Fun Way To Buy A Car

For the last few weeks we have been trying desparately to take advantage of the CARS credit from President Obama, but I was having major problems finding what I wanted. First I wanted an Altima Hybrid, but they aren't sold in Georgia or anywhere near. So, I decided on a Camry hybrid. By the time I started looking at them, they were completely sold out in Georgia. An Atlanta area dealer found one in North Carolina, but she was so rude about it that we decided we would buy any car except a car from her. So, I turned my sights towards a regular Camry, but no one in the area even had one with the features I wanted. Friday afternoon I was about to settle and buy one with most of the features I wanted, when a dealer that had also found a car for my aunt gave me a call and said they had one camry hybrid in stock and it was even the color I wanted. The only problem was that they were in Charleston, South Carolina. It was a fantastic price, but we just didn't think the clunker we were trading in would make it the six hour drive. Well get this, he said he would send someone to pick it up for us. Deal. Now that is customer service! We were off Saturday morning on a jaunt to Charleston, and I have to say it was tons of fun! We bought the car, had a decadent dinner with a celebratory bottle of champagne at a french bistro near out hotel, then got up this morning and ate brunch there again (yes, it was that tasty). We decided on a walk down to the market and endulged in one of out favorite ways to explore a city... with pictures. Lots of pictures of random stuff, like ourselves...

brick walls that would make great quilt patterns...

and lots of fleurs de lis. These are the symbol of St. Louis (Jay's hometown) so we always delight in finding them as ornamentation in other cities. Yes, I know the fleur de lis is a symbol widely used all over the place (it is pretty amazing how the French managed to work it in everywhere) for all different reasons, but it always reminds Jay of home and me of one of our favorite places.

Now my 90 mile work commute will be a little less painful (I averaged 35 mpg on the drive home) and we are quite convinced that we need to return to Charleston soon to play some more. It really was the most fun a person could have buying a car!

I Think We Finally Agree!

I have been trying to come up with a quilt block that Jay and I both really like to use to make our wedding napkins into a quilt. Ok, that is a complete lie. I have been trying for quite some time to convince Jay that he likes a block that I like, but he just doesn't. After some sulking and pouting I started to keep an eye out for something we both like and I think I found it! Well, he says he really likes it, but he may just be afraid of setting me off on another two months of loud sighs and sewing avoidance. Yes, I admit it, I can be a big baby when I don't get my way. When I stumbled across a new-to-me blog this weekend, The Sometimes Crafter, and her paper piecing tutorial for this block (she has a sampler going on, looks like tons of fun), I had a feeling it would look really great out of our fabrics, and I have to say I was right! It's a little more labor intensive of a block than I originally wanted to do, but it is still a circle which I really wanted, and even better it's a pointy circle. Like marriage sometimes. It's a very traditional block, but it took seeing it made up in some modern fabrics to really make me consider it. Those are quickly becoming my favorite patterns, traditional with a nice modern update. Paper piecing can be a bit fiddly, I think the problem is that it really makes you think since you are basically sewing backwards, but it will be a good challenge and I can't wait to see it come together.

And They're Off!

I just can't believe it, but today the shrimp returned to school. Second grade for the oldest and kindergarten for the youngest. The youngest woke me up at three a.m., standing next to the bed tapping my shoulder. "hey mom, how much longer until morning?". She was slightly excited. I was the only one misty-eyed dropping her at class, she saw someone she knew in her class from pre-k and was off. Jay was there to hold my hand and remind me that they are supposed to grow up, but I just couldn't stop thinking about how little her hand was in mine as she went to take on the world and how by the end of the year she will be a different kid. Kindergarten is rough on the mommies!

Butterfly Skirts

Back when I bought the fabric for my Butterfly Quilt, I was so in love with the whole line that I bought A LOT of it, in lots of colorways, with no real purpose for it. After finishing the quilt I decided some quick skirts for the girls would help use up some of the fabric and the simpler the skirt the better to show off those big prints.

Skirts made with rows of elastic thread for the waistband have been popping up all over blogland, so I gave it a try too. If you want a quick and easy kid skirt, this is the way to go. I just cut the fabric the length I wanted, hemmed the top and bottom, sewed six rows of the elastic thread at the top and then put a seam down the side and tada a skirt! I was a little afraid of the whole hand winding the bobbin with the elastic process, but it really did work just fine. Upon presenting the skirts the youngest immediately reminded me that I promised a matching shirt with a butterfly applique, so I know what I will be doing this weekend!

Yarn Dyeing Class!

