Nothing in Particular

I can hardly believe it has been a whole week since I wrote anything!  In my defense, I have lately become a tad more busier with a variety of things in my life.

Weekends I usually insist on an adventure.  Most adventures are merely a drive to somewhere to take a walk or maybe even to a specialty store to do a bit of shopping.  This past Sunday, we did both.

I saw a magazine online that I had not noticed before and when I did a search, it said that it was available at a store in Langley, BC.  Langley is about 35 kms west of where I live so about a half hour drive.  Unfortunately, the internet is not always a complete reference.  The store in Langley, had not even heard of this magazine, which I did find strange because the magazine is geared to the paper arts and the store in Langley was heavily stocked with items for the scrapbooking, paper arts, cardmaking hobbies.

I am not really "into" those things, but many of those ideas and items can lend themselves to quiltmaking.

So, I was very surprised that the store sales people did not know the magazine and in fact did not even know the publisher (Stampington)!

The drive to Langley, though, was not a total waste as we decided to take Pearl for a walk at a small park on the way back, Aldergrove Lake Regional Park.  It has a nice little "swimming hole" that is in fact way too crowded for me on summer weekdays, but sunday mornings are quiet and deserted...

And Pearl, loves those walks in new half wild trails -- the smells! Oh, the smells, must be so enticing to a dog's nose!

After the walk in the park, we headed to Pearl's newest thing...  She started obedience lessons!  She is past being ready for lessons, but she does aim to please.  As you can see, she looks so very handsome sitting at attention.  You can almost see her asking, WHAT?

PLAN 52

Ha!  You thought I forgot about that didn't you?!   I am not nearly as successful with my weightloss program as I would like to be, so I have instigated a new plan.  A Personal Trainer!  Well, no, but not far from it.  A Boss.  Now I prefer not to have a BOSS, but one thing about me, is when I make a promise I do follow through.  I am very good at keeping promises, even when it sometimes becomes very difficult -- so now I have learned to not make big promises...

Except this is a pretty big promise, considering my illness of the past two years...  I am back to the point where I can keep this promise, so I am putting time in as an underling for a few hours, three days a week.  It is A Lot of walking and for this first 6 days, I am feeling it in my arms and my abs and my hips -- seems the feets are okay, so it is not so much that the feets are wore out, but enough that the body obviously is exerting itself... WHEW!  So a renewal of the Plan 52 effort and hopefully a show of results in the next few months...

Today

It looks like I have a day to myself, so any moment now, I am headed up to the sewing room, in hopes of creating a few items for the SHOP and maybe even do some experimentation in the KITCHEN...

Overly Enthusiastic?

I found a beautifully smooth sorta egg shaped rock. I suspect this rock has been buried in the back corner of my yard for well, since the ice age broke it off some mountain and rolled it along with other rocks until it took on the shape with no sharp edges, just nice round corners... It is a BIG rock. Too heavy for me to dig out and carry to the deck. My hubby did that work.

But it just seemed to be begging for very pretty and special lacy crochet. Mainly it is sort of an oval doily, with just a bit of adjustment on the last rounds to make it fit the rock tightly so it doesn't just come off. It meant turning the rock over and back quite a few times to make sure it was all smooth and tight with no loose or rippled sections...

I would say, I have got quite carried away with crochet on rocks! I must head over to the thrift store today to see if I can find some of that old style verigated cotton crotchet thread -- there seems to be none in the regular places where one buys crochet cotton...

All the rocks around here are this sort of medium speckled grey. I am wondering where I might find, a darker grey or perhaps some really light coloured rocks. I wonder if a trip to the Okanogan area might uncover some different coloured rocks?? Or are the rocks there sharp edged and not worn down? The Ocean edge? A ride to Ladner or West Vancouver, or along the Stanley Park Seawall?? Well, must keep looking...

