More Catching Up

Many moons ago I took a sewing class to make Amy Butler's Weekender Tote. I think it was early spring. My friend Heather was teaching it, I believe I talked her into it.

I showed the fabric awhile back. Here is the finished product.


Unfortunately I am not really able to claim this as my own FO. It was a tricky project for a beginner and my machine wasn't up to the challenge either. Many tears were shed. My mom took it home and asked her seamstress friend to finish it for me. I feared this might be the end of my sewing but I got back on the horse to make Clarabel's ballet bag. I am also gearing up to start a quilt soon and maybe even a Halloween costume.

Thanks for sharing all your opinions about gossip. There is a lot of wisdom there. I agree that there is a difference in talking about others and speaking disparagingly about them. I have been practicing Sophanne's keep your mouth shut mantra and it is working.

Look, I Made Something

Lake of the Woods is done. I stayed up extra late last night finishing it up. It wasn't really a hardship, Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest was on and I was still asleep by 10:30.

This is the unofficial FO picture. It needs buttons and ends sewn in and to be blocked. I am a bit stumped about how to block. I haven't really ever done it. Suggestions would be appreciated.
And that's my fancy new fall time shirt. I just got it and wore it especially for the photo. Isn't it pretty?

So the other day I was heading out early to the grocery store. That particular day I was washed and cleaned and my hair was combed. Before I reversed my car down the driveway I was required to move several items as not to run them over. Wagons, chalk, little ride on toys, I'm sure you all have your own assortment of driveway clutter.
As I was doing this I walked into a spider web. My whole self into the web, not just my shoulder or elbow. All of me, my face all the way to my knees.
I will admit there was some hooting and hollering and carrying on. I went back into the house to reassess. When I looked in the mirror my fair was plastered up in spiderweb (a bit like Something about Mary style) complete with dead bugs. . Lovely! I was able to comb out most of the web and just hoped the dead bugs went too.
When I got home it occurred to me that perhaps I should search out the offending spider. Anything that can build a web big enough to catch me must be an insect worth seeing. From far of course.

For your viewing pleasure, here she/he is.


That's my clothespin bag. The web was about 5 feet in diameter.

A Query About Human Nature.

I've been thinking a lot about gossip.

I'm reading the Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It's about Arthur and the knights and the Merlin though written from the perspective of the women. Great story and it is a trilogy, though I have only read Mists.

So that's a long time ago, medieval or something. The women are terrible gossips. Even the Queens who are always reprimanding their women for gossiping, gossip. It is almost on every page one of the major characters is saying (or thinking) about how the other women are fools and have nothing to talk about but other's and about how they never engage in the folly of women-talk. Then 2 pages later the same high and mighty character is dishing out with the best of them. Obviously the author wasn't in Queen Gwenhyfar's court and much is poetic license. But I've read many historic books and it is a common theme, especially in royal courts.
I have to believe it is somewhat true as it seems to parallel what I see in people all the time.

What is it about gossip?

I hate it, I hate hearing it, I hate doing it. What do people gain from this? I've never met anyone who was truly above it. I have tried many times to stop but it's like a bad drug. I hate that my children hear me talking about others and are likely to inherit the habit but even that isn't enough to make me stop.

Do others struggle with this? What is this madness all about? Can we start a blogwide pledge to stop?

To Catch You Up

Ahhh, you guys! One of the hardest parts about blogging for me is the pictures. I find it difficult to get the shots taken and loaded onto the computer, then discouraged b/c they are mostly lousy. I believe that is the biggest reason that I stopped blogging for so long.

The other reason was my youngest darling, Laila. I am no stranger to active kids. Both Ken and I were movers and shakers, we were well aware of the risk going into the procreation game. Clarabel was a really active toddler, like to climb and jump and get into whatever she could.

Now, Miss Laila, she is in a league of her own. Laila is not content with climbing onto the tables. From the kitchen table she climbs to the kitchen counter then onto the butcher block and rocks it back and forth. Like cutting block surfing. Fun games. She's 17 months. Fortunately she is able to get up and down the stairs by herself and that is a relief as the stairs are really central to our house and can't be gated. Though she is now starting to climb up the banister instead of the stairs. I am sure that part of it is having a 4 year old sister to chase but I firmly believe that she has some thrill seeking needs. And of course everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, goes in her mouth. Kinda has kept my hands full. Not to mention that she is not terribly fond of sleeping.

