home made: cooking

preserved lemons

 

for the past year my husband has been the head chef around our house. it's his way to unwind after a long day at work. and that's fine by me. my preference is for baking and 'project cooking'. but with the relaxed pace of summer holidays I am enjoying doing a little more everyday cooking.

 

last year I bought yvette van boven's book, "Home Made". a couple of weeks ago I got my hands on Home Made Summer and Home Made Winter and they do not disappoint. great recipes with beautiful photos and lovely illustrations.

 

I can't wait to try out our new tajine and cook with the preserved lemons. the kids were very hopeful that I was making lemonade with rock sugar. we'll see how they like the salted lemons....

 

 

sketchbook project

last summer i started keeping a sketchbook and learning to draw. the two younger kids have embraced it too. we are all a little more creative with our spare time without cable tv.

for christmas a couple of years ago my mom gave me some art supplies, a sketchbook, and an illustrated life by danny gregory. it was so inspiring and led me some of his other books such as The Creative License, Everyday Matters, and An Illustrated Journey. and so i started just drawing without worrying about how badly i drew. i find it very relaxing to draw some ordinary object while watching movies on the computer.

my little guy (who is 5) draws a lot of robots and battle scenes and does so every day. but today he sat down and drew ordinary objects in our kitchen (see the lower right-hand picture). 1. Vitamix blender. 2. Ice cream maker. 3. Dehydrator. it was so gratifying to see him enjoying doing what i do. i couldn't be more proud of him.

just a small list of the drawing books i can recommend from personal experience (in addition to the links to the danny gregory books above):

• Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards
• Drawing with Children, by Mona Brookes
• Artist's Journal Workshop, by Cathy Johnson
• The Art of Urban Sketching, by Gabriel Campanario
• The Complete Decorated Journal, by Gwen Diehn

anybody can learn to draw - it just takes doing it.

 







start where you are.

use what you have.

do what you can.

           - arthur ashe



fresh sketchbooks

a new school year means new school supplies. my kids' school supplies are included in their tuition which is convenient and means that all the students have the same supplies. however, i do love shopping for new art supplies and we ran out of sketchbooks some time ago. it's too easy for the kids to grab my printer paper and the sketchbooks are a great way to see their progress as artists over time.

the plan for these sketchbooks is that they will be used for 'family drawing time'. the idea is from amanda soule's book 'the creative family' though we've been doing our own version for years. we always remember to take paper and a pen when we go out to eat with the kids and pass the paper around the table while waiting for our food to arrive. everyone gets a chance to spontaneously draw with elaborate and often hilarious results. each of us will have our own book and sit down together to draw the same object at our own dining room table. (cancelling the cable tv last year has been great for doing creative things together).

this is the first time i've seen sketchbooks with such colourful binding. de serres is having a sale - five books and a tube of winsor & newton white gouache was about $50 - if you're in canada.

let the drawing begin!

Tutorial: Monkey Shorts

 

monkey shorts: little shorts to wear under your skirt while playing on the monkey bars.

 

the girl will be starting grade three in a few days and we've been getting ready - shoe shopping, labelling clothes, and organizing her uniform. we decided that maybe it might be nice to have some little shorts to wear over her underwear/under her skirt - to preserve a little modesty while climbing the playground equipment during recess. i used an old pair of leggings as the basis for the new shorts.

 

Materials:

- one yard of cotton jersey, pre-shrunk (can make about 6 pairs depending on size). i used navy blue to comply with school uniform requirements. old t-shirts would work well if they are very stretchy.

- 1/2" wide elastic, a couple of yards if you want to make a few pairs

- thread to match jersey fabric

- small pieces of ribbon (optional) to use as tags/labels

- tracing paper or scrap paper, paper cutting scissors, pencil, ruler

- old pair of leggings or jersey tights to use as a pattern

 

Equipment:

- sewing machine (that can sew zig zag stitch)

- serger machine (not necessary but very nice to have)

- sewing machine needle for knit fabrics

- twin sewing machine needle for knit fabrics (not necessary, but great for finishing hems on knit fabrics)

- scissors or rotary cutter (for fabric)

- pins

- measuring tape

 

Step 1: Cut the old pair of leggings to desired length and cut along seam lines.

