MIA

I will be MIA again for a while....too many bad evil shots.

The Oliver Chilled Plow Company

Remember the piece of equipment I kept hinting around but not telling? Well, I finally did my research to confirm my suspicion. The piece I found is a wheel and plow assembly section of the Oliver Chilled Plow made in the early 1920's. Unfortunately, there are only pieces of the whole plow and I will never be able to reassemble it to its entirety. So, I am stuck with the wheel and mount that actually look quite good. I am going to put them in my yard as decoration until I can go back and get the other pieces that I do know exist. It doesn't look like much, but I did enough reading and research to know its importance to farming. That was all I needed to make it a chunk of history to be displayed!

Hunting for Glass

Being a farmer, we have many, many old barns and rundown outbuildings that are great for treasure hunting. I am particularly interested in any old glass bottles or jars that have special markings or just look cool. In my recent adventures, I went to a place we call "Joe's Shed" because Joe is Fred's brother, and Fred owned the land. This shed is 90% collapsed and is being held up by an oil barrel with a tire on top. Needless to say, I had to do a lot of crawling around to access the goods. I found the following items of glass during my hunt...I have washed them once, with intentions to continue washing until the dirt particles are gone. I need a pipe brush to get into the little one. I also found a piece of rusty equipment, which I intent to share in the near future. The photos aren't the best, it was hard for me to take the picture AND be able to decipher the imprints that are on them, but you get the idea!

Cards for Sale

There is a local business (well, Spokane local) named Simply Northwest which features gift and home decor items. It is a great little shop and one of my friends happens to be the Retail Manager there. She has seen my photos and we talked about the possibility of getting my photos into the store. The solution we came up with is photo cards. They are inexpensive, yet feature the beauty of the Inland Northwest! So, for the past year I have had my photo cards for sale at Simply Northwest. I don't make a lot of money off of this endeavor, it just allows me a new avenue to reach new customers. So, I recently had to replenish the inventory and here are a few of my samples! I only spent about an hour making all the cards (100 or so) but it was fun, easy and relaxing!

Craft Room Remodel

As I mentioned on Facebook, I am getting a craft room! Woo Hoo! Technically, I have a craft room/office already, but hopefully someday that room will be come a child's room. In the meantime, it will stay an office and I will have a room that is 100% dedicated to crafting! I have included the "before" pictures of the room. Very boring and basement-y, but hopefully with new lighting, freshpaint and carpet, it will have a warm glow that is perfect for crafting and sewing!

I Spy...

...someone's birthday! Happy Birthday Miss Jamie!!!

Out Of Commission...

Due to my health, I am temporarily out of commission. I'll let you know when I return!

Yum! Felt Food

orange felt fish
Originally uploaded by jtothee

Here is a much belated post about Sophia's Christmas gift. I LOVE these little guys. I can't decide which I love more though--the fish, the peas, or the cupcakes! What do you think? The "picnic" blanket is a piece of quilting cotton I backed with flannel--kind of like a pillowcase sewn shut. To put this project in perspective, each cupcake took 3 hours to complete. But, I know they're loved and played with A LOT which makes it all worth it.

You can see them all here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamiez/sets/72157623463570230/

I Spy...

IMG_1371
Originally uploaded by jtothee

S! That's you!

I think you'll like this one...

Don't be fooled by my homely cupcake. This little piece of chocolate
heaven may be the best cake I've ever made. Plus, I'll tell if you
promise not to repeat this, it starts with a box mix! Throw in some
sour cream, pudding mix, an unmentionable number of eggs, oil and
water, plus a gracious cup of mini chocolate chips and you'd never
know it had such simple beginnings.

It's the perfect way to cap a frustrating afternoon! I am sewing-
believe me! It's just taking SO LONG! More later.

Fun Fabric

Last week, my mom and I took a trip to Tri-Cities for some shopping. We happen to drive by a quilting store and I asked to stop. This store didn't have a lot of variety, but I was able to find this fabric. It was more expensive that I wanted it to be, or I would have bought more. I purchased 2 yards and still don't have a plan for what it will be. My thoughts are that it could be a great vasic sleeveless shirt or possibly some other type of clothing. We shall see!

More Baking....

I am sure by now you are tired of my baking adventures, but becuase baking calms me, I am always doing it. Since not working, I am trying new recipes and loving it! Todays project was Cranberry Coffee Loaf. I am not a huge cranberry fan; they are just okay. But this reciepe, phew it is phenominal! It turned out just like the picture and it tastes sweet and wonderful.

