tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41074022011-11-16T06:38:50.001-08:00Crafty Dreamskarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.comBlogger6111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-3722339539059369742007-11-21T10:45:00.000-08:002007-11-21T10:48:15.578-08:00

Here is a beautiful post from Wish Jar Journal to get you all fired up about your handmade holidays.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-45050007487372666312007-11-20T15:10:00.000-08:002007-11-20T15:11:52.066-08:00

Hey, wanna see a bunch of ribbons and trims that I sewed onto a vintage sheet:Check it out! You like that? Well there's plenty more where that came from.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-81668372092067123452007-11-19T09:44:00.000-08:002007-11-19T09:52:07.851-08:00

The Hidden Kitchen was magical. Here is super host (for whom I now have a little bit of a food crush) Dennis' recipe for Crema de Limoncello. Make sure to read the comments for instructions on how to make Limoncello as well, we tried some that had been aged for two years and diners commented that it tasted like drinking a flower.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-82351566273638243512007-11-16T17:21:00.000-08:002007-11-16T17:22:57.786-08:00

Today's crafty progress, snowflake before and after.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-62310556345223322112007-11-15T11:00:00.000-08:002007-11-15T11:03:29.186-08:00

Recipes for the weekend (which starts for me tonight!):Vegetarian BorschOatmeal, Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookiesbalance is good

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-74873765358788879992007-11-14T10:56:00.000-08:002007-11-14T11:01:52.801-08:00

To be honest, I'm surprised I've made it almost to the middle of the month before relying solely on kitties for the day's content. I'll just say it: they are sooo cute!!!

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-52361928865779138222007-11-13T16:37:00.000-08:002007-11-13T17:04:09.266-08:00

Happy things for the middle of the week:1. Pj pants made out of bedsheets - brilliant! I especially like the wide legs and how it looks like she used the top hem of the sheet for a natural decorative cuff.'2. Last night I lit the pilot light and turned on our heater all by myself. Now we can have heat whenever we feel like it.3. Just signed up for Sacramento's Run to Feed the Hungry. I am

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-24825652210115841132007-11-12T14:24:00.000-08:002008-11-12T21:31:34.142-08:00

How have I never heard of Zafu before? This is incredible: you answer a bunch of questions on this website and then it tells you what jeans will fit you and how they will look. That picture up above is exactly how I want my jeans to look, and it's my number one match, The Sweetheart $30 at Old Navy. I ordered them and I'll report back if the fit recommendation is true or not. According to

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-53267214703726166432007-11-11T16:19:00.000-08:002007-11-11T16:21:59.645-08:00

Works in progress for holiday fest 2007! I am simultaneously feeling like I've gotten a lot done and like I'll never be able to make it. These trees are really fun and will make a great display. The ones standing up are made from thrifted materials.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-32622222920973477702007-11-10T20:05:00.000-08:002007-11-10T20:22:00.356-08:00

Fall is here! It's raining and pouring today and we've had two successful baking experiments:Whole wheat beer bread - this is yummy, but it does include about a cup of white flour. I wanted to try it out pretty much as written before experimenting with all whole wheat. I didn't have bread flour so I just used all purpose instead. This was my first time making bread with the mixer instead of

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-4391191680519564942007-11-09T08:59:00.000-08:002007-11-09T17:32:18.365-08:00

Crafty work day today, I made a lot of progress but still nothing to show for it. I'm trying to realize economies of scale by doing a lot of one thing at at time, right now I'm doing a bunch of trees and dream pouches. I wonder if I will regret this plan when I am sewing in zipper after zipper. The best part about crafty work day is the view:

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-77985708932122373972007-11-08T09:59:00.000-08:002008-11-12T21:31:34.392-08:00

I really like these crazy stockings from Free People. They're a little bohemian yeti for me but a great jumping off point for making my own stockings, something I've been meaning to do.I particularly enjoy the use of pom pom.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-34264397003974037452007-11-08T09:42:00.000-08:002007-11-08T09:56:25.068-08:00

Two of my favorite things: cute husband, embroidered pillowcase. He really loves being photographed when he's still trying to sleep for the last ten minutes.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-3743961471148597382007-11-07T10:06:00.000-08:002007-11-07T10:45:02.369-08:00

Alright, I suck at NaBloPoMo. This week has been ridiculous. We will have black bean pumpkin soup this weekend and put everything back together. To get through the next couple of days, let's check out some more etsy favorites:Hobbledehoy - It's true love, I really love this shop with hand dyed and handspun yarns. These are the kind of yarns I would make if I'd ever learned how to spin (sorry Mom!