A Couple of New Things

My Backyard Garden

Cherry Tomatoes, for one thing, are new.  Yesterday I posted about the doomed common gardens in my complex.  I forgot to mention though, that my back garden -- all my own -- is doing very, very well.  All my plantings are in large pots.  I have tomatoes, lavender, geraniums, chives, catnip, sage and a variety of other flowers.  My Cherry Tomatoes are producing just enough to give me a few each day for my lunch time salad.

COMMENTS

Recently, I have had a couple of people mention to me, that they would leave me comments but they don't have a google account, so I have changed the comments section so that ANYONE can leave a comment.  I am hoping that no one is mean, but I am happy to hear your point of view even if it is different than mine.  Anonymous comments can be made if for some reason you don't want anyone to know who you are.  So please, go ahead and let me know what you think or if you want to suggest something that might make my writing more interesting to you.

My ETSY Shop

I have added a few new items to my shop.  Small zippered Pouches, perhaps as a change purse or a camera case?

And FoldOver Top SNACK BAGS

the earth friendly alternative to zip lock plastic lunch bags -- reuseable, washable and pretty. 

Stop over at my shop for a look -- oh and if you like what you see but maybe want a different colour, let me know...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/susanbeingsnippy

Thanks, and as my Ma used to say "stay outta trouble"

August Garden

I was just over visiting another blog, Thimble  and she was showing how lovely her garden has become after a number of years of care and attention.  I was feeling somewhat envious.

I live in a small townhouse complex - only 32 units - We, as a strata are planning to do some reno work to our central courtyard area which means that the common gardens will be removed and only partially restored, to make room for other things.

The actual demolition has not begun but has been talked about for almost a year now.  People, being people don't like to do things that will soon be undun.  No upkeep has been done on the gardens.  Not even keeping the weeds down!   I have been looking after a small corner that sort of has been my responsibility now for about 5 years -- it is pretty bad too, cause the garden is raised - I cannot reach very far into it.

This part of the garden has been raided for the most desirable plants, remains - only weeds...

Another raided section, the only bit of green, a very large dandilion type weed, thriving...

My section, that I look after, still somewhat green with the day lilies finished and over grown, still lots of weeds, with wild  poppies providing splashes of yellow.  A few calendula, self seeded but most were choked out by dandilion, poppies, some sort of creeping vine and weed names that I don't know.  It looks neglected, but not completely...

Another part of the common garden, so overgrown the vines are climbing down the sides of the raised garden and creeping along the sidewalk.  A large Rhododendrom was cut back late last fall, but it has taken so long for this process to progress, that the tree is putting out some new foliage!  I wish I could save this tree, but I have no place to put it.  Does anyone have a spot for it in their garden?

Thank you, Thimble for showing your lovely well cared garden -- you gave me the inspiration to show what a doomed garden looks like.

Things still do grow, regardless what humans call pretty!  Life strives to fill the empty voids left by the holes and unwatered plants that need humans to provide care...

I am motivated to go out this morning and make some space around the half-dozen calendulas so that the buds on them can open up in the next few days and show their bit of glory.

New Baby Bunny and The Alternative

New babies.  What a WONDERMENT...

There happens to be a new baby boy introduced to this world we live in and I am sure that special little man will brighten and bring joy to the lives around him...

The world has changed hugely since I had babies in my life on a daily basis.  The Rules about and for and with babies have changed and though I have read about these changes, I don't have to think about them on a daily basis.

So. I thought I would make a little gift for this Wonderment.  I had in my stash of goodies in  my  sewing room, some lovely creamy white polar fleece so I thought I would use it to make a soft and squishy little teddy, which after searching some books for a pattern, I decided would be a soft and squishy bunny with blue eyes...

I drew the pattern and transfered it to the fabric.  I sewed the fabric pieces together.  I hand embroidered the little eyes and nose.  It  was very soft and squishy.  Then I went to my kitchen and stopped to read a bit of the newspaper....

A little feature in the paper was about  children's  toys,  especially about certain fabrics being illegal to use for toys for children.  It got me to thinking...  It would not be right to give this New and Wonderful little man something that could potentially harm him...  So I did some more  thinking.  Especially about how the world and the Rules have changed-- and that those changes are for the good of our children. 

