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Owl Print Folklore Bag
I know, I know, I need to stop screwing around and start working on my wedding dress (and I have since I made this), but it was for my good friend Val’s birthday and I had bought the fabric for her ages ago, so I had to make this. Plus it was a quick make, so there. The pattern is the Folklore Bag from One-Yard Wonders. I have gotten my mileage out of that book! Surprisingly, I haven’t made a lot of bags. I think the first and last bag I made was in home ec in elementary school. I made a monogrammed duffel bag (sans zipper) and I still have it! Anyway, I…
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Sugaring Season- 4 days of Maple Syrup Making
On our recent trip to Vermont, Matt and I were fortunate enough to be there during sugaring season. For West Coast city dwellers like me (or anyone not living in the Northeast or Canada), who may not know what that is, it’s the short span of time where maple trees flow with sap and maple syrup is made. While I still don’t take it for granted, Vermont maple syrup is a staple in our life. We put it in baked beans, use it as glaze for meat and roasted veggies and let’s not forget the waffles. Whether it’s brought to us, or we bring it home from a visit, a…
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Work in Progress- Miette Cardigan: body bound off!
Last week, Matt and I went to Vermont to do some of the planning for our wedding. We kept pretty busy while we were there, meeting with wedding vendors, hanging with family and participating in “sugaring” season (stay tuned for that post). I love Vermont. It is so beautiful and relaxing. Between things, I did get to squeeze in some knitting in Matt’s mom’s comfy sun room. It became my favorite knitting spot while we were there. I was almost finished with the body of my Miette cardigan before we left Seattle and was able to finish the last few rows of ribbing and bind off the bottom while I…
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My Sewing Pattern Organization System
Whether I am gardening, cooking or crafting, I am a big time notetaker and organizer. Keeping my sewing projects organized is partly a necessity, as my studio is on the small side, but I also kind of just love buying office supplies. The notetaking is so I can remember what I did and refer back to it if need be. As with planting the same crops year and after and learning from that, patterns can be sewn over and over again. Once you cut the pattern out and have adjusted it for fit, making that pattern again is a snap if you save your pattern pieces. I found these great…
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Planning My Wedding Dress
I keep getting asked how the wedding dress is coming and there has been progress. I have the pattern and the fabric now! The Pattern- Based on what I had said I was looking for, in my post announcing my engagement and that I was making my own wedding dress, a reader suggested the Victory Patterns Ava. It did seem quite perfect. It had all the elements I wanted and didn’t seem to be outside of my skill level, so I ordered one up. I’m going to be making the version on the left, but with the cap sleeves from the version on the right (instead of the pleating). The Fabric- Buying…
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Garden Planning- Helpful Lists: Seed Varieties
Last week, I shared my list of important planting times. Now, I’d like to share with you my list of seed varieties*. I like to try new varieties, but if I find something I like, that grows well here in Seattle, I will buy it year after year. Below is my list of go-to varieties that I have found are very tasty, and perform well, in my climate. Beets Early Wonder Chiogga- these are the cool looking striped ones, I am always talking about, that taste so good! Broccoli Thompson- nice big heads and high yields. Carrots Bolero, Purple Haze Cabbage Derby Day Lettuce I don’t know if there are really any…
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Garden Planning- Helpful Lists: Important Planting Times
It finally dawned on me, that in Seattle, March is a more realistic time for getting my garden started. So I am just now planning my 2014 garden. It feels kind of late, but it’s not really, since the ground is still very wet from all the rain. In planning my garden each year, I have noticed that I do two things. I draw all my garden beds and then write in what I want to plant there that year. I also tend to make some sort of list on the opposite page to help me decide what I want to plant and when, or what kind of seeds to…
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Finished Project: Colette Violet Blouse
This Colette Patterns Violet blouse was originally to be made for the Colette Patterns 2012 Spring & Summer Palette Challenge. It was in my moodboard and everything! I’m usually really good about finishing one project before starting another, because I know how I am. If I didn’t force myself to work that way, I would have half-completed projects all over the place. It’s part of how I motivate myself to finish things. The Violet blouse was one of three garments I pledged to make in the Spring and Summer of 2012. The other two were a Truffle dress (the third project in the The Colette Sewing Handbook) and a Crepe dress. I completed my Truffle dress without any problems,…
