mystic valley musings

opal owl lap quilt - done

2011-08-15T10:11:00.000-04:00

After sitting around without binding for a few weeks, my opal owl lap quilt finally got the finishing treatment yesterday. It's definitely the most colorful thing I've made yet, and I have to admit I like it more than I thought I would. I think there will be more playing-with-color in my future.

opal owl lap quilt - in progress

2011-07-18T13:38:00.001-04:00

My sister and niece are visiting, and a random craft inspiration hit us last night to whip up a quick lap quilt for another relative. We raided the stash and ended up using a few prints from Tina Givens' Opal Owl collection. Here are the blocks, laid out for the next step...

Just after taking the picture, we sewed them together. And of course NOW, looking at the picture, I really want to change the layout of the squares. Laying out the squares always makes me crazy. They are just never right... anyone else have that issue?

In the Yard - 6/1/11

2011-06-01T10:37:00.000-04:00

It's starting to feel like real summer in the perennial garden...

iris and salvia

peonies

dianthus and salvia

blushing knockout and iceberg roses

love that path

spiderwort

In the Yard - 5/25/11

2011-05-25T09:28:00.001-04:00

columbine is going crazy

first peonies!

a new "brilliant pink iceberg" rose

dianthus "indian carpet" and salvia "may night"

sea thrift

cranesbill

some sorta sad woodland phlox. wow this pic looks jungley.

close up of the pink iceberg. they smell delicious!!

I thought it was supposed to be April Showers?

2011-05-16T10:05:00.001-04:00

Ugh.

a bee on a stroll

2011-05-04T15:55:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I encountered the strangest thing... a fluffy yellow bumblebee, walking its way through my garden. It was very deliberately hitting up each little tuft of creeping thyme currently inhabiting the path. I'm not sure if she was unable to fly, or if she just felt like taking the scenic route, but I'm choosing to believe it was the latter.

Here's the bee in question, on the 'road'...

...taking in some flower juice...

...and back on the move.

In the Yard - 5/4/11

2011-05-04T15:35:00.001-04:00

All the perennials are coming along, but not too many blooms to be seen, except for these Hellebores that have been in bloom for at least a month now, I think...

...and the various tulips that are scattered around...

...and the window boxes that were just planted this weekend. Can't wait to see how this mish-mash of flowers grows up!

Time for Tulips

2011-04-26T14:12:00.002-04:00

The veggie garden is officially underway!

2011-04-09T17:42:00.000-04:00

I just came in from a full day working in the yard in some glorious spring weather. For a minute there I even thought I might get a sunburn! The new veggie bed is now fully fenced in with a simple chicken wire fence, compost has been worked into newly dug beds, paths have been mulched with saltwater hay, broccoli and brussels sprouts have been transplanted and peas, lettuce, arugula, carrots, spinach, beets, cilantro, dill and parsley have all been direct seeded. Building the fence wasn't part of today's work -- what kind of workhorse do you take me for? -- but it has been a long day nonetheless.

My camera with the decent wide angle lens is touring Europe right now, so here's what I could squeeze into one pic with my other camera:

Meanwhile, in the house, the tomatoes need to be transplanted to larger pots IMMEDIATELY but I am so pooped from being in the yard all day, that I think they might have to wait til tomorrow morning. This is why I am so bad at starting stuff inside. Oh well!

Far Far Away II baby quilt

2011-04-04T12:52:00.001-04:00

My latest baby quilt creation is my favorite yet! This one is was done with Far Far Away II by Heather Ross, with Tangerine and Baby Blue Kona Solids to sash, bind and back.

I started off making 12 wonky nine patch blocks and thinking I'd just sash and stagger them in a standard way. But once I put sashing on a few of the blocks, I realized how much I loved them all lined up. So I went with it. In retrospect, I would do the sashing in long strips instead of short block sized strips, but I'm not much for ripping out and resewing when I can get away with being lazy.

For the back I just did a fussy cut of the owl & the pussycat scene with a tangerine frame. And for the quilting, I did a free motion rectangular meander. Many thanks to Oh, Fransson for the wonky block and quilting inspiration!

PS. It looks like there's plenty of Far Far Away II left at Hawthorne Threads (one of my fav online shops) if you want to stock up!

Northwest Edible Life: Backyard Orchard Culture: Too Good To Be True?

2011-03-16T15:44:00.000-04:00

Awesomely inspiring blog post about growing fruit on a small scale. You'd better believe I will be giving this a shot in my backyard this year!

Northwest Edible Life: Backyard Orchard Culture: Too Good To Be True?: "I have struggled for a few years with a desire to have more fruit trees than my 1/3 acre lot can accomodate. A third-acre is actually pretty..."

UN Report: Eco-Farming can double food production in 10 years

2011-03-16T15:29:00.002-04:00

A new UN report gives a giant thumbs-up to "ecological methods" in agriculture.

"To feed 9 billion people in 2050, we urgently need to adopt the most efficient farming techniques available," says Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food and author of the report. "Today’s scientific evidence demonstrates that agroecological methods outperform the use of chemical fertilizers in boosting food production where the hungry live -- especially in unfavorable environments."

