with Kevin, my dress was nowhere nears this fancy.

So anyhoo, my dress. Do you see that lovely satin ribbon under the bust? It's pretty wide-I am guessing about 2 inches. It goes all the way around. And its number one job is to make zipping the thing up one step below impossible.

Now, I need to clarify here that this dress fits me. It is not too small. I swear on all things holy. However, at 4:05pm, precisely 10 minutes before we were to leave for the wedding, I asked Kevin to zip me up. The zipper is on the side, and there is just no way I could contort my body to zip something up to my armpit. He was having trouble with that ribbon, so he was using much force to try to zip it. At the precise moment I opened my mouth to tell him to stop, he said something like, "OH NO!" OK, this was not my finest moment. I didn't even look at the damage. I just said something like, "I can't believe you just ripped my dress!" And I stomped up the stairs. Very adult like. But by the time I got to the top of the stairs, reason had begun to return to me. I know-I, too, was surprised this happened. I just found myself some black thread and went back downstairs. It took me about three tries to remember how to sew in a zipper, but suddenly it all came back to me and I fixed that dress all up! I was oh so proud of myself. I totally rocked that zipper foot. And then I put the dress on and we left.

Halfway there I realized how lucky this all actually was. Because clearly that zipper was not sewn in very well, and what if it had undone itself while I was dancing? That would have been a disaster. The fact that it ripped out at home was actually a blessing in disguise. And I am oh so very glad that we picked up the machine on Saturday. Otherwise I would have had to wear jeans or that green skirt with the owl patch. And I would have felt dumb. And we can't go around feeling dumb.

I do not have a photo of myself in that black dress. I will try to get one to post to prove that I wore it.

Vegetarian Burrito Filling

2009-04-13T21:04:00.001-05:00

My sewing machine is broken again. Or still. I am not sure. I have never used the manual buttonhole feature before, so maybe it never worked. I will never know for sure.

At any rate, it is back with the repairman, who is not sure he can fix it. The machine does the zigzag stitch just like it should, but in buttonhole mode it does straight stitch. If you can con it into zigzagging, it refuses to do the sides in a narrow stitch and the bar tack in a wide stitch like it is supposed to. He said something about never seeing a problem quite like this before. I am just trying not to think about it. Now is not the time to buy a new sewing machine, particularly when I am dying for a serger.

Anyhoo, my friend Tracy is kind enough to let me stop by later this week to sew some buttonholes and then play (Dana and her son play together), so I will at least be able to put Nora in the dress for the wedding, as planned. But I am not sure Dana will get her dress in time for Saturday. We'll just see how the week goes.

So I thought I would post a recipe. I make this about once a week, as everyone loves it at this house. And that is such a rarity that I have to keep it in high rotation. It's a vegetarian burrito filling. We think it is great!

Burrito Filling (aka beans and rice)

1/2 cup brown rice
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tomato, diced
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can black or pinto beans
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
cheese
sour cream
tortillas
etc .

Put the brown rice, water and lime juice in a rice steamer, or cook on the stove, according to directions on package (mine takes about 45 minutes in the steamer).

Put the vinegar and oil in a bowl. Throw the tomatoes, green onions and cilantro on top. Mix and let it sit while the rice cooks. This gives it a chance to soak up the flavors.

Do useful things as you wait for the rice, such as grating your cheese and setting the table.

When the rice is done, rinse the beans in a colander under hot water. Add them to the tomato mixture. Put the hot rice on top and mix it all together. The hot rice will warm the beans the rest of the way. It is a nice little time saver if you are running late on dinner, which I often am.

Spoon the filling onto a tortilla and top with cheese, sour cream, taco sauce, and anything else you like.

Roll up the tortilla and eat.

Sometimes, if there is leftover filling, I will throw it over romaine for lunch the next day. It doesn't even need dressing because of the oil/vinegar/lime juice combo. I love that it can be salad or filling.

Dreaming of Dresses

2009-04-10T18:49:00.000-05:00

I am almost done reworking Nora's fairy dress. I ended up copying the bodice of a dress that fits her really well. It is awfully cute, and I will post photos tomorrow. I just have to do the buttonholes. The problem is that I dropped my button hole attachment so long ago I forgot it happened. I tried to duct tape it back together, but I can't get it tight enough for the gears to catch. So my plan tonight is to relearn how to use the buttonhole foot on my machine to manually sew a buttonhole. (Have you ever seen the word "buttonhole" so many times in one paragraph?) Anyhoo, I will do that tonight and have Nora pose for some photos tomorrow. Dana is already asking where hers is. So I guess we will be going to the fabric store, too, in hopes that I can sew a second dress before Tara and Dan's wedding next Saturday (eight days from now).

