Simplify the Bathroom

Starting in December my husband and I have done a big purge of our household to try to simplify. I wanted to show you how the bathroom is turning out. This is the solution I finally settled on for jewelry. I found driftwood-type sticks and wrapped them with hemp string to make hangars. It is a lot simpler than most of the ideas I've seen, and a heck of a lot cheaper. 

I gathered all of my bottles in one of those wire CD keepers. Who has CDs anymore? I like it better than wicker just because I can run it through the dishwasher when it inevitably gets sticky. There's another view here, just because I like the little glimpse into the bedroom. With everything off the counter it takes only about 7 minutes to completely clean the bathroom. I also just realized that you don't need glass cleaner to clean mirrors! No Windex, no vinegar "green" mixture that leaves spots. I just scrub it with a wet rag first, then squeegee it down. No spots. No kidding. I fantasize that evil cleaning chemical executives seeded the advice columns with crummy recommendations about vinegar glass cleaners and newspaper scrubs just to make people run screaming for special glass cleaner.

And finally, here is what I am proudest of. We cut down our bath products to the bare minimum, and I bought that many matching pump hand soap bottles. After dumping the soap into my refill container, I removed the stickers, decanted the shampoos and body washes into them, and labeled them. I wrote on them with a Sharpie and stuck packing tape over the top. You could even print pretty matching labels as long as you laminated them with packing tape. The whole effect is much less hectic than different kinds of bottles everywhere. 

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All my life I have waited to become more sentimental. It almost happened in high school but it fizzled. I generally like the stage of life I am in at present much better than the stages of the past. In my fear, however, that someday I’ll want to vividly recall some other time, I’ve kept scrapbooks, curios, bad photographs, stuffed animals, and cards. I keep all of these things in storage because I don’t actually ever want to look at them. When I look at them I shudder. But this is my 29th year, and I am realizing that as a whole person I abhor clutter past and present, and that will not change. All of the sentimental stuff is just clutter to me. I think photo albums are untidy and don’t like photos on my walls. I hate it as much as I hate having things on my kitchen counter. I hate it as much as I’ve grown to hate decorative throw pillows on my bed. They end up on the floor all the time. No one shows that in the home magazines!

Some people are uncluttered because they are very organized. Not me. I am very simple-minded in practical matters. All of my brain and will-power is directed toward creation and parenting because making beautiful things is very important to me. Anything that threatens my time and ability for those things literally gives me nervous shakes. So the only organization plan that really works for me is this: Don’t have much more stuff than you actually need. I get rid of extra pairs of socks from our closets and extra spoons and bowls from kitchen. Toys that are neither beautiful nor creative go to charity. It’s time to get rid of most of the "sentimental" things in storage too. Wish me luck!

Librarian to Luxe Pencil Skirt

Makeover time!

A huge mistake people make with thrifting is buying ill-fitting albeit interesting pieces to begin with. Sartorial success starts with the fit. If it doesn't fit, nothing you do to it or wear with it will fix the problem.
This skirt caught my eye because it had a few things going for it: Gray tweed is timeless, the cut is nice over the hips, and the black-piped pockets are a good touch.
As a business uniform, it was impeccable. There is definitely a place in the wardrobe for anonymous well-tailored pieces, but if your wardrobe is full of Jane Does, something needs a makeover!

I stitched the back slit shut, then trimmed a few inches off the hemline to bring it slightly above the knee. It is still office appropriate, (at least in the offices I've worked) but party-ready too!
One reason hemming is loathsome is all the measuring and pinning. Trying to turn tweed under 1/2" evenly is tricky, so I cut very carefully, then stitch around the bottom at 1/2". This keeps it from unraveling and allows you to evenly pin a fabric that laughs in the face of a conventional steam iron!

I exchanged the ho-hum plastic button for something more custom. Clothes and kitchens have this in common: Changing the hardware changes everything!
I also added the paillette and bead details around the bottom. The beads remind me of rolling aluminum foil beads as a child.

