1976 - 2008

For the past 31 years, we have been getting together once a year to catch up, eat, and reminisce the "good old days". We all met in our freshman year at Lock Haven State College (that's what it was called in 1972) and have remained very good friends ever snce. Our friendship is a treasure that we cherish. The reunions started out childless, survived pregnancies, endured toddlers and teenagers and now we are childless again. We have come full circle and don't look too bad.(You can judge for yourself) This year we were in the Garden State and our hosts were Kathy and Wayne. They were very calm and collected despite the fact that their oldest child (Matt) is getting married July 26th. (That is 1 week away!) We had a wonderful time and ate lots of good food. The only low point of this year's reunion is that Karla did not make it. She somehow got the days mixed up, so we were not a complete group. She was missed.
Roll the pictures!

The Knot is Tied!

It was a wonderful day for a wedding!  The weather was hot and sunny (but not humid!). 

The flowers were beautiful.

 

The bride and groom, Kristie and Taylor(my son) looked cool, calm, happy, and thankful that the day was finally here.

And Logan was just plain cute!!!

I'm so happy for them.  And me.  I got to see many friends and family that I haven't seen in a while.  Sharing such a grand day with them all, made me sad that I would have to return to Hatfield.  However, in Hatfield I can get back to some serious knitting.

I'm working on the Lilies of the Valley shawl from Lace Style.  

I love it.  It looks very intricate but was so easy to memorize the pattern.  This will definitely be one of my favorite shawls to knit. 

Rachael has already asked for it for Christmas:-)

Wedding and Babies and Crafting, Oh My!!

It's been a busy week and it just seemed to fly by.

Saturday was the wedding:


with two of the cutest babies ever:



and some stitching from the Alabama Stitch Book



I love this book and am itching to make something else from it. In case you can't tell, that is my version of the headband in the book. I just love the look of everything in the book.

Next week I am taking a class so I won't get to do any of the things I like to do, I am so bummed. I am sure I will survive.

"I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!"

Yes, yes, yes! I have a new sewing machine after 36 years. Thanks to all of the advice and reviews, I purchased a Bernina 240. I haven't even had it for 24 hours, but I love it already.

To try it out, I decided to make a "sweater" for a pillow as an anniversary gift for our friends Kim and Scott.

The way it sewed on the wool was amazing, I don't know how I lived without it all these years. I even tried out some of the "fancy" stitches. They may not be fancy to most people, but considering all I've ever had was a straight stitch, I feel like a kid in a candy store.
Can't wait to make something else!

Summer time and the living is easy?

School has been out since June 9th and I am finally getting to a post. It seems that my life hasn't really been on summer vacation.
We had our Big Graduation Bash (a week to get ready and a week to get back to normal) and went on a 3 day college orientation. Now, July is just around the corner and I don't know where the time has gone.
My June accomplishments include: getting my Etsy shop (see link on side of blog) up and running, (I did not realize how much there is to getting a shop ready)had lunch with the lunch bunch (missed them so much), made a pair of baby socks from the book - 2-at-a-time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes. (I really like the technique after you get passed the first 1/2 inch. I have started one of the patterns in the book, Coquette.)
and I learned how to use the mosaic maker:

And... Janet and I registered for Stitches East 2008. We are so excited! We signed up for 3 classes and the fashion show! It is such a good time.

A new week ahead - hope to get something accomplished.

Nani Pua

Nani pua, the Hawaiian words for beautiful flower.  Once again, teaching at Country Quiltworks was so rewarding and SO MUCH FUN!!.  I love quilters!  (I love knitters too!)  We spent the day laughing and telling stories and of course learning the method of making a Hawaiian Quilt. Here, everyone is diligently working on tracing the pattern onto the foreground fabric.  So serious...

I was amazed by the beautiful color combinations everyone chose.  The finished squares will be fabulous:-) Take a look.....

Lorraine and Gail chose Breadfruit:

Mary Joe and Debbie both made the Pineapple pattern:

Laura worked on the Hoya:

and last but certainly not least, Beth chose the Calla Lily:

I was so happy to see Debbie return.  She had also joined me for Grandmothers Handkerchief.