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-17954068688776390872007-11-05T15:20:00.000-08:002007-11-05T15:23:50.219-08:00

Hee! This is a little onesie I made especially for a little baby that was born too far away. Hopefully this message will sink in and her parents will move closer immediately!

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-10558170164018363152007-11-05T09:05:00.000-08:002007-11-05T09:09:01.377-08:00

Just a few days in and I've already fallen off the NaBloPoMo waggon! Yesterday was crazy: new babies were snuggled, gigantical life decisions were made, tears were shed, cuddles were shared. Big deal stuff that drives blogging right out of your brain, even when you do have an extra hour. Let's just pretend this never happened.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-82293981022913408132007-11-03T13:48:00.000-07:002008-11-12T21:31:34.734-08:00

This is what the kitchen looked like earlier this afternoon as I waited for my sugar to caramelize to make this tart, a tryout for Thanksgiving.It was very good but I drastically underestimated the amount of slivered almonds we had in the freezer. I subbed pistachios for most of the almonds and they were alright but the crisper almonds would've been a nicer texture with the soft caramel and

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-6934091555665537552007-11-02T16:02:00.000-07:002007-11-10T20:23:53.644-08:00

As you can see, I've taken the pledge! This holiday season I am not only trying to make handmade things for other people to give as gifts, I'm also making sure all of the gifts from me are handmade too (well mostly, there are a couple of useful items already planned out that are not handmade, but sshh!). I've done a lot of embroidery so far and a little jam making. I'll also be doing a lot of

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-81677312424729955642007-11-01T15:07:00.000-07:002008-11-12T21:31:34.873-08:00

By way of starting back up again here, I will be participating in the dreaded NaBloPoMo. At the same time I will be preparing to participate in these two craft fairs:IndieSacramentoCharr's show!To start getting in the mood for handmade holiday purchases, here are a couple of my favorite etsy stores:Rhymes with Luck - gorgeous jewelry with a vintage feeling, made by a very creative friend of my

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-59620894303603351462007-10-08T15:06:00.000-07:002007-10-08T16:10:34.655-07:00

Do you have trouble with buttons? I do. I really like them and frequently think they would be just the thing to add some texture and an interesting shape to a lot of things. But then when I get out the button tin (just go on ebay and buy one they come already assembled courtesy of someone else's sweet grandma) then I start thinking: is this too kitschy? is it going to look unbearably Shabby

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-23430164926080271042007-09-27T10:49:00.000-07:002007-09-27T11:11:50.695-07:00

This is a little project that I had some fun with for Thad's birthday. He needed a water bottle for his new work/fitness situation so when I saw these stainless steel bottles on Angry Chicken I knew they would be perfect: Thad has a thing for metal. But I was worried about how hot or cold liquids would feel in a stainless steel container so I decided to do a little protective sleeve thing to

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-9744070214094699372007-09-24T09:21:00.000-07:002007-09-24T09:34:13.032-07:00

It's funny how things work. When I was 13 years old I took a quilting class with my mom, neither of us had ever quilted before but it sounded neat and was something my great grandmother had done so my mom had some sentimental attachment. I made an 18" square that took me about six months (maybe a year!), and vowed never to handquilt again because six months for one square did not seem like a

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-43237226135222421942007-09-10T16:20:00.000-07:002007-09-10T16:36:25.426-07:00

Inspiration today:1. This beautiful and comfortable looking home on designsponge.2. A couple last pictures of summer at the beach.3. Love the Alexander Henry print quilt in this new book.4. I hope this is about my new house, wherever it may be:

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-55163625814835903442007-09-10T11:40:00.000-07:002007-09-10T11:48:36.584-07:00

Continuing my love affair with the wonderful world of embroidery, I've been embroidering a few sets of pillowcases, many of which are destined to be gifts. This handwork has been very comforting to me because it is so portable and there are very few decisions to be made if you are following a pattern like this. My one big rule with these sets is that I must work both pillowcases at the same

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-76175811253280899432007-09-07T12:00:00.000-07:002007-09-07T12:11:10.437-07:00

My move was pretty disruptive but we are starting to settle into apartment living now so I can show you what I've been up to, trying to keep sane. These are a couple of sets of booties that I've been fiddling with using Heather Bailey's pattern. These are for a little Christmas project I've been thinking about which is where my love of pure wool in August comes from.Both pairs are made from

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-83346983766977648902007-08-31T09:12:00.000-07:002007-08-31T09:14:16.869-07:00

I asked Joel how he answers the charge that because food like his is more expensive, it is inherently elitist. “I don’t accept the premise,” he replied. “First off, those weren’t any ‘elitists’ you met on the farm this morning. We sell to all kinds of people. Second, whenever I hear people say clean food is expensive, I tell them it’s actually the cheapest food you can buy. That always gets their

