On Sunday, I made applesauce.

It's such a no-brainer for me.  Peel the apples, slice and core them.  Or do it all at the same time with one of these nifty gadgets (That's the same brand I own and use).  Fill a heavy pot to the top with apples.  Add about 2 cups of water.  Put the lid on.  Bring to a boil and then turn the heat very low.  Simmer until the cook down, stirring occasionally.  For a big batch like this, it was about 3 hours.  A small batch - 4 or 5 apples and 1/2 c water - takes maybe 1/2 hour.  I don't add sugar or cinnamon, but you could.  Easy enough.

I portioned this batch into a few freezer bags, laid them flat on a cookie tray, and froze them.  Each bag holds enough for a family meal with a little leftover for my oatmeal the next day.  When it's time to eat it, defrost in the refrigerator or on the countertop.  Or just pop the frozen sauce in a pot and reheat over low heat. Even easier.

Also, this post of Molly's is really lovely.

I'm working on a shop update for late next week. Thursday, I think. Camera straps and more.

Jane thinks she is going to sew her own Halloween costume. I'd better get on that.

I've been tapped to be in charge of the school auction children's art projects.  I have some ideas, but am looking for some others.  Our school is kindergarten through eighth grade and I especially need projects for the littlest (K, 1st) and biggest (7th, 8th).  If you have one to share, I'd love to hear about it.

Happy Tuesday.

The winner of Wee Wonderfuls, 24 Dolls to Sew and Love, and the Koji sewing kit is:

#51 - Heather

Heather, please email me your mailing address! Congratulations.

Certainly you have heard of Hillary Lang and seen her work?  I have been anticipating the release of her new book, Wee Wonderfuls, 24 Dolls to Sew and Love, since the day she announced that she was writing it.  I am a long-time fan of her blog and her patterns and I just knew that her book would be amazing.

I like it when I'm right.

Published by STC Craft, this collection of toys is just what you would expect from Hillary and then some.  The dolls are brimming with character and they all have that Wee Wonderfuls signature style.  They are cute, but not fussy and range from a trolley to bears with all kinds of little people in between.  Jane and Kate immediately took the book away from me and then put in requests for about a half dozen creatures each.  I took their comments into consideration and then made what I wanted to make anyhow:  Doxie and Margot.

Doxie is a little stuffed dachsund sewn entirely by hand.  This was the perfect project to sit with in front of Project Runway and it took just a bit longer than the 1.5 hours of the show for me to finish it.  I have never attempted such a small, handsewn project and was really surprised to find that I liked doing pretty much every bit of it.  And I love how she turned out!

A topsy turvy doll like Margot was my secret desire as a little girl, but I never had one to call my own.  I was always amazed at how you could flip it over and see an entirely different doll.  When I saw this project in the book, I knew I would be making two.  One for each girl.

I love how they came together.  They did take a significant amount of time because each one is essentially two dolls and there is a fair amount of handwork, but they were not hard to sew.  I used a doll needle for the first time while embroidering the yarn hair and it was worth the trip to JoAnn's and the $3.79 because it made it so much easier.  I also painted the cheeks - scary! But really, not a big deal.  I psyched myself up and had that done in about 10 minutes. Easy peasy.

I asked Hillary some questions about her approach to the book and making dolls because I'm nosey like that.  Thankfully, she was willing to reply.

Erin:  There is such a wide range of toys in your book.  I swear there is something for everyone.  And by that, I mean, something for any kid you can imagine AND something for sewers of all levels, with machine or without.  Which projects would you recommend for someone just starting out making toys? And which one for those who like a challenge?

Hillary: Thanks! I really tried to mix it up. My favorite craft books have projects that are totally in my comfort zone and have me making right away as well as some dream projects that I know I'll get to when I have the time. I don't want to discourage anyone, because I did design with beginners in mind, but there are some projects that are definitely less involved than others. Good projects to get a quick success under your belt would be Mermaiden, Koji, Bonneted Baby, Evelyn Inchworm. Projects that are more involved and time consuming would be Patchwork Penny, Margot, Panda Buns, Betsy and all her outfits. And I love Tag-a-long and Sleepover Pals as projects that are a lot of bang for your buck so to speak. They're not overly complicated but look like they are which is great for gift giving.

Erin:  Ooh, good to know.  The Sleepover Pals is on Kate's wish list.

I've made a lot of soft toys from your patterns and they never disappoint.  But I know from experience that pattern writing is not easy stuff.  Do you have a certain process you follow?  Do you sketch and then sew? Or just go for it?

