Elemental Stitches

Around the House

I've been:

:Prepping the new garden

:Taking walks through the orchard

:Eating lots of frozen tomatoes from last summer

:Enjoying early spring asparagus

:Finishing little corners of my new home

:Finding all kinds of cool treasures outside

:Sewing new curtains for my little girl

:Writing a book list for the year

:Finished The Help and started Reading Lolita in Tehran

:Trying to finish this pair of socks so I can start a new hat.  The pattern is my own cuff down version of the Diagonal Lace Socks from Socks From the Toe Up

:Getting excited about some big changes

 

Back with Potholders On

You thought I abandoned you for my new blog Shoots & Roots, didn't you?  Well, I have been spending a lot of time over there getting her started, writing about the garden, the granola I have been making every week and the little ones favorite oven fries. 

But all my crazy Californian urban homesteading fun doesn't quite fit in on Shoots & Roots.  That is what Elemental Stitches is for. 

You want to see what I have been doing lately?

Well, a couple weeks ago I almost burned my hand with a worn potholder and decided to pull out my dusty sewing machine and make some new ones.  I have been thinking a lot about Amanda's new baby, remembering when I first found her blog in 2004.  We were both pregnant at the time.  Amanda with Adelaide and me with Brae.  Reading about how she was raising her kids helped me form my own ideas about what I wanted my family to be like.  I am still drawn to her blog.  Several mornings a week I sit down to read about how they are chasing after their own little American dream.  Her posts always seem to inspire me to reach higher for my own dreams. 

All this thought about Amanda drew me back to her book, Handmade Home.  The projects are so simple and easy to make.  Millie's Hot Pad was just what I needed.

After two episodes of Bones I had cute new potholders.

In other news, we will have some new friends joining our family this week.  I will share more about them soon!

Weekend in Pictures - Deck the Halls

We rested.

We found.

We sang.

We decked the halls.

Our Weekend in Pictures

How to Make Felt Broccoli

Shhhhh!  Don't tell anyone!  I have been gardening and cooking in secret, late at night, when the child is snuggled into bed.  So far I haven't gotten caught and I am getting a lot of food stored up.  Here is what I have so far.

One night I was trying to figure out how to make broccoli.  My searches on the internet turned up nothing so I sat down with some green felt and began to play.  I was floored when I figured it out.  SOOOOO EASY!!!  Seriously, you can make a broccoli floret in 5 minutes and here is how.

Supplies

• small amount of green felt
• scissors
• needle and green embroidery thread

1.  Cut a rectangle out of green felt.  Mine was about 6x9 inches.  It doesn't have to be exact.

2.  Fold in half lengthwise.

3.  Make small cuts (about halfway) all the way down the folded side.  You can see all the cuts in the below picture.  My cuts are about 1/2 inch wide, but again size is not important.  Just do what looks good to you.

4.  Start to roll tightly from one side all the way until the whole thing is rolled up.

5.  The end will have a little bit of fabric sticking out so tuck that under the top piece of felt.  (below photo)

6.  Fold over so its covered.

7.  Sew up the seam with green embroidery thread.

8.  Now make 3 more and enjoy with butter!

Swapping

Last month I did a swap with another blogger Tanya from Washington State Apples.  She is living in Germany and writes about her travels on her blog.  I was completely thrilled with the goodies she sent me and devoured a bunch of the chocolate and the noodles in the first couple days.  Thank you Tanya!

Are you wondering what Kirschkerne are?  When I saw it I was like "what the...??"  Then I read the little tag (not the german one, the one Tanya wrote me).  Cherry pits, used for heating packs.  You know the ones we usually make with rice, buckwheat or flax seed and you throw in the microwave.  In Germany they are using cherry pits which are washable and work great!  I love it!  The noodles made it into a cassarole one night for dinner.  Tanya please tell the egg guy that California gives his noodles two thumbs up.

Isn't that box pretty!  I love the little spools of thread and the silver clip in the corner.  A little touch of old world.  Speaking of old world, check out this spectacular doily.  

Jaw dropping, isn't it.  It's so fine that it is staying in its little box.  Only to come out when I want to admire its beauty and stare in awe at each of the itty bitty stitches.

My new bag has gone several places with me keeping my books and knitting safe.

And part of this scrumptious ball of German yarn has already been turned into these.