In the meantime, I am already concocting ideas for more dresses. I found a bunch of posts on various blogs about how to repurpose mens button up shirts into little girl dresses. My girls are head over heels for Daddy, and they would get the biggest kick out of wearing dresses made from his shirts.

Also, I absolutely love this fabric! I want to buy it and knit the bodice and use most of one fabric for one dress, with a contrasting ruffle from the other fabric, making the girls mirror-image space dresses. Why, you ask? Well, Dana loves space. She talks about astronauts, space suits, space ships, and planets all the time. And Nora is studying outer space at school right now and is also fascinated. She paints watercolors of the planets, in order, with the astroid belt in the appropriate location. She loves to talk about planets, the sun, constellations and many other spacey things. So I thought this fabric was perfect. Also, I am ready to sew something cute and girly but not pink, purple or too frilly. I think a little ruffle at the hem would add just enough frill to make the girls fall in love. We'll see.

Isn't it funny how, two weeks ago, I was cursing the day I thought sewing garments was a good idea, and now I am dreaming of new things to make for the girls? And how the object I most covet at this point in my life is a serger? Life takes funny turns. Sorry for the lack of photos. I guess I just had some ranting to do. Big surprise.

Bachelorette Party (G rated, of course!)

2009-04-04T18:06:00.000-05:00

My good friend Tara is getting married in two weeks.

She didn't want one of "those" bachelorette parties. You know what I mean. So her sister (I think) came up with the most amazing party instead: a slumber party!

We went to Larsmont Cottages, which is incredibly beautiful. We had a three bedroom cottage for the night, shared by eight friends.

The living room of our cottage.
We loved the fireplace! Though someone
(nobody is sure who) turned the thermostat
to 84 degrees, and it got almost that hot before
we noticed. Oops!

Big surprise that I brought cupcakes. I made a vanilla buttercream frosting using vanilla I made from beans my parents brought home from Huahine two years ago. The pink heart platter was completely appropriate for this event.

Charity brought the most spectacular sparklers, which were incredibly fun! They lasted forever and were so very bright. That's Tara, the bride, on the right.

And some more sparklers. See how happy Charity and Tara are? They really were THAT FUN!

I can't wait for the wedding! I just need to find myself a dress...

Dana's Spring Hat

2009-03-30T21:44:00.001-05:00

I finished Dana's spring hat today! Which is kind of funny since we are supposed to get about ten inches of snow. But that's all right because, when it finally turns into spring, we will be ready.

Dana selected this yarn after much consideration. It reminds me of an Easter egg because of the swirling pastels. She passed right over the yarn that matches her spring jacket, which is a salmon kind of hue. But that's OK, too, because life is not about matching.

She was in such a silly mood and insisted on posing in many different positions, both still and in motion.

See that cool button? I recently started a button jar, recently like two months ago or so. There are not many buttons in it. But, like most of us, I remember going through my mother's button tin as a child and admiring the many colors, textures and patterns. So I started my own and already it has come in handy! This button was just waiting for this hat.

The hat pattern is called Pi Topper and is based on a shawl pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Do you see the sort of snail-like swirling on the crown? The variegated yarn enhances the swirliness, but it is visible on the solid colored hats I saw on Ravelry, too.

The yarn is Cascade Fixation, which is cotton and elastic. It is super stretchy, which is so wonderful for a growing head. Or really, for a growing anything. It is DK weight, I think, which is very nice for spring. Or, so I have heard. What is this "spring" I keep talking about?

Getting Past the Tantrum

2009-03-28T16:20:00.000-05:00

I am sorry for my tantrum post last time. You could probably guess that I was very frustrated with the circumstances of my crafting life. Things are better now. For one thing, my sewing machine is fixed! I brought it to a local sewing machine repairman named Jim, who was incredibly friendly and oh so quick. I dropped the machine off on Friday afternoon and he called Tuesday morning to tell me it was done! I thought it was going to be a big deal. It turned out I was wrong. The whole thing was only $59-he was able to fix it by giving it a standard servicing. I am thrilled!