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-39429047018838501812007-07-27T14:27:00.001-07:002007-07-27T14:33:52.635-07:00

This weekend's menu (the first chance I've had to cook in over a month!):mojitoschocolate zucchini cupcakes, talk about delicious!Zelda's Pizzasummer fruit from the farmer's market - peaches, heirloom melonsmushrooms over polenta, the mushroom part based on this method criminis work just fine

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-84614012353628005112007-07-11T10:31:00.000-07:002007-07-17T14:53:10.514-07:00

Hello! I am moving this weekend so I plan to have a little more to say in about a week. Since we are moving and incurring the attendant stress, cocktails have developed a position of extreme importance in my daily routine.I finally came up with a very easy way to make mojitos. It takes some prep but then you can make mojitos any time in only a couple minutes. I'm sorry that we are moving now that

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-86784085216606424682007-07-02T10:53:00.000-07:002007-07-02T10:56:02.216-07:00

I love this system for organizing recipes in a moleskine, featured at Delicious Days. I'm a fan of the handwritten cookbook, but my current blank book is quickly getting difficult to search now that several pages have been completed. This way is still very personal but organized.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-36865074953504852012007-06-17T08:54:00.000-07:002007-06-17T08:56:44.746-07:00

These are some hand dyed pieces of cotton lawn drying in the backyard. They are so soft and ethereal in person. This may not be our backyard for much longer so I wanted to capture a little bit of it to take with us.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-4525689173547062682007-06-17T08:49:00.000-07:002007-06-17T08:52:35.519-07:00

This is a pillow top I put together with some scraps one evening when I needed a little inspiration. This is about to be part of a larger whole, I am putting together a collection of handmade things incorporating my handdyed fabrics and embroidery.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-87769460371850193602007-06-12T16:34:00.000-07:002007-06-12T16:35:51.946-07:00

Baby Jayne Cobb Dietzen, adopted 5/25/2007. He is the best little kitten and we feel so lucky to have him as part of our family.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-24978500047918719632007-06-01T09:38:00.000-07:002007-06-01T10:04:33.570-07:00

This is the complete gift set I made for my sister-in-law who is having a girl. I used Angry Chicken's instructions to make matching onesies to go with the quilt. These were super easy with the fancy stitch on my new machine. I am inordinantly proud of the whole set.I used more of my pink hand dyed fabric for this one. This time I divided up the cut squares into a light pile and a dark pile to

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-22817916232106999202007-05-25T14:26:00.001-07:002007-05-25T15:42:13.529-07:00

Here are two quilts I've been working on for my two sisters-in-law who are both pregnant. I hope they like them, neither of them have been exposed that much to my quilting.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-2746080342550950572007-05-14T10:31:00.000-07:002007-05-14T10:33:40.530-07:00

Did you know that Ann Patchett writes on the Gourmet blog? When worlds collide! If you haven't read every single one of her books, go to the library right now. I'll wait.via Smitten Kitchen, my current food blog crush

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-43435174883129472702007-04-30T10:53:00.000-07:002007-04-30T12:04:31.144-07:00

Plenty of celebrating this weekend, but no pictures. Thaddy got a new job and we celebrated with a bottle of champagne we'd been saving for over a year and indian food. We also got to meet a friend's new three day old baby and help fix up a nursery for another baby on the way. I sandwiched the embroidered quilt and finished most of the quilting. Above all, we ate plenty of in-season

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-68214429638666312622007-04-25T11:45:00.000-07:002007-04-25T14:17:03.783-07:00

Here are two kitties playing on the results of a big dye party I had recently with the lovely Charrmer. I did two more of these big pieces and then a few small, one yard, pieces as well.andI think this blue and green one looks like a contour map.This red one is the best of the small pieces, the other two turned out like just nice blue tonal pieces that I'm sure I'll use, but nothing special. I

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-60010724173715955032007-04-23T09:06:00.000-07:002007-04-23T09:10:36.842-07:00

Here's another picture of my adventures in the wonderful world of embroidery! Since I still haven't gotten the iron-on patterns I ordered, I drew these birds based on images of Ms. Hart's patterns that appeared in Adorn. My college contour drawing came right back.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-71866412909139205012007-04-20T12:38:00.000-07:002007-04-20T12:42:12.681-07:00

Last night I discovered the wonderful world of embroidery. I am embroidering decorations on the quilt top from my last post. So far just words and hearts but I ordered some of these so whenever they come we will see even more exciting embroidery.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-24459143335877941892007-04-18T15:00:00.000-07:002007-04-19T16:20:38.543-07:00

