Food Craft

One of the things I've been spending a lot of time doing while home is baking. I've been working a lot on yeast breads, something that I never felt like doing when I had many things to accomplish in a weekend. Unfortunately, my experiments with sourdough starter were just not that satisfying. I started the starter from a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook recipe, and while I did make about 4 loaves out of it, it just wasn't that sourdough-y tasting and then as it sat on my my counter longer, it sort of became a burden and then, eventually, a smelly mess. So I tossed it yesterday and plan to return to Sarah E-Y's wheat bread recipe and some of the white country bread loaves that I've been baking as well. I also bought some spelt flour, so I'll need to do something with that pronto.

I haven't been doing any sewing, which I thought I would be. Yesterday, I finally decided to make some french fries for Nora's play kitchen, so I did do some felt handsewing, and I've got a bunch of felted sweaters that need to be re-made, so perhaps I'll get something done with those. Anyone have any bread recipes they love and want to share? Send them too me! Especially those using wheat flour or spelt.

Here's the french fries complete with ketchup (I didn't make the ketchup bottle, it's from Melissa and Doug).

Craft Books

Unfortunately, I tend to spend more time thinking about crafting than actually crafting. Part of it is that I need to feel really confident before I cut into the fabric horde and part of it is that I'm really lazy. Oh and I need to clean my room to get to the sewing machine. Anyway, I found two books lately that are great providing inspiration.

Zakka Sewing

Zakka is Japanese for household goods and this book has a lot of ideas for making cute everyday things around the home. Of course that squirrel tea cozy on the cover is exactly why I checked it out from the library, plus there is a ton of zakka type items on Etsy that I continuously drool over.

Cool Spaces For Kids

Is this really fun book that looks at how to develop kid space in areas both large and small, indoors and out. I love the projects in this book because they look so fresh. Some of them are diy constructions of items I've seen in kids catalogues that cater to the Waldorf set and some are just beautiful alternatives to the commercialized kids decor that seems to be invading our planet.

In the midst of this crafty creativity, my mom dug out an old Better Homes and Gardens Treasury of Needlecraft book that was stuck in her bookcase from 1982.

It was really interesting to see the resurgence of some of the projects in this book. They could easily come out of an Etsy shop now (appliqued owls and rainbows, stylized creche figures for Christmas, patchwork place mats, modern stuffed animals). While the photography was really cluttery-country and dated, I was still amazed that there were many projects that if taken out of their backdrop context would be very au courant. Still I don't see me making that doily appliqued quilt or the old school afghan made from day-glo poly-blend yarn.

Spur of the Moment

Last weekend, while packing for the Memphis trip, I realized that we'd lost our little factory made ipod cozy. It was sort of crappy anyway, but I didn't like hauling it around with minimal protection. So this weekend, in and effort to put off cleaning out the bathroom, packing, or freaking out about this upcoming week, I decided to whip up a little ipod cozy. I'd been thinking about how to do it for awhile (sometimes it takes awhile for me to get my head around things). I had done some research earlier, and I ended up sort of following this tutorial, with regards to the lining. I've been doing these button cover hair thingies, so they got incorporated too. All in all, I'm quite pleased with it, and it gave me an excuse to use one of my favorite fabrics and to reuse an old pair of pants that had worn out (for the lining - faux velvet is nice for cushioning) as well as an old receiving blanket of Nora's for the batting layer. It took me less than an hour since I had everything on hand and the sewing machine seems to be permanently out, and I'm really happy with the final result. Here's how it turned out:

The claspy thing at the top, is basically two upholstery buttons that I covered with a hair elastic slipped through the shank of one of them. It can be "buttoned" around the other so the ipod doesn't slip out.

I recovered some more buttons and added the hair elastics for Nora's pigtails. I'm so pleased I've figured out how to do this. I've seen these at craft shows for about $5 a pair and up, and this is a great way to use up fabric scraps and it's not really that expensive to make, especially since mom picked up a bunch of button covers at a store clearance. If I were super crafty and super matchy I could make an outfit to match the ponytail holders. But I'm not, so she'll just have to go with these.

Being Crafty

Thanks to Carol, I now know that this is National Craft Month, and thanks to Laura I have crafts to share! Last Saturday (yes, I know that was still Feb, but don't get too particular) she hosted a Bitch and Stitch and Cheila, Natascha and I attended. There was wonderful food, conversation, and thanks to the sublime Jenny Hart at Sublime Stitching, we had some modern embroidery to do.

