SongBirdGifts

2010-08-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy here - as they often are during the summer for many of us. One thing I've done this summer is make a big turkey dinner. Every year in November, we buy two turkeys; one for the freezer and one to cook for Thanksgiving. Finally, I got tired of having my freezer half full of turkey!

Dinner was delicious, and now we have enough turkey to last for weeks. Yum.

I'm most pleased, though, by making the stock, as it's something I've wanted to do for ages, but my ex didn't like the idea of. I simmered the turkey carcass with onions, garlic, celery and carrots. The broth is tasty, light and I can't wait to cook with it. What I've done, though is put it into the freezer, so that it lasts.

I love these square ice cube makers. Once the stock is frozen into cubes, I'll put them into a bag and then I can just toss a couple cubes into whatever needs stock!

SongBird

Quilt tops and circles

2010-07-28T00:33:00.000-07:00

I was in my sewing chaos, sewing a quilt block for the first person in the online Quilting Bee I joined, when I realized I'd need some scraps of my own. Once I started poking around in my scrap bag, I found that I'd stuffed several unfinished quilt tops and a few unfinished other sewing projects in there as well.

The pastel one I show above is, well, not my style at all. I don't do pastels - they seem colorless to me. I'm much more into the brights.

These are more my style, but they're both unfinished. Well, the second one is closer. I could, at this point, slap some edging on it, back it and quilt it. It's a bit small, but it could be a cute baby sized quilt. I don't know any babies right now who need a bright quilt.

Now that I think about it, though, I do have a friend who's going to have a baby girl soon. I am planning on making the baby a pretty pinks and browns quilt - maybe her older sister would like this quilt if I made it a bit bigger. (I would have the added benefit of having finished another old project!)

I'm working on eating better and exercising more. I've been trying to lose weight for quite a while now and haven't gotten anywhere. Now I've signed up for a government website to track my daily exercise. Since it's public, I have to do the cycling every day or it shows! I did six miles at a hard push today and I'm hoping to get 12 in tomorrow.

Anyway, this breakfast is grits with some peach and a little butter and milk. Yes, those aren't low fat, but I'm counting calories rather than obsessing over every fat/sugar/carb I eat. It lets me eat a wider range of foods without having to feel deprived. I just eat less OF the higher calorie foods.

I've also been embroidering - I worked on this while in New Hampshire. I don't think I'll sell the pattern for this; it was just to be some fun with different stitches. I'd like to do something with it, though. What if I framed this and then did other geometric shapes - so one all squares, and one hexagons?

Anyway, it's late, so I'm for bed. G'night.

SongBird

Hello, my name is SongBird and I'm an Addict...

2010-07-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

I can't throw out craft supplies.

*sigh* Unfortunately, saying it out loud doesn't make it easier to get rid of the stuff.

I find that I'm always surrounded by clutter and chaos. Sometimes this is good - I am always interested in the juxtapositions I find; often I get new ideas from these accidental mixtures.

Unfortunately, the clutter has now taken over and, well, if there's no space in the craft room to actually create, then I have to admit I Have A Problem.

I'm not willing to show you a picture of the disaster that my craft room has become, so I'll just show you pictures of a cute little kit-in-a-tin that I bought in Newburyport, MA. I started on it yesterday at a coffee shop with my friend Kam. It was pretty damned nifty to have a craft in my purse!

It's a bit small (the final product is tiny!), but the image you're supposed to cross stitch is a pair of seahorses.

Here's everything in the kit. It's really well stocked - I'm very pleased.

This is, clearly, not the kit. I saw this man's yoke when we were watching something or another - do you think this is factory made this way, or is this some sewist's hard work? I kind of like the idea that someone put this together and is proud of the unusual look.

Anyway, I'm going to go see about filling two boxes of stuff to donate. *sigh*

SongBird

Bloggy and personal thoughts

2010-07-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, I've been on vacation for three whole weeks. It feels sort of like forever, really. I spent some of my time thinking about this blog and where I want it to go.

I want to use this to show my creative work, but at the same time, I know that there are so many other blogs out there with the same goal, the same crafts, the same point. Why should I add one more to the mix? Why should I clutter the "blogosphere" (I hate that word, really. *sigh*) with yet more shouting about me me me?

I haven't come to any final decisions, but I've come to a few realizations. One of them is that there are parts of me, facets which are important, but about which I don't talk. Some of this reticence is that I live in a country which is increasingly at odds with a large part of my self-identification, and one that reacts very strongly (and often very negatively) to this identity.

I'm an atheist. I ... just don't believe in gods, of any sort. I was raised this way; this is as much my family tradition as anyone raised in any religion out there. I've thought about it, as an adult, but I just don't understand any other point of view.

This is not to say that I think everyone should do it My Way - I am happy for people to believe whatever they want to believe as long as no one gets hurt in the process. I honestly have many very good friends who are deeply religious, in more than one faith.

However, I find myself unwilling to mention my lack of belief. I've done it once or twice and had universally bad experiences. Some have been more amusing than others, I'll admit.

Once, in a class, religious affiliation came up and I said that I am an athiest. After explaining that this means I don't believe in god and answering several questions, I sat whilst most of the class stared at me, their faces showing varying degrees of confusion or dismay. Finally, one man said, in tones of deep consternation, "But you believe in Jesus Christ, right?"

When I said that I didn't, in fact, believe in Jesus Christ, he insisted that I must believe in god, though, right? I ... sort of didn't know what to say. For this man, there was no way to comprehend lack-of-faith.

One thing that confuses me about this - the reactions to my atheism - is that people often get offended by my atheism, but expect me to not be offended at their theism. Shouldn't it go both ways? Shouldn't they be as accepting of my way of thinking as they want me to be of theirs? It's as if my lack of faith is a personal attack on them, and that bothers me. Another thing that bugs me about this is that I feel social pressure to keep quiet, so I don't offend people; it seems to me that atheism is stigmatised and thought of as a dirty secret.

I'm not going to write much about this - I'm not interested in blogging about atheism. Or theism, really. Just, recently I've been reading more craft blogs and it seems that many of them are equally about their religious beliefs as they are about their crafting activities.

Part of why I don't talk about this much is that it's ... not a part of my life in the way that religious observation is a part of the lives of those who are practicing theists. I don't spend time thinking about my faith or connection to immanence, nor do I spend time in religious buildings, working on religious organizations or teaching in religious groups. The time that theists spend on that, I'm spending on other things, activities which I do discuss, think about, plan for and create during.

Anyway, I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do with this blog. I know that I'll still make things every single day, I know that I'll continue to find new things to make and new creative activities to try...

