Prevention

The flu virus is making it's rounds in our circle.  It hasn't hit home but our dear friends next door are suffering.  I'm practicing what I know for prevention and trying some new-to-me strategies as well.

Hand washing's a must and there's lots of that going on.  Breakfast was sautéed collards with garlic, walnuts, dried cranberries, a splash of balsamic vinegar and sprinklings of salt and pepper.  Remind me to grow collards in the Potager garden this year.  Thorough hand washing and filling the body with highly nutritious food.  These things I know.

Elderberry syrup is new to me.  I'd hoped to make my own last month but elderberries were nowhere to be found.  Completely sold out.  I interpreted that as confirmation that there's something important and special about the healing power of these berries so prepackaged syrup became the next best choice.  A teaspoon per day for prevention.  That's what the bottle says.  It's super thick and flavorful :: almost like dessert.

And essential oils.  Sigh.  I'm falling in love with essential oils.  So, in addition to good hygiene, densely nutritious food, and elderberry syrup, we've been diffusing and breathing essential oils specific to cold and flu prevention.  Is it working?  So far so good.  And one more thing.  The bedroom window's open just a tad to allow for fresh air exchange.  If the flu hits our home this season it certainly won't be due to lack of effort.

I pieced the backing for my Liberty quilt and am looking forward to sandwiching and quilting.  Be well, friends.

Pretty Produce Bags

I like to find beauty in ordinary everyday things.  Sometimes it happens naturally and sometimes it take a little effort.

Effort, according to Webster, means a vigorous or determined attempt. That's very accurate here.  I made a vigorous and determined attempt to create something more beautiful than the plastic food storage bags I've been using.  

Liberty of London and linen make me smile, so why not use them everyday?  I've made three bags so far :: each a little different than the one before.  The sizing is just right but the construction's being fine tuned. No problem...I know I'll need at least a dozen of these.

To the farm they went on Saturday, filled with fresh produce and then tossed right into the fridge.  I love to see them whenever I open the door (crazy as that may sound).  It seems as though they're doing their job to absorb excess moisture and allow the contents to breathe.  Linen's nice like that.

Another Girls' Day :: Part Two

The girls are teachers (one pre-K and two special education) so clipboards are quite popular in their working environment.  In addition to making cupcakes, we had lots of fun decorating with grosgrain ribbon, scrapbook paper, and Mod Podge.  

Hubby made templates for us so we could get right down to business.  He's nice like that.  No fiddling to make the paper fit around the clip :: just trace the handy template, cut it out, and glue.  

We had some difficulty with the Mod Podge causing wrinkles in our paper.  Some of us didn't let it bother us a bit, and others needed to take a deep breath and regroup.  In the end, all of the clipboards turned out beautifully...little wrinkles and all.  I'm new to Mod Podge.  Is wrinkling a common problem?

Time passed quickly (it always does on Girls' Day) and we have quite a few clipboards still waiting to be dressed.  I think I'll make a patchwork one, as described on Jane's Apron, and try sanding the edges like she does to achieve a more finished look.  Yes, a scrappy patchwork clipboard sounds like a very good idea.

Slow Motion Quilting

If you're a quilter you know about the temptation to start a new project before the current one ones are finished.  I'd like you to meet my newest project.

It's a log cabin of sorts :: a little different than any log cabins I've ever done.  I'm using a variety of Liberty of London prints and some Kona cotton in a crisp shade of white.

I've come to realize that, for me, quilting is much more about the process than the end result.  It's a luxury (think glass of wine and bubble bath), that I look forward to indulging in.  Quilting feeds my soul.

My quilts don't come together very quickly.  In fact, I'm completely amazed and somewhat secretly envious of those who can start and finish a work of art in less than one week's time (visit this gorgeous blog and you'll see what I mean).  

I have one speed only when it comes to making quilts.  Slow. Really slow.  It's confusing at times when I sew with friends.  At the end of the day they're leaps and bounds ahead of me. That's what happened with this quilt.  The workshop was last November.

Most of the girls left that day with a completely finished quilt top. I'm still working on mine.  Today I have eighteen blocks completed.  

I can't really explain my sluggish quilting pace.  I think I just like to savor every second and protect this luxury time from the treadmill of everyday life.  No rushing and no stress.  


I'll be sure to share the finished quilt with you.  Just don't hold your breath....it might be a very long while.

