Let's Make Baby Quilts! {5/6/16}

Let's Make Baby Quilts Linky Party Rules: 
Link directly to your post or specific Flickr photo. Your post can be about a baby quilt that's finished, or in progress, or you can be writing about what you have planned,  as long as it's about baby quilts. You're welcome to link to baby quilt posts that aren't brand new, but please don't submit the same post or picture more than once. I'd love it if you linked back to my site, either with a text link or the Let's Make Baby Quilts! button.

{Throwback Thursday} Red Scraps and a Pattern from Mom's New Magazine

When I first started quilting, I went through a phrase where I'd see a pattern, think I could pull of the technique, take myself up on the dare and immediately start cutting fabric. This is one of those quilts. 

We were at Mom's house for Christmas and I was flipping through one of her quilting magazines and found the pattern for this one. She gave in to my begging and let me borrow the magazine for a little while and I started cutting red scraps. A few blocks in, I wasn't sure if I was making a cute quilt or wasting all of my best red fabric.

The quilt came together and I was happy with it....then I started seeing pictures from Infinite Variety and I wanted my red fabrics back in my stash. Almost nine years later, I've bought more reds and I'm happy with the quilt again.

If I was doing it again, I'd buy a piece of red yardage for the back. As fond as I am of pieced backs, I could have made much better use of these cuts of fabric.

Three More Squares....Or Eight....Or Sixteen...

It's starting to look like I could have made the afghan without buying that extra skein of thrift store yarn. Now I need to decide whether to start seaming all of those blocks together now or wait until I do more sorting and find out if there's more old green yarn hiding in the sewing room.

I know that there's at least one skein of a paler green acrylic that I'm never ever going to use for anything else, so I figure I'll dig at least until I find that one.  If I make this bigger, I can use up more stash yarn. I estimate I'm at 1200 yards so far and since that green was never going to be suitable for anything else, I'm thrilled!



I happily lost myself for a while in The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror by Joyce Carol Oates. The title story was chilling, but it was the others that really pulled me in. "Gun Accident," about a teenager who is asked to house sit for her favorite teacher, was my absolute favorite. Mrs. McClelland is oddly frantic and Hanna is so careful to do the job well and not betray the older woman's trust.  It's set in 1961 and I wish the author hadn't felt the need to interject that "This was in an era before voice mail. A phone simply rang and ran in an empty house, with no way of recording a lost call."  That bit was jarring and unnecessary. I was thoroughly enjoying the historical settings and didn't need a reminder that it was a brand new book.

The description of Perfect Days by Raphael Montes had me hoping for something along the lines of You or The Collector. The plot was similar -- a psychopath succesfully abducts the object of his desires and a twisted relationship develops -- but the book never really grabbed me. All of these plots are improbable, but I hard a harder time than usual suspending my disbelief with this one.

Disclosure -- I was provided with an advance review copies by the publishers. All opinions are my own. This post is linked to Patchwork Times, Yarn Along, iknead2knit 

Meet Old Blue

When Hubby and I first got married twenty-five years ago, he had a set of blue kitchen utensils. There was a can opener and a set of measuring cups and probably a few other pieces. Over the years, they've all been replaced.

Old Blue is still with us. It didn't get a name until recently, but it's starting to have sentimental value. This is the spatula we always reach for. Those melted spots -- they're mostly my fault. I've replaced it more than once, but they don't seem to make this style of spatula anymore and I haven't been able to find a new version that I can stand. Whenever we're at estate sales and I find a nylon one in good shape and for a decent price, I bring it home. But when I need to cook something, this is the one I use.

At this point, it's got so much sentimental value that I'm on the edge of retiring it for safekeeping. Because if something happens to Old Blue, I'll be sad.

Do you cling to silly things that are way past their prime? Or is it just me?

Room to Sew

I pile things on my sewing machine, anything that needs a temporary place where no one will mess with it. Because no one touches the stuff on my sewing table.  Unless Teenage Daughter wants to sew a dress and use my machine instead of hers and than all bets are off and I'll never see anything again.

