mmm… bread

bread

We’ve been doing a lot of bread and muffins around here. M likes to eat bread and I like to hide nutritious stuff in the loaves. It makes me smile when she’s chowing down on a slice bread and ignoring all of her other vegetables because I know it’s filled with zucchini, carrots and yogurt. Yesterday I made mini pumpkin muffins, which I thought she would adore because she loves pumpkin pie, but she’s totally not interested in them. The zucchini bread, however, is a different story. So far we’ve been through three loaves and she still devours it.

I’ve been making the Zucchini Cheddar Quick Bread recipe from The All Purpose Joy of Cooking with some modifications (of course!). No cheese, extra zucchini, two grated carrots, 1/4 cup plain yogurt, olive oil instead of butter and substituting wheat flour for 1/3 of the white flour. I also used dried dill, onion and garlic powder. T was bummed I didn’t make the more traditional zucchini bread recipe. You know the one that’s really sweet and uses 2 1/2 cups of sugar? I’d never get M down for a nap after a slice of that!

bella bib

I know most kids get a mustache while drinking their milk, but M gets a goatee. She sucks in a bunch of milk from her sippy cup, smiles, and lets it dribble down her chin. This is why she is only allowed to drink in her chair with a bib. (I thought after the first few months of nursing we were done with smelling like milk around here. Who knew?)

Anyway, we have this one quilted bib that is perfect for catching all of the goatee dribbles. One. I needed more and couldn’t find any big and absorbent enough for full coverage, so I made one of my own.

bib

The back of the bib is terry cloth from bath towel. This should be absorbent enough, don’t you think?

bib

I’m happy with the size, but I bought some fat quarters of cute fabric from Michael’s and would like to get two bibs out of one piece. Right now this bib is just a little too big for that, so I’ve got some scaling and redrawing to do. I’ve got some real work to do this week, so I guess the bib will have to wait until the weekend.

tote bags for sale at kundhicreative.etsy.com!

So that thing that I’ve been working on for the past few weeks? It’s now up and ready to go! I’ve been making tote bags—some out of felted sweaters and others out of shirts. Christy was kind enough to invite me to a craft fair last week, which gave me a deadline to get some things produced. I didn’t sell anything that night, but I did make my first sale on Saturday. Cathy of Lincoln Knitters was my first customer and bought one of my favorite totes.

tote

lining

I actually gave away my first tote to my knitting exchange buddy, Yvonne.

tote

lining

I’m trying to be environmentally thrifty with my totes. All are made out of sweaters or shirts that might otherwise end up in the landfill. The leftover felt and fabric will be used up in scarves and maybe hats or blankets. I’m also sewing the shirt tote bags large enough to carry groceries or library books.

I’m really excited about this project. I still love graphic design and it is definitely my primary passion, but technology (specifically the pdf file) has pretty much taken all of the hand work out of my job. I miss comping up folders, brochures, envelopes, boxes and direct mail packages. I also still love knitting, but it’s just not going fast enough for me these days. The tote bags combine my love for creating things by hand and the instant gratification I’ve been craving.

So, that’s why the blog has been quiet: I’ve been pushing to get some things done and up on etsy. I’ve got lots more sweaters and shirts to keep me busy for awhile.

I also take requests for custom orders. If you’ve got something you love and it never gets worn, let me give it new life for you! I also do pillows, Christmas stockings and I’m thinking of trying felted sweater teddy bears.

more squares

squares

I was only going to knit one. I even wrote that in my email to Kay: I’ll try to get at least one square done before the 30th. I’ve got UFOs coming out of the woodwork. Why do I keep casting on new projects? Another case of hopeless startitis? I’m on my FOURTH square. They’re just too easy and too fun. They take less than an episode of CSI to knit up and besides, what else am I going to do with my leftover sock yarn. After this one, I’m putting them in an envelope and sending them off. Seriously!

sew easy!

When my parents were here, Liz came over for a sewing lesson to teach me how to read and follow a pattern. Liz is a great teacher and VERY patient. My first project was a sleep sack for M.

Yeah, I know it’s huge. It’s the XL size for this winter. Liz helped me all the way up to the zipper and then left me to finish it up on my own. I was very proud of myself, until I realized I sewed the sleeves shut! That was a quick fix, though. I added a little flap to cover the zipper top. I’m going to order a different zipper for the other one so it will close on the bottom.

This was a pretty easy project, especially for a beginner. I can’t wait to tackle the next one. I’ve also been making some tote bags and bibs. Don’t worry knitting buddies — I haven’t given up my needles!