tania howells

I am practicing a bt of positive thinking and truly, spring really is just around the corner! We still have piles of snow, slowly melting and some flurries today but Thursday is the first day of spring and for that I am grateful!

Girl cat says time to wake up and stop hibernating! So for me, a bit of a blog break. I am thinking of signing up for a cake decorating class! Something I have wanted to do since I was a little girl, mostly to pipe icing out of a tube, I think. The thought of baking and icing just fills my heart with hope... See you in a bit!

more Hugo from my crazy brother...

un-inspiration

I thought it would be nice to make some pictures again but it ain't happening. I am bored of the things I always draw, pictures I did in 2005 seem like just yesterday and so it's lunchtime. Perhaps I just need to get back into the mood - it has gotten so I like to draw for clients and be told what to make more than making my own things... how peculiar and a bit lazy! Perhaps too much time on the computer- noooo!

In other news, boy, am I hugely dissapointed that CBC is cancelling my favorite shows JPOD, MVP and Intelligence. Such a shame. sigh.

Exitingly, H&M is collaborating with Marimekko for some spring clothes! I hope to pop in and have a look soon. I wonder if it will sell out in 2 seconds like the other designer collaborations...if so I won't fight for a bag like an animal!

I saw this thing at pottery barn in the girls rooms section the other day- kind of a paper chandelier made of ribbons and flowers - pretty! Likely very easy to make too, especially if you had a paper punch.

And finally, SNORE! It is tax time and I am adding up everything.

wip

I have a handful of grotty old tee shirts which I tell myself I will wear in winters, under sweaters and such. This winter though, I haven't really worn them , so I decided it's time to redirect them. I have plenty of rags (which I do not use nealry enough, if you know what I mean) and I have had these gorgeous scarves in my head since I saw them in the summer. James Fowler makes them out of squares of felted sweaters, and they are just amazing in person. I might try and sew these squares a bit like that, for a spring scarf for me. We will see though. I have a feeling such a project requires a lot of patience! Perhaps mine will just be three by three...

P.S. Hugo the cat of 1000 faces! Episode 2

I learned to serge

Here is the top we made at The Workroom class "Learn to Serge". Cute! It was from Burda easy pattern #7866. I added a silkscreen of these birds I have put on everything, but I still like them. Now if I want to serge again I can go there and book an hour or two.
I also made a little pincushion from some of my swap scraps.

P.S. My brothers crazy video made it onto CUTEOVERLOAD.COM!!! That is like being recognised by the gods of cuteness! I am beside myself. It almost makes up for the 20 cm of snow we got overnight and the 20cm more due on the weekend. Almost.

I did end up managing to make a tea cozy with my stitch directory book. These are great little excercises in learning new stitches! It's easy to do for a few rows. This guy is called the "eyelet insertion stitch" and was easy for a sunday afternoon. In the background is my dad's track and field trophy from the 1950's and some skate blades Paul says are from the 1800's, the time when his great grandfather was in the first Stanley cup game!

Have a look at this naughty pussycat. It so cute though that I merely pretend to be mad. A few months ago I organised all my wool in this old cd shelf thing I have. It took her a while, but she finally discovered the easy access to toys. She pulls out a ball and trots off with it in her mouth and then sets to creating havok. What you can't see here is that it winds back around the far end of the banister and into the living room, around the legs of two chairs. AW! I am glad she has a project to occupy herself.