I'm moving

I have a new blog address: http://www.tangerineandturquoise.com/!

Please update your bookmarks and readers, as I won’t be posting here anymore.

For my Christmas gift, Will secretively set everything up for me. I wasn’t planning on having a new blog this quickly, so I am thrilled with my present. I can cross one item off my list now.

I’m still fiddling with everything and making some changes and additions. Once I had my pretty new blog, I wanted to start using it as soon as possible instead of waiting for it to be perfect. There are so many more options on Wordpress, and it’s been a little overwhelming trying to figure all of them out. The only bad thing is that I’ve lost all of my Typepad Connect comments. Supposedly they are working on a way to export them, but that was back in May so I’m not holding my breath. When/if there is a solution, I’ll export them.

So, come visit my new site and tell me what you think! I think I have a pretty great husband.

R.E.L.A.X.

It is 2:18pm and I am still in my pjs. This is the first day since school got out that I was able to do nothing. I had no food to make, nothing to sew or assemble, nothing to wrap, and no one we had to visit. We stayed at home, and while the kids played in the bug house and drew with their new art materials, I got to play with the Christmas present Will made for me. It’s been a lot of fun, but I still have some learning to do. I’m hoping it will be ready soon, because I am very very excited.

I just realized there is leftover Beef Wellington in the fridge. I think I’m off the hook for dinner. Sweet! Off to do more of nothing…

Yesterday, the Day Before and Today

They were all lovely.

A few seemingly quiet moments. With two houses full of family and kids, they weren't. But we all had a good time, and I loved watching my children enjoy everything so much. Now for some rest...

More Teacher Gifts

A few days ago, I realized this is the last week of school before Winter Break. That meant I had to figure out teacher gifts and sew them up quickly. I decided to sew something small and fun I had wanted to make for a while, Erin's coffee cozy. It also looked easy and fast, which I needed since each of my children have two teachers. Erin's final presentation ends up being a paper to-go cup with the cozy on the outside and a gift card to a local coffee place on the inside. Add a tag, and the gift is complete.

I wanted to make patchwork cozies, so I chose scrap fabrics for a warm colorway and a cool colorway. I mixed quilter's cotton, with home decor weight and linen. I had a lot of long strips for the warm colorway, so I was able to cut out two exteriors from the same piece which saved me a little time. I chose high loft cotton batting for the inside, which I actually wouldn't recommend. I figured it might be nicer if the cozies had some extra padding and insulation, but the high loft batting made the cozy harder to turn, the points rounded, and overall it was a little too bulky. Whenever I try to use some of my leftover high loft batting, it usually doesn't turn out well.

The piecing for the exteriors took the longest, but Erin is right as she wrote today - this project is fast. The pattern and instructions are easy and easy to follow. I printed the cozy page on cardstock to make a sturdier template. By the end of last evening, I had 4 completed coffee cozies and I even had time to sew the buttons on. Agnes's teachers received theirs today and they loved them. I'm pretty sure Ely's teachers will feel the same tomorrow. I always wish I could do a little more for them, because they do so much for my children, but at least I can give them something pretty and functional, and also let them get a special treat or two for themselves. I hope they enjoy their vacation, because on January 5th I'm sure I'll be more than ready for school to begin again.

Decorate

Remember when I was trying to figure out what to do with my big bag of fabric selvedges and thread waste? Well this weekend, I realized it would be perfect stuffing for Stephanie's soft trees. I've been meaning to make some for 3 years now - ever since I saw the wonderful trees made for the window at Purl Patchwork - but the trees always get pushed aside for gift sewing. The kids and I spent Saturday morning at home in pjs, and while they played, I got to sew. I managed to get 3 little trees done before lunchtime, and I have plans for some larger ones. This pattern is great for using up all sorts of odds and ends - fabric scraps, random buttons, almost done spools of thread, small pieces of ribbon or lace, and I found that my fabric waste made the perfect stuffing since the trees look cutest when they are slightly lumpy. I did stuff the tree tops with regular cotton stuffing in order to get the tips filled out, but used then the fabric and thread waste for the rest, with a layer of lentils at the very bottom. The kids thought they were wonderful, and I love how you can make these trees out of virtually anything.

