striped nightgown

In my continued quest to make things, I endeavored to sew a nightgown. I thought with the impending warmer months it would be nice to have something light to sleep in. I found a few patterns with modest designs, much like you would see from years ago, and thought they would make nice projects. I chose a bright striped fabric and got on with it.

The pattern was simple and a nice reintroduction to sewing complete garments. Following directions is simultaneously comforting and difficult for me; I like having the guidance but I rarely follow instructions completely. I often cut corners or do things out of order, which can often lead to problems, although not always.

Of course, as I finished it, the weather turned cold again, so I imagine it will be awhile until I wear it. There should be a button on the top, which I may or may not add later, and I sort of wish the waistline was a little lower, but at least I’ll know for next time. Mostly I think it’s fun, and being so simple to make, it gave me confidence in my sewing skills once again.

gloom and light

May Day signals a change in life’s seasons. Looking back on what I wrote last year, I was full of so much hope, and yet expected so little. Things surely have changed in this past year in many ways I never could have imagined. I cannot say that all has been for the better, though much has been.

Spring should be heralded with flowers but today is filled with gloom. Yet, I still have hope in my heart. The world keeps moving on and changing as it always will.

the one hour dress

Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time on the internet. Let me clarify that. I’ve been spending more time on the internet than usual, which was already a lot. It’s not good. I mean, hey, I love the internet as much as the next girl, but things have gone overboard and I can feel it. It’s a double edged sword for me, as I have a really difficult time connecting to people in real life (one day I will write something about this introversion and shyness…one day…), and the web gives me a way to have social interaction. Such a conundrum.

Lately though, I just feel drained. I feel as if it is literally sucking the life and creativity out of me. My motivation has been lost somewhere in the ether to twitter and instagram and it makes me feel like I am no longer myself.

I’m taking a step away from the computer as much as possible, and diving into other things, into making and creating and contemplating.

I came across this pattern for a one hour dress and I thought it would be ideal to get me on the path away from the virtual and back to the real. It was indeed, as this simple one hour dress turned into a much much larger project (I stopped keeping track of how long it took after hour 4). Working at my sewing machine, I felt energized, and even with my mistakes and missteps, I forged onward, until it was done, and I was happy. I found a certain level of gratification in making something utilitarian like a dress that can be worn regularly.

It’s nothing particularly fancy, but it’s exactly the style I like. It’s comfortable. It has pockets. Most importantly, I made it. That in itself brings me a lot of satisfaction.

This weekend I hope to step away from the allure of the internet and continue to make things or simply enjoy a quite walk outdoors. I hope you’ll join me.

*I thought I should add that I do clearly see how it might seem hypocritical to write about getting away from the web on a blog, but my trouble lays in the consumption rather than what I put out there. It’s easy to get sucked into social media and arguments and articles, whereas my blog is my own space.

ice cream snowballs

One of the people I’m saddest I never was able to meet is Shawn’s mother, Sharon. She passed away a few years before Shawn and I met, and though I was never able to know her, I feel that she still has an impact on our life together. Shawn always tells me stories about her and it’s easy to see how much she did for her five children. She was a talented cook and went out of her way to make celebrations special. When Shawn and some of his siblings went vegan, she would adapt her recipes to make vegan versions.

Often times, Shawn will tell me something she used to make and we’ll try to recreate it. These snowballs fall into that category. A simple to assemble treat that is exponentially more tasty because it is fun to eat. With warmer weather rolling around (maybe?) I can see we’ll be making more of these.

Start with a scoop of your favorite non-dairy ice cream.

Roll it around in some coconut. Use your hands. It’s not even that messy.

Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 10-30 minutes. That’s it! You now have a snowball.

Now personally, I’m not a fan of coconut, but I didn’t want to be left out of the snowball fun, so I made some “dirty snowballs” with crumbled cookies instead.

Perfect.

Thank you Sharon for still being an inspiration, even though we never met. Mostly though, thank you for raising such an amazing son who I adore so much.

primo passo

This past week I was able to visit the new Primo Passo Coffee Company on the west side. It’s a beautifully modern space with delicious coffee. I was pleased with the subtle flavors of their espresso. I’ve notice recently that coffee roasters have edged towards more bold brews to make their coffee stand out, ranging from strong citrus notes to intense woodsy flavors. My latte from primo passo, on the other hand, had a delicate blend of flavors that make it enjoyable the whole way through. Beyond just good coffee, I loved the open design of the space and hope to visit there often. And now, I think I’ll go have another cup of coffee.