Well, look here! Another patchwork tote!

Because of all the kind comments on the first bag, I thought I'd make a second and offer it for sale. This is quite similar to the original, but the stripes are slightly different, it has a pretty little pinwheel flower pin, and the lining looks like this:

It is roughly 9"W x 10.5"H, and the strap has a drop of about 14". It's machine sewn and has (mostly) decorative hand stitching. The prints for the patchwork are all by Kaffe Fassett, and it's embellished with bits of lace and ric-rac. The pinwheel flower is removable. Please note that this bag does not have a key clip inside, as the last one did (I thought I had another, but it's nowhere to be found).

If you'd like to buy this bag for $55, please e-mail me (remove the X at the start of the address). I will send a PayPal request to the first person to e-mail me. I hope you like it! The bag has already been bought. Thank you!

Hello, everybody from Whip-Up! There are quite a few of you, aren't there! In lieu of actual crafts, here's a picture of the broccoli sprouts that are growing under my new bell jar:

But that's not all! I haven't had a load of crafty posts lately because I'm lazy because I've been pleasantly busy at work and don't feel like I have many words left by the end of the day. Busy doing what, you ask? Coordinating a book. This book.

A little over six months ago, I was thinking about the sorts of books I'd like to be working on this year (I'm a publisher, for those of you who are new). I knew that I would love to put together a craft book, one which would require lush photos and beautiful projects, but I also wanted something that could hold its own on a promotion (the US doesn't really seem to have promotions in book stores, but here in the UK, 3-for-2 tables at the front of the store are very common).

There were two problems with this idea: A) I didn't know of anybody at the time who was ready to put together a book of their patterns and B) a run-of-the mill pattern book wasn't really special enough to convince a buyer to take it for promotion. So! Using my clever brain, I decided I would wrangle together a group of crafty bloggers (since I already knew they could write), and together, we could create something above and beyond the standard pattern book!

The Crafter's Companion includes writing from eighteen different bloggers (who've been very good about keeping quiet, but now the project's getting closer to reality, I have to say something); each have answered the questions 'Why do you craft?' 'Where do you find inspiration?' and 'Where (or how) do you work?' They've each also come up with an original pattern, most sewing-based -- we've got everything from aprons to cushions to bookcovers to jewellery!

The book will be published in October 2006, which means that I'm very much right in the middle of putting it all together. I've got lovely photos coming to me via e-mail and amazing projects being sent in the post, and the writing is down-right inspiring. I've got to say, even if my name wasn't down as editor on the amazon.co.uk page (must send them the cover image), I'd still be awfully proud of this project!

A new bag, a new bag! No, I haven't tired of the great Green Bag, but I do sometimes long for something smaller, especially as it's getting warmer and I don't need to haul things around like. . . mittens. So a new tote is born:

Gisela sent me a good wodge of this brown fabric, similar to material she'd used before which I'd admired. It's dark and woolly and has little nubs of colour sprinkled around. I was trying to think what I'd like to make with it, and I knew I'd have to balance it with something bright and colourful. The curving, slanted pocket and patchwork panel popped into my head pretty quickly, and I tried not to overthink the design.

The cutting and sewing of this bag was pretty straight-forward, although I think there are some great details in it. I tend to get overexcited about things like hidden pockets and strange shapes, and I wind up basically out-thinking my abilities. This time, I kept things simple but spent time for the things that matter.

I added a band of the brown exterior fabric to the top of the lining, because I always like how that looks. You can just about see the machine stitching where the two meet -- a row of stitching to keep everything looking flat and professional. I also hand-stitched around the top of the bag (and the bias binding on the front pocket, and along both sides of the strap) -- I'm not a huge fan of having to do neat little stitches by hand, but I do adore the look. I love the little key clip in the photo above -- a necessity, since there are no interior pockets.

When I make totes, I often use a magazine as a guide. I very rarely carry around magazines, but I like the idea that I can, or that I would. This bag is just the right size for a copy of Country Living, a notebook, and the other necessary items, ready for an afternoon out or a nice visit to a cafe.

Bonus picture! Ira looking plump and snuggly; Frankie peering from the nest:

Bip, bip.

The best part about not having the bulk of your archives on-line? Re-using old photos!

For folks who haven't been around for years, that's Mr. Kite. He and his brother, Henderson, were black mice I used to have. They were quite tame and very nice, for mice. Anyway! I'm recycling a photo because I just needed something to spice up this post, because -- really -- it's a meme! I was tagged by Robin for this five things meme (totally different from the. . . last five things meme).