Now to figure out how to make french knots! I have trees I want to decorate.

Food Gifts, Part 2

So what happens when someone or a family has a nut allergy and I can't make my famous spiced nuts? I make my second favorite food gift, maple popcorn. The recipe is vegan and nut free, so it is great for people with allergies or with specific food restrictions. Though if you desire, you can always add nuts to it (my friend Paige - who is the source of this recipe - likes to add buttered almonds).

I first had maple popcorn at the end-of-the-season CSA potluck picnic. In the food tent was a large brown grocery bag with maple popcorn written on it, full of yummy looking popcorn. I put a large handful on my plate, alongside my other food choices, and brought it back to our picnic blanket. I think I only ate one or two pieces, because Ely devoured the whole pile in less than a minute. I had to go back for more (and probably for more again). Next year at the same picnic, we arrived at the same time as my friend Paige, and I saw she was carrying a large brown grocery bag with maple popcorn written on the front. "Did you bring that last year?" I asked. She replied that she did, and that maple popcorn is one of her family's favorite treats and something she often brings to potlucks or parties. Needless to say, I procured the recipe from her and it has become a favorite of ours too. When dinner is skimpy or a letdown, maple popcorn is a must. Trader Joe's has very large, inexpensive glass bottles of maple syrup and there is always one in our fridge.

Maple Popcorn

I've found that 6 Tbsp of popcorn kernels will fit nicely in a 6 quart lidded saucepan. This is the perfect amount for an afternoon or evening treat. To make larger quantities, double or triple this recipe and pop your kernels in a large, lidded stockpot. The recipe below is light on the maple syrup - if you want every piece of popcorn coated, then increase the maple syrup to 1/2 cup or more.

-6 Tbsp popcorn kernels (buy small amounts frequently because popcorn dries out quickly and won't pop as nicely, I've also found that the cheap grocery store brand is usually tastier and pops better than anything organic or in the bulk bins)

-3 tsp canola oil (or whatever vegetable oil you like to use)

-1/3 c. maple syrup (I use grade B, but whatever you like best will work)

-1-2 Tbsp of water

-ground sea salt to taste

-optional toasted nuts like peanuts, almonds, pecans, etc.

Pop your popcorn in a heavy, lidded saucepan or stockpot on the stove over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently. Dump the finished popcorn into a brown paper bag and season to taste with sea salt. If you want nuts in your maple popcorn, add them to the paper bag with the popcorn. In a small heavy, lidded saucepan, bring the maple syrup and water to a boil. The syrup needs to reach soft ball stage, so either use a candy thermometer or keep checking to see when a tiny drop of syrup forms a ball in a glass of water. The syrup heats slowly at first, then progresses rapidly at the end so keep your eye on it. If the mixture gets too hot and reaches hard ball stage, the popcorn won't turn out quite right. When the syrup is candied, drizzle over the popcorn in the bag, close the top and shake vigorously to mix everything together. Let cool before eating or storing. For gifts, package up in bags or tins.

Food Gifts, Part 1

It's that time of year again. Yesterday, I spent part of the afternoon compiling my various gift wish and gifts given lists on my computer from last year's and from the random notes in the blank book I carry in my purse. I really try to keep everything simple and handmade (by me or someone else), but I do like to give a little something to neighbors, friends, and of course the many teachers in my children's lives.

This is when I turn to food gifts, and my absolute favorite treat to make and give are spiced pecans. Everyone always raves about them, and I've given out the recipe at least a hundred times. They aren't a dessert, so you don't have to worry about the guilt associated with cookies or fudge, and they will keep for a while in a sealed container (though not in my house, as Will wrecks havoc on the spiced pecan stash). They are good to eat by themselves, and I always have a bowl of them at any party I throw. One of my favorite salads is spinach with apples or pears, thinly sliced red onions, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette topped with spiced pecans.

Ely's school has their Winter fundraiser on Saturday and we are having our business's 3rd anniversary party that evening. This morning I made 6 lbs (24 cups) of spiced pecans for the two events, and it only took me 45 minutes. For the baked goods area or for friends, I package one cup amounts in labeled cellophane bags tied with ribbon.

