A post in June! WooHoo

 I know I have been REALLY defunct in updating my blog!!  I've been busy but doing what, I can't think of what I have been doing!  HA

I started a new lace knitting project!  It's another pattern by DanDoh/Yumiko Alexander.  Yes, I am hooked on her patterns. 

 This is called Wavelets and it's really an easy pattern...no form fitting..just a relaxed lace top for summer!  I'm using her Cotton Air yarn, which is as thin as embroidery yarn!  And the pattern uses two strands but...I am shocked how easy it is to knit with.  

I don't remember when I started this top but this was taken on June 14th.  I had both front and back knitted.  Blocking in the summer sun!  Bob was afraid the birds would leave a 'present' for me on top!  HA  

I'm using Yumilo's ICE color, which is almost a pale blue.  It's a pretty color and I'm making progress.  I took this pic the other day after being out the humid Michigan weather!!! UGH...no, I don't like summer heat. So excuse the fuzzy hair!  HA

And check out the necklace I found at our little craft sale this weekend!!!  I was looking to see if I had any type of blue necklace but only had white.  I think this is really cool and the color matches perfectly! The stone is wrapped in copper.

I've finished one sleeve and will start on second sleeve this weekend.  I am planning on another trip to Ohio to meet up with my sister and nieces/nephews in July.  I should have finished by then!!!  

This is another distraction we have!  Bird watching.  this is a Red Bellied Woodpecker and a female Oriole!  We have tons of birds on our deck.  I have two jelly feeders, oranges and hummingbird feeders up.  We love watching the birds while we eat or when I'm cooking and doing dishes.  Love the little guys!

And, no, I haven't worked on any of the circle challenges since my last post!  Knitting has taken a priority!  If I have 30 min., I'm  knitting.  I don't sit during the daytime to knit and usually will get some time in after dinner/dishes before World News comes on at 6:30 (only news I watch).  Of course, dog walks are also after dinner too!  Where does the day go!  

Mother's Day 2025

 One of the best Mother’s Days ever! A perfect Mother's Day! It all started with another fantastic brunch made by Dawn. I was so excited to dig in that I completely forgot to take pictures of the spread... but trust me, it was a feast: crispy bacon, sausage, golden hash browns, overnight French toast, a veggie frittata and a ham/veggie frittata, two kinds of scones, fresh blackberries and raspberries.

And the best part? Being surrounded by my kids, all together, sharing stories and laughter. After brunch, we soaked up the sunshine and just enjoyed each other’s company.

Family, Food, and Conversation—the perfect recipe for a perfect day!

My son didn't want me to post pics on social media so I'm posting pics of all the kids here instead! Afterall, this blog is for me! It was the best Mother's Day I can remember. Just a wonderful day with the family!!!! We don't have enough of them now a days!!!

Bob and I

My babies! Darrin & Dawn

Nancy, Kris' mom

My grand babies...Amber and Nick

My son -in law, Jeff  and daughter-in-law, Kris

Circle Challenge Week 17 & 18

 Yes, I'm still working on the Circle Project.  From my understanding, this is a weekly challenge for the entire year!  Yep...the entire year.  My squares are all around 6 inches so easy to finish in a week's time.

Week 17: Dogma Rules: 

1. 1 piece of fabric you think looks nice together with week 16. Trace 1 circle. 

2. Make small marks on the fabric, random (I show you a way in the video), make as many as you like, but at least 15. Trace small/smaller circles where the marks are.

 3. Use only satin stitches/ flad syning på dansk and embroider each circle you have marked up.

 4. Thread. Use thicker threads in colors you think looks good on your fabric.

 

Week 18:  Dogma Rules: 1. 

1 piece of watercolor paper or cardstock. Trace 1 circle. Paint it light blue.

 2. Trace 1 smaller circle centered on the blue circle. Pre poke holes in the circumference of both traced lines. Make a smaller one inside the “ring” you already have made and do it exactly the same way.

