Three Day Weekends Rock!

I am loving taking Fridays off and having three day weekends all summer! The city I live in is having a big arts and crafts street fair this weekend. I just may have to walk up there later and see what's there. Get some inspiration! There are all kinds of food vendors too. Lots of fun.

I made another apron yesterday with my beloved Matroyshka fabric. So cute! It will hang in a place of honor in my kitchen. This fabric just makes me smile. I used a pattern in The Apron Book. Very easy to make.

I bought some more fabric from an Etsy seller. I can't stay away from Etsy. So much to buy and drool over. The next thing I want to buy is a knitting pattern for some little woodland animals. I don't know what I'll make with this fabric. I was thinking maybe a new sewing machine cover.

I haven't been knitting on the socks much. It's been really hot and even with the AC on sometimes I just can't stand to touch yarn. But my flowers have been blooming like crazy. Look at my pretty petunias:

I love when I'm sitting on the deck and I can see these. So bright and vibrant! Good yarn colors!

Moving along on my socks

I'm just moving right along on my socks. I got both heels done. Yay me! I like the contrast color. And I will definitely have enough of the contrast for the toes.

I also made another pincushion. This one is for my Mom. Her birthday is Friday. I bought some nice bright pins to put in it too. Even if she never uses it, she can enjoy looking at it. Fun to make!

I took some of the cash I got for my birthday and bought myself a new sewing lamp. It's not an Ott light, but that's OK, it serves the purpose. It's so nice and bright. I love it! I haven't been sewing much lately, it's so hot and I just get real lazy when it's like this outside even with the AC turned on.

I still need to rearrange the sewing machine set up and get the old lamp out of there and put the new one on the sewing cabinet. And then sew! It will be really nice to have a bright light in that area. After writing about sewing, now I feel like sewing!

Fabulous Fabrics!

Thank you for the birthday wishes! I bought myself some goodies in celebration. Lately I have been totally in love with Matroyshka dolls, or Russian dolls or some call them Nesting dolls. I found this fabric and just HAD to have it. I'm going to make an apron from a pattern in this wonderful little book I got from the library, The Apron Book. A lot of interesting and wonderful information about aprons in the book. I may have to buy it someday.

I also bought some cotton calico and a new jammie pattern to make more jammie pants. I just can't stop making them. They are so incredibly comfy.

Then, I also got some fabric to make the witch for my door for Halloween time, and some bits and pieces of pretty fabrics to make little dolls called Dotee. My sister and I are in love with them and are going to have a craft night and make some. Stay tuned for that. I also found sequins and jewels and glitter and tulle and paint to decorate them with. I need to get some beads also. Can't wait! It will be a fun evening.

I have been working on my socks. I love to sit out on the deck in the evening and knit. I'm almost up to the heel on the second sock. The first one is waiting on old needles that I don't like. I'm hoping to do the heels one after the other that way I can see how much of the contrast yarn I'll be using before I get to the toes. So I'm just moving along on them. My daughter got me those two balls of Sugar & Cream for my birthday. I love that yarn!

And last, but not least, my daughter has been making beaded necklaces and I just had to show one off. I just love this one!

She's been getting very creative and enjoying her crafting time too. She won't have time for it once she goes back to school.

That's it for now. It started pouring down rain a few minutes ago, just pouring. A good time to stay inside and sew or knit or craft. Have a great weekend!

It's that time again

It's that time of year again where my age changes. Today is my birthday. I'm no longer 50. I'm now in my 50s. Scary. But I'm now one year closer to retirement if that should ever happen. My daughter got me this balloon and she bought a cake for us to eat later. Boston Cream Pie Cake! Can't wait to dig in.

I'm just moving right along on the sock. I got a lot done the other night at knit night with the girls. Such a nice, fun evening! I always enjoy it and no one ever spills hot tea on me. I am now at the part of the sock where I'm going to change colors for the heel, so I decided to start the second sock that way I can do both heels one after the other and watch how much yarn I'm using on the contrast ball.

Joann's had Butterick patterns on sale for 99 cents! So I picked up a couple. I just love the Halloween door hanging. I'm hoping to get started on that one soon.

And I just love buttons! I've picked up some really cute ones lately which were on sale. I don't know what I'll use them on, but I just HAD to have them, even if I just look at them and smile they are worth it. Cats and sheep!

I have nothing special on tap for the big day. I took the day off and so did my daughter. We may go out for dinner, don't know where yet, and we will definitely dig into that cake later! Here is where I wish I was spending my birthday, Houghton Lake, Michigan, my favorite place in the world.

I hate this muggy weather

It's been so humid lately. I get so lethargic when it's like this, don't want to move around, no ambition, haven't been doing much. Except for craft things! I made my very first pincushion. It was a fun little project. It's made with a cotton fat quarter and some felt. It's stuffed with a bamboo stuffing, very dense. I thought it looked plain on the top so I sewed on a button. The button is from my great aunt's button box which I received when she died. All kinds of wonderful old buttons in that button box!

The whole thing is sewed by hand, no sewing machine involved in the pincushion. I want to make more! I've been collecting all kinds of pincushion patterns. Fun little projects.

I did make another pair of jammie pants. Winnie the Pooh print! They are so comfy

I've made some progress with my sock. Even though it's wool, it's a small project so I've been able to stand touching it. A very easy pattern to memorize.

Just a couple more inches and I'll be at the heel. I'll learn how to do the wrap and turn technique. I'm pleased so far with the sock. The yarn is very soft and feels real nice.

And lastly, I picked my first tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes. Nowhere on the stake did it say the plants were cherry tomatoes. I've been waiting all summer for a nice juicy tomato. Oh well, I guess I'll have to go to the farmers market for that. But I will enjoy the little tomatoes I'm growing.

I started some socks

Another hot steamy day in the neighborhood. Got the good ol' AC going. I went outside to water the flowers and it was miserable. Time to stay inside and knit and sew. I started a sock. I'm using some Whimsy-Pinzy sock yarn I got from Sonny and Shear. It's called Tippy Toes. There is a coordinating yarn for the heels and toes. It's going to take me a while to get to that point as I just got past the ribbing and did one pattern repeat. Maybe it will go faster now that I got past that boring 2 x 2 ribbing. The pattern is called Groovy socks and I found it on Ravelry.

I picked up some more cotton fabrics to make jammies, project bags, and I want to try my hand at making a pincushion. I'll use the fat quarters for a pincushion. All fun stuff!

And goodies arrived in my mailbox! Yay! I love buying homemade soaps from etsy shops. It's one of my little indulgences. This came today, goats milk soap. Smells yummy!

And some Japanese fabric I bought from an etsy vendor in China came today. I just love it! Cupcakes! I'd love to have a cupcake about now, but it's too darn hot to heat the oven.

Time to go get some crafting stuff done!

Monkey Jammies

Not much going on here. I did a little bit of sewing and made another pair of jammie pants. Silly little monkeys! They make me smile. They are cotton flannel. I made them in the shorter length and didn't put in the drawstring. I was lazy. I added the elastic though.

And no, I didn't forget how to knit. Just haven't been in the knitting frame of mind lately. I did make another dishcloth. A log cabin! It makes me want to go on vacation.