If you buy big bags of pecans (like at Costco) or nuts in bulk, you can easily double or quadruple the recipe below. I've found that 8 cups of nuts (a 2 lb bag) will fit on one half sheet pan.

Spiced Pecans

Adapted from Southern Table by Frank Stitt; makes 4 cups

-4 c. pecan halves

-1.5 tsp kosher salt

-pinch of freshly ground pepper

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

-1 Tbsp dark brown sugar (if you only have light like I seem to, add a tiny bit of molasses)

-1 Tbsp freshly chopped rosemary leaves (do not substitute dried or leave out)

-1 Tbsp melted butter (if you need these to be vegan, you can just add extra olive oil)

-2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Place pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl. When pecans are done, add to bowl and toss together until thoroughly coated. Return pecans to baking sheet and bake for 2-3 more minutes until toasted and fragrant. Watch carefully, because the pecans can burn in a matter of seconds.

33

Ah, symmetry. I normally have a problem with remembering how old I am, but I think this year will be different with such an easy number. As it's almost the end of the year, I just happened to be reviewing January's list. Not much got accomplished, but I can cross off at least one thing in every category, so I'm happy and it's time to move on.

So here is my new list. These are things just for me, things to do before I turn 34 and can no longer remember my age again:

1. plant bulbs for Spring

2. make a rain barrel

3. dig out the tent (or more likely borrow a larger one) and go camping with the family and dog

4. really practice practice practice free motion quilting on my machine

5. quilt a quilt using free motion

6. make spring rolls

7. learn a cook a few other tasty ethnic dishes

8. spend the weekend away with Will - I'm thinking either Birmingham or Louisville

9. sew a skirt and a dress for me

10. wear more skirts

11. find the (almost) perfect pair of boots and ballet flats so #9 will happen

12. learn to use my gocco

13. make an Alabama Chanin bloomers skirt

14. write more, especially my children's birth stories before I forget all the details

15. work on finishing off all the film in my refrigerator

16. find a photo lab that still prints contact sheets, not just scans negatives for a digital print

17. build a stone/gravel patio in our backyard for a firepit

18. invite friends over to enjoy #17

19. find a local organic/no spray place for u-pick berries or fruit

20. buy an sx-70

21. weed out my closet and repair, dye or recontruct anything that is still good but not quite right

22. move my blog to wordpress

23. zumba every week

24. bake more bread

25. institute homemade pizza night on Fridays for real

26. paint a magnetic chalkboard in the kitchen

27. get fancy drinks at Patterson House

28. rescue my old files off of the 2.25 discs

29. get a jade plant and an orchid and keep them alive

30. eat hot chicken at Prince's 'cause it's been way too long

31. find or have made the perfect menorah

32. sew the family Christmas stockings

33. and finally... I will paint the hallway

My Kitchen is Yellow

After three days of painting, the kitchen is done and the gray is g o n e. No more feeling depressed and blah during the Winter, while I'm stirring something on the stove. Luckily, I started this repainting project about 7 weeks ago, because it took me that long to paint swatches, prime over those swatches, paint more swatches, then finally decide on a color. I originally thought blue because I love blue, but that didn't look right. Green wasn't the right choice either, and though I was briefly tempted by white, I knew I wanted color. It finally dawned on me to use yellow, specifically the shade of the interior of our old house. That house had more windows and better facing ones, but that color yellow was definitely part of the reason there was so much pretty light.

I've been devoted to zero/low VOC paints for almost 5 years now, when we moved into this house, and needed to repaint some rooms immediately (can you say Pepto Bismal pink bathroom?). I was 7 months pregnant, so paint was a big worry for me but the low VOC paint made it a breeze. There are so many more options now in a variety of price ranges than 5 years ago, when stores often had to special order the zero VOC bases. I decided to use Benjamin Moore's Aura, because it is known for its super durability and easy-to-wipe-clean surfaces, all important for a kitchen. I'm not sure I would use this paint again, as it was very thick and dries almost immediately, forcing you to paint as fast as you can while simultaneously preventing you from blending your old strokes with your new ones. The second coat was easier than the first and the final surface does look great, but I'll probably stick to what I've used in the past like Ben or Sherwin Williams' Harmony or maybe I'll finally try out the Mythic paint a local nursery/brewing supply store carries. But first, I got to decide on a shade of red for the dining room.

