Spring Weekend Getaway

I am getting ready to go to Savannah tomorrow to celebrate Regina’s BIG birthday.  I am really looking forward to a weekend getaway, seeing friends, and visiting a new city, and in the process hoping that Tim gets lots of quiet time to finish up his semester.  But maybe he could also squeeze in some time to plant these snow peas too!  I haven’t had a lot of experience growing from seeds, but these guys are finally up and ready to go.

In Year of Making Stuff…I may just have to make TWO things next week and call it even.  I was going to pack my knitting, but forgot it at work.

Also?  Friends make you healthier.  Not just in mind, but also body.  Who knew?

Year of Making Stuff: Week 15

So the Year of Making Stuff isn’t limited to crafts and such, it can also be food.  Didn’t you know,  I also make the rules.  So, today I laboriously made candied citrus peel.   The result?  A great big sweetly sarcastic Thanks-A-Lot to Martha Stewart.  The recipe (which  won’t even bother to link to.  You know how to use google) called for grapefruits, oranges OR lemons.  No mention of limes, but she DOESN’T say to NOT use limes.  So I used limes with my grapefruit, and I can tell you that LIMES ARE BAD for this particular endeavor.  Too bitter.  And because I cooked them with the sweet sweetness of the grapefruit, I think the whole batch is a wee bit too bitter to really enjoy.  They look pretty though, right?

I also got a new tattoo yesterday and am now off to plant some baby spinach before the rains come tonight!

Year of Making Stuff: Week 14

What with all the gardening around here and at the library, this week’s YoMS is sort of lame.  I was really curious about The Big Ass Book of Crafts, so finally it came in at the library and was less than inspired.  Many of the projects are creative, but the main ingredients seems to be popscicle sticks (yep) and rope.  Neither of which I am interested in using.  But he has some cool Day of the Dead light switchplate covers, so I thought I would give it a shot.  I don’t know if it is the images I chose (I was trying to just use what I had on hand), or what, but I am feeling fairly meh about them.  I probably didn’t have the right glue either, but now buying the right supplies may be moot unless I fall in love with another image.

I also spent time this weekend in the Library’s community organic veggie garden, lovingly called Monroe County BookWorm Farms.  So far we have planted peas, arugula, spinach, kale, swiss chard, thyme, lemon balm, walking onions, chives, broccoli and some bok choy like veggie I can’t remember the name.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 13

Just in under the wire on this one, I finished the binding tonight after work.  It is in the wash right now and will be taken to be donated at the Tuesday meeting for the Bloomington Quilters’ Guild Community Quilts.  Other than the batting ($5 with my 40% off coupon), everything is made from what I had on hand.  I think I bought the fish fabric several years ago for Gina’s second boy.

I am not going to complain about the possibility of snow coming up next week.  I had a great weekend and the weather was perfect on Friday and Saturday.  I got to hang out at Jenn’s (doing mad libs…who knew so much fun as adult?), go to the first outdoor Farmer’s Market of the season with Tim, worked in my garden, and planted early crops at the library community garden.  After shopping at the Farmer’s Market and seeing all the cool names the farms have that sell there, I was thinking our little garden needs a name.  What do you think of Monroe County BookWorm Farms?

Year of Making Stuff: Week 12

I ran across scherenschnitte on Angry Chicken’s blog (you can see some in her banner) and thought to give it a try, especially since I love cutting paper snowflakes.  Scherenschnitte isn’t only fun to say, but it is also the art of paper cutting, and there are both Northern/Eastern European traditions and also some from the Chinese.  I have been trying a few different methods, including some folded designs (shamrocks and pineapples) and flat paper cutting, like the carp above, using both scissors and a craft knife.  I think with practice, I could get better and there  are some more designs in the library books I checked out I’d like to try.   The library book says that the Chinese carp is a symbol for good luck and determination, so this little fish has found a home in Tim’s office as he gets through the rest of the semester.

I had a lovely weekend, with getting to briefly hang out with Stephanie, seeing Meagan’s art show and then visiting with Suzy, Donal and Lily all weekend.  Mark, Emily and Marinn also drove down for a quick trip.  We had a grand time, despite the crappy weather.  Maybe Lily remembers the Chinese word for red?

Year of Making Stuff: Week 11

I found this fabric in a big panel at Goodwill and decided to make pjs.  I love a good pair of pj pants, but often can’t find any cute ones that are long enough.  The solution?  Make them!  The pattern I used was fairly easy, but I think I will have to fix the waist band in the future.  Making clothes just isn’t my calling, but these are comfy, if a little funky.  Tim is already calling them curtain pants.

Maybe if he is lucky, I will make him a pair of Cubs pjs.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 10

Back in November, I started drafting this quilt and shopped for just the right purple fabrics through December.  Sewing took place through January, and I had it professionally quilted in February.  Today I finished by adding a little more than 400 inches of  binding.

This quilt is a generous queen sized, and made from a heavily adapted Julie Popa pattern in the March/April 2008 Fons and Porter magazine.  The wide borders are a really smooth cotton sateen fabric that is a beautiful rich purple color which was sort of hard to photograph.  I am really happy with how it came out and after a quick wash it will go in our bedroom.  This is the fourth quilt I’ve made for us, and I might just like this one best!

YoMS: Week 9 Update

When the Oscar bet came up, I knew I would make a sock monkey.  I’ve never made one before, and Ashley is a big fan.  She is also fancy.  So it seemed logical to make a fancy sock monkey.  Pretty easy, but the only thing I would do differently is figure out a way to mask the light stuffing inside the dark sock which shows through.  I hope she’s arrived safely.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 9

Ashley and I tied this year for our Oscar picks.  So each person has to make a handmade item as a surprise prize and I finished this today.  I will mail sometime this week and reveal the full photo.  I won’t say too much, but it was my first so I guess wonkiness is expected.

I also went to the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show this weekend here in Bloomington and was slightly disappointed.  Or maybe it just didn’t appeal to me directly.  I only bought two fat quarters and one 1/2 yard of fabric.  I must look somewhere else for inspiration.

Speaking of inspiring, tiny purple crocuses are finally up and blooming!  That little  bit of color is really needed after a brown and grey winter.

Year of Making Stuff: Week 8

Thanks to the Oscars, I was able to start and finish a knitted hat in a week.  That is pretty good for me, as I am not a great knitter and hadn’t even picked up the needles in about a year.  But this hat will join three others to be donated on Tuesday to a member of our quilt guild who collects knitted, crocheted and sewn hats for several local groups in our community, including local schools and The Olcott Cancer center.  I have casted on another one, but who knows when that will be finished.