The reason why...

"Why should we all use our creative power...? Because there is nothing that makes people so generous, joyful, lively, bold and compassionate, so indifferent to fighting and the accumulation of objects and money."
- Brenda Ueland

yoga mat bag

I made this bag for myself. I got tired of lugging my mat to class as it unfurled behind me. It was reminding me too much of my unruly two year old. I've been tinkering with a pattern to come up with the right dimensions. I finally got it dialed in and made one for our school's art auction. I'll donate it, as well as three other brown robin bags. I've made one more out of Amy Butler fabric that is for sale. Now I just need to get around to taking pictures of it to post to etsy.

Enough already!

I hesitated about even posting today. I don't want to subject anyone to my grumbly mind space. I have had some good mommy moments today, and plenty of not-s0-good ones. Yesterday, snow was exciting; today, it is not. I'm putting out silent pleas to the universe... no more snow... PLEASE!
I have decided that one of the best ways to get through cabin fever is food. Yes, there are the craft projects, the knitting, the puzzles, even some yoga, but food is the way to go! Last night, we were treated with sushi that my husband made. Today, it was banana bread with Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips. I think food is what has salvaged my sanity in the end. Sushi and snow... hopefully, we won't have to put that coping mechanism to use again until next winter. I mean.... bring on the sushi, not the snow.

Makin' bread

The book below has transformed our household. Honestly, I'm shocked by how much bread my husband and kids eat. Now I can better afford their appetites and feel pretty good about the quality of their bread. I know a book that promises homemade bread in five minutes a day is a bit like a diet commercial, cellulite lotion, or scum cleanser. Really, though, it is exactly that simple. I checked this book out from our local library twice before I purchased it.It took me a few times and a little asking around before I got a loaf that is consistently close to perfect. That said, I've never made anything from this book that wasn't gobbled down. It's hard to make it totally flop. Trust me, prior to this book, I had NEVER had any success at bread making. I'd pretty much resigned myself to the fact that making bread was obviously intended for a more elite individual than me. I can't say it enough, "MAKING BREAD IS A BREEZE WITH THIS BOOK!" Really.

Here are a few things I have discovered after some tinkering. Definitely go buy a pizza stone; I got one at Target for around $10. The amount of moisture, rise time, and temperature in the room can affect the bread. If you're not getting decent rise, than consider adding a smidgen more or less flour, letting it "rest" for longer, and turning on the oven while it's sitting on top to help with rise. I highly recommend King Arthur flours; they do come in organic. The quality of the flour has seemed to affect the quality of the loaf. The picture below is the average loft I get in a loaf.

The recipe that I make the most, and now have memorized after several months of using this book, is the "Light Whole Wheat." I have adapted it; I use 2-2.5 cups of flour, and the rest white (or bread flour.) I use 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt instead of 1.5. As they say in the book, this recipe really is a "workhorse." I use it for baguettes, loaves, calzones, and pizza crust. Below, is the pizza made according to their guidelines. So good.

Whenever I forget to renew the supply of dough in the fridge, I curse myself. Having it there, and ready to go makes meal prep so fast, and easy. Now, this little red hen is off to play in the snow. We got about 3 inches here. Schools are closed and there's plenty of snow for these southern kids to go sledding. To them, this is the blizzard of the year.

I'm stalking this poor woman

Malka Dubrawsky creates such beautiful work and was recently featured as an etsy seller. That's how I found her... check out her amazing textiles at a stitch in dye. Her technique used on the pillow is something I want to learn. She calls it dyeing and discharging. I've called all over town trying to find the Dec/Jan issue of Quilting Arts. She's featured on the front page and has an article describing her technique. A back issue would cost me $20 online. I just can't justify that, no matter how desperately I want it. Should anyone have this issue or have a way to copy it for me, I would really, really appreciate it! Otherwise, I will be watching for her book to be published. She is a rising star, in my opinion, and I wish her so much success.

P.S. I am insane, I know. I managed to track down her article in Quilting Arts on the internet later this afternoon. Here it is, but without pictures which may impede learning just a tad. Gotta love cyberspace.

http://74.6.239.67/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=itajime&fr=slv1-mdp&u=www.quiltingarts.com/qamag/online_extra/Dubrawsky_web_extra.pdf&w=itajime&d=ONOBC52uSTxA&icp=1&.intl=us

Fairy haven

It's nearly 65 degrees today. I've been working in the garden, and enjoying the glimpses of spring. The bees in our hive are very busy on an afternoon as warm as this. Every where I look I see tendrils of new life soaking up the sun. I hope you're enjoying some moments of your day as well. It would be so easy to give in to fear and despair right now, instead I refocus every day on beauty and hope.

Pillow covers from the stash

The old covers were pretty darn gross. It's been time for a while, and I've had the fabric set aside. I just hadn't gotten around to making them. My friend Liz inspired me. Well, actually, I flat out wanted the pillows she made. I have three more pillows to make up and have some other fabric picked out for those. We'll see if it takes me another year to get it done.