Now.

I finished my first double binding rug........ what do you think??

For all of you weavers who want to try this.....email me, or leave your email address in the comments.  

I am going to write up exactly what I did, and I will send it out to anyone who wants it, rather than bore all the non weavers .

Today was a tough day. So this was just a quick photo with my Iphone.

Let's just put today under the category of injections/bad reactions/headaches/days I would just as soon forget.
So  I don't have much to offer tonight.
Except that I am counting on tomorrow being so much better.
And right NOW, I am OK.

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the pincushion goes to...

Kathy! who commented on April 13th at 9:30 pm (guess Friday, the 13th isn't unlucky for everyone!) Kathy, there's no email associated with your comment, so please email me by Friday or I'll pick another name.

So I made a practice pincushion ~ really I wanted one for myself. I cut 3" circles, ran a gathering stitch around the edge, pulled it up and stuffed it. A little hot glue and it was done!
Many of you have asked for a source for the flower dish. Found it on amazon ~ my go-to for just about everything! Here's a link so you can make your own!

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O is not just for Oprah.

I can't even remember when I looked this good in a purple shorts outfit.

Can you??

And check out the shoes.

O was very upset that the rug was wrinkled, and despite her best efforts to straighten it out, Sydney was having none of it.

Trying to get back to 'normal' at the studio, in spite of doctor's appointments and other interruptions.
I am beginning to feel like a human pincushion, but that's another story.

On our list of things to do was double binding rugs on the Cranbrook.  We got the warp on, I got it threaded, but tying up the treadles was a two person job.

Uh, in this case, maybe three.

See L under the front of the loom?

First we untied all the treadles from both sets of lamms, and started over.

We are either very foolish, or very courageous.

O thought that L needed a little assistance.  
The truth is we were wishing we could get her to do it all, since she went in and out from under the loom about 30 times without a grimace.
Which is more than I can say for L or me.

You're a good helper, O.

Finally, our first double binding rug on this loom.
What do  you think???
I'm pretty impressed.
Hopefully by the time we get through 40 yards of warp, L and I will both be proficient at this.

What do you think??

I think it's time for a giveaway........so let me come up with a good one.
Unless you have a suggestion????

Oh, and thanks Deb from Cobleskill, for stopping in at the studio with your husband and son........we enjoyed meeting you.  It's always nice to put a face to my blogger friends.   Hope you enjoyed the tour!!!

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Dresden Fan blocks

I have projects I should be working on and unfinished projects in the works. But this quilt that I found on flickr has been haunting me. No, I shouldn't be starting a new project. But last week I ordered the ruler and this weekend, I had to try these blocks.

I also ordered some of the rerelease of Andalucia because I loved the bit of navy in it. Have you noticed navy coming back? So I started with this...
And added some pieces from my stash.
With a little trial and error, I made my first 2 blocks. Geta gives some basic instructions on making the block. You can see the finished quilt in this post and scroll down for the links to her instructions.
I used a 15 degree ruler for the wedges and cut them from a strip set that was composed of a 2 1/2" white, a 1 1/4" navy and a 3 3/4" green strip. I'm wondering if there's too much white and I should cut that down a bit?
Anyway, they were pretty easy to make and they look so hard! Love that!!
I'll draw a winner for the give away on Wednesday! And also share my source for the dishes as many of you have asked!

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Serenity

Now that you know my secrets.........
yes, I am a little nuts.
I think it is too late to change that.

 With all my looms at the studio, and yes, we have stopped counting at this point, I still have one at home...
you know, for those times when you need to weave.
After the work day.
At home.  When everyone says you are supposed to be 'resting'.
Pfft.

So I have my little Leclerc compact loom all warped up for towels.
And I use the hearth for all my paraphernalia. ( I have always had a soft spot for that word:  paraphernalia)

Since I am loving this pattern, when I finished with the tan/brown/yellow warp, I tied a new one on.

I love the rhythm of the treadling on this.  My feet fly.

The pattern is one I modified from an old Handwoven magazine.  8/2 cotton, unmercerized.  I am weaving them 36" long, so they will be generous dish towels.
Weaving them is so wonderfully peaceful.

Some nights I go to bed earlier than I would really want to, but I can't take the headache one more minute.  You could say that I long to escape, and sleep is the only way.  I am grateful that I CAN sleep.  And most of the time, I can.

This, however, has me up at the crack of dawn.  Since it was forecasted to be 88 degrees later today, I decided to take my Roy Boy for an early morning walk.

My phone doesn't take too bad a picture.

And trust me, I am not this clever....this was a mistake, but I liked it anyway.

I like walking early, there aren't many other people out.
It's just me and Roy.  I like it that way.
It's meditational.

I have come to understand that quieting the noise in my head is quite a project, but one, I think, worth tackling.

I am going to make it my business to spend more time this summer in the great outdoors, because that is one of the most calming and serene things I can do for myself.
Besides weaving.

And I promise to take you along.
Now if I could just figure out how to 'uninvite' this headache.........

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The truth will out.

You want the whole story, don't you??

Well,  while we were on our jaunt on Friday, we had to stop for some lunch. 

We decided on a little 'fine dining'.

This was the view from our table.
The food was divine.  Vermont cheddar soup.  Spinach salad with roasted beets, blue cheese and pecans.
Tiny bite size scones and little slices of home made bread.
Yum.

The salvage store is in White River Junction, Vt, for those of you who asked.

The restaurant is in Quechee.  
It is Simon Pierce.
They had a potter and a glass blower on the lower level, but it was still under renovations since Irene hit last summer.
Simon Pierce makes lovely glassware, and dishes, and LAMPS.

Their shop is just lovely.

Again, I wanted one of each, but my treat for the day was yarn, even though I already have tons of yarn already.  It is part of my addiction.

The wooden bowl would look awesome with a big, green salad in it, but $375 was a tad more than I could bear to spend for it.

So it does look like we were just on a fun filled jaunt, doesn't it?

We did have a lovely day.
We talk the miles away.  Isn't that what good friends are supposed to do?
We solve world problems.  Or at least some of them.

We have impeccable taste when we shop.

This is the upper level of Simon Pierce, it used to house a weaver, but now it is pretty empty.
They have private dinner parties here.

It was a lovely ride home.

Country roads. Farm houses, old barns.

As we were careening down this particular road.......and no, I wasn't driving, I tried to get this picture.

I would rather ride, so I can keep my camera at hand, which my BFF says is attached to me.

All of a sudden, my friend let out a squeal!!!
She is a shepherdess, you see.
And there were not just sheep out in this meadow, but there were so many lambs, we couldn't count them.
Look closely.......near every large sheep you will see two or three little ones.

And now for the truth.

I have a confession to make.

This was not just a mindless wanderlust into Vermont, although there is nothing wrong with that.

I really had something in mind, and had a plan.

Yes, I confess......I went to pick up another loom........what?  #17?
Who's counting??

And this is no ordinary loom.....oh, no.
It is the exact same loom I have in the old kitchen....a Reed Ideal.......minus the production wheel.

My Ideal has 750 yards of black warp on it.   Wouldn't it be nice to have one with 750 yards of WHITE on it?

 You know where this is going, don't you??

Sorry for the long post, I didn't realize the 'truth' would take so long to tell.  :)

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