Monday, December 20, 2010

Hand Made Holiday

I can't post what I made yet, but I am proud to say that 7 people on my list this year are getting hand-made gifts. Hand-made gifts means planning a little earlier and knowing a bit about the person and their tastes. Some of the gifts I give with a "return policy" telling the recipient that I'd be happy to remake it in a color more to their liking.
I saved money as I looked for bargains on my raw materials throughout the year. I set deadlines, gave myself plenty of time and it all worked out great. Now is a good time to start thinking of ideas for next year, while it is fresh in your mind. Search DIY sites and look in on Martha for ideas or find the perfect sewing pattern and look for bargain fabrics. As soon as the gifts are open, I will post some pics of them!
Happy Holidays!
Theresa, ommama

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Holiday Giveaway!

You know you want these fabulous little vintage mushrooms! They are from Meyer Imports, a fabulous company with little mushrooms, tiny creatures, and amazing glitter. The largest ones are watte (spun cotton) with plaster caps and the smaller ones are all plaster. All you have to do is be a follower of the blog (look to the right of this post to subscribe) and leave a comment below (international entries welcome!). But not just any comment silly! Tell us your favorite holiday/winter tradition. A winner will be chosen at random and notified. All comments much be left by 9 pm PST (lucky you East Coasties!).

Good Luck!
Cerise : )

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Bella's Sweater


This weekend I made a little sweater for my "niece," Bella. It was my first baby sweater and it came out so cut! I took advantage of Knit Picks's cyber Monday sale and got a ton of yarn, some for specific projects like this one, and some for whatever comes along. Who could pass up Oregon Coast merino lace yarn? Dexter was also supposed to get a sweater out of this but apparently hyacinth is a purple color. Who knew? It's really not his shade. Bella's sweater was made with KP's Andean Silk in the colorway Cerise (cool, right?). This is my new favorite blend. Alpaca, merino, and silk, oh my! It's a fabulous as it sounds. A nice halo and a lovely sheen and it feels divine. The pattern is Lion Brand Yarn's Eyelet Yoke Sweater and it's a really great and fairly easy one to knit up. I want to make a million of these in every color! Fortunately I know a few baby and toddler girls who might need a sweater. After one other sock mate, my holiday knitting is done. Post holiday knitted gifts is another story...

Happy Knitting!
Cerise : )

P.S. If you aren't a blog follower get on it! Look to the right of this post to follow. Thursday is giveaway day and you can't win if you aren't a follower...

Friday, December 10, 2010

Fiber Friday: Pashmina

One of the softest, most luxurious fibers is pashmina wool. Pashmina comes from Himalayan goats, Capra hircus, that live in high altitudes and extreme cold. Their wool is only 12-20 microns thick. The goats are sheared once a year for their fiber.

Pashm
is Persian for "wool". Most pashmina yarns sold on the market are a blend of pashmina wool and silk or other fibers. Many yarns available are lovely, such as madelinetosh Tosh Pashmina Yarn but are as little as 10% pashmina. 100% pashmina is very expensive around $100 per 100 grams. If you do buy the wool or a scarf or shawl, be sure to check the actual fiber content so that you know what you are getting.

Cashmere and pashmina are sometimes used interchangeably for the same fiber. While cashmere comes from goats, cashmere is a type, not a breed.
Happy Friday!

Theresa, Ommama

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Merry Christmas to Me!


As a sewer and a crafter, you really know best what you need and having the right tools for the job makes the job so much better. While you can certainly put these on your Christmas list, I am getting a few things for myself:
New pins and needles: yes, I have a lot of them. Some from my grandmother. Very dull indeed! And have the right kind of needle for the job. There is a nice little article on the types of needles for the job here.
Sharpen my scissors: I have some that won't even cut thread anymore. They are great scissors, they just need sharpening. Find the best local knife and scissor sharpener through your local fabric or yarn store.
Ergonomic seam ripper: And it is sharp!
Lots of empty bobbins: no more pulling thread off a bobbin when I need an empty one.
New organizers: No more wasting time looking for doodads when I can be crafting or sewing.
The list could go on, but these are the things I am starting with. After all, I have been a good girl this year!
Theresa, Ommama

Treasury Features!


