makeworkproject

Crafting with Cocktails : Cautionary Tale #1

2011-11-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-05T16:36:00.001-03:00

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!

Obviously I had to taste it several times - quality control of my brand and all that.

I do my own stunts.

Of course I should have posted this at the beginning of the ice cream season, rather than the end. But remember what I just said about control of my 'brand'? I work very hard to protect this 'super-slacker' rep, folks. This level of laziness takes a great deal of focus and diligence, thankyouverymuch.

Anyway. Go eat some ice cream.

Show & Tell: Kraken vs Ship

2011-09-28T15:08:00.000-03:00

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

2011-08-22T11:42:00.004-03:00

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)

2011-05-20T12:38:00.004-03:00

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!

On a recent spin through the produce section I decided to take a much bigger plunge. I bought an eggplant. I have never actively enjoyed eggplant, to my knowledge. I'm sure I've eaten and enjoyed stealth eggplant, hidden ominous and ninja-like in some casserole or stew, but I find the whole concept of eggplant extremely unappealing: the weird purple colour, the mushiness I imagine inside, even the name 'eggplant' is extremely unappetizing. WHY could we not call it an aubergine? Aubergine sounds like something I might want to eat.

I have no idea how to choose an eggplant, and was immediately skeptical about the one I adopted from my local Superstore. It felt weirdly light, and there was a softness to it that did not alleviate my fear of squashy sliminess. I contemplated. I researched recipes. I stared the beastfruit down.

Please believe that this is a terrible picture of me. Please?

I bought the ingredients to make Eggplant Parmesan - working from the oft-proved theory that nothing smothered in cheese can be bad. And then I waited. Waited for the right time to tackle the eggplant. G was resistant. I welcomed his resistance, and ultimately proclaimed that we'd put it off too long and had to throw the thing out because, obviously it had gone bad (you remembered where I mentioned that I knew nothing of eggplants?). It went out with our green bin with the other scraps and only mild regret. Pretty anticlimactic, yes?

I am willing to give the aubergine another chance, really I am, in the name of the Project. Another time. In the future. Eventually.

In the meantime, I bought these:

*This was supposed to be a picture of delicious fiddleheads. I forgot to take a picture. Please refer back to 'I Suck at Blogging'.*

Fiddleheads! I haven't had fiddleheads in years, but I have fond memories in my imagination. Apparently G doesn't like them, but whatever. We. Will. Eat. These.

I suck at blogging

2011-03-17T16:37:00.001-03:00

You know it's true. Just look at my poor track record.

There are many reasons/excuses for this - though most of them boil down to sheer and simple laziness on my part. Also my fickleness. I start a lot of projects, and have great ideas for projects (at least I think they're great) but either lose interest or get distracted by the next "great" project idea. I have a pile of discarded or otherwise incomplete projects in my craft room. You've probably seen an older picture of it. It's grown, I assure you.

Occasionally I actually finish something. Please meet Mr. Fox.

He's quite handsome, isn't he? Plenty of character and he makes a great book guardian! Wouldn't his creation have made a fun blog post? Yes! But of course I forgot to take pictures until he was finished - and this was a months-long saga of a project once you factor in the fact that I could not find a doll needle anywhere in Halifax and that my sewing machine died (more on that in another post ha ha ha). Once I realized how close I had come to having something fun to blog about, I debated staging some photos of the fabric, the pattern sheets, etc. I didn't. Ultimately I decided that I didn't want to set a precedent for cheating, because you know once I went down that path I would be staging all sorts of things. Probably making up entire projects, even. At least I would get more blog posts done!

Anyway, here's one more picture of Mr. Fox in his completed glory.

If you want to make your own Semi-Fantastic Mr. Fox, you can acquire the pattern from the Bird and Little Bird Etsy shop. He wasn't difficult to make, once I had all the supplies.

Also, apparently these photos turned out all cruddy? Apologies for that.

Vic Lit Throwdown

2011-01-30T18:00:00.002-04:00

It's on, Internet.

Have you heard of this Victorian Literature Challenge? I hadn't either, until Inspired by Hope tipped me off. If you know me, you know I love me some Victorian literature (and Regency and Elizabethan, etc). The Challenge is to promise to read a certain amount of books from the Victorian era and complete your list by the end of the year. There are categories to choose from, depending on your anticipated reading output.

Since of course I now have to read more books than my pal IbH, I have chosen the Great Expectations category, which requires me to read 5-9 works from the time period. I have chosen the following:

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. I've already started, but only just. It still counts.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Alcott keeps coming up in trivia questions, and I never answer correctly.
Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A short story, but it still counts.
Ages Grey by Anne Bronte. I loved Tenant of Wildfell Hall, so presume I will also love this.
Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde. This has actually been on my bookshelf (and to-read list) for quite some time.
Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. I've never read any Sherlocke Holmes, and now that I'll picture him as Robert Downey Jr, I should enjoy it all the more.

I was thinking of adding Jane Austen's letters (even though I realize that they are not Victorian), but I think the above will keep me busy enough. Here are the books, sans the Baskervilles, as it hasn't arrived yet (the Hawthorne is in my one of my old English anthologies):

Let the games begin!

