The busier I get ...

I actually had a few minutes today to get a coat of paint on the collage I'm working on - this is for Linda Misa's class over at Doll Street. I have to start the scary part next, painting the figure on it. You can see the papers I started with at the foot of the canvas.

We also got a box in the mail with some of Loren's grandmother's 'stuff' in it, including this hand quilted and cross-stitched quilt ...

here's a close up of the cross-stitch ...click to enlarge ..

I actually said my younger daughter could have it but then I took it back before she could leave today - I'm so bad. I think it needs to stay with me for a while. It has a few stains and needs cleaning - do you think I could put it in the washing machine safely? I can only imagine how long this took to make!

Then we got this quilt too ... oh, my eyes ...I don't know what it is made of but it's very shiny, LOL.

Between his mom and his grandmother I have close to a dozen hand quilted quilts - no wonder I gave up quilting!

Now take a look at this .. my husband bought this cloth doll for his grandmother at a bazaar when he was stationed in Japan about 20 years ago ... she's a cloth over .. but cloth over what?? Who knows!


Isn't she pretty? Unfortunately she is very dirty. I'll try to clean her with cotton balls/q-tips and water unless someone has a better idea. She was a gift for someone in 1966 according to a piece of paper that fell off the bottom. I imagine she is about 43 or 44 years old.

We also got another dozen rusty silverplated spoons that I am NOT going to clean and we got this really cool seltzer bottle. I remember when I first came to America my aunt had one of these (but not as fancy) and she would make us sodas - egg creams! Man, I loved those things! The bottle says not to fill it up further than the red line. I wonder what would happen - would it explode?

We have some really weird things from his family .. including an accordian that lives in my bedroom closet, LOL.

Close up of the box

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there! I'm having a nice quiet day today and later the girls and their families will be coming over for supper. Should be fun. Haven't posted much lately but I have been quite busy. I have been working on writing my next online class - just have to finish one more chapter. I started a new class yesterday down at the yarn shop - learning to knit socks. At first using four little knitting needles was very awkward but it's getting easier as I go along. I have new canvases to make my collages for Linda's class over on Doll Street (the last batch had rips in them when I opened the package). Plus I have been working on the clock doll. This is the box she will be built around.

Well, must go - mirgraine kicking in and I can't see a thing right now except little flashing lights out of the corner of my eyes!

The sweater is done!

I went to a knitting retreat this past weekend - lots of fun! We knit and ate, knit and drank, knit and ate, knit and chatted, and knit and ate. We stayed at a rustic lodge,which is actually a restored bunkhouse from an old gold mine. The place was neat but the lighting left a lot to be desired. Next time we'll have to bring some Ott lights along. This particular lodge is really popular in the winter with the Japanese tourists who come to see the Northern Lights and each bedroom had a bare red light bulb mounted on the wall so you could still see but didn't interfere with seeing outside. Didn't do much this time of year as it is already light most of the night but I thought it was a great idea and I might have to get one for my living room next winter!

Although a lot of the women knew each other from the yarn shop, this particular retreat was formed (created? sponsored?) through an online group from the knitty social network, Ravelry. I think it's pretty fascinating that the social landscape has changed so much - dating, crafting, friends, it's all so common on-line now. Here's a photo of Sarah's son Blake modeling my baby sweater ... I am so glad it is done. It has lots of mistakes but I learned so much doing it! Now I have some wrist warmers and a scarf on my needles!

Photo taken with my iPhone - can't believe I forgot my camera!