Author Archives: Jessica
things made of cord
Unlike the low-tech potato-stamped bags of the last post, two of these cord baskets benefited from a bit of a technological intervention. When I told Nick I was planning on dip-dyeing some some things, he insisted on building me a … Continue reading
how to print your own fabric with a potato
I’ve got a few fabric-printing techniques under my belt, each with its own drawbacks, benefits, and results. Screen printing is a good way to cleanly and uniformly print a lot of a complex design at once, but never seems to … Continue reading
painting and such
I’m spending most of my time these days finishing up my commission so I can really get started on Christmas presents. It’s turning out pretty good, which is much better than I usually feel about things I make. Taking a … Continue reading
fruits of the orange tree
We came back from our Thanksgiving trip to Houston with full bellies, bags of leftovers, and a box of oranges. Nick’s aunt has an orange tree in her backyard, and when we went to visit, its branches were heavy with hundreds … Continue reading
chocolate rose cake
This cake was for my mom-in-law’s birthday. We knew we wouldn’t be in town the day of, so we carted it the five hours from our house when we visited for Thanksgiving. It turns out five hours is exactly how … Continue reading
faux billy balls
My little sister and her friends recently moved into a house in my old neighborhood in Houston. In lieu of a houseplant, I sent her some felt craspedia, otherwise known as billy balls. I was planning on writing up a … Continue reading
cucumber mint water
We got a few cucumbers in our csa a while back, and I knew it would be a challenge to use them all up. I like the flavor of cucumbers, but something about the texture is off-putting to me (I … Continue reading
pintuck pillow
There’s a dearth of decorative pillows in my house. Don’t get me wrong– I’m not the type that likes to remove six or eight ruffled cushions from her bed before she can even lay down, but my sofa and chairs … Continue reading
autumn macarons
We went out of town last weekend, and when we got back our thermostat read sixty-three degrees. I put on some flannel pajamas and a thick pair of socks, and I made myself a cup of tea. Having spent my … Continue reading
6 layer cake
In celebration of his first paycheck (and the fact that we didn’t go broke waiting for it), Nick requested a chocolate 6-layer cake. Since he hardly ever asks for anything except pizza and pancakes, I was happy to oblige. The … Continue reading