So. I decided  that the New Baby Bunny is not a good gift to give to a Wonderment of a real Baby Boy, even if it is soft and squishy and cute.  So. 

I gave the New Baby Bunny to Pearl! Now, I don't think the same rules apply to Doggie Toys as they do to Children's  Toys.

Pearl happily tugged the  New Baby Bunny out of my hands and ran down to the end of the Patio Deck and laid down  working her new teethes into the New Baby Bunny's arms and ears --she didn't care one bit that it was white because she even took the  New Baby Bunny to the corner garden and attempted to bury it in  the MUD!  But she liked the New Baby Bunny too much to just leave it there so she dug it up and went back to hugging and nawing on its soft and squishy arms.

Now, this left a bit of a void, where there once was a pretty soft and squishy New Baby Bunny, now there was a quickly turning grubby and dirty and chewed on soft and squishy dog toy...

So, back to the drawing room...

How about something that this wonderful new baby boy could use in his travels with his Mommy?  Yep, maybe that would work.

So Oscar James, here is something that falls within the new rules and I sure do hope that you will like it...

personalized, just for you, Oscar James!  I know your Mommy likes the old Dick and Jane stories, so the back pocket on this zippered pouch is of the children from our Canadian Grade 1 and 2 Readers from the 1950's...

with an easy to grab ribbon to pull the zipper open and closed, to keep all those little necessities that just have to be carried with you where ever you may go...

Announcement - Etsy

I have taken the PLUNGE!

I now have an Etsy shop.  If you don't know what that is, it is a place where I can list and sell, the products that I make by quilting, sewing, crochet and any number of other handcraft projects that I create.

My shop as of today, is open, but I have so far only one product for sale.  As the days progress I will be adding more items.  Since I am just learning all the procedures, it takes time to organize, photograph and write descriptions of the things I make.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would take a moment or two to visit my shop today and see my current item for sale.  I will announce items here from time to time as I put them in my store.

Go See what I have today, at http://www.etsy.com/listing/53498006/game-day-bag-cfl-saskatchewan and if you know someone who might be interested point them in my direction!

Right now while I am learning how to manage and organize my products all the items I list will have free shipping within Canada and the USA, this is only for a limited time, though.

Thanks for stopping by!

Odd Bits

In my family, I seem to have gained the reputation for being a bit odd -- perhaps not all the time, but often enough that over the years, I am sure many of my relatives step back abit from me.   Oh, I know they try often to ignore my actions, even when they sometimes almost go over the edge...  I am just not the kind of person who conforms to what other people want.  I used to be quite adventurous, but since my illness (two bouts of the same thing in two years) I have somehow lost some of that adventurer in me.  Slowly, slowly I am gaining back at least the desire for adventure.  For me this is a good thing -- but for others, well, they have got used to the more sedate me and should I go back to what I was, I am sure they will not be well prepared...

A step into oddness -- but not so odd that it hasn't been done before.  One does wonder though, "What is the purpose to some things?".  Some things just don't really need a purpose, they are just there as a wonderment or just to say out loud "I'm Here, and I am what I am!"

A couple of days ago I found an odd bit, a thing that alot would say, "Why would you bother?"  but then I also suspect there are just as many who would also exclaim "NEAT!" and ask no question of it's purpose.

A rock from the garden with thread crochet around it...

I have seen it before.  I first saw this idea at Myrtle & Eunice (just click on the underline and you will go to a blog where it shows more crocheted rocks).   Then if you want to see quite a large and varied collection of rocks with crochet and even some patchwork, go to Resurection Fern  You will need to scroll down and check out a few of the posts on this Australian blog so see the many crochet rock variations.

So far, I have only done this one rock -- mainly because my rock hunting expedition yesterday turned up only this one suitable rock, but I know there are more rocks out there hoping to be found and covered in crochet thread.  What rock really wants to just be a grey/brown/speckled piece, not distinquishable from the many many other rocks!  How special to be just a little bit odd!

