Wacky Wednesday: International Clothesline Week (Not Easy Being Green -5-)

I love the idea of the clothesline, the wash flapping in the summer breeze, the sun bleaching out the impurities in my linens, the fresh smell of the laundered clothes. But somehow, I never actually get out there and do it. True confession: we don't even have a clothesline in Indy. I'm not sure where we'd put it. And we tend to do our laundry at night; not too conducive to line-drying. And let's face it, if its not convenient, we more than likely won't do it.

But in researching this, and doing the math, in reality, we would only save $9 a month. (It seems like there are other things we could do that would make a bigger dent.) Honestly, it's worth it to me to use the dryer with such slim savings. Especially since I decided to practice Clothesline Week one week early, as we were up at the lake and would have the opportunity. Here's the deal: It took all afternoon (7 hours) for my clothes to be dry and then they were mostly dry. That $9.00 a month seems to be the cost of doing business with all the baby wash we do around here. I can't imagine using the line every day - and what do you do when it rains, or gets so humid your clothes won't dry?

To be frank, I'm more concerned with the impact of using all that energy on future generations. I was recently reminded of the Great Law of the Iroquois - which holds that any decision made must take into consideration the children seven generations in the future. It's a worthy world view, and high time the "white man" take this sort of thinking to heart. What will the use of all this energy mean for those people 200 years in the future? I shudder to think of what the world will look like then if we continue to use our resources as we do now. We could be bleeding ourselves into extinction.

Yeah, it's not easy being green.

The Breville Pie Maker

I'm not really the chef in these parts. I'm much more the baker. But when I saw this slick little piece of machinery for the kitchen, I was immediately struck with the benefits it would bring our family. Now, I'm not one to be all about the very specific kitchen equipment. I firmly believe that any kitchen item should have at least three good uses or be used for it's one purpose almost daily in order to be allowed admittance into our busy lives. Otherwise, I just don't have much use for it, you know?

However, this little machine just may be the answer to hours spent in the kitchen every Christmas Eve. At our house, we have a tradition of making fried pies - a recipe my grandmother developed - and that process can be very time consuming. This year, we have the luxury of this little machine. And let me tell you, we've already had success with some delicious salmon pot pies, ready in 16 minutes. My hubby the chef was extremely pleased. And everybody gets their own crust. I can't wait for my in-laws to arrive so we can do individual chicken pot pies. If the upside of having a timesaving device for the holidays is also to have a convenient way to serve up supper, I'm all for it. And all for just $80.00. Oh and family, if you're reading this, you'll need to get your own - ours is staying right where it is!

Xmas Gift Sewing (2)

My new sewing machine is getting a good initiating these days! I think I finally have the basics figured out, and this was a great, simple project to do just that.

I'm a headache sufferer, and there is nothing quite so comforting as my "happy eye pillow." I use it whenever a headache befalls me. It's essentially a silky beanbag, filled with buckwheat hulls and lavender. It smells lovely, darkens the room and puts just the right amount of pressure on my eyes. I love it.

So this Christmas, I decided to make a few of my own from Richard's old ties and some fabric scraps I had loitering about the studio. (If you are not as remiss in cleaning out your closets as we are, you could always scope out the local thrift stores for fun ties and pocket squares.) I found all the filling ingredients at my local, natural foods store - and they were all in the bulk aisle: read, nice and cheap. I estimate each Happy Eye Pillow cost me about $2.00. So not only do I have a green gift, but it was super cheap too! What could be better?

If you are looking for a pattern, check out Amanda Soule's book, Handmade Home. She recommends thrifting for vintage scarves for the outsides. I may just have to try that too!

Xmas Gift Sewing

Have I mentioned that knitting gifts this year is not going to happen? I believe I have. So while I still have the ability to sew, I thought I'd whip up a set of fleece mittens and a scarf for the guitar teacher. (Seriously, it's been a long time since I hung out with 20-something single musician guys. It was not easy to figure out what we might be able to give him this year.)

