New Collections

We are slowly coming back to our regular routine here, now that most of the holidays are over - and by most i mean we acknowledged both Orthodox Christmas and Candlemas here. So, i am still in holiday vibe, at least until next weekend, when i will have to begrudgingly take down our tree.

Now that the gift giving is over, i wanted to share some of them with you. I went all out and made different sorts of gifts - besides the usual sewing and knitting, i also made truffles, felted things, and J also got creative. I think i shared the truffles with you recently....I already look forward to next year's gift-making when C can participate more.

For the first post of a few, here are some of my new 'collections.'
1) Books - some for me and some for J and C. Books like Sewing Clothes Kids Love, The Joy of Vegan Baking, That's Why We Don't Eat Animals, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, City Alphabet (produced right here in Toronto), and this sweet book i made for C:
I made this simple little book for C and two other wee ones. For each, i searched through my large and generous fabric supply to find images that spell out the wee one's name - for Clem, i found a Cat, Leaf, Elephant, and Mushoom. I also added other pictures of things he loves - an apple, bike, dog, flower, etc. I also got to use my beloved fabric pens and alphabet stamps.
2) Chocolate - not only did i make some (and ahem, sample a few), i am glad people know i love chocolate. Look at my amazing selection! Besides my usual fave company Cocoa Camino, i also got a lovely spicy dark chocolate from local company Choco Sol - a pedal powered production! Some of these were officially for Joel but we liked to share.3) Coffee Cups - here J surprised me by making some for us. He bought these awesome white mugs and then stenciled images on them with things we love and share our initials - a Squirrel for me (last name), a Bird for C's middle name, and a Raccoon for J's last name. Fun and a sweet idea! I also bought him this mug at our annual City of Craft fair, (though it looks like the crafter i bought it from doesn't have a blog to link to) for his new job. But he says he loves the mug too much to take to work.

Incidentally in that last photo also are these lovely wooden pencil crayons i bought for C, and a new scarf for me - to add to my abundant collection!

Some Crafty Presents

I have gotten a couple of great presents over the last couple of months that are sure to delight my crafty side. First up, i got this great book, Simple Gifts to Stitch, that i've been wanting for a while. It's filled with some great ideas, and i especially love the 'pintucked table runner' and the 'tri-pocket ticking tote' that's on the cover. Another whimsical and decadent project is the tiara made up of flowers. Other bloggers have reviewed it, so i won't. Here and here are some links if you want to know more.

I also got some lovely quilt squares from my sis, who picked them up all the way in Hawaii - and some of the fabrics look straight out of there, so i can't wait to find the perfect project for them. Of course, i still have 2 quilts to finish, so i doubt they will be yet another quilt. Maybe a couple of bright and colourful cushions to fit in with our still-to-come retro 70s basement lounge? Thanks to you both for the lovely and thoughtful gifts!

My sewing machine has been acting a bit 'off' lately, and for the life of me, i don't know what it is. I have tried all the suggested fixes, but still my stitching is not sturdy. The backside is not sewing properly. So, i don't feel committed to any big projects because i know i wouldn't be happy with how the sewing turns out. Does anyone know what to recomend? Maybe it needs a professional's touch, a tuning perhaps?

Good Crafty Reading

I recently added two new craft-related books to my collection and i wanted to share them with you. I love getting good resource books, and my mom always taught me that investing in a good book is always a worth-it buy. Good advice, mom!

When i was in NYC last year, i never made it to Teany (the vegan cafe co-owned by Moby) and i was a bit sad about that. So, when i came across a copy of their cookbook/scrapbook called teany book at my local Winners store, i jumped at the chance to buy it. Not only does it have some great recipes, it has some great info about teas, health and beauty stuff, as well as some silly tidbits of cartons and photos. A fun cookbook that can also serve as a coffee (or tea!) table book. I recently made their chocolate green tea pudding and it tasted lovely. I unfortunately didn't have enough of all the ingredients so the recipe - that i took to a friend's "choc-luck" (dessert potluck) party turned more into a drink than a dessert. But i think the book is still worthy of mention, because that was my error and not theirs!
The other book that i'm enjoying is Twinkle's Big City Knits. I can't wait to try out some of the fantastic sweater patterns. I'm hoping i can find some good vegan-friendly thick yarns for some of the patterns, but the book is full of wonderful cardigans, knit dresses & skirts, hats, scarves, and tops. A truely wonderful compliment to other knitting books that are geared towards those who would rather use smaller needles or knit argyle and fair isle sweaters. For a preview of some projects, click here. I made my honey a quick hat with not even one ball of yarn, and it was fun to use such large needles and whip up something in just a couple of hours!

Wedding Gifts and Wedding Trips

I'm off for wedding #2 of the summer tonight - did i mention it's in Mexico? I'm very excited to get away for a week, and have a beach vacation with my honey - we've never done this before. Besides spending time with friends, i also plan to take my very first surfing lesson, possibly swim with sea lions, and read a lot on the beach. I'm not sure what the food will be like (being vegan can be oh so challenging when away like this) - but i'm sure i'll get my fill of guacamole!

We finally gave our friends from wedding #1 their gift and i can share some photos with you now. I made a picnic blanket for them - and we found the cutest picnic basket to go with it. My friends are avid game players - from board games to scavenger hunts - so i thought a Twister-inspired quilt would be a perfect fit for them. I used vintage bed sheet fabric for the back, and i have to admit i think i like that side better.
Anyway, here are some photos of the quilt, and see you in a week, when i'm sure i'll post about my trip to Todos Santos, Baja, Mexico!

New Books for the Library!

I love getting new books and going through them lazily on the couch or in my sunny front room. I've collected a few over these last few weeks, but am still going over them. Here they are for you to see:

Createurs a Paris - a lovely Japan-produced picture book of Parisien artists' studios and craft rooms. A great inspiration for me and my own craft space! See the above photo for an idea of what i mean.

Naughty Needles - a lovely gift from a friend. I don't know what to make first, the knitted pasties or one of the many knitted bikini sets!

Better Home and Gardens Stitchery and Crafts - a book my mom found for me with fun projects and even better outfits!

The Book of Crafts - a compilation of various craft forms like stationary, knitting, and ceramics; i think this would be a good resource for gift ideas.