Cloth Napkins

I made these in July (July!) for my friend Holly's birthday - I swear I've already posted them, but I can't find it anywhere - but I'm still not convinced. This post must be here somewhere. But, alas, I'm doing it now, perhaps again.

Dinner napkins! I love cloth napkins, period. I rarely use paper towels, ever. And I've already confessed I also do laundry embarrassingly little. So many cloth napkins are necessary. They are simple to make and this way you can have the pattern you want, size you want and make as many as you want. I also think it's a great little project for a gift. Full tutorial after the jump.

MacAusland's woolen blankets

Do you ever get so excited about something you've bought that you want to tell people about it? This is one of those times. I apologize in advance for gushing, but I've been made giddy by a blanket. It's a gift for someone I love (who luckily doesn't read this blog), and I can't wait to give it to them.

MacAusland's Woolen Mills, on Prince Edward Island, Canada, makes beautiful, fluffy, lofty wool blankets in dozens of beautiful colors and several patterns (though the checkerboard is clearly the best). For those who value provenance, here's something: When you call MacAusland's Woolen Mill, you get a MacAusland on the phone. Here's a neat description of the mill.

MacAusland's weaves its blankets from pure virgin wool, and offers custom sizes and color combinations. Those lucky few who have sheep of their own can send wool for MacAusland's to spin into yarn.



The blankets are really well priced, from about $45 for a very large throw to about $85 for a queen-sized blanket. (Of course, though, keep in mind that shipping from Prince Edward Island to the southern United States doesn't run cheap.)

The blanket might arrive smelling a little of loom oil, and mine still had a few pieces of grass and natural detritus clinging to it. A cold run through the gentle cycle (using Woolite) helped remedy that. Never dry a wool blanket, or you'll end up with felt - just roll it around a couple of beach towels to squeeze out the excess water, and drape it over a bed or a shower curtain to dry.

A warning to those trying to coordinate colors in a cool-hued, white-toned house: MacAusland's "natural white" is completely unbleached, and more like ecru than white.

Would it be unreasonable to reupholster my settee with one of these blankets? Maybe I'll post a new upholstery DIY.

Boston Holiday Markets

Hello, cold, cold Fall! We've actually had a pretty mild Fall here, I'd say, so far. But the temperatures have surely dropped this week and winter is coming! Frog Pond Ice Rink opens this weekend and the lights are in the trees on Comm Ave - 'tis the season!

Now, this also means Farmer's Markets and Flea Markets close up shop for the season. I'll be getting my last uber-convenient loaf of When Pigs Fly from the City Hall Farmer's market this afternoon. But all is not lost; there is a crop of Holiday Markets to attend and get your fill before the streets are covered in dirty snow and everyone is inside with their winter hobby.

Here is a list of what I know about so far, I'll continue to add to it if I learn of more.

DOWNTOWN CROSSING HOLIDAY MARKET
November 27 - December 24
Mon. - Sat. 11 - 7 & Sun. 12 - 6
On Winter Street next to Macy's in Downtown, Boston. There will be handmade jewelry, pottery, housewares, food ... I work nearby and my work is helping put this on so I'm sure I'll be here a few times.

BOSTON HANDMADE DOWNTOWN GALLERY
November 26 through December 24, 2010
Wednesday - Sunday, 11am - 7pm

"Make 2010 the season of handmade with gifts created by more than 20 local artists, artisans, & craftspeople

at 505 Washington Street, in the heart of Downtown Crossing Boston, between West and Temple." Also close to my work - yay!


GRAND OPENING: STUDIO CARTA

Saturday December 4th
12 - 6pm

97 Boylston Street, Brookline, Ma. This is Angela Liguori's new storefront; come see her beautiful things! I'll be there!

PAPER AND FABRIC
Saturday December 11th, 10 - 6p

Sunday, December 12th, 12 - 6p
At Michelle Willey, 8 Union Park Street (South End), Boston, Ma. Beautiful things from Jill Bent and Angela Liguori. I'll be there, too!

BOSTON BAZZAR BIZZARE

December 5th

12 - 7pm

At the Cyclorama in the South End, 539 Tremont St. This a mega-sized show - it's great. I'll be here, too!

SOWA HOLIDAY MARKET

Saturday and Sunday, December 11th & 12th

10 - 6pm

The last hurrah for SOWA for the season, it's $5 to get in and you'll be nearby to check out Paper and Fabric, too. It's at the Cathedral High School Gym in the South End, 74 Union Park Street, Boston. I'll probably be here, too.

FORT POINT HOLIDAY SALE

December 3rd, 4 -7pm

December 4-5, 11 - 4pm

Held at 12 Farnsworth St in Fort Point, Boston this will have the work of great local artists. I haven't been myself, but I think this will be more artsy, less crafty.