Why it works: The tone-on-tone paillettes and beads add sparkle without going overboard. The new button references the new shine and the angularity of the pocket trim.

Wear it to the office with a twin set and sensible Farragamos.
Wear it to a party with a black lace blouse and vertiginous heels.
Wear it on the weekend with a caramel colored leather jacket, white t, and Chucks.

Granola Goodness

There are many opinions about breakfast, but in this household it seems easier to carpe our diem with a filling meal under our belts. Granola is our usual breakfast of choice, and I've been tweaking this recipe for a long time.

I try to make two batches at a time to save myself trouble. Granola freezes nicely, but I have never had to freeze any since marriage!
The biggest mistake with granola is scorching it by trying to get it to clump in the oven. Granola actually clumps as it cools, not as it cooks. To get softer granola pile it deep in a lasagna pan. For crunchier granola try a cookie sheet. If I am missing any particular ingredient like oat bran, I substitute the same amount of oatmeal.
Download the printable version 
Granola

Ingredients

• 8 c rolled oats
• 1 1/2 c wheat germ
• 1 1/2 c oat bran
• 1 c sunflower seeds
• 1 c finely chopped almonds
• 1 c finely chopped pecans
• 1 c finely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c honey
• 1 c vegetable oil
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 c raisins
• 1 c mixed dried fruit
• 1/4 c flax seed

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil. Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl.
Stir together the salt, brown sugar, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets. Bake until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through.
Cool, then stir in fruit and flax seed before storing in an airtight container.
Download the printable version

Found: More Ideas Than You Can Shake a Stick At

Ideas are something I rarely run out of, but there is always the chance, which is why I write down random challenges for myself just in case. This is a way I can show up in dry moments. I sometimes also just try to grit it out and finish things I have started to try to get some momentum.
How about you? What do you do when you are out of inspiration?

