Zaahir drew some great pictures of pond creatures which I'll have to share another time since his project was due today.  I am so glad that we went to the park, and that we didn't rely on internet for the research.  We used our bird and butterfly books and a book about bugs and one called Pond Life as references for drawing the pictures and to find information that we couldn't find out from our brief observations. 

Pajama Pants: this weekend I finished making pajama pants for Ahmad, from an old shirt of my husband's.  I used the pattern from Weekend Sewing, and strategically cut the right front piece to make use of the pocket.  I copied the pattern onto freezer paper and ironed the freezer paper on to the fabric which made it a lot easier to cut out.  The pattern and instructions are very clear and easy to use.  Now Ahmad has some nice, cozy winter jammies!               

All this week Zaahir has been sanding a small shelf that a teacher at school was going to throw away.  I snapped it up and brought it home for Zaahir so that he could have a place to put his treasures, away from smaller paws!  Early Saturday morning he woke me so we could paint it.  He had chosen a beautiful bright blue paint, and he took his time painting the first coat. 

The rest of the weekend was pretty busy.  Hopefully we can finish painting it today, and put it up tomorrow evening.  Watching my son work so hard and spend so much time on this personal project and on his pond research paper made me realize that I don't have to throw the t.v. away or have fights about it every day.  I only have to provide engaging, creative alternatives, and the desire to watch t.v. melts away!

Last weekend, Zaahir and Ahmad drew pitures on muslin fabric, for a table runner that I hope to finish for our Eid Al Adha dinner (November 26th this year):       

 We were all busy bees this weekend!

Table runners instantly dress up a table or buffet.  I had a lot of fun making a table runner/dresser scarf for myself a couple of years ago:     

  These are the individual fabrics: 

I recently finished a table runner for my cousin and her new husband.  I pieced it similarly to the one above, but then added hand stitching to secure the layers and as a decorative element:

 The individual fabrics came from a fat quarter collection from purl:

  It is hard to see the hand quilting in this picture, but I used an olive green DMC linen thread that matches the green in the striped fabric. 

I like the look of the thread, but I wouldn't use it again for a quilting project because it breaks more easily than cotton and so it is hard to pop knots through to the inside of the work.  The thread is lovely for embroidery though. 

Next project?  A runner for Eid Al Adha with drawings by the kiddos, a la Amanda Soule.

I made some for my mom years ago, and made these in the same way - with thrifted fabric napkins and old towels for batting.  But the ones I made for my mom had more complex quilting and binding.  These I made using the directions for the coasters in Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, with the addition of a little fabric hanging loop.  I am very pleased with the way they turned out - they are flexible and not too heavy, and I haven't burned my hands once since I started using them!

This weekend we went to the Welcome Back Monarchs Festival at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz.  The park is one of our favorite day trips during the year, but on this day, the kids get to do art projects, learn about Monarch migration and the ecosystem in the park, and eat hand-churned pumpkin ice cream!

Walking down the wooden boardwalk into the quiet redwood and eucalyptus forest, we saw hundreds of butterflies flitting over the canyon.  The butterflies were enchanting, the kids were thrilled, and the ice cream was divine! 

We made pumpkin cupcakes the night before, and frosted them with caramel buttercream frosting in the wee hours of the morning.  We used the banana cupcake recipe from the February 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living, but I used roasted pumpkin puree instead of banana.  Ahmad preferred the cupcakes unfrosted, but Chef Zaahir declared that "The caramel buttercream really brings out the pumpkin flavor".  That's my boy!

When we had visited all the booths, we were off to the beach where my mom took Zaahir and his best friend to play in the water, while Ahmad and I burried rocks and made castles.  Then we went to the nearby Seymour Marine Discovery Center and played with these:  

But Ahmad's favorite animal was the Leopard Shark:

Monday Dinner...Butternut Squash Soup:

I boiled the pumpkin skin and pulp from the pumpkin I roasted for the cupcakes., together with a few cloves of garlic, for a soup stock.  Then I strained it and added 1/2 a large butternut squash (peeled and cubed), 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed, some salt and pepper, cumin and cinnamon.  I blended it when everything was soft, and then added some cream and heated just until it started to steam.  Yummy!   

Life (in Orange) is good!

I made this little darling for my new cousin:  

The pattern is from Claire Montgomerie's Easy Baby Knits

and I used Lion Cotton Ease in violet.  The pattern was very easy and fun to work, and I learned a few lessons: 

• not to be intimidated by the phrase, "work the same as right side, reversing all shaping"  - it was easier than I thought, but I spent a lot of time stressing over it.
• blocking makes everything look better - when I bound off, the fronts looked shorter than the back because of the neck shaping - after blocking, all was well.
• Making baby clothes is such a nice way to develop new knitting skills!

I am now making baby shoes from the same book to match :)

 I

 I would show you a "before" picture, but then you would toss your cookies and YOUR couch would look like mine in its uncovered state!  Instead, here's a closeup of the heavy canvas fabric that I used, which I bought on sale at $3 a yard last summer.

I have to say that completing this slipcover made me feel like I could tackle any DIY project.  Which is good, because now I have to find coordinating fabric for the loveseat and chair.  Hopefully it won't take me another year to finish those! 

Recent FO's:

• Potholders - simple, cute, coral patterned, quilted
• Couch cover - I am very proud of this, but can't get a good picture.

WIP's

In the hoop:

• woodpecker quilt - kids' wall decoration 

The deadline for the following items is October 10th.

On the needles:

• baby wrap sweater - done
• organic cotton washcloth in broken rib stitch - done 

In the sewing basket:

• table runner - done
• Kitchen curtains

Okay, now I feel better.

Like most crafters, I had lofty holiday gift ideas.  I had to abandon some of the items on my list when I realized at the eleventh hour that they wouldn't get done.  At least I didn't have bags under my eyes for Eid!

Here are some of the things we made for Eid: 

During Ramadan, we put up garlands of paper stars and moons that everyone in the family decorated.  For Eid, I made a fabric garland using the instructions from Alicia Paulson's "Stitched in Time" birthday banner.  The fabric is from Cake Rock Beach, and another that I got from Purl in a fat quarter bundle.  Unfortunately the pictures came out yellowish - it is prettier in real life.

My son, Zaahir, had been working on a piece of freestyle embroidery for awhile, and this Eid he decided to add some words and turn it into a pillow for his father:

For my husband I made a card

that says "Eid Mubarak" in Arabic

During the kids' Eid Carnival, some of the mothers were doing henna.  I only had time for a small design, but I love it so much!

At work we had a gift exchange, and I was so excited to draw the name of someone who I know appreciates handmade gifts!  She is one of the librarians at our school.  I made her a crosstitched card (but forgot to take a picture of it), and a pincushion, and a bookmark which I put in a book of poems by Muslim women.  I wrapped it all in lavendar tissue paper and included a lavendar sachet.  I also put a hijab pin on the pincushion.

    the backing of the pincushion is the same as the back of the bookmark (second picture below).    

The bookmark material is from Cake Rock Beach, and the button is hand-hewn from bone.  The tassel has a 6-strand macrame knot.

Now in the works: Eid gifts for next Eid, (at the end of November), kitchen curtains, and wedding and new baby presents. 

Alhumdulillah for a lovely holiday!

Tanja