rostitchery

something nicer than just a box

on my romesticity blog, i’m doing a month-long series on emergency preparedness for national preparedness month.  my preparations include making a kit for both of the cars—nothing elaborate, just a few supplies in case we get stranded on the road with a car problem which, sadly, happens fairly regularly these days.

to keep everything neat—which is not my habit, but it is my longing—i went looking around the house for suitable containers and found not one but two old milk crates which are holding random things that we haven’t used in years--truthfully i could not even tell you exactly what is in them besides what is obvious in these pictures--therefore, they are full of junk.

 

so i’m going to empty these crates and make liners for them, then they can go in the trunks of each car to hold our stuff.  we’re hosting an open house here tomorrow in celebration of 3rd grade (!)  so i won’t get to work on the crate liners until at least sunday.  today the only sewing will be of the emergency variety, which i’m not going to rule out. 

 

*what are you planning to do this weekend? 

luncheon set, part two, with lots of happiness

the luncheon set is complete!

inspiration:

 

interpretation:

 

and it is much, much nicer and better and gooder and spectacular-er and satisfactory-er than it would have been if i hadn't totally messed up at the start.

in fact, it is much closer to the original project as described in the book than it would have been if i had not been thinking about something shiny when i totally messed up at the start.

and thank goodness i had the “foresight” to make two extra napkins.  they made a very nice pitcher grip for our lemonade.

 

as the first placemat was coming off the machine, ella exclaimed, "oh mama, THAT. IS. SO. CUUUUUUUTE!".  i believe i have a luncheon set convert.

 

SRC:  2/3 yard of polka dot fabric that i am never without so it doesn’t matter about points.  but i am taking 100 points for this:

 

the piece of apron fabric was exactly the right size for this project, and there was no waste.  :)

 

*i will confess that i am a polka dot fan[atic].  it’s not exactly as if i horde polka dot fabrics, but it’s not exactly as if i don't horde them either.  i like to think of my shelves as a safe haven for fabrics of all polka dot persuasions.  surely other people offer aid and comfort to fabric as well--do you?

luncheon set, part one

in which i narrowly avert a major disappointment.

the book "encyclopedia of modern sewing" has been one of my favorites for many years.  when published, it was in fact a comprehensive book on how to sew just about anything that could be sewn.  (it still is--but that's a thought for another post).

from time to time i pull this book off the shelf just to browse, and as so often happens, something will catch my eye that i had previously not been at all interested in.  this time, it was luncheon sets. 

 

and i had just the fabric for it--a piece of adorable apron-themed cotton that my sweet friend mamafitz had sent me some years ago and that had risen to the top of the stash in my ongoing war against clutter. 

 

it was exactly the right size for this project, so there would be no waste!

 

whenever you say to yourself, "this piece of fabric is exactly the right size for this project, so there will be no waste!", just do yourself a favor and take a moment to collect your thoughts so you can begin planning how you will proceed when you discover you have cut the first piece along the wrong edge and have thus ruined any possibility of cutting the rest of the set out of the remainder of the fabric.

so--after collecting my thoughts, i cut the rest of the fabric into napkins--there was enough fabric left to cut 6 luncheon-size napkins, so i went with that in the belief that somehow i'd figure out what to do to make things right.  i started rolling the edges on my serger, silently berating myself for not having paid closer attention to what i was doing when i had started cutting the fabric.

and suddenly, this came into view:

 

and i knew exactly how i was going to fix my mistake.

so tomorrow, i will cut out one table runner and four placemats from this fabric:

 

i'll trim them with the "scraps" left from making the napkins:

 

and by the end of the day, i will have my luncheon set.

SRC:  a little more than one yard of fabric (so far) that i've had for about 7 years--that's 7 points, plus a 2-point deduction for messing up, plus a 5-point bonus for figuring out a solution.  10 points and i'm not even done with the set yet.  :)

*what was your most recent mistake? how did you fix it?

quickie kitchen towel upgrade

from time to time i get a kitchen towel that has a little bit of ribbon sewn into the corner. 

 

all this time i've been thinking it was only useful for hanging the towel on a hook or on a knob, but none of our cabinets have knobs, they have handles.  so i've just been hanging the towels on the door handles or the oven door handle, but they fall off and that bugs me.  and then today, it hit me:

pass the beribboned corner behind the handle.

 

thread the opposite corner thru the ribbon.

 

pull the towel thru and admire the non-falling-off majesty.

 

so for the rest of the evening i will be adding ribbons to the corners of any kitchen towel that doesn't have one.

 

*this is going to be added to all future hostess gifts, or at least the ones that include kitchen towels.  what genius ideas are you working on?

fence can garden

last summer i wanted to brighten the fence in the front yard, and i also wanted to use only things we already had.  this is what i came up with.  it is exactly what it looks like:  coffee cans, spray painted and hanging on the fence posts.  this picture was taken last summer, and in the cans were things like portulaca which i love, red salvia which i love, and some leafy plant that i can’t remember the name of. 

this year i’ll be adding more cans to more fence posts, and i’m planning something a little more elaborate for some of them—a little 3-tier effect using cans of different sizes. 

when preparing cans for planting, i recommend hammering nail holes into the bottom of the can before painting, so the paint can seal the edges of the holes.  you’ll also need to hammer a hole into the side near the top edge so you can hang the can.  ella and i spray painted our cans in the yard, using an old plastic lawn chair for a paint rack.