I do declare!

2011-01-24T15:24:00.004-04:00

G and I regularly make grand declarations about our even grander intentions – mostly about how we’re going to be better people. Who doesn't want to be a better person? Our declarations are usually on the level of "We'll eat salad four times a week!" or "We'll only play video games for two hours this weekend!" or "We'll read one book a month" or "We'll do the Wii Active Program all the way through to the end!" You get the idea. None of these things ever happen.

It's not that I don't really want to do these things, exactly. I love eating salad, but for some reason I hate making salad. It may be because lettuce tends to be a pain in the ass or, more accurately, because G and I are – separately – very lazy people. Together we are enablers on the level of Brendan and Jason in Home Movies.

We know when we do bad, and we have honest-to-goodness intentions to do better. We feel good about our declarations even when they don’t stick, and the occasional small victory means these declarations get bigger and more ambitious. For example, we’ve taken to making grand declarations about the entire upcoming year, sort of in the style of the Year of the Rat or Year of the Child – except better because it relates directly to us and not to rats or children.

Cue the twilight of 2008. We were in a rut. Neither of us had ideal job situations – G actively disliked his (warranted) and while I loved my job, it was contract-to-contract and unreliable. We were overpaying for our apartment and had an unpredictable, hobo-mobilizing Irish tornado for a landlord. There was an overall stagnancy to our lives, and so in a fit of desperate ambition we declared 2009 the Year of Change.

The Year of Change panned out. Near the beginning of the year I was offered an exciting new job – a job that involved moving to a new province. The move from Toronto to Halifax got the change ball rolling and set the tone for the rest of the year. I had my new job, and G quickly found work where he was infinitely more happy than at his last job. We had two great new apartments (with only minor landlord complaints), slowly met new friends and got to know our new home city. We acquired a old pink trailer as a ‘summer home’ in New Brunswick. So much change.

Riding on the success of the Year of Change, we declared 2010 the Year of Health. We’d ‘let ourselves go’ over the previous few years, to put it mildly, and this was going to be rectified in 2010. Yessir. The Year of Health was meant to encompass a number of things: we were going to find doctors (I don’t go to the doctor), we were going to find dentists (I don’t go to the dentist), we were going to exercise ‘more’, we were going to eat better and drink less, we were going to leave the house more often (very ambitious, I know)! Everything would be GREAT! Unfortunately, other than a few quickly derailed exercise campaigns and my finally finding a doctor in the dying days of the year, the Year of Health did not pan out.

But it was by no means a complete waste of a year. Instead of the Year of Health, 2010 became an extension of the Year of Change (officially declared a few months in, after a dismal showing out of the gate). We bought a house. We got married (more on that in another post). These things trumped former declarations.

As a result, I have taken to thinking of 2010 as the Year of Settling - and I mean that with both good and bad connotations of 'settling'. We spent a good chunk of the year settling into the new house and neighborhood, and settling into married life. Unfortunately it also meant settling into familiar ruts and habits, only transferred to a new location.

It was abundantly clear that we needed more from 2011 - more growth, more ambition, more finishing projects, more sticking to the plan, more being grown-ups, more leaving the house. Just more. In this vein we have declared 2011 the Year of Getting Shit Done (or the Year of GSD in classy company). We will fight laziness, we will gently thwart the enabling nature of our relationship, we will finish those projects, we will be social beings, we will leave the house. We will Get Shit Done.

Project #7 - Bench Makeover

2010-10-24T16:00:00.001-03:00

When I left Toronto, I abandoned most of my furniture. I kept the few things that I had strong feelings for (my bed, the kitchen table, an old tea cart from G's grandfolks), but the rest of it got passed on. When we sublet, and when we lived in the apartment, this wasn't a big deal. We didn't need a lot of furniture. But then we bought the house, and all the empty space became a little overwhelming.

Of course we can't afford to furnish the entire space with new things (who could?), but nor would I want to (who would?). I immediately adopted grand schemes involving me trawling antique stores, used furniture shops and yard sales. I visualized myself refinishing junky crap into absolute treasures (on the cheap!).

There are a few problems with this.

Do you realize how early you have to get up to make yard sale visits worthwhile? Do you? I have yet to find out.
The antique stores in my neighborhood are a bit more 'high-end' than I was hoping. They have beautiful things, but the refinishing work has already been done, which means the prices are jacked.
Shops in my neighborhood have ridiculous hours - they all close at 5:00 pm and aren't open on Sundays or Mondays. COME ON.
I do not know how to refinish furniture.
I not own any tools.

Not to be completely deterred, I managed to pick up a few things the last time I was at Value Village:

The chair and the bench are destined for the sun room, and the foam head I could not be convinced to pass up (G tried). The chair is in decent shape and feels sunny, plant-filled room appropriate. The bench, however, is fugly. It's hard to tell, but the bench itself is an awful dark brown paint, and the seat an equally-awful burgundy vinyl. It could not be allowed to continue its existence as-is: and so my first refinishing project revealed itself.