My cute little tiny mushroom terrarium and my little red-nosed reindeer both made it into treasuries!! I'm so excited! Check them out, some neat picks!

Great Mushroom Treasury
(click on pic)

Great Deer Treasury
(click on pic)

Happy Crafting!
Cerise : )

Monday, December 6, 2010

Weekly Favorite: Ravelry Pattern

I love to browse all the newly added knitting patterns on Ravelry and this week I came across Baby Black Hole by Dawn Finney. He's absolutely adorable with his little eyes. And he's a scientific knit pattern. Well, sort of. I love sciency crafting (and Ms. Finney has a few crafties) and this little guy definitely falls into that category for me. What are your favorite science crafties?

Happy Crafting,
Cerise : )

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Glitter Me Green


Hooray for glitter!!! I am in LOVE with all my German glass glitter. It comes is so many wonderful colors! This was a must for Christmas crafting. Among other items getting a glitter treatment this winter, I have been putting glitter on papier maché cones. They will definitely be more festive after some added flair and sparkles. These glittered trees will be a definite family treasure every year. I'm going to make sets in pink, gold, and silver, but I think the green is absolutely divine for a tree! Hope you like them too. Head over to my Etsy to get your own glittery treasure.

Happy Glittering!
Cerise : )

Friday, December 3, 2010

Fiber Friday: Alpaca

What a yummy fiber. I just started knitting a new scarf (my third knit project!) with an alpaca blend. It is tri-colored with a creamy white, light brown and dark brown. I began to wonder if alpaca raised in warmer climes and lower elevations is as good as Alpaca from the Andes. As far as I have researched, the fiber looses some luster when the animals live in Australia or the U.S. and the fibers aren't quite as fine. Most alpaca still comes from Peru, Bolivia or Chile. Alpaca is very fine, less than 34 microns. Compare that to a human hair which averages 90 microns.Photo fromSnow Mountain Alpacas from Keenesburg, Colorado
Alpacas are sheared just like sheep, usually annually. The best fleece comes from the blanket of the animal, the part covering the back, side shoulders and rump. Baby alpaca fiber comes from the first clip that commands a premium rate because of its extra fineness, 22.5-23.5 microns. Shearings can produce 5-6 pounds of wool. Alpaca is hypoallergenic and less itchy than wool as alpaca has no lanolin. Vicuna, alpaca's wild cousins, have wool that is only 12 microns thick. They are rounded up and sheared every two years. What a chore that must be! You can buy a ball of vicuna yarn for a mere $300!
Here is a lovely superfine alpaca tweed from Knit Purl. This one is $27.50 for 8 ounces.
Oh, and if you want to buy and alpaca they run $1000-$16,000!
Theresa, Ommama

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Baby Terrariums


My baby terrariums! Bigger than the little bitty terrariums, these get to have bigger mushrooms! The bigger ones are wonderful spun cotton, or watte, with ceramic caps. I will be making the lids decorative as baby food jar lids are not particularly attractive. My first one has my favorite little ceramic fox mini. He looks very happy to frolic amongst the mushrooms. I hope to have a few baby terrariums up on my Etsy site soon. These make great holiday gifts and will fit in a stocking and are sure to put a smile on any face so order soon to get it by Christmas!

Happy Crafting!
Cerise : )

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Happy Hannuka!

This is my silly little hanukia covered in glitter. I lit my first candle tonight for the first night of Hanukkah. I'm not Jewish (though I've wanted to be since I was 10ish due to a dancing bagel at a Noah's Bagels grand opening) but I wanted to explore other cultures and traditions this winter. I'm trying to talk Dale into playing dreidel with me tomorrow. I need to find some dark chocolate gelt though. I don't like the traditional gelt. And I need to remember the dreidel symbols.