I'd hoped to have some blocks to show you this morning, but first I had to clear off everything that was piled on and around my sewing machine, safely waiting for me to deal with it. I can't tell you what the last thing I sewed was. (Actually, I looked back at my blog posts and it was the apron pockets I did in early March. A few weeks before that, I worked on a zipper bag which I still haven't finished. I don't want to look back any further, because it will just get depressing.)

April was a bad month. I lost a couple of days to a whopper of a headache that I couldn't fix because migraine pills only work on migraines and I can't take ibuprofen more than once or twice a month and Tylenol doesn't do much good, then got absolutely flattened by the chest cold that my husband brought home from work, then had to. The blood thinners are keeping me from clotting, but wreaking havoc with my quality of life. I've been to two different doctors and had unpleasant tests and hope there's a solution that will make this better.

Yesterday I cleared off everything that didn't belong on my sewing machine table, wound a couple of bobbins in anticipation of those blocks I really do plan to piece soon, cut more squares of linen for the anatomy quilt, and zig-zagged around the edges because that linen frays like you wouldn't believe.

Zig-zagging around the edges is pretty close to actual sewing, right?

This post is linked to Patchwork Times. 

And Now There's New Fabric

There was nothing I wanted at the guild's fabric sale so when Mom called and told me about a fundraiser for local charity group, I pouted. My doctor's appointment was at the same time as the sale started. (Have I mentioned how much of a nuisance these blood thinners are? Missing the opening hours of a fabric sale is the least of my woes.)

As soon as I was done at the hospital, I dashed home to get the boys and then up to town to see if there was any fabric shopping left to be done before their afternoon class.

I should have taken pictures, because this sale was impossible to comprehend. Tables and tables and tables of fabric. Some folded yardage, a mind boggling assortment of Daisy Kingdom panels. And eight conference tables piled high with scraps.

The fantastic news was that it was two dollars for as many scraps as you could stuff into a plastic grocery bag and I think they'd defined scraps as anything under a half yard. The bad news was that it was a mix of knits and polyester blends and what seemed like just about everything but fake fur. Picking through it was overwhelming. But I got everything in the picture for five bucks. That's one bag of fabric and the scrappy kit in the zip lock bag.

I am absolutely in love with this vintage astronaut print. It's heavier and a little coarser than quilting cotton -- maybe intended for drapes? I can't decide whether to plan a baby quilt around it or make tote bags for hauling books home from the library.

I probably wouldn't have picked up this piece if Mom hadn't pointed out what those yellow circles are -- can you see them?

They kind of confuse me -- bright yellow spinning wheels? -- but I'm confident that I'll find the perfect use for them.

There are lots of bits and pieces of bright prints that will be perfect for the ambitious scrap quilts. I'm too lazy to pull out the scale and weigh it, so I'm adding ten yards to my totals. There's probably not quite that much fabric here, but right now a halfway decent guess works for me.

My favorite part of this sale was that even though I heard all of the fabric came from one woman's estate, no one was saying anything nasty or critical about her. The group had pulled out what they could use and was selling the rest to raise money for batting and other supplies. It was too much fabric. That was obvious. But no one was being negative or snarky about it.

Weekly Stash Report

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used year to date: 4 3/4 yards
Fabric added this week:  10 yards
Fabric added year  to date: 11 yards (+2 sheets)
Net used for 2016: 6 1/4 yards

Yarn used this Week: 0  yards
Yarn used year to Date: 2750 yards
Yarn added this Week: 0 yards
Yarn added Year to Date: 150 yards
Net used for 2016: 2600 yards

This post is linked to Patchwork Times.

Let's Make Baby Quilts! {4/29/16}

Let's Make Baby Quilts Linky Party Rules: 
Link directly to your post or specific Flickr photo. Your post can be about a baby quilt that's finished, or in progress, or you can be writing about what you have planned,  as long as it's about baby quilts. You're welcome to link to baby quilt posts that aren't brand new, but please don't submit the same post or picture more than once. I'd love it if you linked back to my site, either with a text link or the Let's Make Baby Quilts! button.

I've Been Reading

Antiques Fate by Barbara Allan is the latest Trash 'n' Treasures mystery featuring Brandy Borne and her mother, Vivian. In this book, Vivian is performing Macbeth as a one woman show, dragging Brandy along as prop master to keep track of the hats that distinguish the various characters. Everything with Brandy and Vivian is always more complicated than it should be, especially when the theater owner drops dead while giving the two of them a tour of the building. I love the characters and the fact that they're the ones telling the story -- complete with bickering "notes" to each other and their editor.



