Handmade for Clark

I have to share more of Rebecca's handiwork by posting this adorable ensemble she sewed for Clark.  We love it!  

Fruit Juice "Jell-O"

Did you know that you can make jell-o out of fruit juices? It is a healthier dessert or snack for kids and adults. I bet kids would love them cut into cute, festive shapes and in a variety of colors.

The recipe is simple: 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin to 1 cup of juice. For example, in the recipe bellow I used 4 cups of White Grape Peach juice and 4 envelopes of gelatin and it fit in an 8"x8" pan.

RECIPE
Mix 4 envelopes of gelatin and about 1 cup of the juice in a bowl and set aside. Heat the remaining 3 cups of juice on the stove until it just begins to boil. At that point, pour the hot juice over the gelatin mixture and stir until all gelatin is dissolved. Pour into an 8"x8" pan and chill for 3 hours or until firm.
For perfect shapes, dip the pan in hot water for a moment or two then turn it onto a solid coolish surface like a granite counter top or glass cutting board. Cut into shapes and serve cold.

Handmade for Clara

Rebecca sewed an outfit for Clara when I was pregnant. Clara wore the outfit for the first time today and it is absolutely adorable. There's nothing like hand-sewn clothes. I took some pictures in the lovely winter afternoon sun that flooded our living room today both to show off the cute baby (about the only "creative" thing I've had time for lately) and to celebrate Rebecca's handiwork.















Thank you so much, Becca. It's good to have friends like you.

Peace, Love, Joy & A Crappy Quilt

For all of my good intentions, I did manage to do 2 of my many ideas for Christmas projects this year. The pillows were all made from toweling from the French General Lumiere de Noel line by Moda. I embroidered the words on with my Janome embroidery skills.

What was not so skillful is the quilt. It was fun designing it and making the Christmas Tree squares, but if you look closely there are all kinds of mistakes. We cuddled underneath it with a cup of coco anyway. :)

100% Italian Cotton Boxer Shorts

I am the lucky beneficiary of these beautiful fabrics.



I have a friend who works at a factory where they make dress shirts out of the finest fabrics from Italy. They are custom made and cost $200 a pop. The leftovers are usually sent to the garbage can but Jessi has been taking them home & sometimes gives them to me. They are generally small pieces, about 1/2 a yard or so. Very rarely I will get over 2 yards in one cut. This makes me really happy. And I have even more than are pictured here.

I love how they come in these perfect bundles in an array of colors!

I do have a problem knowing exactly what to do with them all. I donated a lot to making aprons and bonnets for the upcoming Trek trip for the youth. But, Adam and I have been walking around in some pretty savvy underwear! Boxers!

This is a pair I made for myself. I had a lot of fun picking neon thread and purple fabric for the tie.

These are some really comfortable threads. Any ideas on what else I can make with these???

Diaper Bag

This pattern came from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones. I also use some of her Love fabric.

I love all the space and pockets. I use it for a temple bag.

Adam's Winter Projects Part 2

This is a french side table. The cabriole legs were a new challenge for Adam and they turned out perfect.

Once again, the hardware can really change how a piece looks, and we both loved this lion head. It reminds us of door knockers in London and lion head soup bowls filled with French Onion soup.

Notice the decorative boarder along the drawer.
This is also made from mahogany and plans are found on the New Yankee website.

Adam's Winter Projects Part 1

My husband Adam was busy in the garage for most of the holiday season making many things that beautified our home.



I love relaxing in a bath with a good book and so he made me this. It is quarter-sawn oak, with a danish oil and a few coats of oil urethane.

I love this dresser he made for our bedroom. It is a 7-drawer chest made of mahogany. Plans for this chest can be found on the New Yankee Workshop

I especially love the brass hardware. They really set it off nicely.

My art teacher painted this beautiful oil painting of the two of us, but Adam made the frame. Again, quarter-sawn oak, danish oil, but finished with a lacquer.