I don't really have a good history with finishing embroidery projects. I started a small table cloth while in Germany and it's still not finished. I bought some of the Sublime Stitching patterns way back when we lived on S. Grand, and I never used them. Fortunately, this occasion offered the opportunity and the time need to complete a project (I would have worked on the tablecloth, but it's packed away someplace). I used the woodland friends pattern and stitched up this hedgehog on a vintage handkerchief.


Although, I'm inspired by N's adding some toadstools to the hem of a skirt and next I think I might take on something like that because it was so adorable. I also finally got around to covering some buttons with scrap fabric to make some hair bobs for Nora (and Laura and myself as it turned out). I don't have pics of those, but I might post them later.

When I got home, I was so inspired that on Sunday (I know, still not March), I finally, after 30 years of using this sewing machine, I worked up the nerve to change out the stitching feet and play around with other stitches (zig zag, smocking, etc.). Then I jazzed up an old tote bag that was laying around the house with an obnoxious logo from some company. Here's the result. I think my Great Aunt Minnie had a dress made out of this material (getting into Mom's fabric stash as been a great deal of fun).

Yes, I know that pocket is a bit lopsided, but it's really hard to run a pre-made bag through the sewing machine without sewing the bag shut.
On the back, I appliqued some circles using some new stitches. Again, it's sloppy, but I'm fine with that.

This month is so crazy, I don't know that I'll get any more crafting done, but I'm hoping Laura will organize another night in April. I've got all sorts of things I want to try next.

what's been cooking

This weekend I got to try some long awaited recipes and returned to some old favorites. Friday night I made the incredibly addictive Hot Glazed Tempeh from Veginomicon. I can not tell you how much I love this recipe. I crave this stuff, but since really only Jason and I like it, I don't make it that often. Alongside the tempeh we had baked sweet potatoes, cornbread (I got to try out the little corn cob cast iron pan that I got for Christmas), and a black eyed pea/greens soup that I had frozen from New Years. It was super delish. Plus maybe those black eyed peas gave us extra luck for 2010.

Sunday, Todd and Natascha came to brunch, so I had an audience for my experiment, the Italian Feast "sausage" from Vegan Brunch. I also test kitchened the Chocolate Stout waffles and made a batch of the raised waffles (we had tried those Christmas Day), both of these are also in Vegan Brunch. I really love that book. Every recipe I've tried from it has been a keeper. I will definitely be making both of the waffles and the fauxage (as Todd calls it) again. Though next time I think I'll try the choritzo variation.

I wish I could say I got more done this weekend. I needed to change the sheets on the bed, do laundry, and about a gazillion other things, but it just didn't happen. Nora and I did make valentines for the grandparents though, so at least I'm ahead of schedule on that.

Small World

I just had a strange incident. I was looking for an artist that was at a craft festival earlier this year so I looked at the festival's website. Bizarrely, I'm in the photo at the top of the page. I was there for just a short while, but somehow I got captured.

Projects in progress

Well, actually I completed one of them. Here's the ottoman before & after:





The baskets actually have been more challenging. I've only gotten one done, although I did cut out another one, so hopefully, I'll have it finished before I head to Carol's this weekend. I decided to re-purpose the hook and loop on the inside tabs of the baskets, which is taking longer than I wanted to remove it from the old ones. But they really were getting manky (see the green ones below) and now that N is finally out of diapers, I'm looking forward to re-doing this changing table. Maybe we'll even get a place for all her hair bands and things too, so they aren't scattered all over the house.

The before on the changing table (with one new basket)


And that basket close up. Clearly, this one is not perfect, I'm hoping I'll improve as I go through this. The corners are a lot more tricky than on the ottoman, due to the sloped sides. But I really love this fabric, it's Country Fair from Denyse Schmidt and it's on clearance over here through today, as is the above fabric which is Coreopsis from Amy Butler's August Fields line.