I also got some knitting done. I ordered yarn so I can finish my Odessa hat. While I wait for it to get here, I knit a hat for my aunt's birthday gift.

I found a pattern on Ravelry that I absolutely love, and then Dana helped me pick out yarn for it. It's Malabrigo, which has quite the fan club in the knitting world, and now I know why. It is lovely to work with and the colors are amazing. We picked a warm red called Sealing Wax and are keeping our fingers crossed that it matches something in my aunt's winter wardrobe. Nora helped select the buttons, though she was disappointed I wouldn't spring for rhinestones.

I also got a bit of mending done. Nothing too crazy, but I did get to test out my repaired sewing machine. See, for a while our dryer was acting completely nuts. It was leaving weird marks on things that I initally thought were burns but eventually realized was gunk of some sort. I did a major online search and finally figured out what was wrong: this piece of felt between the frame and the drum was worn out. This meant that pieces of clothing would get caught in the gap. Sometimes they would get stains, sometimes they would tear and, on special days, they would get stains and tears. I found a fantastic website explaining how to fix it. I ordered up the required parts and Kevin spent an hour or two taking out the old and installing the new. And now it works! No rips, no stains, no weirdness.

This skirt was a victim. I really love this skirt, as it is super soft and super simple. I am not a shorts kind of girl, so I spend the summer in skirts and dresses. This skirt was lucky enough to get the dryer double whammy of stain/rip. While Nora and I were selecting buttons for the aforementioned hat, I found a bunch of patches for sale. When I saw this owl, I knew it was meant to be.

I didn't think to take a "before" picture, but the owl covered everything but one spot. I was most concerned with covering the multitude of little holes, and I did accomplish that. It isn't a perfect match, but I think it is pretty cute.

I am also working on a spring hat for Dana, but it is not ready for photographing yet. Hopefully later this week! I am not in a huge rush to finish it since it is currently 27 degrees and is clearly not spring hat weather yet.

Projects Gone Awry

2009-03-18T18:36:00.000-05:00

I feel like my life is one big stalled project right now. It seems like every time I get almost done with something, there is a problem. And I have to say, it is starting to get to me. Spring is a time of new beginnings, but I can't start anything because I have too many things waiting to be completed. Not to whine or anything.

A couple of weeks ago, I FINALLY cast on this hat. It is MY hat. It is the very first thing I have knit for myself. I have had the yarn for months, but I kept finding other projects to work on and I never got around to making it. I selected the yarn because it matches the lining in my parka. Sadly, I recently noticed that the fabric around the entire zipper is starting to wear through and I can see tears getting ready to emerge. I have had that parka for about five winters, so it isn't like it is brand new. But it is sad that it took me five winters to make a matching hat, and I won't even get to wear them together.

And based on the photo above, you can probably guess why: Once again, I ran out of yarn. Do you have any idea how frustrating this is for me? I found this pattern on Ravelry. It is called Odessa. I read through more than a hundred posts about this hat, and I can't remember reading about anyone running out of yarn. Once again, my tight knitting has me in a pinch. I ordered this yarn online. The website has $6.99 shipping, which is fine if you are ordering a bunch of yarn, but I just need this one ball. And I can't find this color in stock at any other website. I am going to attempt to have a local yarn store order it for me. Until I can get around to doing that, I decided to start a sewing project, which leads me to...

this dress. A few weeks ago, I had both girls with me at the fabric store. I can't remember why I was there, which is sort of scary, but Nora saw this fairy fabric and fell for it. It has all of her favorite colors, and the fairy wings are sparkly silver. She asked me to make her a dress out of it. I told her, "Not today." A week ago, I was at the fabric store again, this time alone. I saw the fairy fabric and was reminded of her request. A close friend of ours is getting married in April and I thought a fairy dress would be the perfect wedding outfit. The store owner and her sister helped me pick out a really lovely pattern. They actually took out the instructions and walked me through them, and assured me I was capable of making this dress. I was crazy enough to believe them. See, I had visions of a giddy happy Nora whirling and twirling in the three-tiered skirt, and those visions sidetracked me from reality.

