It's too danged hot.....

It's too danged hot to do much these days. Even winding a warp or weaving is a challenge. My studio is downstairs which is partially underground along with the garage - there's no air conditioning down there but most of the time it stays cool enough even with our hot temps in the summer but when it's continually over 100 it just can't stay cool. (separate furnace downstairs with no heat pump so no cool air)

I've been cutting fabric and serging napkins early in the day before it gets hot - a big pile of them to match the new quilted placemats at the beach and after looking in our napkin drawer here at home I realized I needed to replace the faded worn out napkins we've been using so a big pile in the works for here at home too. Fun part is that I pulled from my fabric stash, that's way too big, sitting in piles all over that room. I used many Downton Abby fabrics I bought for who knows what project......now I'll get to see those fabrics every day in the kitchen.

Yesterday afternoon two friends came over to learn how to make a 'woven' bracelet we learned how to make at guild this past spring. We each made two bracelets and ate almond cake.......with fresh strawberries.

I don't think I've posted this almond cake recipe a friend found online earlier this year. It's easy, very yummy, and doesn't make a ton of cake for those of us that don't want a ton of cake in the house.

Almond Cake

1 stick (1/4 lb) butter
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp almond extract
1 TB sliced almonds

Heat oven to 325. Grease a 8" cake pan (I still had problems with a little bit of sticking so next time I'll add parchment paper too)

Melt butter in the microwave. Wisk eggs into butter.
Add flour, sugar and extract - mix well, pour into a pan, sprinkle with almonds

Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired (I don't do this, it's plenty sweet without it)

I'm thinking I might have to try this recipe substituting lemon extract and adding some lemon zest.

Very fun class......

These fiber beads were made in a very fun class at the ANWG conference last weekend, Rebecca Smith the teacher. We used a wire coiler to first coil the craft wire, then added yarn, then some more wire around the outside. the earrings and necklace bead on the right I wore that evening since it matched my outfit. I didn't have a gold chain that would fit through the fiber bead for the necklace so I made a twisted cord out of the same yarn.....of course that meant cutting it off at the end of the night. Now I need to decide how to finish the necklace pieces - will either put a gold chain through them, attach a rattail cord or maybe beads.....will think on it for a bit. I need to give a guild program next year on one of the seminars I took - this one is at the top of my list but will depend on how inexpensively I can pick up the wire coilers - have already found them at a really good price online. I can see all sorts of possibilities with this technique.

Playing with beads again......or skirting everything else.....

I really have wanted to get some jewelry put together but right now it's become a diversion to what I should be doing......but what I should be doing isn't life or death so I guess I shouldn't care! Have been feeling lately like I'm not getting done what I need to......weaving, more sewing, photography work so I can sell what I've made (no one sees it, it won't sell) cleaning out my closet, dyeing (but it's just been too cold and wet for that), weeding.......on and on. So, continuing on how I've been going I'll sit down and read a book this afternoon, this is unheard of for me, I never take the time to read (other than fiber related mags) but I took this book out at the library and it's got to go back tomorrow so rather than sign it out longer I'll read it.....and I am enjoying it. Think I might just make myself a cup of tea to go with sitting and reading......rainy, cloudy, windy day it seems perfect.

I've been wanting to put together these two necklaces for a long time......sorry for the bad picture, I'm definitely not a photographer. Those are swarovski crystals on the necklaces, very sweet, pretty little necklaces. The dragonfly earrings and pendants were made from cloisonne pieces bought at Shipwreck Beads in March.

All in a day's work......or play........

Today I spent a little time at the serger - this pattern bought at Sewing Expo by my friend Kathy is for a wrap/shawl that's cut in a kind of spiral and then just serged on the raw edges. It's really hard to show the drape and ruffly effect on the mannequin but I tried. The fabric is a sheer. I was going to start another type of serged edge sheer vest/cape pattern but as I laid out the fabric and the pattern piece didn't fit I found that I needed 58-60" wide fabric and mine was only 45" wide - oh well........wasn't bought for this project so it will be used for the original top and the shawl/cape pattern will have to wait until I find another fabric.

 So, then it was on to playing with jewelry. I put together 2 charm bracelets, pendants and many earrings.....notice the coastal theme? The teal ones in the bottom right corner are actually swarovski crystal starfish. The hearts are silver charms I bought from a bead shop in Port Townsend almost 5 years ago.....time to make the bracelet!

Above are cloisonne pieces that I put together with swarovski crystals for pendants & earrings. The cloisonne pieces are by Gita Maria, beautiful work.....have had these for a few years too.

Great fun at NWRSA conference......

Early last Thursday morning my friend Pat and I set off for the NWRSA spinning conference up in Salem, OR - we met up with others from our area and many other fiber friends from elsewhere. We had a great time and came home totally exhausted last night. I took one great class with my bud Janis Thompson from Dyelots in Eugene, OR on spinning art yarn - what fun! Looking forward to spinning more yarn adding bit and pieces of ribbon, beads, or whatever to add in as accents in my woven scarves. Took a knitting class that was a bust, the teacher had a handout with typos in the pattern instructions, she left out pertinent parts of the pattern and couldn't/wouldn't answer questions - I had heard from someone who took another class from her in the morning that she wasn't a good teacher, she was right. And there were only 5 of us in the class, perfect for getting more one on one help......with any other teacher, what a disappointment and waste of my time and money.......oh well........that happens once in a while, thank goodness not very often.

Each year I try to find or make a goodie for my spinning friends to hang from their wheel. This year I made little felt balls, added beads and charms and made wheel jewelry. I think everyone liked hanging a special bauble on their wheel.....they can also hang it from a chain or cord later and wear it as jewelry. I made my self a necklace with matching earrings I wore one day in one of my favorite colors - lime green. I'm trying to decide if I should make some of these to sell.....I tend to get scattered selling too many different items but I'll give it thought, they were fun to make.

I don't have alot of treasures to share as far as shopping - I didn't need a thing - all I bought was one knitted beaded scarf pattern. I felt bad for the vendors, not enough shoppers since attendance was down and not many came in on public day. I would have liked to have supported them but when I've got hundreds of pounds of fiber here at home already that I sell I just couldn't justify buying more.