I'd like to post more often, and to post more pictures of my ongoing projects, so I think that's what I'll concentrate on for now.

In other news, I've started a companion blog to this one: SongBird in Flight. It's got my trip notes (but no pictures, because I started it during the trip and haven't put any pictures in yet!) and I'll be keeping up with my personal life there, I think.

Now, it's time to figure out what we need, grocery-wise, then go out and get foods for meals for the next few days.

SongBird

Quick and easy dinner: Carbonara

2010-06-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

So, we're going on a long vacation (I'll be posting during the trip, but mostly pretty pictures of the American East Coast) in a couple of days. I'm trying to clean out the fridge by either using everything in a meal or by freezing things which will freeze.

We had a bunch of bacon to use and my daughter's favorite meal uses bacon, so tonight's dinner was Carbonara. It's quick, easy, and very filling. It's not the healthiest meal, though.

You'll need bacon, eggs, milk, parmesan, pasta and an appetite.

First, cut meaty bacon into small strips - I cut off all the fat I can. Start water boiling for pasta at the same time. You'll need it ready to go once the bacon and eggs and cheese are mixed together.

Then take several eggs (I had 5 left, so I used them all). Beat them, then add milk. You're basically making scrambled eggs, so use whatever are your preferred proportions for that.

Mix in some grated parmesan - I like the good stuff, and I use a wide blade micro-plane grater.

(I think the cheese looks pretty, so I took another picture.)

Add the bacon to the eggs/milk/cheese.

Drain the pasta, then put it into the pan you cooked the bacon in.

Mix in the eggs and bacon mixture.

Cook everything together, over low heat, until the eggs turn creamy and coat the pasta.

Serve it up and enjoy! Mmmm, delicious.

I still have an awful lot to get done - I haven't finished the lace shawl I'm making as a gift for the friends we're staying with. I want to finish it by tomorrow, so I'll be staying up late tonight knitting. Hmmm, brainless TV, here I come.

SongBird

Etsy Success!!!

2010-06-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

After endless dithering and worrying (What if no one likes them? What if I put them in the wrong place? What if I can't write?), I've put my first set of embroidery patterns up on Etsy!

Go check it out: SongBirdGifts

I'm sorry to post something so self-serving, but this has been making me anxious for so long and it turned out to be really easy! Now to hurry up and make more.

I already have several other patterns I can finish - I have mermaids, pretty swirls, some round cats...

*glee*

And, so this isn't a text only post:

This is my old bike. I can't find a lot of information about these bikes online, but I know that I want to restore this. He has *headlights*!!

This is one of the local cacti - when I was growing up, my mom grew succulents. At the time, I thought they were silly and ugly, but now I want to have tons of them myself. I love the funny shapes and hidden curls they have.

SongBird

Surprise: Wedding!

2010-05-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

No, not mine. (I'm not married, but that's not the point.)

(I want to buy more of this fabric! Isn't it pretty?)

Two friends of mine, people I helped get together in the first place, are getting hitched on Sunday. They've been very lax about telling people - the woman who's the Best Man... just found out on Tuesday.

Anyway, I'm making them a quilt - in a hurry! I've decided to use one of the packets of pre-cut 10" squares I bought whilst on vacation in New Hampshire with some fabric I have in stash to make a half-square triangle quilt. I'm adding sashing, even though I don't want to, so it's a good, lap sized quilt without using the same fabrics twice in the triangles.

I liked these blues when I saw them in the store - it was a pack of 20 10" squares for $10!

I stacked the squares up, then marked down the center from corner to corner. What you're supposed to do next is sew 1/4" inch away from the marked line on both sides of it. What I inevitably do, every single time I do this is:

*facepalm* So, I unpicked that and found that whilst I'd been concentrating, someone had arrived to help.

I guess she was worried that my blocks might get cold. Or something.

I'm easy to entertain - I get a kick (every time) out of chain piecing into a circle.

Anyway, the blocks are all sewn and cut (and I really need to work on making my 1/4" seams a full quarter inch. I'm bad about that.) I did end up going to the local fabric store (on my bike!) and getting a dark leavy blue for the sashing and two prints that will amuse my friends (coffee beans and kitty foot prints) for the back.

I was very pleased that I managed to cycle home with the batting. It's six yards of 5oz polybatting.

Today I want to finish the top and see if I can get the quilting started. It's not even 9am. Surely I can get lots done today, right?

SongBird

Working steadily

2010-05-23T22:42:00.000-07:00

I've been doing lots of work, but not enough housework. (I can say that the dishwasher's missing a piece, which is true, but it's not a valid excuse as I know perfectly well how to wash dishes by hand.) There's soo much laundry to fold!

I have been working, slowly, on making nicer things for us to use in the house - napkins and placemats and coasters. I've only made the two but I finally have cork and cardboard to back them.

However, I finally have my first embroidery pattern set ready to go into my shop!! I'm so excited!

It's four cute little voodoo baby dolls, each sized perfectly to fit into a 4" hoop or to use as the center patch in a pillow. I really enjoyed every part of the process.

I have a couple of other sets of embroidery patterns in the works - the hardest part of this for me is writing them up afterwards.

***

Something I'm trying to do is bring ATC cards with me so that whenever I have a free minute, I can doodle. This sometimes ends up like this:

I'm not sure if it worked. What do you think?

SongBird

2010-05-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

We had a nice, quiet weekend. Saturday Geordie had to go in to work, so I dragged my daughter out with me. We stopped off at a thrift store, then an art supply store (as opposed to a craft store - there's an interesting difference in what each one carries), and finally, a book store.

I got several nice tee shirts, two sweaters (a stripy angora one I'm wearing now and a pale blue cashmere one. Neither was over two bucks!) and a long black trench coat that fits me. This is amazing because I'm shorter than five feet tall. Really.

I also got some embroidery done, and I finished drawing two more pieces of art for embroidery patterns. Next up on the learning curve is figuring out how to make the patterns into PDF documents, so I can put them up in etsy.

On Sunday we spent several hours at a friends' house, where I ... sewed a giant curtain for her. The original plan had been for me to help her sew the curtains, but when I realized just how much she didn't know, I took over. It did make me realize how experienced I am in this area.

I ended up not having time (or a sewing needle) to sew the pleats into place, but at least there's something up in the window for now.

The tree up at the top is near the yarn store I teach in twice a week. A couple of years ago, when I still just had a terrible crush on Geordie, rather than getting to actually be his partner, I spent a happy couple of hours parked under that tree, chatting to him on the phone before going in to teach. I still get a little rush of joy when I see that it's flowering.

Aren't they pretty?