Sarah Winston thought the the garage sale site she started online would make selling things easier, but her job as administrator has come with its share of headaches. When she keeps an appointment to buy a vintage tablecloth and finds the seller dead in her car, it's just the beginning the trouble. All Murders Final! by Sherry Harris is the third Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery. It kept me guessing (I was really looking in the wrong direction!) and I can't wait for the next book in the series.



Framed to Death, the fourth in the Faith Hunter Scrap This series, doesn't have much to do with scrapbooking. When Faith does a quick favor by making sure that a gathering hosted by her friend's teenage daughter is girls only, she finds herself accused of selling the girls synthetic marijuana. Local tempers are flaring and when Faith tries to clear her name, she finds herself embroiled and arson and murder as well as drug dealing.



Everything about Lydia's life is perfect. She makes all of the right decisions. Her children go to the private school that her mother chose, even if that means Lydia and her husband are pushing themselves just a bit too hard. Her mother keeps reminding her that she was fortunate to overcome her past.  And her husband can never find out her secret. I thought that After the Lie by Kerry Fisher would be right up my alley, but Lydia was a hard heroine to like and she wasn't interesting enough to hate. When her lie was finally revealed, it was underwhelming. (An awful thing if it happened in real life, but since this is fiction I expected something more earth shattering.)  It wasn't until I was most of the way through the book that I started to really worry about what was going to happen to Lydia and her children. By the end, I'd come to like the characters a bit.

Disclosure -- I was provided with an advance review copies by the publishers. All opinions are my own. This post is linked to Patchwork Times, Yarn Along, iknead2knit 

The Green Door to Nowhere is Open!

A couple of summers ago, I showed your our green door to nowhere.  Last summer, our well went dry and Hubby decided that it would be much easier to do the repairs if we went through the green door instead of the one in the opposite corner of the building. 

Now that we've got the door open, I'm more confused than ever about why it was nailed shut in the first place. It's a very useful door! And it wasn't hard at all to rig up a secure way to close it from the inside. Things are locked up just as tightly as ever...with the bonus that we can use the door when we want to.

I love that our old house still has some pleasant surprises. I'd never seen what was on the back side of the doorknob. All of the house's interior doors have been "upgraded" (if you want to call it that), so this may be the only original knob left on the property.

And Still No Fabric

It's the end of April and I've only bought one yard so far this year. And that piece was sort of an accident. I've been telling myself that I was doing this so I could splurge without guilt when the guild had their fabric sale. The sale was on Saturday and I came home without any fabric. There wasn't anything more exciting than what I've already got here.

What I did come home with were three new sets of Q-Snaps. The clamps on the one I've been using seems to get a little creakier every time I re-position my fabric.  (Which kind of makes sense since it's something like fifteen years old and I've used it on just about every embroidery project I've posted here.)

I don't know if the ones I bought are any newer than the ones I already had, but the price was right and if one of my creaky pieces snaps, I'll have replacement parts.

The funny thing is that I had a set in my hands at the thrift shop a couple of weeks ago and put them back because the price seemed a little steep. Even though it was a lot cheaper than a new set would have been and I'd never stumbled across a used set before. Now I've got three sets for less than that one set would have cost me. (Three and a half sets, actually, because one has six bars.)

Weekly Stash Report

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used year to date: 4 3/4 yards
Fabric added this week: 0
Fabric added year to date: 1 yard (+2 sheets)
Net used for 2016: 3 3/4 yards

Yarn used this Week: 0 yards
Yarn used year to Date: 2750 yards
Yarn added this Week: 0 yards
Yarn added Year to Date: 150 yards
Net used for 2016: 2600 yards

This post is linked to Patchwork Times.

{Guest Post} Me, My Shells, and I: Crafting with Seashells Part 4

I'm happy to have Joanna Campbell Slan guest posting again today. You can find part three here.

