More Distractions!

First off, I have found that my passion for creating has been taking presidence over exercise which is a very dangerous thing given how much I love to eat. So, with school starting, I was trying to figure out a solution to this dilemma and so I tried Anthony's 5:30 Workout Express. Here is Anthony whose idea of a great meal is a plate of boiled egg whites, spinach and a little hot sauce!

In addition to bathroom construction, Fred applied to have a solar tracker installed in our yard! We rent it from All Earth Renewables and it generates electricity for our home and any excess goes onto the grid to reduce our electric costs. Do you know what that means for sewing-I can use the dryer without Fred pointing out on the bill how much my consumption has increased due to pre-washing and drying fabric!

But, Aretha did come over today for Fiber Monday and made a pillow case to match her favorite dress-the Amy Butler Lotus.

Finally!

Here is the other reason I have not been able to spend time creating with fiber...Fred, AKA Work Crew Supervisor has had me hard at work painting the bathroom we are renovating. How it the color looking? Think I could go professional?
But, Sharon came over today for help on her project and I was able to take up the needles and work on a hooded scarf for Phiona at Nido...The Peak's Island Hood by Ysolda

I started one more thing, which is a quilt made up of some left-overs from my daughter's night gown. I just love this Heather Ross line, Far Far Away and she is from our own Vermont's Northeast Kingdom! Don't you just love this Princess and the Pea?

News Flash!! Fred (the work crew supervisor and my husband) is going to embark upon making his own quilt for the Vermont Youth Orchestra on line auction. Here are just a few of his fabrics so far...

Yes, Summer Might be Over!

Ok, I am sorry to say that I have not had time to do anything creative because I have turned into a pumpkin-yes that is right...inservice time! Here we are learning how to use google docs as a learning and teaching tool. Yesterday was my first day back and I could not figure out why everyone was telling me their problems via email, telephone and in person and then I remembered! I am the School Psychologist! Then today I received an email which began...Professor Cole...oh yeah, I am going to teach at St. Michaels.

But here is the question of the hour...when will I find time to create?

Is Summer Over?

Today someone wished me a good winter. Is summer over? Last night I watched the movie, Coco Chanel and I was so inspired. She was the ultimate fussycutter. She whipped up an outfit minutes before a cocktail party! The dress is an attempt to copy a dress I saw in the Anthropology Catalogue http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=&id=18768556&catId=CLOTHES-DRESSES-SHIRT&pushId=CLOTHES-DRESSES-SHIRT&popId=CLOTHES-DRESSES&sortProperties=&navCount=55&navAction=middle&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=069&colorName=RED MOTIF&isSubcategory=&isProduct=true&isBigImage=&templateType=B1

(and be like Coco). My daughter and I love to look at those hip and cool clothes! I used my Built by Wendy Dirndl pattern and my favorite McCall's shirt pattern called the Perfect Shirt. I am worried it looks a little too Sunday schoolish.

And the apron is for my friend, Sharon who teaches kindergarten. We started with her wanting a yellow shirt, but when we went shopping on the internet, the Hungry Catepillar caught her eye and forget about the yellow shirt! At first she wanted a shirt with the Hungry Catepillar all over it, but I protested and asked her if she really wanted to wear her curriculum. She covers Eric Carle first thing in the school year and she is going to be so hip and cool in this apron. I had a little trouble trying to figure out how to give her pockets without covering the sun's smiling face, but kindergarten teachers need pockets!

Lastly, is a Cicely Mary Barker print throw for my dear little friend, Eva who just had to go to Boston Children's Hospital for some surgery. I found some paperdoll and sticker books to go with and I hope they will help her feel better!

Population Explosion

Have you noticed that there are alot of new babies coming into the world? Or is it just in my world? I was trying to come up with an easy, yet useful and pretty gift and give myself something I could use to practice my machine quilting and mitering skills. So I came up with these simple blankets-each 44X44. My machine quilting still leaves something to be desired, but those new babies won't know the difference!

Ginger gets a shirt

Ginger, my dear friend had to go back to school today...inservice days. She was suppose to dress up Western style for a cowboy theme. But, she wore the shirt I made up for her. I think it looks a little Lucille Ball. I guess she could get away with the Western look with those jeans she is wearing!

Freddy Gets a Fish Shirt

Freddy and his son Charlie love fish. I was horrified when he first moved in with all of his fish stuff...big plastic replicas of fish, framed pictures of fish and even kitchenware with fish motifs. Well, I have gotten used to the fish thing and so I made Fred a fish shirt to give him that nautical flair while he is working away in the hills of Vermont.

Yes, I am still knitting!

Many of my friends are somewhat puzzled about the sewing thing because I have been such an avid knitter over the past 20 years or so. I have just picked up my sewing again now that there are such great sources of fabric. But just to assure my pals, I am posting the socks I finished this summer from my Blue Moon Fiber Socks that Rock Club. They are called Ada Lovelace and well, they are not my favorites but they were interesting to make and it is good to stretch yourself now and then. But the ones I really love are from Cookie A's book: Sock Innovation

Pillow Talk

My daughter is going abroad for the year and leaving behind her two dear friends: Sammi and Emily. While Aretha has been studying French, Sammi is studying Japanese and Emily has been studying Russian. I made them both a pillow case just because I saw the fabric and it called to me and I thought they could use a little something for their Junior year return. I used these really easy instructions: http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=JC&Screen=PILLOW

Ginger and Jelly Rolls

I am staying at my dear friend Ginger's house this summer and I just talked with her on the phone from California and told her how much I miss our summers of endless knitting and talking on the beach. I told her about the new obsession of making quilts and how I lay them out on her bed to see how they will look. She has a perfect summer bedroom here in Maine with a window looking out to the ocean. Sigh. I already can't wait to see her next summer. If she were here, she might shake me out of my obsessions as she has in the past over exercise or knitting.

But she isn't and I have teamed up with Deb from PDQ Photo in downtown Rockland where she quilts in her tiny hidey hole when she is not printing pictures. She is my quilt tutor. When I couldn't miter, she showed me everything you would ever want to know about mitering. When my stitches bunched up, she made me go home and bring her the thread I used. She insists that I am not threading my bobbin the right way! After the Lobster Festival this weekend, she is going to show me how to sign my quilt appropriately with a template. More on that later!

In any case, here is my daughter, Aretha's Jelly Roll quilt made from Amy Butler's Love line. Aretha insisted on the pink. I am thinking green might have been better, but hey, the consumer is always right! And the Jelly Roll sure looks good on Ginger's bed!