December...a December to remember?

...Because I didn't decorate for Christmas yet?

I picked this up at the little shop I work in a few times a month (far removed from my regular gig at the library)--way back in early October.  I really liked the industrial look of it.  I let a friend borrow it to display earrings on at a few art shows, and when I get it back, this might be "it" for decorating.  One of my other trees sits naked in the entryway on a table.  Seems like there's no real time to get to decorating it.  Maybe, maybe, maybe tomorrow.

Knitting for Peace.  World peace, local peace,my peace.  Read about it on The Healthy Knitter blog, and find the pattern for a cowl on Ravelry.

I have the perfect yarn for this project, but of course, it's in the wrong colorway for my winter coat.  I was so enchanted by the yarn color and feel that I didn't give a thought to how it would coordinate with my winter coat.  I do that so often that I shouldn't even be surprised by it!  If you don't like working "in the round", Vicki at Knitorious has instructions for using straight needles.  Find it on Ravelry here.

I have "blog-stalked" Knitorious for the past year...she does so many amazing things and I love to follow her progress on Alabama Chanin stitching.  At one time I searched lots of blogs regarding other sewist's versions of that type of slow fashion.  One of my goals for this coming year is to make a wearable garment.  So far, I've just done accessories.  It's time to broaden my horizons and my wardrobe.

Miss Vivian Rose was a blast to watch last night.  I can't wait to work on projects with her!

On the horizon...

There are several things coming up that I'm excited about...

Robin Dudley-Howes class on Jeanne Oliver's site starts in mid-September.  I love the way this looks, and we've actually made beaded crochet necklaces and bracelets in classes at my library.  This technique is different though, and I can't wait!!  Registration is available here.

Just a few Saturdays away, the Chandelier Barn Market begins...it's located out in the middle of nowhere, but the vendors are spectacular!  We had so much fun there last year.  Hope the weather is just as beautiful on September 10!

I'm currently working away on my Alabama Chanin poncho...I've set the deadline to finish on or before Labor Day, so that I will actually have my Summer 2016 Project finished on time.  I love this piece, and hope that I don't mess it up when I start cutting away fabric.

What have you been up to?

Summertime!

...and the living is easy!  No, really.

So many changes are in store this summer.  Going to be a grandma soon, and I'm sure that will be a significant change.  Company coming, by way of Ohio and Arizona...great-grandparents and grand-uncle of baby Vivian Rose will be here shortly after her arrival.  In the meantime, I've been working on a little Alabama Chanin DIY for myself.

I finally decided to order this poncho when the 20% sale was announced.  Since it was an AC DIY project, it came with two of the same color layers--any colors, but two of the same.  I saw (and to be honest, "coveted") a beautiful example of this poncho on Patti Calande's blog, Gather & Make.
I wanted that same color way, so I was able to locate a beautiful cream-colored 100% cotton jersey at the local purveyor of gorgeous fabric, Let's Sew.  I could have ordered the natural cotton from Alabama Chanin, but they only sell full yard increments, and I needed just 1.5 yards...actually just a piece 22" x 54".  At $26.00/yard AC price, I really didn't want to be that spendy.  The Sea Island Pima cotton jersey from Let's Sew is just luxurious!  So soft, so drapy, and yes...expensive...but just a little less expensive than the AC cotton, plus I could buy the length I needed.

Yay! My package from Alabama Chanin arrived!

First stitches, after basting the two layers together.

Inspiration...from the Gather & Make blog

This is going to be the perfect neutral garment piece of clothing for keeping air-conditioning drafts away from me!

June...

Yesterday was the perfect June day...clear and sunny, no humidity, and warm.  I finally managed to drag the big bags of Miracle Grow potting soil from my trunk to my back yard.  Whew!  I planted a few more pots for the front steps, and the remainder of the soil went into my old faithful two-part washtub.  I came across a gigantic sale of spring/summer bulbs at Walmart last week...25 cents per bag.  I bought perennial cinnamon ferns, Tennessee orchid ferns, dinner plate dahlias, calla lilies, and one of my very favorites, lily of the valley.  The lily of the valley won't do much this year, but maybe by next spring, I'll have the little white bells scenting the back yard.

Cinnamon ferns and orchid ferns should soon be spilling out of this!

My front porch looks basically the same every year...geraniums, herbs, a few annuals in pots.  Pretty easy upkeep, if I can manage to keep them watered!

I'm still plugging along on my Alabama Chanin stitching.  Pretty slow going, but I know that I'll love it.  Our Mixed Media Club at the library has been working on a few AC-inspired projects too...book covers, flowers, and at the end of this month, fingerless gloves.  We've all decided that it's nice to sit and stitch in a group setting...easy conversation, and the time passes so quickly.

Our summer reading program has begun at the library...we're calling it the Summer Learning Program this year.  I've taken on the project of Free Art Friday.  Each week, I drop off 3 little pieces of art somewhere in the city, then I take a photo of it and post it on our library's social media accounts.  We've put little cards in with the artwork so that the lucky recipient can tag us back and let us know that it has found a new home.  Here's what we dropped off last Friday:

...and nearly a year later...