Here's an in-progress shot of the "whole cloth" quilt I am making with my self-dyed piece of pink fabric. I put the "whole cloth" in quotation marks because, as you can see here, I actually pieced the top. But I pieced it so that as much of the original design is preserved as possible except for little bits that went into the seams.Here's another shot that shows this cool hot air balloon fabric

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-42590344383253367682007-04-10T15:43:00.000-07:002007-04-09T15:49:28.633-07:00

This is a skirt I made by altering a pencil skirt type pattern to be more of an a-line. Again, I think we are seeing a pattern in the bulky and shapeless department. I actually do have a nice figure, but you'll have to take my word for now. The trim does look cute with the grey corduroy though and check out my shoes, they are really cute and have great arch support. I think this skirt would

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-53355731778435450042007-04-09T10:39:00.000-07:002007-04-09T10:45:46.964-07:00

I did a lot more dying this weekend. This is a large piece I dyed using a low water technique for a whole cloth quilt project I have in mind. I love how this looks although I had wanted more of the lighter pink and only a little bit of the fuschia color. This is a polka dot I made to use on some pillows. You can see that I didn't have time to finish the whole piece but I think I will have

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-50554501699409875402007-04-02T11:13:00.000-07:002007-04-02T11:21:09.292-07:00

Here's a picture of how the dye printing is going so far. There is a lot more yardage with all different patterns but this is a small section. I have 2 problems with this stuff: 1) I don't like how the patterns are turning out, and 2) the dye is bleeding and creating smudges even though I am washing it with synthrapol. Actually, I guess 3 problems total because I am also not thrilled with how

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-65202220827425480932007-03-28T15:34:00.000-07:002007-03-28T15:59:41.675-07:00

I just got this book last night and boy is it beautiful. It's the most gorgeous book I've ever owned. In the Acknowledgements the author identifies the book's designer, Toni Tajima, especially. Now I know who I would ask for if I ever wrote a book. And of course I'd have to get Heidi Swanson to do the pictures, just beautiful.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-50601073109721929842007-03-28T10:06:00.000-07:002007-03-28T10:15:08.170-07:00

I am working on another scrumble quilt! The process is very addictive and makes me wish I had a stand-up sewing station as I race between the triangle points: ironing board, sewing machine, scrap bin. Maybe I can count this as exercise to get down and up from the sewing chair so many times? New rules for these scrumbles, since there must always be rules.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-6424694910142240252007-03-27T10:25:00.000-07:002007-03-27T09:19:37.865-07:00

This is a baby quilt I made for my friend Keirsten's second baby. It needed to be a little fancier than my usual because I had tried paper piecing (my first and only attempt, turns out I hate paper piecing!) for her first baby's quilt and I didn't want the second baby to feel slighted if I showed up with one of my now-standard, simple patterns. This top is made entirely from scraps: I just sewed

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-75740630344286909552007-03-26T10:11:00.000-07:002007-03-26T10:17:23.766-07:00

These are the fruits of my weekend. I am experimenting more with my block printing which you can see here under its protective shower curtain. I sandwich it in these layers so it will not dry out during the curing period. I also made this cuddly little envelope for a dear friend's birthday to hold her tiny little laptop that goes everywhere in her purse. The loop will have a button that it

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-10570044218242668412007-03-23T09:30:00.000-07:002007-03-23T09:39:02.453-07:00

Here's the shirt I made with the same Built by Wendy pattern as the dress (photo coming soon) and my hand-stamped fabric. I think it makes me look a little bulky and shapeless so I probably will not repeat the shirt part of this pattern. Thad told me to "put some of those fold thingies in it" which I interpretted to mean darts for shaping and he also kept pushing it in at my waist so you could

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-31000906472161408482007-03-10T10:57:00.000-08:002007-03-12T10:20:43.379-07:00

Testing, testing!Testing out my options for fabric print-dying. I mixed the chemical water using directions from Dharma Trading Company: a quart of warmish water, 3/4 cups of urea, and 2 teaspoons of sodium alginate. I left the water for 2 hours at room temperature and then mixed up my colors. For the test colors I used 1/4 cup of chemical water per color. To each color I added a 1/4 teaspoon of

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-88075453291858265912007-03-05T11:46:00.001-08:002007-03-05T12:38:12.940-08:00

I made Hamentaschen this weekend to use up a bunch of jam jars that had about half an inch each. The jam was definitely used up but I can't say that these cookies were a success. I am not jewish and I think the cookies knew. The corners acted very pinched together prior to baking but as soon as they got in the oven they turned into the flat cookies you see here. They still tasted pretty good.p.s.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-8635845230310054672007-03-02T15:22:00.000-08:002007-03-02T15:23:28.860-08:00