CPSIA Goes Into Effect Today, RIP Handmade Toys

It is ironic that the same day the Senate is poised to sign the Economic Stimulus Bill is the same day that the day the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act takes effect. While I'm very much in favor of the intent behind this legislation, this act is unfortunately shutting down independent US (and Canadian) made children's toys and clothing manufactures as we speak. We’ll still have Mattel and all that crap from China but we won’t have handcrafted toys, like my daughter’s wooden play kitchen, which was made in New Hampshire by a honest-to-God cabinet-maker and sealed with a hand-rubbed all-natural beeswax finish, because apparently we can’t write a bill that offers exemptions to these types of toy manufacturers. You know, the toys that have stood the test of time, the toys that we all claim we wish kids still played with, well there has been an explosion of these types of toy producers on the internet through websites like Etsy and Hyena Cart and other handmade sites over the last 5 years. Unfortunately, these sellers tend to be small (like one employee small) and in business both because they love to make things with their hands and also because they need to make ends meet. Sometimes they work other jobs, sometimes they are lucky enough to make a product that has captured the attention of enough people to support themselves and their families from their efforts. These are the same folks who can’t afford to pay the thousands of dollars worth of lead testing that the act requires. However they are also the same manufactures who do the research to make sure the products they use are safe and since they are making them in their homes primarily from natural, non-toxic raw materials, they are safe. While there was a last minute dispensation for libraries and used clothing stores to give Congress a year to figure out if the act should apply to them (and I don’t think it should), Congress did not make that same dispensation cover the thousands of small business people who use non-toxic, natural materials to make quality children's toys and clothes. The big toy importers who pay sweatshop rates to impoverished adults and children over seas will be able to pay for the testing of all the plastic junk they import, but already, shops are closing on the handmade sites and the rest of us are struggling to find the black market where we can continue to buy the toys and clothes we love or we’ll have to make it ourselves. When are we going to get something right in this country?

Mad for Matryoshka

The past year there's been an increasing number of Matryoshka items appearing in the craft world, especially Etsy. I predict that this will soon overtake the owl/bird popularity, especially in kids market. I actually quite like the little dolls. Someone told me that they symbolize fertility, which makes sense in a way, but in any case I think they are cute without all the representational baggage. Nora is into little creatures lately (the fox family has been a great hit) and likes to carry little animals and people around and tell them stories. So I've had my eye on several Matryoshka stuffies for Valentines Day. But really I can't afford the ones I liked so much, and I really wanted a pair (either mama/baby or big sister/little sister). So I figured I could make one myself - it's not like there's a lack of fabric in this combined house - both Mom and I are fabric hoarders. So I found a couple of rough patterns on line yesterday and proceeded. Here's the pattern I used for the larger doll (I made a few changes - mainly felt for the face) and the smaller doll I just free handed the pattern. I'm not totally happy with the final - I wish I had used pink for her cheeks and lips and I wish the pocket weren't so tight, but all it all, I'm satisfied. Maybe I'll make some more if Nora loves these two.


That pink floral fabric has been in my mother's stash since I was a baby. In fact, there is a little dress cut out of the fabric that she never sewed up for me. I think Nora is too big for it now, but I might still might make it up, since it's already cut and everything, maybe she can wear it as a top. I'm glad that some of the fabric has actually gotten used after all this time, even if it is less than 3 inches square. I also found a whole bunch of patterns from my childhood - some of them mom had used for making my clothes, and some were never cut. I'm debating trying a few of them out on Nora (we certainly have enough fabric) but I'm also a little concerned about how they might turn out - several involve set in sleeves and pin-tucks, and I'm not really known for my patience and precision in sewing. Given how much she adores dresses, I really should give it a try.

Sewing Continued

This week I finally got around to dealing with the window in Nora's room. Here's the curtains I "made". Actually it's a shower curtain that I cut down the middle and hemmed up. I really like the way it turned out and it works in the room.
Here's the pattern close up - yeah it's toile-y but Nora really likes birds.
This morning Nora astounded us by telling my dad there was a woodpecker outside, he looked and sure enough, it was. My girl knows her birds! One of my favorite things in Nora's room is this quilt that my mom's aunt made in the 60s or 70s. I really love it so much.
On of the things that makes is so great (in addition to all the retro fabrics and crazy quilt strips) is the fabulous fabric backing it-

SHEEP! All the better for counting when you want to go to sleep. Someday I hope to make a quilt as fabulous. The rest of Nora's room is still a work in progress.
She's got way too many toys, but some of them are really mine - like that FP boat and farm and the doll house was my mom's, then mine, and now Nora's.
She's also got too many books, just like her parents. She's talking to the fox family here in these photos, but I have no idea what she's whispering in their ears.

Snow Day

Today I'm home since it's been sleeting and snowing since last night. But I've been really busy. It seems like snow days are the only days I really get things done. This morning, Nora and I went out and helped Grand Marshall clear the sidewalk and driveway. Nora is such a snow baby, it seems like the cold never bothers her and we were ready to go in long before she was.

