Imma [Quilting] Bee

Bzzzzzzzzz.....

Ya hear that? That's the sound of me busy-bee-buzzin' away with one of my new favorite things to do: quilting! I started my first quilt two weeks ago, and today I just started another exciting project (a 3 x 3 square with lil' mini 3 x 3's!). 

I can't get over it. I'm friggin' quilting. Who woulda thunk???

It's pretty crazy, seeing as how I've only been sewing for five weeks. How grateful am I to have my fabulous teacher Elaine at Crafters Quarters enter my life? Answer: *SO* grateful!

(Re)Learning to sew---and actually make functional items---was my #1 New Year's Goal this year. After two and a half weeks of a fruitless search for private at-home lessons, I finally came across Crafters Quarters and was paired with a seasoned sewer who is an extraordinary teacher. Honestly, I couldn't have hoped for someone better, 'cuz she's got mad-skills, patience, and a *great* sense of humor! My first lesson with Elaine was on February 3rd, and every Thursday we meet for two hours. In Week 3 I took on the quilting challenge, and it's been full speed ahead since then. A total of just ten hours of lessons and I'm zippin' through projects, feeling inspired 24/7, and have a love and respect for my sewing mentor like another mother.  I am so jazzed! :o)

Elaine surprised me today with this exciting 3 x 3 block project. She actually provided the sock money fabric (which she knew I would love 'cuz she's very in-tune to my tastes already) and walked me through the steps of cutting the fabric just so, following the pattern in the book she has loaned me, and sewing the seams in the proper direction. This particular quilt that I'm now creating is called "Ellen's Favorite Lap Quilt," though I feel like it'll hafta' be changing it to "Ashley's Favorite Lap Quilt" once it's finished. I am super-psyched about having successfully made a 3 x 3 block today. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I imagined it would be, and while the cutting is a little more time consuming than the retro patchwork quilt I'm halfway done with, I love that it's a little more dynamic without being tricky to sew. Truly, the time consuming bit is cutting the fabric and ironing down the pesky seams---the sewing is a cinch!

::: happy feet! :::



p.s. THANK YOU, ELAINE!!!

Knitting is Kneat!

My newest challenge: "Knitting in the Round." 4 needles at once?! Yipes!

Ladies and (the unlikely but nevertheless appreciated) gentlemen, I have once again entered the realm of knitting; a world in which I have been a low-key participant for the past 19 years, never surpassing my level of "totally novice" because of my desire to dabble in everything under the sun (and my self-diagnosed attention deficit that makes sitting and doing the same thing over and over more stressful than relaxing). Nevertheless, because of my love for creativity, and fibers of appealing hues and textures, I've managed to keep knitting alive in my life. 

Shout-out of Gratitude time!

1. My mom: She taught me to knit when I was 8 years old, giving me balls of pastel purple, pink, and yellow yarn with which to make a baby blanket for my Cabbage Patch dolls. I never did finish it....BUT! I kept it around for years and years and years, and also witnessed my mom knit and crochet for years and years and years, both of which served as constant inspiration and hope that one day I would muster up the courage to tackle knitting with a full and motivated heart. Thanks, Mom, for always being able to talk me through the process of casting on over the phone, buying me my first knitting needles that I still have, and showing me what joy tying yarn in knots can really bring. :o)

2. Hippie-chicks of University of California at Santa Cruz: Much thanks to all the fiber-artists / "young grannies" I encountered during my 4 years of college. You helped me see that knitting was, in fact, a cool craft to be reclaimed by us young women and be damn proud of it. Sure, it was kinda rude when you'd knit right under the professor's nose in the lecture hall, but your passion for functional art could not be deterred, and that's pretty admirable! You also helped me see that even peace-lovin'-hippie-chicks enjoy and deserve bragging rights every once in a while; being able to say, "Yeah, I made this scarf, it was actually really easy" is pretty empowering. You, my tree-huggin' ladies, inspired me to learn how to make granny squares and make scarves as simple gifts for others. Thanks and namaste! ;o)

3. My lovely friend Skye: We met serendipitously at The Weepies concert in Boston just a few months ago, and it was one of those rare situations where ya somehow know, even after just some brief and friendly banter during the opening act, that ya have a lot in common. As cheesy as it may sound, it was as though the stars were aligned just so that evening, or we were destined to be friends. We have good taste in music, clearly, plus great interest in Unitarian Universalism, teaching, and reading. We're both very upbeat and positive young ladies with a knack for gab and laughter. Then we learned that we both were Crafty McCraftersons and the idea of having a Soul Sister suddenly became totally acceptable. Anywho, Skye is a crazy-great knitter and she recently taught me how to "knit in the round" using those double-pointed needles that I never considered picking up in all of my years because they are ridiculously intimidating. Come to find out that it's really not all that difficult....but only because I have a crafty friend / knitting instructor nearby! :o)

http://mochimochiland.com/2008/10/boo/

So, in addition to all the various crafts I do, and my recent head-over-heels-involvement with sewing / quilting that only sprung up in January, I have decided to focus more energy on knitting. Why wouldn't I when there are ridiculously adorable projects out there like this ------------> 

Ummmm, knitted BATS?!?! Who knew bats could be so damn cute!?