1. Be inspired by a flower.
2. Make something “childish” for an adult.
3. Update an idea from an old magazine.
4. Focus on texture.
5. Reference a trend.
6. Make a vessel.
7. Let art or architecture inspire you.
8. Focus on a silhouette.
9. Use a blogger’s diy instructions and make it your own.
10. Learn to like a color you hate.
11. Reference music or literature.
12. Bead it.
13. Design album cover art for a band.
14. Hail a hero.
15. Try plaid.
16. Knit it.
17. Let an instrument inspire you.
18. Make something for someone famous.
19. Make something red.
20. Copy something from the runway your own way.
21. Embroider it.
22. Consult someone who inspires you.
23. Use applique.
24. Design something practical based on album cover art.
25. Give it too much of something!
26. What would (insert cartoon character’s name here) do?
27. Use a national flag (respectfully).
28. Embroider doodles or a pattern.
29. Use a photo as inspiration.
30. Use the reverse side.
31. Transform something ugly.
32. Mix and match your favorite (fill in the blank) from the past with your current favorite (fill in the blank).
33. Incorporate words.
34. Incorporate bones.
35. Incorporate origami.
36. Incorporate wire.
37. Make it mosaic-style.
38. Create something for the garden.
39. Transform a light fixture.
40. Make a self-portrait.
41. Consult an old scout manual.
42. Finish a quilt your own way.
43. Cut into something nice– make it count!
44. Make an exotic article of clothing your own.
45. Use couture techniques on a humble item.
46. Challenge yourself in time, materials, budget, or technique.
47. Draw on it.
48. Use a cut-out technique of some sort.
49. Make it for free.
50. Make something costumey/dramatic for every day.
51. Take something that isn’t your style and transform it.
52. Reference a sport.
53. Alter your fabric.
54. Illustrate a poem.
55. Make something to sit on.
56. Use pleats.
57. Give it a great pocket.
58. Use your favorite children’s book as a starting place.
59. Set a time limit.
60. Make something holiday inspired.
61. Use a special surprising detail.
62. Finish an old project: figure out why you lost interest and change it!
63. Choose a Harris Burdick illustration that inspires you.
64. Make a calendar for next year.
65. Make neon tasteful.
66. Try papier mache.
67. Scrunch and pin a piece of fabric to an interesting shape. Make a sketch and item based on it.
68. Capture the essence of a loved-one.
69. Make a Rorshacht ink blot and incorporate it into your next project.
70. Choose a geometric shape and make something with only that shape.
71. Make something in your pet’s style– but for a human.
72. Make something tiny.
73. Make something oversized.
74. Research another culture’s toys.
75. Mix things that don’t go together and make them irresistible!
76. Choose a secret destination and have a friend choose a profession. Make something your character will need to take with them.
77. Use the random Google or Wiki button to find an idea.
78. Start that involved project you’ve been mulling over.
79. Make something for a baby.
80. Make something for charity.
81. Use paper.
82. Make something that is essential to the next season.
83. Choose a major life-event to make something for (coming of age, golden anniversary, wedding, empty nest, etc.).
84. Create something for a Youtube star.
85. Refinish it.
86. Learn a new technique.
87. Use piecing.
88. Reference a hobby.
89. Decorate a rock.
90. Copy someone’s technique on your own favorite subject.
91. Use an interesting detail for your own unique application.
92. Make a mobile.
93. Do something that makes your heart sing!
94. Use geometrics.
95. Be inspired by a letter.
96. Make something for your favorite movie character.
97. Commemorate someone special who has passed away.
98. Dance today, work tomorrow.
99. Make neckwear.
100. Design a visual pattern and use it on something.
101. Crack a visual joke.
102. Try out someone else’s design philosophy.
103. Make a favorite childhood craft.
104. Try a new color combination.
105. Capture the essence of a favorite song.
106. Build a better mousetrap, or whatever it is that’s making you crazy!
107. Make a hat.
108. Add a zipper. Be clever.
109. Try reverse applique.
110. Make an unlikely time-capsule.
111. Use lace.
112. Pick something from Threads (or another) Magazine and try it.
113. Trade abandoned projects with a friend and finish with freedom!
114. Use a found object.
115. Get inspired by a kitchen implement.
116. Adapt something from another time period.
117. Throw out a project you hate. Yeah. Doesn’t that feel good?

How To: Make a Dried Orange Wreath

Dried oranges are classic for Christmas, and your house will smell great long after you are done baking them.
Once I started making wreaths this year I just couldn’t stop. They make great gifts if you can part with them, and are charmingly inexpensive.
I made 3 options to choose from here, but I can think of more, and I am sure you can too!

The basic instructions are listed first, with additions for each wreath listed separately.

Supplies:

• knife
• wire cutter or old scissors
• cookie sheets
• hot glue gun and glue
• 1 straw wreath form
• 1 foot floral or other heavy wire
• 1/2 yd fabric
• 4 lb bag of small oranges

Instructions:


1. Slice oranges into rounds between 1/8” and 1/4” thick, and spread on cookie sheets.



2. Bake at 200˚ until the slices are golden brown and pretty dry, with no mushiness to them (about 6 hours), turning every few hours or so. The more humid your area, the more you’ll want to be certain the slices are completely dried out. If you scorch a few by accident it won’t hurt! This is not an exact science, so expect some variation. If you don’t have 6 hours at a stretch to bake oranges, you can do it a few hours at a time over a few days with no ill effects.



3. Use floral wire (mine here is actually the wire recycled off a bundle of spinach!) to make a loop at the back of the wreath for hanging. Use a dot of hot glue to keep it from rotating up.


4. Tear your fabric into 3” strips, and wrap the wreath form, leaving the wire loop exposed. Secure fabric ends by tucking them in, or with a dot of hot glue.