Me, My Shells, and I:

Crafting with Seashells

By Joanna Campbell Slan

~ Part 4 ~

I have a large sea shell collection which I keep scattered on beaches all over the world. Maybe you've seen it. -- Steven Wright

Okay, you’ve filled a bag with shells, and you toss it into your trunk for the long drive home.

Bad idea. Very, very bad idea. At the end of the trip, you might open your trunk and discover a very stinky surprise. Whenever possible, clean the shells the same day you find them.

At Cara Mia Delgatto’s shop, The Treasure Coast, her friend Skye Blue is the absolute Queen of Shell Crafting. So here are Skye’s best tips for preparing and using seashells:

1. Make sure your shells are unoccupied. (Hold them up to your ear. If you hear a scratching sound, there’s a hermit crab inside.) Look to see if a hinged shell is open or closed. A closed shell is nature’s way of saying, “Someone is home.”

2. Rinse the sand off of the shells. It’s best to do this outdoors. I’m not sure what sand can do to a septic system, and frankly, none of us want to find out. It’s easiest to bring a large sieve to the beach with you. When you rinse the sand off your feet, either at public shower or with a hose, rinse off the shells.

3. Soak the shells thoroughly. Skye likes to leave them overnight in a mixture of powdered dishwasher detergent and hot water. She has a big plastic jar with a lid that she’s dedicated to this purpose. A couple of times, she’ll pick up the jar and swirl the soapy water to help dislodge any junk. Then she’ll rinse them a second time in a large sieve and let them dry.

4. If there’s a bad smell, Skye suggests soaking the shell in a mixture of bleach and water (one part bleach to four parts water).

5. Shine the clean, dry shells with mineral oil, baby oil, or clear nail polish. (Skip the oils if you are going to be gluing the shells.)

6. If the shell is fragile, soak a piece of cotton in white glue and stuff the cavity or the concave area with the glue-soaked cotton. (Use a chopstick or a toothpick to poke the cotton, a few small bits at a time.) This will strengthen the cavity when it dries, making the shell less likely to break.

7. Use E-6000 Glue to attach the shells to your object. Let your project sit overnight and test the attachment points for security the next day.

Skye and I both strongly suggest that you avoid buying seashells from a shop. These are harvested from living creatures. Trust me, you can find glorious seashells on the beach. Why indulge in cruelty when you can get a beautiful shell absolutely free? Remember: The bigger the shell, the older the creature, so when you buy a large shell, you’ve interrupted the breeding cycle of a poor, defenseless animal.

Skye’s philosophy is that everything looks better with a seashell on it! Skye, Cara Mia Delgatto, and I hope you’ll give this hobby a try. We think you’ll enjoy using these gifts of nature in your crafting. And, if you see any of us on the beach, be sure to wave!

~The End~

About the Author: As soon as she finishes her writing chores for the day, Joanna Campbell Slan hooks the leash onto her dog, Jax, and they go for a walk on the beach. Her most recent book—All Washed Up—is set on the Treasure Coast of Florida and features Cara Mia Delgatto, an entrepreneur who recycles, upcycles, and repurposes décor items with a coastal theme. You can see a few of Joanna’s favorite things at www.Pinterest.com/joannaslan or contact her at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com You can read two of Joanna’s books free here: http://booklaunch.io/joannaslan/teardownanddie and http://booklaunch.io/joannaslan/inkreddead

{Guest Post} Me, My Shells, and I: Crafting with Seashells Part 3

I'm happy to have Joanna Campbell Slan guest posting again today. You can find part two here.

Me, My Shells, and I:

Crafting with Seashells

By Joanna Campbell Slan

~ Part 3 ~

I have a large sea shell collection which I keep scattered on beaches all over the world. Maybe you've seen it. -- Steven Wright

Here in Florida, people joke about the “Sanibel Stoop.” That’s the name we’ve given to the bent-over position that shell seekers adopt as they hunt for treasure. To a shell seeker, the perfect seashell is just a few feet farther up the beach. Cara Mia Delgatto and her friends spend a lot of time combing the beaches on the east coast of Florida. Besides finding wondrous seashells, they also pick up garbage that is harmful to sea creatures. I urge you to do the same. A soda straw, a bit of plastic twine, a plastic bag, or a fishhook could prove lethal to an endangered sea turtle.