He's suggested putting rooting compound on the branch I cut off, so I can have one of the trees for my very own. I like that idea a lot!

What do you think?

SongBird

Scrapbooking?

2010-05-06T22:49:00.000-07:00

So, we went on a week long trip to New Hampshire at the beginning of April. I took lots of pictures, as I tend to do. I like the idea of scrapbooking, I always enjoy seeing other people's pages and art, I have lots of supplies for it (and for making cards and books and ...) but, somehow, I never get around to doing it myself.

I decided that I'm going to do it for this past trip, so I pulled out some 6x6 cardstock and printed out a bunch of pictures. Each page takes a while to do, and they're very much not finished (and I want to make more pages with other pictures from the trip), but mostly, I'm feeling frustrated. The pages don't look as good to me as the ones I see from other people. I don't know if it's because they're mine, so I'm more judgemental, or if it's just that they're not finished yet (and it shows)...

Also, I'm really not sure that this is my 'craft'. Merrie won't look at the book, when it's done, and Geordie hates to see pictures of himself, so he won't look either. That sort of means that there's no one to show the book to - other than here, online.

What do you think? Are they okay? What do they need? (Besides journalling - I haven't written the journalling yet.)

SongBird

The View from My Bike

2010-05-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

Really, this is one of the strongest reasons for me to keep cycling. I love being out there, with the wind on my face and this to look at.

SongBird

2010-04-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot, and even taking pictures, but not posting about them.

Wearing daisies always makes everything better.

Many of the things I've been up to are small, and somehow it seems pointless to post just to say that yes, I've put off the laundry again, and I've finished one small bit of embroidery, and the teenager is being, well, a teenager (and therefor annoying), and in other (non) news, I've been cycling several times a week and not lost any weight.

Which sucks.

My daughter, who's 17 and variously stroppy in random ways and at random times, has mastered the art of the Passive Aggressive Note:

I think I should be proud of her. What do you think?

I've been practicing with my spinning wheel -

I also finished a handmade book with felted cover for a friend in Australia! I enjoyed the sewing, and now I want to make one for myself.

I also made her a scalloped garland - I do hope she likes the bright colors. I know I do - I'm certainly making several more for myself.

My backyard has started to produce pretty things! I planted the bulbs for these a couple of months ago. I also have an amaryllis, and some daffodils.

One of my pairs of jeans got a hole in the knee, so I made some cute half-inch hexes and put them on. I thought they needed something to balance them out, so I put two on the other side, up near the pocket.

So, since I'm hungry and I haven't eaten much today, I'm going to go see if I can find my kitchen. I'm sure it's where the dishes are - maybe I'll even get some of them washed. The question is, will I get them washed and then forget to eat again? I'll leave you to ponder that and gaze at the pretty, springlike daisies I've found everywhere.

SongBird

Cycling

2010-04-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

I've promised myself I'm going to be better about this, and I keep not pushing myself about it.

I will cycle every day. Around the island I live on is 6 miles and mostly flat. Most of it is quite pretty, even with the horrible headwind off the bay. I made it today - 6 miles in 35 minutes. Tomorrow I'm going to do it again. Friday also, but Monday, I'm going to see if I can make it one and a half times around. If I can, I'll give myself two days at that level, then see how much further I can go. If I'm going to get stronger and lose weight, I'm certainly not going to do it sitting on my (ample) butt.

Up and at 'em.

I was actively rolling at 11:30 and I made it home at 12:05. Not bad. Plus, I didn't coast. Well, I did coast over the spots which are so bumpy that sitting on the seat and pedalling will make your crotch get up and leave you forever, and I coasted past the sweet little old lady pumping along on her walker. Plus, I had to wait for a second cycle of the light at the one intersection with a light. I'm not great at starting off. *facepalm*

Then, once home, I swept up the back yard. I haven't put all the sweepings into the greenwaste bin. I might decide to be lazy and ask Geordie to do it. *is lazy*

I should go take a shower now!

SongBird

Stash acquisition!

2010-04-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

I went shopping yesterday at Keepsake Quilting, and its sister shop, Patternworks. I got, well, lots of things. I also went to The Elegant Ewe, for more locally sourced yarns.

Locally grown and spun wool and alpaca. The blue yarn is wool from New Hampshire sheep and the brown is alpaca from the next town over from Concord, NH.

Cute little pack of fat eights. I think I'll make coasters and scrappy napkins?

I liked this yardage calculator. The yarn is made of milk protein fiber and soy! Very cool, don't you think?

I liked these fat quarters, but they don't really go together. They'll go with something I have at home, I'm sure of it.

Pre-cut hexies!! There are 100 - what can I make with them? I have no idea how big the hexes will be...

I've wanted die-cuts from this company for years. I'm really pleased with my butterflies.

Strangely, fish in New Hampshire seem to taste strongly of strawberry candy. *grin*


These are 10" squares. I think there might be enough, if I add some strips of solids, to make a quilt out of each pack! Yay for more quilts!

Tomorrow, we're going to see what's up north. I've been to a few places in northern New Hampshire, but it was snowing and dark, so I didn't actually see much. I've heard it's really pretty and I'd love to see it.

I've taken pictures of the Boston Aquarium and other local pretty places - I'll try to post those as well.

I hope everyone's having a good week.

SongBird

Thursday already?

2010-04-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to a yarn store in Concord. One of Geordie's friends that we're staying with does counted cross stitch. She saw my folding scissors and coveted them, so I stopped into a shop to get her a pair of her very own. I also got some locally spun and sheeped wool, and some local alpaca. Yay.

Then to Lake Winnipesaukee for breakfast. Union Diner is quite good - it's in Paugus Bay. Onward to Center Harbor, where a couple of the larger yarn and fabric companies are based. I'd have taken pictures, but they had signs saying photos weren't allowed. Suffice it to say they were all nice and large. The quilting shop half was more like a very large and well stocked local quilt shop; the knitting store was, well, less interesting. It had commonly available yarns at regular prices. I bought a yardage estimator card and some yarn made from milk.

I know. Milk is a liquid. I got two balls of the Eclipse color. Here's information about how it's made. Cool, huh?

I got fabricy things at the quilt half of the company. I got some fat quarters of fabric, some die cut pieces (I got butterflies and some pre-cut hexies) and a couple bags of pre-cut 10" squares.

I'll take pictures tonight to show you everything.

SongBird

On Vacation

2010-04-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

We're in New Hampshire, visiting friends. I've managed to eat several meals, including a lovely lobster.

I've also stopped into one of the local craft stores.