I should mention that I am not a 'doing' person. I am an 'ideas' person. I began this scheme (and this post) back in June. It's now mid-October (ohmyGodit'smidOctober), and I've only just gotten it finished (sort of). But it IS finished (sort of).

I had intended to take pictures of the process (I bought a staple gun!) - but I got caught up in the excitement (staple gun!) and forgot - which means you will have to visualize the process on your own. Though it may have looked a little something like this:

Anyway. Without further ado - The Final Product:

It's not perfect, but who was expecting that, really? Have I mentioned that I am not a perfectionist? I decided to use fabric that I already had in the stash, which is fine because I love this fabric. So bright and cheery - and not ugly burgundy vinyl!

Don't look too closely at the staples, I implore you. Just notice the fact that the fabric is firmly affixed to the wooden frame. I decided not to put the hinges back in as I would have had to punch holes in the fabric, which would make me sad. In time, you won't be able to see the staples at all. I plan to trim the fabric edges with ribbon or chunky rickrack. Fun!

So there you have it. Not perfect, but kinda better. That's how I roll.

Project #5 - Duvet Cover

2010-07-27T02:00:00.000-03:00

Remember that duvet cover I was making, that one that I posted about ages ago? It's still not done. In fact, it currently looks like this:

Zero progress. Zilch. That's it, on top of all the other rag-tag projects that I've started and never finished. You may recognize some from earlier posts, actually. In all honesty, I've gone backwards: I want to redo the whole thing.

The more I think about it, and the longer I leave the project, the less enamored I am with the patchwork style I was using. I've begun craving something simpler- much simpler. I want to really make good use of the beautiful, crisp, blue polka-dot shirting fabric I stocked up on in Toronto, for the specific purpose of duvet-cover making. I love this fabric - some days I want a wardrobe made from it, but realize just a duvet cover might do.

You can see the fabric on the bottom of the below photo. The picture doesn't really do it justice, of course - you have to feel it to experience it's cool crispness.

Luckily for me, I found almost exactly what I want to do on Design Sponge the other day. Look how simple that is, how lovely. I have plans to make it my own, of course. I'm planning a strip of patchwork just off-side of centre, to keep some of the charm of my original plan. And just in case I don't have quite enough lovely polka-dot fabric to do the entire duvet cover, I purchased a simple white top sheet to use as backing. Just in case.

I still don't have my sewing area set up (hey - we've only been in the house for three months. Cut me some slack!), so it may be some time until I actually finish the project. The important this is that I am excited about it again.

You can hear all about it in the next thrilling installment of 'Project #5 - Duvet Cover'.

In which I inch ever closer to being a grown-up.

2010-07-07T14:00:00.000-03:00

It feels like a long time since I wrote anything (ok - so it has been a long time). It's not that I've forgotten, and it's not that I've been holding back all my wonderful projects out of meanness or shyness. I simply haven't made anything, or done much creative at all, in months (MONTHS!). I have no projects to blog about. Thankfully, I have what I think is a good reason. I bought a house.

This house, to be exact:

Glory in it's cuteness, Internet!

So the last few months have been spent packing, unpacking, arranging, shopping, and trying to tame the lawn. Yes - poor me, I know.

Thankfully, things are almost in order and I will soon have a a little craft room/dressing room in which to get some crafting done. I'll give you a tour once it's finally actually set up (don't hold your breath). No excuses now, no sir!

I'll be back in track any day now.

Project #6 - Bluebird of Chumpiness

2010-04-02T17:20:00.000-03:00

I am hereby declaring my fondness for the word 'chump' and all its possible variations - chump, Chumpington, chumpiness, chumpion. Love it. I also love Sublime Stitching patterns. It was only a matter of time before the two came together in glory.

Turns out it was an adorable bird and banner pattern from the Stitch-it Kit, which I had for years before actually stitching it on anything (shame on me). It was a few years ago, and I can't quite recall if the desire to use the pattern or to create a door hanging came first - but it hardly matters now. I couldn't very well just write 'Welcome', could I? Of course not! And so the first Welcome Chumps bird was born, and it was a hit.

A friend was so taken with the little fella that she requested one for Christmas, and I obliged. Honestly, I really wasn't thrilled with the colour choices on the first version, and felt there was a little sloppiness (or bulkiness, maybe?) to some of the stitches, so I welcomed the chance for another shot. I decided to to simplify things in the to-be-gifted version, going with blues rather than multicolour, and was extremely pleased with the results - and i like to think that the recipient was, too.

So, where does this bring us? Well, we just bought our first house and will be moving in at the end of April (I'll save the gushing for another post - you've been warned), and of course the door requires it's own Bluebird of Chumpiness. How else will my chumps know they are welcome?

Obviously I can't copy my friend's version exactly - though I do love the blues. I was debating reds, but Cardinal Chumpington doesn't quite have the same ring to it. What do you think?

I will post the finished project when it's ready.

