Isn't it nice to make something that you've wanted to make forever? The charming bag from Amy Karol's book has been on my list forever. I've even had the fabric picked out. I finally up and made it, and I'm pretty pleased with the way it came out.

I added a pocket to the inside because I really need a place to put my chapstick. I am wishing that I sandwiched a tie closure in between the lining and body layers because it doesn't so much want to stay closed when I use it. But, it's very cute and has made me happy this whole one day that I've carried it. The fabric is a leftover decorator's sample of chintz I got at the flea market last year.

The chicks are doing very well. They'd like to give a shout-out to their adoring public.

We are officially chicken people. This is our first farm animal experiment. Previously all the animals in our household have been cats. The chicks are here with a job to do: in about five months they will lay eggs. (It would be unfair to say that the cats are not as useful. They may not produce food, but they manage to fulfill their roles as lap warmers and comic relief.)

The chicks are funny. The red one (a Rhode Island Red) is sweet and friendly, the black one (a Barred Rock) is a little stern, and the brown one with fluffy cheeks (an Ameraucana) is worried. I did not expect them to really have personalities, but they do. When they get big enough, we are going to tractor them around the yard. They can find delicious bugs that way.

I didn't think I would have chickens. I though I might have any one of a number of other farm-type animals, but not chickens. I think it's because my BFF is chicken phobic and I love her. But Elie was really down with the idea of chickens and they're a pretty practical animal to keep, so here we are. (Plus, said BFF lives halfway across the country.)

It's been a weekend of food for thought, much of it thanks to Lisa, our local food diva. She had chickens and demonstrated how not hard or weird it was, and she also posted links to all the local CSAs, which was so nice because I thought there was only one and it was sold out. I joined up and am now thrilled about the idea of my veggies arriving once a week in a box, not in the least because this means that I won't have to think about what to buy. It is lessening my domestic thought burden. Back to this weekend. So then to top that all off, my friend Joe got me into the sold out Ebertfest showing of Farmer John, which was just oh so good.

Also this weekend, a tiny bit of crafting for another tiny person. Bibs for baby showers. I swear, there are as many babies as bunnies this year!

Books! With me in them! Eeeeee!

I went to Barnes and Noble on Saturday to get a baby shower present and these two covers just accosted me from a little stand in the craft section. (Oh, you know the craft section is on the way to the baby section!) I didn't think the books were out yet because I don't have my copies yet, but OMG, there they were. It made me eep!

I have a project in Pretty Little Patchwork and a project in Pretty Little Potholders, both published by Lark. The books are really cute, and there are some other nice people you might know in them. When I get my own copy, I am going to be sewing some projects. (They will be pretty little projects, of course.) My patchwork project is a star pincushion like these ones, and my potholder has yo-yos. You know I love a yo-yo.

I've been excited about this for a really long time, but I wasn't sure when to bring it up. I mean, what's the protocol on that? At first I didn't want to blog anything because what if I somehow didn't make it in at the end? Then once everything was finalized, it seemed randomly in the middle nothing in particular. So here I am, seeing books in the store and sharing right now. E!

This is the first garment I have made myself in eight years. The last one was a maternity dress. I feel a little "maternity" in this. Garment sewing and quilt/other non-wearable sewing is different. Sewing something for a woman versus a child is also different. It's hard to figure out how to make things fit. This pattern got good reviews, and I still have hope for it--it even looks cute-ish in the photo. I made a size too big (I made a 12). I followed the package measurements, but it's still too big, and the back is puffy, so next time I won't put the gather in the back. I really didn't mean to make flutter sleeves either. I had wanted "view A", the cap sleeve, but I cut view B and had no extra fabric. Actually the whole construction process went as if it was my first sewing project ever: I cut the wrong view, I cut vertical stripes for the neckband when I meant to cut horizontal, I sewed the neck facing to the outside of the shirt, etc.

But I am not completely deterred. No. I want to sew myself some cute things this summer. I want to like them better than what I get in the store. I think this is possible. The next item on my list is vintage 1950s - less mumu, more darts.

You should know this about me if you don't already--I care a lot. I'm feeling like a bit of a horse's behind after my garage post. Elie says it's not as bad as I described it (I suppose I should leave my flair for the dramatic to describing trims and stitches), and I neglected to mention that he's digging out the top layer and adding truckloads of compost. I'll call the authorities and see what they do about dirty dirt. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I made another mama cat with the intention of making her as close to this mama cat as possible. They are a lot alike, but not the same, because faces come out difference every time. It's just the way it is

My mother came out to visit me last weekend, and she brought my aunt along with her. We had a very nice time doing nothing too terribly exciting. Their visit started out our visiting season, which is basically May through July this year, which is so nice because I was getting sick of March

The spring weather has inspired us to dig right into some house projects: I made simple white curtains for our bedroom to replace the broken roller shades, and Elie has taken a break from renovating the kitchen to dismantle the extra garage. Yup, we have an extra garage and it is huge, like 3 cars and a boat huge. Cars were obviously more important to the house's former owners than to us. We would rather have the land than the garage, and we've tried to sell it to other people who want a garage, but those deals have all fallen through.