Additionally, I want to expand my baby-clothes repertoire, and knitted goods are so totally chic right now. I want my own future little'uns to wear soft yarn'y creations, and I'm in love with the idea of stitchin' up a cute hat to go with a cotton sundress. Perhaps I'll get good enough to sell a few on an etsy shoppe??? Only time will tell.....!

In the meantime, I'll be working hard to achieve balance in my crafting life, juggling too many projects at once but enjoying the heck out of it, and sharing what progress I make....

Next-to-nuthin'!

It's quick, easy, and costs next to nuthin'!

Fantastic earring holder that costs next to nuthin'---you know you want one!

* Find yerself an old window frame. I found this one thrown out on the sidewalk in front of a hip (and over-priced) boutique in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. You can find freebie window frames everywhere though, especially during the summer at flea markets or on Craigslist. Mine was already "weathered," but it's a look you can easily accomplish with a light brushing of paint and sandpapering over it. Gives it that beach-cottage look.

* Buy a roll o' wire screen from Home Depot and staple-gun it to the back of the frame. 

* Optional: nail some nails on the bottom for necklaces.

That's all it takes, lady-friends! Simple as pie and *so* freakin' fabulous. If you're anything like me and have a LARGE collection of earrings and necklaces, then you owe it to yourself to make one of these! 

(As you can see, I have *very* little space left for any new earrings I acquire. I'm sure I'll need to make another one of these before the end of the year, haha!)

Sunny day in the city

"...Here comes the sun and I say, 'It's alright!'"

Today was a beautiful Saturday---55 degrees with blue skies and sun. Ya can't beat that when it's still technically winter and there's plenty of snow on the ground, doing its very best to melt. The husband and I arranged to meet friends for lunch in the historical city of Lowell. It's part section-8 ghetto, part beautiful mecca of academia and American history. Overall, there is a lot to love about Lowell, if not just for how I came to know about the place itself.

My affiliation with Lowell is as such: 

1. I first met my now husband in 2003, learning that he was a student at UMass Lowell.

2. Months later, as a sophomore at UCSC with a declared major of American Studies, I took a class about the Industrial Revolution, thereby learning about the Lowell mills. 

3. Having a crush on both the boy 3,000 miles away (my now husband!) AND the awesome history of Lowell made me add "Go to Lowell, MA" to my Bucket List.

4. I finally went for my first visit in the summer of 2005, when I had a day off from working as a camp counselor up in Maine, and then came out again to stay with collegiate friends in their campus suite in the winter of 2005. Having seen the city in sun and snow, I was in love with the brick buildings, the mighty Merrimack River, and the old multi-family homes. 

5. In 2006, when Adam and I were officially a couple, he was in the midst of his Masters program at UMass Lowell and lived in North Chelmsford (just a few miles outside of Lowell). On each of my visits to Massachusetts (during our 9-months of long-distance-relationship'ing), we would head to Lowell to walk around and take in the sights....and, of course, dine and socialize at our favorite eatery, Eggroll Cafe.

6. Though we live a good 35 minutes away from Lowell, Adam and I head back there about once a month to visit with our friends (the owners) and eat delicious fusion food---Island Chicken Bento with a honeydew boba tea is my FAVORITE! Lowell is also one of the most photogenic places of all time, so my photographer husband and I (the snap-happy point-and-shooter) capture plenty of images when we visit for the day. :o)

Deliciousness = pictured above...plus a honeydew slush boba tea. Mmmm-mmm-good! Hangin' out at Eggroll Cafe is the epitome of perfect. The owners have become near and dear friends of ours---they truly know what is means to run a business and shower patrons with fresh food, an upbeat atmosphere, and genuine hospitality. 

Our friends Kevin and Alyssa joined us on a walk through Downtown, where I was definitely snapping a sh!#-ton of pictures. Brick buildings are one of my most favorite things on this earth---they make for one of the most awesome backgrounds in photos, and I appreciate their hue, sturdiness, and pattern.

We meandered into an antique shop called "FOUND" which is, as you can see, overflowing with goodies from the past! Old toys and dish-ware, costume jewelry and knick-knacks of all sizes. The owner is an oversized man with a gray beard and booming voice, but very friendly and clearly a fan of collecting.