Oh, but rocks can have other interesting and odd purposes -- I bought a book, about 15 years ago about Painting Animals on Rocks and have painted a few, the book still sits in my little craft library.

The little frog above has been in my garden for at least 6 years and for another half dozen years in other gardens or balconies that I have been the occupier of...

100

Thats ONE HUNDRED posts on Susan Being Snippy!

You'd think that was enough to put in a book...

Some of the things about this blog:

I try to write about everyday things.

I try to have a few 'ongoing' subjects

I try to give my readers a bit of instruction on the subjects of quilting and crochet and other bits of things I run into.

I am learning how to do stuff everyday, quilting, crochet, photography, food things, and whatever else I run into -- did you know, that when airplanes were invented and war came along -- for awhile the airplanes were faster than the bullets they used?  Saw that on a talk show on CBC...

I'm not going to post 100 things, but it would be nice if you come by and say hello! 

This is not any particularly important day, except that I am writing my 100th post on this blog...  I'm sure there are alot of other very special things going on today...

Keeping with the theme of backyards in summer....

My Worker Guy/Husband/Light of My Life/ spent some time playing in the yard -- he decorated our fence...

I do have a thing for dinosaurs...

Thanks for coming by today, leave a comment and let me know you were here!

Rae's Epiphany...

I read alot of other crafty blogs but sometimes it takes me a week to get through the list that I have on my RSS feed...  Today, I read a blog Made by Rae and she wrote about an epiphany that she experienced...
She is a very insightful lady! She made me realize that not only does it take time to write whatever I am writing about, but because crafting of any sort (including cooking) is very visual, that we need to photograph what we write about.  Not only the time to write and photograph, but the time to MAKE what we are writing about!  She does explain it very well on her blog, so go visit Made by Rae and read her thoughts (and shared by me) on the subject of writing a crafting blog...

Today, I have no photographs for you, even though I  purchased a new camera (just over a week ago)-- a bit better than a regular point and shoot, but not quite a dslr...  I always wanted an slr camera, but now that I can afford one, through research and a fair amount of thought, I discovered that a very good point and shoot is quite the right one for me -- so I am practicing and learning how to use it to full advantage -- it is a Canon with 14 mpg's and 14x zoom!

I am working on a few projects, one is a vest and you can find the instructions for it at Raglanguld .  I am actually doing this in half double crochet, rather than knitting.  A few years back, my sister made an afghan that popped back into my mind when I discovered this vest pattern.  My sister, is a wonderful crochet artist, but I am sorry to say, I do not have any photos of her beautiful work so that you might see what I mean.  Anyway, the afghan she made was multi colour scrappy bits with black between all the part or full rows of colour.  I have the image of that afghan in my head even all this time later -- so I thought I would use that concept to make a vest.   So far it is going quite well and I am about 1/3 done.  I realized last evening though, that I have no RED!  Aw well, that just means I can take a wander over to the second hand store to see if I can find a small ball of red yarn...

So, I will try to get the camera figured out and present a few photos in the next day or two, perhaps my progress on the vest...

My Backyard in Summer (sewing on the deck)

I was going to run some errands this morning while my hubby was doing some volunteer time at the local food bank, but I so love my backyard, I decided that I just could not use those quiet hours for busy stuff that could wait til later in the week....

The easiest thing to keep myself occupied while sitting outside in my backyard is to bring the big purple box of yarn out and then set myself on the swing and crochet the day away...

Today, I didn't feel like picking up the hook, but the day was so perfect I just could not just plain sit.  I managed to get a box of scrappy bits down the stairs and out of the sewing room, then the next trip up and back down again was the bag of scrappy batting bits.

Finally I lugged the Number 2 sewing machine down and set 'er up, and began to apply fabric bits to batting bits.  The idea was to really have no idea, but once you get going the project starts to identify itself -- turns out I am making some crazy quilt type blocks.  I will continue this project for the next few days--leaving the sewing machine and supplies sitting right where it is on the deck.   There has not been any dew in the mornings so a table cloth thrown over the works should protect it as much as it needs overnight.