I love this cabinet with the white frame and honey wooden doors.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-90674673725847949822007-03-01T09:23:00.000-08:002007-03-01T09:27:27.908-08:00

Wonderful evening:Watched The Science of Sleep.Cut out this Built by Wendy pattern in a beautiful heavy-weight soft stretch sateen. The color is on the royal blue side of navy. I am doing the middle view.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-16104332981164155232007-02-28T10:25:00.000-08:002007-02-28T10:55:59.587-08:00

Well, it's not like we've been doing nothing. There has been progress made and fun had in a sort of slow, Februaryish way. This is a little bit that will be part of a baby quilt by the end of the weekend. Number 2 in a series of at least 4 baby quilts I will be making this year. Let me know if you are pregnant and I will put you on the list! This is certainly the year of the baby in my

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-90727109429039361972007-02-23T14:06:00.000-08:002007-02-23T14:09:23.855-08:00

Liberty of London prints: how could you not love each and every one of these more than anything in the world?

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-59823296658037078922007-02-20T11:08:00.000-08:002007-02-20T15:18:28.867-08:00

I am making a skirt in slow motion. The zipper alone has taken a week.My ardent hope is that this skirt will illuminate all future projects. That once I finish this skirt, beautifully fitted garments will pour forth from my fingers in a righteous gush. I'm feeling very biblical about the whole process.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-51368516295524019222007-02-16T15:14:00.000-08:002007-02-19T10:17:23.325-08:00

I am feeling the need to make my own clothes once again. I like this back neck button closure. Extra bonus points: it looks great with pigtails.edited to add: I spent a half hour on Sunday meticulously putting in an invisible zipper flawlessly, but backward. This could be tricky.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-48323383512102085092007-02-15T15:37:00.001-08:002007-02-15T15:37:43.541-08:00

for future reference: how to make those big grids of photos

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-87144711102746583882007-02-15T14:33:00.000-08:002007-02-20T16:39:59.400-08:00

The Annie's Annual Catalogue is incredible! I must admit that I had given up on Annie's, it seemed too esoteric for me (which is saying a lot! hello, rebel without a cause, I love esoteric!). Looking at the website, I couldn't figure out what plants would really look like and they all seemed so exotic but not in a good way. I didn't think they would work where I live and it gets so hot in the

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-74209600207545534232007-02-14T10:22:00.000-08:002007-02-14T12:44:19.018-08:00

I made this Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake for a treat for Thaddy on Valentine's Day. We haven't eaten it yet, but I did break my normal rule of no excessive bowl licking, the batter was that good.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-57853218217711740872007-02-07T12:06:00.000-08:002007-02-07T15:19:27.554-08:00

I wanted to finally post this baby quilt because it is officially my final project completed in January. This is a "baby" quilt for an old friend who I just got back in touch with when she had somewhat recently had a baby. That was over a year ago now. So this is sort of a toddler quilt at this point. I made it extra large so hopefully he can use it for toddler/little kid snuggling for a few

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-740942703742557012007-02-02T15:57:00.000-08:002007-02-02T15:59:32.041-08:00

This weekend I begin Phase 1 of my Super Secret Project! It will involve drinking root beer and I will also make bread. In case you didn't notice, I've decided against my thing-a-day February idea. I've much bigger fish to fry this month.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-13590835021048464652007-02-01T15:25:00.000-08:002007-02-01T15:28:46.465-08:00

This part actually made me tear up:Cook. And if you can, plant a garden. To take part in the intricate and endlessly interesting processes of providing for our sustenance is the surest way to escape the culture of fast food and the values implicit in it: that food should be cheap and easy; that food is fuel and not communion. - Michael Pollan in the New York Times

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-74404976209898930632007-01-31T14:29:00.000-08:002007-01-31T14:36:30.861-08:00

I had Chocolate and Zucchini's Lentil Apple Cumin salad for lunch today and it was so good. The recipe reccomends eating it cold or at room temperature but I mixed it up as soon as the lentils were done and ate it pretty soon after that. Loved it warm. I only had ground cumin so I just used one teaspoon and it didn't have that metallicy taste cumin can have, just really warm and earthy a

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-21314884844956923162007-01-30T17:21:00.000-08:002007-01-30T17:26:01.254-08:00

How do you feel about doing this Create a thing a day project in February? I am intrigued, maybe quilt blocks? Small ones, like 6" x 6" or some such? You would end up with a pretty cool quilt and after Julie/Julia I am convinced of the transformative power of The Project.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-521477425304261802007-01-26T17:06:00.000-08:002007-01-26T16:43:27.044-08:00