5. Hot glue dried orange slices to completely cover your wreath form.





Glam
This wreath has serious holiday appeal-- pun fully intended! It will take you right through Christmas into the New Year without skipping a beat. I can't think of a wreath more completely of-the-moment than this. The texture, the glitz... I'm in love!
Supplies:

• 1 spool fine gold tone wire
• 1 250 count pkg gold paillettes (small hole)
• knitting needle or barbeque skewer

Instructions:
1. Cut about 20-25 lengths of wire between 22” and 29” long.



2. Wrap each length of wire around the wreath so that the long ends face the front. Twist closed.



3. String a paillette onto one tail of the wire, and twist to hold in place. Repeat until there are 3-5 paillettes on each tail of wire. Coil the excess around the knitting needle or barbeque skewer like a spring.

4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 every 3” or so around, staggering the long ends toward the outside or inside so that they fill in the wreath.




Classic
You can't go wrong with this Christmas classic. It brings steaming gingerbread and hot cocoa to mind, not to mention how good it smells! For this wreath I really layered the orange slices to get a dimensional effect.

Supplies:

• 12 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cups fresh cranberries

Instructions:
1. Glue cinnamon sticks to the front of the wreath at different angles.

2. Glue fresh cranberries onto the wreath wherever they look right.




Crafty
Once again, a holiday wreath that is just as comfortable the rest of the winter. The prints of the ties clash charmingly!

Supplies:

• seam ripper
• iron
• pinking shears
• 3 silk neck ties

Instructions:
1. Open up each necktie with seam ripper. Remove interfacing, and iron silk flat.

2. Cut 4 strips from each tie measuring 2” x 7” and trim the ends at 45˚ with pinking shears.

3. Tie strips in knots making sure the printed side is up, and glue in place.

Fairy Dress

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I had a baby! And now back to our regularly scheduled programing!

If you knew me as a kid, you probably remember the reluctance with which I finally abandoned playing fairy, but this little dress could make a believer of any cynic!

This petal idea would make a great dress-up skirt for a little girl with just a ribbon waist. 

Daniel picked out the dress from an old Oilily catalog, and I drafted a similar dress based on a jumper I found at Goodwill some time ago. When you copy a pattern of someone else’s, the industry rule is that you change it at least 10% out of courtesy. I changed more than that here: I made a crossover top which opens envelope style to accommodate a young child’s proportionally large head. I used the jumper’s underarm button feature because you want infant clothing to open out quite a bit. (Why can they sleep in the oddest cramped positions, but get claustrophobic and panicky when you dress them?) I also added flutter sleeves.

The petal idea would work on most bodice patterns for a baby up to age 3 or so. Be certain that the closure will work with the petals if your try this. Good choices would be tops that slip over the head and button at the shoulder or underarm. There are three layers of petals, six petals to each tier.

• Measure your bodice front and back to determine how wide the skirt must be. On Thacia’s dress I added one inch per petal. Measure how long you want the skirt to be.
• Draw a line on paper of the full length of the skirt to visualize it.
• Determine how long you want the top layer of petals to be. The temptation is to just divide the length in thirds, but that would be a mistake. The first layer probably needs to be about 1/2 to 2/3 of the length depending on the size. Don’t be afraid to eyeball it. Then, mark the halfway point between the first layer and the bottom of the skirt. This will be your second layer measurement.
• Draft the first layer petal by marking a T shape the length of the first layer measurement, and the width 1/6 of the width of the skirt, plus fullness. I added 1” to every petal. You’ll want to add at least 1/3 of the finished width of the petal for gathering. Draw a line straight down from the outside edges of the T so you have a rectangular shape. With a French Curve, architect’s curve measure, or by hand, draw the shape of one half of the petal starting on the center line, and curving up to meet the side. Fold on the center line, and trace the curve to the other half. Add seam allowances all around.
• All of your petals will be the same width: Simply add length for the second and third tiers, and trace the curves from the first petal pattern to the bottom of the others.
• Cut your petals out of fabric, notching the center of each petal as you cut it out.
• Finish the petal edges: I used the same 1/8” hem I use on chiffon. Other options include 1/4” hem, doubling each petal so the raw edges are inside, employing a fabric that won’t shred so you don’t have to finish the edges at all, or using a raw or pinked edge.
• Machine baste the tops. You’ll want to make the gathering continuous for each layer, putting the petals in one after another without cutting the thread. Gather the petal layers to the measurement of the bottom of the bodice.
• Pin the layers together, matching the edges of the second layer to the notches of the first and third layers it is sandwiched between. Pin to the bodice at the same time. Stitch through all layers.