Just to clarify, the report defines agroecology as the "application of ecological science to the study, design and management of sustainable agroecosystems" and states that:

The core principles of agroecology include recycling nutrients and energy on the farm, rather than introducing external inputs; integrating crops and livestock; diversifying species and genetic resources in agroecosystems over time and space; and focusing on interactions and productivity across the agricultural system, rather than focusing on individual species.

Essentially, everything that modern industrial farming is not. But you know that already, right? In any case, it's great to see things like this surfacing. Now if only the US would follow the report's recommendation to "implement public policies supporting the adoption of agroecological practices".

Thanks to VegNews for pointing this out. You can find the full pdf of the original report here.

New veggie bed in the works

2011-03-14T15:58:00.002-04:00

This weekend we double-dug our new veggie bed and started marking off where our path will be. Next we're going to surround it with a chicken wire fence to help ward off the varmints. As you can see, we're going for a somewhat keyhole style plan, except not round. Well, whatever the shape, before you know it, I'll be planting peas!

Please disregard the chaotic nature of my yard at the moment... stacked up yard furniture, misc canoe, cold frame placed randomly on the grass, and raised beds perched precariously above ground. What can I say, the snow just melted and all I have time for is getting ready for planting ASAP!

The heralds of spring

2011-03-14T11:35:00.001-04:00

Spring is right around the corner, which means I'll probably be posting a lot more gardening related stuff. For example, I've already got some seedlings going for spring planting!

So far I have onions, celery, a few annual flowers (sweet pea, pansy and impatiens), bell peppers, hot peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and eggplant underway. This will be the first year I've tried celery or eggplant, and the first in a while that I've bothered trying broccoli and brussels sprouts, but I'm hopeful.

Here are a couple pics of the happy wee plants:

And in other springtime-is-near news, bulbs are pushing up their noses around my yard! I think only a gardener could understand just how THRILLING that is to see after a looong and snowy winter. :)

Megumi Sakakibara Free-Motion Quilt - Done!

2011-03-14T11:25:00.000-04:00

Okay, this has actually been done for a while but I'm a slacker about posting. I decided to vary the binding just for fun, and to add a little extra excitement since I made the back so boring (all white).

The light makes the colors kind of hard to see, but I'm guessing you get the drift.

Free-Motion Quilting!

2011-02-07T09:39:00.000-05:00

I swallowed my fear and dove in for some free-motion quilting on my latest baby quilt... and I think it came out pretty damn well. Hopefully the squiggly lines make up for the fact that I got lazy and just backed it with a solid kona snow.

Next up, binding!

Megumi Sakakibara Baby Quilt

2011-01-24T11:35:00.001-05:00

While pulling out fabric for yet another baby quilt, I found a stash of awesome Megumi Sakakibara prints, perfect for a baby girl's blanket. I was thinking that I'd do something simple just to bang this quilt out in a relatively quick time, so I cut out a bunch of 5" squares and sashed them with some Heather Bailey Nicey Jane "Hop Dot" in cream.

Now I'm starting to think it's a little too.. something. Busy, maybe? I dunno that I'm crazy about the sashing choice, but I don't hate it, so this is how it's gonna be.

The colors aren't showing up great on these pics, but I think you get the drift. And yeah, my squares aren't lining up great, but whatever. I doubt baby girl will care. :P

Now, should I back it in something cuddly and minky? Or just regular quilting cotton, so it's better for throwing on the floor and letting a wee one roll around on it?

For the record, you can find a lot of this fabric at superbuzzy or fabricworm.

Simple Echino pillows

2011-01-07T09:56:00.001-05:00

I took my first shot at making a couple of pillows this weekend, and made what amounts to about the simplest covers for a throw pillow that I could conjure. They ended up being slightly too big, but if they ever end up getting washed, that might be taken care of a little bit.

This was also my first excuse to use some Etsuko Furuya by Echino fabric, which I am always admiring from afar. My soon-to-be-a-teen niece is redoing her room and hopefully these will be an accent, or at least an inspiration. They are backed with Echino solids in purple and blue, respectively, as you can kind of see in the second picture here.

For the record, the prints I used here are the Wild Forest (or Woodland Friends, depending on which of these quilting shops has the "official" name -- who knows?) in Natural & Pink from Fall 2010, and what I think is called Quiet Ground from the Fall 2009 line. My local fabric store, Fabric Corner in Arlington, MA, had a TON of Etsuko Furuya fabric in stock so I just bought what I liked, and am not positive of the actual names.

Owl Quilt: DONE!

2011-01-07T09:45:00.000-05:00

Duh-du-du-dun! It's finished!

I'm not actually planning on it staying on the bed like this, but it was the best way to see the whole thing:

the owl quilt and forays into mid-arm quilting

2010-12-30T17:38:00.000-05:00

I got the new sewing machine just in time to help finish up the top and back for Alex's owl quilt. And, since it IS a freaking large quilt, I decided there's no time like the present to learn how to use the quilt table. After many stops, starts, thread breakage, loops, and what-the-hell-is-going-on-here moments, I finally quilted the top. Granted, it kind of looks like shit, but hey... it's my first try! There are a number of spots on the back that are particularly terrible -- wads of looped up bobbin thread and other such horrors. But, Alex being the "who cares" kinda guy he is, and me being too lazy to hand fix it all (at least right now), I think for now it's going to stay this way. It's my ode to learning. :)

The front:

The back: (witness my shame)

All trimmed up and ready for binding!