I started this project on Friday night (I know-party time!). By Saturday afternoon, the skirt was done in all of its whirly twirliness. The bodice was tiny and seemed so easy! When I got to the yoke, the directions and diagrams looked weird. They weren't making any sense to me. I read through them about ten times and made my pieces match the diagrams again and again. Still, it seemed off. But I decided that I was too focused on the details and couldn't see the big picture. If I just followed the directions one step at a time, it would come together. So I pinned the everloving daylights out of that yoke, stitched it up, followed the remaining few steps, and held the dress up.

It did not look like the finished photos.

I resisted the urge to cry or vomit. (You have no idea how many hours I had into it at this point-I am no good at sewing and I was determined to make a beautiful dress, so I took my sweet time with every step in an effort to avoid all errors.)

I tried to reason with myself: while it didn't look like the photo, it was still cute (not exactly true). Nora would like the ruffle yoke (probably true).

So Nora got home from Grandma and Grandpa's house Sunday afternoon and promptly tried the dress on. What did my lovely daughter say?

"Ouch!"

Wow-so not the response I had envisioned! Clearly the upside down piece (yup-that was the problem. I sewed the yoke on upside down, following the instructions EXACTLY. I swear!) made the bodice tight. It squeezed her arms. Which, when you think about it, it kind of crazy. Nora, after all, is 6 1/2 and weighs about 36 pounds. Her arms are not exactly beefy.

There was absolutely no way to fix this because (hold your breath here) I had already sewed in the buttonholes. Seriously.

After much thought, I happened to glance at a dress hanging in the closet that has a really cute bodice that fits Nora well. I have decided to copy it. After I have calmed down from this horrible experience, that is. A wise woman (hi, Tracy!) once told me she has no interest in making garments. Why, oh WHY did I not listen to her?!

So while I work up the nerve to attempt a new bodice, I decided to make a tote for my good friend Erica, who saw Dana's tote on this very blog and asked me to make her one, though with some modifications. Specifically, she wanted it bigger.

So Monday night I cut out the pieces for the tote. Tuesday I stitched it together. When I got to the final stages (specifically, the handles and the topstitching), my sewing machine started to do something funky: it would only sew in reverse! Do you have any idea how hard it is to sew in reverse, when you can't see what you are doing? It was not good. And it still isn't. I finished the tote and mailed it off to Iowa without saying too many swears, but my machine needs help. I heard it making some scary noises, so who knows what else is going on. The thing is, I can't finish Nora's dress until I get this machine fixed. So if you have a suggestion for where I can get it fixed, where the people will be nice to me (trust me-the local sewing machine repair people do not have friendly reputations), please direct me there! I have other sewing to do, too, and having my machine sitting in the closet is bumming me out.

So that's where I am at with projects. I am about to start another hat, but I realized today that I don't have double pointed or circular needles in remotely the right size. So I guess I am going shopping for needles first. I am sitting here shaking my head, eyes closed. Why is everything stalling on me?

Banana Bread Banana Bread Banana Bread Banana Bread

2009-03-11T15:53:00.000-05:00

Look what we did today!

We go through both banana-free and banana-lovin' streaks here. We just finished up banana-free and are back to lovin'. Except that in the meantime, EIGHT bananas got very, very dark in our fruit basket. So today we mixed and baked four batches of banana bread, one after another. I only have the one bread pan because I fell for the Pampered Chef stoneware bread pan and, well, they don't just give those away. Which is fine, because how often do I bake more than one loaf of something in a day?

The recipe is my favorite banana bread recipe and came from this book by local cookbook guru Bea Ojakangas. I now have the recipe memorized, which is kind of nice because I make it kind of a lot due to the whole banana love/hate. It freezes well, is very easy and is moist and delicious, plus there is the whole low fat thing.

Pajamas

2009-03-10T19:51:00.000-05:00

I made myself a pair of pajama pants today.

I so rarely make anything for myself that this is pretty big news.

When I brought Dana to the fabric store last week to get a few fat quarters for her tote bag, I saw this owl fabric. I tried my best to convince her to have an owl tote bag, but she would have none of it. She wanted something purple. But this fabric-it was killing me. I totally fell for it and I could not, for the life of me, think of a way a grown woman could use owl fabric.The store owner suggested pajamas and I decided she is either the world's best salesperson or some type of genius. Heck, maybe both. Then she even found me a couple of patterns to choose from.