Happy Hanukkah!
Cerise : )

Wonderful Wreaths

Last weekend we went to my friend Nicole's mum's house to make wreaths. She had all the swag cut so we brought our wreath frames, wire,and wire cutters. There were three types of tree limbs and some holly we incorporated into our wreaths. Though it was a chilly rainy day, we were warmed up with tea and crafty fun.
After all the swag was attached to the frames, we trimmed off the wonky bits and gave the wreaths nice round shapes. They all turned out different and all looked really great. I decided to add some of my vintage Shiny Bright ornaments to give my wreath some flair. I had so much fun making my wreath that I want to make more. They look so nice and smell so good and would be great for gifts and holiday party presents!

Happy Winter Crafting,
Cerise : )

Monday, November 29, 2010

New Etsy Items!


While OmMama is doing well on Etsy, I've been hiding out for over a year. But I'm back with new items and a few old favorites. I will be getting more items up in the next two weeks as I get more crafting and photos done. Hope you enjoy these cute little terrarium ornaments and necklaces! I had a lot of fun making them and can't wait to make more. I will have larger terrariums and gnomes up soon as well.

Happy Crafting!
Cerise : )

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Fiber Cooperative Giveaway!

I just got a nifty fiber follower on my twitter, Ms. Gusset, whose twitter post announced a great giveaway at The Fiber Cooperative. Hurry and comment on your favorite fiber to enter. Mine is Kentucky Bluegrass Posh Sock that of course has a wonderful name! It also is a really great color and it's a cashmere blend!

Happy Entries,
Cerise : )

Friday, November 26, 2010

Finished!


My first scarf is done and thank goodness as it is nice and warm and our weather is cold! It actually snowed here in Corvallis a couple of days ago and we have lingering below freezing weather. We are not prepared for this! No one has snow tires, boots or anything. A half inch of snow closed the schools. This is my second knit project to come to completion. It was a simple stockinette with some switcheroos thrown in to make it my own pattern, the Cocoa Palm. Actually, they were mistakes turned into a pattern. I believe that is the secret to knitting!
Theresa, Ommama

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you're still trying to find one last minute Thanksgiving dish, here's a WONDERFUL last minute, easy-and-quick-to-make harvest slaw for your turkey table. Theresa made this up and it was SO good I made it last week for our weekend dinner and added my own little twist. You can add other special twists like nuts or dried fruit. Enjoy!


Harvest Slaw
2 yams, raw
1 apple, raw
1-3 carrots (the bigger the fewer), raw
~1 tsp. sugar
twist of lemon

Use a food processor (or the medium holes of a grater) to mince raw yams, apple, and carrots. Mix in a bowl with sugar and lemon juice. Add more sugar or lemon juice to taste. Serve room temperature or store in fridge for up to two days.


If you add your own special ingredients please share them in the comments!


Happy Cooking & Baking!
Cerise : )

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

First Day of Snow




It snowed tonight! It doesn't usually snow a lot in the Willamette Valley but we got a good dose of it last night and it stuck! I danced around outside, Theresa was hurrying her outdoor plants inside, my dog was running nuttily around the yard, and the cat was second guessing her evening excursion. And though I LOVE the snow, the garden looked quite dead and sad in the dark, covered in a light, downy blanket of snow. I began to reminisce our short summer, when the garden was more lively and striving to be lush.

This was year one for the garden and it didn't do that great. We did reap a ton of tomatoes and quite a pack of peppers that, yes, we did pickle. Theresa and I spent two whole days picking jalapeño peppers and making green tomato relish. The sun all but deserted us by late June so we had quite a few green tomatoes limply clinging to the vine. The chopping was a lot of work but the picking turned out quite well. We had a few jars break in the bath but all sealed properly. We winged the pickled pepper recipe a bit and the tomato recipe was derived from a few online. We ended up with so many jars that Theresa and I still had a full shelf each of canned goods even after dividing up the stash and giving away a few jars. Though we didn't get too much else besides peppers, tomatoes, and carrots, we definitely got quite enough pickled goods to last us through the winter. I think I will be hording my peppers and eating nachos alone!