(My first dyed yarn... and it matches my begonias quite nicely)

I looked forward to today's sock guild all last week, we learned how to dye yarn! The Whole Nine Yarns mixed up huge amounts of dye and pre-soaked the skeins in vinegar water, then let us all go crazy with the colors. They were also very patient with showing us how to wrap the yarn in plastic for its rest in the steamer and the technique to rinsing it. I looked around online before class to get an idea of what I wanted to try (and fought the urge to buy truckloads of beautiful hand dyed yarns), and am very pleased that what I ended up with is just like something I drooled over online.

(My yarn in progress on the right, Aunt Jan's on the left. The colors definitely mellow during the steaming and rinsing)

(Mom planning her attack)

It's such a fun thing to do as a class because everyone comes up with something different. In these pics you can see mine along with my mom's and aunt's on the drying rack, and then a group picture below. As you can see, everyone had a different vision for their yarn that started off white.

Mountains and Pillowcases

After returning from a lovely trip to St. Louis it has been a whirlwind of work and camp and getting ready for school to start... and a last minute jaunt up to a friend's mountain house last weekend. My return to full-time work last February has made it hard to stay as connected to two of my favorite ladies as I would like, and all of us being available to run away for a quick weekend of girl bonding was just too good to pass up.

My crazy friend Melissa was so excited at the prospect that she went completely over the top whipping up goody bags for us. They were so cute, little trinket necessities like a big drink cup and leis among other dollar store treats, and she somehow managed to print up some cute t-shirts and make pillowcases! If you watch The Office you will recognize the t-shirt quote, and all weekend you could hear melissa expounding "it isn't an event without SWAG!". I have to say I agree!

My pillowcase was made with squirrel fabric (because she is evil, but also knows I love that line) and some lovely Heather Bailey fabric. Christy's pillowcase was cupcakes with cute pink University of Georgia fabric on the edge.

We pretty much ate a huge breakfast, sat on the porch, read trashy magazines, ate snacks, sat on the porch, and gabbed. There may have been a few very large cups of sangria... mmmm.

Back to the pillowcases for a moment. I mentioned in my pillowcase tutorial what a great gift pillowcases are, but I just have to emphasize it again! All week I have gone to bed and smiled at my pillowcase from last weekend, and it will always remind me of good times with friends. Before putting the one Melissa made on my pillow, I had on one from the set that my friend Audrey made for a wedding gifty in our wedding colors. I can pull those out every anniversary as just another little reminder of that wonderful day. We also have ones that we put on pillows for birthdays and almost all major holidays. If you haven't made some I highly recommend it!

Audrey's wedding pillowcases

Knitting Over Saint Louis

I couldn't resist a picture of the Clapotis finally getting some attention on the airplane. My new crackberry uploads pictures right to flickr, fun! Will be back next week after some STL Arch, Cardinals, Imo's pizza and family.

Butterflies Finally Finished!

I wasn't sure I was going to make my weekend goal of finishing the butterfly quilt after carousing at Melissa's 40th birthday party last night, but this afternoon I rallied! I shook off the margarita haze, blasted some tunes (thanks to Jay's suggestion) and tackled the binding. At quilt camp my mom convinced me that I should try machine sewing my binding, and that really helped me complete the binding quickly also. To machine sew the binding you do the first side as usual, and then use a serpentine stitch to do the other side instead of sewing it by hand. I appreciate the speediness of it, and I think it did well on this quilt that I have always planned on being a picnic quilt, but I don't think I would use it on anything I had spent a lot of time on. Would be good for quick baby quilts too.

Specs:

Jane Sassaman's Butterfly Garden Fabrics

71" X 73"

Machine Appliqued Butterflies

Machine Pieced and Freemotion Quilted

July = Non Stop Action

I wanted to get my binding strips cut out and sewn on to take up to the lake for the fourth to finish up my butterfly quilt, but sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the week. Also, Jack says there is not enough room in the car! Every weekend coming up seems to be completely booked, but hopefully I can eek out some time to finish the quilt, it is sooo close to being done.

Our fourth was full of family and fireworks, both natural and man-made. Hope yours was great too!

Quilt Camp 2009 - The Second

Lessons learned at Quilt Camp this weekend: Take jeans to quilt camp because northern visitors can't handle the southern heat and will want to keep the ac at refrigerator temperatures, Some might go at the pace of a hare and some might go at the pace of a worm; but everyone gets a lot done, Mom really does cook sometimes, Stitch Regulators are really cool and addictive (and not cheating), Machingers are an absolute must-have for machine quilting (how did I ever sew without these?), Summer sewing and cocktails is endlessly entertaining (but really we already knew that).

