The Bakery

Hello, readers! Did you miss me? I hadn't intended a nearly three week blog break right after I came back from my vacation but that's what happened. It turns out it was much needed though because I was sewing exhausted! I have a habit of turning my sewing "want to dos" into "have to dos". In the process I forget this is supposed to be my way of relaxing. And thus enters crafter's fatigue. But I'm back and feeling refreshed and inspired to create.

My first creations all come from my bakery.

First up, a trio of savory baked goods. Topping the cooling rack is oatmeal molasses bread. This bread is fabulous because it requires very little kneading and no raising but is packed full of flavor. Below the bread you'll find two kinds of scones: chipotle-cheddar scones and cornmeal, jalapeno, and fresh corn scones. I love savory scones as an addition to light luches or dinners so these were popped in the freezer for whenever they're needed.

I couldn't leave out the most important meal of the day so granola had to be made. Breakfast now involves the great dilemma of either power granola (the fuzzy picture on the left) or my own creation of almond, coconut & ginger granola (the fuzzy picture on the right). Of course, this is the only kind of dilemma I could possibly handle at 6am so I had to make sure it was a win/win. And win I did!

Oh, it's good to be back!

Fashion forward

Remember the dress and matching kitty that I made for my niece last month? My sister-in-law sent me this photo of the little fashionista wearing her ensemble. And she is quite particular about what she wears, so I'm honored that she agreed to put this on. I love that my sister-in-law paired the jumper with some brown leggings, it really brings the original outfit into the present day. The cuteness, it's killing me.

Knitting is my new superpower

I was inspired by this week's superhero photo challenge to take some fun shots of myself modelling my new hand warmers. Hand warmers that I knit from the pattern in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts using some ancient Briggs & Little wool that I found in my knitting basket (I rarely knit, yet it seems that I am hoarding yarn). After my last marathon knitting project I needed something quick and easy to get my confidence back. These were definitely the ticket: I completed the pair in three evenings. They were a hit with my husband too and I had to make a run to my local knitting shop to get some Sublime cashmere silk to make him a pair in his requested color of sage green. One is done and it is sooo soft and yummy that I might need a pair too.

Last week I also received Knitting for Baby and have already completed a pair of the stay-on baby booties that I saw on Soulemama. This is my first "practice" pair and I have to say that this pattern gets an A+ for clear instructions and ease. Looking through the book I think it's actually got a lot of cute patterns that look quick and easy and I'm definitely going to try others. Their how-to-knit instructions and diagrams are also very helpful, I can see a novice knitter picking up this book and learning to knit without much frustration. Definitely a winner.

Squam update coming. I'm still processing the experience of the day and photos.

Off to start my superhero life

I'm awake at a the crack of dawn to drive into the depths of New Hampshire to attend the last day of the SQUAM art workshop and then the art fair in Sandwich this evening. It feels like the first day of something new: I'm excited and and a little bit nervous. After all, it's art camp and I've never considered myself to be an artist. Plus, I'll be learning from a long admired writer/photographer/blogging superhero which seems unreal and amazing. I've got my lunch packed, changes of clothes for all possible weather conditions and my favorite driving music loaded in the CD changer. Well, the sun is coming up, so off I go. Check back tomorrow for a trip report, I predict there will be photos.

What I did on summer vacation

Admired my quilts in action (which were also great for napping outside in the sun).

Took in the beautiful scenery.

Played many, many games of Scrabble.

Helped make a life sized paper doll of Little Miss Lou. (We also made menus so we could play restaurant. Her prices are very reasonable unless you want Happy Pie - that's $36)

Ate more than should be consumed in a week's time. Not pictured are the four pies, pan of brownies, bags of caramel corn, and countless s'mores devoured.

Thanks to my favorite brother-in-law for some of these fab shots!

The 24 hour sweater

Remember this? It's the placket neck sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts that I started last October, intending to give as a Christmas gift. I finally finished it a few weeks ago, after having put it aside for six months when I realized that (a) I didn't understand the directions for attaching the sleeves to the body, and (b) I wasn't going to have it finished in time for Christmas. It turns out I panicked on the directions thing, because when I finally sat down and followed them, it was embarrassingly easy. As in not difficult at all and I was only four hours away from finishing it last December and could totally have made the Christmas deadline. Ahem.

Also, the observant among you will note that the sweater is from the 4-6 hour section of the book. It took me 20-24 hours to knit this, and that's not counting weaving in all the loose ends and putting on the buttons. I know I am slow knitter, but could it really have taken me 6 times longer than the average person to complete this project? I have made several sweaters (adult and child), knitted toys and scarves and they all took me a really long time. And, although I enjoy the rhythm of it, I worry constantly about whether or not I'm on the right row and increasing or decreasing in the correct places, which requires my full attention. How does one become a faster knitter (in particular, a fast knitter who can talk or watch TV while knitting)?

On the bright side, I am really please with how it turned out (the right size! no visible mistakes!) and now I have a handmade gift ready for giving. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn which I loved working with; it's so soft and supple. Plus, it's washable, which is key for a child's garment in my opinion. I'm going to give the pattern another try and see if it goes faster the second time around. Oh, and I'm going to make it a size larger, just in case.

LilySea love

Allow me to introduce you to my new favorite necklace that I wore everywhere this summer. And by everywhere, I mean it went with me to Sarajevo, to Chicago, to Maine (twice) and to Canada. It was made by the lovely and talented Shannon from LilySea Designs who also made my wedding jewelry. So pretty and versatile - I love it.

Back to School

I have always loved back to school time. Every year I'd plot the perfect school supplies. Should I use notebooks and folders? Or maybe binders with loose leaf paper and tabbed dividers? Pencils or pens or both? Backpack or tote or the underarm carry? Oh, yes, it was a joyful time for this organizational geek.

Here's how I'd go back to school now, handmade etsy style.

Clockwise from top left: Market tote by fangobbles, Sakura-small change purse by takae, recycle-reduce-reuse lunch tote by justotes, silver mod squares notebook by boundto

Embossed fabric

A couple of weeks ago we had a Funky & Delightful outing to a Paper Source workshop. Tory and I attended the inaugural Girls' Night Out workshop last summer and loved, loved, loved it. I mean, really, who wouldn't enjoy a night of crafting plus cocktails? When we heard that at this year's event one of the crafts would be a fabric printing technique, we were sold and even managed to convince our friend Val to come along.

We were given an organic cotton tote bag, a selection of stamps, inks and embossing powders and let loose. The technique itself is pretty simple: stamp your design on the fabric and then immediately cover with embossing powder (the ink must be wet). Brush off the excess and use a heat tool to melt the powder. Trial and error (and watching other people) taught us that large stamps and more contrast between the fabric and ink colors is the most effective. I also found I had to put lots of ink on the stamp and press hard onto the fabric to transfer enough color. You can see my first stamp on the bottom left and how much lighter it is than my subsequent prints.

The only thing I wasn't crazy about was that the totes we were using were a little rough, giving the stamped designs a slightly smudged look. I think using a higher thread count fabric like a cotton sateen might alleviate this and also potentially provide more contrast. But the potential for personalized fabric designs is there, and using paper stamping supplies I already own. I'll let you know how it turns out.