Hi. Long time no see.

Construction is moving along.  And with the chaos that ensues around here, I have been somewhat paralyzed.  No cooking, no sewing, no knitting, very little cleaning.  I really can't stand to be in the house so I have been away or outside as much as possible.  The only thing I am working on is the garden and that is a steady work in progress.

I don't wear gloves when I garden - I like feeling the soil on my hands.  Having my hands in the dirt for hours makes them filthy which I don't mind until it's time to wash off that dirt.  I read about a hand scrub in Garden Anywhere by Alys Fowler and decided to mix up a batch for myself.  I really like how it turned out so I thought I would share it with you.  Most likely you already have everything you need to make this gardener's hand scrub: a jar or container with alid, sugar, liquid dish soap and a spoon.

I used a 16 oz. canning jar and filled it 3/4 full of sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups.

Then add the liquid dish soap until it almost reaches the top.  Stir to mix the soap and sugar.  You want a paste - not too runny or too solid - so you may need to add more sugar.  I added another 1/2 cup to get the consistency correct.

To wash the dirt off your hands, use a small amount and rub it all over your hands.  The sugar is a great exfoliant that removes the dirt while the soap washes it all away.  You could add a cute label to the jar if you were so inclined.  Pair it with a similar, moisturizing scrub made with olive oil and sugar and it'd make a fantastic gift.

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Hopefully, I will be back here sooner rather than later.  I'm planning on updating the shop around April 15th and I'll announce that as soon as I have the particulars figured out.  Until then, you'll likely find me outside.

Take care.

We got this year's garden started on Saturday.  I started by working all the soil and adding a bunch of mushroom compost.  Then Jane, Fatty and I planted seeds for peas, swiss chard, spinach, arugula and mesclun.  We also planted six broccoli seedlings on a whim.  Sunday we had a soft, drizzly rain most of the afternoon - perfect!  I'll be forming some kind of trellis for the peas later this week.  We're getting an earlier start this year and I am hopeful it will work out well.  We are planning on building another raised bed for the tomatoes and herbs.  I have seed potatoes and once I find the right size container, those will be planted, too.  We also joined the CSA for the third year so what we don't grow ourselves will be supplemented with local produce.

Books that I have found useful are Garden Anywhere by Alys Fowler and Grow Great Grub by Gayla Trail. 

I just watched the pilot of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  If you haven't seen it, you might want to check it out.  I am setting it up to record the series on our dvr so I can watch it with the girls.  I think there will be many good talking points as the series continues.

I made the girls some pajama pants - two pairs of pants and one pair of shorts each.  This happened about three weeks ago and I just haven't found the time to blog about it.  And they want me to blog about it.  So I am.

They wear the same size clothes despite being two years apart in age which helped make this a fairly easy project.  I didn't use a commercial pattern.  Instead, I took a pair of p.j. pants that fits them both well and used that to make a paper pattern.  The hardest part of that was adding the seam allowances.  Seriously.  I cut all 6 pairs out and then sewed them together assembly line style.  Fast and a great stash buster to boot.  I'm working on some embellished tank tops to go with them and then I plan on making a nightgown or two to round out their night time wardrobe.

I wish I had a better photo, but I don't. Our kitchen remodel has started and it's pretty hectic around here. I'm hoping to hole up in the studio for a good chunk of time tomorrow.  Cross your fingers for me.

March 2

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It was all her idea.  She thought her sick sister could use some sunshine and drawing with sidewalk chalk wouldn't be too much, would it?  No, not at all.  So while Kate drew flowers and butterflies and practiced her lower case cursive, Jane took out her new favorite book, Looking At Pictures, An Introduction to Art for Young People and got busy doing what she loves to do.  She would have kept drawing if I hadn't made her stop to get ready for soccer practice.

Thank you sun.  Thank you blue skies.  Thank you spring weather.  Thank you Jane.  You are delightful and never cease to amaze me.

Yesterday morning, I put the finishing touches on this pincushion that has been sitting around my studio for the better part of a year, maybe even longer.  I don't know why I never finished it before.  I guess I was just waiting for the right moment and wouldn't you know, it had arrived.  I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Dorie and her delightful daughter for coffee.  They were in my neck of the woods and I practically jumped at the opportunity to meet in person.  Kate and I chose a nice sunny table in the window of the coffee shop and spent an hour or so with our new friends.  We had such a nice visit - lots of chatting, some drawing and a couple great rounds of hangman complete with misspelled words.  I wanted to bring a little gift and my choices were pincushion or fingerless mitts.  It being March, I thought the mitts weren't the best choice.  And although I've made Dorie a pincushion before, I thought that, like me, she probably likes having more than one hanging around.

You see what I mean?  Dorie made a pincushion for me, too!  Great minds think alike, you know.

(The pattern for the pincushion that I made can be found in Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts. Dorie's pincushion is her own design.)

Monday and Tuesday were not good days for me. Yesterday was slightly better.  The sun is shining.  I'm considering it a sign that all will be right today, too.

I have a lot racing through my mind.  We are getting ready for a construction project and it's commandeering most of my thoughts.  There is a lot of work to be done and I need to start doing it.  I'd much rather sit down and make a quilt or sew some summer clothes, but it's not going to happen right now.  Looking at this pile of fabric and dreaming up the possibilities is going to have to suffice.  (It's Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow and I kind of have a crush on it.)

I'll be back when I have something decent to say or show.  Until then, take care.

It certainly came in like a lion.....Here's to going out like a lamb.