Pumpkins

I have a pumpkin theme going here. The hat I started during the summer while in Chelsea visiting Heather and Sam and the kids. I was plugging away on a rather uninspired baby hat when I decided to abandon the whole project and make something more enjoyable. Heather had just the project for me. A pumpkin hat and all I needed to make it. It got a bit dicey at the end. That bit of yarn on the table? That was all I had left when the project was finished! This hat ended up in Oklahoma to adorn my good friend's first grandchild.





This little shirt went to Laney. I had big plans to make four of them -- one for each of the granddaughters, but it is quite a bit more work than I anticipated. Plus, when Anna and I were at Target, we saw super cute pumpkin shirts -- lovely shiny sequined pumpkins for $5. Anna aptly noted that the girls would probably like the glitter of the Target ones more than the loving cross stitch. Good for me. At least everyone got a shirt. No way I could have finished four of these.

Strings ...... of Metal?

We've spent the last four days in Tahoe weaving threads of 3/8" steel rod. Does this count as a thing from strings??

The Crew:

Michele and Ginnie working the patina and waxing station.


Larry expertly cuts, rolls, fits a loft run.


Stu shaping one of the 154 "buttons" -- rounding off the rough end cuts -- up in the loft.


Stu and me. There's lots of fitting to do! Cut and "button" one end, fit, finish cut and button again.


Monty executing one of the 308 welds on four floors.


The finished railing:
The loft view.


The run down from the loft to the main floor.


Run to entry (and there's a third one to the basement.)


Happy. Done!


Oh, and the view? It's only the entire lake!

The Amazing Envelope Organizers

These organizers are perhaps the thing I am most proud of making. And they are incredibly useful for keeping track of all those bits of paper: receipts, stamps, business cards, lists, notes, etc. I got the original instructions for them from an old Martha magazine, but I like to think I've made improvements on the idea.

The covers are mat board covered with cotton fabric. The envelopes and covers are attached with bookbinding tape (which is really hard to find even online). The inside covers are rectangles of paper glued in to cover the mat board and rough edges of fabric. Picking the paper to use as an inside cover is one of my favorite parts.

Once assembled all you have to do to help keep track of all the paper bits is write a title or catagory at the top of each envelope and tuck in your purse...I dig a stamp or a phone number out of my own just about every day.

I attended a craft fair last weekend and sold a fair number of these. It was great to have others like the designs and idea enough to buy them, very flattering.

Hawaiian Throw

Finished! Now I am working on the Snoflake Quilt but am dying to start a queen size Hawaiian for my guest room- agony! What colors? Hopefully inspiration will strike.

Durable Dragon Sweater

Today we are getting out the fall clothing bins for the girls and I found this treasure. Jeanette knit this cute little sweater when Hailey was a baby and it has survived in perfect shape for Kaitlin to wear this this fall. That is saying a lot about how well made it is because my kids are hard on clothes and I am a hot wash and high heat dry kind of laundry girl.

Kaitlin was pretty pleased with how cute she looked in it.

Dirty Little Secret

I completed the dust ruffle for Kaitlin's crib last week. Now all I have left is the crib sheet, bumper pad, drapes, and then paint the room. I might pick up a bright rug if I find one in the right color.
Since I have little experience sewing, I was pretty proud of myself. Any true seamstress would be horrified. I didn't have a pattern. I just laid out her old dust ruffle and put the fabric on top to get my measurements. No rulers or pencil lines, just estimate and cut!
So the front and the sides look really good.
The back is where my dirty little secret is. I have always thought there is a fine line between deception and lying, but there IS a line. I mean magic is deception and everyone is OK with that. So I ran out of fabric with the same run of pattern. The thought of dragging them all to the fabric store to get more when I had enough, it just wasn't perfect, was too much. Plus I like instant gratification and didn't want to delay my project anymore. So I used all the pieces I had left. I put the correct orientation on the sides so that should someone catch a glimpse of the corner it would appear or deceive that it is well made all the way around. The crib is pushed up against the wall, so chances are slim that anyone but you guys will know the truth.

Socks Galore

I am a pretty dedicated knitter. Generally, I would be knitting right now --
in fact, this blogging may seriously cut into my knitting time. But these
socks are not mine, they are my mom's, GiGi's. Delighted with the socks
I had been turning out, she decided my brother, Phil, in Alaska, could really
use some. And just look at these! Fabulous!

Inspirational Fabric

I was in the fabric store with Jeanette when I passed by this beautiful fabric. For some reason I fell in love with it and just had to have it. What for? I had no idea. If it weren't for Jeanette, I never would have gotten it. Instead, I would have just gazed at it and caressed it every time I stopped by the store. She helped me quickly figure out how much I would need to make a new comforter for Kaitlin. Kaitlin never did get a special nursery. She got Karlie's leftovers. Poor third born. So this is the launching pad for an entirely new nursery with bright and bold colors. I did go back and buy a bunch more. The only problem is that I bought the fabric in May and its now almost August and I just completed the blanket (which is the easiest part). With any luck she will have her whole room done before she is a teenager. ☺

A Blankie for Owen

Katie is too modest. Really she is quite handy with a crochet hook and a whole lot of string; she made this blanket for Owen's birth. Nice isn't it?

Stitch Detail

It's Snowing!

This is the quilt I'm working on at the moment. The dot fabric is for the background. I still have some sort of border to put on there. I thought snowflakes would be a good theme for Michigan.