My sister Laura drove 2 hours from New Jersey to take the class.  I was so happy to have her there.  Luckily I had neglected to tell her it was an intermediate class or she may not have come. She made me proud by keeping up with the experts:-) 

Now I must concentrate on finishing the Baltimore Album quilt for the class I hope to teach in the Fall....:-)  

Butterflies All Around

Last night I taught my first quilt class at Country Quiltworks.  I had so much fun!  The women were great.  I had a full class of ten and everyone finished their butterfly square and were so happy and excited with the results. Well almost everyone..Alice was one antenna short of finishing.  What a trooper.  She has only been quilting for a year and was determined to do a good job.  She came to the class with Mary and Isabell.                 

Debbie, who I met in Philadelphia when Brenda and I went to see the Yarn Harlot was there.  I was so happy to see a familiar face!  My nerves disappeared as soon as I saw her!  Her Christmas butterfly was beautiful.

Scottie was FAST!  Last to get there.  First to finish.  First to leave.

  

Mary Beth..the quiet one. A girl after my own heart..brought her ott light!:-)

Joan was a plethora of information on thrift shops!!  I can't wait to check them out.  My sister Judy will be so pleased when she comes to visit me and I can take her to some great thrift shops:-)

Friends Joanne and Marcy came to class together.  Joanne had a fabulous hanky covered in violets. (My favorite flower!)

And last but not least..Sharleen, who signed up for the class the day before and was so happy she came.  I was happy too.  She was a great entertainer:-)

I can't wait for next Saturday.  I will be teaching Hawaiian Quilting!  If you live near Country Quiltworks, come and join us.  It will be great fun!!!

My New Favorite Place

I've been spending a lot of time on Ravelry. I love it!  I have finally figured everything out and I've gotta' say...it's cool!!  I joined some groups;  Lace, Victorian Lace Today, Yarn Harlot Fans, and North and West of Philly. This last group meets at Panera Bread in Montgomeryville every Thursday. I can't wait until I have a Thursday evening free to meet everyone.  This Thursday I will be teaching my Grandmother's Handkerchief Quilt at the County Quiltworks. I'm so excited to meet the women who will be taking the class. 

I have posted the lace items I have recently finished on Ravelry.  There's the Wedding Shawl 2: The pattern is actually called Icarus from Interweave Knits Summer 2006 Issue.

My First Gossamer Shawl:

  

And a  Valence I made for Rachael's room.  The valence I modified from a scarf pattern in Victorian Lace Today.  I love how it turned out.  Rachael was happy to see it hanging in her room when she came home from college on Friday:-)  

I've also been working on The Bed Jacket from Romantic Style and The Adamas Shawl, a free pattern from mimknits.com.  Pictures of these projects will come later.  It's taking forever to download pictures tonight.  Later....

Graduation #2!

My life is one big graduation!
Not really, it just seems like it.
This is the busiest time of year if you work in education. There are always so many things to do and this year has been even more stressful with the addition of many events going on at home.
Needless to say there is a lack of any creating, just sock knitting at events:

Pops Concert...


Baccalaureate, Awards Assembly, Graduation....



Happy/Proud family!



One more to go...the graduation bash. It is no longer a party, it is a bash!
We have combined the celebration of high school graduation (Abbie) and college graduation (Katie) into 1 big event.
Maybe then, I can put some of my creative juices into action.

We LOVE the 'Yarn Harlot'

Brenda and I went to the Philadelphia Book Festival yesterday to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka, the Yarn Harlot..yes...THEE Yarn Harlot.  We were so excited!!  We took the train into Philly and were the 3rd and 4th knitters in line!!

(We WERE very excited!)  We were NOT disappointed.  She was 

 witty, SMART, and just plain wonderful:-) Usually everyone knits socks when going to see the Yarn Harlot, (she is known for her traveling sock...her version of Flat Stanley I think).  I was knitting this:

This is the valence I am making for Rachael's bedroom window.  However, I did take along a sock I started so I could blend in if needed.

Was I glad I did!!  Here is Brenda and I holding Stephanie's sock and she is holding mine.  Did I say we were the 3rd and 4th in line?  If you would like to see Brenda and I smack dab in the middle of the first row, click on here blog  and scroll down a little to May 19th.  Yes, we are the nerds taking pictures of her taking pictures of her sock.  

 We had a wonderful time and of course it was great to catch up with Brenda!