 

 

 

 



Step 2: Lay the leggings onto the tracing paper and trace in pencil.   

 

 

 

Step 3: Add 1/4" seam allowance to the seams and 1/2" to the hem. Draw a line to indicate the grainline and label with any notes you might need. Cut out the pattern with your paper scissors.

 

 

Step 4: Pin the pattern to a double layer of the fabric, lining up the grain line. Cut out using your fabric scissors or a rotary cutter.

 

 

 

Step 5: With the fabric pieces right sides together, pin the leg seams together.

 

 

 

Step 6: Sew the leg seams making sure to remove pins as you go. If you are using a serger (as I did), just trim off a little as you sew. The seams can be sewn using a standard sewing machine - use a stretch stitch or a narrow zig zag stitch. Stretch the seams as you sew.

 

 

 

Step 7: Turn one leg right side out.

 

 

 

Step 8: Place one leg inside the other, right sides together. Match leg seams and pin.

 

 

 

Step 9: Sew the crotch (is there another word?) seam together, removing pins as you sew. Again, you can use a zig zag or stretch stitch with a standard sewing machine if you don't have a serger. Remember to stretch seams as you sew - we wouldn't want this important seam to split open while on the monkey bars or doing cart wheels!

 

 

 

Step 10: To hem the legs, turn up the bottom of each leg 1/2" and pin. Sew from the right side using a standard sewing machine with a twin needle or using one single needle with a zig zag stitch. Don't forget to stretch the fabric and remove pins as you sew.

 

 

 

Step 11: Measure the elastic waistband from the old leggings and add 1". Or wrap the elastic around your child's waist, stretching it slightly. Lap the edges of the elastic over 1/2". Zig zag stitch the elastic together.

 

 

 

Step 12: Divide the elastic waistband into four even sections and mark with pins. Do the same for the shorts. Pin the waistband to the wrong side of the shorts, aligning edges. Stitch edges from the right side using a serger OR zig zag stitch if using a standard sewing machine. Remember to stretch your fabric and elastic and to remove pins as you sew.

 

 

 

Step 13: Fold over the waistband to the wrong side (interior) of the shorts and pin. At this point you can add a little piece of ribbon to the center of the back (optional).

 

 

 

Step 14: Using the twin needle, sew the waistband while stretching the fabric/elastic and removing pins as you go. This can also be done using a standard sewing machine with a zig zag stitch.

 

 

Step 15: Make a lot of monkey shorts and play, play, play!

 

open for business

spring is here and katemakes is open for business! it's been a busy few weeks in the studio. lots of little pouches, pillow cushion covers, and bags. these little bags are perfect for summer travels, as a gift for a mom, dad or new graduate - just pop in a little note, a special lipstick, or a gift card. now if the sun would only come out so i can take some decent photos of all the other katemakes products that are ready to list. stay tuned. 

warming up

spring is on the way. it's a beautiful sunny day - the perfect opportunity to practice a bit with the camera. the rainy, overcast days have been a great chance to get re-aquainted with my grandmother's sewing machine and there's quite a little stockpile of pouches and bags gathering here in my studio. i'm gettting warmed up to re-launching my etsy shop.

inspiration in progress



available here or here or your local bookstore

my tools



i've been feeling a little overwhelmed by all the great stuff on the internet. it can be so inspiring but also be very intimidating. we chose not to have cable tv back in september and it's been great but my time on the computer has greatly increased. i'm going to step back from viewing so much and fill the time with more making.

sometimes i need a little kick or shove to get me motivated. this talk by kate bingaman-burt on creative mornings is very inspiring. constraints or self-imposed rules can create a framework to force creativity. who hasn't done some of their best work while pulling an all-nighter?