New sewing machine!

2010-12-30T17:31:00.000-05:00

You'll see me quilting a lot more in the coming months, because I got a sweet new sewing machine. It's a Janome 1600p that I managed to snatch up on craigslist, along with a Little Gracie II quilt frame (that barely fits in my house). I'm heading for the big(ger) leagues!

Now if only I can figure out how to properly use them...

The machine:

The beast:

a 70's inspired log cabin quilt for Alex

2010-12-21T11:35:00.001-05:00

My next big project is a curl-up-on-the-couch quilt for Alex. Wintery nights usually find him wrapped in a giant Sesame Street blanket that is nearing the end of its life... my aim is to replace it.

A while back I came across some owl fabric that he really liked, so this has become the inspiration. The colors are all 70's yucky (or not, if that's your thing, as it is Alex's): browns, oranges, red and cream.

Here are the blocks all set out on the floor as I figured out the layout:

I am going to sash them with a creamy solid, so it won't be THAT dark.

Last night I finished squaring them off. One of the great things about having a drummer around is how many giant flat drumhead boxes there are around that I can use to make big 14.5" square templates! This was my evening last night:

And here's a closeup of the stack waiting to be squared up. Love those owls!

My goal is to get the quilt top done before xmas, and the quilt itself done by the new year! Here's to dreaming big!

The Joys of Paper-Free Wrapping

2010-12-21T11:22:00.001-05:00

My family and I have a deal this xmas -- no more paper gift wrap! Last night I received a big package from back home, filled with goodies in home-made fabric holiday bags made by my mom. They all look amazing!

As for my own gifts, I splurged on a bunch of fun xmas fabric earlier in the year, in the hopes that this fabric will be traded around between family members for years. Some of the highlights are Sheri Berry "12 Joys of Christmas" (now on sale at pink chalk fabrics... get some now and join in the revolution next year!) and a bunch of selections from the Alexander Henry "Christmas Time" collection.

I wrapped each present up in a piece of fabric, much the same way I would've done had it been paper, and then tied them up with a 2" length of white linen. To top it off, I embroidered simple name tags using some cute xmas transfers from Sublime Stitching.

The final result? Pure Christmas spirit!

3rd baby quilt down, 3 more to go!

2010-12-21T11:08:00.000-05:00

I finally finished the charm squares quilt and handed it off to the new parents to be. They have assured me that they will do their best to see if it can become "THE BLANKET" for their kid. That's really my ultimate goal with all of these.

I forgot to take a final pic of it, so I snapped one as I was on my way out the door to give it to them. Look how cute it is all tied up with an extra strip of binding!

also...

2010-11-10T15:51:00.003-05:00

told ya.

Charm Squares Baby Quilt II -- In Progress!

2010-11-10T15:25:00.004-05:00

Last night I started the quilting on my latest project -- another version of Elizabeth Hartman's Charm Squares Baby Quilt for yet another pregnant friend.

Here's the top, with lots of excess batting poking out around the edges:

I'm going for the same straight line quilting that I did last time, as you can see here...

And speaking of last time, I think I probably never posted pictures of the last quilt since I was afraid Karen & Luke would see it before I had a chance to give it to them.

Hopefully the one I'm working on now will turn out as well. I'm planning on binding it in yellow, which I think will be super cute! I would love to try some free motion quilting but I just don't quite have enough faith in my crappy Shark sewing machine. For now, though, the straight lines are working for me.

I also did one quilt between these two that I forgot to take any pictures of before giving it away! That one was from Elizabeth Hartman's Nine Patch Lattice Quilt pattern. Can you tell I like her stuff? She writes a fantastic blog called Oh, Fransson and just came out with this delicious looking quilting book (it's on my xmas list!):

The July Breakdown

2010-07-30T10:46:00.005-04:00

Not a break-down like my car is broken or I'm having a meltdown but, rather, since I haven't posted anything in July, here's a quick breakdown of some things that have occurred or happened to me this month...

1. Pigs in rain boots; they're everywhere. (Wow, I wish I meant that literally.)

2. I'm trying to get a regular poker game together, so I've been thinking about poker... and stereotypes of poker games... and dogs playing poker... which brought me to the site "dogsplayingpoker.org" which had this pic in the gallery:

Note the fantastic line: "He reads the day's mail and has no worries or women within sight."

3. Every kind of varmint in the world has taken up residence in my yard including, most recently, a rabbit. And all of them want to eat the kale. Yet, despite everything, I know I will try to grow kale again next year. Some people never learn.

4. Speaking of gardens, the veggies are coming along okay (despite the rabbits eating the beans, and everything eating the kale), but the hubby and I have decided that this fall it is time for a complete revamp of the veggie plot layout. I'm thinking keyhole/mandala style, with a fence around it to deter critters. The question now is: do I make the mandala garden raised or just do it at ground level?

5. I have been majorly slacking on quilting projects. My fabric stash continues to grow (the fabric addiction is waning slightly, but it's still there), but my quilting project pace has stagnated. Man it's hard to quilt when there's weeding to be done, and hard to weed when there's cookin' food and hanging out with friends to be done... See, this is exactly why I need to be unemployed. How else will I find time to garden, quilt, cook elaborate meals, hang out with friends and also be a lazy bum? Ahhh c'est la vie.