And one of the wonderful things about sitting outside and sewing away, is that I am constantly greeting visitors who come by for a drink or a few seeds...

And in order to keep Pearl occupied so that I don't have to be interrupted by puppy antics too often, I gave her a chewy thing that she seems to muchly enjoy...

My Backyard in Summer (and how I occupy it)

I really like my backyard.  There is not very much of it as it is only about 20 ft wide by about 25 ft long -- a townhouse size backyard.  The best thing about it is that once it is arranged and things planted all the gardening left to do is only to water.  And to sit.  I love to sit (thats why my bum is extra big!).

My garden this year is not quite what I had hoped because since the beginning of June there has been a puppy doing her best to dig and pull and eat and knock over anything she can...  But I still like my backyard.

Pearl is trouble even in a little garden -- if you look behind her - you might see a few hosta leaves, well they get nipped off as soon as they appear.  The Strawberries in containers have actually been pulled out by the roots! (and replanted so they are having a tough time).  Growing catnip for Archie and Fossie for winter indoor fun is also proving a challenge, I guess catnip tastes good to a dog...

Setting aside that my garden is in turmoil, I still can sit on my swing and crochet...

The beginning of another project -- I think it will be a vest -- multi colour with a black background...  It is barely started so I may talk about in a day or two.

Oh but this is done, and I am not very pleased with it -- it is one of those things that the best I can think to say about it is "it's done"...  This is the experiment with cutting that really ugly fabric into 1/2 inch strips and then crocheting the strips together.  The fabric I had was about 3/4 of a meter so was fairly limited as to what I could create with it even once it was transformed into fabric yarn.  I did start out with the idea of a sort of bucket shape, but it only made quite a shallow bucket so I took it apart and re-started this which when it got to the point where there were only a few yards left of the recycled fabric turned into yarn I made the handle and that was it.... Okay, but not a prizewinner in my mind -- Now, though, what do I do with it???

So as long as the days remain sunshiny and I have yarn and a crochet hook, the sewing room way up on the third level of the townhouse will not be occupied because it heats up too fast in daylight hours -- but I have been known to wake up at 4am just so I can alleviate the urge to sew and spend a couple of hours with the window open and a fan going before the heat of the day makes it a sweat shop...  I have a tote bag on the burner up there but it is slow going...

I hope you all are enjoying your own special summer place...  Soon enough the rain will fall, and the snow will be blowing across the highway....

A Chat about Economy

Not THE Economy, just economy. 

Lately, I have been clearing out things that I don't use, or need.  Tho' there are a few thing in the don't need category that have become "pieces of my heart".  Ornaments for the sake of decoration no longer exists in most of my house.  It is not that I don't want pretty things, but pretty things can get out of hand...

This shelf in my living room holds a few of my very favourite things.  Two framed pictures of prairie flowers that my cousin in Manitoba gave to me -- to me reminders of walking through feilds and along country roads in my youth.  Two brass bud vases -- these my father gave to my grandmother for christmas one year before he was a married man and she kept them and used them for many many years.  The clay cat was a gift to me from co workers when I left to move to Victoria, BC -- it is the only gift I ever recieved from co workers and made me feel very loved and that I would be missed.  The photo in the silver frame, of my mother on her wedding day, July 16, 1949 -- getting ready to stand in front of family and say "I do".  The ashtray, a gift from my maternal grandmother -- only important because it came from her, not for what it is.  An egg coddler -- I have a couple of dozen and they hide in a box.  I like this one, and it is full of special mint quarters -- olympic events, provincial flowers and ? but really only about $10 worth.  And do you see that bit of round glass?  It is the strangest thing.  I found it.  In the mud of a flowerbed.  Had it for years before I knew what it was -- a pot watcher, I'm told.  You put it into a big pot of water (in the days before electric kettles) and it would start to rattle when the water came to a boil...

Anyway, back to economy.  Perhaps it is that as I get older I have a desire to "live for today",  so things have much less value to me -- I tried the collecting bug, and have a couple of collections now that are as complete as they ever will be and now I don't even know why I have them...