Hillary: No, it's not easy is it. It would be easier if everyone's brains worked the same way. I'm very visual and need short to the point instructions but I know many people like very detailed written instructions. You need to try to write patterns with everyone in mind. But yes, from the beginning... I start with a sketch. I made notecards with project ideas on them for the book (see photo) and those first sketches were what I worked from throughout the process. Then I just start cutting and sewing. There's a right way - make paper copies of every pattern piece you cut, keep detailed notes, take in-progress photos along the way and a wrong way - just go go go, make the whole thing, edit, rework and then when you finally have it the way you want go back and try to figure out how you got there. Want to guess which way I use?

Erin:  Um, I bet it's the same one I use. Ahem.

Let's talk about doll hair.  There are so many different types in your book - yarn, wigs, ribbons, fur, felt!  Which is your favorite technique?  And if you had to choose, buns or braids?

Hillary: I love doll hair. That was the first list I made when I knew I was going for the book. A very long list of all the hair-dos I've ever wanted to make. I have so many favorites in the book. I really love Pixie's fluffy curls. And Storybook's ribbon hair - I've been wanting to try that forever and I really liked how it turned out. Very sturdy! And Mermaiden's hair - I've been playing around with quilted wigs like that for years now and so happy to finally get it out of the draft stage. That was going to be the hair for the topsy turvy doll but in the end I thought she needed yarn hair. I still have a few other dolls in my sketchbook with that same hair that I'm dying to make. And the panda buns. I love those! I want to make all sorts of dolls with their spirit animals represented in their hair-dos. I think I could probably talk about doll hair for a really long time, which is pretty weird, so I'll just stop now. Braids :)

Erin: Jane loves the panda buns! That was the first thing she zero-ed in on when she saw the book.  And for the record, braids for me too.

Some of the other projects I like include

Melvin and Marian - made from wool felt, these cuties have clothes!

Betsy - paper doll meets pillow.  There is even an elasticized pocket on the back for storing all her clothes.  This would be a great gift, I think!

Haus Sweet Haus - I can see this done up in Christmas colors and folky fabrics for a holiday gift and decoration. Sweet, indeed.

I could go on and on, but I think I'll stop.  Here's the gist:  Wee Wonderfuls is an incredible addition to any craft book library.  The projects are all adorable and will appeal to just about any kid or kid at heart.  The patterns are extremely well written and easy to follow.  If you think you want to make soft toys or dolls, do yourself a favor and get your hands on this book.  You will not regret it.

Now for the giveaway!

I have one copy of the book up for grabs.  The winner will also receive a kit that Hillary put together from her own supplies to make Koji the dinosaur.  Pretty awesome, huh?

To be entered into the drawing, leave a comment on this post before Sunday, October 10 at 5:00 pm EST.   To make it more interesting, tell me your favorite doll hairdo - buns, braids, felt, fur, quilted, or something else.  I'll pick a winner using a random number generator and announce it here on the blog Monday morning.

You can also enter the giveaway that STC Craft is hosting.  Go tell them what your favorite childhood toy was for a chance to win a copy of Wee Wonderfuls.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Do you know how hard it is to take a photo of a cowl? Especially when you are too lazy to get the tripod and remote out?  22 blurry photos yesterday and 5 blurrier ones today got me this, which isn't even good.  Take my word for it, if you attempt this, have someone else take the photo or suck it up and get the tripod.  But I digress.

This cowl.  I love it.  Theresa gifted one to me as part of a swap two years ago and for the last two winters, I have worn it a ton.  Normally, I wouldn't think to make myself a second one, but I have realized that having a dog is going to require me to have two of almost all warm weather accessories.  Let me explain.  We enter and exit our house from the garage, which is down the stairs from the kitchen and is adjacent to our mudroom.  All coats get hung on hooks or in a small closet down there, shoes are left by the door and the mitts, hats, scarves, etc. have their place, too.  Super convenient. When the dog and I go for our twice daily walks, we go out the front door.  Not a big deal in the summer when I can throw a pair of flip flops on and off we go.  But as the mornings have gotten colder, I find myself leaving a pair of shoes by the front door for dog walking.  And it follows, of course, that I'll need to have other things like a second cowl at the ready, too.  Right?

Believe me, I know this reasoning is a stretch.  But work with me here.

I knit this up in a few hours between music lessons, waiting rooms and carpool lines.  I used Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky that I got at Purl last month. The yarn is to die for. So super soft and very light weight.  It took less than one skein.  I followed the pattern exactly with the exception that I knit it on a 16" size 13 needle as 24" just seemed too long.  I didn't like how the increases (m1) left small holes so the next one will get a different increase (probably k9, kfb next stitch).  I haven't blocked it so those holes may relax - we'll see.  Regardless, it was a very satisfying and easy project.  You might want to knit one.

