Homemade is just better.

I have to admit to perhaps being a bit short-sighted when I decided to launch a blog during a beautiful Ohio summer. It is darn near impossible to get myself to sit down and blog when the sun is shining. When the sun isn't shining I am busy catching up on the housework and crafting that I have neglected to go play outside.

That said, there are just some things that I can't justify being lazy on because the benefits of just a little time spent are just too good.

Three things I will never buy ready made in a store again:
1. Bread
2. Hummus
3. Washcloths

We actually eat more bread now that I am making it at home. It costs less, it tastes better, and I actually know what all the ingredients are without trying to remember everything I ever learned in chemistry class. An added bonus is that most of the breads I make are vegan and fat-free.

Hummus is a summer addiction here. I never liked hummus at all when all I knew of it was the dry, dense glob that comes in those little plastic tubs. I usually make it as a side dish, but it is the star of dinner. If M. gets hungry for a midnight snack then it doesn't even make it through the night (and I make a pretty big batch).

Knitted or crocheted washcloths are a great way to keep your hands busy through a TV show or through chit-chat. When you are done you have a cloth that feels much better on your skin than terrycloth. After a few trillion washes I downgrade mine to dish duty, and (depending on the pattern) the texture seems much more effective than what you'll find in the kitchen goods section of any store. The last phase of life for a good washcloth is as a dust rag. By the time they make it to this stage they are guaranteed to be lint free.

These are just a few of the things that make my modest little life feel productive and luxurious. What everyday things in your life are made special by making them from scratch?

Lazy days of summer

Between graduations, babies, and Father's Day, I sort of let the WIP pile get the better of me. Because I was/am under the wire I had a craftastrophe or two along the way. I am searching high and low for the charger for M.'s camera (which he lost, by the way), but thought I would toss down some links to what I am still working on.

I am excited to have a reason to make bibs from Chickpea's free pattern. For some reason, however, I decided embroidery must be added and so it is taking longer than planned.

Dad is getting an armchair caddy similar to this. His is orange and brown so he can keep his remotes close while he cheers on the Cleveland Browns. This is where the real headaches came from this week. I didn't quite like the tutorials I found, so I sat down and made a plan. I sketched it out in my cute Jill Phillips owl notebook and decided that I could get the whole thing out of a yard of brown cotton and a third yard of orange. Then I measured. Then I measured again. Then I decided to fold it to do make the cutting easier on my 18x24 cutting mat. Oops. The whole thing is now about a foot shorter than planned, but I think it will still make it over the arm of dad's chair. I included some T-pins just in case.

I am just two rows into a pretty basic ripple blanket from SusanB that can be found on Ravelry. The intended recipient is a huge Alice in Wonderland nut, so I decided to go with Cheshire cat colors. Big score there, because it just happens that the local Dollar Tree got in a surplus of Redheart Soft Yarn (the only Red heart worth using). They only had two colors, and they were precisely the colors I needed. This stuff usually goes for $3.50 a skien, and I paid a buck a pop.

Maybe this adorable reminder from WooWork will motivate me to be an early bird from now on.

Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted chickpeas have been making the rounds on the blogosphere for some time now, so I won't bore you with a how to. I gave them a shot using BitchinCamero's recipe, since I have a weak spot for Indian food. They were fabulous. I made another batch adding brown sugar that was divine.

What I do have for you is a tip. Roasted chickpeas go lose their texture pretty quickly, which can be a downer if you can't finish off the whole batch in one go. If you have some leftover, or you want to make a batch the night before for a party, there is hope.

Simply spread them on a tray and toast them in your toaster oven. In about 2 or 3 minutes you have fresh, crunchy, chickpeas again. Enjoy.

Homemade Pore "Strips"

I heard about homemade pore strips a while back, but never had unflavored gelatin on hand. I finally remembered to grab some today while shopping. Skeptical, I whipped up the following recipe and trucked off to the bathroom mirror.

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin (I used Knox)
1 1/2 tsp. milk
Mix to moisten and nuke for 10 seconds.
Apply to nose, chin, or forehead.
Wait 10-15 minutes, then peel off the "strip".

It worked! Most of the recipes I read online suggested applying the goop with a cosmetic brush, but my fingers worked just fine (I was afraid I'd ruin a good brush). Some of the thicker spots were still a little soft after 15 minutes, but they worked just as well and were actually easier to pull off. I may try halving the recipe next time because I had plenty left over.

Based off of the gelatin alone (1 1/2 tsp of milk seems negligible) that's about ten cents a strip verses a dollar per commercial strip.

Patterns? We don't need no stinking patterns!