The Beauty of Embroidery

2010-01-22T14:48:00.001-04:00

FACT: Embroidery is awesome. It's a beautiful, simple and rewarding pursuit. Did I mention I love it?

A friend of mine recently decided to try embroidery for the first time and, like me, has fallen for it hard. I hadn't completed a project in a long time, but her excitement reminded me of all the reasons I fell in love with embroidery in the first place.

And it's easy to love embroidery! It really, really is.

It is incredibly easy to learn. Yes, there are some more complicated stitches that I can't seem to master (I'm looking at you, Chain Stitch), but most of them are very simple. Like most people, I began with split stitch and was off like a rocket. Stem, lazy daisy, back stitch and even occasionally-dreaded french knots were an easy progression from there.

If I can learn it, anyone can. In fact, over the Holidays, I taught G's nephew Josh to embroider. He'd been admiring what I was working on, and asked me to show him how to do it. Look how well he did - all by himself! I did the star on top, and drew the tree outline for him to follow, but the rest is all him. He was so proud, as he should be.

Embroidery is so cheap compared to many other crafts. Yes, I splurged on Sublime Stitching's beautiful Stitch it Kit when I first decided to learn embroidery, and I certainly don't regret the investment. Occasionally I buy craft treats - like some beautiful variegated floss - but for the most part cost is incredibly reasonable, especially when you consider the results! For $5.00 I come away with a rainbow of floss, or a couple of hoops. Can knitting do that? Scrapbooking? Sewing? Certainly not!

I also love the quick gratification that can come from embroidery. Pick a simple design and a back stitch and you have a lovely complete project in no time. It's so satisfying!

When searching for a creative hobby, I quickly realized I needed something that I was going to be able to pick up for awhile and put down again, and something I could easily do in front of the television or while talking to friends. Again, embroidery completely fit my personality. I did the first half of this unicorn while hanging out with family at Christmastime, and the second half while watching Pride and Prejudice (the BBC miniseries, of course) with my friend Maggie. Lots of distraction, and yet I got it done in good time and think it still turned out beautifully (in my opinion).

Now, if you'll excuse me, my floss and hoop are calling.

Danse Danse Resolution

2010-01-04T12:34:00.000-04:00

Ah yes. The New Year. Time to think about becoming a better person and to pretend, for a little while, that I have the will power to make it happen.

In 2010 I will . . .

Accept more invitations to social events, even when it involves being surrounded by people I don't know. I've made a few friends since moving to Halifax, but mine isn't what I would call a particularly robust social circle. The only way I'm going to start meeting new people is to move a little outside my comfort zone (ie my sleep pants and living room). So - who wants to be my new best friend!?

Explore more of the city. Halifax won't embrace me unless I embrace it first. I've been pretty downtown-centric so far, as my life tends to exist in a walking-distance radius from my apartment. I love downtown Halifax, but realize that it's not the 'be-all, end-all'. I'd like to get familiar with some of the other neighborhoods, especially since I intend to buy a house in one of them in the near future. I have yet to explore the Hydrostone, or much of the North End. And there's always deep, dark Dartmouth (I suppose).

Embrace the Year of Health. At the start of 2009 I proclaimed it the Year of Change, and it certainly was - new job, new city, new friends, new skills. Hoping for similar results in 2010, I have decided it will be the Year of Health. Contrary to my pre-moving plans, I have put on even more weight since moving to Halifax. This trend must be reversed. Weight-loss will be awesome, but it is not the sole focus of the YoH. I am making plans to eat better, find a doctor and dentist, and just make healthier choices for living my life.

Become a more careful sewer. I am a lazy sewer, I admit it. I 'eyeball' things that should be carefully measured. I don't press nearly as much as I know I should. My lines aren't always super straight, but I rarely go back and try again. Taking just a little more time would really show in the finished projects, and likely help with my frustration levels.

Revisit my former thriftiness. I used to be great at finding deals - really, really great. I was an excellent used clothing shopper, and somehow managed to find weirdly awesome stuff at dollar stores. That changed when I moved to Toronto and used (or 'vintage') stuff was suddenly cool. Having no desire to elbow hipsters over plaid shirts, I gave up. This year I will make a go of it again - particularly when it comes to sourcing cheap fabric. Also included in this category: use more coupons and take advantage of sales.

Become more organized. I love to organize things - papers, toiletries, files, lists, groceries, books . . . . but somehow I still end up feeling scattered and -well- disorganized. I will remedy this, or at least reduce its awfulness.

Be less dependent (or 'addicted', or 'obsessed' with) the internet. I am on the internet a lot. I email, I facebook, I tweet (therefore I am?). 'Google it' is my answer to most dilemmas. I am not saying I am going to give it up, but I feel I need to restrain my use a little. You know, call someone rather than writing an email, pick up a reference book rather than Googling. At least I'll give it a try.

Get a library card. Why haven't I done this yet? Because I'm lazy, that's why.

All right, folks - hold me accountable.

Christmas trumps progress

2009-12-15T12:01:00.000-04:00

Christmas has taken over my life.

