Still Feeling the Glow!

We love you! Lewisburg Arts Festival 2008! We finally found our audience, Yeah!!! It was so absolutely satisfying to hear all of those compliments about something you create with all your heart. My head was so big by the end of the day.
Thank you Cathy for coming to help me, I could not have survived without you. She has such a "business mind"!


I even got a special order for pansy cupcake toppers!



The flowers in our yard are so beautiful in the spring, I can't resist taking lots of pictures. I hope you enjoy them?




Tonight is my high school senior's prom, hope to post some pictures later.

Odds and Ends

This is the black squirrel that is roaming our neighborhood.  It is beautiful...for a squirrel.  

The house is coming along.  We have a new roof...

 

The brick work is being completed today!  I love the new space.  Can't wait until it is done.  

I will be teaching a few quilt classes in June at the local quilt shop Country Quiltworks.  So I have started to work on few pieces in preparation.  Hawaiian Applique...  

Love this method.  Full size Hawaiian quilts are incredible.  We will be making a 19" block.

Another class I will teach is My Grandmother's Handkerchief.  I love this idea.  Taking a treasured handkerchief (the photo is one of my mother's) and turning it into a quilt.  I've made several four block wall hangings for friends and family....

This Fall I plan on teaching a 12 week class on Baltimore Album Quilts using the Elly Sienkiewicz books.  

Lots to do, but excited about it!!

Signs of Spring in Central PA

The flowers on our property are finally blooming. It seems to take forever around here.



The daffodils are very plentiful this year.



The forsythia is finally full of color!



My purple windflowers are loaded with blooms.
And...




the little sunbonnet needle cases are the best they have ever been! It must have been all of that rain we received.
My grandmother made me a needle case a very long time ago. She had tatted the little nosegay. I have always wanted to replicate it and over the last week I did and I think they turned out pretty close to what hers looked like, of course no tatting.

A Love/Hate Relationship

I Love lace!  Until I make a mistake.  I Hate lace!  I am working on not 1, not 2, but 3 lace patterns right now.  Every time I drop a stitch I have to take out several rows.  I know... why don't I 'tink' down.  Believe me when I say, I have spent hours trying to retrieve a stitch only to tear it out in the end.  Other problems arose too: I bought the Spring/Summer 2008 collection for Filatura Di Crosa to make the lace shawl on page 19 

          with their Superior yarn

 (fabulous!) only after reading the pattern, I found out it is the Myrtle Leaf Pattern in the Victorian Lace Today book which of course I already have.  BOTH patterns are WRONG! After tearing the whole thing out THREE times I checked the Victorian Lace Today website and found out YES it was wrong and HERE are the NEW directions!?!  AHHHHH!!!

However, I am loving the shawl I am making from The Gossamer Webs Design Collection from Galina Khmeleva.  It is beautiful.  I hope to wear it to my son's wedding this summer.

I will soon be leaving the job I so unfortunately started three weeks ago, and will have lots more time to work on it.  The job....working at a learning academy for preschoolers was well intended but not thought through, as to the hours I would spend there and the time my family (and hobbies) would need me.  I have to say meeting new people was wonderful.  They were very friendly and welcomed me into their 'family' joyfully.  I will miss the people there

Our house is coming along.  Paul and Bob the builders are hard workers and have done an amazing amount of work in a relatively short time.  I am so excited to get the new family room and sun porch.  I will have to put up with the 1962 retro/very cool kitchen for a while longer though.  Judy has great plans for updating with a little paint in the mean time! 

New Felt Goodies

Stopped at the Sal/val on the way home from work and jackpot on the sweaters! After felting them I was inspired to make more pincushions and covered tape measures.

Some of the tape measures match up with a pincushion. I thought they would go together.

I also tried my hand at felt booties. I used Heather Bailey's Bitty Bootie pattern.


I have so many ideas for more, but just need the time. Someday.....

Gotta Love Lace

The wedding shawl is finished!!  Here is Rachael wearinging it.  She just got home from college and wasn't really ready to get her picture taken.  

Oh well...                       I started a new shawl already from the same book Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby. I love lace. Rachael loves the shirt Brenda!  Thanks.

Cupcake Pretties

Just made a bunch of felt cupcake toppers to sell at our next craft fair in Lewisburg. Hope someone will enjoy them. What do you think?

Not Feeling the Love

Janet and I went to the Williamsport Craft Fair yesterday and it was a depressing and demoralizing day. It was not well attended and those that did attend were not interested in any of our creations. Aside from one small sale to an unknown customer, the only sale we had was to a friend that stopped by. (Thanks Sharon!) The good news... Janet and I got to catch up on events. We enjoyed the time we had together and we did accomplish some knitting. Note to self: focus on the positive side!


Saturday was the final performance of the Warrior Run musical, Beauty and the Beast. For my senior daughter, Abbie, it was a very sad moment. Her last time on stage with her friends, her last musical, her last.... It was a bittersweet moment for her parents as well. Another milestone toward our baby's graduation and her eventual leaving of the nest.


We were very proud parents, Abbie was a shining star on stage. There seemed to be a beam of light radiating from her face, don't you agree? She played one of the "silly girls". They all really played it well, aren't they gorgeous? I don't know how Gaston could resist them!


Another Sunday, another end to a weekend - now that's a sad moment! Now now, let's be positive!

Busy Hands are Happy Hands

And boy oh boy were my hands happy this weekend. My mother had some odd teacups that she picked up at flea markets along with two adorable little salt dips. So I was busy turning them into pincushions. I am very happy with the way they turned out. Now, I have four more pincushions for the craft fair on March 15th.
Sunday is flying by and the time change does not help the situation. I know I will soon be enjoying that extra daylight, but right now it is a little unsettling.
Tonight's the finale of The Wire on HBO. It has been such a good series that I hate to see it end. I just hope David Simon and Ed Burns have something else in the works.
I am going to go settle into some big time knitting for the rest of the day. Have a good week.

Another Year, Another Birthday Celebration

Another birthday celebration with lots of good eats. At work, we always look forward to good birthday food. This time Tuzzi's Pizza (thanks Sue), fruit salad (thanks Penny) and desserts by Janet. (thanks Janet) Doesn't it just make your mouth water and your tummy grumble?


I have discovered a great new blog that is full of inspirations. How About Orange, be sure to check it out. She had this cool PictoBrowser Builder link, so here is my pictobrowser:

Isn't that the coolest little gadget? And a great blog, lots of links, love it!
Hoping to finish up some more pincushions for March 15th craft fair at Williamsport High School. If you live near by, be sure to stop in. Janet has some original knit designs, she's so talented! Think "little girl dresses"!