Budget Pouches

For years Bryan and I have kept cash for various budget categories in paper envelopes. Envelopes are a highly functional, simple, no nonsense solution. I toyed with the idea of making something pretty, I bought zippers, but never stitched anything.

Recently we decided to try paying cash more often and not so quickly resorting to the credit card (which we have always paid in full each month). The hope is that we will stick faithfully to the budget if we are handing over actual dollar bills.

All it took was one, just one, trip to Walmart with a ratty paper envelope and coins falling out in my purse. One blush. Two hours later I was home, finishing my first zipper pouch.

Ally and I (because of course she helped) are so pleased with our work. She was inspired to make some pouches of her own. We bought out every white, seven inch zipper in the store. We used this zipper tutorial. The interior has no raw edges. After our first bag we decided to leave the opening (that you use to pull the fabric right side out) on the side rather than the bottom of the pouch. If you follow the pattern there is a little crease on the bottom, and we could easily see crud getting caught in it. After stitching three with slightly different sizes we decided to trim our square (the point when all four rectangles are stitched to the zipper - see above) to 8.25 by 8.25 inches. Then our finished product came out the same size each time. Our finishing touch was Ally's handstitched labels, made on little bits of linen and tacked on so that they'll be easy to switch.

But you know what? After all our hard work, and eye-catching colors Bryan still refuses to be seen in public with one of our fabric pouches. Carry the brown floral car repair pouch to the mechanic? Not a chance. He will carry the cash in his wallet. I won't hold it against him. He is, after all, a man.

March's Knitting

I completed March's knitting project. I popped it in the post for the new little fellow, the adorable little nephew, whose face I've seen on Facebook. There is, of course, the obvious question: what size is it? Unfortunately, the answer begins with, "Well..." I can only mention that it was meant to be a 0-3 month size, but my knitting is highly  unpredictable and (with a tear in the corner of my eye) we must realize there are no babies here to give my knitting a trial run. I also included a Carter's outfit. Safe. Reliable. Returnable. I just really wanted to make something also. I think handmade is special.

So now I have earned the right to move on to my next craft project: fabric bags for our cash budgeting system. We have been using paper envelopes. Coins and paper do not mix well. You can see the need for an upgrade.

I admit to still feeling cramped by the new one-craft-at-a-time routine. But the satisfaction of finishing the projects I begin is its own reward.

Cake Pops

Our church hosted an Easter Brunch. Kara brought cake pops. When she walked in the door with her display board, the eyes of every little person in the room lit up. Cake pops are crazy fun and crazy cute.

Best of all an eight year old can make them independently. True, Kara will not be the author of the next book on the subject; she will not decorate like a Decorator. But Kara can, and did, make a delicious, appealing treat that everyone loved. All by herself.

If you have a little person who needs something to do, or maybe you yourself need something to do, these are oh-so easy to try. The basic cake pops do not require any equipment that is not already in your kitchen. You will only have to buy the consumables: cake mix (naturally), frosting, lollipop sticks, candy coating and some sprinkles. That's all you need to start. I was feeling generous, I promised Kara if she liked making these we could splurge on a candy mold. We could get serious about this. That will be all of three dollars.

I think a cake pop is a wonderful way to encourage her to try something new, something creative, something that makes others happy. These are all the things I love to encourage in my children. And if we don't like it, we move on. The fringe benefit of a cake pop hobby: free samples for the family.

When Kara came home from the brunch on Sunday, there was joy in those crazy blue eyes. I love to encourage joy.

Look for the book Cake Pops by Bakerella. Try the library. Or, try bakerella.com. I bet you can find all you need to know to make a batch of cake pops.

January's Knitting

January's knitting is finally completed. It only took me all of January, all of February and a little of March to finish. In the meantime I made a list of every crafty project I've been contemplating. There are 13 items on the list. At an average rate of one project every two months, that's 26 months of work to keep me busy. It took me three months to come up with 13 project ideas, so in those same two years I should be inspired by, roughly, 104 ideas.

Sigh. 