keri smith has published several brilliant books to expand imaginations and fuel creativity and her latest, F INISH TH S B  K, is no exception. they really bring out the kid in me and take me back to the times i made my own books or created treasure hunt maps or made dollhouses out of old boxes. my daughter absolutely loves Tear Up This Book. i don't know that i will show anyone my finished book but it is a lot of fun to work on and gives me a little creative goal every day.

happy birthday gill

happy 40th birthday gill. may you always look 21 (as you do now)! hope you have a fantastic day - we all wish we were there to celebrate with you. keep an eye peeled for the postman because he should be delivering these to you soon - i made one for each decade. love you to the moon and stars and back - so glad you are my sister and aunt to my kids.

happy birthday mom

vintage by alex keller on etsy

happy birthday mom! it was great to talk with you tonight. i am so happy to hear you so happy. thank you for all you've taught me and done for me. i love you to the moon and stars and back. xo K

sh** storm

one.more.week
to date i have made:
14 hats with beards and 10 bracelets

need to make:
doll, doll clothes, doll bedding, hair accessories, 4 pouches, hat with beard, ipod case, 2 wallets, scarf

need to do:
clean house, find christmas decorations, put up tree, plan christmas menu, buy presents, wrap presents, breathe

one.more.week

can't wait to make

the postman very nearly got a big hug this morning. i ordered print workshop several months ago but it was out of stock. and i hesitated on 1 2 3 sew as i can already sew but it has a lot to teach. Ellen (of the longthread blog) is the only other person that i know of who sews zippers into pouches and bags in the same way that i do. both books are filled with great projects, clear instructions and a ton of inspiration. i have so much admiration for people with the ability to come up with creative ideas and who then are willing to share them with others in such a clear and approachable way.

birthday party prep

been busy prepping for my best girl's birthday party tomorrow. can you tell the theme is "rainbow carnival"?

spring fever = itchy fingers

spring is here and the knitting has been packed away in the craftcrap closet. and with the canucks in the stanley cup playoffs i needed something to take the edge off while cheering on my team as i can't take the tension. my playoff plan this year was to load up on linen and embroidery floss and just experiment. these will likely become one of a kind pouches.

i know i'm not the only one to be inspired by the Penguins Classics covers by Jillian Tamaki. so stunning and inspiring. i would never get rid of my dog-eared copies but... maybe just get these to display.

saturday sewing: collaboration

when the weather is a little gloomy i like to do a little saturday sewing. we are going to a birthday party at a pony stable tomorrow and needed a gift for our little cousin. my best girl entirely designed this: drew pictures, chose the fabrics and selected the button. it was so fun to see her working so hard to get it just the way she envisioned. i was happy to supply sewing labour. she's a bit of a taskmaster but to her credit, she let me have lots of coffee breaks. she put a little toy horse in the purse as a little surprise. sweet. but the best part, my best girl asked me to teach her how to sew. my heart is pinching with happiness.

and.... finally, after great deliberation (and much procrastination) i activated my etsy shop. in the near future i will be selling the things i make but for the time being i am selling some vintage Japanese fabric packs. my mom brought these gorgeous linens and cottons home to Canada with her with the intention of me making some quilts. i have a ton of fabric and have saved my favourites but i would like to see these fabrics go to someone who will make something fantastic. a quilt, some zakka goods, a patchwork pillow cover, a bag.... so many possibilities.
ok, now time for another saturday tradition, the saturday siesta!

saturday sewing

one benefit of the rainy saturday was some making time. i made this bag for my sister's birthday present. the pattern is from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. i followed it almost exactly but added a zippered pocket and a magnetic snap closure. it was very straightforward and easier to sew leather than i expected - just need a special needle.
the entire project cost under $20 so i covered three of my 2011 sewing intentions:

1. make birthday presents (and cards, too)
2. sew a leather bag
3. stick to a budget - be more thoughtful of how i spend my money

obviously, the intention to take better photos is a work in progress...