homemade: citrus cleaners & a keyhole garden

Citrus cleaners -- the orange is strained and ready to go while the lemon needs a few more days to infuse. It's new to me, fingers crossed. I followed these instructions. 

Have you ever seen a keyhole garden? This is a little different from a permaculture-type keyhole garden  (shaped mainly to create more edge) because it's a nearly self-contained system that stands up to weather extremes. I've watched this over and over, many hands make light work comes to mind, and it makes me want to round up some people and go outside to build something.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have yourself some happy weekending. xx 

calendar moon cloth #4

March's calendar moon cloth was finished just in time for today's new moon. I'm trying to complete each full moon art project before the rise of the following new moon -- so far, so good. This little piece has a woven base of dark/light cloth strips and a dark/light moon to symbolize the Vernal Equinox in March. The red cloth and threads are reminders of my current focus on my root chakra and the white/black stitching all over the piece represents roots. The house has many eyes but only one is highlighted -- that's for keeping an eye to the moon.

Happy New Moon! If you'd like to share your moon art, I'd love you to leave a link or email me a file. xo

a waning cloth

Today is a waning moonday in Aries. Wane means to decrease gradually so the corresponding moonwork for this time is to be still and allow whatever is to be, to be -- to let go. I made a waning cloth this morning to ritualize my letting go of something. A problem can start out so dark and overpowering sometimes. Then you sort of learn to live with it and after a while, lo and behold, it's only a wisp. And sometimes it even disappears completely.

Another calendar page project using a tea box base. This is the best template I could find because it only needs to be glued in one place. I used a spray adhesive to cover both sides of the tea box base with calendar pages. It will be a nice gift box. 

The best thing about knitting buttonholes is getting to choose buttons. I'm partial to the blue shades with the deep purple yarn but wooden buttons might be nice, too. Which I don't have any of, so that means getting to go button hunting on top of it all. I know I'm only inches into this lady sweater, but it's been nothing but pleasure so far. By the way, this is the first photo I've taken of it that shows the true color.

We're expecting a spring snowstorm tonight and tomorrow. Since we've already had some foretelling hot days, I'm going to savor it wholeheartedly. Maybe even some hot cocoa tonight. 

A good week to you. xx

raw brownies & the lady sweater

Raw brownies were made, thanks to Deb, and I recommend them wholeheartedly. The only trouble I had was not having enough dates to make them stick together better. It blows me away that such simple ingredients can be so good - you'd swear there was sugar in them. The first night we had them in little bowls with heavy cream drizzled on top and now my husband has started mixing a bit of raw brownie into his granola. Me, I just sit and eat it with a spoon right out of the pan.

The lady sweater, has only been ripped and restarted once. That first buttonhole derailed me. I had to finally give in and practice a buttonhole technique with some other yarn and after that, well, it's coming along okay. Now I want to hurry up and get the next two buttonholes done before I forget again.

The raw brownie recipe is both below and here where it began. Just make sure you have enough dates!

Wishing you some happy weekending. x

little bits

Stitching, gathering, making, brunching. A half-red moon went on the cloth, not sure about that gray w/red couching yet. A mottled stick landed with like items. Orange and lemon rinds are infusing in vinegar to make cleaner. And tulips on the table, brunch for the 13 of us hosted by my daughter and son-in-law.

Today is a moonday entering the sign of Capricorn. The waning moon draws us inward and at the same time Capricorn wants to put us to work. Isn't that the way life is? But I'm thinking these combined energies will be good for planning/organizing projects that require patience and structure.

Body parts affected by Capricorn are the bones, especially knees, and our skin. For gardening purposes, this third quarter moon in Capricorn is good for planting below-ground (root) crops like carrots, potatoes, beets, radishes, etc. Remember to go easy on the knees!

To a good week for all of us.

a small cloth

Yesterday on the Full Moon (in Libra) I wove up a little moon cloth while thinking about how the light is growing now, soon to visibly surpass the darkness. So I decided to make the white top larger than the checkered bottom.

Last night for dinner we had a really good potato salad with no potatoes -- using cauliflower instead, it was easier than with potatoes even though the cauliflower needs to be steamed for a few minutes beforehand. Then today a big batch of Rosa Body Wash was concocted. This is my favorite body wash so it seemed like the wise thing to do by making up a whole quart instead of only one cup at a time.

Today bits of calendar cloth were tucked in and the moon cloth basted together -- I love working on small cloths like this. Between it and reading Gone Girl, I don't know which is better.

Thanks for coming by and I wish you some happy weekending. xx

red stitching

For some reason I can't stop working on this cloth even though it's been kantha-stitched from top to bottom. I'm thinking it may have something to do with my root chakra because red is the color associated with the root chakra. And recently I decided to try to use stitch as a method of grounding, also associated with the root chakra. And right here in front of me is this red and white cloth with red thread on the needle. Grounding is one of those paradoxes because being grounded is what helps us go forward in life.

A few eggs were on the sewing table this morning -- the one held by the stone goddess glows. I don't know what it's made of but I love it so much. The little stack of white cloth might be for the next full moon cloth.  

A new clothing pattern came in the mail and for the first time ever I plan on making a muslin first. I mean business. Yesterday a little stone grid was laid out on black velvet -- ruby, rhodochrosite, and quartz crystal -- stones to strengthen my focus on the root chakra.

 Today is a waxing moonday in the sign of Virgo. More than anything I feel this is a time of simply continuing rather than beginning something new or making big decisions or changes. Waxing moon energy helps us to bring projects closer to completion and Virgo helps us to patiently get past obstructions.

Virgo affects the digestive system so we should enjoy beautiful, healthy food in a relaxed setting. Good digestion takes time.

Continuing with red....