 3. Use only the herringbone stitch/ på dansk heksesting. 

4. Thread. A color you think looks good on your painted piece.

I finished knitting the top but still have to knit the sleeves on.  To be honest....I am not happy with my workmanship.  I see several 'issues' with my knitting...so what to do...finish and just wear around the house?  Don't finish?  Send to Goodwill for someone else to finish it?  Or just unknit the entire bugger!  which I am seriously thinking of doing.  SIGH...........

Easter 2025 Weekend

Good Friday was kicked off with Easter ham dinner shared with my kids—we missed Dawn (living it up in Paris!) and Nick (hitting the books at college). The kids continued a sweet tradition and gifted me a gorgeous lily plant.

Saturday, I picked up my new Buick Envision Avenir! I love it!!! We're lucky to have Bob's brother sell cars so he always finds just what we want! This is a 2025 and replaces my 3 yr old Envision. They are similar but so many more features on the new car! My last Envision I turned in only had 12,009 miles on it - and it was a 3 yr lease! I don't get out of Goodrich often! HA

On Sunday, Jeff joined us for a ham and scalloped potato dinner & came bearing treats! Kris dropped off the Easter basket filled with her famous sugar cookies—an entire dozen of perfection—and Jeff sweetened the deal with Baskin-Robbins strawberry cheesecake ice cream for Bob and me to try.

Yep, what's left of a delicious cookie with a cup of tea!!!

The weekend was busy, joyful and filled with love, laughter, and plenty of good food... but sadly, not a single family photo. Maybe next time! Where have I said that before!

Circle Challenge 15 & 16

Still keeping up!!!!  

Week 15

Dogma Rules:

1. A piece of heavy watercolor paper or cardstock. Trance 1 circle and paint it in a light wash in one of these colors: blue, green or turquoise. Mark up 3 slices, If you want to have a center in the middle or off center the slices are up to you.

 2. Punch a bigger hole where the 3 slices meet and punch holes in the outer circle line of all 3 slices.

3. Now it is like mending socks. Make the warp. Come up from behind in the outer circle and go down in the middle hole, and so on. Do the same on the 2 other slices.

 4. Start weaving/mending. Go over and under the threads in the warp, the row. Do it opposite in the next row and so on. 5. Thread:  one in the colors blue, green or turquoise. 

Week 16

Dogma Rules: Inspiration: Abstract landscape.

 1. 1 piece of background fabric. 4 strips of different patterned/colored fabric of your choice. Sew the 4 strips together so you’re able to trace 1 circle where all the 4 fabrics are visible.

 2. Use only straight vertical stitches/ på dansk lige vertikale sting. How big/small and where on your fabric you will embroider the stitches is up to you. Sew only inside the traced circle. 

3. Thread color free. Be inspired by your fabric. 

4. When you’re done with your embroidery, cut the circle out, place it on your background fabric and invisible basting it down.

Until We Bead Again

 I found Beth Murr's we site years ago and purchased her beading patterns.  Because these old eyes find it hard to bead, I haven't been beading lately.  I see where Beth has retired from nursing and is posting  her patterns, YouTubes and Etsy shop again!  

If you wanted to learn peyote stitching (making rings, etc.) check out her blog!  Beth's blog,  

These are some I made back in 2018?  I still use mine but I only have the orange one and needle case next to the orange that I kept.  Others were given as gifts.  They are fun to make and you'll impress your friends with your work!  

Circle Work continues!

 Week 12

Dogma Rules: 

1. 1 piece of a light colored fabric and 1 piece of a dark colored fabric, in the same size and in the same color family. You decide the color. Sew them together to 1 square.

 2. Trace 1 circle with something erasable. 3. Only sew the Sheaf stitch / på dansk Knippe sting. Sew them as big/ small /random/in columns/in rows/in circles, or as you wish.