Or two.

I'm a fan of a hot lunch.  I eat leftovers from the night before, or if I go the sandwich route, it's almost always on toast.  I often make egg whites, but recently I've been taking a little extra time to make myself a frittata.  Because we are still picking tomatoes from the garden (crazy, I know!), I've been doing my own riff on a caprese frittata.   Here's how I do it:

Pre-heat the broiler.  Take a little olive oil and heat it on the stove in an oven proof pan.  Add about 10 - 12 small tomatoes cut in half and season with salt and pepper.  Saute the tomatoes for a minute or so and then add some chopped basil to taste.  In a small bowl, whisk 3 egg whites with 1 egg.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan, stir it a bit so the eggs get under the vegetables.  Sprinkle the top with a bit of mozzarella cheese.  Cover the pan and cook the eggs over medium heat until they are set.  Once the eggs are set, remove the lid and place the pan under the broiler until the top is browned to your liking.  Using a spatula, slide the frittata onto a plate and enjoy.

It takes little time - about 10 minutes - and is super satisfying. This just may be my go-to lunch this fall.  Of course, I won't have garden tomatoes and basil much longer so I am looking for other combinations.  My friend Traci likes her egg whites with spinach, tomatoes and goat cheese.  Emily turned me onto carmelized onion and zucchini frittata.  I think leftover roasted veggies in eggs would be great as would some chicken taco meat, black beans and salsa.  There are all kinds of options.  If you have a favorite combination, I'd love to hear about it.

Back tomorrow, I hope.  I've been knitting.  And sewing.

There was no school on Thursday and Friday so we took advantage of our day off and went apple picking.  It'd been a few years since we last went and it was wonderful to spend some time outside on such a beautiful day. As the girls get older, they pick more fruit and can last longer out in the orchard.  As a result, I will probably be making applesauce for days.  Boy oh boy, did they pick a lot!

Fall's arrival had me hankering to knit.  I want to tackle hats and sweaters and mitts and cowls.  I want to sew pillows for the family room and make a bunch of quilts.  I want to cook soup once a week and bake bread.  I want to drink tea with honey in the afternoon and maybe even make some apple cider donuts.  I want to read books in bed and take hot baths.  I want to start making my holiday gifts.  I know I won't get to it all, but I am determined to create and produce this season.

Do you have big plans for fall?  What are you planning on making?

Jane chose the Oliver + S  hopscotch skirt for herself. I was a little surprised, but didn't let on. I really think it was the paper doll that made her choose this pattern. Both my girls are really into paper dolls these days.  But I digress.  The skirt is uncharacteristic for Jane - she's my shorts and pants daughter.  So when she said skirt, I said ok.  I gave her the choice of a few different fabrics that I thought she'd like and was surprised a second time when she asked about this corduroy which wasn't among the choices.  I had this print earmarked for Kate because for the past few years Jane has been anti-pink.  A pink skirt? Really? I played it cool and said sure.

I measured her and compared the measurements to the size chart.  I cut out a size 12 and got sewing.  I skipped the origami folded pockets because Jane asked me to.  This was my first time sewing an Oliver + S pattern and like you have probably read elsewhere, it is very, very well done.  Everything is explained extremely well and there are many good illustrations to help you along the way.  I have sewn many things in my life and I still managed to learn a few new tricks. Awesome.  Start to finish, I'd say this was about 3 hours of work.  I imagine that the next one would come together even faster. Again, awesome.

I had Jane try it on last night before bed which was hours after I took these photos.  She loves it! We adjusted the elastic in the back significantly - the waist was huge! She could definitely wear a size 10 - the side seams are now towards the back.  It doesn't really bother me, or her, so all is good.  Also, now I know what size to cut for Kate.

If I were handing out grades for the Kids Clothing Week Challenge, I'dgive myself a C.  My execution was good - probably an A-.  My effort, onthe other hand, was dismal - I only managed to finish this one skirt and never hit thehour a day.  Effort = F.  So yeah, overall a C. Between not feeling well and the camera strap production, it just didn't happen the way I had intended.  Oh well.  There's always next time.  There will be a next time, won't there Meg?

And, if you are interested, there are still a few camera straps remaining in the shop.

In other news, I've got quilts on the brain.  Did you see Blair's pattern?  I'm working on coming up with the perfect color combination for that one.  Stay tuned.

It's two days into fall.

The temperature is still in the 90's.

The garden is still producing lots of tomatoes, even without rain and without watering.

We managed to harvest a few potatoes.  Note to self: the fingerlings failed.

My silver flip flops have a little life left in them yet.

But I'm ready for sweaters and boots.