Year of Making Stuff: Week 21

By late fall I would like to have 4 more hats to donate to the Quilt Guild for distribution to the Olcott Cancer Center and other organizations in our community.  Quilting isn’t easy to take on the road, but I think I need to remember to just take some knitting with me, as you never know when you’ll have a good opportunity.  Part of this hat was knit at Tim’s softball game.

Had a great weekend, but now looking a a few ugly days at work.  June starts tomorrow!

Strawberries and Spinach

Yum!  We picked the rest of the spinach today and the strawberries are coming in spades!  Perfect makings for a big lunch.

After harvesting the spinach and arugula, I have put in the last of the summer crops including another sweet pepper, cilantro and a canteloupe.

yARR

Yarr.  So I’ve been looking for a new pair of flats latey (well you know, in a very half-assed online sort of way) and finally came across the ones that were perfect today!  Oh, except for the fact that they were $180.  Guess I’ll keep looking.

I have the next two days off….reading, knitting, bike riding, gardening, art show visiting, party going, friend seeing, sleeping, music listening and kitty playing to commence now!

Summertime

Lest you think it is all crafts and gardens, gardens and crafts around here, I did go and watch Tim’s softball team tonight.  It was a lovely night to be out though they did lose.  And lest you think I would waste an opportunity to work on some handcrafts, I brought some knitting.

I also love the Big Picture section from boston.com (you can subscribe to their rss), but I ESPECIALLY love this set from the Cheese Rolling Tournament.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 20

I decided to make a flash tattoo t-shirt after being inspired by someone at work.  I originally had other plans in my head, but I am happy with the results and would like to play around with this a little more.  I didn’t have tracing paper (my favorite marking tool wouldn’t show up on the black) or stabilizer for embroidering on a tshirt, but think the “winging it” method actually worked best. Swallow tattoos are traditional for sailors (no really!) indicating both long voyages and returning home.

Memorial Day weekend starts early for me, but I will be interrupted with work on Sunday.  Tomorrow, though it is off to Bedford!  Yes, because we are fancy.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 19

From the book Zakka Sewing: 25 Japanese Projects for the Household by Therese Laskey, Chika Mori, and Yoko Inoue, a Christmas gift from Thiên.  Due to space constraints, we don’t have night stands, but some cube shelves that do hold books, alarms, water glasses and whatnot.  It is the whatnot that was looking a little messy.  This fabric basket came together in about an hour and was really easy to make.  It is really deep, so I may play around with the dimensions in the future, but is just right for my little space!

Tim and I bought plants today to fill in the rest of the garden.  Sunshine is in the forecast for tomorrow!

Le jardin des fleurs

Lest I complain about the rain too much, color is bursting all over our yard.  Dutch Irises, which are tiny, grow in large groups and are brilliantly colored and Peonys are the recent bloomers.  Inspired, I took some macro photos this morning.

This spring has been cool, but that means perfect bike riding weather!  I got to ride this morning before work.  I also hope the rain can hold off some this weekend so I can get some more veggies in my garden.  Its about time to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and maybe some peppers.  I would also like to plant some cilantro out there, but have trouble with it just sending up the long woody shoots and not really becoming full.  Time to research…

Reflection

Me in sunnier days last weekend in Louisville.

I am thrilled with the amount of lush greenery around these parts, but really?  With all the rain?  I could use some sunshine.  I don’t want to use the phrase brick wall, but I am needing some inspiration for new things for the Year of Making Stuff.  Maybe its time to pull out the craft books and the post-its.  Or maybe I should make a list of things I want to make.  I also have a hard time sometimes thinking that people want handmade stuff.  Anyone want anything?  (well, you know within reason)

Year of Making Stuff: Week 18

I was probably 10 when I read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and wanted to make my own origami paper cranes.  I never learned.  Fast forward 20+ years, I finally founds some instructions that made sense in a book (go figure!) and now I am a wicked paper crane maker.  These doorways lead to my sewing room and Tim’s office and until earlier today still had a snowflake garland hanging up.  Spring is here, and it was time for new decor.  It took a few tries to figure out best how to hang these suckers (fishing line, finally), but they look colorful and well, spring like.  Week 18: Paper Crane garland.

Also, for week 16:  A bookmark for Regina, complete with her favorite Simpson’s quote.

Tim and I also got to visit Ashley and  her sister in Louisville on Saturday which was a great little road trip after Tim finished his finals on Friday.  The students have (mostly) left and I am in love with Bloomington all over again.  I think it was that first summer I lived here that I truly loved this town.  And tonight a meeting about a new craft group…details to come, but I am really excited!

Also?  My sewing machine cozy ended up on the Sublime Stitching blog…check me out!

Happy Mother’s Day too!

Community Kids Quilts

Wow.  Last night over 30 quilts were donated to the Bloomington Quilters’ Guild for organizations throughout the community.  This is in addition to larger quilts for Jill’s House (for cancer treatment recovery patients and their families) and the dozen or so hats donated for the Olcott Cancer Center.  What a generous bunch.

I have an idea in my head of what to make this week, but not sure of how exactly it will work out in the end.  Off to experiment!