June 5, 2011 by Lauren
This is the quilt that started it all. My oldest daughters birthday quilt.
The wonderful thing about diving headlong into a project that you know nothing about is that it allows you to do things that you would never do if you knew better. Like backing a twin size quilt with chenille.
This quilt is heavenly soft, and so warm. When I gave it to my daughter she said “It feels like I’m wrapped in mama love!” and you just can’t beat that as a response to a handmade gift. But man, getting that beast through my machine took some serious work.
See the Chenille? So cozy, so very hard to sew.
I based this quilt on one I saw in a tutorial at U-createcrafts. It seemed do-able, but I didn’t read the fine print, I just charged ahead. It began as a way to use up all the random fat quarters and fabric pieces I had lying around. Which I did, and then as it morphed from baby size quilt to twin bed size quilt, I ended up needing more fabric, and ended up with more scraps. Arg. However, a mama love quilt was born, and I am pretty happy about that.
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June 2, 2011 by Lauren
I have taken the terrifying plunge and submitted my application to participate in the West Seattle Summer Fest in July, specifically as part of the Art Dive sponsored by Twilight Artists Collective.
*Deep Breath*
I will be there selling my new baby and art quilts, my baby and toddler clothes and hats, and assorted hand sewn gifts.
I am working on getting some better photos to share. I was hoping to get some really nice shots of the kids playing outside in the clothes and such, but the sun wont cooperate. If you are living in the Pacific Northwest this spring you know what I am talking about. The weather is dismal. I can only hope this means we are in for a stunning summer. I said stunning! (shakes fist at sky). Anyway, all weather related neurosis aside, I should soon post some photos of all the stuff I’ve been whipping up these last few months.
In the meantime, please be content in sharing my ridiculous joy over my new craft geek purchase. Behold:
Ooooh I can feel the tidieness start to set in!
I know its just a thread holder/bobbin rack thing, but I have ridiculous expectations for this thing. As I typed this I also realized I just outed myself as a huge imposter. I am not a seamstress, I don’t even know the name of the thread rack thingy!). And yet, I am hopeful. This rack may be the start of great things for me. I might even know where to find things in all my mess. I may not have to discard half my thread after all the ends get tangled together in the drawer and I give up disentangling them and just cut them all off in one big thwack. I’ll let you know if it works.
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May 28, 2011 by Lauren
I have been keeping something from you. I admit it. Its my new obsession and I haven’t been ready to make it public yet. Wait, what I am talking about. This is a baby blog. There’s like two posts. Nothing is public. Well, suffice it to say this is a new obsession for me. I made my first quilt, randomley, for Clementine’s fourth birthday. It was a messy, hodgepodge, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants affair, but suddenly I was hooked. So now I foist my obsession on you, the unsuspecting public. Please to enjoy. Or criticize mercilessly. Either way.
The Sunny Day Quilt
Back of the Sunny Day quilt
City Night Quilt
Back of the City Night Quilt
Jalisco Quilt
BAck of the Jalisco Quilt
Autumn Window Quilt
Back of the Autumn Window Quilt
Sidewalk Quilt
Sidewalk Quilt Back, close up.
Summer Windows Quilt, my first sold!
These quilts, except for the Summer Windows quilt (which is sold, yay!) are part of my growing stockpile as I prepare for the summer markets.
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May 15, 2011 by Lauren
I have kept a list of the edibles I grow for years. It begins as hope. I start the seeds, never sure what will germinate. Then I plant the starts, never sure what will survive the rats, birds and slugs of the city. And then I tend the plants, never sure what will survive my under-informed fumbling. The alternating neglect and over watering. The perennials that may or may not return. The trees I fail to prune, or prune incorrectly. The list is like a prayer. Acknowledging each little seed, each plant; you are important, please grow.
So here is the beginning list for 2011. I will update each season, as crops rotate through their cycles. Keep your fingers crossed.
Fruits
- Honeycrisp Apple
- Lapin Cherry
- Rainier Cherry
- 2 Blueberry Bushes
- 4 Evergreen Huckleberries
- Wild Plum
- Raspberry patch (maybe 8 canes?)
- Wild Blackberries
- Strawberries (assorted, maybe 10 plants)
- Rhubarb
- Red Currant
Veggies
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Magenta Cauliflower
- Fava beans
- Indian Runner Beans
- Bush Beans
- Snow Peas
- Sugar Snap Peas
- English Shelling Peas
- Nantes Carrots
- Beets
- Early Italian Garlic
- Late Italian Garlic
- Overwintering Onions
- Scallions
- Bushy Cucumbers
- Mexican Miniature Gherkins
- Buttercup Squash
- Kabocha Squash
- Brussel Sprouts
- Kale
- Tatsoi
- Lambsquarters
- Radishes
- Arugula
- Wild Lettuce
- Dandelions
- Red Peppers
- Jalapeno Peppers
- Tomatos (4 Varieties)
- Artichokes
- Potatoes
- Romain Lettuce
- Bingo Dry Shelling Beans
Herbs and Medicinals
- Basil
- Catnip
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Garden Sorrel
- French Sorrel
- Mexican Tarragon
- Anise Hyssop
- Chamomile
- Mullein
- Comfrey
- Lavender
- Lovage
- Valerian
- Kentucky Mint
- Spearmint
- Lemon Balm
- Apple Mint
- Chervil
- Lemon Verbena
- Sweet Bay
- Calendula
- Borage
- Golden Comfrey
- Bee Balm
- Curry
- Epazote
- Pineapple Sage
- Ginger Mint
- Feverfew
- Fennel
- Dill
- Chives
- Oregano
- Plantain
- Chickweed
- Stevia
- “Sweet Annie” Artemesia
Edible Flowers
- Nasturtiums
- Viola
- Geraniums
- Dandelion
- Marigold
Not to be outdone or forgotten, our three hens, Frances, Edith and Tilly are providing us about 14 eggs a week. Lovely Ladies that they are.
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by Lauren
Spring is slow this year in the Pacific Northwest. Yet the garden and I, we trudge on. The tomatoes are shivering in their pots. The basil and peppers must be kept inside, peering out the window like cabin fevered children. Seedlings that should have burst triumphantly from the soil weeks ago are still abed, made sluggish and lazy by the cold damp.
But there is some hope.
Bush Beans
Raspberries, pending
The Pea Tipi
Fava Blossom
Apple Blossom
The Cold Beds
The Hopeful Chicken
Potted
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