Food, Fabric and Fun

Food.
Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.  They are long gone or I would share with all of you. If I'm going to get fat I need company.

Fabric.
A splurge on some Liberty fabric from Westwood Acres.  Go there.  Drool.  Buy some.

Here comes the fun........

My new Christmas toy.  I am seeeeew happy!  Yay for the husband who tracked down a Featherweight right before Christmas.  I was looking for a 221, but he came up with a 222K.  Never heard of it.
But.... everything is the same as for a 221, except for 2 distinct features which happen to be an asset.

Distinct feature #1

The deck slides off for free arm sewing. Oh happy day.

Distinct feature #2

If you push that small screw to the "darn" position, it lowers the feed dogs!!!!  Do you know what that means?  You can quilt on this baby!! I am using way too many exclamation marks, but friends, this was way more than I was hoping for.  The 222 was made in Scotland, and is not as common as the 221.  I can't believe my luck.  Anyway I'm having fun reading about them and playing around on it.  It also came with several attachments, including one for sewing ruffles and bias tape.  I ordered a zipper foot for it yesterday.

And of course, I started a new quilt.

Happy New Year!!!!

A bit of sewing

It's so incredibly dry here.  There has been no significant rain for weeks.  When you stand on the carpet and touch the light switch, you get a shock.  Reach down to pet the dog, and, youch, a shock.  Yesterday I pulled my fleece sweatshirt over my head and I saw a thousand popping flashes of light as the material dragged across my hair creating static. Shocking.
Instead of rain, we have brisk cold, blue skies and crunchy leaves. Good walking weather.  Also nice light for taking pictures.
 I finally got some stolen moments at the sewing machine and put together a couple of market tote bags based on this pattern.  The fabric was cut out weeks ago, but I just haven't had time to put them together until today.  I'm itching to sew more now.  Those bags were just the appetizer.  After Christmas, I want to sew up the main course.

5 row scarf and a tree

Okay so this scarf has more than 5 rows but it's all about the method I used to finish it.  This is the one-skein chevron scarf I made first in pink, back here, and is free on Ravelry.  I used Madelinetosh Pashmina in Olivia this time, which looks like a pukey green color in all of these pictures, but is incredibly soft against the skin. Since "the puppy" is my new full time job, I kept this project within easy reach, and would sit (or stand), and try to bust out 5 rows at a time.  It would go something like this:
Crochet row 1
Get up and remove the couch from puppies mouth
crochet row 2-3
take puppy out to pee, walk around back yard for-ev-er
15 minutes later, crochet row 4
get up to answer phone, and run back to the couch in time to save $30 skein of Pashmina yarn from puppy teeth (no harm done)
crochet row 5
And so it went.
Our 11 year old Lab (nicest dog ever) is just not that into the new addition to the family.  Maybe it's because the puppy relentlessly launches herself at any of his loose, sagging skin folds, latches on, and swings like Tarzan. For now we are keeping them segregated, and trying to give him some special one on one time.
 Like the rest of you, I've been busy decorating and wrapping and shopping.  I'm also eating a ton of Satsuma tangerines, which I absolutely love (almost as much as the See's candy I usually consume this time of year, but I have vowed to change my evil sugary ways.)  I really should plant a tree.  A tangerine tree, not a See's candy tree. 
I already started another scarf (In green again.  I don't know what that's all about. I don't like green that much), this time in Malabrigo.  More on that later.)

Right now, my daughter and I are watching White Christmas, and drinking Brandy Alexanders (here's the recipe I used).  I'm waiting for the husband to come back from the hardware store with tree stand #2.  Our tree is currently leaning half way out of the crap tree stand, despite the addition of bricks, plastic wire, and an assortment of oddities gleaned from the corners of the garage.  Every Christmas there always has to be a tree of epic proportions, which usually requires a hole filled with quick dry cement and guide wires.  Meanwhile the boy ducked out to play football with his buddies, the puppy is howling for her food, and the pizza is being delivered.  For some reason, putting up the Christmas tree requires a certain amount of drama around here, and this year is no exception. Hence the Brandy Alexanders.
From my nut house to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
Lynne

Making and Baking

First, thank for for the comments on my last few posts.  The Internet has finally been fixed (after appointments with 5 different technicians, and me threatening to go over to another provider), and I can now get a handle on my email.  There are responses to your comments floating in the air somewhere, probably hanging out with the lost socks from the dryer.
So now down to the business of making things,
You know you are getting old have been quilting for a long time, when some of the first quilts you made are looking rather "vintage" and worn.  These two quilts are well used, faded and the fabric is falling apart in places.  I just can't throw them away.  So.......

So far I'm making garland, but I can see pillows, Christmas stockings, and gift tags (you can see some made with old quilts here and new fabric over here.)

Yesterday I made some coconut macaroons from this cookbook.  No flour or white sugar.  Shredded coconut, coconut oil, coconut sugar (yes there is such a thing!), chocolate chips and vanilla.  That's it! So good.

I'm just starting my decorating.  How about you?

Luna

She's here!!!!

This is Luna. 8 weeks old and sweet as can be. Floppy ears, soulful eyes, and a calm, quiet disposition.  She is the color of the moon and just as magical. I could eat her up.

She sleeps a lot, then we play, then she eats, then she poops and then she sleeps some more. Rinse and repeat. In the middle of the night we creep downstairs and go out to the backyard.  While she goes potty, I shiver in my pajamas and look up at the stars and listen to critters stirring in the bushes. 
Inside, my house is full of chew toys, crates, gates and dog beds. Electrical cords and shoes are considered fair game, so they are constantly picked up or hidden. People come over to visit her and bring her gifts like she is royalty.  She has taken over the house. 
Looks like it might be a while before I can spend any stretch of time in the sewing room, so crocheting may be my go to craft of the moment.  I don't mind a bit.

The end