Tag Archives: crafts

Seven Quick Takes – Heat Wave Edition

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Seven Quick Takes Friday

  1. I have misplaced my Kobo ereader and it’s driving me crazy. I have looked everywhere and the little devil is eluding me. I’m halfway through Tender is the Night and I want to finish it up this weekend. Because it’s a download from the library, I can’t read it on the Kobo app on my iPad. The last time I recall reading on it , I was flaked out on the sofa in the kitchen, but I’ve searched all my reading nooks to no avail.
  2. I’ve made some progress on my travel journal. It was great to get the sewing machine out again, and I’ve completed the cover and a bunch of pages. I need to collect some more paper scraps, ephemera, etc to finish it up, but I’m quite happy with the work so far.

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  3. The heat. I’m really a shade plant, and I’m finding spending any amount of time outside a strain these days. My step count has gone way down and I’m starting to use antiperspirant on places that I don’t usually need it. (Curvaceous women know what I’m talking about.) We keep getting calls for storms but it’s been a dry week so far. I transplanted some herbs this morning, but the 15 minutes outside completely did me in.
  4. My wall o’ bookcases is built and filled, but they were filled randomly. So a weekend project will be to re-organize my books. I like to have fiction in alphabetical order by author and non-fiction by topic. I’m also using them for genealogy supplies and photo boxes, so there will be a couple of shelves for that as well.

    Bookcases in need of order.
    Bookcases in need of order.
  5. I had a couple of nice meals out with friends this week. On Wednesday evening, four altos from choir got together at Steak Frites on Yonge Street to catch up. We only sing from September to June so it was great to see these women again and get all the news. Yesterday, I met an old friend, Karen, from my early days in Ottawa who lives in Pickering. She’s a kindergarten teacher and has a pretty busy schedule during the academic year, so it’s great to get together in person a couple of times over the summer. We had a lovely meal at The Copper Chimney on Avenue Road as she was on her way to Waterloo to see her daughter.
  6. Michael played his first of four gigs with the Weston Silver Band this summer, where he’s been subbing on Eb Bass (tuba). They’re playing three music festivals and a fundraiser (for themselves). Last Sunday they were at Music at Fieldcote in Ancaster. Zouheir and I drove Michael and his euphonium-playing colleague Kohei Izuma out there for 5 pm, we slipped away for dinner at the Ancaster Mill, and then joined them at the concert that started at 7 pm.
    Music at Fieldcote. Michael is second from the left.

    Ancaster Mill.
    Ancaster Mill.
  7. I finally downloaded (and deleted) all 1500 photos on my iphone. I’ve been flipping through them and came across this one, taken on Yonge Street between St. Clair and Dupont.
    Ain't that the truth....
    Ain’t that the truth….

    Think on that for a while. Brought to you by The Brand Factory.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary.

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Making a travel diary

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As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve purchased an online class to learn how to make funky diaries/journals/commonplace books. In particular, I’m excited about our upcoming trip to Istanbul in mid-August and want to have this done by then.

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Pattern (eventually inserted between front and back covers) will produce journal approx 6″x9″ with a front flap.

Mary Ann Moss blogs and teaches at Dispatches from LA, her online schoolhouse/kitchen table/photo studio and her images are simply inspiring. I made myself finish up a framing project that I’d started some time ago so that I could proceed with this with a clear conscience. Unfortunately, in a major purge, I got rid of much of my fabric stash, so took a trip to Value Village and picked up a red and gold sari, some red an gold moiré fabric, and a piece of upholstery fabric with a paisley pattern. I have a bag full of leather scraps from another project.

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It’s very much a scrappy, plan-as-you-go project. Here I’m laying out some scraps on my inside and outside covers to see how it’ll look.

The next few steps will involve rough appliqué, sewing the inside and outside covers together, and ironing. Then more appliqué!
I’ll post again when I have my cover done.

Inkbloom – cool from your printer!

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Just discovered inkbloom (via Skip to my Lou).  It’s a system that provides a way to print on fabric and vinyl with your inkjet printer.  They sell LoomTack, the base that adheres to the back of your fabric, and you can also purchase downloadable designs (inkbits and inkblocks) from them.

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There’s a nifty demo video on their site, and if you join their mailing list, they’ll send you some free downloadable designs with a “love” theme!

The products to the left were all covered in custom printed fabric.  The inkblocks automatically repeat so you can create any size image (up to the limits of your printer).

Very interesting product with lots of potential for crafters, scrapbookers, and quilters.

[Edited to add:  At this time, inkbloom only sells within the US.  Apologies to my Canadian readers (although you can get on their mailing list and they may start selling internationally in the future.]

Nifty way to use up plastic bags.

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Just saw these adorable little baskets over at Coyote Craft.  They’re crocheted from plastic bags that are made into yarn.  Too bad we rarely get plastic bags anymore…this craft almost makes me want to “forget” my reusable bags a couple of times at the grocery store!  If you’re not the crafting type, you can purchase them at her Etsy shop.

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Reading:  Just finished Blackouts

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 by Craig Boyko and The School Of Essential Ingredients

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 by Erica Bauermeister.  The first is terrific collection of short-stories, very astute, some rather dark.  The second was a light set of interrelated stories, or maybe a novel, set around a cooking school.  Each chapter gives the back story for one of the students (or couples).  It was moderately moving at times, but not hugely engaging.  Am now reading Country Girls Trilogy

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 by Edna O’Brien.  I picked this up after listening to an interview with O’Brien on the BBC World Book Club podcast. 

Listening:  I’ve been catching up on a few Vinyl Cafe podcasts, the Two Edge Talk series on education, BBC Thinking Allowed, and the last few episodes of King Leary on CBC’s Between the Covers.  

Watching:  The two hour episode of Brothers and Sisters last night.  Sheesh!  What a roller coaster.  Wild Roses is also moving along.  Saw the season finale of (spoiler link) Top Chef  and, well, felt so sad for the person who was essentially out before the food was even plated.  

Cooking:  Nothing much new in the kitchen these days.  Tried this Southwestern Flank Steak in the crock pot to raves.  Very piquante, and great leftovers.

Knitting: I needed to darn a navy wool sweater belonging to Z…it had a hole right on the chest so I needed a good colour match.  I ended up buying a ball of sock yarn, so once I used the 10″ of wool required to darn the hole, I decided to start a pair of matching socks using this pattern.  Unfortunately, it’s using more wool than I thought, so I will need to buy another ball, which will require a drive all the way out to Michael’s in Mississauga (if I want to try to get the same dye lot on this inexpensive brand of wool.)