When I saw this fleece in the remnant rack at the local big-chain fabric store, I knew I was on to something. And then when I found the simplest pattern in the world for mittens (and it was free), it was a done deal. So for a whopping $7.00 we have a hand-made gift for the guitar teacher he might actually use. I love it when a plan is inspired.

Scrapbook Layout #1003

Could I be getting back into a groove? Hmm....

Ready

I am so ready for another trip to the lake. I can't wait to see family and friends and participate in all the silliness that is July 4th in our neck of the woods. Just a week left to go....

James Taylor Rings In The New Year

Happy New Year All! I love this song. It's exactly how the new year makes me feel. And that James Taylor sings it? Perfect. Enjoy. And my your 2010 bring all the best to you this year.

Poncho Twins

I had this crazy notion this year that I would knit about a hundred Christmas gifts. Ok, really, I thought I'd knit about sixteen (seriously, you don't have to remind me of how crazy this is). But when you get started in October, this is a little much, even if it does feel like you have plenty of time -- especially when you are still knitting projects for Etsy orders.

Nevertheless, I did manage to get about six gifts knit (and an amazing 3 more Etsy items) in that time frame, one of them being this huge and lovely poncho for my adorable sister. I had this inkling that she needed one after a weekend at the lake this fall when she was loath to return mine. She wore it practically the whole weekend - she may have even slept in it, I'm not sure.

So I asked (very stealthily -- like saying, if I did knit you a poncho....) what colors she might like, and then went to work. I love it almost as much as I love mine! And if I haven't said so before, I'll say right now that I LOVE Cascade 220 merino. There is nothing as wonderful for the price. Nothing. And of course, I love having what feels like tons of left over wool from this project. I've already churned out a really great basic scarf with some of it.

If you need the pattern for this fabulous (and insanely easy) poncho, you can find it in Odd Ball Knitting (which I happened to pick up at Half Price Books). It's the I-80 poncho. It calls for a lot of yarn, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat! I also think it'd be really cool with a bunch of different textrued yarns, but that would involve a LOT of swatch knitting which I am sure I would never do.

So there you are, two poncho girls in the new-fallen snow. We had a very merry Christmas, indeed.

Sew Cute Rocket

Since we are safely out of the gifting portion of the holiday season (at least in my family) I'll show you a couple of fun things a whipped up for Christmas this year. The first will be this little stuffed rocket that just happened into my studio. Along with a fabric order I placed this fall from Etsy, I received a fat quarter of this rocket ship fabric. (One of the things I love about Etsy is that sellers will often send little extras with your purchase!) I wasn't sure at first what I would do with it, but I knew that whatever became of it, it would go to my nephew Matthew who is ga-ga over any and all things space related.

Never having put a "stuffie" together before, I was seriously winging it. But I loved the end result. It was very close to the vision I originally had. And now I know a few things about making a 3-D object from fabric that I didn't know before! I would seriously appreciate any tips you have about stuffing the wings of something like this. The polyfil did not want to stay down in the points. Nevertheless, I was quite happy with this cute little rocket, for a cute little rocket man.

Merry Christmas Everyone

New Christmas Song to Love

I love Sarah Groves. She is absolutely honest about her faith and her feelings. I can so relate. She has a Christmas Album out with a fabulous song: Toy Packaging. If you haven't heard it, you really must. The song should play automatically when you read this but, just in case, you can download it from the link below. Enjoy!

Toy Packaging

Gingerbread Tradition

This year we skipped the usual tradition of making gingerbread houses over Thanksgiving weekend. Mostly because I just forgot all about it. And perhaps it was for the best this year, as the kit I bought was a set of 5 miniature houses. (I can't stress this enough - to give you some perspective, the angel on the left there is about 7 inches tall.) When we opened them up a week or so later, we were confused. It seemed like we didn't have all the pieces. We did. Some of them were just the width of my finger. Yeah.

Now that all is said and done, they really are cute. But I had no idea how difficult they would be to assemble. Small does not equal easy. Nevertheless, here they are perched on our mantle. I've decided I really like them (but not enough to do it again next year).