I modified the chosen pattern a tiny bit by adding some contrasting fabric to the cuffs. And then, because I really do not like to hem, I made myself some homemade bias tape (I think that's what it's called) out of owl fabric scraps, and sewed that below the yellow.

I love these pants so much!

I have to say they are kind of big. I was so excited to make them that I didn't read the size chart very thoroughly. But I just don't even care. If it starts to bug me, I will figure out how to make them smaller. But for now, I heart them.

Can you believe how much sewing I have been doing lately? Me neither! And you know what? I have not one but TWO more sewing projects in line. Actually, maybe even three. Actually, now that I think about it, I might have four. Now I am a little scared.

Another Tote and Reason to Celebrate

2009-03-06T20:02:00.000-06:00

Remember how I made a fat quarter tote for Nora to haul her water bottle and legwarmers to gymnastics in? Well, I made another one.

Dana picked out her own fabric. Her favorite color is purple, so I shouldn't have been surprised at her selections. The lining/contrast fabric actually has a shiny silver design on it. So flashy!

I made Dana a tote for three reasons. First of all, she needed something to transport her shoes, her Read to Me book and whatever toy she checked out back to ECFE each week. I feel like she is old enough to haul her own stuff instead of making me haul all of this in MY tote bag. And I feel like she will be happy to haul her own stuff in this pretty little bag made with fabric she selected. Second, I have mom guilt. I felt that if I made one for Nora, I needed to make one for Dana, too. It's only fair. Third, the first one was fast and easy and I wanted to make another. I enjoy combining fabrics, and I am still working on that straight line goal. I figure the more I practice the more likely I will actually master my 2009 goal.

My sweetie brought this home for me. He had his thesis approved tonight, and both he and his advisor are really excited about the topic. The thesis has been through many, many, many phases and it is a wonderful feeling to know that there is an end in sight at last. This is a little something to celebrate with. He knows me so well! He got himself a slab of beef to grill. And he is oh so cheerful, both about the thesis and the beef. Happy Friday!

My Fat Quarter Tote

2009-03-05T12:06:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, the Craft: blog had a blurb on this fat quarter tote. Because one of my goals for 2009 is to learn to sew a straight line, I thought I should make this. I mean, a fat quarter is $2.50, and I can always use a tote bag. Plus, the tutorial looked comprehensive and easy to follow, even for someone who is trying to learn to sew a straight line. (I want to insert here that not only did I take Home Ec. in seventh grade, as required, but I ALSO took an elective sewing class in tenth grade. I guess I am a slow learner.)

I picked up the fabric at Hannah Johnson Fabrics, a lovely new fabric shop near my house. She has such gorgeous fabric that it was painful to have to choose just two. I just told myself that if I can get through this one tote without using too many bad words, I can make another one (or two?) with some of the other fabric I love. I am very happy with those terms.

On Friday, Nora had her very first non-relative slumber party. A little girl from school/Brownies slept at our house. They were happy to include Dana in their play, so I took the opportunity to set up my mat on the kitchen table and cut out my pieces. I only made one mistake, which only required me to buy one more fat quarter of the lining fabric. You know how they say you should measure twice and cut once? Yeah. Now I know why.

I have been putting in 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there all week, and I finally finished it today! And you know what? The only curse words I said were because of the iron. (Don't tell Kevin, though, because he sort of forbid me from using the iron about four years ago, when I burned myself badly enough to leave a gross, 3-inch long scar on my forearm while attempting to iron his shirt.) The finished product is sort of tall and narrow, which will be perfect for Nora to tote her Klean Kanteen and leg warmers (I actually need to still knit those for her, but at least I have the yarn) to gymnastics.

Like most of my stuff, the pattern is pretty wild. But I like it. I would never wear a skirt or, well, any article of clothing, out of either of these fabrics, but they make a super fun, totally un-boring tote bag.

And you know what? I am coming along nicely on the straight line thing. I bought a 1/4" presser foot for my sewing machine a couple years ago and never took it out of the box. Dumb, I know. But I used it for most of this project, and you know what? It has a super handy edge on it to help you guide your fabric under it just right, so your seam is exactly 1/4". Genius! I wish my other presser feet had this feature. I will have to look into that.