6. The Dexter season 5 trailer came out! HOLY BEJEEZUS! I am embarrassed to be so excited for a tv show.

7. And as if my level of excitement about Dexter isn't embarrassing enough, I am positively giddy over this Game of Thrones teaser trailer from HBO.

I read winter-is-coming.net daily to keep up on all the Game of Thrones gossip, and have even convinced some of my co-workers to do a chapter-by-chapter bookclub (a la the folks over at Gestalt Mash). GoT fever is in the air!

Well, I guess that's all for now. See you in August!

8 years

2010-06-21T15:43:00.001-04:00

Today's our 8 year anniversary. My what an old couple we are turning into.

pic stolen from http://shelby-lee-adams-resume.blogspot.com/

vegan doughnuts!

2010-06-18T15:09:00.003-04:00

And, before I forget, we made VEGAN DOUGHNUTS on Memorial Day! Let me just say... wow! This pic doesn't really do them justice but here ya go...

In the Yard - 6/18/2010

2010-06-18T15:07:00.000-04:00

Lots of fun stuff is starting to bloom! Such as...

asiatic lilies

i forget what this is... veronica 'royal candles', i think?

one of the many dianthus i have around

alcea rosea 'old farmyard' (hollyhocks)

'lady in red' hydrangea

loads of lavender

the first hint of blooming on the monarda (bee balm)

fabric, fabric, and more fabric!

2010-06-11T14:26:00.000-04:00

I have become positively addicted to fabric. Buying fabric, browsing fabric, mulling over ways to use fabric... it's becoming an actual problem. Fortunately I have about a thousand ideas of quilts, bags, pillows and other miscellaneous projects that I can make to use up my ever growing stash. Let's take a look at a few of the collections that I've been obsessed with recently (very little of which I have managed to procure)...

Castle Peeps by Lizzy House for Andover (Castles and folks in medieval garb? How could I resist?)

All of the Birch Organic collections. After all, they are cute AND organic. Such as...

I'll just list off a few more, I think the images will speak for themselves...

Into the Woods by Sharyn Sowell for Clothworks

Spring 2010 by Etsuko Furuya for Echino

Heather Ross on Spoonflower

Metro Kitchen for Robert Kaufman

Ta da!

2010-05-27T15:49:00.000-04:00

I can't believe what a great job the roofers did cleaning up... and I don't think any of my plants bit the dust! There's a clematis in the back that might have lost a limb or two, but she'll survive. Anyway, new roof! What do you think?

New Roof

2010-05-27T13:09:00.000-04:00

When you are getting a new roof, you have to do things like take the window boxes off your house and work from home... and this is what it looks like:

Unfortunately it doesn't actually sound as peaceful as the picture may lead you to believe; I feel like I'm under seige!

Anyway, here is a pic of the roof this morning as the workers were just getting underway (on the rear of the house):

And here is some of the ensuing destruction...

Will my plants make it through unscathed? Doubtful. Will the roof NOT look it's going to collapse any moment? Yes! I think it's worth the trade off, but oh how I fear for my plant-children today.

I'll post more once they are done and we'll see what the final verdict is!

Groundhog Day

2010-05-14T10:24:00.001-04:00

My neighbor has informed me that there seems to be a groundhog living in my yard and, lo and behold, as I stepped out into the yard last night, I caught a glimpse of his fat and furry little butt scrambling under the shed. A groundhog! Living in my tiny backyard! By my tiny vegetable garden! And he's HUGE! Actually, he looked more like this than the above pic:

Or maybe this...

This might explain the assault that's been happening to my lettuce and beans lately. Or, that might be the evil albino squirrel or his birdie henchmen.

Anyway, since he's so fluffy and muppety looking, I couldn't very well get behind Alex's idea of scaring him off with the bb gun or smoking him out from below the shed (the dear vegan husband is so brutally territorial when it comes to his food!) so instead we took a bunch of chicken wire and caged in the raised bed that's been getting the most abuse, and put some bird netting over everything else. We also caged in the baby paw paw tree that has been having quite a few leaves nibbled lately. So now my yard looks like a prison yard for rogue vegetable plants.

Hopefully Mr. Woodchuck and I can find a happy coexistence. But if he won't accept my boundaries, I'm not sure what will happen next. I'm open to suggestions...

Plant Close-Ups

2010-05-05T19:48:00.000-04:00

I love how everything in the yard looks when you get close-up. And since I was out with the camera anyway, I snapped a few close ones. All of these original images are extra large, so if you want to get really up close and personal, click on the picture to see the big version.

balloon flowers

columbine

tulip

azalea

oregano

solomon's seal, nestled in some bleeding heart

raspberries... just starting to happen

paw paw

tiny strawberries

In the Yard - 5/5/2010

2010-05-05T19:40:00.000-04:00

Cinco de Mayo! Finally up to present day. What a difference a month and a half makes!

yay, we finally have color!!

the much neglected jerusalem artichoke patch. they don't seem to care whether i weed or not... they just keep coming.

the back yard, where the useful plants live:

a peek in the cold frame - kale, bok choy, beets, turnips, carrots, collards, chard, and some random herbs

the other raised bed - various salad greens, scallions, radishes, and a lone marigold in the corner

the holding zone, currently holding some bee balm and hollyhocks. but where should i plant them? gotta love buying a plant without a plan...

the garlic patch

baby asparagus in a bed that i have yet to weed this year

the shed, surrounded by rasberries, catmint and honeysuckle

my tiny paw paw tree!!

strawberries

beans and okra... you just can't see them yet. ;)

miscellaneous annuals i started from seed. i'm not sure what i'll do with them though.