Had a great time ladies! Hope to do it again soon.

The Chicken Knows

I think Angry Chicken should hire herself out as a personal shopper. I can think of at least three things that she has shown on her blog that I have purchased, and all of them I've been immensely happy with. She just really has a knack for finding cool stuff! The lastest purchase of mine was the totally cute cherry pitter that she featured last week in this post. Just the day before I had been ripping cherries apart to get the pits out for my oldest daughter aka the cherry addict. When The Chicken showed this adorable little pitter that my daughter could do herself, I hopped right over to Amazon and snatched one up. It doesn't disappoint, this thing is adorable AND effective, just look at all those cherry pits!


And now my white sink doesn't look like cherry carnage has recently taken place, bonus. Look, even the box is cute!

WWKIPD

I think I have a new favorite holiday, World Wide Knit In Public Day. Ok, so it isn't an official holiday, but it should be! My favorite metro Atlanta yarn store, The Whole Nine Yarns, hosted a knit in the park day this weekend (the park is located conveniently across the parking lot from the store) and had sale items that changed every hour. If you have any doubt that this is a great yarn store, know that we trek a solid 45 minutes from our homes on the other side of Atlanta to go to this one, when there are at least two other decent stores located much closer.

I spent the morning with my two favorite crazy knitters (my mom and my aunt) and a bunch of other delightful knitters (not pictured because I feel weird posting pics of people I don't know). I managed to make it through the sales with only one book purchased, and to top it all off someone brought their bunnies, angora bunnies!!!

I would seriously consider owning a few of these if bunnies weren't so stinky. Especially after the awesome spinning lesson we got from someone that set up their wheel and showed all us non-spinners the ins and outs of making your own yarn. I think she gave some very good advice: if you already have a love of fiber, don't start spinning unless you are ready to become completely addicted. I don't think my bank account can stand another addiciton at this time, so I am staying away. At least until my mom purchases her first spinning wheel.

I am still only at the beginning stages of my clapotis, I don't know what it is, but I can't seem to really get going on this thing. I think I've mentioned it before, but my mom and I started knitting this at the same time and hers was done weeks ago. sigh. Does seem a bit odd to be knitting a scarf-like object when it is 95 degrees, but I'm not about to knit something seasonally appropriate like a bathing suit!

Must be summer...

because we chopped a LOT of hair around here this week!

Unexpected Gift

I love getting to share how creative and talented my family members are. We had a family birthday party this weekend and among the birthday presents was a wedding present for me and Jay. My aunt used to do a lot of stained glass when I was a child, but she put it aside for many years. I'm so excited that she has taken it back up, especially since I have recently aquired two of her pieces: a Christmas star ornament that is so pretty that it remains hanging in our window year around and now this gorgeous piece of art...


It is going in a window next to our bed where we can see it every morning. I have always loved the changing light that comes through this window and really look forward watching it play with the glass.

I spent a good chunk of Sunday over at Melissa's sewing, I am revisiting a quilt that I have worked on a little bit each summer for the past 5 years. This is the year that it is going to be finished, and soon! I'm hoping to have the top complete and sandwiched before I go off to quilt camp weekend after next so that I can quilt my heart out while hanging out with other funny and inspiring quilters (bring your whip Audrey, I want to get this one done!).

Too Sunburned to Sew

Not a lot of crafty action going on around here... we took advantage of a childless weekend to jaunt up to the family lakehouse and lounge around on the dock (a little too long). I took some knitting but didn't even touch it. Just lake and sun and naps and candlelight dinners. This is why I love this man... he didn't one time say I was completely hairbrained when I told him I wanted to haul a quilt and candles down to the dock to eat dinner just like we were in a page out of the recent Anthropologie catalogue. Even though that meant he had to carry dinner down about 50 steps and a REALLY steep hill...

and over a gang plank (um, after wading knee deep in water because the other end of the walkway is presently submerged)...

It was worth it.

But then we had to carry it all back up. There are numerous stairs beyond the ones you can see here. Was still worth it.

(he also never called me a crackpot for wanting to put battery powered candles all down the stairs)

We wandered home Sunday and then went to see Bon Iver. He was beyond awesome. I wish this video did him the least bit of justice, but sadly my little camera has a super crappy microphone that can't handle any of the base or overwhelming noise of about 1500 people singing at the top of their lungs. But it makes me smile to remember, so here it is anyway.