World Class Chef in a Strip Mall

I wrote this article for the Knoxville News Sentinel after reading tons of praise for Chef Chang on foodie networks like Chowhound, Don Rockwell , and Atlanta Cuisine . The food is awesome.

Happy Gloves, Happy Girl

My mom gave me a craft book for my birthday that I love. Happy Gloves by Miyako Kanamori has instructions on how to make cute little creatures from gloves. I have been wanting to make toys but haven't ever gotten into crochet. Kanamori's technique uses a cheap and readily available material to make quick and easy stuffed toys.

Functional Handmade Gift

Reusable grocery totes are pretty prevalent these days. I made one for my mom and one for my sister-in-law. My sister-in-law's was made from one of the tablecloths from her wedding rehearsal dinner. She seemed to enjoy the sentiment.

I used a basic folded method to make theirs. They work just fine, but I wanted a roomer bag with a flat bottom. I found this pattern that I plan to try out sometime. If anyone beats me to it, let me know how it works or post a picture.

Fabric Stash Spectrum

I am making this quilt for my own bed. The idea was to make it out of the stash of fabric I have been collecting for so long. Today I finished sewing the blue section. I am keeping it up on my living room wall until the entire top piece is finished.

The fabric sticks to the flannel sheet I thumb-tacked up on the wall. (Fabric sticks to flannel magically...unless you have a fan on high). Ideally the sheet would be plain white, but I improvised.

It is helpful to see the entirety of what you are working on at one time. Another benefit is that when my quilter-friend Felicia comes to my house she can see exactly what I am doing and has donated many pieces from her stash to this project.

I recommend a fabric wall for every quilt designer.

New Crafty Podcast

Hello Craft has started a weekly podcast of crafter's stories. I liked the first two episodes and plan to keep listening. They are requesting contributors.

Assignment: Smoking Ban

I had another article in the Knoxville News Sentinel last week. It's a look at how restaurant business has been since the smoking ban began. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/oct/30/west-haven-for-smokers/