If I had it to do over again I would have doubled the sleeve for a cleaner look. I didn’t, because I ran out of the scraps of Betsey Johnson paisley fabric I’d found on the sewing room floor one day in college. I would also change the wrap so it would not come to a point, thereby making it easier to clean-finish all the seams. All in all I like this edition better than the catalog version.

How To: Reverse Applique

I am working on a baby sling right now among other things. Don't even speak of Christmas...

Materials: In her new book Handmade Home, Amanda Blake Soule suggested that old tablecloths make good slings because of the firm weave. Genius. I have a bag full of gravy stained tablecloths from a friend, and they are waiting to be repurposed, but they are all white. Should I dye? Print? Embroider? It took me a while to decide.


Enter the beautiful Vogue CFDA picture this month for Alabama Chanin (Natalie has quite a nice recycling/art/fashion blog through the site too!). Alabama Chanin specializes in handstitched decorative patterns in sustainable fabrics, especially jerseys. They use applique, reverse applique, and embroidery techniques among others. This Karly Kloss picture is so great because these techniques are deeply associated with the folk arts of many cultures, and the photo really taps that.

So I decided to use a soft elephant-gray knit jersey in reverse applique with the tablecloth fabric, allowing the white to be the pattern on a gray field. I am using white DMC Perle 8 as the thread.
Did I copy Alabama Chanin's color scheme here? Interesting question. Gray is definitely a favorite of mine. The baby's room is almost the same gray, and I love to wear monochromatic gray outfits because in gray you can get by with more dramatic cuts as the color doesn't shout. If I hadn't had gray lying around I would have used some of the brown or navy jerseys I have, so in that sense, I'm not emulating the magazine spread. However, if this hadn't been a color combination I love, would I have taken note of the technique? Doubtful.

Technique: The idea of reverse applique is that you layer two fabrics and cut away the pattern from the top layer so that the image is revealed from underneath. In regular applique you cut a figure and apply it to a base fabric. The most well known projects in reverse applique are the colorful traditional molas of Panama. I also sometimes do reverse applique on the sewing machine leaving the edges raw. It is a very versatile technique. Jersey is absolutely forgiving for reverse applique techniques for the same reason it is monstrous for traditional applique: It stretches and shrinks as needed, doesn't show off mistaken tucks, and best of all, won't shred like a woven where you cut in close at the inside corners.

Process:
1. I cut the full pattern piece out of paper and penciled a floral pattern onto it Saturday afternoon. I was inspired by a scrap of fabric I had featuring plant silhouettes, which I interpreted loosely. To further soften the edges and finalize the pattern I traced over the pencil with a big fat sharpie.

2. I then cut out the pattern in both fabrics and basted & tailor tacked them together (in contrasting red thread as per photo). The tablecloth fabric was face up underneath with the jersey face up on top.
3. I traced the floral from the paper pattern onto the face of the jersey with a tracing wheel and wax tailor's tracing paper.


4. Here's the fun part: One flower at a time I cut into the jersey leaving a 1/4" or so seam allowance, turn it under on the traced line, and secure it with a running stitch in the Perle 8.
5. When I am done with reverse appliqueing all of the pieces, I'll sew them together according to my pattern, probably adding another layer of jersey as the lining.