Here is a bag I made which seemed like such a great idea but now I'm not so sure how I feel about it. Actually, I am sure and I'm pretty sure I hate it. It was meant to be a purse for me but it turned out kind of funky due to a last minute decision to "decorate" the front with some scrap pieces of felt.Also the color is really blah and icky! I've been really into camel lately and when I bought

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-77918602461444606562007-01-26T16:44:00.000-08:002007-01-26T16:49:41.685-08:00

Over vacation I read the Julie and Julia Project and, predictably, loved it. Also, rather predictably, it has left me with a feeling of "what does it all mean." Maybe I should find some bizarre project to throw myself into that could change my life? Does it work like that if you try to make it work like that? probably not . . . in the meantime, just reading about all that butter has started me

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-56243476805223007422007-01-25T15:58:00.000-08:002007-01-25T16:34:44.767-08:00

This is not the clearest picture in the world, but I wanted to show you the squashes I roasted for soup yesterday since I don't know what kind they are. I can't say the results were better than my standby butternut treatment but it is even healthier and I was getting really sick of that other one. This time I roasted the girls like normal (for an hour in a 400 oven with a little butter to

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-3419630072506741822007-01-25T15:38:00.000-08:002007-01-25T15:58:12.513-08:00

Here's the knit hat I swatched for a couple of weeks ago. Once I swatched I didn't ever want to start this so there was quite a gap, but once I actually cast on for the hat this baby practically made itself. I don't suppose it hurt that I had a couple of hours of straight driving time while Thaddy (aka my lovely model) drove to Mendocino and back. I probably should've taken the pattern drafter's

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-26785496950418897352007-01-21T10:08:00.000-08:002007-01-21T10:14:58.024-08:00

This is what my guest room/craft studio bed looks like right now. Many in-process crafts have exploded all over it. I anticipate many finished object in the next two weeks. In the meantime Thaddy and I are off to Mendocino for a romantic interlude enjoying the midweek, off season deals they have on right now. While I'm gone you should try out these two recipes both of which were resounding

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-58288570043690361552007-01-15T09:59:00.000-08:002007-01-16T10:59:43.756-08:00

Weekend recap:1. Started a scarf using this pattern in Manos del Uruguay yarn in a beautiful purple shade. I would like to make the pattern in a variegated colorway also, but none of them out right now thrill me. The variegation really makes the pattern stand out beautifully.2. Made my first loaf of whole wheat bread using the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, a christmas gift from my mother-in-law.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-11127672345511003982007-01-08T09:33:00.000-08:002007-01-08T09:36:41.518-08:00

I made this little pillow out of a beautiful handpainted silk scarf that Charr made. Love this thing! It finally found a home as the front of a pillow since I got a brand new fancy sewing machine for Christmas that lets me make fancy stitches including the blanket stitch I used to attach this scarf. Pretty cool, huh! This pillow is destined for my super secret project, but it looks nice on my

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-58277163935134287742007-01-08T09:18:00.000-08:002007-01-08T11:26:11.745-08:00

I had the kind of weekend where I guess I learned a lot but I did not emerge with a feeling of completion. Here's what I learned:1. Wool felt appliques wash nicely when attached to cotton knit fabric.2. Three is too many lemons when making Le Poulet de Muriel, they will impart a little bitterness to the drippings (aka the best part). Next time control yourself and stick with one or two lemons at

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-28552852819893495442007-01-05T08:46:00.000-08:002007-01-05T10:22:31.973-08:00

This is a swatch for a hat I'm making using this hat pattern generator. This will be my Tahoe hat since I'm hoping to try to spend more time in Tahoe this winter and I do not have the ability to generate my own heat. I bought it at the farmer's market in Olympia, WA two years ago I think, from the person who dyed it. The tag says it's "wool superwash" but it feels crunchy like acrylic.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-7518462369576642312007-01-04T12:34:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:51:19.230-08:00

The new Blogger is fantastic, love it!!! I especially love the new categorization feature. The only problem is that I have had this blog since 2003, yes that's 4 years folks. Not sure if I will ever get all the posts categorized.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-46334187979750177082007-01-02T13:38:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:17:30.987-08:00

I predict big things for 2007 in my life as follows.New Year's Resolutions:1. Knit a sweater. I have tried to do this twice, perhaps more times, and have not been successful. This year I will triumph because I have a knitting buddy who I knit with about once a week. And a cute pattern.2. Have a vegetable garden that recieves water all summer and includes padrone peppers.3. Either move house, or