What used to be a fire station, and then an Italian restaurant, is now completely empty. :o(  My dad and I both agree, however, that it would make for an AWESOME renovation project---can you say Ghostbusters headquarters anyone????

"Kickin' down the cobblestones, lookin' for fun and feelin' grooooooovy!"  -Simon & Garfunkel

We popped into the Market Street Market (clever name, eh?) and I was inspired by all the yummy fruits and vegetables they had for sale. The lemons and limes made me especially happy---spring / summer really isn't all that far away, woo-hoo! 

One of my purchases from the antique shop, which I think will look quite dandy down in my basement craft lounge, don't you agree? :o)

My other vintage purchase: plastic bangle!

This "craft" book had me in tearful hysterics the first time I flipped through it at Barnes & Noble a couple of months ago. Amy Sedaris cracks me right up with any of her antics, and this book of "simple crafts" was a must buy when I saw it on the 50% off table today. If you are an arts n' crafts'er like myself, you will undoubtedly get a kick out of this book! I'm pretty psyched to add it to my collection of coffee table reading material, though I feel like I honestly might refer to it for some whacky ideas once in a while... ;o)

Staycation Bliss

I got my hair did: Cut, color, and back to bangs

Hey'a friends, and Happy New Month!

Cripes, February certainly flew by, didn't it!? Sure, it's the shortest month of the year, but more than ever before it felt like a whirlwind of paper hearts, social engagements, and snow days. I must apologize for being M.I.A. the second half of this month---I was busy being gloriously-busy on my fabulous "Staycation" (a stay-at-home vacation).

Working in the public school system in the state of Massachusetts has many perks, the top being a week-off in the month in February (and another week off in April!). It's such a delicious way to break up the winter months and give us educators time to rejuvenate. Over the past three years I've used February Break to go on a trip, usually flying to my native homeland of San Diego to visit family and friends. But money's tight right now and airfare is not cheap...and though most people won't believe me, I'm honest when I say I didn't want to go anywhere. Truly! I was craving the bliss that comes with staying home and doing whatever tickles my fancy:
* stay in my comfy-cozy sweats for as long as I want each morning: CHECK.
* hours and hours of crafts down in our finished basement (which, let's be honest, it's really my finished basement turned home office and artsy-fartsy craft lounge): CHECK.
* visit friends, or bask in the glory of alone-time: CHECK and CHECK.
* clean the house, run errands...aka: be a house-wife, but not in a negative sense: CHECK.
* you get the picture.....(check.)

So in addition to taking a break from work, I chose to take a break from blogging, my justification being:
a) I don't have thousands of blog followers or sponsors; blogging for me is merely for fun and sharing
b) With all my time off, I was bound to be productive, and just think of all I could share once my staycation was over!
c) Blogging is seriously a job in and of itself. It's time consuming, man! And it calls for a lot of time spent sitting in front of a computer screen, which wasn't exactly my idea of a stellar staycation.

So, without further ado, here are the highlights of my 10-day February Staycation, photo-montage style:

I got to baby-sit my f'niece (short for "fake niece"). Every little bit of her is adorable: the chubby cheeks, the tiny hands,
the head o' hair, the coo'ing, and left-eyed pirate wink she does with her wide-mouthed smile. :o)

My dear friend Skye and I went to a new stitch lounge in Cambridge called Gather Here.
We fell in love with the place and the owners instantly. We stayed for 3 and a 1/2 hours, knitting and chatting,
laughing and dreaming up future projects.

This is my scrap-journal. I've been doing this since 2009, and still goin' strong! I'm so inspired by images and words in magazines
that I cut 'em out, paste 'em in this large sketch book, and write to those images. It's fun and creative and something I
suggest doing if you, too, are a fan of magazines, scrapbooking, making collages, and journaling.

I was a sewing machiiiiiiiine these past few days (pun intended)! In fact, I sewed SEW much, I busted my machine and need
to get it repaired. :o(

My first completed baby outfit! Hooraaaaaay! 

My sewing instructor didn't have to twist my arm too hard to talk me into trying quilting---I've always wanted to make my own
retro-print patchwork quilt, and now here I am, makin' my dream come true!

I went ahead and made some bunting banners to hang down in my basement office / craft lounge. They're the hip not-so-new thing, and they're freakin' cute and easy to make to boot!

I was reminded on more than one occasion how lucky I am to know such fantastic individuals and be able to call them friends.
Gratitude is truly the best attitude, and I was feelin' grateful to the max these past 2 weeks!

I learned how to make these rolled-fabric roses! Found an easy tutorial online and got the hang of it in about 2 minutes. It's quick, easy, rewarding, and the perfect thing to do with those scraps of material you thought had no purpose and threw away.

Choosing colors to paint an interior wall is HARD! I'm leaning towards the deep aqua and / or amethyst.
What do you think?