Of course, you need to stay safe, too. Be sure to wear a lot of sunscreen, especially on the back of your neck and the tops of your ears. Take a bottle of water and stay hydrated.

Here are my best shell seeking tips:

1. Low tide is the best time for collecting shells. Full moons are thought to be the best time of month, too.
2. Winter versus summer? I’ve heard it said that the best shells are on the beach in the winter, and I’m not sure about that. However, I can tell you that shells seem to be seasonal. You find different shells at different times of year, so don’t let the season discourage you.
3. After the storm, you find the most shells ever, bar none.
4. On public beaches, you’ll want to get out there early, before the crowd. On weekdays, when fewer people are off of work, you are more likely to find good shells on public beaches.
5. Location, location, location. Ask the locals where to find the best shells. Also, the farther you go from parking places, the better the shell selection.
6. There are three major places where you’ll want to search for shells: the wrack line, the water line, and the surf.
a. Wrack Line – Generally the debris left by the most recent high tide. To search for shells here, you need to move aside seaweed and clutter. The shells you’ll find will be dull looking, because they’ve dried out.
b. Water Line – As the waves recede, they leave behind shells. Sometimes you have to move quickly to grab a shell before the next wave comes up. I find that wearing sunglasses makes it harder to see because of the glare, so I usually wear a hat with a brim.
c. Surf Line – On occasion, you’ll find a spot where the topology of the ocean floor causes it to dump a lot of shells on a shelf in shallow water before washing things up on the sand.

Next I’ll tell you how to prep your shells and how to attach them to your projects.

~To be continued~

About the Author: As soon as she finishes her writing chores for the day, Joanna Campbell Slan hooks the leash onto her dog, Jax, and they go for a walk on the beach. Her most recent book—All Washed Up—is set on the Treasure Coast of Florida and features Cara Mia Delgatto, an entrepreneur who recycles, upcycles, and repurposes décor items with a coastal theme. You can see a few of Joanna’s favorite things at www.Pinterest.com/joannaslan or contact her at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com You can read two of Joanna’s books free here: http://booklaunch.io/joannaslan/teardownanddie and http://booklaunch.io/joannaslan/inkreddead

{Guest Post} Me, My Shells, and I: Crafting with Seashells Part 2

I'm happy to have Joanna Campbell Slan guest posting again today. You can find part one here. This week's baby quilt linky party is here. 

Me, My Shells, and I:

Crafting with Seashells

By Joanna Campbell Slan

~ Part 2 ~

A beach is not only a sweep of sand, but shells of sea creatures, the sea glass, the seaweed, the incongruous objects washed up by the ocean.
-- Henry Grunwald

In my last post, I shared four cool ways I’m using seashells in my crafts. Here are four more:

5. Purse. The papier-mâché base of this purse is readily available at most Michaels Craft Stores for a pittance. It’s made by Darice. Crushed jingle shells create the glittery surface. (Put the jingle shells in a mortar and crush them with a pestle.) I drilled holes through flat oyster shells for the white “tags” that I embellished with orange scallop shells. Of course, this isn’t a very sturdy purse, but it would be a terrific case for keeping family photos!

6. Miniature Room Setting. The room is actually a small wooden cabinet I found in the “scratch and dent” area of Home Goods. I turned the cabinet upside down and decorated it with miniatures, including tons of small seashells. To find tiny shells, sift sand and shell mixtures through pieces of net or a kitchen sieve.

7. Hurricane Jar Filler. Okay, I confess: These are not seashells. They are actually the shells left behind by apple snails, a large invasive, non-native species here in South Florida. The empty shells are originally brown, but if you soak them in a mixture of one part bleach to four parts hot water, the brown comes away, leaving you these lovely white shells. I think I’ll also use some of these on papier-mâché letters to spell out my grand-nephew’s name.

8. Decorative Jar Filler. These are seashells, Lettered Olive Shells to be exact. My friend and I spent many hours beachcombing and collecting them. Aren’t they gorgeous? What I love is the idea that each of these shells represents time spent with a friend. How many are there in this jar? I don’t know, but it weighs about twenty pounds.

Next, I’ll share with you my best tips for finding terrific shells.