You Try It: You might want to start with something less ambitious than a large piece of all-over pattern. A potholder or small T-shirt motif would be good. When you choose or draw your image, remember that sharp convex turns are pretty easy, but sharp concave turns take practice. All you need is a needle, thread, small scissors, and 2 layers of scrap fabric!

Happy Stitching!

Needlepoint Lace III: How-To

Needlepoint lace is constructed over the top of a fabric, but only anchored to threads which are couched to that fabric. When the couching is cut away the whole piece is allowed to come free.

The book I learned from is the fantastic Encyclopedia of Needlework by Therese de Dillmont passed down from my great, great grandmother.

While most books won't organize the information as being for needlepoint lace, you can find clear instructions about the two basic stitches– couching and buttonhole stitch– in any book on embroidery. If there are any terms you don't understand, by all means look it up!

Supplies:
image to turn into lace,
stiff fabric of a size to accommodate image,
fine-tipped permanent marker,
thread in all colors for design,
needle, and
scissors.

Instructions:
1. Select a small, graphic, simple image for your first lace piece. In this example I drew one of my pet goldfish within a circle. Trace your image onto your fabric with a fine-tipped permanent marker. Starch the fabric heavily for ease of handling!


2. Couch a doubled thread to the outlines on your fabric. Plan to follow one long line if possible. Doubling back over a line is fine. Overlap the ends of the couched thread for an inch or so at joins. Because it is very easy to sew into the couching thread that will be cut away, try couching with a monofilament.


Goldfish filled with widely spaced buttonhole stitch for the scales, and widely spaced ceylon stitch for fins.

3. There are many options for what thread you can use. Tatting thread or linen thread are recommended because of their body. However, I have had great luck with doubled sewing thread and buttonhole twist. I cannot recommend cross stitch floss because it twists and tangles so much. Whatever you choose, the next step is to fill in the spaces between couching in variations on the buttonhole stitch. Let me emphasize that after you finish couching your needle never goes through the fabric again. Everything is worked on top of the fabric and anchored to the couched thread. Hide all of your ends in the couched edges if possible and work over them with your next stitches. Above all, use your common sense!buttonhole stitch single and in rows

Rather than giving you a step-by step I am including diagrams of both basic and exotic combinations. I have found that this is more a matter of experimentation than planning.
By varying the size of your stitches and skipping stitches you can achieve very different looks.
open chain stitch

Instead of beginning with a buttonhole stitch along the couching you might consider working an open chain for a different look.
ceylon stitch

Ceylon stitch lends a knitted feel to the filling. In the fish above, I employed a loose stitch for a ribbed feel. 

a netting stitch




Try these insertion stitches on a narrow area.


Another example of filling

4. Once all of the desired areas are filled with stitching (in this case I left an empty spot between the tail and body), block the piece by holding a steam iron about an inch away on full steam until the threads relax. Don't touch it until it is cool and dry.


5. Cut away the couching threads from the back of the work. Peel the lace away from the fabric carefully!

How To: Make a Consistent Buttonhole Manually

It has always seemed unfair to me that great projects are so easily ruined at the end with tricky steps. Flights end with landings, fashion drawings end with faces, and cooking ends with seasoning. By far the worst, in my opinion, is that garments end with buttonholes. Knowing I need to make buttonholes has tanked whole weeks for me, in all seriousness!

There are a few solutions for buttonholes: Technology, avoidance, and mastery.

Many of the new sewing machines will make an automatic buttonhole for you. They are almost foolproof. If you are lucky, you live in a city with buttonhole services. You give the nice man your placket and in a few hours you have a parade of industry-grade beauties. Neither of these are an option for me, because I insist on having a reliable machine that does basic functions well every time. This means no tricky computerized gadget I can’t pull apart myself, no functions I will never use, no automatic buttonhole. Also, I don’t work or think far enough in advance to send my plackets away.

Avoidance, though. That I have mastered for years! You would believe what can be closed with zippers, snaps, velcro, ribbons, loops, or hooks and eyes to avoid the vortex of buttonhole despair only because you too, dear reader, have avoided this battle!

