wise craft

reluctantly in the numbers

I have fallen down the rabbit hole of tax preparation and deadlines this week. As luck would have it for a numbers-adverse maker like myself, I am the crypt-keeper of the books for our consulting business. (I am forced to do this by marriage, otherwise I'd run the other way.)

Somebody is determined to make a numbers girl out of me yet.

Funny, but I always see this time of year heading for me and yet I still am caught off guard. Maybe I like to convince my misery into a neat little month-long (or less) package, not draw it all out the whole year prior.

But I actually think after a couple of days with my head pointed straight at our Quickbooks file, I think we are in good shape for our accountant. Time-consuming though. I looked away from the computer today for an hour to eat lunch and do you know what I did? I watched an episode of Hoarders. It was so gross, I almost threw up a little of my lunch before it was over.

Why do I subject myself to these shows??

(My house did look incredibly clean afterwards.)

I got the granny circles sewn together while I watched (they felt practically sterile). I am so in love with the way this project is coming together. Its almost done, Ian helped me pick out some buttons today, which will finish it off into a pillow, for someone special.

<><><><>

Thank you for the nice words about Emma's work. I'm so proud of her. She's in the studio working on a new project as I type this. She inspires me in so many ways.

 

busy teenage hands

(I can't believe I'm calling Emma a teenage, but there you go. It's the truth, hard as it is to admit.)

Emma kept busy while we were snowed in by sewing a friend (Jinx, 1st photo) to go with Patch (2nd photo) that was made before Christmas. She's quite obsessed with anything to do with Emily The Strange right now, and I have to admit, going through the many books she got for Christmas, I'm pretty taken with Emily too. Emily is a clever, sullen sort of girl with quite a goth look, probably the kind of girl many parents would worry about in real life.

The Art of Emily The Strange is a book we have all looked at since Christmas. It's great. Many artists have drawn their own tributes to Emily, and its a fascinating book for a budding artist like Emma. I love the idea that she saw pictures of Jinx and Patch in several of her Emily The Strange books and decided she would make her own versions. Just like that. She spent hours on Jinx. Sketching the shapes, making her own paper templates, cutting the felt just so, making felt colors work even though they weren't quite right because we couldn't go out to get more felt.

I was merely a consultant. I didn't contribute one stitch

I don't want to take her ability and her desire to make things for granted.

There are so many things girl's brains and bodies are taught at school, and in life. To be confident in who they are, be inquisitive, stand up for their beliefs and themselves. All this is very important for a girl.

But you know what I love? I love that when the day is over, or there's a little time to herself, Emma finds relaxation and enjoyment in picking up a needle and thread and making something she can see in her brain. I am grateful that Peter and I have limited her time in front of TV and computer screens and instead created an environment in which she needed to find a way to fill her time. We don't do many things right, many things. But this I think she will carry with her throughout her life.

Thanks for letting me show off her work. I'm so proud of her.

<><><><>

And happy birthday to Peter. You, my friend, are amazing.

cold and hot

 

Snowmageddon fell upon Seattle last week. I'm not sure what the official amount was, and I didn't really blog about it while it was happening because we were just kind of here, dealing with being a little cranky once the excitement wore off, and coping with a lot of togetherness. School was cancelled all week, Peter worked from home, and we were just. together. alot. Don't get me wrong, its really lovely to be snuggled in your house all together for a day or two while it snows. That's cozy and actually recharging in many ways when it happens. But five felt like a lot. Still, we stayed put, other than walking when we we needed to get out and move around. Most of Seattle roads just aren't driveable with the snow and ice combo we get. This sums it up nicely. It was very pretty though, Gracie and the kids acted as if magic were actually happening. And nice to slow down, now that we're speeding back up.

I did realize a few things that I want to remember-

• If your car hits ice and starts to slide uncontrollably, try to get it stopped by heading for a smallish ditch instead of the car in front of you. Because if you're in Seattle, three nice men will immediately get out of their cars and give you a push out of the ditch and get you on your way. Immediately. (Thank you three nice men.)
• I really do appreciate fresh vegetables and nearly teared up when I finally got out of the house to buy some.
• Regardless of what anyone in your house tells you, it IS a good thing to have a hoard of fabric and yarn (be it ever so slight, I swear). With a stash, you will never have idle hands, you can occupy yourself with pretty colors and cozy texture, even when you're stuck in the house for five days and nights.
• Extended cable and instant Netflix is a pretty thing.
• People with tonsils swallow really loudly. Just sayin....

