Summer

It sounds like everyone around the country is hot and we are no exception up here in the northern Atlantic. The heat doesn't bother Eliot one bit. He drinks water like a trooper and flies around on his bike. We were given the bike and found the training wheels and helmet for under 5$ together! Can't beat that.

My Mother's lily's are out and beautiful this year. I hope they last in the hot weather.


I am going on vacation next week up to a cottage on the ocean. I think I will take a computer/technology break that week. I am aiming to make some major headway on my feather quilt and the wool rug and lots of headway on doing nothing. Enjoy your week!

Rocks

The only evidence we have of our trip to the beach last weekend. Another circle rock and a very sandy floor.

I have been putting the rocks for the rug out on the floor to try and find an arrangement I like. The wool blanket has been cut up and I am trying to decide how I want to piece the sand together. I certainly need a bigger craft table - I am aiming for the final size of about 4X5 feet.

Necessity Crafting

Some very quick, makeshift curtains were made this week. The sun coming into the apartment has been pretty intense and I have been pretty lazy about curtains. But, as luck would have it, Kevin and I had a date night and checked out the new Mardens. Mardens is a salvage shop that we frequent for great deals. They just took over an old WalMart store and it was amazingly overwhelming. I was giddy over their fabric department. Everything including organic cotton, Joel Dewbury fabrics and other tons of good stuff for 3$ a yard. I am never going to Jo Ann's again!

The fruit of that trip was some new curtains. I really didn't intentionally want the fabric for that purpose but they will do for now and I can always take them down later and make something else with it. Plus it is nice to have fabric I like on display.

That new/old lamp I found recently in the basement of my work place.

Progress

This was a good day for rug progress. I found this wool blanket at the thrift store in the perfect off white color for the sand in between the beach rocks for the rug. I washed it and am going to start cutting out strips.

Throughout the process of this rug I have been going back to my first drawings of the idea. I always refer to my journals to remind me where I am going. Ideas always change during the process but I like keeping a record while I move along. The journal helps me keep my ideas all in one place. I have never been particularly good at drawing but I can always recall the image in my mind when I look at my rudimentary sketches.

Old to New

I pulled out my trusty wool sweater bag for my newest project. I probably look a little crazy considering it has been in the 80's everyday for the last week but I can't help myself. It holds everything in a nice neat package for an on the go project.

I am working on a little something for someone - a little vague but I don't want the secret out yet. I am working with my pile of vintage fabrics and linen that has come from clothes that I have worn out. Everything has been washed so many times it has a great soft feel to it.

The overall motif is feathers. Along with rocks, feathers are another object I tend to pick up and philosophise about. Changing gears from sewing wool to embroidering linen, has been a nice way to rest my wrists. Plus, embroidery lends it self to fine details in a different way than rolling up wool.



My inspiration for the feathers has come from here. Her talent is amazing.

Camping at the River

We had our first camping trip with Eliot last weekend. It was a lot of fun - if not a little more crowded than we would have liked. I think we are going to try for a more rural state park next time. The river view and beach here was amazing with slow running water and rainbow trout swiming all over the place. We all had a great time exploring and wading around.

Marshmallows of course!

There was a really retro slide there too. I haven't seen a metal slide since I was in grade school. There were all kinds of old giant metal playground items. I can't believe more of us didn't come away with head traumas from these things.


I couldn't resist bringing the ttv camera.