In the Yard - 3/18/2010

2010-05-05T19:01:00.000-04:00

Here's the scene on March 18...

salad greens and radishes are planted in the cold frame

garlic is up

and so are the crocus

God, what a welcome sight those crocus are when it's still a blustery winter in Boston.

In the Yard - 3/8/2010

2010-05-05T18:55:00.000-04:00

Here we are on March 8, 2010... doesn't get much bleaker than this.

the front

there are peas along that fence, they just haven't done much yet

the remnants from the previous fall... scallions and spinach wintered over pretty well in the cold frame

the first daffodil peeking up

first signs of crocus

Chronicle of a Yard

2010-05-05T18:51:00.000-04:00

Since my yard is constantly evolving, I figured I ought to be chronicling the changes. So, since I haven't posted anything in a while, I'll start a couple months back...

This winter's climate averages (ie. Donald Trump can suck it)

2010-04-28T15:01:00.000-04:00

Over at Permaculture Reflections, there is a great post about the climate changes that were seen this winter. Using charts pulled from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this winter's climate variations across the globe are clearly shown.

You may remember that this past February, Donald Trump was quoted as saying: "With the coldest winter ever recorded, with snow setting record levels up and down the coast, the Nobel committee should take the Nobel Prize back from Al Gore. Gore wants us to clean up our factories and plants in order to protect us from global warming, when China and other countries couldn’t care less. It would make us totally noncompetitive in the manufacturing world, and China, Japan and India are laughing at America’s stupidity."

Hmmm, or are they laughing at your stupidity in thinking that a cold winter in NY is the same as a cold winter in the rest of the world? What does this climate data for February say to you?

source: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/?report=global&year=2010&month=2&submitted=Get+Report

And while I'm throwing around pictures, here's a great pic of the Trumpster himself that I found on climateprogress.org, where you can read more about his comments on global warming.

His hair is just ridiculous.

The long lost days of shredage

2010-03-29T08:37:00.000-04:00

Over a month has past, and did I do 30 days of shredding? I wish. No, I have a list of excuses, but our primary downfall began when my husband's knee went on the fritz. He has an old dirtbike injury (be careful, kids!) that's always made his knee a bit wonky, and after about 10 days of shredding (or maybe it was just level 2 -- those plank moves were a bitch!), it was causing him some major pain. About that time I also found that my ankles were killing me. We finally got ourselves to the Saucony outlet to buy some proper cross-trainers (not that they probably would've helped the knee much, but it certainly couldn't have hurt more), but by that time we were both ready for some recuperation time. So... we took about 2 weeks off. There were a couple of yoga classes in there, and a round of p90x "Ab Ripper" (which is, like, WHOA!), but we basically turned back into slugs. Terrible.

Now some time has gone by, and Alex is still afraid to shred on his knee. I have slowly gotten back into the swing of things, but now it's like 3 days a week instead of every day; it's definitely much harder to get inspired when you are shredding on your own. This week my sister and niece are in town so I have yet another excuse to slack off, although I did make them both do level one with me on Saturday! That's right, go on vacation -- get shredded! Just what they had in mind, I'm sure.

In any case, I have not given up, I've just... um... fallen behind a bit. So say a little prayer for me or cheer me on, I can use all the motivation I can get!

The Medford Green Line Alliance talks food politics

2010-03-26T09:36:00.000-04:00

The Medford Green Line Alliance blog keeps me updated on all the news about the Green Line coming to my neighborhood (WHHOOOPPEEE!!), but today they also gave a little blip about food subsidies. I love it when my passions magically converge.

But seriously, meat and dairy subsidies... ugh. All I can do is shake my head.

Cherry, Paw-Paw, Peach, Oh My!

2010-03-17T15:02:00.000-04:00

Today we finally have sunshine and warm weather, and I cannot get my mind off of spring planting. I recently checked out Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden by Lee Reich from the library and am feeling thoroughly gung-ho to try and get some more fruit into my yard this year. Currently I have 2 heritage raspberry bushes, 1 sad low-bush wild blueberry, and 2 even sadder gooseberries plants that are in a far too shady area. But forget the berry bushes, I want more! I want FRUIT TREES!

Now, my yard is pretty small -- about a tenth of an acre -- and a good portion is shaded by some big trees growing across the back of the property (and thus stifling my poor gooseberries). Since most trees are going to want sun and will also want a friend to help with pollination, I am thinking that the maximum I can handle is two in the back and two in the front... and that is only if they are not big varieties. In fact, the two in the front need to be downright dwarfish.

My current thinking is to plant two paw-paws in the backyard, near to the fence, so that they create a little bit of natural privacy as they grow. I've been harping on how I want paw-paws ever since I first learned of them a few years ago, so I figure I may as well give them a go.