Not a bad haul, all things told. I'm hoping to use the book titled 'Dreams' (it's an empty dollar photobook) to make a quick scrapbook of the trip. I can't print pictures yet, but I'm trying to collect lots of memorabilia to fill pages.

The colored pencil by numbers is an easter gift for my daughter, who used to love paint by numbers.

On the first day we were here, we went to a local farm which serves a lovely fresh breakfast with all sorts of different flavors of pancakes. (Cornmeal was especially tasty - I have made it with blueberries at home. NOM.) They have a small petting zoo outside in back, for little kids, and my 17 year old daughter spent every quarter between the five of us on the goats.

The goats were very appreciative!!

We're going to Boston tomorrow, to go to the aquarium and see a friend of mine. I'll take pictures and see if I can't get them up for you.

Have a great week.

SongBird

Swamped

2010-04-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't done much creating this week. I've been overwhelmed with cleaning and organizing.

A friend is coming to stay for a couple of days, and the spare bedroom is the craft room as well. She won't mind some clutter, but currently, the bed in the room is, well, covered in non-bed things. Like, you know, cut quilt pieces and some boxes of, erm, stuff. I've spent lots of time in the room trying to get organized, but it's gone slowly.

This is compounded by the fact that we're going away for a week, starting tomorrow night. We'll be back on the 10th, but she's coming the night of the 12th and I'm not sure I'll be ready.

However, I've found several projects in the room that were one task or row from being finished, so I've made sure to <i>finish them</i> instead of just setting them aside. I've managed two crocheted tawashi scrubbers, a felted pillow cover, and several other small things. It feels really good to have finished something!

Right now, I'm sewing snaps onto a sweater, so the buttons I love, which are too big for the holes, can be sewn over the holes and I can still close the sweater. It's a sweater that I got for about 4 bucks at Goodwill, years ago. It was an awful, boring, ugly beige, but it didn't matter, because it was wool and I just needed something warm. Recently, I dyed it a pretty dark olive - it's quite nice now. The dye left it a bit splotchy, but I like the way the swirls and speckles look. I'm putting loads of time and effort into it, but it's going to end up my favorite sweater, I can tell!

Once I'm done with the snaps, though, I'm going back upstairs to start boxing up the craft supplies I don't have time to sort and store correctly. I've been trying to actually go through the supplies and organize them rather than just boxing them up willy-nilly, but I think it's time to just hurry up and box. *sigh*

I've tried to add some pictures to this post - I've taken several pictures while I've been out running errands, but it keeps telling me the server is rejecting my pictures. I'll figure that out soon, I promise.

SongBird

Playing around with settings

2010-03-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

The few people who are reading this right now will have noticed that I've changed the template for the blog. I'm not sure that I'm happy with the one I'm using (I do like the funny little swirls and swoops, but I'm not sure it's quite the final look I'm going for).

However, as I'm not yet ready to make my own (but I am learning!), this one will do. Now to dive back into learning how to make my own template. Or at least my own background image!

Are there any particularly good tutorials out there?

SongBird

Calm Friday

2010-03-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

So, Geordie's car's water pump sprung a leak last weekend. He and his friend Eric are going to spend this weekend pulling the front end of the car off and fixing the water pump - and everything else in there. I've heard things like 'timing belt' and 'front snub mounts' and just smiled and nodded.

It's not that I'm not technical, it's that I don't have the beginner knowledge to make their high-level discussion even make sense.

My contribution to this weekend's extravaganza will be the ample provision of food, baked goods and delicious drink. Eric has specific foods he doesn't like to eat (all dairy - ALL dairy, and no red meat), so I'm going to have to work out how to bake without using any butter.

I asked a friend, who looked at me like I was a complete dimwit and said, "Margarine?".

*facepalm*

Right. It's been so long since I've used anything except Real Butter that I'd sort of forgotten that a traditional subsitute exists. I'd been thinking that using solid vegetable shortening would taste awful.

I'm thinking of making this - I hope it'll taste okay even with margarine. I love lemon pound cake.

SongBird

Creativity abounds

2010-03-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

I'm finally back to making more art on a regular basis. I've already covered a couple of plastic tubs with contact paper - something I've wanted to do with them for ages, but never got around to doing. They still look like plastic tubs, but they're prettier, and that's what counts for me.

Now I'm working on bleaching out some shirts that I've stained. I am a (proud?) member of the group of people who Wear Their Food. I can't help it - if there's a sauce, I get some on me. If there's any chance in the world something will drip or splatter, I'm the one who'll end up with the spray.

I like the idea of bleach art on shirts - I found several links to interesting tutorials and projects around the 'net: Cute dishcloth; Archaeopteryx hoodie; and the most amazing one is this: Koi I'm in awe of the last one - I MUST make that for myself. Well, or something like it.

Anyway, I have several shirts I'd like to keep, but which are stained beyond comfortable wear.(Sometimes, all it takes is one stain in an unfortunate place to move a beloved shirt from everyday to never.) I bought two bleach pens (Clorox brand; they were less expensive at my local CVS than they are on Amazon!) and set to work.

(Gathered Supplies - please note the coffee and leftover Chinese food. They're very important!)

First I cut down a cardboard shipping box my ex gave my daughter some easter stuff in. I wanted to make sure there would be a solid barrier between the front of the shirt, where the bleach was going, and the back of the shirt (and the tablecloth underneath!).

Thick end of the pen.

Thin end of the pen.

Then I stared at the blank canvas of slightly stained shirt, bit my lip and started drawing. I love making these swirls - they're on every single piece of paper I doodle on. The bleach flowed well - it's a gel, not a liquid - but there were more bubbles than I'd like. I think that next time I'll shake the tube, as instructed, then tap it sharply several times before I open it, so the bubbles rise to the surface.

Swirl pattern on the first shirt.

Sleeve detail

Rinsing with vinegar helps stop the bleach discharging.

It really is a gel - after a few minutes, it sets up into almost a solid.

Rinsed off - I think I'll have to add more layers to it, though. It seems ... unfinished. What do you think?

I was surprised by the results of the first shirt; for some reason I wasn't expecting the shirt to discharge to white in the center of the bleached areas. I think it's not finished - I'm going to wash it and then see about adding more layers to the art. It's ... like a background paper right now. This one shirt used a full tube of the bleach, though. I was disappointed; I expected more. I'm not sure why, though.

On the second one, I was more circumspect with the bleach. I like the idea of lace around the neck, so I tried to draw in something that would imply lace. I'm not sure I'm done with this one - maybe beading around the neckline? Also, isn't it interesting, but this one didn't discharge to white - it's an odd yellowish color. I'll have to decide if I like that or not. I was hoping this one would go all the way to white.

