neverhomemaker: embroidery

When I asked what you guys want more of in the new year, some of you said you prefer the random kitchen sink posts. Me too! I have a heavier one coming later in the week (or, I guess, tomorrow!), so here’s something light. What’s we’re up to, what we’re digging, and what my new hobby obsession is.

I’ll call these posts, “the rest of the story . . .” since they feature snippets from Instagram.

// New Cooker

The cord to our old slow cooker was starting to deteriorate, so we decided to indulge in a new crock pot device this weekend. We could have replaced the cord, but the pot was given to us like 7 years ago by my in-laws (and it was already quite old at that point!). I had strongly considered ordering the Instant Pot. So many of my friends just rave about that thing. In the end, I figured I probably wouldn’t use all of its fancy functions enough.

What did we go with? The Aroma 3-in-1 Cooker! It’s a rice cooker, steamer, and slow cooker in one handy pot. It’s really lightweight and it has lots of functions, including a digital timer, which is something that has already made my life somewhat easier. Oh, and it was only $36! I’m already in love. We simmered some Miso Split Pea Soup to break it in (using lentils in place of the split peas). Delicious!

// Stitching Fun

Some of you who have read the blog for a long time might remember that I used to do a great deal of embroidery. (Maybe I didn’t talk about that on this blog, but -- instead -- my older one. I can’t remember!) Anyway, it’s been ages since I’ve stitched anything to completion . . . so I bought myself a little kit to play around with at Walmart of al places. Definitely worth the $5.

I’d never done any type of chalkboard design (or cross-stitching, for that matter), but -- wow -- I love it. I’ve already ordered a couple more chalkboard themed ones, including this “I love you a bushel and a peck...” and “Just be happy...” and, my favorite “You are my sunshine”. I figure they’ll make nice nursery art (or gifts) AND give me some quiet activity in the months ahead.

// Orange Hair

I got sick of purple said and decided to try orange on. The thing is, I absolutely LOVE the color. It looks awesome and even better when it’s washed out slightly. Warm, vibrant tones for sure. And they don’t look entirely unnatural during the fade phase (which is why I bought the color to check it out originally).

The only problem? My roots! Ugh. They’re so bad. I’ve decided to skip traditional coloring for my pregnancy, so the roots are here to stay and will probably get worse and worse looking. This stuff will be going back in my bathroom cabinets, though, for when I get a touch-up and want to pretend I’m a ginger for a couple weeks.

I’ll have a video on how to apply Overtone hair depositing conditioners for you on Friday.

// Best Cupcakes

Despite being awfully sick, there were some really good points of our weekend. One of my favorites is when Stephen was downstairs running on the treadmill blasting Built to Spill. Ada was playing in the next room (ALONE!) with her doll house (thank you, Gigi and Granco!), and I decided to surprise everyone with some cupcakes. It’s the best gift to give, especially when you get to enjoy them yourself.

If you’re looking for THE BEST combination. Try this chocolate cupcake recipe (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World!) and this peanut butter frosting (halve that one since it’s for 24 versus 12, which is what the cupcake recipe yields). So good. With the frosting, I like to add a couple tablespoons of granulated sugar at the end for texture/crunch AND a dash for salt for flavor.

Hope you’re having a great Wednesday!

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I must admit that I'm writing this post more for myself than for all of you. Last year, I had a short love affair with embroidery. It was passionate, and my fervent desire to create gorgeous pieces of art with needle and colorful thread was indeed all-consuming. And then one day, I just stopped. Kind of like when Forrest Gump reached Monument Valley and simply stopped running. I don't know if any of you have taken the Myers-Briggs personality type test. I have on several occasions -- and I'm an ENFP, tried and true.

Perhaps THAT's why I can never stick with any of my side-projects: "An ENFP needs to focus on following through with their projects. This can be a problem area for some of these individuals. Unlike other Extraverted types, ENFPs need time alone to center themselves, and make sure they are moving in a direction which is in sync with their values. ENFPs who remain centered will usually be quite successful at their endeavors. Others may fall into the habit of dropping a project when they become excited about a new possibility, and thus they never achieve the great accomplishments which they are capable of achieving." (Info from www.personalitypage.com.)

Wow. A window into the essence of my very being. Haha. Or, just something that is a reality in my life notwithstanding. Back to embroidery. I enjoy it. But, like with knitting, I can never truly relax. I have made two projects since last year. The first is this bird with a cage. The second is an A letter monogram.

Looking at these photos is enough to make me want to take a sick day, stay home, and learn the stitches again. Er, maybe just devote some time over the weekend. Have any of you ever dabbled in craft -- only to find yourself completely forgetting how to do it a year later? Well, that's what this post is about for me. If embroidery is something that captures your interest, you only need a few things to get started.

What you'll need . . .

Needle
Colorful floss thread
Fabric of some sort
Fabric marker
Embroidery loop
Pattern (or not -- but I find it helpful)
Patience
Time
Sticktoitiveness

Method . . .

Really, you just get a piece of fabric that is relatively thin enough so you can trace your pattern onto it with a fabric marker. Try a simple design. Or even draw your own. Go rogue, if you dare.
Go online (and how convenient -- because you're online right now!) and learn some basic stitches. (Back stitch, running stitch, chain stitch, etc. -- all can be found with a swift Google search.)
Consider purchasing (or going to your local library to acquire) an embroidery book. I have Doodle Stitching by Aimee Ray. Along with being a gorgeous book to leaf through, it's "full of practical and whimsical projects that are neither boring or stodgy" (from Amazon).
Take 5 or 10 minutes each day to devote to your project. This way, you avoid burnout. It's going to be my new method (kind of like No Workout is Too Short or Slow, remember that?)

I think that last tip is going to be the key for me. As you see, ENFPs "are basically happy people. They may become unhappy when they are confined to strict schedules or mundane tasks. Consequently, ENFPs work best in situations where they have a lot of flexibility, and where they can work with people and ideas. Many go into business for themselves. They have the ability to be quite productive with little supervision, as long as they are excited about what they're doing." (Again, from www.personalitypage.com.)

So, do you have a story like mine? Any half-finished projects hanging out in your closet? Anything you feel like resurrecting? Any other ENFPs out there? Or other Myers-Briggs types? I find it fascinating, really. Because, at least for me, a lot of the description is right on!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!