Fall has arrived and I'm feeling creative.

Why is it I need rain and dreary skies to get me in my crafty state of mind. It would not be so bad if I did not live in a place that is warm and sunny all but 3 months a year. Okay so maybe its not warm , but the sun always shines in California. October is kind to my creative self, the weather is cooling off and it even has rained!

Sneak preview of Lexi's Alice in Wonderland dress, It is made from sheer blue fabric with a good drape. It hangs and spins beautifully. I cut the apron from a play dress we have had around here since she was just a little girl. I just need to finish the neck and the apron and this costume is ready!

She found some darling black shoes to go with this. Wait till you see it on her.

We went to San Fransisco again this weekend. I love it there. I bought a couple of new Cd's, the soundtrack from Whip It and Pink Martini's Sympathique.

Now I have music to keep me company while I decide just how I will use all the fabric I got at a fabulous little store in the Sunset district called Peapod Fabric.

The store is tiny but the space is used so well. Every fabric in this place was one I loved and felt I needed. Well when I win a lottery or just come into lots of cash I'll buy it all!

Here is most of what I bought, aren't the owls cute? I also found cotton rickrack that is in good natural colors not the horrid primary colors you find at Jo-Ann's. I wish you could really see the patterns on these. I need a new camera, mine has had a little humidity damage and every picture is poopy and I cannot focus up close. What a drag.

What will I do with all that fabric you ask? Well, I plan to make aprons, I've been on a little apron kick and I have a place to try to sell them in November. If they don't sell then they will go on Etsy and go out as gifts for Christmas.

In keeping with my self sustaining lifestyle, I started packaging all the seeds I harvest and save every year. I have a long way to go with this project... there is still 3 or more kinds of lettuce seeds I saved as well as flower seeds and pepper seeds. Somehow I also need to save seeds from this one tomato that volunteered from last year. It is so yummy and such a fast grower I feel I should try to capture it.

The Mania Continues.

Here is the photos of my latest and greatest!

Who could resist this adorable blue apron... hopefully not many because it is for sale :)

I don't know if I'm putting it on etsy or just waiting for the Los Gatos boutique. I'll probably wait.. I will decide by the weekend.

Below is the heavy utility Apron #3 this one is recycled jeans embellished with leather, lace, and linen/silk fabric samples.

I learned a new skill with my apron making. I learned to make my own bias tape! What a boon, now I will never be stuck with icky color match ups you get with ready to use commercial binding.

So this means the binding on this apron is made from a shimmery linen/silk blend.

The belt tie is not quite done. I think I'll put a bow in front or at least a knot, I think it adds something that is missing right now.

If you have any suggestions or comments about anything let me know! Or even any good ideas you think I would be able to incorporate... just leave me a note.

Ta Ta for now,

Cytel

Apron Crazy

I am apron crazy right now, I just finished two new ones. One is sweet Cherry's with red, white and blue plaid as well as an adorable ruffle. The other is a utility apron for heavy work like painting upholstery, gardening. It is made of old denim, leather, old lace, some silk samples my cousin gave me.. (Thank you!) and could not be anymore cute.


Unfortunately I have no camera batteries so no pictures.

We are also so close to haveing a down payment for a house... YES!!!

A gift for a friend.

I recently visited my dear friend and while I was there we visited a fabulous quilt shop. In this den of beautiful fabric Amanda found a cute panel of fabric with a vintage style apron printed on it. The pattern was called Antique Treasure Patt# 9861 for those of you who want to try to find it.






Anyhow I decided to make it reversible and I recycled my old skirt for the printed details on the neck and the pockets. I also used a bit of the lace I have been hoarding.


















The pocket details.

I really like it, I think I might be giving these out for Christmas.

Quilting, Cleaning, Canning and Exploring.. Labor Day Weekend in a Nutshell.

Three days off, whew I was a busy woman!

My mother recently showed off some of her amazing quilts she has been working on and it kindled a spark of creativity in me. ( A new spark... anyone who knows me I have no lack of creative inspiration )

Here is the center of my future quilt, my plan is that it will fade to maroons on the top and greens on the bottom. I was thinking of appliqueing a flower motif in the center, but am still undecided.


Here are my color selections, pretty safe spectrum to work from .


It is Harvest time here in the Central Valley... never ending harvest it feels like. So I canned and cooked up a feast this weekend. Strung my chili peppers up and hung them to dry, planted much of the fall garden. I also discovered I have a nasty cutworm infestation . I'll have to go get something to stop the little critters.

After a very busy Saturday we were up at the crack of dawn for a fabulous breakfast made by Steve. We were served California style Eggs Benedict, with avocado, fresh tomato and bacon. It was sooo delicious! We were off to the city of San Fransisco by 8:00 am, where we explored and shopped the Haight Ashbury area. Lexi hit many a thrift store and scored a sweet striped shirt and a couple of pins for her backpack. Steve found a patch for his backpack that says " FUCK WAR" . I agree ... F it.

