I am still very much under the weather, but am pushing through and making active plans for a handmade holiday season. I have a couple of advent calendar ideas in the works, and I'm drawing up a list of things to make for Christmas. As I sniffled and contemplated, I remembered that I used to make dolls. See her above? Her name is Colette. Here's a close-up: I created her about four years ago, and she was my first foray into doll-making. I didn't use a pattern or anything and just winged ... Read more
Mini Biscotti with Chocolate Bits and Marcona Almonds
Happy Veteran's Day! I have been sick all weekend, but am slowly recovering. K has the day off today, so I wanted to share these darling little treats before we head out the door for the aquarium. I have Mark Bittman's original How to Cook Everything, and used the basic biscotti recipe, then threw in 1/2 a cup of chopped marcona almonds and 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips (left over from this). The online version of the recipe is a little different from the book in that it omits the step ... Read more
Happy Friday + Hooded Capelet + Grey Almost Skinnies
Happy Friday! First, the hooded capelet. Guess which book the pattern is from? My fave, of course. I have miles and miles of this wool plaid fabric and will probably make a jacket with this as well. I actually modified bits of this pattern. Instead of snaps, I used buttons because buttons are always cuter. I also did away with the tab at the neck. I made it, but it looked odd to me so off it went. Did you know that these capelets/ponchos are all the rage in the first grade right now? Alright, ... Read more
Advent Calendar Roundup
Around this time last year, I was puttering around a fabric store making plans for the holidays when I got a phone call from one of my clients. While I stood surrounded by mid-weight cotton, my very very part-time job suddenly transformed into a very very full-time job. Sadly, I had no idea how to balance 80-hour work weeks with family commitments and we had the most neglected holiday season ever...thankfully the job ended after 6 months. Now that I have returned to a somewhat more balanced ... Read more
Counting Beads
The other day K and I went to a beads store, and this pretty stone caught my eye (on sale!). The brass Japanese seed beads seemed like a natural fit, and a few minutes later I had a necklace. I might have discovered a new hobby... ... Read more