Happy Harvest!
Cerise : )

Friday, November 19, 2010

Inspire Me to Draw

I used to love to doodle and draw but somewhere along the way I started getting really insecure about drawing and began to hate it. Once in a while I would doodle in my notebook during class or be forced to draw scientific illustrations in my paleontology class. But I stopped drawing on my own. I realized I really miss drawing but I usually couldn't think of what draw when I sat down with pencil and paper. A couple days ago my store got a GREAT book in called 642 Things to Draw. All the pages are blank save prompt words to get you drawing. This is my idea of a drawing book! I've already done two drawings, though I think the first one is kind of lame. I will try to figure out my scanner and post some of my not-so-lame drawings in the future. In the mean time, if you like to doodle, get this book!

Happy Doodling,
Cerise : )

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Making Due

I am not very good at making circles. I have a protractor, but it only gets so big. So when I needed a large circle to make my zafu pattern, I simply used a dinner plate. For my yoga mat bags, I used a small plate. I'd like to think that there is some thought into form and function and exact size for the product. But sometimes it just comes down to the size of plate I have in my cupboard.
Theresa, OmMama

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Sewing Injuries to Avoid

There is the obvious: sharp quilting pins poking into your finger and burning yourself on your iron. Recently I have caught my finger under the foot pedal, burned my forehead on the light bulb as I peered too close to thread a needle. The worst injury ever was "pinking" my finger with my pinking shears. I got a nice jagged cut that took forever to heal. One of my friends once cut off the tip of her finger with a rotary cutter. A true sewer, she was more concerned about the fabric she ruined than her finger. Luckily she healed well.

My older sister will never forgive me for stabbing her with a seam ripper. I think she may have been questioning my sewing skills (I was making an apron my second year in 4-H). Anyway, it wasn't very nice and perhaps I am paying for it still. Each time I get a sewing injury I think it might be payback for that seam ripper incident.

Be careful out there!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Sequins, Ribbon, and Felt, Oh my!

My Crafty neighbor friend, Nicole, and I started a new crafty Christmas project last week. We are both big fans of Anthropologie and decided to make some little "babushka" dolls similar to ones in a recent catalog. We compiled our felt, sequins, glitter, beads, ribbon, embroidery floss, and anything else we could find and got to work.
We were very skeptical about the little ladies at first but after starting our first ones we really go into constructing our miniature winter dolls. I was so excited about them that I couldn't wait to get back out to the craft hut and start another doll. Then the December issue of Martha Stewart came. While doing my initial flip-through of the pictures, I noticed a story on some adorable vintage elves. I couldn't find a picture from the article but here are some great examples!) I ran out to the hut with the magazine in hand and started making an elf, complete with lantern and woodland scene. I went back and forth between the ladies and some elves with a fervor.
So far, Nicole and I have spent two nights on our little people and are anxiously awaiting an order of more little wooden doll bodies to continue our new and exciting craft project. So stay tuned for more pictures of our wee women and elves!
Happy Crafting!
Cerise : )

Monday, October 11, 2010

Knitting is FUN


I am still working on my winter scarf (my first knitting project.) I promised myself I'd finish it this weekend. I was watching a movie (seen it before, my husband forgot he saw it) so figured I'd knit. I did two rows, got up to refresh my beverage, and when I came back I swear there were two little loops just sitting there not belonging that weren't there before. I tried moving them to the other needle, studied them from all angles and concluded that I do not know how to fix them. Help Cerise! **sigh**
I decided to give away the washcloth I made (only project #2 of my knitting career) as part of a new baby gift. It actually came out okay. I am not sure if I will make another. I really want to get onto something bigger like a sweater, but am very fearful. Maybe another scarf...
Theresa, Ommama

Monday, September 20, 2010

Thar be PIRATES!


Cerise made this cool pirate outfit for the Portland Pirate Festival this weekend!! I was amazed as what she could do in one day. I made our blouses from a Simplicity pattern and bought my corset top from Damsel in this Dress. I am yelling "yar" which is why my mouth is open. Aren't we a couple of classy wenches? We all look forward to further accessorizing for next year's fest. Meanwhile, practice yer pirate speak.
Theresa, OmMama

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Modal

I recently bought a yummy, soft silver-gray dress. It was on sale 1/2 price so I snatched it up. I assumed it was a cotton blend and didn't look at the content label until I got it home. It is 100% Modal. Having seen this material more recently but being unfamiliar I looked it up. Turns out modal is a fabric much like rayon (often considered a type of rayon) only it is made exclusively from beech tree cellulose. It is bio-based as it comes from natural materials, however the drawback is that modal is heavily processed using chemicals so it is not considered a natural fabric.

