A post about keeping house, and all that entails

Oh my, a chill is in the air even in these parts! Hard to believe summer is almost over. I'm always sad to see the main growing season go, but by now I'm also worn out by super hot and humid weather and mosquitoes as big as hummingbirds. So, bring on Fall!

Thoughts of cleaning, organizing and nesting have set in, and as I look around the house I can see I have some major work to do. I never really got back into a routine after we moved back into the house in March, and my sanity (and the state of my house) has suffered greatly for it. I make valiant attempts to "get back on track" but they never seem to stick. I need help!

Enter in my favorite new book, Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House. This comprehensive housekeeping guide, written by Cheryl Mendelson, is not only an encyclopedia of indispensable explanations and tips for every household task, it is also brilliantly written. Sort of like a cookbook that you want to read even when you are not actually cooking......




The book is a large one, at almost 900 pages the hardback version is formidable. The pages are divided into the broad categories of Beginnings, Food, Cloth, Cleanliness, Daily Life, Sleep, Safe Shelter and Formalities. Those eight sections are further divided into 72 chapters, so you can find exactly what you need when you need it without getting overwhelmed by all the rest.

WIP: Embroidery Floss Tangle

Crafty Resolutions 2012

Greetings, friend! Things are going along swimmingly here, how about you? Finally feeling somewhat settled in the rental space, and excitedly thinking ahead to March (or April) when I will have my own (tiny) studio space upstairs at my house. I actually walked up REAL stairs and onto REAL floor decking last night, and stood right in the spot where my attic dormer "room" will eventually be. As crazy as packing up the entire family to move out for two or three months has been, it will all be worth it in the end!

I've been thinking and thinking about my goals for this year, very specific things (as opposed to broad goals) have come to mind.

1. Finish this quilt! I have the batting already, and the blocks are sewn. Now to figure out how to sew them together, what the backing will be, etc. I am going to hand quilt it (!) using AMH Needleworks. It's a lightweight, summer quilt (which seems to be three seasons out of the year down here, lately) so I hope to have it done by Spring.

Basket Liners

We have entered full-on nesting mode over here. I have been sorting, washing, organizing baby clothes, blankets, burp cloths, etc. My poor husband has been up and down to the basement countless times to gather baby equipment. We're getting ready... Only 3 weeks left... Or perhaps less...


One of the nesting projects I tackled last week was to make some baskets baby-ready. When we moved into this apartment in Seattle (a rental), we agreed not to buy any furniture to fit the space, but instead to make do with what we have. In terms of storage for baby stuff, this means we are having to use open shelving instead of drawers, hence the need for baskets.

I found some great baskets in the perfect size at Ikea, when we went to purchase Ben's big boy bed and the baby's crib. The price was right, the quality was good and the size was great. We bought 4.


After a few weeks of seeing them in a corner of our bedroom and thinking it over, I decided the natural color was all wrong. Plus, I wanted a washable layer between the baskets and newborn clothes. Instead of looking for new baskets, I figured I would paint them a darker brown and make some fabric liners. Kind of a boring project, but a quick one with practical results.

I painted the baskets with a chocolate brown acrylic paint thinned out with a bit of water. I probably needed an extra bottle of paint to get full coverage on the baskets, but eh, good enough. I measured them, then drew and cut a basic pattern for the liners: a panel for each surface with about 3-4 inches extra at the top for a border.



I am happy to report I used fabric from the stash! I found a light sage green and white striped print left from Ben's nursery linens. It seemed appropriate! Plus, there was more than enough yardage (I ended up needing 2.5 yards). The assembly was pretty straightforward, I sewed all the side panels to the bottom, then stitched the seams along the 4 sides.



When all 4 liners were assembled, I hemmed them at the top, leaving a 1-inch gap. I tested the liners in the baskets and they fit fine, aside from the borders looking a bit like little skirts.




Time to put in some elastic! I threaded it with a safety pin through that 1-inch gap.


And then I was done!



Most of the newborn stuff is washed, folded and now resting in the baskets. We're getting there...

Oh, the pre-baby nesting!  I love it.  I think this is the absolute perfect project to do three weeks before the baby is due: straightforward, simple to complete and practical to boot!  What other crafty projects do you need to do before he gets here?

Project Craft Room Organization: Getting Better!

Well, my brother's wedding and all the festivities in Texas were a big success. As you guessed, we ingested quite a bit of barbecue. Crunching down on a salad when we returned to Austin was a welcome treat, he he. We had a great time, it was so wonderful to spend some quality moments with family and to celebrate. Next up is our visit of friends and family in Nashville. Can't wait to see you and catch up!

Before I left Seattle, I took some photos of progress in my dining room/craft room organization. There have been two main improvements: 1) my mom made curtains for the old kitchen island we use as craft storage, and 2) we bought a couple of helpful pieces at the Fremont flea market.

Below are the curtains. I had posted a close-up photo of the fabric in one of my previous organization posts. The main fabric is a natural cotton, almost linen-ish. The print is from a lovely curtain panel from World Market with reds, greens and turquoise. My mom made some basic curtain panels and we used tension curtain rods that fit snugly under the island counter. The curtains hide all my craft supplies as well as Ben's and, by putting all these boxes out of sight, really clean up the space.



At the Fremont Sunday Market, we always browse the flea market and vintage booths. A few weeks ago, I had a strange dream about a vintage wooden painter's toolbox (at least, I think that's what this is called). While walking through the market a couple of days later, I found the exact same one, in "real life". I had to buy it! So far, I have paintbrushes and a few miscellaneous knick-knacks resting in it, but I'm sure we'll find some more uses for this little piece of storage.



When I found it at the market, the toolbox was sitting on top of a little magazine table, in great shape. It was perfect for setting in the corner of the dining room behind our red cabinet, and support my sewing machine. The seller gave us a great deal for both items, couldn't pass it up! Now I just need to make a fabric cover for my sewing machine and it too will be out of sight.


There's still a bit of detail work to do to get the room fully organized and functional, but we are almost there! I like that the curtains and flea market pieces give it some personality while organizing things up. I am excited to see your renovation with my own eyes this week!

Show and Tell: Bobbin Saver

When my mom was visiting us last month, she helped me get my dining / craft room in order, she cleaned up and oiled my sewing machine (and showed me how to do it!), and she made note of what I had and didn't have in terms of sewing tools and supplies. During one of our many trips to various local fabric shops, while I was drooling over designer fat quarters, she came toward me holding a peculiar rubber ring in her hand.



"Trust me, you need this!" she said. And despite my rolling my eyes at her purchasing yet another gadget for me (she does that a lot), I have to agree that this is the coolest little thing ever. It is called a Bobbin Saver and you can find it at some local fabric shops and at most Joann's.



So yes, today my spotlight is on a gadget. It's not usually my thing, I like to use mason jars, recycled containers and old wooden boxes to store tools and notions. But bobbins... they have a mind of their own. I went from swearing every time I had to untangle a bobbin from all its other bobbin friends in the little baggie where I kept them all stored, to reaching for the one I need easy-peasy without a mess of tangles and knots. This Bobbin Saver is compact and cheap, yet serves its purpose efficiently and without fuss. One word: awesome! (How's that for advertising? I promise I wasn't paid to write this!)