Mastery. I have tried the techniques. I have avidly sought wisdom in Threads and come up dry. Because of course those who do couture sewing have machines which are to the seamstress as Alfred is to Batman. Or not.

So here is my anxiety-reducing low tech technique for professional-looking buttonholes every time (once you get the hang of them). Really. It won’t win you any speed records, but think about how many times you’ve redone a buttonhole until the fabric is worn and fuzzy, and tell me your way is faster!

1. Measure and mark the length of the opening of your buttonhole carefully and precisely onto your placket.
   
2. Set your machine to a short straight stitch and sew exactly the same number of stitches on each marked buttonhole line. Yes, I do mean count, and walk it if you need to. Hint: It is easy to lose the end of the mark. Make sure you have good natural light, and it might help you to turn the sewing machine light off to reduce glare.
   
3. Use an Exacto knife or razor blade to slit along the right-hand edge of the stitching.
   
4. Set your stitch width to a narrow zigzag and the length to a satin stitch. I like my length comparatively long to avoid rogue bulges and bumps, but this is a matter of preference.
   
5. Position your buttonhole with the needle swung to the right at the center of the slash, just a hair above where it begins. Satin stitch down the left edge of the cut with the needle plunging into the slit on its right extreme. End with needle down in the fabric swinging to the right, a hair above the bottom of the slit.
   
6. Raise the presser foot and turn the fabric. Sew up the second edge of the slit ending with the needle having just completed its left-hand extreme.
   
7. Trim all threads and treat with fray check or a drop of clear nail polish as needed.
   
8. Carefully measure the width of the buttonhole and stitch width for exactly that amount. Bar tack on each end of the buttonhole a count of 4 stitches, or whatever looks right for your project. Leave threads long enough to thread a hand-sewing needle.
   
9. Tie the threads of your bar tack and hide them with a needle.

How To: Make Advent Cinnamon Ornaments

Life is exciting in the little rock house these days. We moved our bed from the tent out back to the living room two weeks ago, because I was sick. That six and a half month saga is closed! Since then we have been sandblasting walls, framing, and generally preparing for a barn-raising, or more accurately, a bedroom drywalling, our church’s diaconate is throwing for us.
I have been sewing, but not as much as I ought to. The wind was somewhat taken out of my sails when I couldn’t get up and running by the end of November as I was hoping. However, I did get financial things accomplished, and I have an Etsy store, there’s just nothing in it yet. So don’t look for me, just wait. 

I’m loving the start of this Christmas season. We are listening to Blackmore's Night's Christmas album, and drinking hot apple cider.

In preparation for Advent, I made these (inedible) fragrant cinnamon cookies as a nightly devotional. This week is the Hope/Prophecy week of advent, so each little ornament has a verse on that subject attached, and its shape has something to do with the verse for the day.

Cinnamon Ornaments

¼ cup flour
3 T cinnamon
2 T applesauce

Blend well, roll ¼ “ flat. Cut shapes with cookie cutters or a knife. Use a drinking straw to make the hole at the top. Bake on a cinnamon dusted cookie sheet at 325 for 30 min turning once. You can use more cinnamon for darker cookies. Sometimes I also use nutmeg.

Interfacing for Sewing Curves

Part of my design technique for sewing curves calls for all of the pieces to be interfaced with fusible. This helps me keep good track of my registration marks. In honing this process I am trying to come up with less time-intensive ways to do this.* For now, this is four beautiful yards of intricate interlocking arabesques that look to me like Arabic script or stained glass. I am surprised by how beautiful it appears. I tried and tried to catch the essence of it in a photograph, but I can't.

*Edit: What I do now is I sew the pattern for the final garment in fusible interfacing, trace the curves on in pencil, finalize, number, and add registration marks in fine tip sharpie, and then cut it apart. I take lots of photos before I cut it apart to make reconstruction clear.