Monday, June 27, 2011

Day 26: Cheese! #30daysofcreativity

I made cheese!! (well, actually, I watched someone else make cheese, and got to take some of the results home)

I have assisted in the making of mozzarella, and a failed batch of mozzarella that became ricotta, before but this required far more steps. It will become camembert (after 6-8 weeks in my fridge). I have to say that pressing cheese with a mold is a much easier process (instead of wrestling with a sheet of cheesecloth).

(Yes, I'm aware that Cheese was actually a few days ago.)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Day 15: Sea Creatures #30daysofcreativity


Or syrups!

I made lemon & rosemary syrup and some rhubarb syrup. I haven't tried either yet, but think they'll be tasty!

Day 14: Picnic #30daysofcreativity



I started cutting squares for the picnic blanket I'm planning. I'm using old sheets and cutting 13" squares for an easy first quilt, and I have another sheet for the back. However, my eyes were drooping at 8:30, so I put myself to bed by 9. Not too many squares cut, but it's a start!

Also, I saw a turtle on a log on my way home!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Days 10, 11 & 12: Losing track of themes

I've made stuff the last few days, but it hasn't been along the suggested themes, nor is it particularly picture worthy. I made a soup with broccoli rabe today that isn't pretty to look at, but tastes ok. My next tasting will include cheese or cream as an experiment...

I did take some photos yesterday, which was a very lovely day indeed.




Breakfast was spectacular, on the balcony with my plants. The salad is actually the first produce from my garden, since I finally thinned the salad plants.




Suki cat wants some too!


And then there was a lot of walking! There is some nice public art in Ottawa!




A happy tiring day!

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Day 9: Cowbell #30daysofcreativity

Well, another project not quite finished, but it is cute! This will be the first page of a fabric book for my nephew!



I was able to use my cutting mat and rotary cutter when cutting up the pair of jeans I used, but even so, the rectangle isn't straight. Straighter than the cuts I made in the men's shirt I repurposed for my last project, at least. ;) I still need to finish the letter embroidery, sew the cow down and add some embroidered grass.

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Day 7&8: Recycled Fashion #30daysofcreativity


It's not very fashionable yet, cause it's still a work in progress, but it looks better on me than the original. It's based on this tutorial. I am improvising the shoulders with shoelaces, but am thinking that ribbon is the way to go. Also, I plan to use some tucks to add some shaping to the body, so it doesn't look like I'm wearing a sack.

I've learned a few things from this project. I can't cut a straight line to save my life. Particularly when cutting on fabric that hasn't been ironed. So, I need a pressing surface. But, I'm learning about my sewing machine, and I may now actually do something with the material I've been moving around for years!

Monday, June 06, 2011

Day 6: Argyle-ish #30daysofcreativity


So, this isn't quite Argyle, but it was definitely a learning experience. I'd never done strip piecing before, and it's quite a neat technique. I could definitely have used a bit more precision, including in measuring to end up with a square for a true argyle shape.


It was getting late by the time I worked out how to connect the ends and keep the pattern in line, so I didn't decide how to finish the edges. Some day this will decorate a plant pot of some kind, but for now it's being a jar cosy!

Edited to add: I would have posted this yesterday, but picasa refused to upload my photos. So I went to bed and let time deal with my tech issues. ;)

Sunday, June 05, 2011

Day 5: Unibrow #30daysofcreativity


I made pizza dough...


and pizza...


and cake!

Now I'm going to eat some pizza and knit.

Day 4: Cat Meme #30daysofcreativity


This has nothing to do with my cat.

I bought a bunch of plastic bangles to cover with knitting when I was in Turkey a few years ago. This is the first one I've actually finished! Another benefit being that I've got a much better handle on keeping my stitch count constant in crochet.


And, for interest, an atmospheric photo from Tour la Nuit last night.

Saturday, June 04, 2011

Day 3: Chrome #30daysofcreativity


Chrome kind of got away from me today. I was planning to work on the chrome accents on my bike for this, but by the time I finished the book that was due back at the library yesterday(!), it was after 8. So, I made dinner and did some knitting.



I'm making a Mitred Crosses out of Cascade 220 Superwash. In theory, it's a gift for a wedding this summer, but that will depend on how my enthusiasm holds up over time. I'm only three squares in.

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Day 1: Bicycles #30daysofcreativity


Before - Top with odd stain, mostly noticeable to me.


After - Top with beginnings of embroidered bicycle, flowers

So, I got started on my project for today, but I didn't finish. This is probably going to be an on-going issue. There's only so much I can finish in the few hours between work and bed. So, I will have to decide tomorrow if I'm going to start something new for tomorrow (ice cream), or continue working on this.