Savoring the Reward

Just this afternoon, while picking black raspberries,

one red raspberry made itself known.

So as I took this photo (with my head down) 

the sky grew dark, the winds whipped up, 

and I was dive bombed by crab apples! I quickly 

picked up my berries & camera and hustled back to the house. 

Convinced I must have berry stains on my white shirt,

(I know...) I safely stepped indoors just as rain 

fell in buckets. No berry stains on my white shirt. 

For my narrow escape, the red one is mine.

Open Studio Sunday

 On the banks of Skaneateles Lake there sits a surprise: 

a serene yet vibrant lavender farm. 

 My dear friend Tracy and her lovely mother Norma

invited me to join them this morning at the farm's 

4th annual Finger Lakes Lavender Festival.

 Walking among rows of lavender for the picking, 

observing the minute differences between varieties, 

deeply breathing in the calming fragrance 

with the sun on my face -

I can't imagine a better Sunday morning,  

Norma and Tracy!

and these are the two spectacular women responsible. 

Cindy Petters's talented hands at work.

The variety of artists & fine craftspeople was a pleasant 

surprise. While I enjoyed talking with many of the artists, 

I have to say that meeting Cindy Petters of 

Farmgirl Sass was clearly a highlight.

Wish you could get closer? Visit her online!

 A few words about Cindy and her work:

charming, meaningful, engaging, fun and

all at once, down to earth & ethereal.

Crepes, any one? How French!

Scissors and a seat are all you need to bring home 

a bundle of fresh lavender goodness.

How easy to pass the day in one of these pretty

chairs just people watching, taking in the views 

and eating lavender crepes.

My take-home loot, and as fate 

would have it, this Cindy Petters necklace is titled:

"Love & Embrace What Is."

A Visit To the Extraordinary

Tracy, Marjorie, Ginny's niece, Sue, Renee, Nancy and Cheryl Schaefer

Today, some of my knitting friends & I enjoyed a spectacular visit 

to the one and only Schaefer Yarns! I asked my car full of 

fiber friends to share what they enjoyed most.

Tracy

Cheryl is a delightful host!  She shared the ins and outs and 

ups and downs of her business along with anecdotes that were entertaining. 

Since I have no business experience, it was very interesting to me 

to hear about how she deals with various suppliers in different countries, 

and how the ebb and flow of things with her suppliers 

means that she must also be very adaptable.
I loved seeing all of the rooms where the dyeing and skein winding 

were done.  I really enjoy getting to know the entire process, which helps me 

appreciate, all the more, the end product.

 

 

Renee

I had a great time. Cheryl is AWESOME!

I totally scored...Spun Right Round now

carries Schaefer Yarns!!

 

Marjorie

The names of the color ways are based on famous women.

The skeins hanging on the drying racks.

Cheryl herself - how friendly & welcoming to her business.

Yours Truly

Like my friends, I was impressed that Cheryl Schaefer gave us a personal tour. 
That she's funny and down to earth made it even more enjoyable.

Her flower gardens are a show unto themselves. Walking among the colors and
 textures made me wonder which of my favorite Schaefer color ways were 
inspired by these very gardens....   

From the cones, to the dye baths, to the drying racks, 

Schaefer Yarns truly earn their reputation for being 
of the highest quality, and for providing consistent, 
exquisite color combinations. 

We can't thank you enough, Cheryl, for 
an extraordinary Saturday morning!

(My loot!)

Jam Session

When my lovely friend Lara Smoot posted a 

recipe for Blueberry & Lime Jam on her blog, 
I just had to try it. Any recipe Lara sends my way 
is delicious and this one's no exception.

If you make this recipe, use Lara's two modifications:

2 packets of dry pectin & 4 cups of sugar.

Try it drizzled (warm) over vanilla ice cream or ricotta cheese,

over steel cut oats with a dollop of natural peanut butter, or, 
drum roll please.....

 make an ooey-gooey sandwich with toasted whole grain 
bread slathered with peanut butter, Blueberry Lime jam 
and homemade marshmallow.

(Scroll down to Wednesday March 9th, 2011.)

C'mon, I dare ya!

Proof Through the Night

Ablaze over the lake.

Reminding me what brings my family together each 

4th of July holiday is the mesmerizing fireworks 

display over Keuka Lake. 

Here's one of my heroes, Utah Phillips,

telling the story of how our national anthem, 

The Star Bangled Banner, came to be.

Definitely worth eleven minutes. 

Happy Independence Day, America!

Meet me here again on Wednesday, July 6th.

Open Studio Sunday

Introducing my first free Project Linus quilt design:

Cartwheels

Sunny day pictures coming soon!

This overcast day can't dampen my love for 

this simple, airy, happy quilt!

 Fast! This design took one day to cut, piece, 

layer and pin, then another half day to quilt and bind. 

The entire time I worked on this quilt, I imagined 

a child wrapped in it, and my heart went a flutter. 

There's something about making for and 

giving to young people, especially those in need. 

For me, it's about feeling. 

So, give this quilt a whirl and feel happy!

The free quilt pattern & instructions will be posted 

in the next few weeks! You'll find it right next to the 

Project Linus link in the right side bar.

Home made sewing table review:

The table I fashioned on Friday from DOW styrofoam

boards works pretty well. I haven't added that top layer 

of clear vinyl, and I'm not sure I'll need to. I was able to 

manage the quilt: maneuvering the bulk, feeding the quilt 

toward the feed dogs, and remaining comfortable 

while sewing. I can recommend this for any sewer needing

a larger work surface and an easy fabrication. 

Here's another great use for DOW rigid styrofoam 

(blue) boards: tape a few sheets together for a custom,

lightweight design wall that you can then pin into and 

iron fabric against without ruining the styrofoam board.

Happy designing & sewing!

Finally Friday!

This hydrangea is right under my window.

I could look at it for hours.

I could, but I didn't. 

Instead, this morning I sewed the backing, 

then layered and pinned the Project Linus Quilt. Hooray!

Then, I hit the wall.

I've been at a crossroads: either invest in a 

long arm, or devise a sewing table that doesn't cause 

me quilting frustration and strain. I chose the latter. 

This afternoon, I had a few DOW rigid styrofoam 

boards delivered to my house. 

Fairly easily, with an X-Acto knife I cut the boards 

to the length of my table, and then cut out 

the spot for my sewing machine. To match the height 

of my sewing deck I layered a 2" thick piece over 

a 1" thick piece. Voila! A large, smooth sewing surface 

in under 45 minutes, and for less than $90.00.

I can't take credit for coming up with this solution 

on my own. I saw a YouTube video of a woman building her 

sewing table this way. I can't remember the link so I hope  

my photos and brief description suffice if you want to 

make one for yourself. 

The video's last step was covering the whole surface 

with clear vinyl. I imagine I'll do that tomorrow.

I'll test drive over the weekend, and I'll keep you 

posted on the overall handling and performance.