For the front yard, I am leaning towards some kind of cherry, since they are quite ornamental as well. Reading Lee Reich's book, I got pumped on the Nanking Cherry, which is actually shrub-sized and produces very small cherries that are more on the tart side. However, now I'm thinking I could go for a more traditional sweet cherry, if I could find a good self-pollinating dwarf variety. But does such a thing even exist?

nanking cherry

a more standard cherry -- not sure what variety this is

Should I try to do peach or plum instead? Are apple trees really problem-prone in this area? (I read that somewhere.) So many questions, and the clock is ticking. Anyone have any suggestions?

Jelly Roll Quilt Along: Block 2

2010-03-16T13:41:00.000-04:00

Here's block 2 from the Jelly Roll Quilt Along. Doesn't really, uh, "go" with block 1 very well, but maybe once I have them all together, it will make sense. Here's hoping!

Family Photos

2010-03-12T11:32:00.000-05:00

My mom found and scanned in a bunch of old photos. My god, they are amazing. Here are some of my favs.

my grandmother, mildred

uncle bob, uncle david, granddad bob, grandma mildred, mom, uncle henry

great-aunt bessie

great-aunt bessie & my mom

mom & her cousin mary alice

grandma mildred

grandma mildred

my great-grandmother, lula jones spruill

my great-aunt, ethel spruill

the sisters: ethel, eva, bessie and mildred

grandmother mildred and great-aunt jean

my great-uncle, ransom

great-aunt jean, great-grandfather van, great-grandmother estelle, and great-uncle ransom

great-grandparents, van and estelle

great-uncle van jr and granddad bob

A Big Block Quilt

2010-03-12T09:58:00.001-05:00

Since I am notorious for starting a project and never finishing it, I decided to take a preemptive strike against this tendancy and make my first quilting project a "quick" one. I bought an interesting layer cake (Twiggy by Sanae for Moda), cut most of the squares into triangle halves, and layed them out to create this marvelously simple pattern (modeled after a quilt I saw online somewhere).

A few days ago I finished piecing all of it together, and last night I added a "natural" color border. I'm not sure it's actually square, but I think it's pretty close!

Next up is piecing the backing fabric (basic brown) and making the quilt sandwich. I have some medium loft batting waiting in the wings, I only hope it is the right size. One of the pitfalls of not using a pattern and being too hasty to actually plan it out is that I don't even know what finished size I am looking at here. If I recall correctly from cutting the border last night, I believe it's around 75" square.... so, queen-ish I guess?

After that it's on to the actual quilting, of which I am terrified! I only have a wee little shark sewing machine from Target, I am pretty sure I don't have the patience to do it by hand, and taking it to someone else to quilt seems like a cop out... what's a girl to do? If anyone has any tips, please please please give em up!

Anyway, I think this is going to be my summer picnic/lay-in-the-sun-and-snooze blanket and that vision is spurring me on. Wish me luck!

Jelly Roll Quilt Along

2010-03-05T10:26:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of actually learning something about quilting and not fizzling out before I even really begin, I have decided to join in on a Jelly Roll Quilt Along sponsored by Moose on the Porch Quilts. I'm using a jelly roll* of Frolic by Sandy Gervais for Moda that I procured on ebay, and managed to conquer the first block on Wednesday night. Here it is, though I swear the colors look better in real life...

*For the record, a jelly roll is a whole collection of fabric (so they all somewhat go together) that is cut into 2.5"x44" strips and then rolled up into a little "jelly roll" bundle. Thus, you get a big selection of fabrics without having to buy tons of yardage. You can also buy "charm packs" (5"x5"), honey buns (1.5" x 44"), layer cakes (10"x10"), turnovers (6" right triangles) and probably more bundles that I don't know about. Anyway, these little bundles are too cute to resist, and my collecting nature is kicking in BIG TIME. Ebay and Etsy are my worst enemies right now.

HBO greenlights A Game of Thrones!

2010-03-02T16:54:00.000-05:00

I just did a (virtual) dance of joy; HBO has ordered 10 episodes of A Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin's novels! My favorite fantasy series is hopefully about to become my favorite tv series.

Read more here:

Official report from the Hollywood Reporter

Winter Is Coming blog -- all the rumors & news

George R.R. Martin's blog

synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is bad for the soil? no shit, sherlock!

2010-03-02T14:59:00.001-05:00

Some folks over at the University of Illinois are proving what organic farmers have been saying all along. Well, at least it's good to have more research to point to!

Read the article over at Grist: New research: synthetic nitrogen destroys soil carbon, undermines soil health

my first quilt blocks

2010-03-01T10:38:00.000-05:00

Last week I randomly decided that I wanted to try my hand at quilting, and last night I made my first two quilt blocks! I know they're nothing fancy for a REAL quilter, but I'm feeling like they are pretty snazzy for a beginner.

Seed Starting Pt 2: Veggies!

2010-02-24T14:13:00.001-05:00

About a week after I started the window box plants, a couple days ago I went ahead and started with the edibles.

So far, I've started the following, all from the lovely folks at High Mowing Seeds:

1. Scallions "Evergreen Bunching"
2. Lacinato Dinosaur Kale
3. Champion Collards
4. Fordhook Giant Chard
5. Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
6. Common Sage

Even though I have never had any luck with broccoli or brussel sprouts, I am still tempted to give them another go... perhaps I'll seed a few of those over the next couple days. And maybe some okra -- though I'm sure I can never grow enough of it in my sun-deficient yard for it to be worth it, my innate southernness begs me to try. Has anyone else in the area (Boston, Zone 6a) had any luck with Collards, Okra or any other stereotypically southern veggies?