Bleach lace with the gel on.

See the odd color? I'm not happy with that - I"ll have to figure something out.

The last one I decided to just be girly with, so it got flowers and dots. I made sure to put a flower on each sleeve as well.

Feminine and fun, I hope.

Interestingly, the bleach didn't shift around (that gel again!), but when I rinsed this one, some of it shifted on the sleeves, so there are ghost images. I kind of like them, but I know that not everyone will, so I wanted to make sure I mentioned it.

I'm also working on a felt-covered book from the book Re-Bound A friend and I are trading hand-made gifts, and this is one of the things I want to make for her. I'm sewing the felt flowers and decorations onto the cover. (And my honey just ordered Eco Books for me! I'll tell you all about it as soon as it arrives!)

I like the blue flower, but I sort of want to add more color. The closest craft store has a terrible selection of felt!

I could always sew a bluebird onto it!!

I'm going to embroider her name onto the cover as well. I hope she likes it.(She doesn't read this blog, so I can post the pictures without worrying about spoiling the surprise for her.) I'm also giving her a small bag I sewed, one of the pretty scalloped garlands, and maybe some nice yarn. I'm hoping to finish the garland tomorrow; then I'll put the package in the mail Saturday, maybe.

Geordie is home now, so I'm going to work on dinner and other family stuff. I had a very nice Thursday, making things and being creative. It's such a nice feeling, being relaxed about making art.

SongBird

2010-03-13T16:12:00.000-08:00

So, I promised Marion I’d post about Coin quilts and why they’re called that. I’ve put it off for far too long. However, I seem to have wandered around a bit, and this turned into a post about stripy quilts and tutorials for different types.

What prompted her question is this quilt I made, which I called Dollar Coins.

I’ve also made this one, Pound Coins, for Geordie’s mom, for Christmas. She’s said, by the way, that she uses it all the time on her bed. I’m glad she has something warm to sleep under; it’s been very cold in the northeast of England.

So, coin quilts. Right. Sometimes they’re called Chinese coin quilts, sometimes they’re called Roman Stripe, some people combine Roman Stripe with Rail Fence.

This is a good tutorial for Roman Stripe quilts: Mary's Quilts Roman Stripe. She also has a tutorial for Chinese Coins: Mary's Quilts Chinese Coins. (In point of fact, she has good tutorials for lots of interesting quilts.)

This post seems to have wandered off topic. Coin quilts and the history of same.

I’ve always heard that the “traditional” method for coin quilts is based on the Charm Quilt, one in which each piece is the same shape and size and each fabric only occurs once. The name comes from the small, coinsized, pieces of fabric used. Since I made the first one for his mom, who’s British, I used their monetary system. For the one on my couch, I used mine. I like the format, and will be making more.

Most people making modern quilts seem to use the faster, strip-piecing method. Here's a tutorial Quilter's Cache tutorial. Moda Bake Shop has a tutorial for a smaller, baby-sized one that uses two charm packs.

I haven't been able to do much crafting or sewing in the past couple of weeks. The house is diabolically cluttered, and I've spent the time trying to clear things out. I've managed to do some good downstairs; I'm hoping the upstairs will go quickly. My craft room is kind of scary, though. It's seriously over-filled and under-organized. I think the best way to deal with it might be to take everything out (or as much as possible) and start with an empty room. I've made some progress, though; one side of the room is going to have mostly sewing and knitting supplies and the other will be mostly paper crafts and other stuff.

I can't wait to get back into the craft room to make things!

SongBird

Miniature Books...

2010-02-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

OMG, I just got my packet of the mini books from the swap... I'm blown away.

I took all sorts of pictures of opening it up, but I can't post them, because I don't want to ruin anyone else's surprise.

*wriggle*

I am afraid to open some of them - they're so tiny and amazing and special. I feel silly about mine, now; it's larger than the others, and looks rough next to the pretty little booklets.

I'll be opening them up slowly, I think; I want to savor the whole experience.

Thank you to everyone in the group, and to Julie for all her work. The packaging is gorgeous!!

SongBird

Ooooh! Maybe I'll do this instead!

2010-02-18T00:09:00.000-08:00

So, I'm thinking that maybe I'm going to do some polymer clay work. I've been working with polyclay for ... years and years (um, 20?) but I haven't done much with it for the past couple of years. I miss it - I really enjoy the flexibilities and opportunities polymer clay gives. It's a medium that's different from all the others, for me.

I made this almost 3 years ago, now.

Anyway, check this out: Christi Friesen. Her gallery is full of inspiration for all sorts of artists.

I like these as well, for inspiration and help. Tutorials on Google

SongBird

Catching Up

2010-02-17T23:32:00.000-08:00

I finished the Dollar Coin quilt. I chose to use bright colors for the quilting lines; red, yellow, and blue. I also made the binding from two greeny-brown fabrics. I used a tutorial I found here, on Stop Staring and Start Sewing, a great blog, filled with funny and inspiring things.

Anyway, on to the pictures!

See my Kitty Helper there, in the back, inspecting?

The irregularities and mistakes are clear here, but I'm happy to have finished it. I've already used it several mornings in a row. I get up early to make tea for my Geordie as he leaves for work, then I nap on the couch until it's time for my daughter to leave. I spread the quilt down on the couch, then wrap up in a thick, plush polyester blanket we got as a Christmas gift. I'm sure we'll use it lots over the years.

And this is an accurate image of what my sewing surface looks like. Sewing, colors, computer and coffee.

***

I also sewed a garland I've wanted for a long time - the Scalloped Fabric Garland. The tutorial is here. I have it wrapped around the banister - I'll take a picture tomorrow and try to post it then as well. *facepalm*

Anyway, I think I want to work on making miniature books tomorrow. I have lots of patterns and books about it - I really like making them. I made two quick ones for my family for Valentine's Day (I should take pictures of those as well, huh?), but I'd like to go back to making more complicated book forms.

I worked on a skirt today, then had to pull it all apart. It ended up too tight at the hem where I added the ruffle. I don't mind so much that it was snug around my bottom, but if I can't walk, I can't wear the skirt, so it's all to pieces again on my sewing table. Argh.

Anyway, it's late and I think it's time to make lunch for Geordie for tomorrow.

Bye!

SongBird

Art for myself

2010-02-15T00:27:00.000-08:00

So, I've mentioned struggling to make things for myself rather than getting work done on Projects For Other People.

Before I talk about this more, I want to show you a little photo album I'm making about our recent trip to the snow. I've lived most of my life in California, so driving through heavy snow (and playing in it) was pretty cool.

