Dollar Days and Sidewalk Sales

From now, June 10 thru Fourth of July week I am having Dollar Days/ Sidewalk Sale days in my etsy shop. When I was growing up in a small town in Illinois, the summer night sidewalk sales---many items just a $1.oo!---were always so fun, so I am recreating that here. I have marked down almost everything in my shop to just ONE DOLLAR, plus shipping. Find a treasure or two/ stock up for gift giving! Folk art items that are not marked down [dolls, quilts, treasures from the sea] are available for reasonable offers, just PM me. All offers cheerfully considered. Hopefully you'll find something you like and you'll come back soon for my Summer Lavender Hearts in Seaglass and White and Summer Blues. I hope you have fun. Happy Summer!

My shop

My Boro Sweater, June Full Moon, and Other Random Thoughts for Friday

 Hi! First of all we must look at the  June full moon. This moon is called the Strawberry Moon, and as it's so close to the Summer Solstice, shining for our few brief hours of spring darkness, it's a wonderfully magical and mysterious moon. There is an interesting post on Woman with Wings , a lovely , mindful, spiritual blog: with permission, quoting,
"We have a full moon rising this Friday -- I hope to wrap up more herbal bundles and write my gratitude list during the day...that night I'll set out a jar filled with lemon balm leaves and water to be infused by the full moon and other cosmic energies. I like leaving this water out the following day as well to be infused by the sun, after which I strain it. Lemon balm water helps us to be centered in the midst of chaos, also helps meditation.''

However. Yes it is still chilly here, verging on cold.

For my evening walks with Mo I must wear layers, including a wool turtleneck sweater, hat and scarf, fleece or windproof jacket. I usually wear an old lavender cashmere I've had for years. It was one of the last gifts my mom gave me; she disliked lavender color but she sent it because it was my choice. I  love it because it's from her, and also it's one of Lands End's old cashmeres from when they made thick cozy turtleneck sweaters that are also machine washable, with a bit of care. Anyway, it went from best sweater, to everyday sweater, to dog walking sweater over the years; I wear it all the time. So imagine my distress when it sprung an elbow hole.

Backtracking I've been interested in the Japanese art of ''boro'', a form of patchwork and make do.  I believe that, in Japanese, boro means ''rags''. [I'll put a couple links about boro at the end of the post.] Since I can't find my Japanese ikats and indigos I decided I would practice boro patchwork/ stitching on my beloved sweater.

Two pretty fabrics from my scraps, lined in flannel, sewed with a lavender silk twist cord. Perfect again! I love it.
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Yesterday was Mo's adoption day anniversary. It is just three years since the tiny mite was so brave and flew here all alone from California. Seems like he's been here forever, doesn't it.

I got him a pizza shaped cooky.

A bagel chew.

And a baby splash pool, in case it ever gets hot again. Poor Mo, he  may HATE it. I'll start with ice cubes in it, as Mel suggests. LOL. If it get really hot, heck, I may sit in it myself!

Then I'm working on my deck spruce up. New chairs!

I also ordered new screen disks for the windscreen portholes but Gorilla Glue wouldn't stick. I'll try the F6000 glue next, otherwise Mo will get his head stuck in the porthole.
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Lavender looks good. Two kinds. Pretty and the bees love it

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I'm making reusable grocery bags, six for me, six for my friend L. But then I have to go buy plastic bags for Mo cleanup, so I'm a little miffed. These are linen/ cotton drapery remnants from my stash. Washable, I hope.

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And the best! look what Mel is making!

She is an expert crocheter and she made this amazing wrap bracelet for me. I love it! ---If / when summer comes I plan to wear it everyday.

Aaaand, look what the bracelets were wrapped in. So cool. What a find. Mel has a great eye, thanks so much!

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This came in the mail. I live in the red part.