NPRs Christmas Gift

I just reloaded my Christmas play list into my iPod. First, you have to know that I don't live and die with music. That's my husband, my friends Amy and Elaine and several other very talented people I know. But I do love Christmas music. I am sentimental by nature and the very thought of Christmas music lightens my heart (but NOT before Thanksgiving Day -- I'm very strict about that).

As I was with my father, on a trip home from getting some emergency tree-trimming items (namely wine and new tree lights - in that order) my favorite Christmas story popped up on the iPod. It brought us both to tears. It just isn't Christmas until I've heard it. It's John Henry Faulk's Christmas Story. I call it the Striped-y Candy Story, for reasons understood once you listen. If you've never heard it, you simply must. You can find it on NPR's website, right here. It's the perfect start to my Christmas season. It sums up what it used to be like for my family and why I love the Christmas season so much.

Advent Calendar Tutorial

Yesterday I posted about the advent calendar I put together for our family.

Here's how I did it:

1. I measured the Ghiradelli square to see what size my pocket would need to be, and added enough allowance for seams (about an extra 1/4 inch all around). I cut out a template for cutting out the squares.
2. I then measured the spacing I would need between, under and above each pocket (essentially I eyeballed it, but it was about 1/2" between & 1" under each pocket) and determined the dimensions of the background. To that I added an extra inch on each side, top and bottom. (I cut out two of these pieces so that the front and back looked polished.)
3. I found a dowel rod in the studio and looped a piece of fabric around it to determine how much height I would need to make the pocket for the dowel rod. Again, I added an inch to that for seam allowance.
4. I cut out all the pieces and sewed the front piece and back piece to the rod-pocket piece only.
5. I also pressed the seam allowances in on all the pockets and sewed a finishing seam on the top edge of each pocket.

6. I then printed out numbers at 212 pt on cardstock to use as a template for the pocket numbers; I then traced these and cut them out of fabric scraps. I used iron-on tape to adhere them to the pocket fronts.
7. I pressed the bottom hem on the calendar front and back pieces so I was certain of the "top and bottom margins" of the front piece.
8. Once all the pockets were prepared, I pinned them on the front piece, making sure all the spaces were even and remembering to take into account the side seam allowances of the front piece.

9. I sewed around the sides and bottoms of all the pockets.
10. Then, I turned everything so that the wrong sides were facing and sewed up the sides of the calendar, stopping just before the rod pocket piece.
11. Turning everything right sides out, I folded in the sides of the rod pocket to match the side seams, and hemmed the bottom to tidy it up.
12. Now it's time to slip in the rod and tie a ribbon to it so it can be hung up, filled, and enjoyed!

Fabric Notes:

The solid red pockets are made from an old T-shirt. I used the bottom hem of the t-shirt as the top edge of the pockets -- on less edge to finish!

Green pockets are Hobby Lobby's Brother and Sister brand quilting cotton.

Red Gingham was a remnant I purchased -- also quilting cotton.

Numbers are all made from felt, the t-shirt mentioned above, or scraps from the back piece of the calendar.

Special thanks to Crafty Kathleen over at Etsy for the birdy fabric I used as the front of the calendar. It's to die for!

Back piece of calendar was another fabric remnant in red ticking.

New Advent Calendar

It all started with a Ghiradelli square. Well, if you really want to know the truth, it all started because I seem to have misplaced a very large wooden box, with little doors that opened to reveal the surprise for each day, that used to be our advent calendar. How that happened I can't begin to imagine, I mean, it's really big. We've used it in the past and I am sure it's around here somewhere, but despite an all-out-call-in-the-bloodhounds search, I can't find it.

And of course, I prepared and purchased all the items I'd need for the other calendar before I went looking to be sure we actually had it. Of course I did. And, of course, we were already 5 days into the advent season without the calendar because we are just that sort of family. One little boy was about to be very disappointed.

But have no fear -- mama is here! I quickly gathered my scraps of fabric (and the Ghiradelli squares for moral support -- I mean to measure the pockets needed) and went to work. And this:

is what resulted.

