color?

for the new craft room to be done after the furnace switch... I'm thinking of perwinkle with white furniture accents... which means I'll have lots of painting to do...
and I want a floor with that foamy stuff so I can block on the floor directly. I'll have lots to paint... maybe I'll do one of the bookshelves in a darker shade of the periwinkle.

so opinions??

Oh and the glass doctor said he can't fix the window. The husbeast will have to do it. I wonder how much he'll charge the kids :)

guess what I made?

These

Sliced

Reamed with my new toy from the Moravian Cookshop. A whole pound of these babies.




and baked to perfection

for the hubster for tmrw after the Iron Pigs game. Our neighbor gave us 2 tickets for a late morning game so he's taking the boy who LOVES baseball, while I wait for the window repairman to come.

The recipe for the body of the pie is from Emeril's (the same one I always use) but this time I topped it with meringue from the Joy of Cooking cookbook.

THe mans' birthday is Saturday, so I'm trying to surprise him a little each day this week. Yesterday I brought home the cutest t-shirt from the zoo... 4 beetles crossing a pedestrian crosswalk.. and it says in the correct font The Beetles. Today was a few dark chocolate truffles from the Moravian cookshop. Champagne, cappucino, coffee, raspberry, amaretto, and some pyramid looking one. Sunday was a Phillies towel that you take to the game. Monday was a lost day, I'm afraid. but I have lots more planned for him.

Just a bird's eye shot of what I made during the 2011 Tour de Fleece. There's lots of yarn there... and a few rolags to spin yet. It will be finished before school starts.

from the Philly zoo

all my animal friends would love you to check them out We went yesterday and I took far too many pictures. I've only posted a few there.

still spinning the fleece from the tour de france.

day 21

I finished 3 bobbins and plied them together.
Two skins fo about 220 yards and one of 175 yards... not bad... now to wash it and set the twist and fluff the yarn a bit....

found out a friend of mine has breast cancer today... sad day....


also got a paire of etienne aigner shoes at the thrift store for less than $5. They have no wear and fit great. Perfect for school :) I'll post a picture later.

bobbin bobbin who has the bobbin

I managed to finish almost a whole bobbins worth today.

Here's a pic of the two bobbins that are done:



Yesterday we went to the Camden Aquarium. On the next street over is the RCA Victor building with this beautiful stained glass window



We touched jellyfish, and sea stars, stingrays and sharks and saw lots of stuff but my favorite was the sea turtle...If you want to see the best pictures point your browser to my facebook album

a little color

I went to a wedding party yesterday. Two colleagues that I played a little cupid with. They're perfect together and the party was just as perfect. Outside at her parents farm. The food was all in the barn which was decorated so cute... the weather was perfect and the band was awesome!

I've been spinning up a storm... lots of brown and a little more color. I have this pink roving that I spun up. Not quite sure what it is but I think it's the stuff that Kraemer's in Nazareth makes Mauch Chunky with. It isn't super soft, but I love the way it spun up!

more of the same

spinning spinning spinning.... carding, carding, carding. There are 6 baskets of rolags



Today was the first day I didn't spend cleaning the basement out. Although I was a freecycling queen again today. Glad someone can use what we no longer need. Rather see that than it go into a landfill. I also did some big league napping this afternoon. Thanks to my angelic children for letting me sleep.

Watched the AAA minor league all star game tonight.. Hooray that the IL won! Got to see some of my favorite Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs play too.


Yesterday I did 4oz. of a color other than brown.. soft squishy corriedale from Spunky Eclectic I love it and whenever I finish spinning the fleece in my stash, I'll be buying from her... what a lovely spin

if at first you don't succeed......

been cleaning out.... garage attic, basement front.

We have to move everything from the front of the basement out so the guys can convert the furnace. It WILL be finished by Sunday...Temporary inconvenience for permanent improvement.


I started the recycled cashmere patch blanket. It's all laid out and one length is sewn. It would be a cute scarf. If it turns out OK, I may gift it to the SIL who loves black.. THis is all blacks and greys.. that is if she likes it. If not, it will get plenty of use at my house... after the grey/black will come the colored... pinks, burgundies, greens, tans and browns.


My SIL comes Monday. The erupting volcano in Chile is delaying her flight. She WAS to arrive tomorrow.

And of course the spinning continues. Today I plied this. Lesson learned, don't navajo ply when the youngest wants your attention.


I'll never finish the Brown BFL THere is SO much fiber.... Although I did locate my hand carders today. So it will make things go much easier. I wish I could rent a drum carder. It would make my spinning life so very much easier....

spinning wheels

well I've tried twice to post a movie.. to no avail

but I will give you a sneak peek what I've veen working on while the boys in France are pedaling their brains out.

stitch, stitch, stitch

June was a month for sewing a bit. I oiled up the machine and FINALLY finished the cushions on the window seat in the basement. (After DH nudged rather strongly)

I'm happy with the way they turned out. I finished them the day before DS1s birthday (and party)> Now we have 'stadium' seating in the family room.

We're going to a dinner on Sunday and I thought I'd like to take a little gift along with the bebidas and dessert. So I whipped this together today. I got the idea from Kate S. Thank you to her! But of course I tweaked her directions. Instead of having two seams show on the outside, I have no seams showing. I did use batting and quilted it, but I quilted the liner and outside separately. (I don't have a quilting machine. Just a regular Kenmore so the quilting is very plain.
Here were my steps:

Cut two rectangles from coordinating cloth.
The one you'll be using on the outside 7" x 16"
The one you'll be using on the inside 6" x 15"
Cut 2 rectangles of batting in the same dimensions.

Quilt the batting to the wrong side of each fabric.

Cut two circles about 5" in diameter from both fabric and batting.
Quilt the 2 circles (batting on the wrong side again).

With the fabric for the outside, put the long right sides together and sew a long seam (I used 3/8 inch allowance)
Do the same for the inside fabric.

Sew a circle to the bottom of one of the tube. (right sides together) I had to ease the circle to fit the circumference of the tube.. Not an exact science since I didn't really use a pattern.

Repeat with the other tube.

Turn the outside tube right side out. Leave the inside tube inside out and place it inside the outside tube.

Cut the top shape as you desire. I used bias binding to attach them together.

Flatten the tube centering any shape you've given the top

With the sharp point of scissors, cut through all layers of fabrics making a slit the desired length of your handle. Once the slit is made shape the handle as you'd like

I was going to use bias tape here as well but decided against it. Instead I folded the cut edges in and handstitched the outside to the inside.

I really like how it turned out. Maybe they'll make good Christmas gifts this year. Cut down on the fabric stash a bit!








I got my progressive lenses yesterday. It really made the sewing SO much easier. Both by hand and threading the machine. Should have done this a while ago.