Go Vintage

I became an Auntie again back in February and needed to step up and make Baby A a new quilt.  I loved the idea of using striped reclaimed vintage sheets from several awesome Etsy vendors.

• Shabby Sheets purchased here.
• So So Vintage purchased here.
• Whimsie Dots purchased here. 

I used my newly minted design board to test out an alternating 5" pattern with blocks of Kona solids

I did an all-around stitch in the ditch using Superior Thread's MonoPoly Polyester and then used a ruler (first time doing ruler work) to quilt an offset diamond pattern onto the quilt.

 

I then used a navy binding, buried the threads that I could and called it "done". I'll post a finished picture when it is delivered to baby today. ~ksp

Say What You Want to Say

Just spell my name right!

And what's with the reference to the weeds...geez...where's my publicist? ~ksp

An Ombre Goodbye

Last year one of the last good knit shops in my area is closed up shop.  For several years now, I have not shopped at any shop, but I hated to see a Stix-n-Stitches go.

I swung by there for the Going Out of Business Sale and picked up 7 skeins of yarn to make an ombre sweater...of course it'll be for me...something similar to this Kenzo Basket Weave Sweater

sweater.

 

You can't tell from this photo but it is a basket weave pattern that transitions the colors dark to light . I hope to put the dark color on the bottom. We will see...I'll be designing the sweater myself.

4 Cascade Worsted in  colorway ginger (color 2414)
2 Deluxe Worsted Wool in a medium gold tone (color 12182)
1  Deluxe Worsted Wool in light ecru tone (color 12174)

Here's to custom sweater design and stash building. ~ksp

What A Bear?

What a Bear?  You ever think of all of the phrases that use the word "bear"?

...grin and bear it...have one’s cross to bear...bear the burden of..bear the brunt of...

My at-work BFF, Michele, was in need of some greenery for her office so I built her a terrarium.  I bought a moss medley from TeresaB123 on Etsy here and a bear figurine from DoodleBirdie. She helps me bear my rough patches at work...it's the least I could do for her.

bear arms 1 carry firearms. 2 wear or display a coat of arms.

bear the burden of suffer the consequences of.

bear fruit figurative yield positive results : plans for power-sharing may be about to bear fruit.

bear someone a grudge nurture a feeling of resentment against someone.

bear a hand archaic help in a task or enterprise.

bear someone malice (or ill will) [with negative ] wish someone harm.

bear a resemblance (or similarity) to resemble.

bear a relation (or relationship) to [with negative ] be logically consistent with : the map didn’t seem to bear any relation to the roads.

bear the stamp of be clearly identifiable with : their tactics bear the stamp of Soviet military training. bear witness (or testimony) to testify to : little is left to bear witness to the past greatness of the city. bring pressure to bear on attempt to coerce : they brought pressure to bear on him to resign.

bring to bear 1 muster and use to effect: : she had reservations about how much influence she could bring to bear. 2 aim (a weapon) : bringing his rifle to bear on a distant target.

does not bear thinking about is too terrible to contemplate.

Close Up

For this reason and because I call her the Momma Bear, I included the figurine.  Turns out that's also her family's nickname for her...I love it when a plan comes together. ~ksp

Tomatoes Anyone?

Beautiful...gorgeous heirloom tomatoes. Grown by me...

...

My favorite use for a bucket. ~ksp

Nine Patch Nirvana

In 2002, I went through my cache of patterns and my stash of fabrics and I put together two Block of the Month "clubs".  This one is for my brother.

In true "my life is too busy" fashion, they went into a box for several months having been pushed to the back burner. I talked about it here.

Batik Colorways...

Stripping Station...

 

I'm very pleased with the finished project...voila! ~ksp

The "D" Word

...diet

Now I've spoken here at length about my (yarn/fabric, etc) stash diets...this time I am talking about a food diet....

I'm trying to do five meals a day and seriously up my exercise.  I also have set a goal of the Iron Girl mini-triathalon in September...somebody pray for me.  ~ksp

Tomato-rama

I grew a lot of heirloom tomatoes this year (like every year) and the tomato jewels of my garden are the Mortgage Lifter and the German Green tomatoes...(for slicing and pickling respectively) The Mortgage Lifter is my go-to for summer BLT sandwiches...

Perfection...turkey bacon, mesclun mix and Mortgage Lifter on sourdough with a cheese wedge.

Best weeknight summer dinner...EVAH!! ~ksp