Cubit's Organic Living » 2010

Archive for December, 2010

Call for entries! We want your photos!

Friday, December 31st, 2010

Call for entries! We want your photos!

We are currently updating some of our photos over in our Etsy shop and want your help. Submit photos of your garden for the chance to be featured in our listings and get some free seeds. We need high quality descriptive photos that show individual varieties. We are especially looking for tomatoes and lettuces. We love seeing your garden so feel free to share general garden photos as well.

Share them either on our facebook page or over on our flickr page and if we chose your photos we will send you a pack of that variety and a pack of your choice.

All entries will be given a coupon for 10% off to use in our shop anytime this year.

Please remember to include the name of the variety you have photographed, your name so we can credit you along with your email address so we can contact you.

Deadline is January 31st, 2011

All submissions become the property of Cubit’s; we retain non-exclusive rights to edit and publish these photographs in any medium. We will always credit the photographer and promise to use these images for good, and not evil.

Photo credit: Jenna and Mitch’s awesome Jerico Lettuce.

Tags: etsy, photography
Posted in etsy, garden | 1 Comment »

Wordless Wednesday: Merry Christmas

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

Merry Christmas!
So thankful to have such a clever little lady and such talented friends to take her picture. Thanks to Nico Oved for the photographs and to paperdollaccesories for the barrette.

Tags: christmas, photography, Toronto
Posted in celebrations | 3 Comments »

A Quick, mostly handmade, eco-friendly Christmas gift round up

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

Clearly seeds make a great stocking stuffers or replacements for cards, and by our bustling holiday season over on etsy I can see that I’m not the only one who thinks so. Beyond seeds, we have made a serious effort to make and buy handmade this year.

I have almost finished Becca’s big present. Its my first quilt, it’s almost finished and its worn me right out. The pattern is known as a friendship braid and I’ll post some good pictures once its all finished.

Here are some great instructions I found for binding a quilt, just in case you ever need such a thing, and your mother telling you over the phone doesn’t do it.

Here it is almost pieced:

And here are some pictures that show what I am up against every time I try and make something:

It was much more fun making these felt balls (a tutorial is in the works). I’m just waiting for some more roving to finish up a few more. All the babies (so many babies!) will be getting these. They even jingle.

It is certainly the year of felt.

I finally finished these stockings that I started last year. Do not try and make things with a 4 month old refluxy baby. In a past life they were a wool blanket, a cashmere sweater bought in Brooklyn, Ryan’s favourite sweater, and a gorgeous plaid scarf. All casualties of time and accidental trips through the wash. I felted them up and pieced them like a quilt, and zig zaged everything together using the walking foot on my machine. Feats of strength on the sewing machine’s part. I’m really pleased with them.

We have a long list of people we give gifts too, while trying to figure out what to get everyone I put these Etsy treasuries together. Quite a few of theses items are under our tree or on their way here. Can’t tell you exactly which ones though…

For the guys: Gifts for your husband (that he will actually like):

For the baby:

Our friends Bianca and Rosa sent Becca the snazzy diaper cover from this one. There’s nothing quite like getting mail for the baby from a baby.

And for the Queen Bee:

The grandparents, who get harder and harder to buy for every year, are all getting snazzy tiny print calendars. They look great and we made one for ourselves too. I just don’t know where I put it (otherwise I’d show you a photo).

All the spoiled dogs in our life are receiving these delicious organic cotton chicken legs from Voteza. This is our friend’s brand-new eco-friendly company. Their products are available at local craft shows right now but their site will being going live in the new year. Check out the facebook page for details on their launch and to see some of Hazel’s great modeling. There are some more photos here where Franny joins in and crochet holly collars are involved.

To round up our handmade Christmas Rebecca has a really fantastic Christmas outfit. Its actually her very summery birthday dress made by her talented Granny-Trishy-Fishy. I just love the Strawberry fields medowsweet fabric. Its from Ellafaith designs, who happen to be having a huge sale right now. There’s also a dress for the doll and the scraps went into the quilt. I’ll try and get a photo of the whole ensemble up tonight.

To top it off she has new poinsettia barrettes from Canadian shop paperdollacesories that are just amazing.

We just bought a few other things from this great shop and I think I want one of everything Jill sells. Rebecca’s stocking will be filled with handmade barrettes.

That’s our round up! I think I might collapse now, no wait, I need to bind that quilt… and prepare for a cookie exchange.

Tags: christmas, etsy, handmade
Posted in celebrations, etsy | 2 Comments »

How to: Recycled Wool Felt Christmas Wreath

Sunday, December 12th, 2010

Our new wreath gets quite a bit of attention. But I have a secret, it wasn’t hard to make and it’s really just an old jacket and took one long baby nap to make.

Here’s how to do it:

First you need some felt. This is wreath was formerly an old wool jacket that I felted in the washing machine. Wool scarves and sweaters will also work well. Really felt them by washing in hot and cold and drying a few times. They should shrink and firm up. If you don’t use wool you could totally use another fabric, just try and find something thick and be mindful of how much it will fray.

Next cut out all the seams so you have some nice flat pieces of fabric.

Then you’ll want to cut your fabric. Experiment with a piece of paper first if you want to know what shape will turn into what sort of flower. I mainly used squareish spirals but C and L shapes worked really well especially for smaller ones. You’ll want a variety of sizes.

Now we make the flowers. Start winding up your felt by wrapping it around your thumb while pinching it. How tight or loose, how fat or skinny, how long, these will all effect the final shape so enjoy yourself.

To finish them off, take a big needle and thick thread, yarn or floss and make a few big tight stitches. This will not show so it’s a great time to use up your odds and ends and leftovers from past projects. Leave the tails long as you’ll need then to tie the flowers to the form.

Now you need to attach they to the wreath form. I used a reclaimed floral one, but there are many options, I suggest using one from a hideous old wreath.

Paying attention to the composition start tying on your flowers. You’ll want to do this as tightly as possible.

Once everything is tied on you’ll notice that there is still quite a bit of movement so grab that needle and thread and stitch each bud to its neighbour. Do this from the back and pull your thread tight. If you have the time and energy you can use the needle to pull the thread’s loose ends back into the flowers. Otherwise just cut them off short.

And that’s it! A 100% reclaimed, recycled wreath that is weather proof and will last for years.

Tags: christmas, crafts, DIY, eco-friendly, fabric, felt, holidays, Recycled, santashideaway, wool, wreath
Posted in how to | 7 Comments »

Pimp that Preserve update

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Take a second to check out the entries for Well Preserved’s Pimp that Preserve competition and Vote for your favourite. My entry is number 10, but I just want everyone to see these fun jars and check out this great site. If my site is what happens when an artist starts gardening then theirs is what happens when graphic designers start pickling.

http://wellpreserved.ca/2010/12/09/pimp-that-preserve-contest-vote-now/

Update:
Honorable Mention! Pretty good as the competition was fierce
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=244460&id=95811021979

Here are some more great ideas for reusing/recycling your christmas cards: http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/recycled-christmas-card-crafts?ref=nf