sensory overload

I was promised "fabric, Mexican food, cupakes and a giant H&M" on this day trip to NYC. Sounded good to me. Went with this one and that one.

@ Mood in NYC.

Fabric shop of choice for Project Runway. Did not see Tim Gunn or Heidi. Was the 1st shop of the day and the most overwhelming. As I'm not really a fashionista, I felt a wee bit out of place and not cool enough to be there.

So many buttons @ Mood.

Sigh, at Purl Patchwork.

Swoon. Sigh. Of the Joelle and Jennifer Hoverson fame. A tiny little shop tucked away a few doors down from their yarn store Purl. Mucho fabric including lotsa Amy Butler prints. If you can be starstruck by an inanimate object, then I was when I saw a few of the projects used in Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, including the color wheel quilt, simple tote and the pieced pillow.

We also went to City Quilter, of which I have no pictures even though I think it was my favorite stop of the day. Loads of great fabrics (see here), friendly staff and fun atmosphere. I'm not showing pictures of my goodies because I don't want to ruin any surprises, but be assured that I spent too much money and came home with yardage that I can't stop staring at.

cooking marathon

Do you remember how I told you about our wee little kitchen? You might be able to use your imagination and deduct that in a wee kitchen there is less-than-ample counter space, standing space, collaborating-brilliantly-together-on-elaborate-meals-space, etc. You would be correct in that assumption.

In preparation ahead of a Dinner Party for 10ish this evening, we got to work making a delicious Leek & Goat Cheese Lasagna (with roasted red peppers, eggplant and more). Plus we also had a bunch of tomatoes that needed attention so in an irrational fit of ambition we decided to also make a Creamy Roasted Tomato soup. Good thinking. 'Twas a marathon night of prepping, cooking and cleaning-- about 3 and a half hours conservatively. More or less in a space that measures approximately 3 x 3 feet. Ok fun!

the ingredients for a leek + goat cheese lasagna (with some red peppers, eggplant + parmesan too)

roasted red peppers + leeks

tomatoes from the farm share, for the creamy roasted tomato soup

roasted tomatoes with garlic

the hyper-ambitious creamy roasted tomato soup, made during the preparation of the leek + goat cheese lasagna

Final pictures of the Dinner Party for 10ish on the way. They'll be posted at my flickr, along with the final soup photo.

yarn fever

AUTUMN is here and I know that because:

A) The nights are getting too cold for my tender herb garden and I'm bringing them in the house each night for some nocturnal warmth. It's kind of cute actually. It's like I'm tucking them in for bed.

2) I'm ogling new fall collections of cardigans, scarves, tights, corduroy and elbow patches. Figuring out ways to chop up my boring clothes and re-make them into trendy little outfits.

D) I've got yarn fever.

In anticipation of yarn fever, the dinner club girls and I decided to start a little afghan crochet-a-long. Afghans as in blankets, not the the ethnic group. Although that's certainly an idea for a future craft club, I suppose. If you wanted to get nuts. Afghan-inspired aprons or some such thing. Dot dot dot.

And in further anticipation of future needs relating to hauling our afghans-in-progress all over the Capital Region and the Berkshires I scored some canvas totes and stuck a little badge of honor inside them all. Because, dear readers, that is what the situation called for.

Created those little girls over at Wee World.

We've got the yarn, we've got the patterns and we're ready to freakin' go. Crochet-a-long updates to come.

insolent brat

UPDATE: All is well again with my Singer, I believe. Thanks for the well wishes and concern. On an even better note, this weekend I made two different types of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and put a sizeable amount of the cookie dough in the freezer, which I think might be the best idea I've ever had. When the cookie monster attacks, I can just thaw and bake and binge.

My sewing machine is in a funk, maybe even of the existential kind, and completely refuses to cooperate or even acknowledge my rugged perseverence. I've walked away, breathed deeply, poured a drink, taken my mind off it and yet-- every time I approach the godforsaken thing it shows little to no appreciation for the maturity with which I am handling the situation and merely continues in its difficult disfunctional ways.

So... might be another little while until I WOW you with a completed project even though I've made vague allusions here and elsewhere to a sewing surprise on the horizon. Deal with the disappointment.

Happy freakin' National Sewing Month. I know I'm having an absolute blast.

national holiday?

Mmmhmm, September is National Sewing Month. And I figured out how to make a picture a link, so I guess there are two reasons to celebrate.

Go sew something.