I Know...

I said I wanted summer...but this is just too much.  It was over 100F yesterday.  I'm staying at my mum's house, she has a/c, I don't.  She does not, however, have internet...so I popped home this morning to say hi to you all.

Needless to say, not much sewing is going on.  I did finish Michelle's Irish Blessing, such a darling design!



Sandra, from Sandra Sews, came for a visit a couple of weeks ago, all the way from Toronto - Irish Blessing was my gift to her.  I'd show you the darling bags she made me but I forgot to take a pic, and I'm too hot right now.  She only came for a day and night, we went shopping [mum went too] and MAN can that girl shop.  I couldn't hardly walk the next day.  She's absolutely adorable and I loved meeting her and her hubby.  They are Good People.

One thing I got while we were out was a new hat for Ted.....



He's the bear that Midge over at Soggibottom gave away, and I won.  He had a winter hat and scarf and I thought he needed something summery.  I love him so much.  He seems to be handling the heat just fine.

Sandra brought a basket of goodies and my kitty, Hermione, found it.  She didn't REALLY fit, but thought she did.



She hasn't been in it in the last few days, however.  Far too warm.  She's been hanging out in the basement, eating spiders.

That's all the news from here, I'm going to shower and head back over to mum's, to luxuriate in the air conditioning and read several books.  I really, really wish she had internet, my Google Reader is ready to explode from unread blog posts.  Stay cool, or warm if you're below the equator...I'll see you when the heat wave breaks!

I MISS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summer

It'll be official soon, that summer is here.  In Michigan, our forecast is for temps in the 90's for at least the next 7 days.  I know the flowers have been blooming for awhile, the trees have been green, and yet I feel like I'm missing it all.

I've been concentrating on getting projects done.  Lining up what's next.  Sorting.  Organizing.  And do you know what?  I'm burned out.

Oh, it's not that I don't want to sew - I do.  And I love the projects I'm working on. It's more that summer is here, and it may as well not be.  I'm spending too much time indoors, playing with fabric, and summer is too short for that.

So I'm going to take a break.  I'm going to go outside, take some pictures, and take my sketchpad with me.  I'm not going to blog, I'm not going to comment [but I might!] and I'm going to go breathe some fresh air.  HOT air, to be sure...

I need to work on some of the designs in my head.  It's been months since I've shared anything with you.  I need to get the creative juices flowing, while the sun is shining, before the grey days come back.  I need inspiration, and summer is the perfect place to find it.  I live for summer.

So, for the next couple of weeks, it'll be quiet here in Allie-land.  Behind the scenes will be frantic activity, I hope - sketching, erasing, sketching some more, much time spent in that happy place of creation, making figurative hay while the sun shines.  I'll see you soon, be well, be happy....

Congratulations....

to the L.A. Kings!!!!!



You may not know, but I'm a total hockey nut.  A Wing Nut, really, I love my Detroit Red Wings...but they were eliminated early, so I was rooting for the L.A. Kings to win the coveted Stanley Cup.  The hardest trophy to win in any sport, and they did it!




One thing....it's really hard to do any hand sewing while you're watching an exciting hockey game.  I kept stabbing myself.  Especially when I was yelling.  But I'm almost done with Michelle's Irish Blessing, I should be putting it together for quilting this week, yay!  It's been very, very hot here over the weekend, I didn't do much sewing at all.  The weather should break tonight after some storms.

Going to leave you with a couple of pics of our pup, Abby - she LOVES squirrels, they sit in the tree and laugh at her.  Hope they don't get too confident!  Sometimes they sit just over the fence and chatter at her.




She doesn't talk back much....

Off to try to sleep now, it's still quite hot and humid, I may have to take an ice pack to bed with me!  Have a great week!

Dessert.

Ah, such a beautiful sound, that word....dessert....I remember, as a kid, sometimes we'd eat dessert first.  Mum took the saying "life is short, eat dessert first" to heart.  Sometimes, mum would feed me ice cream for breakfast, just cuz she could.  I think she's always been a bit of a rebel, which is fine with me.  I'm a bit of a rebel too.