We came in for a snack of pretzels and cocoa. The pretzels were some we made this weekend from Vegan Lunch Box, but really they taste best when they are hot.
This afternoon, Grammy put Nora down for a nap and I got to work on a project I've been wanting to do for years. Jason's office chair was banished to the garage at the last house, and the deal we struck for bringing it in here was that I got to recover it. Here's the before (actually middle, I had disassembled it to figure out how to best make the cover)

and you can see that it was uglier than Jason's soccer shirts, but at least it was pretty easy to recover. On the bottom I just stapled onto over the old fabric with that Amy Butler pattern (I think it's called "coriander") that I bought last year. The top I had to slipcover since the metal brace was not removable from the back. Now we have another problem:
I like it so much I want to keep it for myself. Don't you think it matches my new file cabinet well?

Get Your Craft On

I missed the Rock and Roll Craft Show last weekend, due to the move and illness, but I'll be heading out to the Big Ass Indie Art and Craft Show this weekend and the Rock & Roll's former digs, Mad Art Gallery.

Here's the details.

New Clothes

I just wanted to give a shout out to my new favorite clothing designer, Beqi. You may have seen her stuff at the Tower Grove Farmers Market or the Rock And Roll Craft Show. I've been checking out her clothes at events for over a year and while I've bought jewelry, the clothing samples she brought were always too small for me, though I'd admired them none the less. I finally worked up the nerve to order a top from her from her website and I am absolutely in love with it. I just ordered two more today, and I'm thinking that might not be end of it. So friends, you may want to check out her stuff too, she has measurements on the site of most of her clothes, and she sizes generously (compared to most handmade clothing) so keep that in mind. Also, she makes everything from scratch once you make your order, so there's a couple of weeks turn around time (unless you order from her sample stock, which is mostly mediums). Check her out, and don't forget to support the St. Louis Craft Mafia.

Girl Scouts Grown Up

I'm loving these Mommy Merit Badges for the of trials and tribulations of parenthood. Jason deserves several of them as well. The past week we've been trying to night ween which is giving me the idea that I really deserve the Tantrum badge as well as the Breastfeeding Badge. Maybe I'll get some for the diaper bag.

Felt Farmers Market

My crafty snow holiday continues and today I've returned to felt food, this time with a twist. My previous projects used felt from Ben Franklin, and I used some of that felt for this project as well, but I also have been experimenting with felting wool sweaters, and one of those made up the body of the carrots. I used a divorced sock for the beet. Nora's kitchen is filling up, but I wish I could figure out how to make a decent felt cupcake for her to match the real ones...

I had used the carrot sweater earlier this winter when I made this French press cozy to keep Jason's coffee warm during this icy winter. The buttons I had gotten from last year's alternative craft fair. I'm so glad I finally found a use for them. Too often I buy stuff like this and then never do anything with them.

So friends, before you toss that wool sweater that shrunk in the wash or the moths got to, please save it for me. Nora needs some eggplant, asparagus, and squash for summer and who knows what else I might decide to make.

crappy day turns into crafty day

Today began with lots of sleet hitting the window pane at 5 am and continuing until we hauled ourselves out of bed. I didn't expect our university to call since they never do, and the TV confirmed this hypothesis. It didn't matter anyway since I had a meeting downtown that unless it was terribly dreadful, I felt like I couldn't miss. So Nora and Jason got bundled out the door (SLU hadn't called either) and off to Grammy's and I slithered down the alley and took the city streets into downtown since the TV did tell me that all of the highways were a mess and to keep off of them if we could. The city streets weren't all that great either. As I rode the escalator up to the meeting at the hotel, I checked my cell phone thinking I might need to call and find out where the meeting was (they change it all the time) and I realized that I had a text message. I never get text messages. So I checked it. The university closed at 9:30 and day and evening classes were canceled. Well, that meant that I technically didn't have to be here, but since I was already and the meeting was sort of important, I thought I'd stay. Needless to say I soon came to regret that. Most of the local people didn't show or came late, the folks who had come in from the other side of the state the night before and stayed at the hotel were there and bizarrely, one of our Illinois folks decided to brave the bridge and came in too. So I guess I was happy that I at least showed up for them. We spent too much time re-hashing old business that we've covered for the past several meetings and then we moved on to ego enhancement and micromanaging of other people's project areas. All the while we are meeting in a cavernous ballroom with windows all around showing us the continued sleeting snow-scape outside. Um, folks if you just shut up we could all go home! Oh, and did I mention that the room is freezing! Half of us have on our coats and gloves. It just goes on and on. Finally we break for lunch at 1:00 and I excuse myself claiming the need to pick up Nora early. Our chair understands but I think wishes I'd take her with me....

