Champion Ribbons Workshop

This is my latest craft addiction. How cute is this! I took a Champion Ribbons Class at The Workroom taught by none other than Lizzy House! Two hours went by so fast and my brain was filling up with all the endless possibilities and variations.  The best part about taking a workshop is that you get to see other people's amazing creations and you feel the creative energy all around! 

Natural Dyeing Workshop

I've been wanting to take this Natural Dyeing Workshop for years and finally signed up this summer. 

It was a lot of fun and the results were amazing! The colours turned out beautifully. It's hard to believe that these dye colours are derived from the nature. The instruction was very thorough and we all went home with loads of samples showing colour variations using different materials and mordants.  The Workroom's new studio was spacious and well set up for the workshop.  

A big enamel pot is now added to my long list of must-get craft supplies...

Pop Up Boxy Zip Pouch

This is a new pattern I just listed in my Etsy shop. It stores flat and pops up into a 3D boxy pouch when in use. It's an easy and fast project for a beginner level sewer who knows how to install a zipper. 

2013 Holiday Cookies

I did a lot of baking this month and tried out some new recipes. Clockwise from the left, Chewy Oatmeal Bars, Gingerbread Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Italian Sesame Cookies. 

I also made this lovely Tiny Pecan Sandies using the Smitten Kitchen recipe and they taste absolutely wonderful and are easy to make. 

Twinkle Hat

This is a great pattern from the Toronto Knitcafe, called Twinkle Hat.  It knits quickly and looks awesome. Instead of using the Flicker Yarn as suggested, I double up the Illimani Yarn Royal 1, and it gave a nice soft drape.

Mug Rug

I made this mug rug last year.  It's an oversized coaster with enough room for a treat.  
I played around with fabric scraps to get the proportion right and then I hand stitched sashiko style for added texture.  

Silkscreen Workshop

I had a great time learning about silkscreening on fabric the other day.  I toiled over what kind of image would be good for silkscreening and my final choice was a bird. I knew that once printed, I wanted to make a zippered pouch so I brought the fabric already cut to size.  It turned out great!The tree image is my friend's. She has a lovely backyard and I am so glad that she used a photo of her backyard to silkscreen.  I think she will be pleased to see what I have done with her image.  There is something special about making your own printed fabric; it's personal and I love the fact that some images did not turn out perfect.  That's what makes it so special - it's one of a kind and possibilities are endless. I can't wait to experiment with more images and colors!

Knitted gifts

I always check Purlbee for great patterns, and buy my yarns from Knitcafe in Toronto. The toddler hat and scarf is knitted from only one skein of yarn, Casbah. It's a blend of merino wool and cashmere so it's super soft and warm.

Indigo Dyeing

I wanted to try indigo dyeing for a long time and finally, I made a trip to G & S dye store and bought a kit.  The instruction that came with it wasn't all that detailed so I wasn't sure if I had to pre wet the fabric, how long I had to leave it in for, etc.  I guess I should have done a bit more research but I think overall they turned out ok.  I like the fact that they weren't consistent.  The result for each fabric was quite different. 

After thinking of what to make with the beautiful fabric, I chose a cute pattern from a Japanese Applique book that I borrowed from a friend.  I didn't use any applique but I loved the shape of the bag.  Inside is lined with cotton canvas. The fabric I used is the one shown on the very left of the top photo. It is natural linen so it had a yellowish tinge to it. It made the bag look like I used an antique fabric. I am thinking now what else I can make with the rest of the fabric.  

Vacation

We went to Williamsburg, Virginia for a week.  I knew that we would be very busy sightseeing and going to the beach but I still wanted to do some crafts while I was there.  

I read about the Purlbee's Friendship Bracelets and was fascinated by it. Since it does not take up a lot of space, I thought this was a perfect little craft to bring along.  The one on the right is my daughter's. She chose a variegated embroidery thread and they turned out beautifully.  I chose shades of blue with an  yellow accent.  It was really fun.  I will definitely make more of these.

We left Virginia as the Hurricane Irene was starting to move in. It was very windy and pouring rain. We lucked out that the hurricane came on the last day of vacation.

On the way to Williamsburg, we stopped at a lovely little town called Culpeper and had a wonderful Watermelon Feta Salad.  We decided to recreate the salad for our dinner tonight and added a few more of our favourite things: an assortment of cheeses, bread, crackers, fruits, toasted pecans, pickled onions, and smoked salmon with capers.

This is my daughter's combination: cracker, brie, smoked salmon, toasted pecan, capers and pickled red onions.  I am very lucky that she's only eight years old and loves fine foods. She has always been a very good eater so I try hard with my dinner repertoire to keep up her good habit.  For dinner, she arranged all the crackers and made us a special drink with crushed watermelon, pear juice and sparkly water.  Yum...it was a nice way to end a vacation. 

Project Bag

I like making drawstring bags. 

It's super quick to make and I can find all kinds of use for it.

I made this one to carry my small knitting projects.  

  

While I was making the bag, I came up with another use for this lovely fabric.  

I was turning the bag right side out and voila, a lovely fabric bucket!

This will make a lovely container for showing off yarns or fabrics...

or to store kid's small toys.