All that's missing is my hot chocolate.

It has been five loooong years in the making (maybe even longer), but I have finally finished my first quilt! I was inspired to start the project by the amazing artistry of both my Grandmother and my Aunt: They have each made some absolutely remarkable quilts in their time, and I have been fortunate enough to be permitted to help out here and there. I must admit, I was, and still am, in awe of the amount of patience, work, and care that goes into these amazing pieces (You will note that I lack the patience, so mine is not half so intricate as most quilts...).

Those of you who are crafty will know that every once in a while, you get an uncontrollable urge to create something. When I was twenty or so, a number of these urges found me tinkering with sewing geometric patterns. These experiments produced four "blocks", which I had initially intended to turn into cushions; but what did I need with four little (pretty but useless) cushions? Nothing. So finally, (after the blocks sat in my closet for a month or five) I decided that the only way to go would be to make a quilt of my own.

Now, I will warn the purists out there: This quilt was completely fly-by-the -seat-of -thy-pants. No planning. My only vision for it was to incorporate as many different soft textures as I could, so it uses various forms of cotton, flannel, courduroy, terry-cloth, and whatever you call the inside of swearshirt material. Much of the design as it now appears, occurred almost by accident, and was done in fits and starts over an extended period. (In case you're wondering, the original cushion fronts became the corner blocks...) And no, not all of the seams match perfectly (ok, some not even a little bit)... I'm really not that great of a seamstress. But it's all one piece (don't even ask how many new words I learned trying to get it that way), and it's really really warm. And cozy. And warm. And did I mention cozy? 'Cause it is. Maybe if you're reaaaally nice to me, I'll let you try it out sometime!

this one's for T.

My parents recently treated themselves to a
well- deserved holiday. In Paris. For 10 days. Please note that my skin has taken on a green tinge- the tinge of the green-eyed monster- that has only recently started to fade. But I digress. The trip was taken in celebration of 30 years of marriage. Sort of a second honeymoon, I suppose. And of course, being the fantabulously thoughtful parents that they are, they made sure that my sister and I were supplied with a Parisian fashion fix to help get us over the pain of being left here in the anti-fashion capital of the world whilst they went off to enjoy the City of Lights.

And they done good.

Behold:

The cow-hide bag, which is that perfectly rich hue of red and feels like butter;
























The pashmina and silk pashmina that is warm, but not too warm, and makes me feel soooo cosmopolitan;


Also, here are my new boots. My love for them is pure.


























Finally, and this is in no way related to the fashion-lover in me, here is my latest knitting project, which is ~2/3 complete. Rudimentary, I know, but they should get the job done. What do ya'll think?














They're meant to keep my hands warm at the office, which is notoriously chilly in the winter...














My Dad has taken to calling me Bob Cratchet whenever he sees them. Hee.

And yes, Therese, I will be starting work on the shawl soon. I'll keep you up to date!

And yes, I am aware that vegans everywhere are likely taking contracts out on my animal-product loving life. Bring it. I'm ready.