I worked on granny circles in all sorts of gorgeously hot colors while it snowed outside.

Gracie hung out with her feather hot pink feather.

The snow melted almost as quickly as it came, and we're once again out and about and scattering ourselves around the city.

I might miss it a teensy bit.

here's something fun

So, a while back, a Flickr member named Jordan contacted me and asked permission to use an image of mine on some promotional material for his band. It was so nice to be asked, how could I say no? Flash forward months later, and Peter received a package for me at our office, containing a promotional CD-

That's me on the cover of that CD!

The band is Battleships and they are an indie rock band from Sydney Australia. You can listen to their single "In Retrospect" on this page.

Nice work guys!

make a tea cozy

I can say the words tea cozy with a straight face these days because I really need one down in my basement studio, suddenly makes total sense. In case anyone else wants to make one for their shivering tea, here's how I made mine. I hope this makes sense, if not, please let me know.

Gather your materials:

• Your teapot
• 1/2 yard of 2 different fabrics you like (I suggest home dec. weight fabric just because I prefer the weight)
• 1/4 Hi-loft quilt batting OR enough thinner quilt batting to create a couple of layers
• small scraps of 2 pieces of coordinating fabrics for the top loop
• a large piece of scrap newspaper, tissue paper, or something to trace onto
• pencil
• scissors
• pins
• iron/ironing board
• sewing machine
• coordinating sewing thread
• pinking shears (optional)

To Make:

1. Make a pattern for your teapot. Lay the paper on your worktable, and lay the teapot on its side down in the middle of it. You're essentially tracing a half circle around the teapot, including extra for seam allowance as well. I err'd on the large side when making my paper pattern, knowing I could take away if it was too big. Once you've traced around (allowing for a 1/2" seam allowance in the process), move your teapot, then fold the half circle you just drew in half widthwise, and cut it out (this will ensure that its an even "arc" or 1/2 circle, rather than a wonky one, which would be a different project altogether...)

2. Cut your body, fabrics, fabric loops and quilt batting. Trace the paper pattern onto each of your home dec/body fabrics, cutting out 2 of each print. Next, pin your paper pattern onto your quilt batting and cut out 2 pieces (unless you are using thin batting, then cut  out 4 pieces/2 for each side of your cozy), but make these about 1/2" smaller than the cut body fabrics. For each of the top loops, cut out 1 piece of fabric 4" x 2".

3. Make the loops. At your ironing board, take the first cut loop piece and fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, press. Unfold, then fold each of the cut edges toward the crease, wrong sides together, press. Lastly, fold the loop in half again (at the original center crease) and press. Repeat with the other loop. Take these loops over the sewing machine and sew the 2 lengthwise edges using coordinating thread and stitching as close to the edge as possible.

4. Baste the loops onto the body fabrics. Fold your loop into an actual loop shape, and pin it the center of the rounded edge of one the right side of its coordinating body pieces. (Raw edges of loop are pointed in same direction as raw edge of body fabric.) Sew a couple of basting stitches close to the edge to hold it into place.

5. Sew the body pieces. Pin the 2 pieces cut from the first fabric print together, right sides together, and sew around the rounded edge, leaving the bottom straight edge open. Repeat with second print. Press all the pieces smooth. (I like to cut the seam allowances with pinking shears before moving on to make a neater seam allowance, but this is optional and you can skip if you want).

Tip- At this point, check the fit of the pieces around the teapot. Too big and droopy? Sew a larger seam allowance around the rounded edge to bring it in a bit. Too small? Drop it and go answer some emails, come back to it later, realizing you may have to make a new pattern and start over.

6. Add in the quilt batting. Turn one of the sewn tea cozy bodies right side out and press (leave the other wrong side out). Fit the body you turned right side out over the other body, making sure they are even and straight. Put your quilt batting layers between these body fabric layers, taking the time to make sure its evenly distributed all around. Pin into place in a couple of spots.

7. Hem the bottom. Fold even hems in towards the quilt batting for each of the body fabrics. Take care to make sure you've completely enclosed the quilt batting around the bottom, pin all the way around. Stitch a hem about 1/4" away from the bottom all the way around.

