I’m really in love with this bag. I was very close to ripping out the blanket because I didn’t have enough yarn to finish it. Then I looked at it folded up and it screamed tote bag! This one is very hard to put up for sale. Details over at my etsy shop.
Normally, I’m not a big bread eater, but lately I’ve become enamored with all kinds of bread-y goodness. Jimmy John’s has the best sub bread ever. I think you can even just buy the bread from them. We haven’t done it yet and hopefully, after my 5-minute-a-day bread, I won’t be tempted (see below).
We’ve also been munching on homemade parathas. Not ours, but Durga’s. She makes the best parathas in the world. While she was here, she whipped up a bunch of pea, potato and cauliflower ones. Our freezer is stocked! Must ration them wisely.
Today I made more of Jessica Seinfeld’s banana bread, but with my own twist. I always double the batch and mess around with the purees. This time I used a can of pumpkin and two bananas. I guess it’s really pumpkin banana bread. Gotta get Super Foods into my family however I can! I baked these in mini tins for easy freezing and they are so cute!
The last bread is the one I’m most excited about: the 5-minute-a-day basic artisan bread recipe. I first read about this book on Amy’s site and put it on my Amazon wish list. A few weeks ago it arrived on my doorstep! (Thanks, Mom!) It was hard not to read the whole thing from cover to cover right away. Then, life got in the way and T went away for the weekend and wait, wasn’t this supposed to be easy? Today I mixed up the dough and the book is right: total work today was about five minutes. Well, ten if you count coloring breaks with Bella. My dough is in the refrigerator and I think I’m going to try my first loaf tonight. Wish me luck!
A few posts ago I mentioned that I had moved my computer into my office because my eyes were getting tired. Well, not only are my eyes feeling better, but I’m getting tons more stuff done away from the Internet. I’ve been doing lots of sewing—some designing and prototypes. Nothing to show yet, though. Hopefully soon.
I’ve also been doing a lot of reading. Surprisingly, reading books is way easier on my eyes than reading online. Some of you may remember that the last book I posted about was Founding Mothers. Sadly, I had to ditch this one. It was like slogging through heaps and heaps of historical facts and that’s just not for me.
My next book was Pope Joan and it’s a historical novel, so I was a little worried it would be like Founding Mothers. Not so! This book was fantastic! It was a fast and compelling read and I think I wasn’t the only one in my book group who had maybe a tiny little crush on Gerold. I highly recommend it. Here are some excerpts. This has got to be one of my favorite parts of the book:
“It appears that the child has some knowledge of orthodox theology. Nevertheless, this in itself does not prove anything. There is, in some women, a highly developed imitatative ability, which allows them to memorize and repeat the words of men, and so give the appearance of thought. But this imitative skill is not to be confused with true reason, which is essentially male. For, as is well known,” Odo’s voice assumed an authoritative ring, for now he was on familiar ground, “women are innately inferior to men.”
“Why?” The word was out of Joan’s mouth before she was even aware of having spoken.
Odo smiled, his thin lips drawing back unpleasantly. He had the look of the fox when it knows it has the rabbit cornered. “Your ignorance, child, is revealed in that question. For St. Paul himself has asserted this truth, that women are beneath men in conception, in place, and in will.”
“In conception, in place, and in will?” Joan repeated.
“Yes,” Odo spoke slowly and distinctly, as if addressing a half-wit. “In conception, because Adam was created first, and Eve afterwards; in place, because Eve was created to serve Adam as companion and mate; in will, because Eve could not resist the Devil’s temptation and ate of the apple.”
Among the tables, heads nodded in agreement. The Bishop’s expression was grave. Odo smirked.
Joan felt an intense dislike for this thin-faced man. For a moment she stood silently, tugging on her nose.
“Why,” she said at last, “is woman inferior in conception? For though she was created second, she was made from Adam’s side, while Adam was made from common clay.”
There were several appreciative chuckles from the tables in the back of the hall.
“In place,” the words tumbled out as Joan’s thoughts raced ahead, and she reasoned her way through, “woman should be preferred to man, because Eve was created inside Paradise, but Adam was created outside.”
There was another hum from the crowd. The smile on Odo’s face wavered.
