On frustrations, and new ideas…

Oh, I’m being brutal with Pandora today folks! Even if it’s just the first two bars, if I don’t groove- off with it’s head! I need some new music this Fall…

So, I’m in the Workshop this week, trying out brand new ideas, different techniques, and a few new materials. Ugh. New is hard. My head knows what it wants to see, can see, is seeing, in that busy space, but my fingers don’t know how to get there! They’ve never been down that route, and the instructions are kinda vague, you know?

Lots of new around here this year. It’s good for the soul, and good for the artist, but it’s hard on the girl, who likes things a certain way…

Don’t feel too sorry for me yet, though- it’s Fall! And you know what that means:

Cool, crisp mornings, which is wonderful whilst watering and puttering in the garden! It’s time to begin weeding out the poor dearly departed, and almost time to get out some graph paper and plan out a new spring flower garden…

Time to dig out all the yummy fall/winter-time pillows/throws/scarves/hats/ tablecloths and dishes from their summer hiding places, and time to polish up the silver and glass ware in preparation for Fall entertaining…

Kitty sitting & Knitting time has rolled around again! Oh, how we’ve both missed this quiet time in the late evenings, where it’s just me, her, and a nice ball of yarn…

So! Lots of new things around here this week- new crafting ideas (some that just aren’t working…sometimes the best thing is just to let ‘em go…), new knitting projects (loving these little pixie bags!), new table scarves and napkins, and one of my absolute favs, new cleaning potions (Tea Tree this time around, for the smell, and its antiseptic properties. Yummy!)  It’s a wonderful start to our new year!

What’s new around you?

A Second Breakfast Celebration

Happy Second Breakfast! It was a wild party- all the Dwarves showed up, shedding their scarves and hats hither and yon. Even Gandalf dropped by- he left his bag by the bookcase! I hope he remembers to come by and pick it up before the movie premiers- he might need it for his opening scene…

While they were planning their route to take on the Dragon Smaug, I noticed somebody eavesdropping by the door…

Do you see him? Bilbo is such a little fellow, he fits in with the Hallway décor!

 

 

 

Thorin insisted on writing up an Itinerary for the festivities, which Bilbo updated with a few necessary items, namely the Washing Up, which any good Hobbit can tell you is Very Important for any impending adventure preparations!

I suppose you’re interested in learning what they ate whilst planning their epic journey, eh? Well, there were a few things laid out…

Bunting makes a good, cheerful atmosphere for any planning party…

 

 

 

There were Sausages, nicely plump and browned in apple cider…

There was a good dish of gruel (requested by Bombur as an appetizer), and a plate of Cheese and Pickles…

A proper pot of Tea with a plate of Scones for Gandalf- notice that rather ostentatious saque by the bookcase…

A few boiled eggs for the youngsters Fili and Kili, along with a few choice jams, jellies, and mustard …

and lastly a beautiful crusty Beer Bread set out with a full crock of butter was set out for Thorin’s enjoyment.

  Gandalfs traveling bag caused quite a stir-  everyone had to go get his to show of their skills!

 

 

 

A bit of bunting was strung up to give a bit of cheer to the grim proceedings, and Gandalf threw a bunch of maps and travelogues on top of the bookcase when he sat down..

For some reason Bilbo has a model of the tavern The Foot and Fang on his bookshelf…

 

 

 

A few hours later they all took their leave after many “thanks’”  “lovely party’s” and several suspicious lumps in their sacks. Upon closing the door I discovered every last crumb had been swept up and even the heel from the loaf had been taken. Hrrumph! I don’t know whether to be glad- no leftovers to pack away- or despondent- no leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Oh well, at least now I know to make a bit more for next year’s party.

Thank you for stopping by our little Second Breakfast celebration- have a Great Weekend everyone!

Autumn’s Herald

Would you believe I have no pictures of my knitting? None? I’ll have to give you a picture of a kitty to look at while we chat:

 

 

She is getting ready to play hostess for tomorrows Second Breakfast party…

 

 

It is officially knitting weather around these parts- at least in the early morning, when it’s nice and cool. There is a Pixie Pouch that’s been on the needles all summer that I’m finally finishing up, and a new one in black that’s going lickety-split fast since last night. Funny how that works- try a new pattern for the first time and it takes for ever to get done, but do one in straight stitch and it goes together almost faster than I can see!

I made my first table runner yesterday, the easy way- split a length in two and seamed it together to make a really long piece, then just hemmed the edges. This fabric already has a cute little fringe edge along the selvedge, so I just left that to make a ready-made fringe! And the best thing is it’s the perfect width for a little Fall shawl, too!

