Category Archives: NYC

Moss Terrariums

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Terrariums

Winter is coming … and before it gets here, I want to be sure to have a little bit more green in my house.  We live in an area surrounded by trees.  During spring and summer, we have long months surrounded by gorgeous green hills.  Everything feels so alive!  Then there’s fall, when the trees really put on a show.  And then comes winter, and the leaves are gone until spring.  Every winter I seem to miss the color green a little more.

So this year, there will be a little extra green right there on our coffee table, where I’ll be sure to see it daily.  Because we have cats, I went with terrariums.  This way the plants have built in force fields to protect themselves, and there’s the bonus atmospheric bit where they recycle their own water.  I can enjoy them all the time without having to fuss over them.

I Am Legend Terrarium

The smaller terrarium with horses is filled with moss from my own yard.  The larger one (a cookie jar from Walmart, $7) contains moss and lichens from adhocstock on Etsy.  I’ve ordered from her before (terrariums are a great gift for kids!) and she ships a wonderful assortment of beautiful, healthy plants.  Just for fun, I added an Empire State Building souvenir and some tiny deer, creating my own tiny version of I am Legend.  I think I’m better prepared to face the lack of green outside now.

Four of Seven Couch Pillows

In other news, I’ve now completed four of seven couch cushions.  Slow and steady wins the race, right?

sarahsigres

NYC Map Quilting Template

Haptic Lab NYC Template 1

Haptic Lab is now offering DIY map quilt templates of New York City!  We love spending time in New York, so this is going to be a gift to myself, personalized with some of our favorite NYC places.

It looks detailed, but the method itself is simple: make a quilt sandwich (backing/batting/top) and secure the template on top.  Stitching is done directly through the template.  When you’re done, tear away the template, bind and enjoy your quilt!  It’s sized to use with a yard cut of fabric, which will make a nice wall quilt or baby quilt.

It’s a little difficult to see the detail because the top is a somewhat sheer, and in my photos the template is laying on the dark wood of our dining room table.

Haptic Lab NYC Template Manhattan

Haptic Lab NYC Template Detail

The coastal boundaries are thick, dark lines.  The main streets solid black, with secondary streets in a lighter gray that are harder to see here.  Thankfully it’s easier to see in person, as I’m going to be spending a lot of time with this!

You can buy your own template or quilt kit here or purchase a finished quilt here.  (There are other cities available!)

Purl Bee/Purl Soho

Citrus Coasters

One of my favorite blogs is Purl Bee, which shares loads of project ideas using fabrics, yarn and more found at the Purl Soho shop in NYC.  I got to visit the shop on our recent vacation and am even more in love!  I bought the wool felt used to make these citrus coasters, one of their recent tutorials.  I spent the last day of my vacation with my feet up, watching the Royal Pains marathon and stitching away.  *Bliss!*  (They were out of the “spring” bundle, so I used summer and am happy enough with the result.)  Even better, I have enough to keep a set and give one as a gift.

I took some pictures while I was there so you could have a little peek at the shop, too.

Yarn at Purl Soho

Such a gorgeous wall of yarns!  I restrained myself and just bought one.  (After all, I can order more later, right?)

Hoop Wall at Purl Soho

I can’t decide if I want to make a wall of fabric hoops like this at home, or maybe mini quilts?

Color Wheel Quilt at Purl Soho

They sell a kit of rainbow fabrics if you’d like to make a color wheel quilt of your own.

Crocheted Blanket at Purl Soho

Purl Soho

White Wreath

I think I’ll be making this wreath, another of their tutorials.

Purl Soho

I hope you find some inspiration there, whether you visit the shop or the blog!

Easy Kitchen Towel Makeover

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My new sewing machine arrived this week!  While I wait for a day off so I can really get to know it, I wanted to do a quick, instant gratification kind of craft.  I dressed up plain cotton kitchen towels by sewing on fabric ribbons.

Easy Towel Makeover

Cheerful new towels in a matter of minutes — Win!

I bought the ribbons at M & J Trimming in the garment district in NYC.  Look at this selection!

M&J Trimming

That’s just one tiny little section of the store!  By all means visit them online, but if you ever get a chance to walk into the store, DO IT.  (Yes, I’ll be going back.)

My new kitchen towels make me feel like spring is right around the corner and as a bonus they make me think of a great trip to New York.  And of my next trip, too!

Patchwork Squares

One of my favorite things about crafting is using little bits of real life, especially happy memories, to create something else.

Like the colored window panes from “The River That Flows Both Ways“, an art installation by Spencer Finch in High Line Park that Jay and I saw on our 20th anniversary trip to New York.

"The River that Flows Both Ways"

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They swap out the colored glass over time, so the installation changes much like the river it’s based upon.  When we visited in October it was filled with autumnal tones, but I’ve seen photos of it in blues, greens, and pinks and purples.  I loved this trip, I loved the quirky park and I just stood and stared at the colored glass panes for ages, soaking it all in.  It gave me such a feeling of peace.

And it inspired me to make this.

River Pouch

Not quite as breathtaking, but much easier to tote around.  If you’d like it for your very own, it’s in my Etsy shop!