Ready for Spring

So about this time of year, everybody bitches about the weather and how they are ready for spring.  Blah blah blah.  Complaining about something I have no power to change, like the weather, seems pointless and only makes it worse in my opinion.  I am sticking by my mantra of loving seasons.  But yes, I am also ready for spring.  Just like every one else in the Midwest.  Its 28, windy and cloudy today!

The crappy weather couldn’t keep me down today.  I had a lovely day, including buying radishes, bay leaves, wheat grass (for Loki) and a coffee at the winter market and breakfast at the Uptown with Jenn.  Then Tim and I went to see Coraline which was worth a see and we both enjoyed the book.  And then I went to Karst Farm for a long walk with Elizabeth and her Ruby.  Blustery arctic winds can’t keep me down!  I will enjoy my day off.  Tonight however, might involve a book and a blanket.  Brrr…

Eggplanty

Eggplant hair clip made for Meagan, my partner in crime organic community gardens.  In two weeks or so we will be starting work on our veggie garden in one of the library plots on 6th street.  It will be an experimental year, but we hope to have lots of starter donations and in return, donate our produce to Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.

Also, Ashley and I tied in our annual Oscar prediction challenge.  So we both have to make each other something….a surprise.  So I better get to work.  Hint: Its something I’ve never made before.

Our Time

This graffiti is fairly new (possibly even fresh since yesterday) and I spotted it walking home today.  I agree.  It is our time.  I will seek out more volunteer opportunities and make more of an effort to make donation quilts and hats.  I am also thinking about getting a new tattoo, but that is neither here nor there.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 7

Kids Quilts is a project run by members of the Bloomington Quilters’ Guild to collect quilts for kids and donate them to different service organizations throughout our community including the police department and Bloomington Hospital.  Most of these fabrics are left over from a quilt I made for Gina’s oldest years ago (though the red also showed up in two other quilts too, one for baby Malcolm and is the binding for Claire’s No Peek Nine Patch).  Making a donation quilt was a great way to spend a cold weekend, and felt good to spend the time doing something like this yesterday while today I will camp out and watch the Oscars. Though there may be some knitting in front of the tv too.

My Oscar ballot is filled out and my annual bet with Ashley is on.  To the victor goes a handmade item….

Year of Making Stuff: Week 6

I bought this gray and black floral fabric on clearance to make some lounge pants from Amy Butler’s In Stitches.  But yesterday looking at the pattern, and not feeling the color and print for pants, I remembered I had a pillowcase pattern.  These pillowcases are made using a really easy roll up method and french seams so everything is clean and neat, even on the inside.  Once I figured it out, it only takes me about 15 minutes or so for each.  The purple cuff is left over fabric from the queen sized quilt for our bedroom that is in the works.  I can’t wait for it all to come together!

I hope everyone had a lovey Valentine’s Day yesterday.  Tim and I had a late lunch at Esan Thai, then did some shopping downtown.  Last night we watched the beginning of the John Adams HBO series based on the David McCullough book.  Its fantastic!  It was a lovely day spent with my favorite valentine.

Reliving Memories All Year

For Christmas Tim and I made four of these calendars using photos from our summer Low Countries trip and iPhoto to give to our parents, my brother (who traveled with us) and one to keep for ourselves. Picking among thousands of photos was hard, but making the calendar using iPhoto was really easy.  And despite my sort of crappy photo, the calendar is beautiful and looks completely professional.  Its hanging in our kitchen and always brings a smile to my face.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 5

A soon-to-be three girl household deserves three girl quilts.  Finished today, I didn’t get a chance to wash it yet, so will take more photos later.  The purple pinwheels were left over blocks from another pinwheel quilt and the directions were to throw these away!  I couldn’t stand to do so, and once I figured out how to put it together (despite having to rip the borders off one night because the blocks are cut on a bias and it was totally warped, so I had to steam and pin) this came together pretty quickly.  Pinwheels, backing, batting and binding were all things that I already had.  I did buy the border print and the stripe, but bought lots on a big sale so will have some for a future project too.

There are still a few dirty piles left, but the 12 inches of snow we had a week and a half ago is mostly gone finally!  I didn’t mind the snow, but it is nice to see some grass again.