 

this spring there are johnny jump-ups in the cans, but for summer this year i’m going to plant them with all the little marigold free-range seedlings that i found in the square foot garden beds.

 

COLEUS!  the leafy plant is coleus!  some lime green variety that i chose to set off the colors of the cans.  LOL  i'm so glad i remembered, otherwise i'd have had to call every one of you at 2am when it finally came to me.

 

*i thought about posting this project on my homemaking blog, but since it is more crafty i figured it really belonged here. besides, it gives me a chance to ask fellow crafters for suggestions—what ideas do you have for frugal yard and/or gardening projects?  extra style points for whimsy.

if not for the last minute: holiday decorating edition

admit it:  you still have decorating to do. 

sure, you probably have your tree up—and you probably have some pretty candles scattered tastefully around your home.  you might even have a fantastic light display on your house.

but you know there is always a corner that could use a little christmas cheer.  and your christmas table might have a little room left on it for some sparkle.

these projects will go a long way toward filling up those empty nooks and crannies, and they also make sweet hostess gifts too.

 

rudolf's felt christmas trees

 

quickest wreath ever

 

pipe cleaner christmas trees 

 

button wreath ornaments 

 

beginners tree skirt 

 

*what do you make to give your home that extra touch of christmas?

new advent calendar

our most excellent advent calendar had seen better days, so we put it in a pretty box to save, and made a new one.

like before, we used only what we had on hand, but unlike the year we made the first one, what we have on hand now is mostly school supplies—some sticky dots, a number line, a package of pretty envelopes which i couldn’t put in this picture because we had used them all before i thought of taking the picture.  all from the most magical of stores, the dollar-tree-i-love-that-place.

so last evening, while waiting for a cake to bake, we sat on the couch with our materials and ella made a new advent calendar.   we lost almost all the clothes pins in the garden this year, so we scrounged around and found just enough paper clips and spring clips to hold all the envelopes on the line.

each day between now and christmas, i plan to post what was in the envelope each day on my parenting blog, the ELLA echo.  i know ella would love it if you came over there to visit and even better, left a comment from time to time throughout the season!

 

*how does your family count down the days?

it's beginning to look a little like christmas

there is a lot of crafting going on around here these days.  mostly because as much as i want to honor my true, authentic commitment to the christmas craft revolt, this year i really need to honor my true, authentic commitment to my family budget, and my true, authentic commitment to my kick out the clutter project.

so i’m making some presents, but i’m doing it now, so that we can still enjoy a little fun during december.

and in honor of my kick out the clutter project i am declaring a new stash reduction contest, 2010 christmas edition.  there's nothing like a little competition to get me up motivated.  i’m aiming for 1000 points by the first week of december.  definitely not over-ambitious. 

so i’m making another sushi scarf (5 yarns that have been in stash for 2 years—i’ll take 10 points):

 

and another hallowig (1 ball of yarn that has been in stash for 1 year—but on a pattern that is far above my level of competency—give me 50 points please):

 

i’ve already made several more loom-knit market bags (1 HUGE skein of yarn that i’ve had for at least 3 years—let’s make it an even 20 points):

 

and two more pairs of loom-knit mittens (four balls of yarn that i’ve had in stash for 1 year, but i had to buy another ball of yarn because i ran short, but i had already knit the cuffs last winter, and i finished the second pair on a day when it was almost 80 degrees, so let’s just say 12 points):

 

and i’m thinking i might even make just a few more dishcloths, to tide me over during the busy holiday season (ok, i have to come clean:  i bought another ball of yarn.  so 1 point, right?):

 

 

for a grand total of 93 points.  so far, so good.

i am also working on some double-secret, extra-pinky-swear, no-can-tell-you projects for a secret santa swap.  the only thing i can say right now is this:  the reveal date for the swap is saturday, 4 december. 

attention, internet: I. MADE. BUTTER.

you heard me.  butter.  from scratch.  in my own kitchen.

and it was ridiculously, insanely, embarrassingly simple.

start with whipping cream.  use the whisk on a stand mixer, the beaters on a hand mixer, or a regular old hand whisk if you are old school but really, i recommend just buying butter if you are not using a tool that is plugged in.

wrap the bowl in plastic, so you don't end up crying over spilt (or in this case, splashed) milk.

then do what everybody tells you not to do:  whip the daylights out of the cream.  while all that whipping is happening, put a strainer in a bowl and lay a clean dishtowel in the strainer. 

the cream will go thru the whipped cream stage (some of you will be tempted to stop here and taste it--resist), then the clotted cream stage, and just when you think you are wasting your time, it will turn pebbly, and it will separate, and it will start splashing (aren't you glad you wrapped the bowl in plastic?)--then magically, before your very eyes and in less than 10 minutes, the butter will stick to your whisk and the buttermilk will settle in the bottom of the bowl.

behold:  butter!

scrape the butter into the dishcloth/strainer/bowl set up, then close the towel and squeeze the butter hard, mush it up to get out all the buttermilk, then open your towel and admire your buttery accomplishment.

 

pour the milk into a container, you can cook with it or drink it, although for this occassion i recommend you drink something bubbly to celebrate.

at this point in the story my family and friends are thinking:  ro, you've lost your mind--you don't even like butter.  true dat.  but i do use it in some recipes, and rudi and ella like it, and besides, the lovely ladies at little house in the suburbs told me it was possible, and frankly from now on i'm just going to do whatever they tell me to do.  they haven't let me down yet.