In any case, just a couple more weeks and I'll get some tomatoes, peppers and basil going as well. I learned my lesson last year and will definitely not be bothering to start any squash inside, and I figure I will plant lettuces, carrots, beets, radishes and possibly some others really early in the cold frame. And peas and beans will just be directly seeded at the proper time. So I think that'll be it! Any veggies I'm totally neglecting here? I only have a tenth of an acre, but I like to squeeze in as much as possible.

Seed Starting Pt 1: Annual Ornamentals

2010-02-24T13:44:00.001-05:00

Even though we are still feeling frigid up here in the Northeast, last week I began my first seeds for spring. YAY!

First off, let's talk ornamentals. For the past couple of years I have been pretty diligent with my window boxes and the general curb appeal of my front yard. The beds are all perennials and are more or less established at this point, but I always end up pouring way more money than I want to into annuals for the window boxes. So, this year, I'm trying my hand at starting all my window box plants from seed. Since I usually make all my window box planting decisions last minute at the nursery (no matter how I try to plan, I always change my mind), I am going for breadth of selection in what I am trying to grow. I'm hoping at least a few plants will make it outside, and if I end up filling in with a few store bought specimens, well, it's better than nothing.

I basically just picked a random smattering from Park Seed, based on a random website that mentioned good window box varieties. So here's what I have going for that project:

1. Lobelia Fountain White
2. Lobelia 'Fountain Blue'
3. Verbena Imagination
4. Pansy Park's Whopper White
5. Pansy Flirty Skirts Burgundy
6. Pansy 'Flirty Skirts Blue'
7. California Poppy 'Wrinkled Rose'
8. Bacopa Blutopia
9. Impatiens 'Athena Mix'
10. Petunia Celebrity Mix
11. Nasturtium (leftover from 2009, I forget the variety but they are bright red)
12. Marigolds (also leftover from last year)

Of these, everything is now sprouting except for the Verbena and one of the Pansies. I have hope the Pansies will come along like their brethren, but apparently Verbena is difficult and likes to germinate in total darkness. Well, now that most everything is sprouting, I've gone ahead and stuck the tray under a light. The verbena will just have to deal. No fussy plants allowed!

30 Day Shred

2010-02-23T15:36:00.000-05:00

I work a computer job, so I am basically a slug; it feels like about half my life is spent online, and the rest is spent sleeping. Or eating. Pretty much the only excersize I get is when spring rolls around and I get to tear into my garden. In order to combat my winter inertness, last fall I got a gym membership. Now, I'm not sure how many times I've used that membership, but I'm pretty positive it would amount to less than once a month since its inception.

So, it is with much trepidation, that my husband (slightly less slug-like, but definitely not setting foot in a gym) and I have begun the "30 Day Shred." Basically, we have vowed to work out every single morning (with a MAXIMUM of one day off a week) using the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred dvd.

The dvd has 3 different 20 minute workouts, at increasing levels of difficulty. 20 minutes is pretty minor, so I figure this gives us zero excuse for being "too busy". We began last Tuesday, Feb 16, with level 1 and managed to do it every morning up 'til Sunday. (We took a mini-vaca to Sweet Local Farm, so a day of rest was in order!) Monday we resumed on schedule and this morning we decided to take the leap to level 2. HOT DAMN! I read on some review that Jillian Michaels is "a beast", and I think that constantly when I am doing the workout... but never moreso than this morning.

Anyway, so here we are on our 7th day of shred-age and I have to say that I think it's working. This morning I was actually the one that said "level 1 seems too doable now, let's do level 2!" Too bad I didn't take any "before" pics or measurements so I could properly document our journey into fitness, but I'll try to keep up with some blog updates.

So, anyone else try this 30 Day Shred? Or do you have any other workout recommendations for once the 30 days is up?

60's french pop

2009-12-31T09:52:00.000-05:00

My random diversion of the week is 60's french pop stars. Every now and then I get a hankerin' to learn french, and it's usually sparked by videos like these...

How good is that song? And does anyone else think Françoise looks surprisingly 2009? No froofy hairdo. Hrmm. Here's some hair that's a bit more what I'd expect, I guess...

And to round it out, mademoiselle France Gall...

2009: a disasterous year for massachusetts farmers

2009-09-10T15:25:00.000-04:00

Governor Deval Patrick has asked the feds to declare Massachusetts an agricultural disaster zone, due to our sucky, soggy summer.

This makes me feel much better about our garden this year. It wasn't awesome, but it wasn't a DISASTER.

Check out the Boston Globe article here.

the motherlode

2009-08-21T14:40:00.000-04:00

Check out this motherlode of amazing old photos. They are all part of Roger Vaughan's personal collection.

I could look at these all day.

Here are a few choice examples...

hair receivers

2009-08-18T10:41:00.000-04:00

So, I've seen things like this at antique shops in the past, but I never realized until now what they ARE: hair receivers! To quote hairarchives.com:

"During the Victorian Period, the hair receiver was commonly found on a woman’s vanity. After brushing her hair, she would remove the hair from the brush and place it through the opening of the receiver for storage. Once enough hair had accumulated, it could be used to construct rats, or could be woven or plaited and put into lockets, left visible through cut-glass windows of a brooch or even made into watch chains, bracelets or jewelry."

