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fabric dog tag (good for penguins, too)

fabric dog tag

You’ve met Puppy before. He’s the one who got a new nose. He’s my daughter’s best stuffed friend. I get really nervous when we take him on trips. I can’t imagine what life would be like if he got lost.

Right before our San Diego trip last year, I made fabric tags for Puppy and his little cat friend Gnocchi. It was a last minute idea. I cut out small rectangles of muslin and applied fray check to the edges. When they were dry, I used a fabric marker to write “If found, please call” with my cell phone number. Then I hand stitched the corners to each stuffed friend.

It was my intention to make something soft so it wouldn’t poke my daughter at night. Of course, now she sleeps with a hard, plastic penguin, too. Kids! I wound up stitching a label to Pengi’s leg for this trip. When everyone gets home safely, I snip the stitches and save the labels for next time.

Does traveling with your child’s “special friends” make you nervous? How do you ensure their safe travels?

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i’m back!

little drums in aruba

Well, my body is back on American soil. My mind hasn’t really left the sandy beaches and beautiful blue waters of Aruba.

I’m slowly getting back into home life. I’ve bought groceries and it’s nice to have a home-cooked meal. I’ve started going through all of my pictures. That may take awhile. The suitcases are unpacked, but I haven’t done a stitch of laundry.

I did a little bit of writing while I was gone. Some knitting, too. I plan to be back to regular posting soon.

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gone fishin’

Not actual fishing, but I’m taking my knitting, so I’ll have sticks and string if the urge strikes.

I need to recharge my creative batteries. Get my creative juices flowing again. Reboot my personal hard drive. Can I use any more cliches?

I’ve been thinking a lot about my little space on the Internet. A few years ago I spun my creative work off of my personal blog because they felt like two separate parts of me. Now they couldn’t be more intertwined.

This space isn’t going away. In fact, it will probably grow to include more aspects of my creative life. I don’t want it to become too cumbersome, but I need a place to document more of the whole me.

I’ll be away at least a week — maybe two. Going to find some sand to dig my toes in, do some crosswords, and read a good book. Oh, and I’ve got my knitting, too. I promise I won’t use my Malabrigo to catch fish. You didn’t think I would, did you?

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how to: adjust the side seams of a dress in
4 easy steps

how to alter little girl dress

I’ve been waiting for this dress to fit my daughter for two years. When she tried it on this Spring, it was just above her knees, but still too big in the body. The only way she would be able to wear it would be if I took it in at the sides. It was actually very easy. All you need is a seam ripper and some matching thread.

Step 1
Unpick the facing under the arm and the bottom hem a few inches on either side of the seams.

how to alter little girl dress

how to alter little girl dress

how to alter little girl dress

Step 2
Unfold the fabric. Press the facing and hem flat.

how to alter little girl dress

how to alter little girl dress

Step 3
Mark the new seam and stitch. (My daughter is kind of squirmy. I measure in thumbs, not inches. I took this dress in one thumbnail on each side.)

how to alter little girl dress

Step 4
Re-fold the facing and hem. Stitch over the original holes.

how to alter little girl dress

how to alter little girl dress

See? Really easy! I didn’t even trim the new seam allowance. The edges were already finished with a serger, so I just pressed them toward the back of the dress before stitching everything back together.

I have a feeling I’ll be doing this to a lot of my daughter’s dresses this Summer. Let me know if you try it!

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wwkip day 2011

world wide knit in public day

Today was World Wide Knit in Public Day. My daughter and I spent it with friends at the park. (I worked on a crochet project. I’m such a rebel.) The weather was beautiful, but kind of chilly. I wished I had brought a sweater.

Afterward, we went to lunch at my favorite coffee shop and then to another park to weed the Butterfly Garden. By then it was hot and I was wishing I brought sunscreen. Not so hot that I wasn’t glad to be outside. We even went on a little hike.

I love days like this.

Did you do any yarning in public?

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my creative space

I’ve got a new camera. It’s fancy. (Click on photos for larger images)

flower portrait new camera

Unlike my point-and-shoot, I’m going to have to read the manual for this one.

flower portrait new camera

But that hasn’t stopped me from just diving in!

flower portrait new camera

What’s in your creative space today? Find more here.

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handmade goodies from the farmers’ market

haymarket farmers market crafts

There’s so much more to the Farmers’ Market than fresh veggies. Last weekend we went with my parents and my mom wanted to buy a few things for my daughter. The hair clip and headband are from Owl People (my friend Kaitlyn) and are lovely.

I wish I could tell you who made “Ladybug Girl.” I can’t remember the name of the booth and she didn’t come with a card or hang tag. Nothing was even stamped on the bag. If you know, post in the comments! (Note to artisans: always put your name on your work!) My daughter loves her.

What are your favorite non-food items from the Farmers’ Market?

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progress: thrifty buffet gets paint

Remember the thrifty buffet we found a few months ago? It had been sanded and primed then pushed to the side when our weekends got busy. Yesterday, my husband pulled it out and started painting.

thrifted painted wood buffet

The primer is gray and the paint is chocolate brown. I think he was hoping for a darker, espresso color. We’ll see what it looks like after coat number two.

thrifted painted wood buffet

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homemade protein bar recipe

homemade hemp bar

When I began P90X, I was really hungry. I thought having some protein bars ready to grab from the pantry would be helpful, but I couldn’t find any that I really liked. Then I started reading things about soy protein isolate and thought maybe I should try making these on my own. I had hoped to post this during Hemp History Week. Wouldn’t that have been timely? Here it is, better late than never!

This recipe is basically a 1:1:1 ratio of the first three ingredients. You can substitute any flour for the oats, any protein powder and any nut butter. Adjust the water accordingly. Add in other kinds of dried fruits or skip the chips. It is very easy to make this gluten free, dairy free and vegan.

1 cup oats
1 cup chocolate hemp powder
1 cup crunchy almond butter
water
1/4 cup craisins
1/4 cup mini chips
muffin pan

makes 12 bars

Pulse the rolled oats in a food processor until they resemble a coarse flour. Add the chocolate hemp powder and mix. Then add the almond butter and mix. It should start coming together at this point. Add water slowly until it starts to form a ball. I usually use about 2/3 cup, but it depends on your ingredients.

Remove the ball from the food processor and place in a mixing bowl. Add the craisins and chips and knead until they are incorporated. You’ll be tempted not to dirty another bowl, but the food processor takes all of the fun out of biting into a chunk of fruit or chocolate. Mix them in by hand.

homemade hemp bar

Divide your dough evenly into the muffin tins and press down with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Place them in the freezer for about an hour. Take them out and let them sit on the counter for a few minutes. Gently pop them out with a knife. Wrap them in aluminum foil.

I keep a few of these in the fridge, with the rest stored in the freezer. The foil is easy to rinse off and toss in the recycling bin. When I’m on the go, I toss one in my purse with a napkin. If you’re not going to eat it within a few hours, it can get a little crumbly.

resources:
Soy protein isolate in energy bars, via newsreview.com.
Hemp History Week, via thekindlife.com.
Benefits of hemp protein, via livestrong.com.