8/28/2012

How-Tuesday #35

This week we've got a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, BBQ chicken burgers, and a page with 10 free hat tutorials! Get that last summer party in quick before the weather changes!

I'm all about trying to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have a favorite but it's a lot of work, and this one seems really highly rated by users so I need to try it!

 These look amazing! And with sweet potato fries? Om nom nom! Get the recipe here.

I've made a few hair accessories in my day but nothing you could really call an actual hat (besides knitted and crocheted ones that is). This is definitely on my to-do list.

8/21/2012

How-Tuesday #34

This is a fun one! Today I have for you, a list of great jelly shot ideas, 32 free bag patterns, and how to win at 5 old-school games. So get ready to sew, get goofy, and kick butt at rock-paper-scissors!

 The bag up above is absolutely fantastic, and there's 31 more linked in this nifty post. Check them out here.

This website has so many delicious-sounding ideas for fancy jelly shots. The one pictured above is made with St. Germaine, Champagne, and grapefruit juice. Check out all their ideas here.

And lastly, here's a goofy article on how to win (or get the upper hand in, at least), a few classic games like Monopoly and rock-paper-scissors. Have fun!

8/14/2012

The binding.

I think I've mentioned on here before that I don't really like hand sewing. I find it tedious and I'd much rather just use my machine, and I hope to someday have one of those fancy machines that does embroidery and such just so I don't have to. The great exception to this aversion, however, is sewing on a quilt binding.


I have never enjoyed any piece of sewing more, on or off the machine. There's something about the wave-like motion of the blind stitch and the pure satisfaction you get as your perfect seam comes together.





This little number has been in my pile of unfinished projects for a little while, though not too long. The top fabrics are Japanese canvas samples my friend Ivy had, and she saved them just for me so I wanted to do her proud and make something beautiful with them. Each one measured 24 x 12 inches, and when all were pieced together it made a nice long rectangle. I've always meant to make floor mats for the apartment but with the cats I know they'd just get destroyed. But when I saw the shape, I knew this would look amazing in a bright, airy kitchen or hallway. So I added a layer of needle weight batting and backed it in an antique grey wool that my dear friend Jill gave me. I struggled for some time thinking about binding, as I knew I wanted to bind it by hand like a quilt even though it's just a rug. I tried some cottons but they were very insubstantial when paired with the canvas and wool. So I decided to use a bit more of the precious wool and I absolutely adore the way it came out. I want to make heavy bindings for things now, not to mention an entire quilt made out of wool suiting. As I said it's too precious to let the cats destroy it, and the colors in my kitchen are more bright and pastel anyhow, so it's up for sale in my etsy shop here.