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Flower’s first post- Making a pattern, otherwise known as winging it!
Introducing… Flower! Yes, I have a very good friend named Flower, it’s no joke. Funny story: One time, at a bar, we were asked our names by a couple of guys. When we said “Flower and Lilly”, they thought we were giving them fake names. Anyway, I think it is very appropriate that Flower is now becoming a regular contributor…
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My “Meringue” skirt- dance party tested, sewing nerd approved
For a long time, I have dreamed of making my own clothes, so this is kind of a milestone for me. Last weekend, I completed my first ever garment; the “Meringue” skirt from The Colette Sewing Handbook. First of all, this book is awesome. I read about it in a post on Seattle blog, Not Martha. It was perfect timing when I saw…
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Starting Seeds Indoors and the Quest for Homemade Sauerkraut
I used to hate sauerkraut when I was a kid. I thought it smelled like boiling, smelly socks. Now I love it! When I started growing vegetables, I was so excited to plant cabbage, and tons of it, so I could make and can sauerkraut. The first year I planted cabbage, it grew really well and I successfully made and…
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Getting the novelty prints out of my system…
I found these chicken and egg contrasting fabrics at Pacific Fabrics and since I have chickens, I had to get them! My first apron! The instructions came from the book, Sew and Stow. I found it on the clearance rack at Pacific Fabrics. I had a yard of each fabric and had to decide what pieces I wanted in each fabric.…
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Getting Ready to Garden- Part 1: Garden Planning
In the northwest, if you cover your soil with a cloche, or plastic, early enough in the season for the ground to dry and warm up a little, planting peas by President’s Day is a possibility. I tend to plan my garden around President’s Day and start planting soon after. I planned my garden last weekend. I’m not going to…
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Overwintering Vegetables- what’s in my garden now
I have had so-so success with overwintering vegetables. I seem to do better ever year, so that is something, I guess. Last Fall, I planted beets and cabbage under my cloche, which all got eaten by something. I also planted a cover crop of Buckwheat. I even covered it with row cover, so the birds wouldn’t eat the seeds. I…
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Garden Helpers
In 2010, I participated in a program called the “Garden Helpers” that was a collaboration between Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle and Seattle Tilth. It was basically the Comprehensive Organic Gardening course that I took back in 2007, but from a teaching perspective. At the end of a five week course, we were partnered up with people in our community to do site…
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Cute as a button sewing machine cover
When I took my Pattern Reading class at the West Seattle Fabric Company, I picked up a book called One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Fabric Projects. All the projects in it are super cute and come with great instructions and patterns, so they look doable for a beginner like me. I figured this book would be a great way to get…