All the projects I have been working on over the past few months have been gift-related. Due to the slim chance that one of those potential receivers might actually read this blog (ha ha!), I have refrained from posting on the projects.

This will change in the new year. You just wait, Internet.

Christmas 2009

2009-11-25T09:18:00.000-04:00

G and I have been together for awhile - this will be our twelfth Christmas as a couple. Twelve years of exchanging gifts that have wandered the range between simple, awkward, overboard, sweet, ill-thought out, and perfect. And of course there were different understandings and expectations around the term 'stocking,' and what that might contain.

The past few holidays we've taken different, more creative approaches to our gift-giving. Sometimes homemade or edible (or drinkable) components are required. Last year we adopted a Twelve Days of Christmas strategy - over the twelve days leading up to our leaving for Christmas with my family, we would place a gift under the tree. Most were small silly things, but it was fun to watch them pile up. Twelve Days. Twelve Gifts.

We liked this idea, and have adopted and adapted it again for this year. We came up with a list of twenty-four 'categories' (or 'themes'), and from those twenty-four we selected twelve at random. Gifts we buy this year must reflect these themes.

The inspiration for our gift buying for Christmas 2009 is as follows:

Something we can do together
Something they can do/use outdoors
Something cuddly
Something beginning with the first letter of the person's name
Something that rhymes
Something from the store 'Little Mysteries'
Something reminding us of our childhood Christmases
Something delicious
Something from an art gallery
Something they'd want to display
Something practical
Something they'd want to take to work

Obviously, many of these themes are open to interpretation (something cuddly: do I get him the socks, a bag of cotton balls, or a kitten?), and I'm looking forward to seeing what appears under the tree.

Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time coming up with clever ideas. This could get interesting.

Project #5 - Duvet Cover

2009-11-18T16:29:00.000-04:00

I've noticed that my once beautiful white duvet now has a slightly-less-beautiful dinginess to it. This bothered me for quite sometime before I finally decided to do something about it. I thought about washing it - but the thing is HUGE, or at least it seems huge from a washing machine practicality perspective. So I've decided to make a cover for it - which is more work in the short term but less work in the long term, because the cover will be so much easier to wash.

I already had a large stack of appropriately gorgeous material that I'd acquired while still in Toronto:

I just needed a pattern. The first one I found that I liked was from (actually, now I can't find the link - it appears to have disappeared. Curious). It seemed straightforward, and easily adapted to the fabric I wanted to use. I would have to come up with another fastening solution, as I am clueless about buttonholes. I thought I was up to the challenge.

And then I saw this one. I really like the varied fabric sizes they've used, and it's got a tie closure. Unfortunately, I had already cut most of my fabric for the first option, and didn't have enough to start over again (nor did i really want to). So, I'm going with the first design, and have the first five rows of patchwork done:

It's progress, and I'm looking forward to doing some more work on it this weekend. Fingers crossed it turns out ok!

Project # 3 - Bonsai Maple (update)

2009-11-10T11:31:00.000-04:00

All I grew was mold.

The mold did look healthy and it certainly flourished, but it wasn't quite the maple seedling I was hoping for.

Just for reference, because I didn't include it in the original post, this is the picture that I fell in love with:

Hardly a pot full of mold.

I will give it another try, because I love the results so much (so dramatic!). My next attempt, however, will certainly involve a pre-started bonsai.

File this one under Project Fail.

*Image is from Martha Stewart Living, and is certainly not a depiction of my living room

Adventures in Paper Piecing (also an Ode to Pressing)

2009-11-02T13:37:00.000-04:00

My mother has been doing paper piecing (or 'foundation piecing') for years, and has developed quite a skill for it. She's done fabulous Christmas wall hangings with bright cardinals, precise star bursts, quilt blocks, and probably a zillion other wonderful things. And she makes it looks very, very easy.

When my mother finally bought herself a new sewing machine, I inherited her old Kenmore. It's a clunky piece of machinery that I have always mistrusted, but I was very excited to have a sewing machine of my own. One of the first things I wanted to try was some paper piecing, as it seemed a fun ticket to instant gratification. My efforts were not as successful as I might have liked:

(I intended to have a photo here, but apparently I kept none of my early piecing work - in theory, a testament to its crappiness)

I tried a few more times with similar results. I quickly got frustrated and moved on to other things.

Since moving and getting my sewing corner set up, I've decided to give the technique another shot - and do it right this time. I spent more time on colour consideration (not my strong point) and set the ironing board up in the most convenient spot for quick and easy access from the sewing machine (or 'directly in G's way'), pledging to press my little heart out.

I've found that it's easy to forget about pressing, or to ignore the ironing board - or to just be plain lazy about it. Pressing after every line of stitches seems far too daunting - surely it doesn't make that much difference? Right? Right?! Turns out, diligent pressing makes an enormous difference. It makes things easier, and turn out so much nicer and cleaner looking - and did I mention easier? Who knew?! Ok, everyone who's ever tried to teach me anything about sewing knew it - but now I believe it!

Also, turns out I like piecing after all, and am not so bad at it as first suspected.