Joan went on, too interested in the line of her argument to consider what she was doing. “As for will, woman should be considered superior to man”–this was bold, but there was no going back now–“for Eve ate of the apple for love of knowledge and learning, but Adam ate of it merely because she asked him.”
I really hope there was a Pope Joan because she was pretty darn cool!
Next on my list to read is The Creative Family. I was planning to read it last week, but when T’s mom came into town I squeezed in the third Harry Potter book. It was amazing how much I could get read when I had someone else to play ball and color with Bella! The third book was just as good as the first two. Now it’s back to The Creative Family. I’m trying hard to read it in order, but I can’t stop flipping through to check out all of the cool projects.
Cathy is my best customer. She makes me feel so good about my bags. She’s got a degree in Textiles, is on the board for Sewing for Babies, has tons of sewing experience and chooses ME to make bags for her. Cathy, who sadly is blogless, always has lots of crafty projects going on, so she needs lots of tote bags.
The bag design was a little challenging. With all of the patterns and stripes, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t too busy once it was put together. Once I figured out the handles, though, the rest just worked itself out!
I wanted to do something special for Cathy to show my appreciation for her support, so I made her a coordinating pouch and bookmark. The pouch pattern is from Bend-the-Rules Sewing, so I won’t be selling them. They may find their way into random bags here and there as a little gift, though.
Speaking of custom bags, I’ve donated a bag to Christy’s month of Autism Awareness. She’ll be making a special announcement about the giveaway sometime today. Make sure you visit her blog for the details!
These were a gift, so I had to wait until they were delivered before I could post a pic.
They are a really quick project and a great way to use up those little leftover bits of sock yarn. Well, they’re a quick knit if you count you decreases correctly. I must have had Toddler Brain when I worked on these because I had to rip more than once to get them right. Oh, well. At least there wasn’t much to rip! The only thing I’d do differently next time would be to start at the same color in the yarn so they’d match. Free pattern is from SockPixie.
I don’t have many plants. My thumb is a little on the black side, and any plant I have been able to keep alive has been killed by the cat or a move. The exception: my Target plant. I have no idea what kind it is, but a quick google search leads me to believe it may be a pothos. I do know that it is virtually indestructible. I bought it to keep me company at work back in 1995 or 1996. It’s been through a bunch of offices and a lot of moves. When we finally settled in this house, I put it up on top of the book case and kind of forgot about it. Every once and awhile its leaves would look pale and droopy, and I’d give it a little water, but that was about it.
When my parents came out to visit after M was born, my mom when on a major dusting spree. She wanted to do something for the poor neglected plant. I told her to leave it as it was. It was happy. And it was alive. Don’t mess with a good thing. Well, when we had our new furniture delivered, we moved our bookcases downstairs and I had to deal with it. Good grief! Now I know why my mom was so concerned. It was practically all stem! I clipped off about five leafless branches that were each about two to three feet long. I accidentally got a little too happy with the clipping and cut off a leafy branch. Whoops!
Here it is looking very happy in it’s new home.
Here is the clipping happily hanging out on my kitchen window sill. It’s starting to grow roots!
(Yes, I still have the favor from one of my high school dances.)
Must. Stop. Sewing. Bibs.
Seriously! These might be the most addicting things to sew ever! They are so quick and look so cute! Remember my first one? Believe it or not, M has almost outgrown the neck. A lot of her other bibs are getting small, too. I took my favorite bib, which was the template for the first one I made, and adjusted the pattern for a 18-24 month neck.
I can’t decide which one is my favorite. I love the little aprons and the salt and pepper shakers.
I really have to stop. How many bibs does one little girl need? We only use them for messy foods these days, like spaghetti and split pea soup. But these are great fabric stash busters: fleece was from the remnant basket at Joann’s and the fabric and snaps were from Michaels (thank you 40% off coupons!). Oh, did I mention the snaps?
Remember when I had the button notecard idea that wouldn’t go away until I made them? Well, I had another one: button flowers. I don’t know where these bursts of button creativity come from. I’m not even that much into embroidery, but loved hand stitching the little stems and leaves. This idea wouldn’t stop bouncing around in my head so I put them on something small and easy to finish: a felted bookmark.