And lastly- this year has been a hectic one, mostly due to my inability to listen to my own heart. Forcing myself to slow down and get back to my basics has been really hard to implement, but I’m glad I did- this Fall has been a lot more comfortable once I slowed my pace down a bit. Some things I had wanted to do this year just aren’t going to happen- no matter how much I want them to, or how much effort I put into it. Working myself into the ground, and becoming a grumbly bear to my loved ones, isn’t worth it in the end. I’m very grateful for what I have in this life, and I’m a lucky girl for having them. Sometimes its better to say Thank You, and leave the rest to find it’s own way to your door.

A Hobbit’s Tea

Did you know that it’s Hobbit Week ? And that this Friday is Hobbit Day? I know! I’ve been reading The Hobbit this month, and just discovered this awesomeness myself. So I immediately had to plan a Hobbit Day Party, with all the trimmings. Here’s what we have so far:

We will be participating in Second Breakfast, which is this Friday. Interesting, because it is also Mabon, and there is also a birthday in the family! So much to do, so little time…

A new table runner has been made, inspired by this little scene I cooked up whilst doing a dry run for Second Breakfast:

See all the props back there? I had a few of those beanpot jug-teapotty things already, and knew they’d be just perfect for this, so I went down to the thrift store to find more, and well, just look!

I am just totally in love with these little dishes- and that glass jug! That is sending me over the moon. So I’ve had to sew up some new things to go along with the new colourway.

Now, on to the menu…

Sausages! Hobbits are forever eating sausages in the movies, and the book, so I made up a batch of Turkey Apple-Sage-Allspice Sausage Patties.

Bread. As you can see in the photo above, a nice plump, golden brown loaf was baked this week, just for the occasion. Ahem. And promptly eaten! We may have to bake another, the day of, just to make it last long enough to actually be eaten at the party!

Scones might be nice, so I whipped up a batch of Maple & Brown Sugar Scones. Yummy!

Mushrooms, of course, since everyone knows Hobbits love Mushrooms. Stuffed or Stewed, I’m not sure which yet. Hmm, maybe both?

Tea, of course- we love tea, I actually prefer it over coffee. Which is featured in the book prominently, so perhaps I ought to include that as well?

Ale. Since the weather has started it’s turn to cooler nights and mornings, I’ve been fancying a bit of crusty, yeasty Beer Bread, so I might just bake up a loaf of that as well…

And that’s as far as I’ve gotten in the food department. Quite nice I think. The Faeries are just over the moon with excitement- they think I’m celebrating their birthdays, since they love all the brown and greens in the house this Fall! Silly Faeries, haven’t they ever heard of a Hobbit before?

So I’m off to see what else I can whip up for the party! This is such fun already- don’t you just love the planning part the best? Ta!

The Weekend Review

I should have written this yesterday, but got sidetracked with all the yummyness that is my Fall crafting projects. We had a really good weekend, and I want to start reviewing what we do that is fun, works great, or just generally made the weekend a happy time for us. Here goes:

Gaming with good friends- we had a fun time Saturday, too bad I got sick and had to cut the day short.

Lunch at our favorite Mexican place, with a side of library time (I had no idea they had such good movies! Got the whole run of Harry Potter- it’s marathon time!)

An early-morning swim- we used to do this all the time, glad this little peaceful ritual is back, need that.

Sunday shopping in town- more of a browsing exercise with a delightful twist. Still need new Fall shoes, but found some great new pants!

And a good library run- always good to stock up on new ideas for browsing through during the coming week.

And last, but not least- some light housekeeping/ cooking a simple dinner/ sitting on the balcony in the cool evening air. Soo glad that Autumn is almost here- it’s been so darn hot this summer!

Full steam ahead in the workshop…

Christmas prep starts this week- I am thick in the midst of researching new ideas, mock-up building, and daydreams galore! Sometimes the best part of a new design is the initial dreaming. Lots of ideas flying around the workshop today:

Doll ideas and patterning- trying a half-size variant this week. Tiny fingers!

How to make a Winter Fairy Throne? Hmm…

Want to make a new Fall Tunic out of some yummy fabric I just found that I had totally forgotten about in my stash…

Winter Holidays menu building…

Christmas Gift List- what should this years’ theme be?

Holly, Mistletoe, Pine, and Moss internet research…

And lots more to come in the following weeks ahead! I just love the creative atmosphere of this time of year, don’t you?

Hey you faeries, get outta that fabric bin!

I made this!

I should make this a regular series- things I made this week! It seems this was a very productive week. Getting the shopping done on Thursdays has been working out great- there’s food in the house for the weekend, I can get all my food prep done on Friday (and not waste the weekend with kitchen chores!) and I have lots of yummy things to eat for lunch all week long (so I have more time to sew, since it’s all made and ready to heat up!)

So, things I made this week- first up is a new Fall shower curtain!

It’s made up of a few different Morris inspired fabrics (love them! See the blue border? It’s my favorite), a little leftover green linen (that has been finding its way into everything lately! I keep thinking it’s the end of the piece, only to find still more in my scrap basket!) and a lovely green print I’ve had for a while. Great big 10'” squares pieced together, no backing- lots of ironing and hemming tho. And just a nice straightforward turned cuff hem at the top with the curtain rod threaded through. It’s shorter than I had planned because of that, but it works fine  so I am happy with it.  I am turning the scraps into a new fall pillow/blanky/bed for Tasha, because she asked for one:

Please mama, can I have this?