I know, it's not great - but I think it's pretty darn good for my first attempt in awhile, and I'm pleased with it. So pleased, in fact, that I've already moved on to something much more ambitious:

This will be a ship, which will then be turned into a 'ocean view window' for my cubicle. In theory. The piecing went very well, thankyouverymuch, and I am pleased with my colour choices. But the assembly is offering up a whole new set of challenges. But more about that next time.

Favourite Books - Reappraisal

2009-10-26T13:46:00.000-03:00

I recently coerced G into joining Facebook - though it's a secret and will be short-lived. While helping him set up his profile - and by 'helping' I mean 'doing it for him' - I was asked about what sort of information he should include in his profile. I mentioned he could include work and school history or a list of favourite books, whatever he wanted. Though he declined to flesh out these details, it got me thinking about what I include in my online profiles. I should probably be thinking about personal information, public vs private content or copyright issues. But I'm not. I'm thinking about my book list. My Facebook 'Favourite Books' information is actually just a list of my favourite authors, as follows:

Julian Barnes, Jane Austen, Ann Patchett, Miriam Toews, Jasper Fforde, Sandra Gulland, Jack Whyte . . . but I'll read just about anything

That last bit is a lie, of course. I will not read 'just about anything', even when desperate. I recognize that I don't necessarily have the greatest taste in books - but I'm still a bit of a snob. As I studied this list, I couldn't help wondering if these authors and their writing continue to represent my 'favourites' - the best of the best that I've ever read. It's been years since I've read any Julian Barnes, especially something I would include in a 'favourites' list, and the same goes for most of the authors on that list. As you've likely already gathered, I intend to reappraise my list of favourite books. These are the books that I tell people are my favourites and that I tend to revisit:

The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters, by Julian Barnes
England, England, by Julian Barnes
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
The Magicians Assisstant, by Ann Patchett
Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett
Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond
A Complicated Kindness, by Miriam Toews
Josephine B. trilogy, by Sandra Gulland
Dream of Eagles saga by Jack Whyte

I haven't included books that I love that I've already reread a number of times, such as Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter.

This is a fairly substantial list, and I'm really not a very fast reader. I'll keep you posted as I work my way through the list, but recognize that it will take some time.

Let's see what happens.

Project #4 - Embroidered Space Towels

2009-10-23T11:02:00.000-03:00

I have been working on these embroidered tea towels (patterns from Sublime Stitching) for a long time. That's not to say that they took a lot of work - they were just something I puttered with when i didn't have anything else to work on. Unfortunately, this means there is little consistency in the colour choices and stitch selection. But they're done!

This is the first one I finished, and the one I am the least pleased with. Not saying I don't like it, but but I think the black looks a little too heavy. I think it would have worked better if I'd only used two strands, rather than three.

I like the robot. He makes me happy.

This is the second sexy space lady, and I like her the best. Still not totally happy with the skin thread colour - a little too orangey for my liking - but overall I am quite pleased. I like her purple outfit. I want her purple outfit.

This is the three of them together on my kitchen stove.

Done! Taking them off the Project Jar list!

Where I lay my books is home

2009-10-22T14:32:00.000-03:00

It has taken me longer to get settled into my new apartment than I had initially anticipated. I've been moved in for just over a month and a half, but only now is it starting to feel a bit like home.

I loved the apartment immediately, we both did - and the thought that we had just missed out on it made it seem all the sweeter, I suspect. The stairway up to the second floor flat is narrow, but it opens into a spacious, bright (two skylights!) landing. The kitchen is another large, open, bright space - I haven't had a kitchen large enough to eat in since 2001. Luxury! The appliances and cupboard space are ample, which I consider a big plus. The bedroom is large and has a working fireplace. The other rooms have much to recommend them as well. Pleased as punch!

Then we realized that the washer/dryer and dishwasher we had seen while viewing did not actually come with the apartment. Apparently they belonged to the previous tenant, a possibility which hadn't even occurred to me. Boned.

Then we left for Toronto for a week and a half, abandoning our only-just-moved-in-not-even-unpacked-box-filled apartment. Upon our return we started the quest for furniture. You see, we moved to Halifax in our little '98 Corolla, Snowball, abandoning most of our worldly goods in Toronto before we left. The few larger items that we decided to keep - the bed, a few bookcases and a couple of desks - were generally lugged cross-country by G's father (again, a million times thank you). We quickly realized that we were missing a few key items: dishes, for example. And chairs. Also a couch, television cutlery, bedside tables, sewing table, lamps and dressers.

We've since made these purchases (along with a number of others. A large number) and have gotten the apartment arranged pretty much how we want it. There are still a few things to do, like framing and hanging the rest of the art, but we're getting there. Nothing like stuff to make you feel at home!

I knew I was finally settled when I got my bookcases in order. I love my books, and I like having them out where I can see them. But how to display them was a bit of an issue, as I have a lot of them and didn't want to just mash them together onto shelves. I wanted the shelves to look like I put some thought into it. Once I got the books out of their liquor store boxes (the best for moving books), I decided to try something a little different. Rather than arranging the books by subject or author as I've done in the past, I opted to adopt the idea of a good friend of mine and arrange them by colour. I believe it turned out fabulously, and I love it. It makes me happy - my books are out on display and just look so darn good!