~To be continued Tomorrow~

About the Author: As soon as she finishes her writing chores for the day, Joanna Campbell Slan hooks the leash onto her dog, Jax, and they go for a walk on the beach. Her most recent book—All Washed Up—is set on the Treasure Coast of Florida and features Cara Mia Delgatto, an entrepreneur who recycles, upcycles, and repurposes décor items with a coastal theme. You can see a few of Joanna’s favorite things at www.Pinterest.com/joannaslan or contact her at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com You can read two of Joanna’s books free here: http://booklaunch.io/joannaslan/teardownanddie and http://booklaunch.io/joannaslan/inkreddead

Let's Make Baby Quilts! {4/22/16}

Let's Make Baby Quilts Linky Party Rules: 
Link directly to your post or specific Flickr photo. Your post can be about a baby quilt that's finished, or in progress, or you can be writing about what you have planned,  as long as it's about baby quilts. You're welcome to link to baby quilt posts that aren't brand new, but please don't submit the same post or picture more than once. I'd love it if you linked back to my site, either with a text link or the Let's Make Baby Quilts! button.

{Guest Post} Me, My Shells, And I: Crafting With Seashells Part 1

For the past couple of weeks, my youngest son has been searching the creek that runs through our property for pieces of petrified wood that the winter rains washed downstream.  As for me, I'm happy to have a guest post by Joanna Campbell Slan about the treasures she finds in her neck of the woods...

Me, My Shells, and I:
Crafting with Seashells

By Joanna Campbell Slan

~ Part 1 ~

One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few. -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Anne might be wrong. I walk the beach nearly every day and pick up seashells. In fact, I’m such a regular on the beach that a fisherman stopped me the other day to ask, “Lady, where on earth are you putting all those shells?”

Good question—and a lot of my answers appear in my Cara Mia Delgatto mysteries, because like me, Cara’s never met a seashell she doesn’t like. Since it is important to “write what you know,” I’ve worked hard to create cool items that Cara can sell her in shop, The Treasure Chest. Because Michelle’s a good friend of mine (and any friend of Michelle’s is my buddy, too), I thought I’d share with you eight cool projects, plus tips for finding and using shells. Here we go!

1. Mirrors. Not long after moving to Florida, I saw a beautiful shell encrusted mirror that was out of my price range. So I decided to make one. It dawned on me while collecting shells that they don’t have to be perfect to be useful. In fact, broken shells are often best for using on mirrors, because you can layer them better. Cheap mirrors are fine, but make sure the hanger and frame can support the weight of the shells you’re adding.

2. Planter. My bedroom needed a pop of color and a fern seemed like a great idea, but I couldn’t find a planter I liked, so I made one. The base is a simple cardboard box that I reinforced with papier-mâché. Once that dried, I lined the inside with plastic. On the bottom are wooden “feet” I bought at Home Depot.

3. Vases. After finding so many empty liquor bottles on the sand, I decided to dress them up by adding rocks, shells, and twine. When they aren’t holding a flower or a piece of greenery, they display dried coral stems.

4. Jars. My husband is always emptying his pockets of change. I decided an old salsa jar was too ugly to leave on his nightstand, so I added seashells to the lid.

~To be continued Tomorrow~

About the Author: As soon as she finishes her writing chores for the day, Joanna Campbell Slan hooks the leash onto her dog, Jax, and they go for a walk on the beach. Her most recent book—All Washed Up—is set on the Treasure Coast of Florida and features Cara Mia Delgatto, an entrepreneur who recycles, upcycles, and repurposes décor items with a coastal theme. You can see a few of Joanna’s favorite things at www.Pinterest.com/joannaslan or contact her at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com You can read two of Joanna’s books free here: http://booklaunch.io/joannaslan/teardownanddie and http://booklaunch.io/joannaslan/inkreddead

There is a Plan For This

This messy progress picture may or may not give you an idea of what I'm trying to accomplish... 

For years, I've thought about knitting an afghan. Great-Grandma crocheted lots of them and it just seems like something a knitter should do. I keep finding crochet patterns I like and queueing them on Ravelry for someday when I actually learn to crochet...then I was digging through the sewing room and stumbled across a paper bag of really old green acrylic.

