Odds and Ends

I still haven’t spied any hummingbirds, but I know how the feeder is emptying.  Finches!  I saw finches at the feeder yesterday.

I’ve been trying to get some gardening done.  Thursday, I spent several hours weeding the front flowerbeds and pulling up all the Phlox.  Even wearing gloves the Phlox still pricked my hands and left me with a tingly numbness.  I must have a sensitivity to it.  Still need to transplant 3 Hostas, before they get much bigger.  They are already “ginormous”.  One of my neighbors even commented on how big they were.

Yesterday I got the new vegetables plants in the ground.  We’ve had so much rain lately, that when I was digging the holes for the plants, the bottom would fill with water.

All this exercise I’ve gotten in the past few days has left me with very sore muscles.  I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe I should buy stock in Blue Emu and Tylenol.

I’m really itching to play in my studio, but I guess I will wait until after I pick up my new toy  felting machine on Tuesday.  Really need to work on unpacking boxes in the guest room instead.

When Kathy called to tell me my machine was in, she said that Carol Ann was in the store when the UPS man delivered it and she ever so kindly offered to take the machine home and break it in for me.  Thanks for the offer, Carol.  You are so thoughtful.

Xanga has now opened up comments to everyone.  You don’t have to have a xanga account to post a comment anymore.  So I will be expecting a few comments once in a while. 
Did you hear that, dear children of mine?
                                        

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Christmas in April

I finally decided what I wanted for my 2006 Christmas present.  So this morning I called and ordered this.  I got a good deal and hopefully can pick it up next Tuesday.  Which means a trip to Lawton.

The crazy weather we’ve had killed off all the vegetable plants I put out.  We stopped at Lowe’s yesterday and bought replacements, hopefully they will fare better.

 

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Stripping in the Canyon or Skrappy Ladies Spring Retreat 2007

A good time was had by all, if you don’t count the night visitors rustling in the wall and the mysterious critter bite that had Marilyn jumping out of bed.  Of course being the well adjusted people that we are, we made jokes about it.  

We arrived at Canyon Camp Friday afternoon, and started setting up our little sewing areas.

For dinner we drove into Hinton for our usual Friday night mexican dinner.  I don’t remember the name of the restaurant, but they have very good food at great prices, and they always smile when they are invaded twice a year by a large group of crazy ladies.

The project for this retreat was String or Strip Quilts.  After dinner everyone piled their precut fabric strips on a table and the swapping and sewing began.

Last fall everyone brought fall themed blocks to retreat.  For every block you brought, you got your name added to the pot for a drawing.  Sharron won the blocks, and was supposed to put them together in a quilt top and bring it back to show at spring retreat.  Here is Sharron and the fall blocks.

She had blocks left over, so a name was drawn for the remaining blocks.  For this retreat, everyone made snowman themed blocks.  I like Sharron’s “Snowman Embryo”, the snowflake block.

There were enough blocks to divide and draw 2 names.  The winners were Jan and Sharron.

The camp feeds us 3 meals on Saturday and 2 meals on Sunday.  For some reason we always think we’re going to starve or there will be some major catastrophe, like the kitchen burning down while we’re there.  We are getting better though, this is about half of what we used to bring.

With all of the eating, laughing and discussions of “Snail Sex”, (don’t ask) some actual sewing took place.

Diane’s Spiderwebs

Jan’s Strip Quilt – I can’t remember the pattern name.

Marilyn’s Strippy Sunflowers

Melissa’s Spiderwebs

Sharron’s Strippy Center Medallion

Virginia’s Pastel Strippy Baby Quilt in progress

I decided that I really needed to work on a project that I have been working on at the last 2 retreats.  I did go ahead and trade strips with everyone because eventually I do want to make a string quilt.  So I spent the weekend making 18 star blocks for my Tennessee Waltz quilt.  I have them pinned on the wall with the snowball blocks between and have decided that I don’t like the bright coral color originally chosen for the snowball corners.  It’s too bright and dominates everything.  Thinking of going with a paler dusty orange.

Due to illness and work, some of the Skrappies couldn’t attend and were really missed.  Hopefully they can go to retreat in the fall.  The pattern chosen for fall retreat is “Rancher’s Daughter” on Debbie Caffrey’s site.  The theme for the quilt block drawing will be Angels.