I hope it isn't too early to force paperwhites for the holidays. We're hosting our third anniversary party in a couple of weeks, so besides painting I'm planning menus and trying to get the house looking nice and pretty. My reward for finishing the kitchen was going to Target to buy a big glass vase, so I could start my paperwhite bulbs. Unfortunately, I ran out of stones. Maybe I can raid my mother-in-law's house tomorrow? - she loves to collect rocks and a handful wouldn't even put a dent in her collection.

Booklog: November 2009

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett
It's not Bel Canto, and the story and characters are somewhat implausible, but I enjoyed this Ann Patchett book just the same. I like seeing how her writing progresses from her earlier books to her later ones.

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
My first Vowell book, and definitely not my last. Funny and educational is a winning combination.

Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child by Noel Riley Fitch
This is what a great biography is all about - a collection of small details you shouldn't care about or find interesting, but you do because Fitch was able to put them all in one place and create a marvelous tale about a woman named Julia. Though I could hardly stand to read about all the years after Paul got sick, because he and Julia were wonderful together, and it was just too sad to read about him leaving her life mentally then physically.

Alice Waters and Chez Panisse by Thomas McNamee
McNamee can't quite pull off for Alice what Fitch did for Julia, but I loved reading about the early years of Alice Water's life and the beginnings of Chez Panisse. I dined there 5 years ago, and the actual experience and food surpassed everything I had heard about the restaurant. It was fun to find out more about how that night of olives, local salad, quail, and raspberry souffle came to be.

Julia Child by Laura Shapiro
The Rachael Ray version of Julia's life.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
Half a fascinating and horrifying account of a young Hmong girl with epilepsy living in California, and half a history and description of the Hmong people. I could not put the odd chapters down, but found the even ones a little boring and drawn out.

As a Friend by Forrest Gander
A lovely, lovely, small book. Beautiful writing that only a poet could achieve.

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I had to take a break with this after I got 1/3 of the way through. I read his Shadow of the Wind for my bookclub a couple of years ago and we all loved it. This new book was supposed to be better, but it wasn't. Not even close.

The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller
I read Lost in the Forest by Miller 3 years ago and I'm not sure why it took me so long to get back to her. Not quite as good as that one, but still an entertaining, late Summer read.

Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman
Waldman has gotten a lot of criticism in the past for some of her essays (one in particular about loving her husband more than her children), but I found myself saying, "oh yes," many many more times than I said, "oh no." While this book is filled with funny and sweet moments, there is one profoundly heartbreaking moment. I closed this book feeling thankful Waldman wrote with such honesty about her motherhood.

The (Very Late) End of the Garden Notes

It's now mid-November, and I originally started this post at the beginning of October when I remembered I never wrote my garden notes for September. I'm trying to catch up with everything unfinished, so here it is:

By mid-September, we were mentally done with the garden. There was still okra and some tomatoes, but the blight finally got to my vines and everything started to look crispy. I figured the squirrels and birds can get what is left.

Originally I thought I would have planted some winter vegetables for the Fall like brussels sprouts and chard. I didn't realize that my little plot would be completely full, and nothing would be done early enough to plant for the Fall/Winter. Next year, I'm going to make sure there is some empty space for all those delicious green things that come up after it gets cold.

Our goal for next year is to till a much larger plot, and have more room and rows to reach our vegetables. Nothing was more frustrating that being unable to reach half of the stuff, because it was so dense and just plain inaccessible from the outside. I can't decide what I should do with the little plot we made this year - I'm thinking of either planting garlic or asparagus, or maybe rhubarb. I need to refer to some of books to see how asparagus and garlic do together, because maybe I'll just plant both. Though I might be too late for any of those now.