Modal, like my yummy dress, is soft and silky, drapes well and takes dyes nicely. It also has less shrinkage than other rayon and cotton. Who knew trees gave us so much. I love my dress but feel a little guilty that a tree was the cost of looking good.
Theresa, OmMama

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

DIY face cleansing pads

I get tired of wasting money and resources on all the little things I use everyday. One of those is cotton cleansing pads for facial cleansing. I got the idea of using some scraps of fabric that weren't big enough for anything else. I used cotton flannel with organic cotton batting for the inside, sewed some squares and now have washable reusable cleansing pads. I am still working on the ideal bag for the pads so that they can be washed in their own little mesh bag.
Theresa, OmMama

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A sock and turtle

It was a long, stressful visit to Denver this past week and a half. I lost my wonderful grandpa and wanted to help with dealing with the estate, not realizing times like these can bring out the ugliest in people. Thankfully I had my knitting with me and I finally finished sock number two for mum's Christmas present. I had to rip it out when I was about to knit the toe because I didn't pay attention to how many decreases I needed to do for the foot. My mum's little foot was swimming in the sock. It is a really quick knit, especially when I'm anxious since that gets me knitting faster! My 11-year-old cousin's birthday was also last week and I decided to knit him a turtle. I finished it well into the night my last day in Denver and he came out pretty cute. I think my cousin liked him too. I will post pictures of him later this week when I get more time to breathe and get back to knitting.
Happy Crafting!
Cerise : )

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Wish List: Shibui


I've been on a total fiber craving spree for a few weeks now. I think it might be a bit of a therapy thing. Or maybe the couple days of cool weather tickled me into feelings of fall. I really want to get back up to Knit Purl and get some Shibui yarn and patterns. My late summer favorite yarn: Staccato in 50's Kitchen. I could just feel how amazing this is by looking at it! I managed to swing by and nab up the last three skeins they had before catching my flight to Denver. And to go with this perfect-for-socks yarn I've been wanting to get the Shibui Socks pattern booklet. Oh they are so lovely! Hopefully I can make my way up soon to Portland's Pearl District and indulge in my yearning for more Shibui yarn and get some fun patterns for fall knitting.

Happy Knitting!
Cerise : )

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Holiday Crafts

Hear is a sneak peak at a crafty project I have up my sleeve. These will be much more exciting and hopefully an enjoyable holiday present for the recipients. I love the colors available at the craft store and they are made in India (rather than cheapo Made in China stuff they mostly have). Hopefully I have all the embroidery floss colors I'll need, though I usually never do have all the right stuff.






Happy Crafting!
Cerise : )

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

My Photo of the Week


Meet the goat at Blueberry Meadows.
A shy guy who was enjoying the blueberries tossed in his pen.
I think I have a thing for taking pictures of goats, sheep, and llamas.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

More Projects on the Needles!

Here's what else are on the needles:


I am hoping to have this sock done by the time I drive back to Oregon next weekend. These are a Christmas present for some lady I know. I used WAY more yarn that I thought I would on the first one and had to wait to get another skein in to start the second sock. I LOVE this yarn. It's Knit Picks Shine Sport in Grasshopper green. I could live in this stuff! I also really like the sock pattern (Meida's Socks, Nancy Bush, Interweave Knits). The pattern texture is wonderful and I really like the heal flap. Overall, this is definitely one of my favorite projects!