Tip- If you want to hold the quilt batting in place, take a few stitches around the body of the tea cozy on both sides, using a coordinating thread. The batting I used was so thick and seemed to stay in place just fine, but I may decide to add these before I wash it.

Have fun, let me know if you make one!

 

covering things

The weekend (actually the past week) was cold here in Seattle. We got a dusting of snow on Saturday, just enough to make it feel safer to stay at home. It continued ever so slightly on Sunday, and my mothering instincts kicked right into full gear when I felt drafts coming in through a few windows. Extra quilts were thrown onto beds (you can imagine that we have plenty) and I set about trying to cover things to ward off the chill.

Cause that's what I do when it gets cold.

I cover things.

I recovered the upholstered seats to our kitchen chairs. (Truthfully, I had planned to do these over the weekend before it snowed, but still...) These sit at the island of our kitchen counter, the four of them across one side. We've had these chairs for about 10 years and the main reason I never get tired of them is because I can reupholster the seats, which I usually do every 6 months or so. Its a great project because 1 yard of home decor weight fabric will usually cover all four with careful cutting. This time I used the Orla Kiely for Target tablecloth I'd purchase a few years ago for our old dining room table. Sadly, it doesn't fit the new table, but using it this way allows me to see the pattern every day, so that's good! I used iron-on clear vinyl on the fabric before I applied it to the seat. Feels like coated cotton fabric, and it really makes my fabric choices limitless, and spills don't matter.

 

Then I made a tea cozy.

It was just about a year ago this month that I moved my sewing studio into our basement, and let me tell you, it gets chilly down there this time of year. A space heater works great when I am cold, but my tea cup doesn't really stand a chance. For what I think may be the very first time in my life I needed a tea cozy! I usually have something warm in my hands when I'm down there, and although it is good exercise, I get a little weary of running up and down the stairs to warm my tea or hot water.

And because I grow bored without options, it's a reversible tea cozy (that's not 2 different ones pictured, its the same one reversed). This project took me less that an hour, using only what I already had in my stash.

Tomorrow I will show you how in case your tea gets cold too.

xo,

Blair

2012 manifesto

On many levels it feels like 2012 just started for me a week ago, and I'm a little late looking at what I'd like for myself in 2012, but here's what's on my mind:

• Continue organizing my life and our home. This sounds broad and it is, but last year I started taking small, dilberate stabs at this once I thought about how much time I can waste thinking about not doing something. (Disclaimer; I may come across as organized, but organization is many layers thick and there's work that needs to be done, trust me!).

• Go out on a date with Peter at least every couple of weeks. This was tough to do for a long time, finances didn't really allow a nice dinner out, and starting our own business just meant the second shift starts after dinner most evenings. Its really a new day for our business and a new era as a family. This is important stuff. And damn I love that man.

• Make this the year wise craft becomes its own legitimate business.

• Answer emails, even if its just a line or two, as soon as I can after I receive them. So many of my emails are professional ones, so I just treat this as a required task, part of the job. Let them know I got it. Its quick, and this method is actually working for me. I had weird situations pop up last year where I, myself was waiting for an email reply for several days, as much as a week, from someone who couldn't bother to email me, yet was able to update their facebook status several times a day. That clearly boiled down to priorities in my view and I don't want to make anyone who needs an answer feel as if they are being ignored. Common courtesy.

• Draw in my sketchbook more. There was a time I felt the pages of my sketchbooks were too important for me to put my little silly sketches in. How twisted is that, what did I think they were for? Over the past year I've realized that's crazy. I've started a new quilt pattern today. To say I'm excited is a complete understatement. I sketched with my fancy colored pencils, and listened to music, and I promised myself I would not begin actually cutting fabric until that sketch was complete. It was almost like meditation, very enjoyable.

• Be present and open to my children and what they need from me. Emma is very clearly a pubescent 13 year old. Its a topsy-turvy day any day you're dealing with all that 13 brings, at least around here. She's trying so hard and that makes me want to try as hard as I can. Ian is an old soul in a 10 year old's body, he needs to be gently nudged to try new things and away from his Lego's once in a while, it always proves to be worth it.

I love reading other's goals, so if you've done this on your own blog, post a link in the comment section.

granny progress

Thank you to everyone who said such nice things about the January inspiration wallpaper (here, and everywhere else). It got me excited about this project even more. Made me curious about what will inspire me in February.