That said, she is really a delight. She is very animated and loves to dance, especially pirouettes. Her favorites words are owl and bummie. When I am not worn down to nothing with extracting her from very unsafe situations I am usually laughing. She is very funny.

Other than parenting, here's what I have been up to.
Much reading. (anyone read the Twilight series??)
Some beach going and pool swimming in the summerer months.
A great deal of procrastination of housekeeping.


Lots and lots of canning. Jam, salsa verde, relish, chutney, pickles veggies, ketchup and peaches. I'm done now, I don't think I want to process any more food. Until next year...

Today we made a pie. Apple and blackberry, it's a Jamie Oliver recipe, though I used my own pastry recipe. It is the most beautiful pie I have ever made, so for your viewing enjoyment

pie!

There she goes...

This past Saturday was the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitters Fair. It was the best fair yet!! They spread it out into 2 rooms, so there was lots of space to peruse and touch and smell yarn.
Also it was the first year in many that I have gone sans children and was not pregnant, likely that added to my enjoyment of the whole day.

I was very reserved, only bought a little yarn. Sea Wool from Fleece Artist.

I bought a pattern to go with it. Ilga Leja's Brickworks. She is the same designer of the Lake of the Woods that I am working on now. Ilga herself helped me, she is lovely and came all the way from Halifax! If you've never seen her patterns before do take a look.


Big day at A Few Things to Say

All by her own.

Back by Popular Demand

Hello? Hello, anyone there?? Do 3 people count as popular demand?

I've made some things and thought I would share.

Clarabel is signed up for ballet. It is a huge commitment for a 4 year old. The class runs from September to June and blue eyeshadow is required for the recital. I have a moral objection to blue eyeshadow, especially on a little girl and I can't wait for recital time to see if I am the only mother refusing to make up her daugther like a pageant hopeful.

None the less she is signed up and raring to go. I stitched up a little bag for her to carry her shoes and such to class.

It is even reversible.

Obviously, I had no control over the fabric. It's not what I would have chosen but I am not 4 nor even a little bit inclined to be a ballerina, so whada I know?
Notice the little white label on the handle. As Clarabel is starting school this year, we've been labeling everything. If you are in the market for labels of any kind, check out Mabel's Labels.

I have also been knitting.

I knit up Amanda's Squatty Sidekick for Clarabel from the yarn we kool-aid dyed last summer. I have enough left to make her a a pair of mitts. And enough yarn of a different color to make Laila a matching bag and mitts.

I was stuck this summer with a fair bit of free time with nothing to knit and a hankering for some fancy yarn, so I headed to the LYS to spend my allowance.
Some Handmaiden caught my eye and I've been knitting up Lake of the Woods.

It is a capelet. Not sure if I need a capelet but it is a quick and fun knit.
I am almost done and the best part is that there is no seams to sew up!!

Gettin it done!

My very handy husband finished up our wall of storage.

It was a big job that required much math and Ken got to activate his new compressor and nail gun. He was a bit like a kid in a candy store. So caught up was he with his new toys that he forgot to remember that Laila was asleep and to do the quiet jobs.
Needs a little paint and such.

Inspired by Amanda at crazy mom quilts, we are having a finish it up week at our house. I started with small projects.

A while ago Clarabel and I bought some purple Princess fabric. She spotted it at the quilting store and talked about it forever, until I agreed we could have some. I sewed up a little summer nightgown. (which I haven't shown you b/c I can't figure out the ruffle, though if I showed it maybe someone could help me....) There was lots of fabric leftover so I thought some Princess napkins would be a good idea. Such a crafty mom am I that I was able to get Sleeping Beauty and Snow White on one side and Belle and Cinderella on the other. Jasmine and Ariel must have their own fabric. We made 5 and one will be a gift, 2 have already succumbed to jam and toast.

More to come...