My mother has been a nurse for over 20 years. During that 20 years I can't recall her having a single bag for work that she didn't hate for some reason or another. They were all too shallow for a clipboard or too deep to find things in. The straps were too short to sling over her shoulder. They never had enough pockets.

Well, we can't have that, can we?

I called up Dad and asked for the specs of the bag she was currently cursing. Then I drafted a plan (Patterns? Pfft. I'm a rebel baby!) and headed to Jo-Ann's for two half yards of fabric that would match her Ceil blue scrubs and her lilac coat.

There are three pockets in the lining, which is made from a thrifted bed-sheet. You can see here where my stitching went a little wonky on the right of the pocket. In my defense, it was my first ever pocket, and Mommy hadn't even noticed when I asked. That is Verna's sewing machine cover there in the background.

There are four pockets on the outside, two on each side. Mom will probably stuff in a PDR, but I prefer Terry Pratchett.

I tossed on some sling worthy straps, and packed it up to go to Mom. She used it immediately. Turns out all of her co-workers have been looking for the same features in a bag, and wanted to know where they could get one.

I plan to make one for myself soon and perhaps whip up a whole batch, so watch out for a tutorial.

Sewing Machine Meme

While I have only owned one machine, and not even for very long, I am compelled to participate in the meme at Sew, Mama, Sew! I love my machine, I feel like I got a great deal on it, and I am a sucker for anything that connects me to other sewers. Here goes.

What brand and model do you have? Janome DC3018

How long have you had it? Since Christmas 2008

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? MSRP is $799 but I got away with the display model at my local shop for $349 and full warranty.

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? I have yet to tackle all of the plans I have for her. So far though she has taken in and up several pairs of jeans and trousers, and made an army of bags. She even stitched some cardstock around Valentines Day. She has made it through denim without fits. On one bag went through an 10 layer sandwich (6 of quilting cotton, 2 of Pellon, and 2 of re-purposed bed linen).

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? I go without sewing most of the month because I am busy with other things. Then after the ideas have piled up there is about 3 or 4 days of sewing non-stop. It's like sewing bootcamp.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I love my machine. I call her Verna. I picture a sort of sassy diner waitress. The kind of gal who is strong and laughs through all of her hard work. Hmm... Is there therapy for this?

What features does your machine have that work well for you? I love the digital display, one-touch reverse button, and the up/down needle position button. They are all perfectly placed.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? I haven't found any pet peeves yet.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it! Verna was a Christmas present, but one that I specifically requested. I read reviews, decided on a price range (I didn't want my boyfriend to spend more on my machine than I was spending on his I-Pod), and went looking in small local shops. (I hate giving money to big box stores and know that machines sold in them are often below the manufacturer's usual standard.) I hunted out the perfect machine, haggled a price, and told M. where it was. He took me with him the next day to buy it.

That was in early November. He never wrapped it. I woke up looking at her for 6 weeks before I could even touch her. I was not even allowed to touch the manual until Christmas Day.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? Yes. She is sturdy, and has enough features to make her an asset for years to come.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? I think what you need to look for is a machine that has plenty of features to grow into without having so many bells and whistles that you are too overwhelmed to start.

Do you have a dream machine? I don't have my eyes set on anything just yet, but I think something that can embroider (Verna only has a couple of satin stitches) is in my future.

Why cooking and crafting matter.

Everything I know about knitting and sewing and embroidery I have learned from the internet. Aside from the simplest stitches and a few traditional recipes most of what I know I about crochet and bread came from lots and lots of Googling. Heck, even the most useful things I know about stain fighting I learned online.

It used to be that every girl learned to do these things before she left home. Sometime during the last couple of generations it was deemed sexist to teach a girl domestic arts. The problem is that no one countered that by teaching the boys. For the last three decades or so we were all learning how to earn and maintain careers, and few people were sitting at their parents' or grandparents' knee and learning how to make and mend.

Crafting gives us a connection to the items we use. Cooking gives us a connection to our food and to our bodies. When you know, not just in theory but with your own hands, how something is made, that item becomes more important. You learn what quality feels like, and how to take care of it. When you have made your own bread and know that all it takes is three or four simple ingredients to make a loaf then the paragraph of preservatives on a nutrition label may be enough to make you reach for a more sustainable brand, or for a jar of yeast instead.

Hand-making something also turns it into art. There is a sense of accomplishment in that and a feeling of power and competence in the creation of something. It just plain feels good. It also feels good to have a one of a kind item when you are done, or to give one. No one can argue that it doesn't feel pretty darn good to receive one.

Studies have been done indicating that knitting teaches math skills and that baking is a great way to teach science. Crafts and cooking slow us down. They make us appreciate the wonders of the things around us. They take the edge off of a world that can be downright scary. Now, after years of TV dinners and ready-to-wear, homemade is making a comeback.