green crochet in my kitchen

Here's my favorite kitchen set. Green pot holders and dish cloth.

The dish cloth has been used, but the pot holders are new. I put a white edging around the pot holders and entered them in the fair with a (new) dish cloth and 6 matching coasters.

I love that green. I think it's chartreuse.

Raining Again!

It rained on Friday, and it's raining again right now. But it's still 81 degrees at 7:30-ish!


Here's my current favorite kitchen set. It matches the walls in the kitchen and it's such a wonderful green. Made by me, of course. This morning I added a white trim to the pot holders and matching (round) coasters, and then took them all to the fair.

Doh! I almost missed entering my handiwork in the fair this year! And I've been thinking about this year since last year, gathering things.

I've been so distracted with Denny's saga that I completely forgot to look up the entry date. Instead, I focused on the opening date. Last night, I finally realized that, of course I couldn't just show up the first day of the fair with my things! So this morning, I called the department head and told her I was very disappointed with myself for missing the deadline, but if she still wanted me to do some kind of heirloom stitching demonstration, I would be happy to volunteer again.

She was so kind and gracious! She asked me what I was going to enter and then told me to come today between 12:00 and 3:00. (Judging would begin at 3:00.) So I made it just under the wire!! She didn't have to let me enter; the rules say: "no entries after 4:00 pm on Saturday." Last night I was sad to the point of distraction; today I'm elated! Yippee!!! :-D

Long time no blog

I have a friend who blogs very regularly (hi Amber!), and I love reading her posts! I had intended to update my blog often this summer, but that hasn't happened. I'm also thinking about changing the blog somehow. I have been better about posting updates to Denny's Caring Bridge page, though. It's great that people can check there for updates so I don't have to repeat the whole story so often. And I really appreciate everyone's prayers and concern for Denny. I'm happy that I've had so much time to spend with him this summer. He really needs lots of care right now. Another bonus of my educational interpreting job!

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dennisfischer

Today, I'm posting pictures of a creepy crawly Michelle found and had to share with us. I like caterpillars, so I wasn't afraid to pick this guy up --- until he started moving! He was so muscular, not at all like a sweet, gentle caterpillar!! I did scream, but only once and not very loud (I think).

Also, I was desperately hot last week and this week, and one day I grabbed the wooden chop sticks in my sewing studio to see if I could get my hair off my neck without interrupting my creative flow too much. It worked, and I might do it again.

crock pot recipes!

I love using my crock pots. I have three, all different sizes, and find a variety of uses for them. Since I'm always ready to eat, it's great to come home after work and find supper READY FOR ME.

Denny makes AWESOME BEEF RIBS in our largest (oval) pot. Marinate ribs in BBQ sauce in plastic baggies and refrigerate overnight. Cook in crock pot 6-8 hours, then transfer to the oven on a baking sheet for 30-45 mins for crisping. YUM!

Another of our favorite recipes is CHICKEN SOUP:
chicken carcass (leftover)
3-6 ribs celery, cut into chunks
2-4 carrots, peeled and cut roughly
1-2 onions, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
6+ cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
Put all ingredients into large crock pot. Fill with water. Cook on high 6-8 hours.

Here's a terrific blog a friend shared with me (thanks, Amber!). This lady used her crock pot every day in 2008. She's writing a book. Lots of wonderful recipes and pictures here.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/search/label/mini%20crockpot

home, snow, back roads, school

Here's a quick tour of my daily (M-F) journey.
First, a beautiful sunrise while waiting for Katie to pick me up.

That's my apartment building. We're on the right, middle floor. There are five other buildings just like this on the property.

The back roads to school. It's such a peaceful drive.

Approaching school from the north. The closest wing houses the band room and gym.

Parked on the street in front of school.

The fifth grade wing is closest to us. Sixth grade is off to the right. Seventh and eighth grade wings are behind these two wings.

more crochet

These are crocheted coasters given to me by a friend a few years ago. She used to knit, but it was stressful for her, so she taught herself to crochet. Then she made up this tea cup design. Pretty clever, eh?

I keep them in my studio, near my sewing machine, and use them every time I sew.

Coffee Cuffs

Here are the latest designs. I found some very cute fabrics and buttons to match!

One of the teachers at school mentioned my coffee cuffs to a lady who owns a couple of coffee kiosks near school, and she immediately bought 10 cuffs to re-sell. And that same teacher bought 5 more to give to her sisters.

look what Mia did...

on her mini Etch-A-Sketch!

In case you don't recognize the Power Puff Girls, I'll give you a hint - this is one of 'em (Blossom? Buttercup?). They are super heroines. She's flying (obviously), and she looks JUST LIKE THIS.

Mia is not even 6 yet.

Unbelievable.

pin cushions - can a girl ever have too many?

I have a thing for pin cushions. I love looking at them, handling them. I don't have enough, and I will make more. But for now...

Here's my current collection of pin cushions. They're all different and I love looking at them; maybe you will, too!

(Note: NEVER squeeze a pin cushion, no matter how tempting it may be!)

My pear (about 10 inches high) won first prize in the 2008 Montana State Fair. It's a CrabApple Hill design that I started with my stitching group in Washington. I used a real twig for the stem and silk for the leaf.

This side is blue (purple?) bells.

This side is lavender.

Roses.

A pin keeper. I discovered this "recipe" on Mary Jane's web site and gave several (loaded with stitching goodies) to my Billings Proverbs 31 friends. Each had different fabrics, and everyone got to choose the one they liked best. All supplies were the same - needles, thread, thimbles, finger protection, embroidery floss, tape measure, straight pins, quilting safety pins, etc. They were great fun to put together.

Nadara made this cute little helper from a bottle cap; isn't she clever! It slides onto any finger and is great for mobile sewing!

This is a "biscournu." It's two squares sewn together with the corners of each square right in the middle of the sides of the other square. Does that make sense? Lay the two squares right sides together, then skew them so they are offset; then sew and turn right side out. Makes an interesting shape when finished.

More squares, again offset. From one of Julie and Mandi's quilting books.

Ain't she cute? bawwk, baawwwck!

I saw the "recipe" for this one in a sewing/quilting mag; had to try it. It uses circle shapes; the two bottom circles are very large, and gathered into yo-yo shapes.

This one is my absolute fave. I love the soothing green, and I use it exclusively when I sew on my machine. I put beans and lavender in ALL my pin cushions so they smell wonderful as I stick pins in and they don't slide away.

Mandi arranged my glass-head pins into fleurs and I make sure I don't disturb them. (I removed the pins I actually use for the picture.)