Five minutes to yourself: how would you spend them, ideally?
By myself? Tucked into bed in the middle of the day, with the sun coming through the window, and I'd be reading something really interesting. I'd have to have the bit of my brain that worries about things disabled, of course. Possibly by a kitten.

Five bucks to spend right now; how would you spend it?
Who gave me five bucks? What is this supposed to be -- a joke? 'Oh here, Anna, here's five bucks. Why don't you spend another thousand and fly to America to spend it?' Really.

If it were five pounds, I'd. . . oh, I don't know. Save it. Yeah, save it. Or buy sweets.

Five items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already?
The rug in the living room that sheds bits of jute everywhere. But then I'd need a new rug. Preferably one that cost only five bucks, since that's the budget I was given in the last question. Also. . . probably half of my fabric stash, although I wouldn't be happy about it. I don't suppose we need our biggest duvet, which we never use. Bags that I've made and no longer use. And. . . the exercise bike in the hall (shh, it's Rob's).

Five items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house?
The quilt my mom made for me when I was two (speaking of which, the 'Anna, 2yrs' stitching is wearing away -- what sort of warranty has this got?). My hard drive. The other half of my fabric stash. A thing. And another thing. (I don't know.)

Five words you love?
Not sure about which ones I love, but if repetition counts for anything: lovely, Booty (the Cat), bip, nice, pretty.

I'm not tagging anybody, because I'm tired. And I'm still sore about that five dollars joke.

In case you've been waiting and wondering, this is what my crochet cushion now looks like:

It's got a fabric back (I actually made a cushion cover out of fabric, with solid blue on the front, and then hand-stitched the crochet panel into place). Neither of these cushions has a place of its own, but I just enjoyed making them, and perhaps they'll have an official spot one day.

When I'm expecting packages, I often give people my work address, because I've had packages go missing when nobody's been around to collect them at home. It's always a very big treat when something arrives in the middle of my work day, especially when it's as fabulous as this package from Gisela:

I've taken a truly uninspired photo of everything here, but you should really visit Gisela's site to see how beautiful her items are. I came across her site a while ago and have been smitten with her style ever since. It's a wonderful combination of quite 'earthy' materials/bold stitches with a lovely whimsy in the final product. I'm definitely a big fan, and I'm so happy to have pieces of my very own!

I'm sending out my package for Gisela tomorrow (always late when it comes to post!), and I hope she likes everything I've put together for her. The best trades leave both parties feeling like they've got the better end of the deal!

I know I shouldn't be so excited by something as ordinary as organic fruit and veg, but look how pretty it is:

The box was delivered at 6:30 in the morning yesterday. Believe it or not, this is actually great timing, and I hope it continues to arrive at that time in the future -- it's after I've already showered and et breakfast, but before I go off to work. Excellent.

The potatoes and zucchini (courgettes) are smaller than you'd expect to find at the grocery store, but it was very satisfying to wash off the dirt and smell actual outdoors on my food. I grated two of the three zucchini for zucchini bread, which turned out well. And the fruit, well:

I've certainly never seen happier little plums, have you? Very nice.

I broke my no-baking rule yesterday and made that loaf of zucchini bread and also a loaf of whole-wheat banana bread (I like to buy fairtrade bananas, but they come in bunches that are bigger than I can eat, so half always get too ripe). I've been keeping track of what I eat, and I've decided it's much healthier to have a slice of one of these homemade breads than it is to pop out to the shop for chocolate or crisps in the middle of the day. And tastier!

When Rob said he needed to go to Leigh yesterday (for some satellite things -- can you believe it's quicker to drive thirty-five miles out to the coast for these things instead of trying to get to Tottenham Court Road?) -- anyway, when he said that, I happily jumped in the car and even patiently stood around while the man at Aerial & Satellite Plus explained how the widgets go in the womble and that the wicket is fully shielded for safety. Why so uncharacteristically amenable, you ask? Because!

Last time I was in Leigh, I discovered a little shop. It's a shop that sells dressing gowns and woolly jumpers up the front and very cheap, acrylic yarn in the back. But in the middle! There's a rack that holds Debbie Bliss wool, as well as the odd ball of Rowan. There are only a few varieties, and only a couple of colours in each, but they're only £2 a ball (I'd say they're usually just under £4 in the regular shops).