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-78223493882202335972006-12-18T17:17:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:50:50.363-08:00

Here's how Simon is enjoying the holidays so far and I think he has the right idea. Tonight I will be making my second batch of eggnog this season.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1166133217537033602006-12-14T13:37:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:19:14.800-08:00

My second Little Tree, the pink version. Tell me this is not the cutest candy colored christmas tree you've seen lately. Well, maybe not, with all the little trees out there. I actually dyed this fabric a few years ago in a fabric dying phase when I dyed my bedsheets purple. This piece came out pinker. The bottom is green wool felt. I embelished it with a gorgeous piece of handmade art yarn that

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1165949553910360792006-12-12T10:29:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:19:55.348-08:00

My first attempt at a Little Tree. Actually, this is my second attempt: the first attempt looked more like a slanty horn than a straight-up-and-down-tree. Apparently I cannot follow directions because using the beautiful pattern Little Birds provided did not turn out very well for me (well I did tweak it a little for a taller tree which is probably the cause of the problem). For this second

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1165884853385868972006-12-11T16:51:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:20:41.806-08:00

This picture pretty much sums up the excitement of setting up our tree this year for little Snuggles (Wesley Snipes officially). I think he had the best time.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1165535734194258962006-12-07T15:48:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:21:29.249-08:00

This is an in progress picture of a quilt that I finished, that's right: FINISHED for Christmas! Whoopee! I really like how this one turned out. I've never done anything like this long stripey random pattern before. The theme of this quilt was dictated by it's recipient-to-be and she chose floral batiks. I really like the way the colors seem to bleed together for the most part and the black batik

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1164668471842869322006-11-27T14:41:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:50:33.684-08:00

Things that feel good:petting kittiesa nice hot fire on your backmaking quiltsbutternut squash soup (yum, we've already had it three times)flannel sheets with hot water bottlea long weekenddreaming about christmas treesdrinking eggnogconsidering making your own christmas trees

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1164061475222164022006-11-20T14:21:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:22:36.012-08:00

This Superhero post is a birthday gift for all of us! I've been spending my time lately trusting myself and it does feel good.We've been having fires in the fireplace every weekend since it hasn't been too cold yet. On a brisk night with kitties, it is the most wonderful thing in the world. Once it gets cold enough to have to use the heater, the central air sucks the smoke out of the fireplace

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1163460792963490612006-11-13T15:24:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:23:04.114-08:00

On the weekend I made Alicia's Sourcream Apple Pie, the second apple pie I wanted to test for Thanksgiving. It was ridiculously well recieved and most of book club had seconds so it was a definite success. The other pie that I tried was also very good and probably my favorite of the two: Molly's tarte tatin. It was well liked by the people at work. The problem is that only two of us, me and Thad,

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1163460084284368942006-11-13T15:18:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:23:43.871-08:00

Quilting has been moving along swimmingly. This quilt is a secret since there is a chance it's recipient could read this. So that's the reason for the arty shot that doesn't show much. This one is turning out much better than I had anticipated and could be the better of two I'll be making before christmas, but we'll see.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1163198766303935472006-11-10T14:34:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:24:12.762-08:00

Wonder of wonders, I have been knitting lately. I am mostly done with a scarf for Christmas in a three stitch basket pattern. As usual when I knit, my mind is filled with grand schemes of all that I will make. Texture seems to be what I like most about knitting since you don't get the instant color gratification that you get with sewing. I am very drawn to this beautiful technique for that reason

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1163186810724087642006-11-10T11:12:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:24:38.657-08:00

Another installment in my salads for posterity series:1/2 head of frilly lettuce, torn1/2 fennel bulb sliced very thinly1 clove of garlic mincedabout 1/4 cup crumbled good quality fetajuice of 1/2 lemondrizzle of good olive oilsalt & freshly ground pepperThis was very good but in the future I would increase the fennel and use the whole bulb (minus the fronds stalks of course). I got the fennel +

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1163099145548074182006-11-09T10:44:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:25:02.965-08:00

This is my first attempt at shrinky dinks since I've been allowed to use the oven without adult supervision. I'm the adult now! Anyway, you can see my skills have not improved in the years I've had to subconsciously mold my craft. I got two types of film to try out, black and clear. The black seemed like it would lend itself to interesting shapes since a drawn design would not stand out very much

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1163033158127985052006-11-08T16:36:00.000-08:002006-11-08T16:57:23.280-08:00

Recipe for how to cure a bad day: here's how I do itStep 1. Call your best friend and tell her everything. This may be all you need to do. However, if it's really bad or if she happens not to be home, proceed to step 2.Step 2. Have a long hard cry, really get to heaving and snivelling. Do this by yourself or you could upset people. Please don't skip this step even though it's the most