 

 

 

 

So of course, I had to whip something up for her that very instant! It’s done and just waiting for a pillow insert. I am very pleased with how it came out, too. I pieced the scraps together and put some fusible interfacing on them to make them even more poofy (technical term there, poofy) them sewed them up into a pillow case form. Insert pillow, finish the seam and voila! Instant kitty bed! Or couch pillow, which is what it will turn into when she gets bored of it in three weeks, which is the usual around here. But hey- I made two things this week! Yaay me!

Now if I can just find a pillow form to fit this…

A change in the weather

Today is the first cool day we’ve had in ages! It was overcast yesterday, but still muggy and hot. Ick. Today is much nicer, so nice in fact I just had to go out in it so I reworked the entire garden this morning at dawn! It was so cool and delicious! Tasha has been bitten by something- her little cheek has swollen up, but she’s a trooper! Not a peep out of her, so I’m not sure exactly when she was bit, I do know it was yesterday evening though. But this morning she was right there at the door cheering me on as I swiped down all the cobwebs and spider egg sacks I could find. Yeck! They had to go- bugs can be beneficial, but not if they are going to attack my baby!

Once I had finished clearing out the detritus of summer from the garden, I decided to turn mine eyes to the overgrown mess that has grown up over the years here on the blog.The book is still coming along, I have to wait til we can afford to print the monster out, thought the design still needs some work. This week I am messing with the layout of the blog template itself, as well as the content a bit. Today I want to try and create a new labeling system. It is tempting to just open up a whole new blog, but I can’t bring myself to do it so it’s forward with the cleanup of this one!

And because I simply can’t leave just a blank post up, here’s a picture of my lovely little Teddy Bear sunflowers- they are so cute! And only a couple of inches high- I may do these again this fall if I can manage it…

What end of summer projects are you taking care of this month?

Ahhh…

September…that’s more like it. Welcome back lovely September, gateway to Fall. I love this time of year: cool foggy mornings; crisp evenings; turning leaves; routines!

We had a nice lovely weekend full of comfy old familiar chores, chats over tea, furniture rearranging (love that!), and delicious comfort food. It was so nice!

I love rearranging furniture- swapping out this and that, discovering a new angle or a better fit for those. This time around was easier- the edits over the last few years have cut down on the extras and what’s left are the things we really love. The bookcases got moved around: the tall one is just perfect in the bedroom now! And I was running out of room for my cookbooks and sewing books on their skinny shelf, so now they have a new home. The dining room is my workspace now, so that got shuffled around to work better for me.

This all started two weekends ago when I gave the whole house a good turnout so that I could clean everything really good. After living with it for a week we decided we wanted the old familiar format back so we put most of it all back, after I wiped it all down and vacuumed the life out it and washed anything that could stand a lick of water. September really has turned out to be the start of the year for us, and I love making the house all new for the new year.

While we worked we talked about our summer- what we liked about it, what we didn’t, what we would like to change next time. It’s funny how traditions come about almost like magic, how they just appear on the horizon, “it’s almost time for that again!” Love that. It makes life sparkly and fun to have happy little happenings to look forward to, doesn’t it?

It appears to be “Ode to September” month on the old blog- but that’s okay, because I could sing its praises all day long I love it all so much. I’m in the midst of a couple of new (and old) projects this week: a stitchy piece that refuses to get finished, no matter how much time I spend on it, a new design for an actual “book” bag, and an idea for something someone around here has christened “Pixie Pouches” (cannot wait to do more with that one! Love that he’s so whimsical!)

And there have been a few Faerie sightings already this Fall- there might be an actual sighting in this space as well, soon…

It’s a September thing…

September! How I do love it’s familiar scents, sounds, colours and routines. I’ve been working hard these last couple of weeks:

I tried a new idea this time around, and cut out enough fabric for 6 bags at once. It took way too long! I spent three days alone just washing, ironing and cutting it all out.

This is the inside of the bags I make right now. See all those pockets? Lovely! And I am loving the colours on these. So perfect for Fall right now!

I’ve made two so far- I know! Weeks of work and only two bags! But I learned a lot while making them: I tried a new process; practiced a whole new schedule; worked with an entirely new colour palette; and even gave myself a deadline! It was an eye-opening experience. And the good news is I have a whole new design worked out for something new, which I can’t wait to get started on!

And yes, that is a very patient kitty-girl waitin’ on her momma to come play up in that first picture up there. She’s been my personal assistant these last few weeks- she makes sure I don’t get sidetracked by the computer, gets me to take lunch breaks, and she even gets me up on time in the mornings! Must be all the Tuna and Kitty-Salad she’s been getting lately…