Crafting with Cocktails : Cautionary Tale #1

Here begins a series of cautionary tales about crafting under the influence. 

I can assure you all that I've done my fair share of research (experiments, variables, blah blah blah) on this topic in the hopes that you might find these posts helpful lessons in what not to do.

Two well known facts about yourstruly: I love embroidery, and I love the occasional booze beverage. Oftentimes these two loves combine very, very well - especially when attempting to lose myself in stitching while ignoring the blaring sports broadcast on the television. Unfortunately sports matches often go into overtime, for which an extra drink or two is required.

And before you know it, you have this:

Oh beer, you are wonderful with many things. Except all over my embroidery.

An almost beautiful embroidered pillowcase masterpiece. I spent A LOT of time on this pillowcase (I'll show you the other side at the end of the post) and managed to spill beer all over the thing. Ugh. Here's a closer view of this disappointment, made extra harsh to really emphasize how made I was:

ZOOM IN AND ENHANCE the awfulness

There may have been tears at the time. It was awhile ago, so I can't say for sure. I imagine tears.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DRINK AND CRAFT:  TEARS! GROSS LOOKING BLOTCHES! ALLCAPS!

Luckily it was not ruined forever - most of it came off in the wash! But don't think that lessens the emotions of the moment, or the importance of this lesson.

 Anyway, here's the other (prettier, less beery) side of the pillow:

Cuuuuuuuuute!

Ice Cream and Fame : In Which I am Supremely Awesome

I love ice cream. You love ice cream (I assume you love ice cream because if you don't you are probably some sort of demon or Nazi, and I doubt they read craft blogs. Maybe I'm wrong). People also love fame, I'm told -- so I am about to make you very jealous.

I am 'Ice Cream Famous'. Please see the evidence below:

This post could alternatively be titled Holy Crap I Got Weirdly Ridiculously Tanned This Summer

Two years ago I entered a contest to name one of Farmer's Dairy's 'East Coast Creamery' Products. I didn't win first place - but I did get some cash monies out of the deal and they eventually decided to make my entry into delicious creamy reality.  

This summer saw the debut of Privateer's Bounty at scooping stations around the Maritimes - and I hereby proclaim it a delicious success!  

Show & Tell: Kraken vs Ship

Here's the latest piece of embroidery that I actually finished - a pillowcase embroidered with one of  SewLovely's Deep Blue Sea embroidery transfers.

 

Lately I've been a big sucker for all things nautical, and so was super excited to receive the transfers in the mail (I also got the Flappers and Forest Friends ones. So. Cute.) The only problem was choosing which design to go for first.

Well OK, not the only problem. I had multiple 'hiccups' with this project - from basic issues like colour and stitch choices, to completely misreading the design at one point. And it took me a really, really long time (but that's mostly my fault). Oy.

But I like the way it ultimately turned out:

I have a matching blank pillowcase and am thinking of doing one of the other designs so I have a sort-of-matching set. The futon in my spare room is going to look GREAT.

This ship never really had much of a chance, did it?

Show & Tell : Dapper Flapper

I actually finished this little lady quite some time ago, and just haven't gotten around to posting anything (please see I Suck at Blogging). She's from a great set of Sew Lovely patterns I got awhile ago.

She was great fun to bring to life, and I got to play with a good range of different stitches - predominantly split, back and satin stitches with some french knots thrown in for fun. I'm pleased with most of the colour choices, which is unusual for me (I'll pick it apart a little in a future post, don't you worry). I stitched the pattern onto a scrap of white fabric that I had kicking around after a previous embroidery project, and am at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it. 

So here's a question for you, Internet : It seems like a shame to dress this gal up just to leave her in my abandoned projects pile (especially since it's getting alarmingly large). I know I'm not the only one that stitches on every little scrap she can find. What do you do with these beautified scrappy bits? Frame them? Incorporate them into other projects? Let them pile up beside your couch as you move onto the next one *ahem*?

Eat Your Vegetables (or, Heather vs the Eggplant)

I eat a lot of vegetables. Vegetables are my favourite, followed closely by dairy (the fattier the better) and grains (the grainier the better), so it's not the amount of vegetables that's the problem - it's the variety. When G and I go grocery shopping, our produce basket always looks the same: peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, apples, and if they look good asparagus or greens (usually spinach, broccoli or occasionally swiss chard. Lettuce and a much wider fruit variety in the summer).

This is partially to do with the fact that this is what we ate growing up, and partially because this is what is on offer at our local grocery store. Now I regret not taking more advantage of the leafy bounty that was available to me in Toronto. Nova Scotia doesn't seem to demand the same variety, even in the urban centers. We're still a pretty meat-'n-potatoes lot, though things are slowly improving as growing immigrant communities and local-focused diets are catered to. Interesting new produce and spices are becoming staples (my parents have discovered curries) in many homes. I have high hopes.

Lately, I have tried to amp up the variety in the vegetables that we eat. I've been buying squash and sweet potatoes, which I know isn't a big deal to some of you people. I, however, have never had much love for either of these time-honoured orange staple foods. I found them overly sweet and inappropriate for the dinner table (there I said it).  This was not helped by the fact that my family always added ample brown sugar to squash dishes, which was gross. Not even my ubiquitous enormous pile of olives could combat that sweetness. And then one day this wonderful gem of wisdom was passed on to me: you don't have to add sugar to sweet vegetables. In FACT you can add things I love like salt and curry powder and cumin and cayenne and . . . . . my life was changed.

I bought kale and made a lovely (and SUPER garlicky) Garlic Mushrooms and Kale from Moskowitz' fabulous Appetite for Reduction. It was only my second attempt at preparing kale, and the first had pretty much been a disaster (so proclaimed by G). So this was good - another vegetable admitted into our rotation. Progress!