Photography

When I went back to Pennsylvania to help my dad with my Grandmother's estate in 2005, I dug up some of her outdoor plants and replanted them in my yard here in KC. I took some of her rhubarb that she had for years and I also took a few sedum plants, which she called Live for Evers. This was the first year that I was able to use the rhubarb because I wanted to let the plant get well established before I stared using it. This summer I was able to cut a few of the ribs and made strawberry-rhubarb sauce for french toast that was excellent! You'll just have to take my word for it because the rhubarb is not too photogenic. BUT the Live for Evers finally bloomed this past week or so and they were gorgeous!!! Every year I like to take pictures of the flowers, I think they are super pretty and I also like that they remind me of my Grandma! Enjoy!

Completed Project-Good Luck Owl

I saw recently on the show, Uncommon Threads (on the DIY Network )instructions for a "Good Luck Doll" and I instantly LOVED the concept. I thought that would be a great housewarming gift.... something that had a great thought behind it and that the person could use as a decoration in their house. I wanted to make this as an additional gift for Emily's housewarming party but I thought that the doll was a bit plain and I didn't think that her boyfriend would be too excited about putting a doll on their couch. Sooo I stored the idea in the back of my head just in case I had an opportunity to make it for someone else. Then when I was researching the knitted back pack that I wanted to make for my son, I came across a stuffed owl at Craftsburykids.com. It looked more like a throw pillow than a children's toy.... And then it hit me!!! What about a "Good Luck Owl"?? It wasn't super feminine and it looked like a pillow so I decided to completely "rip off" the Owl design and make one that looked almost exactly like it. I know... I know... doesn't take a lot of creativity, but keep in mind that I decided to make this yesterday, got it done today because tomorrow is the housewarming party. The result is the picture below. I have noticed that the shape of mine is a bit more exaggerated and I made it pretty large. It ended up being 22" tall and 12" wide. I embroidered the face and the feathers on the body are done with fabric paint. I think that it turned out alright but next time I might adjust the pattern and make it a little more "my own".

Completed Projects-Knitting

I would consider myself a beginner-intermediate knitter. I am a self taught knitter and was a very basic beginner when I started working at UA+C. Since I am surrounded by advanced knitters and we are permitted to knit when we are at work, I am always inspired to knit more advanced projects. I have been pretty impressed by my knitting accomplishments and recently I decided to take a "stab" at circular needles. I knitted a stocking cap for my 2 yr old son and I think it turned out great. I used Lan'g Yarns' Mille Colori in the color 077 and I followed Ann Norling's Head Hugger Pattern. This is how it turned out:

I was also recently challenged to make my own knitting pattern for a pair of fingerless gloves. UA+C generally has free patterns that they give away when you buy 2 balls of one particular yarn. The Free patterns are generally ones that the staff has created, and since I had just made a pair of the Louisa Harding fingerless gloves, I thought figured that I could come up with a pattern for something similar and much much easier. Here is the result. I used On Line Linie 210 Padua and of course, my pattern :-) Here is one of the gloves:

My next project: When I was in Springfield earlier this month I stumbled across a store that looks like I merchandised!!! They had the cutest things and I would have bought one of everything if I could. One of the things that I thought was SOOOOO cute were these knitted kid's backpacks. I have been looking for a cute little backpack for my son and this fit the ticket. I checked out the price, and although it was very reasonable, I decided for the same price, I could make one myself. I also think that it will be a fun challenge to create the initial pattern. I have tons of yarn and I could use any of those, but I might buy something special for this project.

Current work-Kansas Landscape

Soo... I have a housewarming party to go to this weekend for my friend and old college roommate, Emily. My usual gift for these types of occasions is a painting and in this circumstance I really wanted to paint her one. She has one of my splatter paintings that I did in 2003, but ever since one of her male friends decided that it reminded him of a certain part of the male anatomy, no one can see past that. I have a feeling that she is probably not going to hang up her splatter painting and I wanted to give her something that she could be proud to own and one that wouldn't remind anyone of any human's anatomy.



Emily's house is pretty old and the interior architecture is in a traditional-arts & crafts-Frank Lloyd Wright-style, so I thought that a landscape would be a pretty traditional subject matter. I also decided to take it in a bold and very colorful direction because the inside of her house is painted in multiple colors. I knew immediately that I wanted to paint her a "Kansas" landscape because both Emily and her boyfriend, Galen, are from Kansas, their new house is in Missouri and I thought that they needed a reminder of where they came from. I like where the painting is but I think that it still needs more... and I am not sure where to go from here.



I hope that I can figure out what I want to do with it before Saturday, because I would really like to give it to her at her party.... we will see how that goes. I also hope that Emily isn't reading this right now, but in case she is.... Happy Housewarming, Em!!!!

Completed Project-Frechy Bag

I finally completed my Frenchy Bag. It looks great and was super easy to sew. The sewing took me about 2 hours and I am really happy with the outcome. Now my sis-in-law, Sally, can stop making fun of my gynormous purses! YAY. Unfortunately this will be the last project for a while! I am moving my craft area from one room to another and that will take me a few weeks to accomplish. I just painted an old desk that I use as a sewing table and once that is done I will be starting to move my stuff. Hopefully it won't take me as long as expected because I have start making my son's Halloween costume, which I think is going to be an easy button this year.... long story. I am also going to have to start on Christmas presents sometime soon. I am not sure at this point what I am going to make this year for everyone, but I am going to have to decide soon cause Christmas is quickly approaching.