The other thing I am going to do soon is start covering the ground to make some more beds the easy way and plant bulbs. I'm not letting another Spring go by wishing for more flowers than the few tulips I get that grow inside a bush. My mother-in-law is gathering seeds from all her dead flowers right now, and she is saving some of everything for me! There is a wonderful book I discovered a few years ago called The Way We Garden Now by Katherine Whiteside. It is full of easy projects to improve your yard no matter if your yard is an acre (or more) of lawn, less than a quarter acre, a brick patio behind a condo, or a balcony in the city. The instructions are simple to follow and the whole book is filled with whimsical watercolors by Peter Gergely. If I even get to a handful of Katherine's projects in the coming year, my outside life will lovelier, yummier, and more colorful than this year.

Reorganizing

My sewing area has been a disaster for far too long (as in months and months and months). It's not much fun to sew wedged in a tiny corner of your sewing table by a mountain of fabric and other sewing accoutrements. With holiday sewing fast approaching and a bunch of unlistened-to This American Life podcasts, I decided to tackle the big project I'd been avoiding.

While I haven't bought much fabric in the past year, I have accumulated more and more small pieces of fabric. I think is is because I've begun quite a few quilt tops on a whim, all of which are still in progress. What used to be mostly fat quarters or half yards, is now a huge pile of pieces too big for the scrap box but too small to be folded neatly on a shelf. I decided I need to scrap (ha!) my current scrap system - one plastic bin for warm colors and one for cool colors stored on the shelf next to my sewing machine - and expand my definition of scrap. I cleared out most of the plastic filing drawers I use to store materials and current projects, which gave me three small drawers and one large drawer to work with. The large drawer is now for large scraps, and the three smaller drawers are for small warm scraps, small cool scraps, and tiny and irregular scraps. Most of the tiny scraps are just about useless, but I hate to throw them away and I know there are some nifty ideas like this one for using up tiny scraps which I'll probably attempt in the future. Even though I am usually not this way, I decided to label the drawers with the label maker we use at the office. Now that my scraps are reorganized and labeled, and the filing drawers are under my sewing table away from the little hands which like to open them up and dump them onto the floor, I feel like I have gotten somewhere with this reorganization project.

The last thing I don't really know what to do with is my paper bag filled with thread waste, and selvedges, and any kind of scrap that is just two narrow to sew into patchwork. It seems like I could stuff something with all this waste, but I'm afraid a pillow or softie or whatever I made would end up really lumpy. So tell me, do you hold on to this stuff? What do you do with it? Am I a crazy, frugal woman for holding onto it? Should I just chuck it into the nearest trash can?

Happy Halloween!

Says the Jedi and the Elephant. Hope you had a great evening full of tricks and treats. We sure did.

More on the homemade parts of the costumes later.

Hello

I'm here. Between sickness (me), Fall Break (Agnes), and more sickness (Ely), I've been otherwise occupied this week.

I have learned that sewing from Oliver + S patterns is a delight. My second garment ever, and first real dress for Agnes, is almost done. Hopefully I can do a little hand sewing tonight while watching Aliens. Yes, Aliens.

Be back soon, hopefully tomorrow. I haven't forgotten about my giveaway.

Good Things

The week is almost done, and it's been a good one:

-Our company was named one of the Best of Nashville by the local, weekly publication. Starting your own business is one of the hardest things we've ever done, and it feels good to know you are doing something well and that other people are noticing. Kudos to all our great employees who helped make this happen as much as Will did.

-Three baby-free workdays, as Agnes started mother's day out this week. She is having a blast, and I get to use my entire brain while in the office.

-My parents buying us our Christmas gift now. Almost 8 years ago, two nights before my wedding, this unknown group wowed me and my friends at my favorite small place to hear music, and now Will and I get to see them on New Year's Eve at my favorite large place to hear music. Plus a night of free babysitting.

-My annoying stomach illness is gone and this cold seems to be on it's way out.

-I get to buy some fabric today to make Ely's Halloween costume. Plus, I figured out that part of the costume can be made from the Oliver + S Bedtime Story Pajamas, so I got to buy that pattern as well. I have a feeling the latest issue of Stitch will also jump into my cart today.

-Upcoming Sunday dinner with friends

-Picking out our free pumpkin at Whole Foods after school today

-Friends coming into town next week for their first visit back since they moved in May, and the early Halloween party we are having for all the kids.