Another thing I realized, last Thursday, is that I'm putting off being creative on other days in the week because "I'm going to be doing crafty stuff on Thursday, so I shouldn't do it now." ... in other words, I've been not letting myself be creative during the week because I'm doing Artful Thursdays.

*facepalm*

That's not the point of this. I'm surprised (and a bit appalled) at how quickly I stop letting myself be creative. It's like I feel as if I "don't have permission" to be creative, regardless of the reality of my life - which allows for days and days of creative time. My honey Geordie wouldn't mind at all if he came home and the house was still cluttered, but I'd spent the day making interesting things. So... why do I keep thinking I "have to get work done"?

(Not that I wouldn't like a cleaner, less cluttered house...)

Anyway - I have pictures of the little sewing I got done on Thursday.

I wasn't being too careful about things; I was more interested in doing the quilting than making things perfect, so there are wrinkles and oddities all over. I'm not sure I care, right now. It felt good to get some sewing done, and the quilt is for us at home, so if it's not perfect, we won't care. It'll keep us warm and brighten up our living room.

Eventually, I had to stop sewing. The quilt kept getting stuck.

I can't imagine what was getting in the way.

*grin*

I finished the quilting and almost got the binding done today, so I'll post pictures tomorrow!

Okay. Time for bed!

SongBird

Artful Thursday

2010-02-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

I feel really bad about not posting, but I've been working on school things, and, well, haven't been making things much. In the end, not being creative makes me irritable, so I'm back at the sewing machine today. I'm going to finish the quilt I showed in my last post. I'd also like to make some miniature books or maybe some pretty odds and ends from polymer clay.

Part of what I'm struggling with on these Thursdays is making something fun for myself; I'm very used to looking at my list of what to make and choosing a project that's been languishing that's for someone else, or something that I've let sit because I'm not interested in it right now, so the Artful thing becomes Work again. I have to almost force myself to do something less Work and more Fun.

Why is this so hard?

SongBird

Artful Thursday

2010-01-30T19:58:00.000-08:00

I wanted to do some sewing for my second Artful Thursday. I have a few quilt tops that need to be worked on

However, I didn't get to the quilt tops. I ended up sewing a small tote bag that I'd cut the pieces for ... erm, months ago.

I have bunches of these - I use them to hold knitting projects and other stuff. They're the perfect size. The plaid fabric in this is one of my favorites - I couldn't find much, so I bought all the store had. The inside pocket's made from a cut off piece of my old jeans. I really enjoy using bits of old clothes and scraps of fabric I've saved from my mom's stuff...

I also needed to put new belt loops on my pants; I'm short and curvy, so my pants never go in enough at the waist. I put in a dart at the center back, but that got rid of the center-back belt loop. I used some of the old jeans fabric and a snippet from the quilt I made for Geordie's mom for Christmas.

They fit so much better now!!

I've found that two things never change in my life. First, my kitties are involved.

Second, I'm never far from my friends online.

***

I've done some more work on the Altered Puzzle I did last week. I added some other edges and I refined some of the internal parts of the pieces.

I'm not sure I'm satisfied with it. I think I'll paint the inside of the bottom left corner white, as a spot for a signature. I like the pieces with shading - I'm thinking of calling it Lost Map and making every piece look like it's from a different part of a map. I have several favorites, so far.

I'm working on it a little at a time during the week. I'll post more when it's done.

SongBird

Weekend Day

2010-01-23T18:09:00.000-08:00

I have a button for the Artful Thursdays, but I'm not sure how to put it in so that it shows correctly. I've tried a couple of times, but it seems like I'm missing something basic. I'll try again.

(That looks right in the preview, but I've found that the Blogger Preview doesn't accurately reflect what a post will look like.)

I haven't done much art yet today - Geordie and I went to the Elephant Bar for brunch, then stopped into the pet store to get a new collar for our kitten (who's removed hers and hidden it) and to look for more, interesting fish food. I did some knitting while we were in the car, but nothing important.

I do have some Cascade 220 to make a quick loose-gauge sweater for myself; as soon as I get past the cast on, I'll put a picture up.

SongBird

Artful Thursday

2010-01-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

I spent a very nice day upstairs enjoying the way the rain clouds made the sunlight flicker and sparkle.

Last night I peeled the paper off the puzzle and painted a thin white coat to seal the cardboard. Today, I started with this:

I started with a limited palette - only four colors. This gave me a a range of colors that I knew would work together.

I painted the pieces separately, only trying to balance the colors across all of the pieces, not worrying about much else. They ended up like this, but it was lunchtime, so I paused.

After lunch, I started on a second layer - I added white and black, and started adding details and layering colors on top of other colors.

It still needs work - the colors aren't balanced and I don't think I've added enough detail. I'll keep working on it.

What do you think?

SongBird

2010-01-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty excited about Artful Thursdays. It's funny, but I've found that if I don't make something - not just start it, but work all the way through to the end - at least several times a week, I get cranky and irritable. Clearly, I'm hoping this will help my mood. *grin* Especially as it gets closer to the start of Nursing School.

So, in anticipation of my first one tomorrow, I've been dithering about trying to figure out which craft I want to do and how much straightening up my craft room needs (other than more than I can face right now, of course).

One thing I've seen is Altered Puzzles - I really like the way Phizzychick does it. Yesterday I bought three 25 piece puzzles at the Dollar Tree; I might start one of these tomorrow. I'll peel the colored paper off one today - maybe even paint it with a thin white base coat, just for prep.

There's so much sewing I want to do as well, but maybe that can wait.

Okay, I'm headed upstairs to make some clear space, organize my supplies and prep my puzzle. Art for me! Yay.

Oh, so this isn't entirely photo-free, here's a picture of some abstract paintings I did months ago, when I was feeling less overwhelmed by things. The set of three if hanging on one narrow wall, but the two curved ones need two more to become the set of four they are in my head. Maybe I'll finish that today, so I can get that off my mental plate!

SongBird

Holiday Pictures...

2010-01-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

Well, I'd forgotten to post these pictures - I finished the quilt for Geordie's mom as well as the shawl for her.

The quilt is about 55" by 65" or so, and I think I'll be making one for us very soon. At least, I hope to.

Her shawl is a good size - don't judge its size by the person currently holding it. I'm only 4'9", so everything looks big on me. I think it's about 60" across, though. She's said she wore it as soon as it arrived, which was before Christmas. (I was very flattered. Apparently the quilt immediately landed on her bed.)

I just heard about this great thing that The Adventures of BlueGirl XO is doing - she calls it Artful Thursdays. The idea is that, in an attempt to help clear out her craft room and to finally get to all the fun projects that have been put off (forever), she's going to work on something creative every Thursday and then blog about it. Not every entry needs to be a tutorial; photos of the action is good enough.

