long weekend

How to survive a long weekend:

1. Bake a batch of cookies
2. Line up a few knitting projects
3. Pull out some good books
4. Surround yourself with fresh flowers
5. Coordinate your PTO with your hubby
6. Unplug the alarm clock
7. Relax and enjoy

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone!

harvest time

I got out of work a bit early yesterday, hit the grocery store, then came home to sew. This little blanket was quilted, washed on the gentle cycle and dried by the time Garrett got home from work. I'm very happy with it. The charcoal-colored flannel that I used for the edging and back came out super soft, and most of my mistakes seemed to disappear after the entire piece was together.

I hope I can make another one soon.

Tomatoes have announced themselves ready to harvest in the garden - by collapsing under the weight of their fruit. These are from the tiny little seeds I planted . . . was it in April? They're called Italian Heirloom tomatoes and they have lived up to the fine print on the seed packet. They taste wonderful and they don't have a lot of seeds. Perfect for preserving.

I went to the farmer's market this week. That's where I got the flowers on the table and the fresh kale. We've been making "happy green juices." Kale, cucumber, celery, green apple, kiwi and a hunk of fresh ginger.

Harvest time is a good time around here.

grandma leona's quilt

This is a little off the beaten path for me. My mom surprised me with a sewing machine about seven years ago. A nice little Janome with a carrying case, and most importantly a complete set of instructions.

I've been wanting to recreate the baby blanket that my great-grandma Leona made form me when I was an infant. It's a pattern that I can handle. Nine squares wide and nine squares tall. A nice little blanket to lay under a baby, or over a carrier when the weather gets chilly.

The fabric in the original is a hoot. Dots, checks, plaids, bicycles, tulips, one-of-a-kind pieces that could only have come from a blouse or an item of clothing. Now I need to figure out how to sew on the binding and how to quilt it on my machine.

I keep on reminding myself it doesn't have to be perfect, just made with love. It would also be nice if it could withstand a few hundred cycles in the washing machine - like the original.

Is that asking too much?

good fences

Ah, Saturdays . . . you're never six days away, at any give point, from a Saturday - which gives me a great deal of comfort on a foggy Monday morning, or a never-ending Wednesday afternoon.

I'm currently seeing a lot of orange in my life. The lilies at the curbside with their goofy speckles, the luminous centers of the coneflowers that the bees can't seem to keep away from, and also the fabric I've collected over the years. More recently I've been bringing home orange fat quarters on my random visits to the local fabric shop. 

I've been caught up in a good book all week and just finished it this morning. I have another sitting on the piano that I waited six months to get from the library. I hope the story gets me hooked. I've really been enjoying reading for an hour or so before bed each night.

Hope you all make the most of this Saturday.

sparkles + herbs

We've been busy this week with work and various appointments. I had my first appointment at the acupuncturist and Garrett went to the chiropractor. I never thought I'd be laying in a room under a heat lamp with silvery needles wobbling in my belly and various parts of my extremities, but there I was and it was kinda nice. Weird, but nice.

The tea the doctor gave me is a different story. Dark, bitter and tangy. Before it's brewed it looks like the kind of colorful potpourri that I like to set out in the fall. The kind that smells like cinnamon and spice. I wouldn't want to brew that and drink it either. Garrett has his first appointment tomorrow, I wonder what he'll bring home to brew? I'm really curious to see.

I've been baking and spinning. I finally finished up the dark sparkle yarn that I started this spring. All told I have around 350 yards here. Right now I'm thinking I'm going to incorporate it into a weaving project. We'll see where it ends up, I guess. You can find your own top to spin from our sheep here.

The cake is chocolate zucchini. The kind that you put in the fridge and wake up in the middle of the night to snack on with a cold cup of milk. (Not that I do that!)

Is it Friday tomorrow, already? What are you doing this weekend? I'll be taking it easy. Sleeping in, reading some good books and, as always, working on something.

prairie and woods

Camping this weekend to Willow River State Park in Wisconsin. I brought some knitting, but ended up reading and lounging around the fire cracking peanuts. We ate well - brought too much food, actually. We had perfect weather, and only had one evening visit from a lone raccoon. She was after the sunflower seeds that we mistakenly left out.

I'm currently on a winning streak in our ongoing cribbage tournament. Hope my luck holds . . . as well as this beautiful summer weather.

Have a lovely Sunday afternoon everyone.