Got 'Er Done

It took most of the day and to give you a clue as to how out of shape I am I think I'm already sore from the process.  500 lbs. of beans and grains all packed and labeled ready for the big spider room (storage room) inventory that Paul and I have been putting off.

The novelty of canning at home wore off by the 4th can and the boys were off making their own messes with about a 25 lb. bucket of LEGOS. The girls stuck around for awhile though and Maryanna with a hair net on her head asked "Is this a girl party? Do girls do canning and boys go to Cabellas?" She kept me going with more: "Do houses not move? is that why we need cars?", "Do people not go potty on shows because they don't eat on shows?", "How do babies grow in your tummy?", "Next time can we get two babies?", "Am I a happy maker?", and "Do bad guys live down in the vent?". Clara asked "why" about a hundred times and I hummed away with sealer, nodded, and just chuckled to it all.

The kitchen table was covered in cans so I laid out a blanket on the floor and we had our meals picnic style. This was fun and it was suggested that we continue that once a week and eat with our right hand like they do in India. The clean-up was actually easier than at the table so it may not be a bad idea.

Speaking of ideas I have one more can left and it's April Fool's Day tomorrow. I need to seal it up with something funny. At first I thought a dirty diaper but that would be bad if it got mixed in with my real food storage. I think instead I'll clean up some of those LEGOS and fill them in a can labeled "KAMUT". We'll make a breakfast porridge tomorrow and I'll get one of them to open it. Let's just hope there are not too many messy trick on me because I'm tired and have enough to clean up tonight.

 

Flopped

This pita bread literally flopped.  It did not puff up and rise like it should have.  Becca gave me the recipe and she's had great success with it so although this was my first attempt, I confidently doubled it.  Now I have two bags of cracker/pita things, maybe they'll taste good with honey or melted cheese but they are definitely not the pita pockets I had hoped and meal planned for. At first bite one child commented, "these look and taste like cardboard" - great! Well Henry likes to chew on books and things so these will make for good little teething snacks.

I've already consulted with Becca about this flop and she concluded that two things went wrong. #1 I did not add any sugar to the dough which is needed to help activate the yeast when using whole grain flour. #2 I let it sit out way too long on the first rise - we had a frantic clean up for a last minute house showing then I took the kids to The Discovery Gateway museum. I forgot all about my plans to make pitas and my poor dough ended up sitting on the counter for over six hours. We will try it again, but maybe not tomorrow because that is my big day to can the grains.

The worst part about a cooking flop is trying to force yourself to eat it so the ingredients don't go to waste, the best part is finally getting it right - I think the pitas will taste that much better when we do get it. But before we try again I think I'll need to also consult with Suz down in Mexico.

Besides this cooking episode my jeans need a lot of work, the thought of flopping them is tempting but I guess it wouldn't be so if it wasn't a challenge. They are headed to the back burner because time is running out on those Easter dresses.  As for running, it didn't happen today because I woke up to a blizzard.  I'm still sore all over from Saturday's run so snow or no snow it won't be easy to force myself out there even tomorrow but I guess that's what makes it a challenge.      

Challenging Myself

I decided to join in on the jeans sew along at patternreview.com.  I ordered the new Jalie jeans pattern and just about got through my test fit pair - the sewing wasn't as bad as I thought but the fitting is a problem.  Now I remember why I rarely sew for myself - nothing fits.  It is hard enough to find ready to wear that fits so I don't know what I was thinking in expecting a pattern to fit.  By the time I get through all the adjustments I'll be wondering if I should have drafted my own off the few RTW pairs that fit. I'm new to patternreview though and hoping the sewers there can help me through it.

I've also got my boys cheering me on and telling me not to give up every time they hear a grunt or moan coming from my little sewing corner. It has been good for them to see me challenged but it will be even better if they see me not give up. I used what scraps I had left from Henry's coat so I'll need to find some more denim for my final pair.

Aside from sewing I also committed to run the Wasatch Back relay a 170 mile relay from Logan to Park City with a few of my siblings.  There's 12 to a team and each team member will run 3 different legs over the course of 24 hours.  I use to run a lot but that was several years and six babies ago. I have until June 19 to train and I'm going to take it slow. My first run was at the track and it took me 20 min to run 2 miles - I've got a ways to go. But 11 years ago I finished a marathon under 4 hours so I know with proper training I'll be capable of participating in this race. I don't have a lot of time but I've got a super supportive husband and a bunch of little kids counting laps and sit-ups, cheering me on, and watching me step out of my comfort zone.

Speaking of comfort zones, I'm still hoping to find a nice comfortable fit on these jeans I'm sewing.   

Fun and Fluffy

Here are the finished under slips for the girl's Easter dresses.