Mum and I went over to Shirley's yesterday, and had dessert.  Shirley baked for us.  She won't bake for herself, but she gets excited about making something for us.  And do we appreciate it!  This week, it was Cherry Nut Squares, a recipe she got from a family member about 45 years ago.



Want to know how good it was?  Mum will tell you.




How about the recipe?  No fun showing you, if you can't make it yourself...

Cherry Nut Squares

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
• 2 sticks margarine or butter [I prefer butter, margarine is one molecule away from plastic]
• 1 cup regular sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• powdered sugar

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs, then mix.  Stir in flour and add chopped nuts.  Spread three quarters of the batter into an ungreased 9x13 pan.  Cover with cherry pie filling.  Top with remaining batter, dropping by spoonfuls on top, then spreading with a spoon.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Let cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Easy.  And delicious!

I'm taking things easy right now, not feeling well - not sick, just not my usual chipper self.  I've recently started using a small pair of dumbells, and I think I've overdone it.  So I'm sorry, I've been by to read your blogs, but I can't muster up the energy to comment.  I took the day off from all but washing dishes today, and read a book - just sitting quietly was just what I needed.  I may have overdone the books as well....

...but I do love to read!  Give me a book over tv any day.  I think you know where you'll find me over the next few days....

Finish Line

Hooray, I have a finish in June already!  Never mind I started it last year....shhhhh.  I did a remake of my Portholes, using some awesome beach fabric that Carrie sent me.



The quilting and binding didn't go well...I had the wrong tension on my machine, and didn't realize it right away.  The blue around the portholes is a flange, love doing those.  Still need to wash it, I removed all the french knot flowers except in the window boxes and You Can Tell.  I hope the traces wash away.

The Portholes design is free (edit: no longer available).

I also received a package in the mail today, from my sweet friend O'Faigh.  Loads of lovely rick-rack for my sand pails quilt, which has been sorely neglected...two darling wooden buttons...and the sweetest pattern, pre-printed!

 

As soon as I'm done with Shell's Irish Blessing, I'm going to start this...isn't it sweet?  And pre-printed means no tracing!  Thank you darling O'faigh!

I also got a package from Terry, bless her, she was cleaning out and thought I would like this...she was wrong...I LOVE it!



I grew up seeing Aunt Martha's patterns everywhere, they hold a very special place in my heart, thank you Terry!

Today, I'm just running, but plan to stitch tonight on my Irish Blessing.  That one finish has spurred me on, I want more!  But I don't want to forget to enjoy the process, either.  After all, that's why we stitch, right?  I hope no matter what your hands are finding to do, you're enjoying the process too!

June 1st. JUNE 1ST?

How can it be June 1st?  How?  My whole last week disappeared into the ether.

I went with my friend Cathy last night to take pics of her son and his date for the prom.  What a gorgeous couple, and what a gorgeous dress......and I loved that his bow tie matched her dress.



Steven and Trish.  Adorable.  That dress is worthy of Ginger Rogers.



Cathy and I are trying a new diet.  Well, not diet exactly...just different types of tea, that are supposed to help you lose weight.  All according to Dr. Oz, who I never watch.  But my mom does, and she's the one who told us about it.  Your first two cups of the day are pu-erh tea, we got the chocolate and is it delicious - doesn't really taste like chocolate, but it's wonderful.  The second two cups are white tea at lunch, then a cup of chickweed at dinner, then a cup of bilberry in the evening.  Mum hasn't changed what she eats, and she's losing weight.  Worth a try!  And I do love tea.  Not the chickweed so much, hard to get past the swampy smell.

The health food store is selling out of the teas very quickly.  You almost have to get there when the stock rolls in.  I'll let you know if it works!

I'm stitching, but slowly.  My Portholes are ready to quilt, but I'm not sure how I want to quilt it.  Hand or machine.  It's marinating.

I hope you have a great weekend, I'll spend it stitching and guzzling tea - see you next week with [hopefully] a finish!

In keeping with graduation and prom week....