Snow!

I got home from work and looked outside (should have turned off the porch light to see our fairy lights better) and saw this:
Want a better look?
(I hate these palm-bushes, so spiky)
Even better, piling up on Himself's car:
It's all gone this morning, but goodness, it was fun. Snow in Houston!

Frosty

I've never done anything in plastic canvas before, but I needed a break from the two-year crossstitch project, so, when I heard of this fellow on freecycle, I jumped. You get to see a bit of my hand for fun -- he looked better against the wall of the Man Cave than on our wood floors.

Things I learned:

1) plastic canvas is fast!

2) when they say to do all stitching, including the overcast edges, before trimming the plastic, ignore them. I did that on the left stocking, and you can see the bits of plastic sticking out. The rest, I trimmed first, and it's much better.

It was fun!

Now back to the two-year project...

Margaret Bag

I made the Margaret Bag found over at Oh, Fransson! Like a fool, I didn't take a picture of it before wrapping it up for my kid sister, but I did take a picture of the fabric scraps once I thought of it:

The pink's the outside, with a big pink button, and the brown's the inside. Himself was even impressed when he saw it (he's used to my being able to make things, so it takes a lot to impress him). I'm so thrilled!

Secret Belgian Grandmother

I made a book for my grandmother! Grandmothers are so nice -- you can make things for them, and they don't care at all if they're a bit wonky or messed up, no matter how old you are! So, she is destined to be the proud recipient of my first Belgian-style binding.

It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be (although, as you can see from some issues with the endpaper, an oddly-textured paper that wasn't sized and had some arguments with the methylcellulose wasn't my best moment!), but it did use more thread than I expected.
However, the colors are fun, and it did work -- not loose at all, which I hear is a common problem -- so I'll certainly do this again (with colored thread next time)!

Packet of fun stuff!

OOOOHhhh look at all the fun stuff here -- I want it!

Tonight: pumpkin soup (my 2nd recipe off of Anna Maria Horner's apron-for-soup cookbook so far).

Tomorrow: Clean house because contractors are coming by to fix the Ike leaks, and Himself's cousins are coming in to town.

If I can fit it in over the weekend:
That's right, the Greek Festival's going on one block from my house. Better find time to go, in-between taking time off from work for contractors and in-laws!

Also doing a plastic canvas I got off of freecycle, because it makes me happy and goes so much faster than the 2-year crossstitch I've been doing for a present for someone... it's really not my style, but I love it anyhow. Pictures when done (hopefully soon!).

Speaking of pictures, I did a secret belgian binding -- and it's lovely. Pictures soon, I promise.

Letterpress

I did it -- I got Simplesong's letterpress trial!

So excited! I love looking at letterpress stuff online, but have never gotten any ... just bouncing with anticipation now!

Last bit of October

So I'm slow :)

I finally took this off my front door:

Made it last year. Construction paper and tissue -- quite sweet.

Given my speed on that one, I think I won't be putting up my autumn leaves. Probably go straight to the snowflakes....

Man, things are easier when you're a housewife (like me last year) than when you have a full-time job!