Last time I picked up a few balls of Merino Arran for a project and a couple Cotton Silks that I used in my wavy cushion cover. This time I picked up the balls of Cotton Angora above, which happen to coordinate quite nicely with the quilt-in-progress they're sitting on. They're going to become a little crocheted wrap, which looks like this at the moment:

I'm not usually a huge fan of cotton, but this blend is very nice, in my opinion. I've been crocheting it fairly loosely, and I love the way it drapes. I'm also loving this stitch pattern, which is easy-peasy.

I've been very into bright colours lately. I'm not sure if it's a reaction against winter and grey spring days, or if that's just a coincidence. The quilt I'm working on is full of bright colours, nearly to the point of clashing. As I told Rob, I'm pretty sure nobody else will ever like it, but I think it's nice. At any rate, it's giving me a chance to use all the Rowan prints I like so much!

Happy Easter! We're celebrating by eating pancakes. Rob had the last of the maple syrup, so I 'had' to have mine with blueberry jam and freshly whipped cream. Yum!

I've been playing with type again:

I've set a quotation of AA Milne's, but I haven't printed it yet, because there's a line that's not quite tight enough. So. . . I guess I haven't actually finished setting it, but you know. . . practically. To keep track of the letters as I picked them out of the tray, I wrote the quotation backwards, since that's how you have to set it. I taught myself to write backwards at university; it was the only way I could take notes in some of my deadly dull classes. It gets harder to do if you don't keep it up, but it's still a fun trick.

Here's another nice photo:

Rob hung this shelf for me above my printing area. I bought the shelf and brackets months ago, with the intention of fixing it under my craft room window, but then I bought a bookcase instead (my favourite bookcase), so it had been shoved in a corner. I thought it looked a bit stark, so I made this length of bunting this morning, to frill it up. Rob still hasn't decided what he thinks of it (that is to say, he hasn't come around to liking it -- I think his exact word for it was 'froofy').

And look at the pretty tulips! They're Easter tulips -- from my parents! They're not really living up on the shelf (too high for proper viewing), but I thought they'd look nice in the photo.

So, I don't usually talk about what I do at work, and I really don't talk about books before contracts have been signed. But I'm making an exception this time, because I'm so very excited that our offer has been accepted for this book. I first heard about Living the Good Life when Claire posted about it, and I immediately contacted the Australian publishers, who sent me a copy for consideration. Needless to say, I loved it, and we will be publishing it in the UK in January. Huzzah.

There was originally some concern that a book about sustainability in a climate which is so different from the UK wouldn't work here. Well, I guess we'll see, but I don't really have any doubts. After all, it's not a how-to guide; it's a diary which is filled with interesting (and scary) facts. It's really got me thinking about things differently, and that's exactly what it should do.

Anyway, besides the excitement about the book, I'm also thrilled to say that I've ordered a small mixed box from Abel&Cole. I've been intrigued by the idea of organic boxes for a while -- locally grown organic fruit and veg, delivered right to your doorstep, its contents varying depending on the season. I had just figured that a person had to live in the country to get one, though, until I did some looking around today. Delivery for this area is Monday, so I'll just have to sit tight until then. . . and look for tasty aubergine recipes. Can you fry it?

I was looking through photos from Japanese craft books when I knew I had to make this:

Cute, no? The flower and chocolate eggs are courtesy Cally -- what better use of a mini drawer than a secret stash for chocolate eggs?

This was a terrifically fun project. I built the drawer out of heavy watercolour paper; I love making 3D objects from paper (like my little Tudor house) -- all the measuring and scoring and folding of tabs is very soothing. I covered the shell and drawer with Kaffe Fassett prints (Rowan textiles are my new obsession, temporarily taking the focus off Liberty), and the drawer is lined with red wool felt.

I can see more of these in my future -- I actually remembered to make a pattern before assembling this time!

Because I had such a wonderful time in Edinburgh, I'm really glad I had nice things to bring away and remind me of my mini-holiday. First up, the excellent gifts from Cally:

I wonder what Cally's favourite colour is. . . I think orange -- wait, no, blue! Love it. She apologized for the non hand-craftedness of the chocolate, but who could ever complain about that?? I love the little book she made, and the paper cone with the chocolate eggs. . . and everything! The little rose petals tucked in are great -- attention to detail, folks.

This white bird cutout came from H&M. I know I shouldn't have been wasting precious Edi-time wandering around chain shops, but I did, and I'm so glad I found this. I think they're meant to be coasters; I bought one for myself and another for Cally (because -- birds!), and I can't wait to find someplace to hang it.

