captured fancies

Clearly, I'm kind of a jerk blogger. I've abandoned this poor space for too long.
In my defense, I became a full-time student again (a print journalism major). And education, for all its importance, is also one hell of a time-suck.
The time I would have spent on more interesting projects now goes to frantic homework-doing.
During all this time, however, I've been bookmarking bits of this and that from across the internet - tutorials, brilliant ideas, inspirations, patterns - and I'd thought I'd share them all as a "welcome back, here's the stuff I would have liked to have been doing while I was writing papers instead."
So, with thanks to all the original authors, because I love it when people are generous with their good ideas:

Tutorials:

sew:
herr hase, sock rabbit
pillows from plaid shirts
a rice pillow
a ruffled felt pillow
a bird mobile
hobo lunch bag
oilcloth lunch bag

make:
tiny tissue flowers
fabric poms
miniature fabric flower garland
recycled gift bows
square floor puzzle
walnut charms
a moose trophy
ribbon wreath
rubberize a tea set

my sock rabbit, so far without the added mustache, but I'm seriously thinking it over.

loose ends and places to put things

I've been on a bit of a purse/bag construction kick. The above it the Buttercup Bag from Made By Rae in Enchino- I can see why it's become such a popular pattern - it's really a pleasant sew. If I was a better person I would have remembered to match my patterns, but I'm not, and I didn't.


This is the same Buttercup pattern enlarged by 30% and modified with two straps rather than the one, and this is the bag that's won my love. This bag is perfect. Perfect.


And finally, this wardrobe is finished and back in the house. It came to us after being stored in Joshua's mother's barn and at that time the finish was a whole bunch o' water damage and flaking, but after much stripping, it's back to its former boxy glory.



This sideboard is also finished. It now has a television perched happily atop its new white paint job. Whew. Progress.

before

after

we're going to need more jars

Pickles!

They came off our overly-exuberant cucumber plants a few days ago and now they're safely packed into jars of vinegary, vinegary goodness. I tried two different recipes this time around, kosher dills (pictured above) and a sweeter, slightly spicier version of dill pickles from the Ball Blue Book, ed. 28 (1969) (below.) I have big plans for bread and butter pickles in our future, too.



I use the 1969 version because it's the one my grandmother gave me and it hasn't failed me yet. That, and it's contemporary to my canner, which my grandmother also gave me (Thank you, Mamaw.)

Apparently, there is a heated debate going on over the water bath vs. cold pack question as it regards to the kosher dills. The original, decades-old recipe does not call for processing in a boiling water bath after pouring the boiling vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and sealing the jars, but a new addendum (as per the USDA?) does. Everyone that tries the water bath seems to report mushy pickles, so I'm sticking with the original on this one.

where I've been

This is where I've been and why I haven't been updating regularly, besides my clearly being at least slightly forgetful.
We drove to Texas again, this time the goal was two shows at Emo's in Austin: Screeching Weasel and the Riverdales. It was very important for Joshua to go, and we got to see our dear friend Jo, who flew down from Minnesota with his ladyfriend for the occasion.
We got some pretty rad photobooth pictures out of it, after we mounted a frenzied search for a working booth (the Amy's Ice Cream locations are supposed to nearly all have one, but they are also nearly all broken) if rad is how you desbribe photobooth pictures:

clutch

I made myself a new clutch last week. I was kind of making it up as I went, and my pattern could use some tweaking, but all the better for next time. I love a good clutch, I think because it gives me something distinct to do with my hands. That's probably the same reason some women love cigarette holders.

Here it is in action at Josh's rock show on Saturday:

great strides in organization and a little backpedaling

I'm at least trying to be organized. It's a never-ending battle, of course, but I'm fighting the good fight with my new purchase of questionably-made white storage furniture. The sooner I restore order to my work space, the sooner I get a shop update underway.




But I already succumbed to temptation and ordered two new dress patterns (more distractions):



adorable!

couch!

This is our illustrious new thrift store couch. I'm pretty excited about it, frankly. It's extremely cushy. There may be a slipcover and some cushion recovering in its future, though, despite my being kind of in love with its big ol' ugly floral self. I'm thinking maybe a sturdy solid color to set off all that alluring squareness.