They're exactly the right colors for a Creeper, so I'm using the layout from my Christmas ornament tutorial and knitting garter stitch squares. If my supply of green yarn holds out, I'll make it longer than it is wide.

Along with the knitting, I've been reading...

A Dollhouse to Die For by Cate Price is the second book in the Deadly Notions mystery series, but I read it first because it's got a dollhouse in the plot. It's also got likable characters and a puzzling mystery that kept me guessing.

Mel is "glamping" with her more-than-a-little-eccentric assistant, Betty. As if that's not bad enough, she's being blackmailed by pet chef and she's the one who finds her tormentor's murdered body. Raiders of the Lost Bark by Sparkle Abbey contains all of the elements that make the Pampered Pets series fun. The flower basket brooch is back -- and missing. And we get a glimpse of the scandal that ended Mel's career a pageant queen.

Disclosure -- I was provided with an advance review copy of Raiders of the Lost Bark. A Dollhouse to Die For came from the library. All opinions are my own. This post is linked to Patchwork Times, Yarn Along, iknead2knit 

Universal Food Chopper No. 2

What can you tell me about meat grinders? I'm trying to figure out if we have all of the pieces of this one....

This was in a box in the shop and we don't know if it came from my paternal grandmother's estate or Hubby's mother....or Grandma's antique mall. We also don't know if it has all of its parts. Hubby and I both think there should be some kind of bell around the blades, but none of the similar grinders we're finding on etsy or ebay do. There's a thread where some sort of attachment would go.

Is there supposed to be more to this? If I had any idea what was were missing or what it would look like, I could check the rest of the boxes in case more parts are hiding.

Yarn and Another Cow

It was an accident that I'd gone more than four and a half months without a single yarn purchase. A couple of times, I've had yarn in my hands and talked myself out of it because it wasn't all that special or exciting. The theory is that sooner or later Knitpicks will introduce new colors or someone else will have a great sale and, when that happens, I'll be able to splurge a bit without any guilt.

So what broke my best no-buy streak ever? A skein of very old green thrift store acrylic. I've known since I first cast on that there probably wasn't enough yarn for that afghan I'm working on. It wouldn't surprise me if I had more green up in the sewing room somewhere, but getting sick sidetracked me from my sewing room clean up and it made more sense to spend ninety-nine cents at the thrift store than it made to spend three or four bucks at Walmart. As a bonus, this is the same brand as most of the yarn I've been using and it's the same sort of a green, probably a better match than brand new yarn would be.

Along with my yarn, I bought another stuffed cow. This one is wearing a fez. I'm not sure why we needed a stuffed cow that's dressed as a Shriner, but my son convinced me that it's necessary. ('Cause fezzes are cool and maybe the purple cow head that's still hanging in our living room needed a friend?) What I do know is that if I can make my kid that happy for ninety-nine cents, I'm probably going to do it.   If he changes his mind later it can always go back to the thrift shop...but I don't expect that to happen.

Weekly Stash Report

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used year to date: 4 3/4 yards
Fabric added this week: 0
Fabric added year to date: 1 yard (+2 sheets)
Net used for 2016: 3 3/4 yards

Yarn used this Week: 0 yards
Yarn used year to Date: 2750 yards
Yarn added this Week: 150 yards
Yarn added Year to Date: 150 yards
Net used for 2016: 2600 yards

This post is linked to Patchwork Times.

Let's Make Baby Quilts {4/15/16}

Let's Make Baby Quilts Linky Party Rules: 
Link directly to your post or specific Flickr photo. Your post can be about a baby quilt that's finished, or in progress, or you can be writing about what you have planned,  as long as it's about baby quilts. You're welcome to link to baby quilt posts that aren't brand new, but please don't submit the same post or picture more than once. I'd love it if you linked back to my site, either with a text link or the Let's Make Baby Quilts! button.

Let's Make Baby Quilts! {4/8/16}

Let's Make Baby Quilts Linky Party Rules: 
Link directly to your post or specific Flickr photo. Your post can be about a baby quilt that's finished, or in progress, or you can be writing about what you have planned,  as long as it's about baby quilts. You're welcome to link to baby quilt posts that aren't brand new, but please don't submit the same post or picture more than once. I'd love it if you linked back to my site, either with a text link or the Let's Make Baby Quilts! button.