Pizza for the March Craft: Along

2009-03-04T20:55:00.001-06:00

The other day, the projects for the March Craft: Along were posted over at Finnyknits. Both projects interest me this month. One is for quilted coasters. Now, I have no use for coasters since we do not own a coffee table and our kitchen table isn't really the type to require coasters. But I bought a walking foot for my sewing machine about two years ago now, and I have yet to use it. I am not really sure how. The coasters seem like a great opportunity to try machine quilting without investing much time or cash. So I plan to make those later this month.

The second project was pizza crust. Specifically, this recipe. I already had homemade pizza on our menu for the week, and I figured it would be easy enough to try a different crust.

Not being one to follow the rules in a recipe, I did make a couple of minor changes. First, I subbed 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour for 1/2 cup of the strong flour (also known as bread flour). I accidentally ran out of bread flour. Oops. Second, I had to add a ton of water-like half a cup, one teaspoon at a time-to get the consistency right. Third, my children do not like pizza sauce. They LOVE margherita pizza, which is sauceless, so to get some flavoring, I always add some spices right to the pizza dough. Here, I added 2 cloves of pressed garlic and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Nothing too fancy, but it does add some flavor. Finally, I used the dough hook on my stand mixer to do the kneading. I am just no good at kneading, and the mixer minimizes the floury mess, which I appreciate.

I rolled the crust out on a pizza stone and topped it with a block of shredded mozzarella, a sliced tomato and a bunch of fresh basil. This pre-baked pizza looks so pasty. Like not very appetizing.

The finished product. There weren't any baking instructions (or, at least, I didn't SEE any baking instructions) so I set the oven for 425 and stuck this gem in the oven for 15 minutes. In retrospect, I should have checked on it sooner. It got a wee bit brown. However, it was quite delicious.

So what is my verdict on this pizza dough? It is good, but I think I will stick to my regular recipe. It isn't so much the flavor as it is the time. My normal recipe requires no rising, so I can decide to make a pizza at 5pm and we will be eating it by 5:30. Now THAT I love.

Happy Birthday, Sam!

2009-03-01T19:54:00.001-06:00

My brother's birthday is January 15. We had the typical Sunday dinner the week of his special day, and Liz made a mighty fine carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (I am drooling at the memory). I had a hat all planned for him, but had not had a chance to actually knit it yet. It was just sitting in my Ravelry queue waiting...

Trying to find the best yarn for the job offered a couple of challenges. First of all, Sam isn't really a hat guy. He is, however, a runner. And it is frighteningly cold here much of the year. So I figured a warm, cozy running hat would be useful and more stylish than the UMD hat he has been wearing while he runs. Also, Sam keeps his head shaved pretty close to his skull. So the yarn had to be warm but completely itch free. I searched for my standard soft yarn-Debbie Bliss Cashmerino-but was not happy with the colors in stock. So I searched for the counter yarn to Cashmerino: Rowan Cashsoft. And right away I found a color called Donkey and knew it was the one. Did I love the hue? It's fine. The thing here is the word play. Sam's full name is, of course, Samuel. And our dad has always, always called him Muel. And Donkey-Muel-same thing in my eyes. The fact that his favorite color is black just didn't matter. Also, I could not find black in stock in either Cashmerino or Cashsoft. But Donkey! How could I say no?

I finally cast on on February 17 and finished on Friday. Meaning two days ago. I brought it to Sunday dinner today and gave it to him, only 1.5 months late. (I should add here that my family does Sunday dinner every other week in the winter and every week in the summer. This is very convenient since my parents host and they live next door to us. Sam and Liz live directly behind our parents, right through the woods. Our cousin Jeremy and his family live right behind us, through the woods. And Alex, our sister, lives off of our little commune with her family and has to drive. We love them anyway.)

I upcycled one of Dana's paintings for the wrapping. (Yes, it is too upcycled!) She painted it using the glitter paint she got from Santa. It is lovely and shimmery, which is perfect for any grown man. Unfortunately, tape does not stick to glitter paint. Fortunately, we had some purple staples in the stapler and they were a festive addition to the package.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of Sam in his Donkey hat. Fortunately, I took photos of Kevin modeling it so I could post them on Ravelry (the knitter's version of crack). See how it folds up so it is double-layered over the ears? This makes it extra special warm.

My attempt at capturing the extra cool decreases on camera. They look curved, which is really fun. The hat makes me think of a Hershey's Kiss. The pattern is called Jacques Cousteau and can be found here.