Which are keeping my freezing tootsies toasty.  The pattern is the Pom Pom Peds from The Purl Bee and is one I can see myself using again and again.  The only change I am going to make to the pattern is to add a few more rows of ribbing at the ankle for a slightly longer cuff. It was so fun to watch the colors come alive.  The color palate comes from paintings which are shown on the side of the ball.  You can see this one on the ball above.  I would love a ball using the colors from Van Gogh's Starry Night.  Anyone see one of those?

Thank you again for swapping with me Tanya!  I hope you enjoy your goodies!

 

Christmas Make and Do

Am I really thinking about the holidays?  Have we really lived in this house 8 months?  Time flies by so quickly, it seems like we have lived here only a few months.  This is the first year where Tom and I will not be spending the holidays visiting relatives and I find myself cuddled up on the couch in the living room imagining where our tree will go and where should we put the stockings since we don't have a fireplace.  I know everything is going to be perfect because we are here together in our own place.  Last year Tom spent the holidays in San Jose working while I was in Southern California with my daughter, Mom and siblings.  It was very hard to spend that much time apart, especially during a holiday, which is why I am so excited about this holiday season. 

I've been writing down a list of things I want to make for my little one this year.  Like most kids in America, she has far too many plastic dolls and toys taking up space in her closet.  As a matter of fact I plan on getting rid of a lot of that stuff she never plays with (we already started with a mountain of naked hand me down barbies) and replacing them with more of what she really loves.  Dress up clothes, books, play kitchen toys, art supplies, and doll clothes. 

Toy Craft List

-Felt Food - I already started on this.  I have 3 carrots, a bulb of garlic, some bow tie pasta, and a zucchini finished.  Plans for more veggies, a loaf of bread, peanut butter and jelly, sushi rolls, tea cakes, cookies, and much more are already in the works.  I have found some great tutorials from

• Chasing Marcus
• Helping Little Hands - Look at the left sidebar for a huge list of felt food tutorials
• Felt-o-rama - Again the list is in the left sidebar
• Lit'l Brown Bird's Passion

-Dress Up Clothes - The princess dress I made a couple months ago for our sew a long has been a huge hit.  Its amazing its still here too.  I forgot to tell you about how it got completely covered in my little ones blood when she fell and cut her head.  By some miracle we got all the blood out and my daughter is fine.  I was hanging up all her play dresses the other day when I thought about turning the project for this month into another princess dress.  I think there is a lot I could do with it, so that is tentatively the plan.  I would also like to squeeze in a crown somewhere.

- Legwarmers, hat, mittens & maybe a cowl - Okay, so this is probably to make me happy rather then her.  I figure she loves when I make her things and if I make them pink she will be happy.

- Socks - Believe it or not, she has requested hand knit socks.  I can't say no to that.

- Doll Clothes - I am not sure what to do here.  She has specifically requested barbie doll clothes but I honestly have enough to knit this year.  Maybe I can fit a few in late at night.  Here are lots more clothes too!

- Doll Crib & Dress Up Closet from Ana White - Remember the coffee table I built with my friend Tina?  I am pretty confident that if I could build that table then I can build this adorable Doll Crib and a Dress Up Storage Closet.  Ana is posting new toy ideas to build for the next month! I am sure there will be more things added to this list. 

That's all for my kid craft list.  Isnt it enough?  I also have a whole list of holiday decor I want to make as well.  I got out our puny holiday decor box and realized that all we have left from our two moves last year are ornaments.   That just wont do!  I will be posting pictures of what I am working on and how I am decorating over the next few weeks.

What's on your holiday craft list and what are your decorating plans?

On Building Tables

My friend Tina and I did an amazing thing a couple weeks ago.  We built a table!  A big beautiful coffee table for her new place.  We used Ana White's amazing free plans for the Tryde Coffee Table.  With only about $30 in materials we got a $400 table! 

For both of us this was our first building project, first time using power tools.  It took twice as long as we planned, but we had fun.  I learned a lot.  Like measure twice, cut once (should I have learned this sewing??).  After cutting a board that we needed too short, Tom ran out and got us another one.  Sweetheart that he is! 

Then we were having a problem with our power drill bits getting stuck in the wood, but it turned out that we were using it wrong.  You just pull up to get the bit out, no backing up nonsense.  Then we realized that we would bend less nails if we pre-drilled the screw holes AND nail holes.  Let me tell you, it is way faster to pound in nails to partially pre-drilled holes then to pound it half way in, wrench it out because it bent and pound a new one in.

Soon I am going to have to twist Tom's arm into helping me build one for our living room.  Hopefully it wont take as long as the first one.  Lessons learned!