Homey, don't you think?

Project #2 – What I Don’t Miss About Toronto (first installment)

2009-10-06T13:51:00.000-03:00

i) The Squeal of the TTC Tracks

TTC drivers often develop hearing loss on one side only - due to the shrieking tracks out the drivers side window. I cringe just thinking about it. Do they get used to it? I certainly didn't. I often found myself plugging my ears as the subway screeched to a halt, or the streetcar ground around corners. I am mostly on Team TTC - but I just wish they would oil those things once in awhile.

ii) The Smell
The first thing G and I commented on during out most recent visit to Toronto was the smell that assaulted us when emerging from the subway. The garbage strike was long over, but the smell of hot, sticky, rotting organics was still clinging to the air. Toronto at the height of summer can be fabulous - and it can be gross. Yuck.

iii) The Smog
The sky turns brown. Sky is not supposed to be brown.

Project # 3 - Bonsai Maple

2009-10-03T14:21:00.000-03:00

I fell immediately in love with a Bonsai Japanese Maple I saw in the background of a Martha Stewart Living article. So when I saw this, I got an idea:

The box clearly states that the resulting Canadian Sugar Maple can be tended and coaxed into a bonsai. I had to go for it.

I planted the seeds a few days ago, and quickly realized that I did it wrong. I hadn't fished the 'amended instructions' from the bottom of the box. I don't think it's a BIG problem, exactly. But I wouldn't be surprised if this is the first entry with the tag 'project fail'.

But who knows? Maybe I'm wrong and I managed to aerate the soil enough after all. We shall see, potential Bonsai. We shall see.

Project Jar

2009-10-03T14:15:00.000-03:00

Sometimes I feel like sewing, but feel so overwhelmed by the possibilities and ideas that I just can't decide. And then I end up making nothing.

So I started this Project Jar.

It has ideas for projects (both simple and more complex) that I've seen in magazines or books, or just have an interest in creating. When I need inspiration or something to help focus my energies, I draw a slip of paper from the Project Jar and get started.

You can see the list of jar projects in the menu to the right. Let's get started!

Computer trouble

2009-09-30T08:45:00.000-03:00

I have to post it because it makes me laugh - I want to post it in my office and just tap it when someone shows up with a silly question. You should do the same.

This is from the great webcomic xkcd (though I admit it's often too 'techie' for me to get, even when I follow the above flow chart).

Project #1 – What I miss about Toronto (second installment)

2009-09-28T09:44:00.000-03:00

iv) Friends
When I first moved to Toronto, I didn't know a soul apart from the aunt and uncle I was staying with (in Mississauga, of all places). This, paired with the fact that networking is not exactly my forte, meant my first few weeks in the Big Smoke were quite lonely. I was fairly miserable, to be quite honest, and I hated the city as a result.

But slowly my quiet brand of fun and sparkling wit infiltrated the minds and hearts of those around me. I moved into the city proper with some great folks and forged some solid, amazing friendships that continue to flourish eight years later. I am thankful that they are the type of friendships that don't falter much through long lulls, and I have a feeling we'll be able to pick up where we left off when we do have to opportunity to get together.

Stay in touch. I miss you.

v) Ease of Getting Around
There were many, many times the TTC let me down - usually when I was in a hurry or trying to get to a Christmas party during a snowstorm (bbrrrrrr) or realized I was stranded in the wee hours after the subway shut down. Yet I remained fairly constant in my TTC fandom despite these setbacks, for the simple reason that I could get anywhere in the city with (usually) minimal effort or expense.

Toronto is also a very walkable city. From my home I could easily walk to multiple grocery stores, liquor stores, restaurants, libraries, parks and shopping. Coupled with the TTC I rarely felt the lack of a vehicle. I grew up outside a small town in Nova Scotia, where we had to drive for anything and everything. This caused me to feel rather trapped growing up, and is likely a contributing factor to the almost complete lack of friendships that have lasted from that detached era. Moving to a non-vechicle-focussed life was freeing.

I now find myself in a semi-car dependant situation - though it is far from a complete reversion, thankfully. I can still walk to work, to groceries, etc etc., but Halifax just feels like a driving city. I've already driven more in four months than I did over eight years in Toronto. And with the prospect of buying a house looming in the Spring, this will likely only increase.

vi) Recycling
Halifax doesn't recycle. It's gross.

There is a recycling program in place, but it is so convaluted and irrational that it is practically useless. So no one uses it.

Ugh.

To Read

2009-09-24T15:51:00.000-03:00

I always have a 'to read' list going - often on scraps of paper that get forgotten or misplaced. So I've decided to keep a running list here, which is posted at the bottom of the page. I will remove things as I read them, and will comment here on whether or not it was a worthwhile venture.

I am certainly open to recommendations, if you've got them.