She's got a lovely button, but I'll have to learn how to make it into a link (I'm still learning how much I have to learn about Blogger!).

I really want to do this - Thursdays have been my "day off" for years now, so I'm looking forward to working on something creative instead of filling the day with endless errands. I'll buy groceries Friday. Thursdays are now for making things!

SongBird

Much Better, Don't You Think?

2010-01-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

So, I worked a bit (and some of the stuff I just moved to the craft room upstairs to deal with later), and here's the chair now. The cat is a regular feature of the chair back.

There's still work to do (omg, lots), but at least I can see the chair seat. I'll have to find some other home for the stuffed animals, huh?

SongBird

Photos - some good, some bad

2010-01-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

Well, let's start with the horrible one, shall we? Here's the chair I want to clear off.

The thing is, much of this really belongs upstairs and I haven't figured out how to deal with the clutter up there either. However, I think if I just pick a place and start, it'll be better. At this point, anything would be better than this.

Now to show you some nicer pictures, to distract you while I hurry and scramble and work.

First, my fish! I have two fancy goldfish named Tic and Tac and we just got a herd of neon tetras, a plecostomus, some little gourami and mollies. They're all very pretty.

This is Tic and Tac, now the Elder Statesfish of the tank.

Here you can see the neon tetras and the plec. The mollies and gourami swim higher up in the tank, so I'll show you them later.

Lastly, here's a pretty picture from this past weekend:

The Golden Gate Bridge, with San Francisco in the background. I love living here.

SongBird

Working on resolutions

2010-01-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

One of the things I'd like to do over the next few weeks is catalogue my In Progress projects. I know I have more than is ... sensible, let alone finishable. I want to bring my WIP list down to a manageable level.

(At this point, it's overwhelming and is making me feel defeated before I even start other things, so it's long past time I cleared things out.)

As part of that, I'll be clearing out clutter from the house. I think that today, while I'm running several loads of laundry (that chore never goes away!), I'll concentrate on the side chair and the area around it. I tend to toss things I need to put aside while I'm sitting on the couch onto the side chair. It's way out of control.

I know there have been several photo-free posts in a row now, but I'm not sure I want to start with a picture of the horrible chair. I should, huh, so you can all cheer me on as I make progress!

SongBird

Resolutions and a Fresh Start

2010-01-04T01:16:00.000-08:00

This is... these are things I've been thinking about for the past few months. I'm not happy with the way I've been sort of drifting through weeks rather than getting enough done. I want to be more productive, less wasteful and more aware of what I'm doing and what's going on around me.

So I have been thinking of New Year's Resolutions and Goals. Sometimes I think I prefer the word 'Goals', but not everything I want to change is a goal - some of them are simply changes I'd like to try to make. None of these come with "failure" attached; if I don't do well at them today or this week, I can work harder at them next week. One of the reasons people (me) seem to fail at Resolutions is that they seem so Absolute: From Now On I Will Never (do something I've been doing every day of my life)!!!

Well, that doesn't work. (Trust me. *grin*)

I've been generating a mental list, slowly and thinkily. If I think of something I'd like to do or change several times, then I try to make sure it remains on my List. What I've got now is this:

I want to have less clutter around me.

(This is something I've struggled with for years.) However, I think I'm in the right sort of place, physically, mentally and time-of-life-wise to actually begin to toss stuff out. I don't need the money from selling every tiny snippet of stuff, so I can donate it or toss it without worrying that next month's rent is going to be short if I do. Plus, I can't do many of the other things I want to do with all this clutter around me. One of these things is that I want to be able to have people over for dinner and for hanging out and right now that's difficult.

I want to be more organized.

This is separate from the above list item because it's not about stuff. This one is about not missing deadlines, or having to stay up until 3am the night before a test. I want to know where things are in the house and not lose paperwork. Even if this means I have to start making lists of which DVD's we have (and then keep it on my computer and in my iTouch), that's okay. I work well off of To Do lists - why not use that ability and extend it? Use a calendar/date book and put things in it.

I want to exercise more.

Again, something I've thought about many times. This time, I do like being on the bike, so one of the biggest hurdles is gone. I just need to develop the habit, and that's simply force of will. Also, I'll need the right gear - mud guards, a head-wrap-thing so the cold doesn't give me a splitting headache... but even without those things, I like the biking. So this time it feels doable. (I hated the gym. It was boring and miserable and I didn't fit in the machines and I never got the endorphin rush everyone talks about. All I got was boredom. Bleh.)

I want to stop spending money on things I don't need.

This is directed mainly at craft supplies. I have an awful lot of supplies; I want to see how long I can go without buying any. I don't mean 'not buying any because I'm not doing any crafts', I mean continuing to make the things I want to, but without purchasing new supplies. This will mean being creative, sometimes, in how I do things or what I can make. That's okay. That's good, in fact, as the whole point of being creative is ... being creative, so if I have to use something in a new, different, unexpected way, that's all to the good, isn't it? (If I put things up on etsy and they sell and I need new supplies for that, no problem. If I've run out of, say, glue, I'll buy glue. I'm not crazy, just trying to "shop my stash".) This will, of course, include yarn! (This will also include Finishing Current Projects, as it's one way to not buy something for a new one...)

I want to cook us better, fresher foods, with a wider variety of recipes.

Self-explanatory, no? (Recording the recipes used and whether or not they were successful should be included here - wouldn't it be nice to have Our Own Recipe book?)

***

There will be more on the list, but I think this really covers the basics. I know there are short-term goals (and I haven't put in school, because that feels like it goes into a different list altogether, but I will be working on that as well.) Also, there are projects I have in mind that don't go on this list. (Things like: next Christmas, I hope to be buried in the end of my first semester in Nursing school. If I want decorations, I should make them in the next couple of months and set them aside, so all I have to do next year is pull them out for Instant Decorated House.)

SongBird

Quick Quilt?

2009-11-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

I'm making a quilt for Geordie's mom for Christmas, but the one I wanted to make is too complex to finish in time. So, I'm making her a Coin Quilt, using 12 fat quarters, a pretty olivey green for the sashing and borders and... erm, a sheet from IKEA as the backing. I'm hoping to piece the backing at least a little.

I'll be doing straight quilting - probably in the ditch - because I'm hurrying, but also because my (beloved) machine is old and can't do free-motion quilting at all.

I'm going to take pictures of the whole process and post them!

For now, I'll leave you with this picture: Buttercat, clearly saying, "What do you mean, 'in the way'?"

