The Cottage Revolution

Tag: crafting

  • The Alphabet Shoppe

    During the summer of 1998 I worked at a summer camp — not as a counselor or any of those  roles one might someday remember fondly. I was the Dining Hall Steward. What’s that, you ask? It’s the person who makes meals run smoothly by calming hundreds of screaming kids and introducing each menu item.…

  • Baby Gifts

    I’m the first to admit I’m a very bad consumer. If I think I can make something I will avoid buying it, even when it makes a lot more sense to just spend the money. But I’m stubborn. Earlier this month I hosted a baby shower and, even though we were working on the house…

  • Echino Zippered Clutch

    I have a thing about zippers. And it’s  more than just a thing, it’s pure disdain. But this echino laminate sat in my fabric stash for years, waiting for the perfect project. And it turns out all reasonable contenders for the perfect project involved zippers. So with Christmas nearing and my younger sister having commented…

  • Big League

    I’m only halfway finished with the project I started this weekend, but what I can tell you about it right now is that the by-product of this crafting is giving me a serious craving for some Big League Chew. More to come…

  • A Burst of Color

    Oh, Midwest winter, you are getting the best of me. I’m starting to run out of ways to remind myself that there is light at the end of the tunnel; that spring is on its way. This is what remains of the ball of fiber that got me through this cold and icy week. Between…

  • Christmas Crafting: Part 2

    I love winter for the abundance of rosy cheeks, warm drinks and knitted goods. This year I haven’t been up to much knitting and instead have turned my attention to sewing, but for some reason this winter I’m hard to find without a ball of yarn in my lap. Maybe it’s the portability of each…

  • Family Stockings

    After many years of celebrating Christmas together, last year Regan and I decided it was time to make stockings for our little family. Some friends of ours saw those stockings and mentioned they might like something for their growing family. Nearly a year later, I finally got around to making that happen. These are made…

  • Weekend Snow

    While the Northern part of our state is expecting 16 -20 inches through tomorrow, our snowfall pales in comparison. That said, we still took today to pretend like we were snowed in. Warm meals, secret Christmas crafting, gift wrapping and holiday lights — this was the way we rocked the weekend. After a weekend full…

  • A Trivet (at long last)

    Here are just a few of the things I’m bad at: • Running long distances • Math • Recalling the story lines of movies • Mailing things promptly It often takes me months to mail anything. As a kid I moved from Indiana to Minnesota, then back to Indiana. My friends and I had the…

  • Zipper: 1 Claire: 0

    I’d hoped by the end of February I’d have a new skirt to show — one that I’d drafted just for me. And it was looking good, like it could happen … until I got to the zipper. Zippers and I have never really gotten along and I’ve managed to avoid them until now. But…