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1162859273553045082006-11-06T16:17:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:26:05.301-08:00

This year I am getting my Christmas shopping done early so I can really enjoy the act of giving. I love the slippers I ordered from the sweetloveablegoods etsy shop. They are to be a Christmas gift but they are so adorable and comfy (I slipped one on to make sure it would fit because it looked a little small but no worries there). They are sweet, and loveable, and good goods. I've been cruising

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1162512731404000592006-11-02T16:10:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:26:32.981-08:00

There will be a Soulemama book! I have been reading this blog almost religiously lately as a tiny wish for what my family might be like when we have babies.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1162406687058277612006-11-01T10:36:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:26:51.681-08:00

Halloween at home was a new experience and very delightful. I think I would like to make it an annual tradition. We got a handful of trick-or-treaters but none past 8 p.m. I made a delicious lentil soup (but skipped the pancetta because I didn't have any and it already included bacon) and we watched the first long episode of Firefly that Thad got for his birthday.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1162257701062315232006-10-30T17:06:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:27:23.711-08:00

This is a little hot water bottle holder I made this weekend. It's very grandmaish but my feet get cold since I am not capable of producing heat with my body. And anyway, I'm pretty grandmaish to begin with so no use fighting it. I saw the knitted hot water bottle holders around and liked them but didn't see myself actually knitting so I did it this way with a little quilted cover, lined, and

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1161649207300848422006-10-23T17:18:00.000-07:002007-01-04T12:32:12.144-08:00

article about e.coli and industrial meat by Michael PollanWendell Berry once wrote that when we took animals off farms and put them onto feedlots, we had, in effect, taken an old solution — the one where crops feed animals and animals’ waste feeds crops — and neatly divided it into two new problems: a fertility problem on the farm, and a pollution problem on the feedlot. Rather than return to

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1161633545079889012006-10-23T12:41:00.000-07:002007-01-04T12:28:22.886-08:00

This weekend I was very proud of myself! I took care of many chores and made a few savory and healthy soups for us to have for lunches through the week. My biggest triumph was cleaning out my vegetable garden and harvesting all of the tomatoes that had been languishing including a couple pounds of Sungold cherry tomatoes and several giant sized Amish Paste plum tomatoes. These are great varieties

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1161213643322909942006-10-18T15:56:00.000-07:002007-01-04T12:28:56.116-08:00

I liked to read this blog post about how it feels to finally have a home. Waiting to move I have been maintaining a static status quo that no longer gives me that sublime feeling of home. There are small things I could do though, to spark some happy at home feelings like burning incense or lighting more than one candle. I will work on it.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1161043581014957832006-10-16T16:45:00.000-07:002007-01-04T12:29:35.105-08:00

I confirmed that Venice is still the most magical city I've ever been to and discovered an abiding love of the cafe latte, the coffee my grandma made for me as a child given legitimacy with an Italian name. It was nice to know that I can still use most of my Italian and could probably get very proficient with a teeny bit of study next time. Good to be home though and we've roasted a chicken, also

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1159316724919254832006-09-26T17:09:00.000-07:002007-01-04T12:30:07.594-08:00

At least when we come back Fall will be here and I plan to celebrate and get over jet lag with Thomas Keller's roast chicken, I already cleaned my oven and everything! Ms. Orangette's salad looks like the perfect thing for leftovers and I'm sure we'll be craving salad after traveling.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1159230395168766212006-09-25T17:24:00.000-07:002006-09-26T12:40:37.306-07:00

Well my weekend was not blissful or relaxing but very annoying. It seems that Thad's car is now well and truly dead so we have to decide what to do and where the money will come from for a new house and a new car. This is not how I like to feel when getting ready for vacation.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1158969666901130382006-09-22T16:50:00.000-07:002007-01-04T12:30:43.032-08:00

A blissfully relaxing weekend awaits and I intend to celebrate with champagne and picnic food, maybe a bitter greens salad with goat cheese. We will watch many dvds and I hope to can something, either tomatoes or another kind of jam depending on what looks good and cheap at the farmer's market. This is my last weekend since I am afraid summer will be over when I get back from Italy. I can make

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4107402.post-1158857771892871752006-09-21T09:49:00.000-07:002007-01-04T12:31:28.509-08:00

We have been having fun watching dvds of the first two seasons of Battlestar Galactica in preparation for the third to start next month. It is great sci-fi and very addicting. My sweet Thadeus enjoys using the swear word they've developed for the show. There is some pretty sexy content too to keep things spicy.

karinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03775234377266335035noreply@blogger.com0