After a white knuckle drive out to mom and dads, during which I continue to mentally rail at my colleagues and and then proceed to verbally continue my rant once I get inside, I get some lunch and calm down. Nora is asleep so I decide to set up the sewing machine and start on of the projects I've been meaning to get to since I bought this retro, cute, bunny fabric the other week. This is normally a very bad idea. If I'm in a bad mood, the last thing I should usually do is attempt something like sewing. But today it turns out great. Mom helps me finish off the project, mainly because she thinks that they need to be a little more neatly done, but I am very happy with them, even is she isn't. So without further ado, BEHOLD, Nora's new potholders for her kitchen. You can't tell here, but they are filled with a cute quilted fabric on the inside so they feel like actual potholders and not flat one-layer mittens, although I don't actually think that they are fat enough to serve in actual hot pot-holding but Nora is too young to use the stove anyway. The mitts were actually more difficult than I anticipated especially without a pattern and I just drew around my hand, although in the completed form they are size of children's mittens.

Breakfast, Morning Everybody, Sun's Up And We'e Having Toast and Jelly...

Or something else. Here's my felt breakfast and there have been some comments regarding some of the elements not resembling what I think they resemble. So, can you name what's on the plate? Or have I gotten in over my head with my breakfast creation?


I also went a head and made a little snack as well. My favorite - cookies! These are oatmeal raisin because that's what Nora eats, but maybe you would prefer chocolate chip or some other yummy variety. Whatever you like, it's your imagination!

Pasta Party

I took a mental health day to try to catch up from working several weekends this month and to take on a project that I've been meaning to do for awhile. Nora's kitchen should be coming any day now (I hope) so I need to get onto making that felt food to complete her birthday and Christmas present. Awhile ago I bought a pattern for an Italian dinner set from a mom on hyena cart. I probably could have winged this one on without the pattern, but in retrospect, I'm really glad I had it for my first foray into felt food! Without further ado, here's the pics:


Above is the ravioli and butter pats with a cannoli. I'm most happy with the ravioli. The canaloni is my least favorite, but that also could have something to do with me deciding I didn't want to make it quite the way she suggested. I'm also thinking of making some pancakes so that Nora can use those butter pats again. I might make some eggs, just because that seems so fun, even though Nora can't eat eggs.... Here's the fettucine with tomato sauce and meat balls.
This was so much fun, it took me about 2 hours because I decided I didn't want to hunt up a sewing machine, so I did all the raviolis by hand and nor did I have a pinking shears so that took a little while too. I got to finally use my cutting wheel and mat, so over all I'm pleased, but I'm sure the next projects will go better since I've got the hang of it all now. Next on my list is the breakfast and then I might go on to making some cookies and fruit. I think that this will work for Jason's dinner - he went to the dentist today to have several cavities filled, so maybe felt food will be soft enough. Poor guy!

Sweets

Todd's post about the knitting cupcakes was timely for me. I've recently become enthralled with knitted play food. Really all play food made from fiber (crochet, felted, sewn, etc). I think Nora might be getting some for her birthday, especially if I ever find the perfect play kitchen (that's really a topic for another post). I give you this amazing sundae as an example, although if you search Etsy you will or Hyena Cart you will find many crafters who are all about the play food. It's making me wish I could crochet, but maybe I just need to find a way to carve out sometime to make something out of that pile of sweaters that I've been meaning to felt. Since I finally got around to painting my furniture, maybe this is next on the list.

Dutch Treat

I'm looking for decals for my mom's old play cupboard that she is refinishing for Nora. It had some very cute old decals on it of little Dutch boys and girls that she remembers her mom and sister carefully applying. In my search for some vintage decals, I'm finding a few that might fit the bill and I thought I might share a few just in case anyone else gets into a vintage mode (btw, I'm finding all sorts of other cute decals as well - pin up girls, dogs, nursery rhymes, retro appliances, etc.)

Note to Fred: I am aware that this doesn't represent actual Dutch children; you probably will be more interested in the decals below:

These dancing girls solve a small mystery that has been puzzling me when I am out at estate sales. I'll often see these risque glasses with dancing girls, pin up girls, and sometimes brides (?) in the basements of older homes. These glasses have the girls clothed on outside of the glass but as you drink down your beverage it reveals a nudie pic of the girl inside the glass. I now know that these were created with these fabulous two-sided decals that were apparently quite popular in the 40's and 50's. Which sort of begs the question of who actually bought these decals and "made" these glasses. I always assumed that the man of the house was responsible for purchasing the glasses, but now I guess these manly guys were also buying the decals and burnishing them onto the glasses as well. I guess we've all got our craft projects.