A dozen, or maybe 2 dozen beaded (prom) or evening type clutch bags -- most thrift or antique store finds.  A box filled with plastic figurines from McDonalds which are the 100 figures from the One Hundred Years of Disney -- every single one!!   And the Egg coddler collection...  Perhaps they are all destined for ebay...

I am trying to gear up for a month of frugality -- I am planning to test myself and my family with a No Spend Month -- the month of August. 

I am well prepared, and think that it will not be difficult to keep my money in my wallet so I am determined to not go and wander through the DVD section at Best Buy or Wal-Mart or any other store.  I am determined not to buy beef roast on sale at the grocery store -- My hubby did an inventory of our freezer earlier this week and there is probably a month of meat in there!

Now, it is not a necessity that I be frugal in August -- it is just an exercise and a reminder that just cause I have some money in the bank I don't necessarily HAVE to spend it...

As things usually go around here, We generally have a budget of about $800 a month (not including mortgage, household utilities and car payments) and that includes all the cash type purchases - things that include, groceries, gas for the car, eating out, clothing, gifts, hobbies, and various supplies such as toilet paper, laundry detergent and cleaning stuff and personal hygene and even prescriptions...  In fact we take from the bank $400 every 2 weeks so that we can actually see what is spent and what is left -- using the debit or credit card is not such an visual tracking method -- with cash (or no cash) in the wallet, it is easy to see where we stand when it comes to spending...

When there is "leftover" I move that money into my long term savings account.  This month, so far I have about $60 left and the budget for next week stands at $200, so without really working hard at it and thinking about each purchase with the question "Do I really need this?"  The family economy is on track.

Now just to point you over to another blog -- which is where I am trying to learn about being more organized, and more economical -- take a read there and see if it doesn't get you thinking about keeping things to only what you need...  By the way -- it's good for the earth too...  Go check out  Small Notebook

Saved from the Garbage Bin!

I can't help it, even when I make every effort to just see the beautiful around me, I look at the ugly and often see what it needs to be pretty again.  I'm a make-up artist who doesn't wear make up!

So a couple months back I was driving out of my condo complex and happened to look at the garbage bins -- well truth to tell,  I really can't pass the garbage bin without taking a quick look at it.  Often I am picked up by a friend to go somewhere and while I wait, I thoroughly eye the garbage and recycle bins...  And sometimes there are things that I just can't leave there.  Most often, good cardboard boxes -- seems I am in need of a cardboard box for something or another.

Anyway, a couple months ago, a glance at the bin and my eyes laid upon a wall shelf.  It was in excellent shape, which led me to wonder, why put it in the garbage bin.  How difficult is it to drop it off at the second hand store?  So, I hollered at my husband "STOP the car!"  (he is always so embarrassed when I pick up what the rest of the world calls garbage)  I got out, opened the hatch of the car and put the shelf inside.
This little wall shelf was definately meant for a child's room cause the upper part had Holly Hobby in all her Pinkness emblazoned all over it.

Over the last while, waiting for good weather outside, I worked at sanding down and mostly rubbing out Holly Hobby.  A couple of coats of primer and then some white melamine paint and ...

Well, I was going to wait to post this, and show you what it looks like on the wall, but I took it over to a friend's place because she has a cricut machine.  I was going to ask her to do some lettering on it.  She liked it, and had a use for it, so....  I gave it to her.

The happy little wall shelf will now be used to keep laundry things on and the pegs to hold newly washed and ironed shirts for her mister....

It feels especially good to rescue a item from the garbage bin and even better when someone loves it and has a use for it!

The Roof

So I went to visit a friend of mine a couple of weeks back and when I was sitting in the kitchen I noticed that the roof is leaking so I said,  "The roof is leaking"
 my friend said "yeah, I know" 
so I said "Why don't you fix it?"
and he said "cause it's raining"
"Oh." I said.

So I went around to visit my friend today and just had to ask him " did you fix the roof?"
and he said "Why?"
then I said "cause it was leaking the last time I was here"
And he answered "well, its not leaking now."
I just had to say "but its not raining now"
And in his ever laid back way he said "I know."

