Ready for the Fair

I finally made something out of those Dresden plates.  Well, I made two somethings--and I still have several plates left over, plus a ziploc bag full of blades.  Anywhoo, on to the finished products:

I used five of the smaller plates to make this table runner.  I was thinking about entering it in the Grange Fair this year, but my lack of patience won out.  I wanted to be finished with the binding, so I stitched in the ditch instead of hand-stitching.  I really feel like it should be hand-stitched to enter it in the fair.

But I really love it.  I love how pretty my table looks.  And I don't even mind that I've already spilt coffee on it, because I know it's the first of years' worth of spills that this table runner is going to see.

I used a thrifted sheet for the back.

Now that quilt?  I did hand stitch the binding on the back.  'Cause this one is going to the fair.

Let me be clear: there are mistakes in the quilt.  My free-motion quilting is full of irregular stitches and meandering straight lines.  And I harbor no delusions of this quilt's winning.  Believe me, I have seen the winners in years past, and they are magnificent.  I do this for fun. Last year when we walked into the exhibition hall, we saw my quilt on display, and the kids got all excited (I did too).  The Grange fair is quickly becoming the highlight of our August.  Now I have to start tweaking my cookie and cake entries!

Re-Entry, or a Late Start

We've never gone on vacation this early in the summer.  We usually go in late July or mid-August.  This year, we left just two weeks after the kids got out of school, and during that time I felt like I was just marking days off the calendar until our departure.

We're back, and it feels like our summer can begin in earnest.  I wonder, are we re-entering or just starting?  I'm opting for just starting.  A shorter summer will be that much sweeter.

Now we can establish our rhythm of library visits, afternoons at the pool, late dinners, and baked goods made by committee.  The 4-H fair catalog arrived Tuesday, and the eleven-year-old is eager and persistent about beginning her first fair entry--a quilt.  I have two potential fair entries of my own that are in different stages of completion, so sharing my machine, ironing board and creative space will become part of my days for the next few weeks.

But just as some of us have jumped with both feet into new endeavors, there are still loose ends from vacation to tie up.  Our laundry pile is not a mountain so much as an entire range.  My trip to the laundromat on our return date gave me a good start, but in the days since then, the kids have already re-worn and soiled about half the clothes I washed.  Our laundry is further complicated by some unwanted souvenirs we brought home: head lice.  Sheets, towels, pillows and blankets have become part of the daily cleaning routine this week.

I remind myself that this is temporary.  The microscopic egg sacs will eventually all be found and removed, and our hair will not stink forever from tea tree oil shampoo.  One day soon I can stop vacuuming the couch, and the kids will be allowed to sit on it without donning a shower cap first.

Of course, they don't really need to be on the couch since I haven't allowed them to watch TV in three days.  I'm calling it "Unplugged Summer," and they claim to hate me for it.  I know I'm supposed to guide them in their show selection and help them moderate their viewing habits, but it's just so much easier on me to ban the TV outright.  Computer and Wii are also included in this ban.  The mind-numbing effect of any kind of screen on them is disturbing, and although I watched TV pretty much whenever I wanted during the summer when I was a kid, it was different.  I had to be at swim team practice twice a day (my kids don't).  I spent several hours a day at the pool in between those practices (my kids don't).  And although we had cable "back in the day," it looked nothing like the cable selection of 2011.  I did not have on-demand access to a library of programs.

So I find myself reluctantly unplugged, since leading by example is the only way to go on this.  My computer time is going to be much more limited this summer, and my posting will be like I hope my children's screen habits will become--limited and intentional.

I have many things from our trip to share, but I'm going to savor the details and take my time writing them down.  In the meantime, we'll be at home adjusting to a slower pace and soaking in as much summer as we can.

ADVENTure Report

My ADVENTure got off to a rough start.  I had to re-knit this cowl because it was way too big.  But then I had enough yarn left over to make these girly mitts (free pattern on ravelry). These are for my seven-year-old niece.

 And for her older brother, some mitts (which I have to finish);

 And a ribbed cowl.

A big thanks to Kristyn for getting us all excited about this year-long ADVENTure!

I'm checking out for a couple of weeks.  Happy Fourth of July!

New Season

Hey there.  We are working on finding our groove this summer.  We in that stage where the children are too young to be left home alone, but they sure don't want to go the the grocery store with me.  

 We've been making lots of library trips.  Many drop-offs and pick-ups for playdates.  Many games of chess.

 Haven't made cookies yet. 

 One sleep-over.  That has resulted in a sleep-over moratorium.  And I'm fine with that.

 We're (reluctantly) doing what we call Math Olympics. 

And there is knitting.  Pictures soon, I promise!

The last day--two out of three

Today is the last day of school.  And it's a half-day.  The kids are pumped, and whether I'm ready or not, summer is here.  I'm not really ready, but I'm okay with that.

There are no grand plans for the summer.  There is an epic roadtrip in our future, and after that, we'll probably be chillin' at the pool.  When we're not at the library.  We're going to see a few plays--I may even drag them to a Shakespeare festival.  There will be the 4-H fair in August.

This summer seems like it's going to be shorter--they go back on August 30.  We're going to soak in as much fun as we can.

Friday Five

 1.  I was at my new favorite shopping place yesterday--the antiques barn.  I brought home some new insulators for my collection.  I spent alot of time with a wooden and metal milk crate, trying to visualize where it would go and how I would use it...and I decided not to bring it home.  Ah, but maybe if it's there the next time...

 2. Last Friday, I had some time to kill while I was waiting to meet my mother-in-law. I was at an outlet mall, and I went in to the book outlet.  I've been in it before, and I know it's usually full of books I've never heard of or wouldn't want.  Even the "going out of business" sign on the door didn't get me excited until I walked over to the crafts section.  See that Mason-Dixon book with the $9.99 sticker on it?  I paid $2.00 for it!  The Gentle Art of Domesticity--that I've been trying to find in my library for a couple of years?? Two dollars!  It was very exciting.

 3.  These are my library books, not the kids'.  I plan to read an insane amount of children's literature this summer--why should the kids have all the fun?  And if they want to copy me, even better!

 4.  Chocolate chip.  I just don't think there's any reason to make any other kind of cookie.

5.  Not nearly as romantic as a clothesline, but that's okay.

This weekend will be much more relaxed that the previous one.  I am hoping to go to the pool and maybe go strawberry picking.  That's it!

Counting down

The kids' last day of school is next Thursday.  I am all too aware of how quickly this time will pass.

Somebody turned ELEVEN last week!

I should be outside planting flowers.  And then I should be out shopping for the third grade end-of-the-year party.

Dresden fun--sidelined indefinitely.  Maybe they'll come out in time for the 4-H fair!

And of course, there's always laundry.

ADVENTure FAIL!  Way too big for intended recipient.  Starting over...

Here I go--past the large stack of library books and out into the garden.