I interrupt crafting time....

For snow!!!!

Valentines Day

My first pair of shorts--for Eric with bicycle fabric he picked out
ages ago.

These were pretty easy and now that I understand the construction I
think I'll just use a pair in his drawer as a pattern for now on.

I've heard good reviews about the kwik sew boxer pattern online but
was unable to find it in stores here. I settled for a Simplicity one
which I wasn't crazy about the shape but it got the job done.

I fully expect to have to redo the elastic waist after he tries it on.
But, next time this will truly be a one hour project.

{heart} this

Isn't this gorgeous?! Well, I love it. Perhaps if you don't, you'll be
so kind as to let me wonder just how I can use this in joy. A top, a
shift, what of a bag? I love graphic prints. Maybe I could redo my
headboard or make new pillows using this?

It's from Colette Patterns blog. If you haven't seen these you really
should look up her website.

The List

Now that I am a "free" woman I only have 3 jobs. 1) Take care of myself 2) Take care of my husband 3) do fun craft projects.

So, what might you as counts as fun craft projects? Here is the list of upcoming projects, in no particular order:

Amy Butler Sophia Bag
Roman Shades for the Basement
Carpet/Lighting/Design Craft Room
Quilt Wall Hanging
Robe
Shift Dress
Continue to hand quilt
Cross stitch a snowman
Pencil skirt
Other fun projects I will come across.


Can't wait to get started!

I need another thing to do like a hole in my head

I delivered the headboard I made last week to it's new home. A woman
The husband works with watches the cats while we are gone and while at
our house fell in love with our bed. She wanted one "just like it."

After the headboard was in the room she asked me if I'd make a duvet
cover from the same material. I don't even want to imagine trying to
match the intricate paisley pattern so I told her no. Then, I came up
with the idea below. Pattern in the center, solid black on the sides.
She liked it apparently. I've been given the go ahead.

Mmm...Chocolate Cake

I am not a cake fan. I would much rather have cookies, pie anything but cake. It is too....spongy. But, I saw this recipe and thought it sounded delicious and pretty easy. I made it today and oh my goodness, it has to be the best homemade chocolate cake I have ever tasted. Lance, of course, loved it too!

1930's Toweling

Remember our trip to the most wonderful fabric store in the world?? I purchased green/white toweling to make, well, towels! The amount of fabric I purchased turned in to 3 towels. They match the kitchen perfectly!

A project for someone else!

A lady that volunteers at the office where I work(ed) asked me to make a ballerina bag for her 3 year old daughter's ballet class. I told her I would be happy to as long as she picked out and purchased everything. So, she did and here is what was created!

It wasn't complicated by far, but fun to make something for someone else!

Craft Shmaft

So...I have a stack of 8 different works in progress waiting for me in my workroom. Then, our cat sitter asked me to make her a headboard "just like mine." That's what I've been doing. Then there are the bajillion photos I've been trying to edit. hmmm. I started with my sister's engagement pictures. If you want to be my friend on flickr you can see them all :). I think I'll be posting a few pictures here as I go until I can give my sewing machine the attention it needs.

Oliver

Oliver-17
Originally uploaded by jtothee

I'm working on pictures of Mr. Oliver today. More to come this weekend!

Baking

Today is my day off from work and I decided to spend the day baking. I won't be sharing recipes today; just photos of the wonderful creations! Enjoy!

What's this? A project?

Well, at least a start of one. I received a gift certificate to a local store The Top Stitch, which carries fun, bright fabrics and offers sewing classes. More importantly, they carry Amy Butler patterns and fabrics. I picked out the pattern I wanted to tackle; it needed to be something outside my usual box to use as a distraction from other things going in my life; it also needed to be a project that was time intensive. Here is what I found:

The Sophia Carry-All

It has cording - which I have never tried - lots of layers of interfacing and plastic AND a zipper. Mind you have done plenty a zippers, but I don't find them easy, or fun, so it just adds to the challenge.

I even selected fabrics:

The pink/white one is for the exterior, the other for the interior. I am not sure what this bag will be used as, or when I will get started (still need to find the money to purchase all the interfacing and fusible fleece) but I am sure to enjoy it. Hopefully it will serve the purpose I need: Distracting me from pending stress in my life. Relaxation...