My next category to enter for sale will be Buttons. When I buy sewing items in lots, I find buttons still on their original cards. While I like to keep the loose buttons for projects and repairs, I usually don't sew garments. Pictured below is my loose button stash.   The last of the 80 yard-sale sewing patterns went on the boards. This was the only pattern of note - a Russian hat. Reminds me of the movie Doctor Zhivago.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/186392450021 Segueing to talk of my daughter's wedding. A location has been chosen, and a date in September 2025 is s ..read more

My daughter's cowboy quilt has arrived back from the longarmer. Her choice of quilting pattern in a dark brown thread was a good choice. I am in the binding process now and will follow up with some glamour shots in the wild.  The fan quilt is queued up next to add border fabric recently purchased from Joanns.  On to seller update:  I have been lurking at a certain online auction site. Estate sales haven't started up yet with our wet weather. Here are the images of recently purchased boxes. Those two Santa kits will pay for the needlekit box. Christmas kits always  ..read more

The Mr. is setting up Fish Camp. Here are the views from the back of the trailer. The first image is the river as you head out toward the harbor.  This view is down river. A wrap-around deck is being constructed. This is not a permanent move, just digs for the summer. I plan on spending mucho hours on the deck leisurely reading books I have gathered over the years.  Just thrifted in this group of New Look patterns. I place them as 1990s kids fashion.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/186378308526 https://www.ebay.com/itm/186378311646 https://www.ebay.com/itm ..read more

As I have noted earlier, I returned to college for an 8 week course of Women in Art this spring semester. My 70 year old brother's reaction when I told him I went back to college, "AGAIN?" and "You need to turn off those after burners." ? I have BOINGED back to college at least 5 times. My first attempt was at Highline Community College in Washington. Then I moved to Arizona and went to Phoenix College. [Insert 20-year hiatus here] I have attended classes at Sacramento City College off and on for the past 10 years or so.  I only take one class a semester, the majority have been ..read more

Here we are into April. This is the month Fish Camp begins setup. We are prepping the trailer for its permanent home on the coast. The lead-off image highlights the back window covered in space fabric. It is pinned to the top of the valance and the bottom of the blind.  An upside to stashing a lot of fabric is when you need some yardage it is right there. The sleeping part of the trailer faces towards the road. Even though the windows have blinds, light still came in. I pinned the gypsy-hanging-curtain to the valance above the door.  Another section of fabr ..read more

This artist's work is displayed in a gallery of shops on R Street in Sacramento, Sacramento.  This modified Celtic cross sold at the Goodwill boutique in Sacramento. Seemed a little weird.  Because I have been a frequent thrifter these past 20 years or so, I see the good, the bad, and even the downright ugly. There is a home for everything because it always sells.  Weird, wacky, and fun images follow. State Fair entry update on the Patchwork Cupcake - it is in! I won't know until May 23 whether it will place or go on exhibition. I won't reveal the full project until a ..read more

It has been two years since I entered a quilt into the California State Fair Crafts Competition. I did earn an honorable mention for the concept of The Knitting Woman. It did not go on exhibition because I made fold-over errors in the backing while quilting. I rushed to complete in time for entry. The quilt was king sized and it was the first time I quilted with wool batting. My straight-line quilting skewed, pulled by the weight of the quilt sandwich.  Lessons learned on this go around:     1.    Much easier to create given a prompt, this one being Almost Edible. &nb ..read more

My dahlia bulb called Seattle made it through another season. I will try again with it replanted back in the greenhouse. Last year the deer nibbled it down, so no flower. I also planted two other dahlias Bora Bora and a yellow Gerber Vulcan. Blue sunflower seeds were planted between the asparagus.  Starting my Women in Art class through the community college. There is a lot of pre-class  documentation you have to wade through before even starting the course. One slide notes when responding to other student posts, "You are not the center of cyberspace." ? "Don't flame, or post fl ..read more

I just received notice of our state fair's upcoming quilt competition. Among the categories, there is a unique one - Crafts Special Contests. The theme is Almost Edible, and described as follows:  Concept: Food is a conversation starter across the world despite ethnicity, language, religion, or income class. Our common enjoyment of food brings families, cultures, and communities together for celebrations, traditions, and for simple pure enjoyment as Connoisseurs of Cuisine - or affectionately termed “Foodies.” Consider what your favorite food is and share with us your version of its appe ..read more

Thrifting brought me this keeper pheasant sewing pattern.  I also scored on a $1.99 bag of fabric, batting for a queen sized quilt, and a Gaither Gospel sealed in package CD. This batting is meant for my purple-themed fan quilt currently in progress. I am in the boring part - trimming the blocks.  Cute pattern of the day is from 1978. A few more were listed on eBay.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/186347786110 It is my first try at corned beef and cabbage. My fav grocery store had both items on nearly giveaway sales. I found this recipe in the 1971 publication of Better Ho ..read more