On to crochet. My favorite favorite thing to do this season. I had to change the original color combination up a bit on my granny stripe blanket when I realized that using the original Cascade 220 yarn as I was doing was creating nothing short of a crocheted sheet of armour. A blanket of steel. Something that had the ability to impale the person on the receiving end of the request to "throw me a blanket".

Now this is something I really should have known, but my love for Cascade 220 looms large and I'd decided to give it a try. And after all, I'd already created a bazillion granny squares for a different blanket, so I assumed that it just might work. It didn't and I was bummed. I loved that original color combination, it was exactly what I wanted when I decided to do this project, plus I had to start over. Blerg.

When my yarn choices switched to fingering weights at my local yarn store, I had to choose from what was there make something work. I decided on the doe skin-type main body color you see above (Cascade Merino Superwash Hermitage Sock Yarn, color #5681). But the neon-y glowy color I wanted for the stripe was tougher, there was nothing that really fit the bill in an all-wool yarn. It was all about instant gratification that day. We were leaving for Colorado and my hands would sweat and possibly spaz without a project to do. So I came home and pulled a bright blue Cascade 200 yarn from my stash. It works for the stripe area.

I like it. This new combo is growing on me.

I worked quite a bit on it while we were in Colorado, although progress has slowed a bit now that we're back home. I'm loyal to it though. I look forward to sitting down with this blanket and some dysfunctional, completely mindless TV each night. It keeps my hands out of the cookie jar and it clears my head completely.

The crochet, not the bad TV.

Although Peter and I have been watching Drugs, Inc. on our favorite new channel, NatGeo, and I am suprised to say I am completely up to speed on drug trafficking.

Really. Ask me anything.

january inspiration screensaver

When I finally settled back into my studio last week, after the holiday flurry of gift-making, then travelling, I realized I was bursting with inspiration. Does that happen to you guys at the beginning of the year? When moments like this hit me, I want to be better at capturing it somehow. I just don't want to lose it.

Over the weekend, I starting gathering things that feel "right" to me this month. I don't think I will literally interpret these things into something, and the items themselves aren't necessarily as important as the mood and feel of them all together. These small things grouped together like this really create a nice feeling for me right now. I snapped a picture of my little grouping and decided I would share it with you! Please feel free to use it as your January's screen saver or wallpaper if you are so inclined.

January 2012 wallpaper

Just click on the link, then drag the image to your desktop. If you have any problems let me know! I will do this for each month (and I promise to be on top of it at the beginning of February).

January's inspiration:

• textures
• dark wood
• feathers
• suede and hides
• crochet
• organization
• clearing the slate for the year

Enjoy!

Blair

P.S.- For personal use only. Thank you!

play with your food

My new favorite lunch, now that I am post-apocalyptic, is one that was made for me by my sister-in-law Jen while we were together in Colorado. So good! This salad is a keeper for me. When I'm trying to eat a smarter diet, lunch seems to be the trickiest meal for me because I don't like to cook anything for just myself. (but if you came over I'd cook for us, I promise.) I'm also not that crazy about leftovers.

Enter the kale and avocado salad. This salad is about as simple as it gets. Its straightforward, quick to assemble, and uses whatever ingredients you may have in house as an additive to change it up. The day I snapped these photos, I had only a few things to add, like cremini mushrooms, shredded parmesan, and some radishes (I remembered those after the photos). One key to how satisfying this meal is for me smooshing the avocado all over the kale leaves. I know, it sounds odd but here me out.

Avocado and Kale Salad

A bunch of kale leaves, stems removed, all rinsed well and dried

Additions- You choose your favorite.

    shredded chicken

    hard-boiled egg

    any veggies you like

    nuts

    shredded or crumbled cheese

    mushrooms

    beans

    etc.

 

Tear up the kale leaves in your bowl. Add in all the additions. Then rub, smoosh, and work the avocado into the salad with your hands, making sure you distribute it evenly through the salad. Your hands are definitely the best tools for this. Messy? Yes. But worth it.

Last step is to squeeze fresh lemon juice over the entire salad.

This salad keeps me satisfied until dinner, which is a miracle in itself because the window of 2:00-4:00 is a time of major weakness for me.

Let me know if you try it! Enjoy!