Happy Knitting,
Cerise : )

Friday, August 20, 2010

Garden Beautiful

Okay, this really isn't crafting but I thought I'd share the beautiful sunflowers in the garden. These were random additions to the garden thanks to the birds. They are so amazing!
Happy Gardening!
Cerise : )

Thursday, August 19, 2010

On the Needles

Here's what's on the needles for this week
(along with many other UFOs!):


A sweater shell based on the Ninebark Cowl pattern from Knitscene, Winter/Spring 2010 issue. I hate the cowl so I'm leaving that out and I'm trying to make it more custom to my torso. I also want some poofy-ish sleeves that will be added hopefully on my "long" airplane ride today. Overall I don't think it will really end up much like the Ninebark Cowl at all but that was definitely an inspiration.

Happy Crafting!
Cerise : )

Friday, August 13, 2010

Feature Artist Friday: Song and Branch

It's Friday and time for another feature artist! This week our feature artist is Karen Dorweiler of Song and Branch from Seattle, Washington.



Karen makes cute and creative porcelain miniatures and sculptures. The subtle detail in her works gives her creations so much life and personality. Each critter is made individually by hand without molds and tools are only used to bring out little details. The porcelain is bisque fired and glazed with wonderful colors. There is definitely something you will fall in love with in Song and Branch's shop. And it's not too early to think Christmas!




You can fan Song and Branch on Facebook and shop Karen's wonderful creations on Song and Branch's Etsy page.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Lady's Craft Night


Last week I hosted a lady's craft night at my house. We made sushi, drank saki, and ate mochi ice cream. To go along with the japanese theme we made origami paper lanterns to put on light strings. Them came out so great! It's hard to see just how pretty them look glowing in a dark room. This was a really easy and fun project. The lights don't get hot so they can be left on a long time with the paper lanterns on them and not catch on fire (at least they haven't so far). I'm going to attempt making a million of these little lanterns and string lights on patio to add a wonderful glow for hot summer evenings. I can't wait for our next craft party!

Happy Crafting!
Cerise : )

Monday, August 9, 2010

Watch out for Vikings!


My neighbor Nicole and I decided to start getting together to do some sewing projects. She had some really great pictures of cute viking plush pillow people and we decided to make some similar guys. We set out to the fabric stores to find some viking inspiring prints and textures. This was a surprisingly difficult task. Corduroy was a definite and some checks and plaid prints were chosen. Nicole had some great red and orange toned fabrics for the cheeks and noses already in her stash. We set off to making patterns for our people. We have made some good progress the past two days but now are a bit stuck at the beards. The fur fabric just isn't cutting it so we are going to experiment with alpaca roving and wool felt to see what we can make. I think they are awesome so far! They will definitely be very viking with their horns and rugged beards!

Happy Crafting!
Cerise : )

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Cozy Cosy


Even though our little Singer sewing machines are portable and come with cases, I like to leave mine on top of my work table. Sad to say, I do not use it everyday so it gathers some dust. My friend Michelle wrapped a present to me in some wonderful fabric and let me keep it. I have been contemplating what to use it for and here it is: a cosy for my sewing machine! I first made one for Cerise out of dinosaur material (from the now closed NHM) then made mine out of this wonderful sewing machine material. Thanks Michelle!
Theresa, OmMama

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Painting Ceramics




My mum's little sister (a.k.a. my aunt!) and her two kids and boyfriend came out for a visit last week and we decided to do some ceramics painting at the Pottery Place here in Corvallis. We all found something fun to paint and had a great time! It's fun to see how different the ceramics look after being fired. It's almost a surprise since you don't quite know what colors are going to come out!

Happy Crafting!
Cerise : )

Monday, February 1, 2010

Thank YouTube

I need to sew a zipper. I hate to confess that it has been years. Thank you fernfiddlehead for the nice concise video. I sure wish we had this so many years ago when I was learning to sew in 4-H! Zipper in, hopefully the project will get done soon so that I can post it.
Theresa, OmMama

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

My first Knit Project


Could it really be a scarf? Yes, I am on my way! I was tooling along adding rows, knit one row, purl another when a funny row showed up. Know I have a random purled row about 15 rows in, so I will have to add more and it may look like I did it on purpose. Aw, the mother of invention. Mistakes made while knitting over a glass of wine!
Theresa, OmMmama