3. Use 2 color threads as the colors of your fabrics and sew with the light color thread on the dark fabric and the other way around.

Week 13:

 1. 1 piece of fabric in your hair color. Trace 1 circle on the fabric. 

2. Use a punch holes thing for ring binders and punch as many dots as you want. Use black or another color you can see on the fabric of card stock or some thick painted paper. 3. Drizzle/ sprinkle the dots on your fabric inside the traced circle. They will land totally random and that's the meaning. Glue the dots with a tiny dot of glue stick or make a small mark where they landed..

 4. Use only the "Star stitch" ( in this case 1 cross stitch and a plus stitch upon each other), as big or small as you like, and sew all your dots down with that stitch. 5. Sew running, double running or back stitches on the traced circle line. 6. Thread color free.

Week 14:

Dogma Rules

: 1. A piece of fabric in one of these colors: blue, green or turquoise. 

2. Trace as many and what sizes you want of small circles on the square/rectangle piece of fabric. 

3. Only use chain stitches/ på dansk kædesting. Stitch whatever you like with the stitch inside every traced circle. 

4. Threads, the same color family as your fabric. If you have variegated threads/thread with color shifts, use them

Having our spring book sale at the library so lots of work to do this week with setup!  Friday and Saturday are sale days....no knitting this week!  But I did finish my circle project!  

Dogma Rules: 1. A piece of fabric in one of these colors: blue, green or turquoise. 2. Trace as many and what sizes you want of small circles on the square/rectangle piece of fabric. 3. Only use chain stitches/ pitch whatever you like with the stitch inside every traced circle. 4. Threads, the same color family as your fabric. If you have variegated threads/thread with color shifts, use them.

Dogma Rules: 1. A piece of fabric in one of these colors: blue, green or turquoise. 2. Trace as many and what sizes you want of small circles on the square/rectangle piece of fabric. 3. Only use chain stitches/ whatever you like with the stitch inside every traced circle. 4. Threads, the same color family as your fabric. If you have variegated threads/thread with color shifts, use them.

Dogma Rules: 1. A piece of fabric in one of these colors: blue, green or turquoise. 2. Trace as many and what sizes you want of small circles on the square/rectangle piece of fabric. 3. Only use chain stitches/ på dansk kædesting. Stitch whatever you like with the stitch inside every traced circle. 4. Threads, the same color family as your fabric. If you have variegated threads/thread with color shifts, use them.

More drawing in my journal!

Yes, I still need to knit my sweater but I'm having fun filling in  my gelli print journal pages!  

I think this pic might be upside down but you'll get what the page looked like before I started!

I used the circles to draw flowers...no particular flower...just my made up one!  HA

I also used my Faber-Castel crayons to color in the edges of the papers.  I love those crayons...forgot I had them!  Who knew!  They are in my dye room on shelves with other pens and crayons.

This was another page printed and in the journal.  It too could be upside down.  HA

Just played with more flowers.  I need more practice for sure..

I used Neocolor pencils to color in some areas and then used a wet brush to blend.  

OK, so I'll get back to knitting for a few days...then back to the journal.  I'm going to have to add more pages...but that's not a problem.  I have an entire Rubbermaid container full of papers I made back in Hilary's online classes!

 

Christmas Cards for 2025!

 

Crazy, I know...but I finished over 60 Christmas cards for this coming Christmas!  The spring/summer get so busy and if I wait I will be rushed.  I've only been sending out cards every other year for the past few years.  So now all I'll have to do is take my time writing a message to friends and family in the cards.  Print out labels and mail!  Easy!

It is mindless cutting/stitching rows together of different fabrics.  

I had some Christmas fabrics I purchased as well as Charlie Harper fabric.

Love Charlie Harper fabrics!

I also like the mixture of old time Christmas fabrics. They both make up nice cards...

This is a mix of both!  HA

So now they sit just waiting for Christmas!