-Nicer weather on the horizon after a cold and rainy week

Also a reminder - if you are interested in my Alabama Stitch Book inspired moleskine journal, leave a comment under this post. I haven't looked at the comments yet, and probably won't until Saturday morning but time is running out. Have a good weekend!

Where the Writing Takes Me

One year ago today, I began this blog. I had wanted to start a blog for more than a year before, as a place where I could keep track of what I made through words and photographs. I'm not a very good documentarian and most of what I make, I make with the intention of giving it to someone else. My kids are going to be very disappointed when they look at their baby books and ask "Is this it?" Every diary or journal I've started has ended after a few pages. I did spend months of my life photographing myself as I slept, but that project has been long abandoned. I've enjoyed knowing that last October I spent a whole Saturday sewing coasters, and it's been easy for me to locate my favorite gin mojito recipe when I've misplaced the scrap of paper mine is written on at home. But, the best part of this has been experiencing where the writing has taken me.

Even though I thought this blog would be heavy on craft and cooking, all sorts of other things have crept in here. I might sit down during naptime (like right now), or at night once the little people in the house are asleep, with the intention of writing about the baby quilt I just finished after a year in the making. But then - somehow - the post becomes about the Tashlich service I went to a few days earlier, and the paper prayer I grabbed from my husband's hand and slipped into my purse before he could recycle it. I know I intended to just write another post in a world of posts about the making of a quilt, but somewhere in the process of me typing, my mind suddenly realized that the story of me making a quilt was so obviously tied to other experiences and thoughts in my life. That is the magic of writing about something. That is the magic of watercoloring over the lines of a white crayon drawing on a white sheet of paper. All those connections were always there, I just couldn't see them before.

If you've been along for any part of this journey and indulged me over the past year, then I thank you. My husband loves to tells me I'm a good writer and I usually respond by rolling my eyes, but I admit I do enjoy it. One of my favorite discoveries this year was realizing how much I like the process of hand sewing. I doubt I would have picked up this book and started stitching if I hadn't seen it and the resulting fabulous projects on many of my daily blog reads. While I was supposed to use my moleskine journal with the hand stenciled and stitched jersey cover myself, I'd rather send it out into the world for someone else to enjoy. If you are interested in this journal, leave me a comment by the end of Friday and I'll draw a name.

Looking forward to year #2.

On A Roll

When my son was born, he got a quilt I made. The only reason I was able to give Ely this gift was because right before I found out I was pregnant with him, I took a beginning quilt class where I made and completed a crib size quilt. I originally made the smallest size so that I would be sure to finish it by the time the 6 week class was over, but then it seemed like serendipity that I chose to make a quilt for a baby when I was going to have one of my own. At the end of 2007, I was 7 months pregnant with #2 and had already decided this baby was not going to get a Momma-made quilt. I had no time and was tired from being pregnant, working 30 hours a week, and taking care of the family. But then the Purl Bee posted a new project designed by Molly for a zig zag quilt and I fell in love. The design was great, the fabrics were great, and the quilt was in my colors. Since I didn't know the sex of my baby, the zig zag quilt was the perfect non-boring, gender neutral quilt (though Molly does talk about how you can choose other color combinations.) So, I started a quilt for the baby with 2 months to go.

I replaced a few of the fabric choices with ones I already had, but I did order 2-D zoo by Alexander Henry since that fabric seemed to make the quilt. I remember when it arrived - it was even lovely and softer than I thought it would be. The piecing of the quilt was easy. The quilting was easy too, though by now my baby - a girl! - was 6 months old. I machine sewed the binding on the front, then procrastinated on hand sewing it to the back. At Christmastime, I got my sister-in-law to give me a lesson on blind stitching and I finished the quilt with a few weeks to go until Agnes's first birthday. I meant to put a label on it and give it to her as my gift, but I never did. Now more than 6 months later and feeling invigorated by finishing Jesse's quilt, I pulled Agnes's quilt out and quickly made a label using a kona cotton square that was already cut out and a micron pen. One episode of The Office, and the label was sewn on and the quilt was done!

It feels good to finish two big projects in the same week.

A small note about comments - If you leave me a comment, I'm going to reply under it. It makes a lot of sense to do it that way with Typepad nested comments, and I'm not so good about replying to emails. Thanks!