I'm enthralled. And to think we let all that perfectly good old hair go to waste. I certainly could have used a real homemade rat to hold up my hair last halloween.

autochromes

2009-08-14T13:58:00.000-04:00

I can't stop dreaming about autochromes. So eery and yet oddly modern. Not to mention I'm reading Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern, so it segues nicely into the time period I'm currently obsessing over.

Here are some gems...

Maurice Rambert (Swiss, 1866-1941) / Family Group at Chalet / circa 1907

Unidentified Photographer (France) / Among the Irises / May 28, 1924

Mervyn Joseph Pius O'Gorman (1871-1958) / Christina / 1913

Unidentified / Woman wearing red dress with houses in background / ca. 1915

Mrs. Benjamin F. Russell / Children in medieval costume / ca. 1910

Check out that last one. See? People have always been into D&D. :P

Props to Liebemarlene Vintage for posting pics of the Mervyn O'Gorman shots and getting my interest.

first step: a corset

2009-08-14T09:01:00.000-04:00

I haven't yet made the decision between 1860 and 1880, but either way I have some corset making in my future. And since I'm not sure where I'll find proper boning and busks around Boston, I have placed an order for this handy corset making kit for Simplicity 9769 from corsetmaking.com:

Next stop, buying the pattern itself and some fabric. Fabric-wise, I'm planning to go for something cheap and standard, rather than buying corset coutil. Perhaps if I ever try this again, I'll do it more legitimately. By the time I finish this piece, hopefully I'll have figured out what I want to go over it.

my next crazy sewing project

2009-08-13T14:48:00.000-04:00

I am torn between two prospective sewing projects, each equally insane for me to attempt.

1) Civil War era, ala Scarlett Ohara

photos from Dr. Macro's awesome site

2) Victorian Era /bustle /1880's style

Any votes? Stay tuned as I get this underway...

this rain is bullshit

2009-07-02T09:27:00.000-04:00

death to squirrels!

2009-06-09T10:04:00.002-04:00

Okay, not really death. I'm vegan, after all. But the squirrels are reeking havoc in the garden! First it was just some baby corn plants that took a beating, but yesterday I came home to find holes dug all around my raised beds and about half my kale plants destroyed, 2 big planters full of strawberry plants that no longer contain anything but dirt, and one of my happiest looking winter squash vines got chewed completely off right at the base. WTF?!

Tonight the hubby and I are going to go on a cage/fence/netting binge. We have a date with Home Depot and then total squirrel obstruction.

And even though we are both vegan and not so into that "killing" thing, I really had to talk him down from just buying a pellet gun and taking the suckers out. When someones eating your food, things start getting personal.

One way or another, this is war. If anyone has any squirrel tips, lay em on me!

bathroom tile

2009-06-04T15:10:00.000-04:00

The latest phase in the saga of my bathroom is complete... the tile floor is down and grouted. Next step: sealing. And then walls, a toilet, a vanity... *sigh*

Note the beautiful shower tiling job too. I hope I never have to tile anything again in my life.

ah, work

2009-05-29T16:20:00.001-04:00

just sayin'.

i love lourdes

2009-05-26T17:14:00.001-04:00

Maybe my Madonna obsession just filtered down, but I'm pretty sure I'd love her no matter what her roots. The eyebrows only seal the deal. If she ever cleans them up I will be heartbroken.

pups

2009-05-22T14:16:00.001-04:00

Every now and then I rediscover petfinder and get re-obsessed with berating my husband about how we should get a dog. Today, I want the follow pups for my birthday:

First off we have lovely Lily, the Australian Shephard. Check out the curly tail and perky disposition. I'm totally in love.

And here we have Gray, with the crazy eyes. I think Lily and Gray would do a marvelous job of terrorizing my backyard. I don't even care that they'd probably tromp all my tomatoes.

Well, I'm just dreaming, but oh how I wish I could adopt you little pups!

ultimate city garden

2009-05-20T10:28:00.001-04:00

This morning I am fawning over this google maps aerial view photo of a city garden in Chicago, brought to my attention by the fine folks at Homegrown Evolution.

You can read more about it on their blog post, but for me I like to just imagine scenes like this taking over cities. You know, street by street, block by block...

I couldn't resist the Earth Crisis reference. Sorry.

ps. Molly's Moves

2009-05-18T16:58:00.000-04:00

Just for the record, those dance moves by the Missing Persons crowd were 100% this scene. Shake it, Molly!

80s inspiration

2009-05-18T10:41:00.000-04:00

Just when I think I'm tired of all things 80s, I stumble upon something like this. Check out the dance moves at 5:38. That's what I'm talking about!

bye bye winter

2009-05-07T15:09:00.001-04:00

I was just looking through some pictures and came across this one. Thank god winter is over. Soon I'll post what this area is looking like now, and what a joyous comparison that will be.

Looking at this reminds me that, last fall, I left all of the perennials in my front yard to go to seed. It's part of my "see what happens" garden philosophy. Well, what happened is that I have volunteer asters all over the front bed. I've thinned them a bit, but I have no idea what will happen with them or how densely they can grow and still remain healthy. I guess I'll see what happens...