I can't say the construction process was fun but now that it's over I can say it was worth it. When I tried it on the girls they laughed, danced and ran around the house in a way that made me wish I was a little girl again. It was right before bedtime and it was hard to settle them down after that, it was also hard to get them to wear regular jammies.

The pattern is from this Japanese sewing book and was designed to just be a half slip. I added the tanks to help hold it up because when you are a pot-bellied toddler skirts tend to slip down. The tank was made of cotton lycra finished with fold over elastic, the inner lining is a cotton batiste then 12 yards of nylon netting and the outer slip is bemberg lining. I was sure to make it comfy because even if it were pretty it would not be worn a second time. Clothespins were the secret to attaching all the layers but I'm hoping it will be a few years before I need to sew a bigger one.

One other thing, this project convinced us all that I need my own sewing room. The netting took over the kitchen and I even baked a white thread into my bread. We also ended up having a house showing in the middle of it. It took me six hours to clean up the sewing mess in addition to all the other messes that occurred while I was busy sewing.

Thanks Marie' for all your translation help and moral support.  Now it's on to the actual dresses.

Big Projects, BIG Messes

Food storage and Easter dresses were the unfinished projects of the week.  

My front hall looks like a grain mill with 500 lbs. of various grains and legumes waiting to be canned.  I've reserved some canning equipment for next week so the front hall will be the holding zone until then (unless we get a call for a house showing).  I purchased most of it from  grainmix and was impressed with all the knowledge and experience they shared with me as I was loading up my car.  I just wish I lived closer to take some of their classes.  

The kitchen looks like a bridal sweatshop with fabric, netting, pins and pattern pieces everywhere.  Marie' and I are having a little sew along to get through our Easter dresses.  We are now making puffy slips to go under the dresses and I think it is more time consuming than the actual dress.  I finished Clara's today and I don't know if it is cute or funny.  She is still a very little girl (or toddler) and the slip is almost as puffy as she is tall.  I'll post a picture when I finish Maryanna's.  I've just got to get through it now so I can have my kitchen back and ready for canning. 

wordfull Wednesday: favorite genre

I'm sorry to report that I don't have very much time for reading.  My boys far out read me.  When I do read though it needs to be completely informative, inspiring, or thought provoking.  That is why I tend to stick to non fiction.

Here are some of my favorites:

-Japanese sewing books (even though I can't read them) are always on the top of my bedside book pile.  When I'm too tired to read I just look and am inspired.

-The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin I first read while we were living in Philadelphia.  We lived just a few blocks from Independence Hall and those historic cobble stone streets were part of our daily stomping zones.  Reading Benjamin Franklin's autobiography made him a real person.  It is a quick read, somewhat humorous, and very insightful.

-Don Asslett's Clutter's Last Stand is what got me through several moves in the past 10 year, it is what keeps me sane in my home management.  The book models the process of simplifying life even beyond what is piled high in the closets.  You can't imagine my delight when Don Asslett presented his ideas at a recent Relief Society Enrichment meeting, I got my book signed.

- The Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe by Micheal Schneider was recommended to me by my art teacher.  It was actually a birthday gift for one of my boys but I keep picking it up.  I suppose it is a math book but the way it visually integrates ancient history, art and science is fascinating.    

-The Creative Process (A Mentor Book) edited by Brewster Ghiselin I picked up at an estate sale for 10 cents.  It smells musty but I keep it in my purse in case I get a few free minutes.  Thirty-eight individuals, including Albert Einstein, Vincent Van Gogh, and Henry James, in their own words describe their own creative process both the inspiration and the work of it.  I just started reading R. W. Gerard's section "The Biological Basis of Imagination".  It was printed in 1952 so I suppose some of his theories could be out dated but this reading is just for fun.   The best part about this book is the handwritten notes from the original owner who I discovered was a professor at the University of Utah.     

-Home Grown Kids by Raymond and Dorothy Moore was the first book I read after the thought popped in my head to homeschool. It has been an excellent guide for both parenting and homeschool. I like their back to basics approach to solving problems. 

Winter into Spring

It was mass production mode at my little sewing corner yesterday.  Peter requested a new hoodie since his was getting too small (he has grown 2 1/2 inches since we last measured him).  As we were picking out the colors everyone got jealous so I promised them each their own.

The pattern is from the Japanese over lock kids book. It is sized 90-140 so I had to grade 150 for James. Mine was from the adult Japanese over lock book and I love the comfortable fit! We used old T-shirts we had on hand but had to send Paul to Old Navy Clearance to fill in the gaps. An XXL men's t-shirt at $5 is worth it when you can sew two kids' shirts out of it. It also makes for quick sewing when you already have the hems and sleeves finished.

This is a great shirt for changing temperatures.