I cannot believe that it has been sooooo long since I last posted.  I was putting things together for a little project at work today...something that we all did as a group a few years ago...stamped art quilt pendants, and looked at a book cover on top of my work table and realized it was the last book I posted about on this blog--last April!  Well, I still haven't finished the sweater project I started last year, but at least I have the stencil fully cut out and ready to print.

I'm still planning programs at the library, mostly arts and crafts based.  The photo below was a from a mixed media cuff bracelet class from a few months ago.  Everyone had a great time, and I hash-tagged it Stampington Made since the inspiration came from an article in Somerset Studio.  Here's what happened:

Pretty flippin' exciting!  Artist of the Week!

My phone is full of photos...mostly work-related, programs, ideas, etc.  I almost always share classes we have at the branch on Facebook.  I've kind of left the blogosphere behind and that makes me kind of sad.  Time to begin again!

Here's what I'm working on now...

A onesie, Alabama Chanin-style, for baby Vivian Rose, due July 11.  Guess who's going to be a grandmama?

Sewing Saturday

“He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”– Francis of Assisi

I saw this quote the other day on one of my "must read" blogs..Alabama Chanin Journal.  It became part of my thought processes so much in the past few days, I had to share it.  The newest book by Natalie Chanin arrived from Amazon on Tuesday.  Beautiful clothing with such a hand-made twist.  I've written about this style before and I still am captivated by it.  My cleaning and organizing distractions have taken me away from working on my cardigan, but I hope to get back to it soon.  After all, the Country Living Fair is coming up in less than two weeks and I really wanted to wear it then!

Wish I could flounce around in this type of clothing every day!

End of the month-February Review

For a short month, this one seems to be never ending...up until mid-month, we've had fairly decent winter weather...no snows since mid-November, some pleasant days (February 7 comes to mind...61 degrees, sunny...a glass of wine on the porch kind of day).  Then the dreaded cold, snowy, icy weather hit Southwest Indiana.  I'm certain no one feels my pain...those folks on the East coast have had more than enough misery to last a lifetime.  Most of the country has...and we're all ready for a beautiful Spring, right?

I'm really looking forward to the Country Living Fair in the Nashville area.  For years a friend and I have talked about going to the one in Columbus, Ohio.  We're both transplanted "Buckeyes" and would love to wander around the many (fabulous) places in Ohio.  Seems like the September dates of the Ohio CL Fair are never do-able for us.  As soon as I saw the Nashville (Lebanon) location advertised, I ordered tickets.  

 I've been in an "order it online" mood recently...so much easier than traipsing around in snow and ice.  I've received my seed order from Heirloom Seeds:

Flower Seeds from Heirloom Seeds

 I've become almost obsessed with, of all things, stringing and knotting pearls.  It's become a sort of meditation.  I've assembled many parts of of to-be-completed jewelry.  One day soon I need to put it all together!  This is my practice necklace of champagne glass pearls.

First completed strand of hand-knotted pearls

 I'm in the process now of making a mala bead strand.  The lotus charm will be incorporated.  The charm and the blue beads in the following photo are from Lima Beads in Ann Arbor, MI.  It's my new favorite place to shop!

Lotus Charm

Pacific Blue Apatite

 I'm still working on my Alabama Chanin-inspired sweater.  Never-ending stitching and beading.

The month has been fueled by caffeine, as are most months.  I finally purchased a Chemex coffee carafe and now I'm part of the "slow-brew" crowd.  If I'm in a hurry, I fall back on the Keurig...so fast, so easy.  I've always been a fan of the 60's vibe Chemex with its glass and wood beauty, and now it's part of my coffee station.

Hope you've all had a productive month!

No life-changing magic here {{yet}}

As much as I would love, love, love to have a nice tidy everything-in-its'-place abode, I'm still doing what I always do...flitting around from one thing to the next and not doing what is probably more important for my well-being.  Truly...I'm like a crow with shiny objects tempting me!

I've been working fairly regularly on a stitching project...a "my way" take on the Alabama Chanin DIY Magdalena Fitted Cardigan.  Instead of spending $298.00 on the ready to stitch cardigan, I'm doing it the hard-but-way-less-expensive way.  This is usually when I get into trouble...generally speaking, it would be more efficient to buy the ready to sew kit.  By the time I collect what I need, cut the stencils, stencil the fabric, I'm kind of "over" the whole project.  Not this time though!

Photo from Alabama Chanin Studio Style DIY

 I love the clothing on the Alabama Chanin website...I love everything about AC-style.  Hope I can pull this off!

Some of my stitching stuff...fabric paint, button & craft thread, embroidery floss.  Ready for the shirt as soon as I get that big stencil finished!

So, instead of organizing for the new year, I'm still jumping from project to project.  I don't even know why I think things will change!