Dish Washing

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about dish drying methods.  Drying rack or no drying rack?  Bamboo or stainless steel? Utensil holder or not?  Should it be collapsible, and if so, where would I store it when not in use?   I'm not sure it's normal to give so much thought to a topic such as this.

Right now we dry our hand-washed dishes on a microfiber towel by the kitchen sink and I've been feeling uninspired.  I believe in surrounding oneself with beauty whenever possible.  It makes the everyday a little more special.

I made myself a dish mat this weekend out of fabric that makes me smile.  I mean, really, every time I look at it I feel happy.

The size is sixteen inches by twenty-four inches :: just right for the space, and plenty big for my needs.  I didn't use a pattern, but decided how much focus fabric I wanted and then added a smaller piece of linen to either side.  The backing is cut from a bath towel, one that I found at a local outlet store.  There's enough left over to make two more.

This morning I stumbled across this tutorial for making perfect corners.  It's a brilliant idea to add stability and keep things nice and square.  A day late and a dollar short, but I'm looking forward to trying it soon.

The jury's still out on the perfect dish-drying solution for our home.  I'm leaning toward a collapsible unit that would sit upon my brand new mat.  Perhaps something like this, or a similar style made of wood.  I need a little more time to think about it.

Liberty, Linen and Love

Small projects are the best.  You know, the kind that take just one quiet afternoon to complete from beginning to end.  Well, minus the dreaming and planning that occurs ahead of time.  That part's fun too.

This project was a gift for my friend.  It's a dish mat, made with Liberty of London Tana Lawn, natural linen, and a bath towel.  I followed this tutorial loosely, changing the layout a bit and reworking the dimensions so the size was similar to this store-bought version.  I think the smaller size will better accommodate her counter space.

While shopping online for Christmas gifts, I stumbled upon these Clover Wonder Clips (Merry Christmas to me).  They'll be great when binding a quilt, but also came in handy here :: a nice change from pins and easy to remove as you go.

I love the feel of this dish mat.  Very substantial yet soft and floppy too.  I'm planning to make a set for my kitchen using different print and linen combinations. I'll probably make the larger size, as there is plenty of space beside my sink and a slew of vintage Pyrex that requires hand washing.

Made with Liberty, Linen and Love.

Pin It

Diamonds Are Overrated

A few weeks ago two large rolls of fabric were delivered to my door.  It was a birthday gift from hubby :: one that was definitely thoughtful and heartfelt.  You see, two years ago I hung these sample cards on my design wall.  I got them in New York at one of my favorite stores.  I buy a few yards at a time, whenever I'm lucky enough to travel into the city.  They're like precious jewels to me, much better than diamonds and pearls.

What's so special about this gift is that hubby notices.  He notices the joy I get from creating.  He pays attention to my interests.  He pauses his television show to look at the project I just can't wait to share with him.  He searched through old blog posts to learn the exact weight of linen I use most often.  He called the store and ordered one yard of every color.

I'm well aware that this fabric really isn't the gift at all.  I'm already thoroughly enjoying it (the sorting, laundering and folding) but the true gift is the love that's behind it.

Diamonds are overrated.  I'm a "material" girl.   :)

This Morning

This morning I hear the sound of voices and hammering as our builder repairs the dormers on the back of our home.  I didn't realize the sky was so pretty until I saw it through the lens of my camera.  Sometimes we just need a fresh new perspective.

This morning the perennials were in desperate need of a little deadheading so I've been snipping, pinching, bagging and sweeping.  Snip, pinch, bag, sweep...snip, pinch, bag, sweep.  I love the repetition and serenity of this work first thing in the morning when the birds are chirping.

These coneflower were new to us last year.  They're called Tomato Soup and they make me think of grilled cheese sandwiches.  Grilled cheese (always sliced on the diagonal) and creamy tomato soup made by my mom with love.

This morning I got a little wild and crazy with my breakfast yogurt.  A dollop of thinned organic peanut butter on top made it extra delicious.  I'd highly recommend it.

This morning I decided that the red polka-dotted stool from the potting shed belongs in the kitchen.  I need it to reach the cabinet high above the fridge...and I love touches of red...and polka dots make me smile.

This morning  the jalapeño peppers from the garden turned into these.  It's a summer tradition that friends and family look forward to.  The poppers without bacon are for non-meat eaters.  They'll get a squirt of barbecue sauce for added flavor.

This morning I'm pondering over a future sewing project.  I bought this book quite some time ago and haven't made a single thing yet.  I love the idea of pairing beautiful fabric with a pattern that's customized to me.  And yet...I have serious garment-sewing angst.