This is why I feel I never get anything accomplished. My life is a mathematical impossibility. I'm constantly perplexed making the determination of the most important things to do in life. Or rather, the most important leisure activities to fill my limited "free" time everyday. Wondering when that is? After the kids are in bed, of course.

I've already cast on the next project on my list of 13. It's a secret, can't tell. Yet.

Valentines

Holidays always catch me off guard. Not Christmas, a holiday so massive in our culture it overwhelms three months of the year. Even more if you listen to budgeting gurus who have you save cash toward Christmas expenses all year (it's a good idea, but is the final proof that Christmas has become too much). But other holidays, to which we give a token nod, sneak up on me. I usually think about Valentines on the 13th, which is too late to put a little card in the mail. Or rather, too late to put a card in the mail and have it arrive on time.

This week I've looked ahead, and have planned some time in our school day tomorrow to make some Valentines and put them in the mail. A timely enterprise. I won't bore you with detailed how-to's. Either these are so simple you don't need them or you can Google it. Here are the crafts I'm planning:

• Potato stamping. Easy and fun for the six year old.
• Torn tissue paper hearts added to a card. Trace heart shapes on stiff paper. Tear tissue paper in bits. Mix half glue and half water. Paint glue mixture over hearts, and add tissue paper. Then paint glue mixture over tissue paper hearts. Allow to dry and cut out hearts. I'm thinking, for the detail oriented among us, a bouquet of flowers made this way might be really pretty.
• Paper cones for Valentine's candy. All the candy my kids need will fit in these. I'm thinking they would be cute in a mason jar on the table as our centerpiece.
• Brownies or Rice Crispie treats cut in heart shapes with a cookie cutter, with sprinkles. Sprinkles seem to make everything taste better. We'll actually make these on Valentine's Day.

I only have to buy the candy and some sprinkles. Simple and cheap. Next I'll think of a family favorite for dinner and a little something special for my husband, a little something free but thoughtful. He and I go for a Valentine's date after Valentine's Day. We hate the crowds of star-struck lovers in the restaurants.

So it is here. We hate pricey-trashy gifts. We hate crowds of people. We hate the notion that love can only be expressed monetarily. Time, thoughtfulness, and kindness are nourishing soils in which love grows.

Cheating (Kind Of)

I said I wouldn't start any other crafts until I finished the scarf. But I lied - kind of. This was a quick craft. In typical fashion I underestimated the actual time this would take (not ten minutes, if you're wondering). Still, paper, a hole punch, ribbon and stickers don't take long.

The banner is done, hanging in the front hall. The wall paper came with the house, and like it our not, it's not going anywhere. Over time I've come to grudgingly admire it...a little bit.

I'm making progress on that scarf. Little by little. Nose to the grindstone, and all that.

January Knitting

Over the summer I pulled all my half finished knitting projects off the needles. I boldly cut my knitting with scissors. I threw it away. I wound leftovers into balls. I put it all in the closet. I shut the door.

Relief, that's what I felt. A deep breath. A freedom from the stress of unfinished work. What little free time I used to have seems to have slowly eroded, and knitting took the hit. Accomplishment might have felt better, but freedom felt good.

My sister in law knit a beautiful scarf this Christmas. While I am a Good-Enough-Girl, she's an admitted perfectionist. Her secret: she doesn't choose many hobbies, but in every chosen area she pursues perfection. This just makes me sigh. How could I choose four out of a thousand interests? I have so many questions to Google I can't even remember them all. Lately I've been considering economics. My former experience? Umm...none. Economics may be a victim of Time-budget cuts.

Or, how can I be a perfectionist when everything I make is fatally flawed? Perfectionism is a path strewn with frustration. Good enough is a safer route. My mom likes to argue that this in itself is perfectionism; but never mind my mom. She's a perfectionist too.

But, the scarf! With my sister in law's hearty encouragement, pattern in hand, I ordered the yarn. I cast on. I ripped off. I'm all the way to row four of my beautiful scarf. It's been three days.

I will,  however, be firm with myself. No more projects until this scarf is done. That is, no more big projects until this scarf is done.

The View From Here

You can just see the Golden Gate Bridge rising above the fog.

Our travels are almost over. It's good to go and good to go home. Right now the idea of home is tantalizing.

