how to pass time

This is perhaps the cutest way to pass time. It's a collection of small, nonsensical games featuring small, bubbly animals. It certainly improves your mood!

My personal favourite is "Cats" - it is strangely addictive! This is the link:
http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/

Another meme

I have been a lazy kitty the last few days and not done anything more with the jacket. I plan on finishing the lining during the weekend, and hopefylly start attatching the layers by sunday.

And today I have pilates class after work! I look forward to it, I haven't done any pilates since june... It feels like a good thing to do, my body seems to like it :) It will be good.

Instead, I'll post a quite funny meme I kidnapped from Miss Kitty:

1. List two things that are true of you that are not stereotypically true of members of some group that you belong to (academically educated, internet editor)

• I have carried heavy things for a living
  
• I enjoy making stock, jam and other housewifey things
  

2. List two unusual talents that you have

• I read with three times the average speed
  
• I can fix almost anything with gaffer’s tape
  

3. List two unusual weaknesses that you have

• Bacon
  
• Soft fabrics
  

4. List two unusual things that you aspire to do

• Have a wardobe entirely made up of clothes I made myself
  
• Be among the top five in our sailing class nationally
  

5. List two words that you use more than most people do

• Particularly
  
• Yummy
  

6. List two foods that you dislike and most other people like

• Tofu (well, surprisingly many people like it…)
  
• Nougat
  

7. List two strange habits that you have.
Are you sure you want to know about these?

• When sharing a bed, I must sleep away from the wall and/or nearest the door
  
• My house is not clean if all my clothes are not folded properly and all my books are sorted alphabetically.
  

Food food food

The sleeves are now attatched to the jacket, but I have not taken any pictures yet. More on this tomorrow!

In the meantime, food is today’s issue. This is partly inspired by Vox’s Question of the Day from a couple of days ago:
“What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?”
As some may know, I was the kind of child who couldn’t resist a dare. So, aside from various plants and bugs, my answer to that question would be one of the following:
1. A small stone
2. Pine bark
3. A raw fish heart
The pine bark was very dry and hard, but tasted somewhat interesting. I suspect the stone is still somewhere inside me – my appendix perhaps? The fish heart was truly disgusting, but luckily quite small.

The other part of today’s inspiration stems from Susan at Farmgirl Fare from some months ago:
How do you know you’re a foodie?
I am most definitely a foodie, as all my friends and family will testify to. This is my answer to that question:
I've had several "defining moments".
The first was when my friend pointed out that I hum while eating.
The next was when I discovered that, strangely, not all people sort their ingredients by what meal they belong to.
Most recently was a couple of days ago, when one of my colleagues (I work in a bookstore) told me excitedly that five gorgeous young men had arrived, wearing only aprons and tight boxer shorts, to promote a new cookbook. My response was: "Ooh, did they bring food?"
Everyone looked at me rather strangely.

Autumn makes me long for warm, hearty dishes like cassoulet, pasta carbonara, pea soup and meat pies. Mmmmmmmmm. I make a wicked cassoulet, if I say so myself, and I found a great recipe a couple of years ago (of course, I made a few changes). Unfortunately, it seems to have disappeared while I was moving house. I will try to dig it up and post it – it is really pretty easy. Naturally, there are some preparations to make, a lot of chopping and braising and peeling (orange zest), but once that is done, voila! The pan will simmer prettily for a couple of hours, and you can do something else. Like lay the table or take a bath or watch a movie. And it gets better if you make it a day in advance, cool it and reheat it. Great for dinner parties, or just for you. It freezes wonderfully as well.

If I can’t find it, I’ll have to try and reconstruct it. It really is good.

Hungry now? Then you are at least some kind of foodie…

New challenges

Ahahahahahaaha! I managed the collar! New problems arise, however. This is the fun part of sewing. Seriously.




Now, it turns out that the pattern expects me to have rather wider shoulders than I have. It is not the first time with this book, they seem to make the clothes very roomy... Ah well. Taking in is hardly a problem. You can barely see the pin where the seam is supposed to go - I will probably need to trim off about 7 cm.




This is what it looks like at the moment. No sleeves yet, no lining, and not yet sewn in the sides. But definitely showing promise, don't you think?




I love making things. It gives such a feeling of accomplishment. I am already full of plans of what to make next - when I am finished with the jacket.

In the woods at night

I adored the mysterious light in this picture - kind of scary movie-ish and foggy. It was taken with my cellphone camera. I plan on photographing more this autumn, it's a hobby I haven't done much with lately.

Work in Progress

This is beginning to get interesting. Why is it that the challenges always pop up in unexpected places?

Alle the main pieces are cut now. In three layers. The velvet outer fabric, the woolen lining and the inner lining. Phew. I’ve started to assemble the outer layer, and met an interesting challenge: How to make the collar. I intended something like a wide chinese collar, or a high, wraparound turtleneck, and I didn’t imagine it would be difficult. At least not that part.

Well, it is. And as this is the part where I have no pattern, I’m stuck at the moment. Until I figure out how to make it, or possibly, give up and try a different collar. Ah well. I will post a picture of the wonky collar tomorrow, and hopefully someone will understand just what I did wrong…

You see, that’s part of the problem. I don’t know why it is wrong. It is fairly obvious that it is wrong, but I’m not sure why it didn’t turn out the way I planned… hmmmm. We’ll see.

Autumn Projects

It’s been a long time now. I have been busy with work (of course) and too many obligations privately. Luckily, I was able to change my Thursday dance class to a Friday pilates class, so, now I might be able to actually go to the two classes I’ve paid for.

Sailing season is finally over, after an autumn longer than usual. I will miss it over the winter, but it is enjoyable to have Wednesday evenings off for a change.

Instead of sailing, I will start my autumn project: sewing a winter jacket / coat. I’ve got a lovely velvet fabric, deep petrol green, and I plan on sewing a chinese-style jacket, about mid-thigh in length, with a wide, standing collar and wrapover closing. It is a large project, I’ve never made a jacket before!* I’m very excited, and also a bit nervous… I am very lucky to have inherited a sewing book with patterns from the 70s from my mother. The designs are inspiring, and the book is incredibly illustrated. Usually, the paterns need a little alteration to make them look more contemporary, but this is not so difficult as it sounds. I’ll just have to be patient.

I will keep record of my progress (and maybe even take a few pictures…), so stay tuned, as they say.

*Later, I realized this was a lie. I actually have made a jacket, a simple kimono-style woolen one, but as it is really simple and have no lining, fitting or anything else, I don't think it counts as a jacket.