Handmade: Stitch Markers

Happy Thursday, friends! Tonight I'm going to Pints and Purls at Gather Here for the first time and I'm really excited. Drinks and knitting, a perfect way to spend a Thursday evening.

So I've started a new type of project I'm really enjoying. While I was out on Saturday, I bought some really fun beads because they were too cute to resist. When I got home, I rummaged through my supplies and found what I needed to make my first stitch markers!



eyeball!

These were for me. I love them!


These guys went in my shop!

I have so many ideas for these, I can't wait for the weekend so I can make more! So much to craft, so little time...

A Day Outdoors

Just some snippets of a day out in the yard. I can't wait until I can actually eat from my veggie garden!








We made a friend.

A really grumpy looking friend.

Handmade: Pincushion

If you really like fabric and sewing in theory, but are kind of lacking in the skill department (like me), this is the kind of project for you. You might remember this photo from my post on Grey's Fabric. This is what I brought home with me.



These Valeri Wells sewing cards are amazing - really easy to follow, and quick projects that make you feel productive and accomplished. Seriously. Here is my first little pincushion:

Homemade: Freezer Jam

Did you guys know about freezer jam? I hadn't heard about it until last week. When the lazy person in me realized I could make jam with 15 minutes of effort and no cooking, I had to try it. So Friday night I mixed up a quart of strawberries, 4 cups of sugar, lemon juice and some pectin. By Saturday afternoon, I had delicious fresh jam. And all I had to do was let it sit out on the counter.






Next time I would like to try the low sugar version, but overall I highly recommend freezer jam. So much easier to make, and it tastes fresher because the fruit isn't cooked. Have you ever tried it?

One thing I noticed was that most packets of pectin won't say "freezer jam" on them but will list ingredients for both regular cooked jam and a "quick and easy" version. The quick and easy version is freezer jam, so don't worry if you can't find "freezer jam pectin."

Boston: Grey's Fabric

Happy Sunday, friends. I hope you all had amazing weekends. Ours ended up being amazingly productive and fun, so I have lots to share with you this week.

On Saturday we headed into the city for supplies and lunch, making a stop in the SoWa district. For those of you non-Bostonians, SoWa is the neighborhood south of Washington Street in the South End. It used to be industrial, but is now turning into a thriving artists' neighborhood. Harrison Avenue is home to countless studios, galleries and supply shops for artisans. Grey's Fabric & Notions is one of my favorites.




Their logo is the cutest silver fox named Bobbin

Sarah, the lovely owner. Her red glasses are so cute!




adorable sewing kits

teaching space in the back


The shop is so cute and inspiring I couldn't help leaving with a couple of goodies for myself. Definitely a must-see stop in Boston.

The weekend

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, friends. We've had pretty constant rain for the last few days but I'm hoping for a day of sunshine. I'm aching for a lazy day outside! Do you have any special plans?

Mustaches

We bought these mustache mugs as gifts for friends, but I couldn't resist taking pictures with them first.



Me: pleeeease?

Me: yay!
Him: your mustache is crooked.

On my needles

Here's a sneak peek at the knitting projects I'm working on this week. I'm really excited about the new designs I've been working on for the shop!

I wrote the pattern for these little flowers a couple of weeks ago and now I can't stop making them. I tend to get a little obsessive when I come up with a new design I like.







I just added a mitten line to my shop, and made test mittens for me and Nate to figure out the standardized sizing. I'm kind of amused by the size difference between his hands and mine.

I'm not really sure what these skeins of cotton will become, but I'm loving the colors. I admit I'm kind of a yarn hoarder. What projects are keeping you busy this week?

Bookbinding: The Traveler Series

A couple of weeks ago Nate and I took a fantastic bookbinding workshop. I had never really thought about it before, but when I saw Liz of Made in Lowell sharing her experience I was immediately smitten with the idea. So I signed up for Melissa Chao's Traveler Series Workshop. Melissa is the owner of To Boldly Fold and an absolutely fantastic teacher.


Our awesome teacher

I wish I had done a better job photographing the class (aperture a little off, oops), but I still wanted to share some shots. I was completely intimidated before the class, and by the end I couldn't believe we had actually made some books.


My handtorn and folded pages


Hand-sewing my accordion journal

Before: the future covers

After: books. Seriously.

My finished books!

If you live in the area, I highly recommend Melissa's workshop! She is a great teacher and you will be amazed at what you can learn in 4 hours.

A Kitschy Kitchen

This year I decided to be less of a shut-in and go to the Etsy Craft Party in Salem, which was on June 10th. The turnout honestly left a little bit to be desired, but I can't really complain (too much): I met Megan from a Kitschy Kitchen and I learned something new.


This is Megan.


She makes beautiful aprons!


Oh this? I made this.

She brought her sewing machine and taught people how to make these adorable tissue holders. I love sewing, but I'm really not very good at it. Megan's tutorial was really easy to follow and it only takes about 10 minutes, so you feel really productive. These make great little gifts or stocking stuffers (think ahead, folks!). I'm going to set up a photo tutorial so you can make your own.

Salem: Red Coats

I first moved to Boston in 2005 and my first job was in Salem. I fell in love with the town and moved here in 2009, accepting the long commute in exchange for a unique and beautiful place to call home. There is always something interesting going on. We went out to the waterfront for lunch on Saturday, and found a re-enactment of the 10th Regiment of the Foot camped out in front of the Custom's House.




I kind of caught them in the middle of their lunch break.




Wooden muskets.

Then I took pictures of some flowers. I get distracted by pretty things.