Miscellaneous Design Studio

The Hatchery: a blog about my adventures in bird watching

Year of Projects: Week 34

One of my best besties is getting married next month. We’ve known each other since college, and have had SO MANY ADVENTURES together! I was thrilled and honored to be asked to be a bridesmaid and was over the moon excited when her mom asked if I could put together her bridal shower. This has…

April 12, 2021
Phew, What a Week

This week hasn’t actually BEEN crazy, but it’s FELT crazy! I have had a LOT of errands to run this week, finished knitting up the oven mitt (its been washed 3 times now, still not done), started working on the Beta Version of the Justine Blanket, I’ve spent most of this afternoon in the kitchen…

April 9, 2021
Year of Projects: Week 33

This past week the kids had “Spring Break”. Since we are still in the grips of a pandemic, we stayed home. I got a LOT of sewing done. I finished 18 placemats. I chronicled them in four separate posts last week(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 3.2). This checks off a task on my…

April 4, 2021
Shoddy Seamstress Adventures: Placemats Part 3.2

Other stuff too. I mentioned in my last post that I found 6 placemats that I started a long time ago. I used quilting cotton on both sides and iron interface batting in the center. I “quilted” the fabric a little bit to keep everything flat. Two of the placemats were already bound, TERRIBLY. I…

April 2, 2021
Shoddy Seamstress Adventures: Placemats Part 3

Phew! What an adventure! This morning, I finished up my new placemats. Instead of freehand sewing the interior rectangles today, I measured 2 inches from the side and then again from that first line, then made a pencil line rectangle as a guide. I measured yesterday’s prototype and most of my lines were at about…

March 31, 2021
Soddy Seamstress Adventures: Placemats Part 2

I didn’t get the project finished today (didn’t think I would). I took the kids on a playdate to an outdoor park/playground with a friend. We picked up sandwiches up and had a lunchtime picnic in the empty pavilion. It was a windy day. I got to run to intercept friend’s toddler from the parking…

March 30, 2021
Shoddy Seamstress Adventures: Placemats Part 1

When we move into the house back in 2012, we purchased a new dining room table. The top is really pretty, and I didn’t want to cover it up with a tablecloth. I found some cloth placemats at Home Goods, and purchased all they had. Without counting, I think I have 12. Even from the…

March 29, 2021
Year of Projects: Week 32

My brain. So I have 7 patterns in various states of written. A TON that I need to make a reality. I said to myself the other day, “Self, no new patterns until we get some releases out”. What does my brain do?? IT PRACTICALLY FORCES ME TO KNIT A NEW DESIGN. The nerve!! This…

March 28, 2021
Creature of Habit

I am, at my core, a creature of habit. This applies to all facets of my life. How I cook, how I style my hair, and extends into my fiber arts. I’m not opposed to new things, quite the contrary. But the familiar is comforting and is easy to fall back on. Since designing for…

March 27, 2021
Finishing A Thing

I like to have specific projects for specific areas. Like a trail of fiber bread crumbs strewn all over the house (much to the chagrin of my spouse). Today’s FO was the socks I had upstairs that I worked on during story/bed time (10 minutes at a time). I am uncertain of when I started…

March 24, 2021