*grin*

SongBird

Prototype

2009-11-15T18:09:00.000-08:00

I made a small messenger bag from two fat quarters on Friday. Literally, nothing but two fat quarters - one for exterior, one for lining. It has four pockets, cute, mid-length tied straps (which could be sewn so as to be one slightly longer strap) and needs interfacing.

I'm going to work on a couple more versions to see what I end up with, but I really can't wait to get it into my shop. I think I'm finally getting organized enough to have things for the shop.

Bags, flowers, embroidery patterns, knitting patterns; am I being to spread out? Should I focus the shop on one thing only?

SongBird

Embroidery

2009-11-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

I've gone back to doing embroidery - I did it some as a little girl, but then not much after that. However, I've seen such neat things that I wanted to start up again.

I'm almost finished with this one - I'll be taking out the bit curving to the left at the bottom and then adding a heavy black chain stitch
border around the whole thing. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Here's another view of it.

Also, I draw mermaids and other things, so the other one I've started is a mermaid!

I'm hoping to get these and a few others made into pdfs in the next week and get them up in my etsy shop. I think this might be one of the things I can really put out there.

SongBird

Busy, but no photos

2009-11-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

I've been busy, but the pictures I have don't really represent what I'm doing.

Here's one thing, though.

*glee*

SongBird

Inchies and other small things

2009-10-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with small bits of art - I started with Artists Trading Cards (although I think I have in mind trying to sell them on etsy, so they'd more properly be called ACEO (Art Card, Editions and Originals)). I love to sketch and draw, so I have a pack of the cards with me at all times. Here's a good site to start with, if you'd like to make your own. Art in Your Pocket I like to browse through the ACEO Showcase, when I'm feeling out of ideas.

I found an online craft swap site and joined up, happily swapping ATC and little folded zines. I saw someone there mention "inchies", and I was intrigued. I looked around and found inchies on flickr, and started making my own.

I end up with piles and piles of tiny little art. Mostly I draw on them, but people seem to like making them with collage and other techniques.

I loved this little fish, but I sent it off to my swap partner. I think I'll make myself a little wall of fishies and aquarium things, then mount them together. Or... what about magnets for our new fridge?

This one worked well, I thought. It's one of the first ones I made.

There are lots of tiny little bits of art out there - I find that working small is a good way for me to work. I like that I can keep ATC cards in my purse. Recently I've been working on 3x5 cards as well - I like the slightly longer aspect.

I have a sudden, unexpected cleaning up deadline, so I'm off to clean, now. I think I need more coffee first, though.

SongBird

Busy few weeks

2009-10-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

I've been busy the past few weeks with non-crafty stuff. I did make some things:

I love Coin Quilts, but I'm interested in quick results, so I made this quilt top from 6 fat quarters and some white dot yardage I had already. I'm planning on making a quick tutorial - I can't be the only person who's looking for something fast, fun and colorful. Plus, I'll be making more of these!

I love math and science - so the thought of making a crocheted hyperbolic plane, something that's the opposite of Euclidean geometry, made me very happy. Again, I'll be making more. Lots more.

We got a new fridge (it's seriously ginormous - I think you could fit enough food in it to feed a family of a zillion). However, we needed to put new light switches in, so I made a quick, pretty new cover.

I have lots of other things to post about, but I have chemistry homework to do. Anyone want to do it for me?

SongBird

Kitchen Mat

2009-09-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

So, our fridge was having deepseated emotional problems, so our landlords said they'd give us a new one. I stared around at my kitchen, realised I needed to clean it up and ... decided that the logical first step was to sew a new kitchen mat. I saw this tutorial on Sew Mama Sew a while ago, but didn't bother to look at it again today.

I started with a pretty fabric for backing

and started piecing fabric together to make a fun, bright front.

I always enjoy sewing the different fabrics together.

I used to iron my seams to one side or another, but recently have found that ironing them open is much better for me.

I like quilting in gentle curving lines for something like this - noting too complicated, but definitely interesting to look at.

This is what the quilting looked like near the end.

Trimming the edges square was a bit tricky; my rotary cutter didn't like cutting through the towel I used as the batting.

I put on a pretty mottled blue pre-made binding.

Sewing on the binding is not my favorite part, but ...

It does look pretty when it's on, doesn't it?

And, here's the mat in its new home.

To top it all off? The fridge the landlords gave us is too small, so we'll be buying a new one, all for our own! I wonder if I'll need another mat. *grin*

SongBird

Lemon Pound Cake

2009-09-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Well, the lemon pound cake was a rousing success. I made one to bring with us and my family wore sad, puppy-dog faces all the way home to ensure I made another one for us to have at home.

So, I did. (I got the recipe here Lemon Pound Cake, but I made a couple of changes (largely through a lucky error in the first cake). I used the entire 3/4C lemon juice in the cake, and I also used all 2 1/2C sugar in the cake (can you tell I was in a hurry the first time I made it and didn't pay enough attention to the recipe?), but that balances out the extra lemon juice well.

Also, I stabbed a million holes in the bottom of the warm cake to pour the syrup in - but I left it in the pan while I did it, so I could leave the cake to cool there and it would absorb more of the syrup. This means that the cake is mostly lemony and cool, but there are sharp bursts of lemony goodness throughout.)

First, I zested a million lemons.

Then, I squeezed that entire pile of lemons!

The batter was beaten until light and fluffy,

then I added zest to it ... to make it zesty!

I oiled and floured the bundt pan,

filled it with delicious lemon batter

and it came out looking tasty and warm.

After it cooled a bit, I got it ready to ice

and made sure to use every bit of powdered sugar left in the box!

The final cake...

won't last much longer. It's amazing what a slice of cake will do to a person's mood. *grin*

I've finished knitting the cat bed and run it through the washer. As soon as it's done drying on a plate (to keep it round and flat), I'll show you. I do hope the kitties like it.

SongBird

New Home

2009-09-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

I've planned and thought and sketched and played with ideas, but really, there's no way to start except to start. So, here's my new home. It looks unfinished, doesn't it? I'll decorate soon. Curtains, I think this blog needs. And a nice rug.

I have so many projects working right now that I can't even think of all of them. Luckily enough for me, I've finished a few recently, so I can at least start with something to show for my time.

I made this for a friend who's just had her first child. I hope the baby enjoys it. I'm sure she'll enjoy the blanket that it came with:

I like making rag quilts; the way they get softer and better each time they get washed is wonderful.

Right now, however, I have to bike to the store for more lemons. I made a lemon pound cake yesterday to give to friends and now my family wants one for us. I think I used 12 lemons!

See you soon.

SongBird