The girls and I have spent our vacation free time doing origami. We've been working through YouTube videos by Daily Origami (this is the first lesson). There are 595 videos by Daily Origami. Should keep us busy for a while. We like it so much we might keep it up once we're home.

Next time I post I'll be back in humble Arkansas, and glad to be there.

Happy New Year!

Saturday Sewing

Playing with color: how can so many combinations be wrong?

There is a lot of living that happens at this table.

And paper chaos beside me. Once you're crafting, the more the merrier.

The grateful recipient of more than one paper Christmas gift.

Since it is already December and I'm wanting to sew something, my internet searches today all centered around quilting projects like potholders, trivets, and table runners. Projects that were small and quick, using fabric scraps and bits of batting so I wouldn't have to run to the store. Oh my, there is plenty of inspiration for my last few gifts. And so many, many talented people out there I should hide under a rock. But I did have fun.

So I thought I'd share a few of my favorite patterns, all quick and suitable for my girls to sew along with me.

Mug Rugs: These are super cute. Not super useful, but super cute. I'm thinking Ally will enjoy making these.
Placemats: I would have to buy more fabric to make these, and I'm trying to avoid that, but maybe you could pull it off. I'm tucking the idea away for spring.
Kitchen Gift Set: I'm not sure how to link right to it; scroll down and find the tutorial on the right. What a fun towel! Her quilt portfolio is amazing, not all to my taste, but amazing.
Pot Holders: This is a free pattern from the book Patchwork Style. I like this one because there is just enough information and lots of room for imagination.

We'll be doing a bit of stitching here. Just for fun. We still have plenty of time before Christmas.

Back in the Squirrel's Nest

My little squirrel, my 14 year old Ally, has been busy in her nest again. We created the nest this summer and I am resigned to it being a permanent home for all of her sewing enterprises. I freely admit that when it is tidy, it is a pretty little space. She's been sewing Christmas gifts, and making cards, and stitching owl bags (all available in her Etsy shop - Simplysquirrel).

Ally's latest set of owl bags, like the one pictured above, are my all time favorites. We washed and semi-felted a thrifted, plus-size, wool skirt. I say "we" because Ally still calls me in for help and advice. But the combination of colors on the owl against that dark green background leaves me smitten. Ally has sold one, to her grandma. (Does a sale to a grandmother count?)

Ally finished her last project and giddy, the way you can only be giddy when you are 14, announced that now she had time to sew a dress just for fun. Off she went to cut and stitch, reading her pattern all by herself. Well, by herself until it was time to attach the sleeves then she needed a bit of help. Sleeves are tricky. But I can't tell you how many days I despaired; it seemed that girl would never be able to read a pattern. Let that be a lesson to you; hang on.

Dress photos to follow soon.

Strawberry Sachets

Ally and I have been working on our strawberry shaped, lavender sachets. We estimate that with the pound of lavender purchased on Etsy we should be able to make fifty sachets. Then we'll send them off to mothers and grandmothers, sisters and friends. Just for fun, a sweet surprise. We have been hand stitching all of them, working a little here and a little there, 15 minutes at a time. Ally brought them along in the car. We carried our work box over to the couch the weekend Bryan was gone for sachet-stitching, Pride and Prejudice watching, girl time. They are a perfect quick and easy project. We're having wonderful fun. Naturally, the other kids are never far off and one afternoon they settled next to us at the table and spread out their own activities.

The pattern for the strawberry sachets is from Country Living. We ended up enlarging the stars, 125%, and combining them with smaller stars on our berries. Soon I'll show you a basket of our finished work.

Critter Croquet

These have been lazy summer days, aside from swimming and mowing, but we have been busy with our hands. Kara listed oven bake clay as a high priority on her birthday list. Yesterday she pulled out Create Anything With Clay and made a "Critter Croquet" set. Today the raccoon sets about a lively game of croquet, a family favorite here.

Arden, busy as ever with Legos, brought his ship downstairs this morning. I bought myself a few minutes to check email by letting him sit next to me and take pictures of his men "in action." And even now, as I type, I am heavily guarded.

Many thanks to Ally for photographing the critter.