So Elie is taking it apart, and we're going to scrap most of the metal and do lord knows what with the roof framing. The garage has a dirt floor, which smells very badly of motor oil and paint. We're going to till it up and plant things we won't eat, like buckwheat. The posts are cemented into the ground, so rather than dig them out, we're going to plant viney things like morning glories and beans to grow up the sides. We'll see how it goes--it's quite the project!

My friend Lisa shrunk a sweater and was nice enough to give it to me. Accidental felting is not nearly as much fun as purposeful felting. Even though I was glad to have some new material, it really sucks when you wash yourself out of a sweater. I wanted to make Lisa a bag from her sweater. Here it is!

Lisa likes yellow, so I decided to do the the fabric accents in fabulous Denise Schmidt yellow. The wise craft flower is on a pin so it's removable, just in case Lisa isn't feeling quite so frou-frou. (I think I am often feeling more frou-frou than my friends.) This fabric pattern makes good flowers--Erin has a pretty one using the same pattern but in blue. I put a zipper in this bag because it's smaller than the other felt bags I've made and it seemed like there was a good chance that stuff would fall out of it otherwise.

Lisa is the same friend who got the kettle pot holder from a few posts back, and really I have to share some of the design credit with her there. She wanted something that looped around and tied on a button or something, and kindly suggested two of my favorite colors to work with. There will be more of these potholders in the future!

I've made a potholder, and now the world is a shinier place. Well maybe, but at any rate I've quit whining.

This went to a friend. It was even a bit of a request, which is so nice because sometimes I wonder if people really want the stuff I make them. (You know how forcing your ideas about handmade goodness on others can be.) Luckily, my friend and I have similar kettles. My kettle can model her potholder. Very fancy.

So here's a happy announcement--my work is going to be in a show! A way back, Craft had posted an open call for small quilts from Greenjeans, a cool little gallery shop in Brooklyn. It made me think of my Long View quilt top made from laundry color catchers that I did for whiplash way back when. I worked on two more tops, and then I turned them into quilts using vintage linen handkerchiefs as the backing and lint as the batting.

To my delight, they were accepted into the show. I only wish I could go see them and all the other quilts in person! If work wasn't being so work-ish right now, I would hop on a plane and be there for the opening tomorrow night. For all my people out there in the greater New York metro area--you should go! The show is at Greenjeans in Brooklyn, it's called UNDER-COVER, and it's open from Feb. 7 - March 20. They have more information on the Greenjeans site and blog, including a flickr gallery of all the submissions. (You gotta love a gallery.)

I love these little quilts so much because they really illustrate, for me, the way my move to the Midwest has helped my creativity to flourish. I've been able to find enough space, both physically and mentally. And it's so pretty, and these winter colors are just so delicate--you can't find them in a store. I had to come across them in my laundry.

Warning: This is a post about totally ripping-off a large kids clothing catalog. again. It's the battle of the influences.

This weekend, Eva and I were in a Land's End Outlet (oh, excuse me. I mean inlet.) and we found this pair of pants.

Eva liked them a lot, with more interest than she usually shows in her clothes. I could have been convinced to buy them, except Land's End seems to think that by the time you're seven, you don't need those nifty little adjustable elastic waistbands on your fashion pants anymore. Oh Lands End, you are wrong! Whoever invented the adjustable elastic is a genius. Pants just don't stay on my kid (or any other kid I can think of) without it.

So we bought a different $5 pair of cords. These were also 7s, but did have the waistband. I'm guessing because they're "basic" and not "fashion"? I sewed the kitty on using craft felt. Eva requested all solid embroidery, but that would have been a little nuts for this. I am not a machine.

Also, the LE pants are less online than in the store. That's why we love the internet.

Also, I think I deserve a pat for actually doing what I told my kid I would do in the store so that we could all be happy an continue shopping. And proving the case for having the clothes and the economics both fit. (Thanks, Sarah)

I've been enjoying the frequent posting, so here's to hoping they won't peter out!

Auntie A is a bona fide obsessed quilter. I think she could also teach a class in Gifts for the Handmade-Aware Child or something like that. She whipped up a few things that Eva just went ape over, including the Christmas bear in the Hanukkah sleeping bag above. (So cool because if you got a Christmas bear at a store, it would not have a Hanukkah sleeping bag.) Also the Softies book. (So cool because I stole it from my daughter.) And a little photo iron-on pillow featuring Eva and Hen. (So cool because your own cat is on your pillow.) And the queen of them all, a piece of fleece yardage machine embroidered with two cats and the words, "Eva loves Hen and Edgar". (So cool because it actually declares your love for your actual cats! Unbelievable!) So in case you're looking for ideas for a seven-year-old in your life...