Had a lot of fun and it was great spending time with good friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Canyon Camp, Here We Come.

This afternoon the Skrappy Ladies will descend on Canyon Camp for our spring retreat.  2 nights and 2 days of quilting, eating and talking.  Not always in that order, in fact I think we talk and laugh as much or more than we sew.  Hopefully in between all the eating, talking and sewing I will remember to take some pictures. 

I won’t be posting this weekend, but on Monday look for pictures and all the news that’s fit for posting. 
What happens in the canyon, doesn’t necessarily stay in the canyon.

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An FO (Finished Object)

I finished the needle felted needlbook that I started here.  Now I really have to get busy and finish cutting fabric strips for this weekend’s retreat.

 

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Procrastination Is My Middle Name

I’m supposed to be getting all my fabric cut and supplies ready for next weekend’s “Skrappy Ladies Canyon Retreat”.  Have I been doing that?  Of course not!  I’ve been doing this:

Making felt needlebooks. 

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Invisible Hummingbird

I keep filling the hummingbird feeder and the fluid keeps disappearing, but I’ve yet to see a single hummingbird.  They aren’t normally shy creatures.  I’ve had them fly up and “cheep” in front of my face to let me know the feeder is empty, or simply hover around checking out what I’m doing.  Hopefully soon I will spot one of the little critters.

Yesterday I set out the tomato, bell pepper and jalapeno plants.  Potted up some basil and geraniums.  I left some “flavored” mints in a pot on the patio all winter.  Thought they had all died, but a couple are coming back, I think it’s the orange and the pineapple.  I’m not good at telling which is which, maybe Donna can tell me.  I planned on weeding the front flowerbeds today, but Bill’s aunt is coming by for a visit and we’re going to lunch.  So maybe tomorrow.  I really need to transplant 3 of the Hostas.

I’m still doing the gusset decreases on the pink socks.  When you have to knit extra heel flap rows to accommodate a high instep and are knitting on size 0 dpns, seems like it takes forever to do all the decreases.

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The Sun Has Returned

The sun is back and supposedly it will start warming up again.  We’re going to set out the garden plants today.  If by some chance we do get another cold snap, guess we’ll just have to cover them.  I’m still waiting on the herbs I ordered, anxious to get them planted.  I miss my old herb garden, it was pretty well established and I had fresh herbs almost year round.

The car dealership where Bill bought his truck held a new owner’s orientation last night.  They were giving a TV away as a door prize.  As Bill was leaving for the orientation I told him “Don’t forget to bring the TV home”.  He replied that the only way that would happen is if he stopped by the electronics store on the way home.  He was the lucky winner last night and returned home with a 20″ LCD Flat Screen TV to go in his study.

I’m off to work in the garden.

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Happy Easter

                                                            Vintage Postcard 

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Museum Visit

Tuesday we went to the OKC Museum of Art.  There were 2 exhibits that we especially went to see.  Napoleon – An Intimate Portrait and the Dale Chihuly Exhibition.  They were both fascinating.  There were some garments on display in the Napoleon exhibit. I knew that people were smaller in stature back then, but seeing a sleeve from one of his jackets really brought it home.  The sleeve looked as though it would fit a child. My favorite exhibit was the Chihuly glass.  The rooms where the glass is displayed are dark and the lighting makes the glass come alive.  I tried to take pictures but they didn’t come out very well.  I had to use the flash in order to get a clear picture and then it washed out the color and deadened the glass.  The pictures I took without the flash are warmer and more closely resemble the glass, but are blurry because I couldn’t hold the camera still long enough.

         Taken with flash                                                 Without flash

One of my favorites was the hallway with the colored glass displayed over a clear ceiling.  Caught Kerry taking a picture of the ceiling.  This is just a small portion of the hallway.  For a larger view, be sure to click on the picture below.

 

Since we were already downtown, we went to Bricktown for lunch.  Ate at Zio’s and then checked out the canal.  There aren’t any crowds when you visit Bricktown on a weekday.

 

For knitting content, how about a picture of my progress on the Tidal Wave socks?  I’ve turned the heel and started the gusset decreases.

 

 

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