I have to say I am pleased as punch about this little beauty. Being the overachiever that I am, I knew I could have whipped up something simpler, but I would have to look at it all month and know that it isn't at all what I really wanted. So I spent the day working on something a little more substantial, and I am SOOO glad I did!

I'll have the tutorial up tomorrow if you want to put one of these bad boys together yourself. Merry Christmas!

Postcard

It's Finally Happening

I'm a sucker for the holidays. All of them. I love family and I love tradition and when the two collide, I just can't help myself. I get gushy. And it's finally starting to feel like the holidays around here. Family has started to arrive, lights are going up around the neighborhood, projects are getting finished, meals are being planned, photos are being taken, and the best smells are starting to fill the house.

We'll be in a mad rush soon, but for now, I am enjoying the peacefulness of it all, and the joy of anticipation. I couldn't ask for more.

The Christmas List

I just realized that it is 2 1/2 weeks till Thanksgiving, and that means 6 1/2 weeks till Christmas (!) and I have decided to knit about 100 items for Christmas gifts. [Ok, it's more like a dozen (unless you count items that come in pairs as individual items, but that might make me have a panic attack, so we'll call it a dozen), but it's starting to overwhelm me just a bit.] I have to stop saying yes to projects for other folks! (someone help me learn to say no.)

I spent the whole day yesterday working on a gift - it's a biggie. I think if I can mentally get over the hurdle of finishing that gift, the rest will seem more doable, more likely to get finished and wrapped and sent before Christmas. And I do have that gift larder that isn't nearly as full as I'd like, but still -- there are a few items in there too. Then again, I may have to reconsider and hit Etsy for some alternatives. One day a time.

Happy Halloween!

We did it! We got our ghostbuster together and out the door for tricks and treats last night! And it was certainly a family affair. Here's the final project:

I sewed this jumpsuit together using a Buttericks pattern intended for an animal costume. I used muslin and I like the way it turned out. It's thin, but for a costume for one night, it's perfect.

Daddy put the proton pack together. He found these awesome warning labels specific to the ghostbusters that we ran through the printer on sticker paper. We certainly "upcycled" a bunch of things with this part of the costume. It incorporates an old box we spray painted, a frisbee, an old vacuum hose, a marshmallow gun, and some random plastic pieces that were bound for the landfill. It was all attached to a backpack we velcroed into the box. Not the easiest contraption we've ever built, but a really great effect in the end.

And of course, Hayes insisted that we have the googles that Dan Aykroyd wore in the film. I converted a pair of party-favor sunglasses and some old spools into a semblance of the googles. It met the expectation and that's all I can ever hope for. Not too bad, eh?

And you can see the iron-on patch that we created, again, with the printer and iron-on paper. You can't see it here, but he also has a name patch like these guys. Without the patches, it just wouldn't have conveyed the same image.

Over all, it was a very successful halloween. Hoping yours was as fun as ours!

Who Ya Gonna Call?

I first want to say in the clear light of day, I never intended to make a costume for my child for halloween. I mean really -- they sell this costume. Well, they claim to sell this costume. And if you're an organized and calendar-attentive woman, you might actually order the costume before it is completely sold out in the Western Hemisphere. But I am not this woman. I never have been (I spent years faking it but have since come to terms with myself).

Yes, my child has decided to be a Ghostbuster. You know, those guys who captured paranormal apparitions in the 80s. I repeat, the 80s. How in the hell are they sold out now!?! Is there some Ghostbuster revival afoot for which I have had my head in the sand? Are the 80s so much in vogue that this B movie with big names and a vacuous plot are the it thing? Apparently, there is a run on Ghostbusters this halloween. If you see 100s of them marching on your neighborhood, don't say I didn't warn you.

And try finding a pattern for an 8-year-old body at the local fabric store which might in any way resemble a ghost-busting jumpsuit. The week before halloween. Not pretty. But being the determined mother I am, and no stranger to procrastination, I prevailed. (And I didn't even have to throw any elbows at the cutting table). I will be turning this animal jumpsuit (Butterick's 3238) into a Ghostbuster of 80s proportions. I swear I will. The right fabric, a little iron-on transfer paper....Watch out phantoms -- we're coming after you!