In the Summer Time

Well, life is not quite the same as it was but then again there are somethings that never change over the years.

I was just thinking the other day that it is 40 years since my first summer away from home.  I was such a grown up girl!  I had taken a job for the summer as a Mother's Helper at Winnipeg Beach.  A mother's helper in those days was usually a mid to late teen who was responsible enough to watch a family's children, mostly on the beach, playing with the children making sure they were safe and generally having a fun time.  There was a bit of work to it, like making up the kids beds each morning and often taking them back to the cottage (while parents visited and socialized with friends) for lunch and a nap for the younger children.  I was in charge of two happy little creatures, aged 5 and almost 7.  Their Ma insisted on a afternoon rest.  This meant a quiet time for me too as I was required to stay with the children at the cottage.  Afternoons were a real lazy time, but things picked up at dinner and often the various families would socialize in the evenings and I along with other girls who worked as Mother's Helpers went to someones cottage and played with the children while the mom's played MaJong and the Dads talked shop with their fellows....

I had learned sometime before, from my grandmother how to crochet and over the summer I worked on granny squares.  For most of the summers since that one at the beach, I have gone back each year to crocheting  grannies.  It is a very easy project to carry around and is easily interrupted without loosing your place.

My days were full but yet there were many hours that only required my presence but not my participation so I usually carried along some yarn and a hook - and I ended up teaching most of the other girls how to crochet, while I learned to play bongo from one girl and how to better swim from another and how to make tuna melt sandwiches from another...  Oh and that banana and sour cream with brown sugar was a great dessert!

That summer ended with 80 dollars wages in my pocket (that was for the WHOLE SUMMER) and a finished granny square afghan that I carried around with me for a few years to my own little apartments...

So even though it seems a bit strange to be hooking away each summer, it has become a tradition for me.  Many of the completed grannie square afghans have been given as shower, wedding or baby gifts, and it seems that I usually manage to get at least one done each year and that it is done in summer....

My stack of grannies are quickly growing.  I decided that I would make each a single colour, but I have not yet decided how I will arrange them when it comes to connecting all the squares.

My sewing room is mostly being neglected now, except to go and find something that doesn't generate heat!  I rediscovered one of those really ugly pieces of fabric that you later wonder why you got it -- well, at least this one had a value village price tag on it of 99cents!

Since I am crocheting out on my backyard swing and working so diligently on those grannie squares, I thought I would take a bit of a break and see what I could create with this really ugly fabric.

First thing I did was decide that it was going to become YARN instead of remaining as yardage.

To create yarn, you slice the fabric into half inch strips, but don't cut the selvege on each side, so it looks like this

So you have all these long stringy things all joined, carefully cut through the selvege on one side, then back to the first side, so essentially you are snipping every second strip on alternate sides and if cut properly you will wind up with a very very long piece.  The fabric that this stuff just happens to be was a poly knit, so when you cut this into a 1/2 inch wide strip and lightly pull on the strip, it will sort of roll around itself and become YARN, especially if the back side is fuzzy, that is what will end up being on the outside.  Last is to carefully wind it all into a ball and crochet something...

I have no idea what I am actually making here, maybe a tote? maybe just a basket to keep stuff in, maybe I will make a lining for it.  At this point, as I tell my hubby when he asks "What are you making now?"  I don't rightly know, but it will be something sometime soon...

"in love"

A break from sewing is called for...

It has been HOT and my sewing room is UPSTAIRS where it is even warmer, so I have not been up there since working on the Patriotic Salvage Mystery.

Water and Sleep seem to be the main elements of life lately -- especially for Pearl!  Everything is an adventure and should be chewed on til it is nothing but raggedy tooth-marked whatchamacallits!

I knew there was a reason that I wanted a black and white tile kitchen floor.  Camoflage!

Puppies are notoriously difficult to take pictures of when they are awake!