My Apron and Pants

Here are my Apron and Pants from Carefree Clothes for Girls.  This pattern came together quick!  Did you all think so?  My munchkin seems to like hers although she tells me that she likes her apron better with the opening in the front, like a vest.  Its a good idea.  Backwards it sort of defeats the purpose of an apron, but I see what she is getting at.

The pants were so easy that I want to make a few more pairs.  It took me about 30 minutes to finish one pair.  I bet if they were sewn factory style I could get 3 pairs done in an hour.  I will need a warmer fabric for winter and they would have to be longer.  At this length they are more like capris.  Flannel would be great for pj's and corduroy might work for school pants. 

I hope you aren't too intimidated by the coat project I planned for this month.  I really think it is a lot easier then it looks.  I am a little worried my little one is going to insist on pink again and I really really don't want to look at another bolt of bright pink fabric for a while.  Anything other then pink.  I think I will fight for gray to match the hat I just started knitting for her.  It's a Star Crossed Slouchy Beret in the same gray yarn as my last Star Crossed Beret. 

Now is the perfect time for a new hat.  This past week the morning air has been icy cold and wet.  I am scraping slushy water off my windshield and rubbing the fog off my windows before school every morning.  All our knits from last year are in a bag somewhere crying for a wash.  It might be time to air those puppies out before my ears start to freeze.

Tom and I are celebrating our birthdays on Monday and Tuesday.  Mine is Monday, Tom's is Tuesday.  We don't have much planned.  I think we are going to stay near home, have some yummy food and build some furniture together.  Sounds perfect to me.

The Little Table That Was Stained

Note:  A couple things before I start today's post.  My apron and pants are finished.  I just need a little model to pose for me.  Second, I have begun responding to comments in the comments section of the post.  It has been hard for me to respond to comments in both the comments section and through personal email.  I want everyone to benefit from the comments or questions so please don't hesitate to come out and say hi, share what you are doing and introduce yourself to me!  I love to see who is actually reading this anyway.  On to the post...

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I have this cute square table.  It isn't good for much because of its size, but it fits so well in the oddest places where nothing else will fit.  Often times it doesn't have much of a home.  It wanders around our house the first few months we move in looking for its permanent place. 

In Santa Cruz this table lived in the bathroom.  Which turned out to be not so good for the table.  Hey, I am from the desert, we don't have to worry about things like mildew or even water spots.  Water dries up so quickly that its not normally a problem.  So the little table lived in that awkward space between the shower and toilet.  The one nothing else can fit into.

Fast forward two years later, the little table is covered in water spots, rings from hot mugs of bathtime tea and a little mildew on the bottom of its legs from sitting on a wet floor.

After moving into our new house the little table was again hustled into an unused corner near the kitchen, a place where nothing else seemed to fit.  Ignored, the little table settled into its new life as a clutter magnet.

There it sat for 6 months until one day I came across this series on refinishing furniture.  Suddenly I remembered the little table, its water spots, mold and scratches.  A perfect experiment.  It couldn't get worse then it already was.  The little table was taken to the garage, sanded within an inch of its life and restained. 

The little table now sits in its new spot, a tiny space by the front door, where nothing else will fit.  It holds a couple wooden bowls which catch keys and spare change as our family runs about its business.  It has found its place and new beauty.  I notice this little table everyday now.  I love to run my fingers across the smooth wood savoring the silky feel on my fingertips.  The stain brought new personality to the wood.  Curves and knots I never noticed before were brought forth with a darker color and a little love.

Wandering Wednesday - Building Dreams

* Wandering Wednesday is a couple times a month photo project that uses photography and my two feet to tell you something about my life and where I am walking on its path.  Inspired by GardenMama.*

Here I stand next to my very first furniture building project, a crate made of reclaimed pallet wood.  I realize I have taken the first step to fulfilling a lifelong dream to learn to work with wood.

Its not perfect but its a start of something I have always wanted to do. 

Besides, nothing gets out the frustration of a hard day like repeatedly hitting nails as hard as you can.

This crate was my first experiment for making my crate bookshelves.  It was made of 100% free and re-purposed materials.  The wood is from a crate which I got off of Craigslist's free section.  The nails are free leftovers from a construction site.  I have a 5 gallon bucket full of them.  Contractors don't like using nails that have hit the ground so they throw all these in a bucket as trash.  They are perfectly fine for my projects.  Construction sites are also a great place for free wood scraps.  Since most of the stuff I want to make is small, scraps are perfect.  Plus they fit in my car!

I already finished another larger project with the help of a good friend.  I will post it after all the sew a long business is finished this week. 

Winners will be announced tonight!