Actually, I put them all in a plastic bag on a shelf in my sewing room.  Who knows...some rainy day I might even print out the labels to put on the envelop before Christmas!  HA

Drawing and stencil papers

 Since the 'puzzle' is finished and given to my friend, Donna...Now I have time to work here and there on my journals of hand painted papers.

So I saw my stencil journal with a few pages in it and decided to add some drawings to it.  Not my strong suit but fun to be doing something with the pages.  

original on left and papers added on rt

Added funky leaves...good practice!

This was another page using old printed/stamped/stenciled papers.  Kinda boring! 

I started a little flower....suppose to be Queen Anne's Lace!  I'm learning!

I think it filled in the area pretty good!

This was a page that I glued down a flower from a coloring book I had.  I used some colored pens to try to enhance the flower and leaves.  

I wasn't getting the flower dark enough so I got out some colored pencils which seemed to work better to add more color.  

Before and (rt) covering with papers

Hard to see the little flower on the side...but it's there!  HA

Just having fun with some drawing.  Now to get back to knitting and practicing drawing more flowers and leaves.  A good start! 

Family Time

Last weekend, we had a wonderful family visit with Bob’s son, Ron, and daughter-in-law, Mary Jo! The guys got to race RC cars together for the first time in over 40+ years—such a special moment! Thanks to Acprc in Burton for providing a great place for them to race. Arron also let them in to race by themselves, which was great!!! Of course, Bob was thrilled that he beat his son! HA Ron hasn't raced RC cars in years! They did enjoy bonding again!!!

Mary Jo and I enjoyed some retail shopping in downtown Ortonville, visited the Cottage Used Books in Goodrich, and wrapped up the day with a specialty coffee from ABeanToGo in Goodrich. We both love our coffee

Over dinner, we listened to the racing highlights—what a great experience for Bob and Ron! Since we don’t get to visit often, we cherish the memories we create when we’re together.

MaryJo gave me this lovely vase with tulips (fake - so they'll last from year to year). I love the vase...it's so unique!!

Kids live in Indiana so we don't get to see them very often. But they are great to take time out of their busy schedules and drive up to spend time with us. I know Bob really appreciated the time with his son. Ron is great and calls Bob every Sunday evening. AND  THEY TALK FOR OVER ONE HOUR AT LEAST! MaryJo and I have to laugh as we're not sure what or how they can talk to each other that long but they do!

We just had a great weekend with them!!!!!! More memories and MaryJo remembered to take a picture!!!!

Some progress and one completion!

 Yep, I'm still working on the weekly circle challenge!  Here are 10 & 11!

Dogma Rules week 10: 1. 1 piece of heavy watercolor paper or cardstock. Trace at least 3 circles in the same size, wherever you like on the paper. Cut the circles out. Pre-poke the holes. 2. Stitch the way I show you in the video on YouTube, or follow the diagram. I have no name for this kind of stitching. Do each circle differently, meaning different amount of poked holes between where you are coming up and down. 3. Use white or cream colored thread. 4. Free options. Paint your page in your book in a light color or glue a piece of colored paper on the backside of your embroidery.

Dogma Rules week 11: 1. 1 piece of light-colored fabric of your choice. Trace 1 circle with something erasable and divide the circle up into 5 different areas as you want. 2. Only sew the # stitch/ hashtag sting, 3. Use 5 different colors of threads as the color of your fabric, just different in value/ tones so they are visible. 4. Sew each of the 5 areas with one of the colors.

It's hard to see but there are 5 different color of yellow threads. The picture almost makes the top right look white...and the yellow I used in the center blends with the edge. Guess I need to redo or alter in photoshop.

AND I finished Susan's puzzle she gifted me for my birthday! WOOHOO! Now back to my regular scheduled program(s)! HA Thanks, Susan! I did gift this to my bud, Donna! She was working on a 1000 piece but said she gave up. She's looking forward to putting this one together! It really is a pretty puzzle! Thanks again, Susan!!