She is a good girl -- already the command "SIT!" means sit exactly where you are!  And there she is bum on one step and front feet on the lower!

Love means, letting someone give you a bath and thanking him for it and letting him pick up your poops Too!

Correction to Patriotic Salvage cutting instructions...

Thanks to my friend Rose, a slight error was discovered in the cutting directions... It is corrected now -- I think it must have been my finger hitting the wrong key cause my hand written notes say the right number of B1 pieces to cut is 36, but the typo on part 1 says to cut 31....

Patriotic Salvage optional border applique

Just a bit of extra, if you should be inclined to add some applique.

This is completely machine done, and is using wool felt -- just cause I like the look that felt has on top of cotton -- and it is pretty quick to add on.
You can do this even after your quilt is quilted, but I usually do it before, as with most other types of applique.
My first step to this type of applique is to use a stabilizer behind the fabric as it helps to keep the fabric from stretching or rippling when you machine applique.

I generally use a non-woven fusible light weight interfacing.  It's purpose is not to add bulk but to keep the fabric from stretching.

Next I cut out the applique shapes from wool felt -- I have been collecting wool skirts (usually from the second hand store, but sometimes friends give me their old wool clothes) .  I wash and dry the wool after taking the clothes apart and they shrink to the point where when used for applique there is no need to turn under a hem.

In this case, I am making leaves to decorate the border, it will be a simple vine on the edge of the quilt, so to cut the leaves without a pattern, I simply cut a strip of felt that is about as wide as I want my leave shapes to be, so the strip of felt (3 strips in my case) are between 2 and 2 1/2 inches wide.

I mark the approximate shape that I want, some wider some skinnier, with a chalk marker, and then I cut them out.  Depending how many you want to applique you will have to decide how many you want to make.

If this is your first time trying out this method, I would suggest that you make a test piece of fabric say about 6 inches square and do a small section following my instructions -- you can decide if you like the effect or not, then continue if you like on the border of the quilt.

The border, because it needs a vine also requires either long narrow cuts of the same wool felt or a similar colour of yarn.  If you use yarn, be aware that the yarn stretches and causes the fabric to scrunch up, so you may have to "break" some of the stitches and pull out the 'gathers"  or if you use narrow strips of felt, it will be more difficult to accurately sew it neatly to the fabric.  Just sew slowly and you will be fine...

With the yarn I insert it into a couching foot, so it follows where I aim my sewing machine foot.

When I use narrow strips of felt, I use a zig zag stitch and hold it in place just ahead of the needle using a japanese chop stick (they have a pointyer point).

So as you can see, the interfacing has held the fabric quite nicely with no stretch apparent.

Now to applique the wool felt leaves.

Change your foot on the machine to a darning foot or as some call it the free motion foot.

Beginning at a convenient place, use either a narrow zigzag or a straight stitch, free motion stitch around the edge of each leaf, and to give it just a touch of realism, 'draw' some veins on the leaf.

Continue to add leaves as you see fit, as many or as few as you like.  You will find that because it is so quick, you will be quite generous as to how many leaves you are wanting to applique.

Finally, here is one corner of the quilt border with the simple vine applique.  With Practice, you may find yourself adding this applique to everything!

Finally, for those who have followed along with this Mystery, I would love to see how your projects have come out.  Please email me a photo of the finished, or almost finished quilt and tell me whether or not it is okay to use your picture on a future post of the quilts made from this design.  Send photos to jswb4com@yahoo.ca.

Thanks, so much for playing along.

I am planning to do another Mystery for the Labour Day weekend, so check back over the Summer for exactly when and what you will need to follow along on that one.

A note about copying -- I have taken the time to create this mystery quilt along with the time to write, calculate and photograph the steps, so I would greatly appreciate it if you do not download or copy my work here. This mystery is free on my blog and if you think you must keep the pattern, and instructions for yourself, your store customers or your friends I would prefer that you donot give away my work. I feel that I am the author and if you want to share my work with others, there will be available after this weekend a PDF file that I will email or print and mail to you for a small fee. Otherwise, please visit my blog for these instructions...