The hand/wrist/arm warmers came from a wonderful indie shop Cally introduced me to (I don't believe it has a website). I just couldn't pass them up -- see them awkwardly in action here. I'm sure all crafters are familiar with the 'oh, I could make that' experience when out shopping -- and how often DO we actually run home and make what we've just left at the store? Not often, in my case. I knew I wouldn't be making these, and I was (and am) hardcore in love with them. The bobbles at the top! Plus, I do like to support other handcrafters -- if I only knew who made them, I'd love to give them some blog publicity.

So, goodies, goodies, everywhere. But what about chocolate? Not just run-of-the-mill chocolate bars, but ridiculous, over-the-top, lush chocolate. Oh, here's a box:

Wonder what's in there? Hm. Only the most beautiful chocolates in the world!

These came from Plaisir du Chocolat, where we had the wonderful hot chocolate. (If you go to their website, you can figure out which flavours I picked out -- a good thing, since I forgot what they were myself [I just picked my favourite designs, really].) It was fun and difficult narrowing down my choices, and the presentation is just excellent.

They also had a case full of cakes and other chocolate delights -- what looked like a Victoria sponge, with chocolate instead of jam (!) and macarons bigger than my palm. I knew I had to bring something back for Rob, he who delights in sickly sweet indulgences, and this is what I chose:

Crazy, no? It took some wrangling to get it out of the box and onto the plate, so it's not as pristine as it looked in the shop. There are three layers of half-centimetre-thick sponge, toped with candied orange bits, and then the whomping layers of thick, smooth, lovvvvvvely ganache. I had a thin slice off the edge with my tea this morning, and I warned Rob about the dangers of eating the rest of the piece in one go. He bravely soldiered through, however, with little to no complaint.

Guess where I was yesterday?

(Hint: That's Edinburgh Castle.) Yes, in the most glamorous move I've ever made, I flew to Edinburgh for the day to visit Cally. It might seem like a ridiculous expense, but anybody who's met up with blogging pals knows it's well worth it!

My flight left very early in the morning, but was so very slick. I'd already checked in on-line and printed my boarding pass, so when I got to the airport (driven there by the generous Rob), I just waltzed to the security check and then onto the plane. It's only about an hour flight, but they even served breakfast! Luxury. A short bus ride from the airport to the city, and I was in Edinburgh before nine.

I wandered around by myself for a while, getting a cup of coffee and thinking how strange it was to be back in Edinburgh. I studied just outside the city for a while, and every time I go back, it seems like an amazing homecoming, but at the same time, as though I never left. It's a lovely, lovely city -- the best in the world -- and you'd be wrong to say otherwise.

Cally and I met up at eleven and headed off to do some second-hand shopping. No great finds, but lots of good discussion. How is it that two people whose lives have converged only at this one time can have so much in common and be full of things to share? Finally somebody else has read Gerald's Game and knows about the scary guy in the corner! And the dead-girl walk from the Gothika trailer! (To be fair, Whit knows about dead-girl walk too.) We spent a lot of time talking about the things that scare us, perhaps only because nobody else ever admits to these things.

I think one of the best parts of the day was over lunch, when I said, 'Oh! I brought you some things!' and Cally said, 'Oh! I brought you some things too!' We hadn't planned to bring gifts, but I guess that just goes to demonstrate the amazing generosity of the crafty community on the whole.

We ended the day with cups of amazing hot chocolate from Plaisir du Chocolat, and I finally had to head back to the airport. I had another nice flight back to London, unable to stop smiling, because, you know, the world's just so nice!

p.s. -- I forgot my camera, so the photos are from my phone, which is why they look funny.
p.p.s. -- Edinburgh loot post to follow.

I thought I was immune to the pompon love going around, but I was wrong, so wrong:

They still need a little trimming up, but I wanted to get a photo before the sun disappeared. What a fun little project! Pompons. Who'd've thought, eh? Speaking of surprise desires, I was lucky enough to swoop up one of Alicia's amazing aprons yesterday. Although I enjoy seeing aprons on other people's blogs, I haven't really felt the need to have one of my own -- or, at least, I didn't. Now I can't wait for my own Alice Apron to arrive; it will make my monthly baking so much more glamorous!

Packages, packages, waiting to be sent:

I get into such a cycle with posting orders. It probably takes me an average of one week to get an order in the post, which I suppose is fair enough, but I wish I could have a slightly quicker turn around. So I always have a week of fretting about having not posted the previous weekend's orders, then there's a brief respite after everything goes in the post, but soon enough it's time to make and send more prints. I'm very impressed by people who take on so much more than I do and still manage to get it shipped ASAP!