Ok, I'm overwhelmed! Let's divide and conquer!

recipe: the New York Times' chocolate chip cookies

I like chocolate chip cookies very much, and I've always thought them pretty fool-proof. The Nestle Toll House recipe is easy, and it always makes a good, serviceable cookie. Frankly, I preferred cookies with a little embellishment, like these peanut butter cookies.

But now I've tried Jacques Torres's cookie recipe (via the New York Times), and I will never go back. These cookies are perfect right out of the oven, perfect a day or two later when they're chewy and substantial, and perfect as raw batter that you're powerless to stop eating. Yes, the recipe is a bit fussy, and you could probably manage without using two different kinds of flour, but I would make it to the letter at least once if I were you - you'll be impressed.

I have adapted this very minimally, first to make measuring the flour a bit easier, and then to decrease the size just a tad - I like my cookies big, but not salad plate big.

I made these cookies to go along with our Halloween costumes, and if Oscar the Grouch didn't like cookies before, he does now.

Cauliflower Soup

I made cauliflower soup. This may not seem particularly post worthy but here's why I wanted to mention it:

• It pretty much has two ingredients - could that be simpler? Easy to pick up on the way home, not a lot of prep!
• Nutritionally it has almost no fat, and a good portion of protein and fiber
• It doesn't make an enormous batch so if you're one person, like me, this means you don't have to eat it for a week. 

The recipe is from Whole Living, a Martha Stewart Magazine that I love. I couldn't find it on the website to link to so here it is:

2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth 

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

salt, pepper & olive oil

In a pot bring broth, florets, salt and pepper to a boil and then let simmer, covered, for 20 mins. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Take the small cauliflower leaves and coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until slightly brown. When the broth and florets are done, transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Voila! Garnish with little leaves. It makes about 4 small servings.

Now, today I bought ingredients to make this soup from 101cookbooks - I suspect I'll be eating it for a fortnight. 

diy: screen-printing, and re-covering an upholstered chest

This chest has gone through several iterations since my childhood, when it was covered in a folksy, floral tapestry fabric. I prefer it now, but that may just be because it's not covered in creepy Madame Alexander dolls given to me by a well-intentioned (and well-loved) aunt.

This is a how-to on screen-printing and some very elementary upholstery - a crafting buy-one-get-one-free.

Knit Fix

Welcome everyone from Design*Sponge! We're thrilled silly you're stopping by!

Here's a short one for the weekend - and hopefully helpful, too!

I bought a great elbow pad sweater from Zara the other day, but for some reason, I bought one with numerous pulls in it. There are two solutions for this. First, look hard (or just look at them, I feel like a dummy) at the pieces you buy before you buy them. Second, if you're not a crocheter invest in a small crochet hook. The one I used is size US 11. Poke it from the inside of the sweater to the outside, catch the loop and pull it back to the inside. Done! Whatever you do, don't cut it.

Where did it go?

Turquoise Necklace

My gut tells me this is a necklace only a mother can love but I'm posting it anyway. What can I say? I love a big, chunky necklace. The more ridiculous, the better. Best part about this necklace is it requires so little work. I bought a string of these turquoise teardrop beads from Brimfield for $10 and essentially just re-strung them and added a clasp. More details after the jump.

diy: monster costumes

Halloween was over a week ago, so sorry about this. I've had very important things going on, like fashioning casual headwear for my dog and reorganizing my tart pan collection. But now - an easy (also, very undetailed) explanation of making a monster costume.

Tin Can Cakes

I did a bad, bad thing. I waited so long to put this post together that I can barely remember what the process was for the two I made. I know the goal: it was to make cakes in non standard sizes like this for two birthdays. I know the outcome: I did end up with two cakes from two different cans. Luckily, I took lots of photos and I think I'll be able to re-tell the story fairly well. I hope. Lots of photos and fuzzy memories after the jump. That's tempting enough to prompt a click, right?

diy: a mirror from a leaded-glass window

I acquired an old leaded-glass window by way of my parents, and quickly destroyed it.

Actually, several of the panes were already cracked, the window was warped, and the frame was rotten and crumbling. But the part where the entire assembly fell off the mantle, cracking a few more panes, dislodging several entirely, and destroying the frame - that was all me. No matter. It's been re-purposed as a mirror and has a nice home now on our living room wall.

I used Krylon's Looking Glass paint to turn the window into a "mirror" of sorts - it's shiny and reflective, but not in the way a brand-new mirror would be; rather, it's cloudy and antique-looking. I actually rather love the effect. Read on for instructions on achieving the effect and hanging the cumbersome, unwieldy thing on your wall.