Dogs and Frogs

I started this quilt for a special baby in the womb more than a year ago. My plan was to give it to him or her soon after the birth, so I could sew a personalized label on the back with the baby's name and birth date. Well the baby was born - a sweet boy named Jesse! - and the quilt was finished within a few weeks of his birth, except for hand sewing the last couple of inches of the binding. And so it sat for a year. Clearly I have a procrastination problem, especially where hand sewing is involved. I always think I hate hand sewing, but once I start I remember that I actually enjoy it. How could someone who loves to make things a la the Alabama Stitch Book hate hand sewing?

This past Sunday was the annual Tashlich service at my church. Tashlich is the Jewish ritual usually performed on Rosh Hashanah of the casting away (often by throwing breadcrumbs into a moving body of water) and examination of your sins of the past year. It makes a lot of sense to me to do this at this time. Fall always feels like a beginning, because a new year of school has started, and the lush green Summer starts to fade as the trees and plants end their growing cycle and start preparing for the next. While I usually make a bunch of resolutions on New Year's day, I've been participating in Tashlich for a few years now* and it seems a much more meaningful way to reflect and change than writing down exercise 3-5 times a week or cook more vegetables for dinner on a piece of paper. As I thought about Jesse's quilt and hand sewing, I remembered a line from the Tashlich prayer: Let us cast away the sin of stubbornness, so that we will neither persist in foolish habits nor fail to acknowledge our will to change. A foolish habit indeed. I have pinned the prayer to the bulletin board above the computer and near my sewing area, where I keep not only my inspirations but the things I want to remember. But even though baby Jesse did not receive this quilt, I still think one year old Jesse will enjoy it.

Now, a few details about the quilt. Jesse's parents love dogs and the dad also has a bizarre passion for frogs, so I couldn't think of better fabric to use for this quilt than animal prints by Heather Ross. I kept the front simple with 8 inch squares paired with a cream border. I decided to piece the binding which was fun and something I will do again in the future, since I really liked how it created a subtle border with little pops of color. I like to make the back of my quilts reference the front but almost be a new quilt, so I chose brighter colors along with a strip of rejected squares from the front. I knew I wanted the turquoise fabric somewhere in this quilt, because it is from a bolt I bought at one of our auctions and Jesse's dad works with us. For the label, I used the method in Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts which I love and first used for this quilt along with a micron pen. The quilting is just a simple grid I've seen a lot of other quilters use, and I like how it creates a frame in each of the squares. I was hoping to get some better photographs but it's been raining here for nearly two weeks, so inside on the bed was the best I could do. In retrospect, I should have put a sheet on first, but I didn't realize how bad the mattress cover looked until after the gift was given at Jesse's first birthday party and I finally had a moment to sit down and upload all the photos I took that day. Another foolish act, but probably not a sin.

*Even though I'm half Jewish, we never celebrated Rosh Hashanah in my home growing up. It wasn't until I started attending a Unitarian Universalist church which uses rituals and sources from many religions, did I learn about Tashlich.

(Not So) Patiently Waiting

Have you seen this? (Be sure to click on the preview on the right side of the page.)

I am beyond excited now. I wanted a dress and I wanted the lotus stencil, and both are in the book, sometimes even together! I have a feeling my birthday and holidays list will be comprised solely of organic cotton jersey yardage.

September Ramblings

School has started and my calendar is quickly filling up. I'm packing lunches and making pb&j, but there isn't much making in the rest of my life. I was made an aunt though(!), which means I'd better return to my sewing machine soon to finish up some secret projects. I'm back at work in the mornings with my 19 month old assistant, and we are busy busy busy. I guess the economy has finally picked up? It's nice to feel like we aren't flatlining anymore. We finally got ripe brandywine tomatoes from the garden, and they are amazing. I've noticed several new fruits on the plant and I'm hoping they will ripen before everything peters out. It's a good thing the family never gets tired of okra because we are still getting plenty. I went back to washing my hair with baking soda, and can't figure out why I ever stopped? We are still walking in the evenings after dinner, but every night it is a little darker when we set out than the night before. Summer is definitely starting to fade.

So far, it's been a month of nice changes.