Non-baby project

It's been a few days and I still haven't gotten those curtains finished.  Or started.  Some day...

I have been working on getting our 2012 scrapbook up to date.  I've given up on scrapping without help this year (I got really behind during IVF and have struggled to keep up with the baby prep taking first priority) and I'm using free templates by The Shabby Princess--they're very helpful for getting a project done quickly and still having a little creative leeway.  You can search the blog and get all the old ones through January.

I am also trying to use the zucchini coming out of my garden on a daily basis.  Last night I made zucchini carrot soup and it was really, really good.  Jeremiah was gushing about how good it was and he doesn't usually gush about my cooking.  Here's the recipe.  I didn't have celery so I doubled the carrots.  I also used onion powder and added 1 tsp. of garlic powder and salt to taste at the end.  I was going to freeze the leftovers for a later meal but he liked it so much we're having it again for dinner tonight.

Jeremiah got an iPad 3 yesterday and is very excited about it.  He has been debating it for months and finally just got one.  It will now be several months until he finds the perfect case (it takes him forever to make decisions but he rarely regrets them when he finally does) so I made a quick little one for him to use in the meantime, using this tutorial.  Here are the changes I made to it:

1. The measurements I used for the iPad 3 (she is covering a laptop in the tutorial) were 8.75 x 11.  The straps were 3x7 but if I did it again I would make them shorter, more like 5-6 inches.  If you are covering an older iPad I would check the specs on the website and use her formula to get your measurements.  This version is a little thicker than my iPad 2.
2. I left the straps square because I thought it looked a little more manly.
3. The buttonhole feature on my sewing machine isn't working properly (I spent 90 minutes doing everything I could to figure it out to no avail.  It's going to the dealer tomorrow for troubleshooting) so I used velcro instead of buttons.  It's a little more practical, too.
4.  I added a little handle to the side.  I cut a strip 2x8.75, folded it in half and pressed it.  Then I opened it up and folded the edges into the middle, pressed and sewed a zigzag down the center to keep the flaps closed.  I attached it at the same time and in the same manner she does the straps, just on one of the long sides.

Do you like the fabric?  He didn't want me to go buy anything special for him so I used this cowboy fabric I had left over from an owl bag I made my nephew and lined it with cow print fleece someone gave me a couple years that's been waiting for a project.

After I gave up on the buttons, this project came together quite fast, probably under 45 minutes for all the cutting, sewing and pressing.