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Something for the weekend--- here's a yummy sounding recipe from Kelley to try: here .
And this week's wine is Flowers Sonoma Coast Rose` 2016   here



That's it for now. Mo and I hope to do some on-deck sewing this weekend. Fall Festival is so neglected.
Have a good weekend.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach

Boro:  My Pinterest board Boro

            French General Boro tote kit : here

            Interesting post about the History of boro: here

 NOTE for ETSY SHOP: From now, June 10 thru Fourth of July week I am having Dollar Days/ Sidewalk Sale days here in my etsy shop. When I was growing up in a small town in Illinois, the summer night sidewalk sales---many items just a $1.oo!---were always so fun, so I am recreating that here. I have marked down almost everything in my shop to just ONE DOLLAR, plus shipping. Find a treasure or two/ stock up for gift giving!
Folk art items that are not marked down [dolls, quilts, treasures from the sea] are available for reasonable offers, just PM me. All offers cheerfully considered. Be aware that items may have sold privately or thru my blog, things go fast! I'll let you know. Hopefully you'll find something you like and you'll come back soon for my Summer Lavender Hearts in Seaglass and White and Summer Blues. I hope you have fun. Happy Summer! Etsy link on sidebar

Grey

Yet another Monday, friends! This evening it's 56*, foggy, with a 30 mph north wind blowing. The sky is dark, looks like it may pour at any moment, though experience insists that there is never heavy rain on dense fog days. Mo and I are cringing at even the thought of an evening walk.

June [and May] are perhaps the most unappealing months here at the beach, cold, grey and dismal. Excuse me for a minute while I put on warm windpants and dig out my parka again.
Okay, I'm back! Brrr. I've been busy in my sewing room but not working on quilts. Here's a pile of etsy things in work. "Summer Blues" and "Seaglass Hearts" collections, in lemon verbena and/ or lavender.

Mostly I've been working on a home decor project for good friends. I finished the bedroom pillow cases and duvet cover this weekend. Finally! The duvet cover was hard---king sized, 12 yards of fabric to wrestle through the machine, and partly because I ordered a very long zipper---72" ---and while I set it perfectly the first time there were a couple spots I had not caught the fold-back. Stupidly instead of just fixing  two 6" areas, I decided to redo the entire zipper. Downhill from there.

My friends' home is decorated entirely in shades of grey with white trim and a few accents of seaglass aqua. Anything I make for them has to be GREY. We looked for a good grey batik for months, then waited for a sale for a better price.

It's interesting to work in a different color palette, not my usual white  with accents/ blue. The light in my home is too harsh for grey but I love it in their home, so cool, clean, and serene.

Next I am doing sofa pillows, again batik from Hancock's, and a table runner in ikat from eQuilter.com. And perhaps linen napkins?  I found my little hemmer the other day.

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This weekend my kids  hiked out to their favorite seaglass beach, a small secret beach that is only accessible for persons using the golf course. My son discovered it years ago when his ball flew off the green, over the seawall, and he decided to climb down to get it. The beach is only visible at very low tide, so  beachcombers have to time their visits just right. You can actually see the glass shards in the random photo, if you look closely.

The beach glass is amazing. The kids said all this was found in only 5 minutes.

And here is such a sweet little family, also loving the tiny secret beach. Swans!

I don't think I've ever seen a standing swan, always see them swimming only

They let the kids get fairly close to take pictures. Aren't the babies precious! Grey puffballs.

But then the parents hustled the babies off into the water for safety.

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Speaking of precious [heheheh], here is Mo enjoying his daily brushing. He loves being brushed, especially likes his belly rubbed or brushed gently with the boar bristle brush. If he could purr he would.

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Tonight's dinner is Thai peanut sauce buckwheat noodles with red sweet peppers, scallions, and tofu. I love tofu, it's hard to now think it is not good for you, sigh. I still use it now and then for meatless Mondays.

edit: here is a fairly balanced article on the pros and cons of eating soy/ tofu: HERE

have a great week.

love

lizzy

gone o the beach......