Project #1 – What I Miss About Toronto (first installment)

2009-09-23T15:27:00.000-03:00

Just to clarify, these are in no particular order. I am actually drawing them out of a hat (though it's less of a hat, more of a desk drawer)

i) The Toronto Public Library
My neighborhood in Toronto had two fabulous libraries (one of them a Carnegie!) within easy walking distance: Riverdale Branch and Pape/Carlaw. And not only did I have access to the literary bounty within their walls, but to the entire TPL system - a world of information ordered to my doorstep. The website meant I had thousands (tens of thousands!) of books at my easy disposal - but DVDs and CDs as well. I went years without paying a movie rental fee, and the extensive catalogue of music meant I was able to sample many great bands I'd heard of but not enough to committ to a CD purchase. Free! Thank you, TPL for giving me Mother Mother, Great Lake Swimmers, Diableros, Luke Doucet, Golden Dogs . . .

* I have yet to get a Halifax library card, and they are not making it easy. This does not bode well for our relationship.

ii) The Prince Edward Viaduct
More specifically, that moment of the TTC ride home where you emerge from the tunnel darkness into the fleeting, floating space above the Don Valley. Many a sour post-work attitude was spoiled by that hit of sunshine and freedom, especially when I imagined the frustrated faces of the Parkway drivers as I flew overhead.

iii) Food and Drink: the LCBO magazine
The free LCBO magazine. I regret not keeping more copies when I moved. There were always great recipe ideas and interesting articles, and I eagerly awaited each new edition That's why I went to the LCBO so often, dontchaknow.

The Maritimes has the 'Occasions' publication, but it is a poor substitute.

Project #2 – What I Don’t Miss About Toronto

2009-09-21T16:20:00.001-03:00

I did mention that what Toronto and I have is a ‘love-hate’ relationship. We didn’t always get along, didn’t always see eye to eye. Sometimes one of us was just a little too crowded, a little too smelly, or a little too controlling for the comfort of the other.

I give you Project #2: the things I am glad to have left behind.

Project #1 – What I Miss About Toronto

2009-09-21T16:19:00.001-03:00

I have recently returned to Nova Scotia after almost eight years in Toronto. Eight years (!!) was certainly longer than I anticipated at the outset (especially considering I hated Toronto at first), and longer than I’ve lived anywhere since I left my parent’s home. I found that as I settled into the city time just flew by.

As time passed, Toronto and I developed a sort of love-hate relationship with one another. Thankfully, the love won out on most occasions and the City and I were able to work our way through the rough patches. Toronto just had so much to offer – especially to someone of my small-town origin but big-city dreams – there was no point fighting it for long.

That said, I am not sorry about my recent repatriation to the East Coast. I feel it was bound to happen eventually – I am a salty girl. Also, I love beer and fish cakes (and waves, samphire greens, tide pools, and my family). It turned into a whirlwind move where everything tumbled into place at the last minute, and I don’t regret it (hopefully I can still make this statement a year from now).

I did have my reservations, of course. Halifax looks painfully, depressingly small when viewed from the bustle of Toronto. I have embraced my new ‘city’ to the best of my ability. So much so that I don’t find I yearn for my Toronto life and its hullabaloo nearly as much as I had anticipated. Weird, huh?

But there are things that I miss, of course. And so I give you Project #1: trying to express some of the things I do miss about Toronto. Some of these are pretty obvious and boring, admittedly, but hopefully not all of them.

Thanks for your time, Toronto. I have no intention of forgetting our time together.

The birth of makeworkproject

2009-09-21T16:14:00.000-03:00

Yes, I have started a blog. Does this mean I am slowly becoming the kind of person I scoff at? A ‘blogger’ (a group I had always brushed with one sweeping stroke of neediness, attention-whoring, pretention and self-indulgence) was certainly not something I thought I would ever identify myself as. I may as well buy skinny jeans, take a modern dance class, or wear teetering heels on cobblestone streets. But obviously this (at least the blog part) has changed.

Blogs slowly started creeping into my internet ‘favourites’ list about a year ago, with my mild stalking of a local craft shop. I have recently discovered that blogs now make up the majority of my bookmarks, as I am inspired and awed by like-minded individuals in crafting, track the thoughts of compatriots in my occupational field, and drool over gorgeous food porn.

There are still many things I dislike about the whole blogging trend – the bad poetry, prose and other demonstrations of ‘superior’ writing skills, the assumption that everyone in the webiverse will want to read your musings, or the documentation of every miniscule (non-)event in your life. Ugh. Not that there is anything wrong with that, exactly – but I will continue to roll my eyes in your general direction, silly bloggers.

That said, I make no claims that makeworkproject will be any less irrelevant or self-indulgent. I will be upfront about this from the get-go. This is for me. An outlet. It is a project to make me work (look – the name!) and to get me writing again. It will also document other projects I am working on – sewing, cooking, being ridiculous, etc. For my benefit (I honestly don’t think anyone else will be interested in reading makeworkproject).

Also, there will be random tidbits of information you couldn’t possibly care less about.

There – now I’m rolling my eyes at myself.