Lex making out with a resident of the Haight district.

We met up with our cousins and explored the very beautiful and very humid Conservatory of Flowers. This purple one was called a bat flower... very exotic.

Hey look we found the offices of one of our favorite websites... cool Eh?

Monday we just cleaned up our very cluttered garage and used Craigslist to get rid of all the useful stuff we no longer need.

Peace my friends....

Cytel

Prime Growing Season is Upon Us.

Today I want to address composting and getting ready for a winter/fall garden.

As any gardener knows rich organic soil is the perfect place to grow tasty veggies. In this new more aware green era I think even more folks are trying to grow their own "Victory Gardens". To make it sustainable and prolific for years to come you should most defiantly have a nice compost heap. The added nutrients you will be putting in the soil will replenish what your garden took and save you money next season from having to buy additives.

It is not hard to find materials to start a heap, we use all our kitchen wast, dog hair clippings, some grass clippings, coffee grounds.. just about anything except meat products, NO BONES!



I use two metal garbage cans both are drilled on the bottom with holes to allow for drainage and ventilation.

I began my first compost can in the beginning of the summer. The first thing I added was a bowl of kitchen scraps, some newspaper, some grass clipping, a bit of doggie poo ( activates your compost very well) a container of night crawlers leftover from a fishing adventure and a scoop of garden dirt.

Let the rotting begin! It is now three months later, I have a lovely black and rotted matter that I can now add into the soil around my plants.


My first can turned to compost so quickly I wanted a second can to add new fresh scraps too. You can see the sort of stuff that goes in. In this second can I used a large shovel of the compost I had already made. Instantly it became active with the creepy crawly bug life that a healthy compost will have.

See the grubs below? They are in paradise.





I love the garbage cans as a composter, first off they are affordable I think I paid $17 each. They have lids that aid in heating up the cans, they also keep the smells contained. Trust me compost has a very prolific odor... kind of gross and kind of good in a deep earthy way. They are also clean and you don't have some giant rotting pile of food waste bugging your neighbors or cluttering the scenery.

I use a pitch fork to turn the pile about once a week, or I roll the can around on its side. Rolling is not to easy if the can is full and heavy though. My first can filled up really fast before the rotting began, but after the rotting began it is reduced to 1/3 of the original volume. There is plenty of books to buy in regards to composting, but really you don't need one. Just throw all your organic materials in if your pile is to wet and soupy, remove the lid add some dry leaves or dry materials.. even paper waste will work. If it is dry add more wet materials or even a bit of water.

Nature knows what to do, so let nature take it's course.. be happy if you see grubs and bug life they aid in the decomposition.

I wanted to share this photo of my winter squash, I grow mine in the ground but I string it up in the air. I love this little trick, my plant id huge and is not taking up almost any space. The fruits are very strong and they don't need any sort of support as they grow heavy and ripe. This method also helps shade my house, and I can see the plant from my office window.


Summer is quickly passing and It is nearing the fall growing season.

The average date of my first yearly frost is November 14th. Luckily I was able to plan ahead and I have began my winter veggies in little homemade pots.

The pots are newspaper that I cut into about
4 1/2" x 7" strips. I glue them into tubes, then pinch the bottoms as I fill with dirt. Wa-La a growing pot for nothing more that a few min of cutting gluing and recycling.

I have my starts in a wagon so I can move then to and from the sun. It gets so blasted hot here I cannot start the seedling in the garden directly they would just burn up.

So far following the planting guide listed below I have begun growing artichokes, swiss chard, cauliflower, turnips, cabbage, and broccoli .
While the page below is for my growing season, and zone those of you in other cooler zones should adjust the plant dates.

I found lots of good garden info online, but so far my favorite page is : http://www.sacramentogardening.com/edible_gardening.html


Happy gardening, my your plants grow large and your compost rot fast!

After the great escape...

After our outdoor adventure I came home to find about 20 cucumbers ready to be used. I ate two while I was watering then showed my husband the rest.

He decided that we should make a crock of pickles, so we are giving it a go. It smells like pickles... I put my finger in and tasted it.. tastes like a pickle brine.

It has to ferment now for 3 weeks, then to the jars.

The garden was prolific in the three days we were gone, I made a Mexican dinner with the Passilla peppers, squash blossoms and cilantro.

I broil the peppers to remove the skins, place a small bit of colby jack inside, place in an oiled pan. Place the squash flowers on top, salt and pepper. Add a mixture of two eggs and a bit of sour cream that has been whipped up, pour over the top and bake until it is puffy and golden, 20 minuets or so.

We love it.