Do you have any tips for making the packing/shipping process easier and quicker? I've found little cellophane bags, which I love, and which will make 'wrapping' the bird prints much quicker. Ideally, I'd have a little packing/wrapping station, but I just haven't got the room at the moment. What sorts of tricks do you guys have for keeping up with things?

p.s. -- I can't really complain about the posting stress cycle, because it means that people want my prints. And that makes it all more than worth it!

[Update: All the charity prints have been sold! You guys are great!]

Hey, do you like pink? Yes? How about little birds? Yeah? Well, do you like contributing money towards the ongoing search for a cure for cancer? You do? Well! Have I got the thing for you!

Special all-pink bird prints! I think these are so lovely; the monochromatic thing really makes them look like an illustration from an old story book. And to boot, the entire selling price will go towards my fundraising for the Race for Life run. I wasn't expecting to make these, but it seemed like a great opportunity to raise more donation money!

So! If you would like one of these prints (there are eleven to be sold), send me an e-mail (remove the X from the beginning) with the subject 'CHARITY PRINT'. Each print costs £5, which is slightly more than the usual $5, but it's going to a good cause. Instead of paying with PayPal, you'll pay through my fundraising page, but please wait until I've confirmed your 'claim' before paying.

I hope you like these little pink guys as much as I do!

I spent most of Sunday making gifts for various people, and this is one of my favourite results:

It's crocheted from Noro Silk Garden, and the colours are a bit brighter than I would usually like, although I do really like the pouch. I'm most pleased with this:

It's lined with a Rowan print, and I just happened to have a zip that matches perfectly. The construction of this pouch is probably better than any I've done before. I machine sewed the lining to the zip and then used the tiniest, most invisiblest hand stitches to attach the crocheted outside. Looking at it makes me feel supremely clever, and I almost wish I could keep it, but it's going to be happily winging its way to America soon.

Now it's time to talk about something that's rarely discussed on this blog: exercise! Er, well, running and charity, really. Nobody really knows why, but I've signed up for the Race for Life, a 5k which is happening on June 4th in the city. That means I've got exactly two months to get fit, or at least fit-ish. Something not unlike fit, let's say.

It's a fund-y raise-y type event, and I've set my fundraising goal at £125. I can't decide whether this is daunting or not, but if you'd like to, you can donate by clicking here and then doing whatever it asks you to. You will earn a special place in my heart for all time if you do. I'm also planning to make some special prints and other various crafty wares to sell, the proceeds from which will go towards my goal.

Here's hoping I can do it!

I appear to be in a very post-y mood, don't I? I've also been baking:

Because pumpkins are a superfood, as are walnuts, I made pumpkin bread with walnuts. Tada. It's really very nice, and Rob even had a bite and admitted it was good (having not been raised on it, he thinks pumpkin pie is weird. Worrying, I know.). I've been trying to cut back on the amount of baking I do; a few months ago, I seemed to make something nearly every week. I wanted to cut back to once a month, but I haven't really kept track. I think it's a good sign, though, that the flour I bought weeks and weeks ago still hadn't been opened. I must be doing alright.

Even though I said I've sworn off allrecipes.com (too many misses in the hit/miss ratio), I basically used this recipe. Except I halved it. And changed a couple of things:

Pumpkin Bread
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a loaf tin.
Sift together the first block of dry ingredients. In a second bowl, mix together the sugars, oil, and eggs (I would have used more brown sugar in place of the white, if only it hadn't mostly dried up. Who's in charge of packaging things around here?). Mix in the pumpkin. Blend in the flour mixture in parts, alternating with the water. Stir in the walnuts. Pour the batter in the tin and throw it in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick come out clean.

Eat. Eat, eat, eat.

When I found some little brushed-metal frames, perfect for my bird prints, I thought I'd try something a little different from my usual editions.

I've made three new prints, but they're each one-offs. There are orange birds on a green background. There are also red birds on a light blue background -- quite similar to this edition, which has been one of my favourites so far. The last print has olive green birds on a light terrecotta background. All of them have blue-black outlines.

Each framed print measures 3.25"x3.25" including the frame, and they each cost $15, which includes shipping. If you would like to buy one, please leave a comment on this post and let me know which colour you'd like. Please do not e-mail your request; leaving a comment will let others know which prints have already been claimed.

I hope you like them!