Beach balls or beach umbrellas

Quilt top together and most of the intersections matched up pretty close.  Close enough that I’m not ripping.  It might get a border it might not.  —Ann—

 

Old faithful

 My old, 45 year old Elna, came out of the closet because I was going into sewing withdrawal.  She is so faithful and reliable and still makes perfect stitches.

Disclaimer the watercolor was done with the app. 

Half the columns of blocks are sewn and trimmed.

--Ann--

instead of sewing

watercolor crayon direct application with the crayon then the wet brush

                                                  watercolor pencil then the wet brush

I played with real watercolors not just the app it was hard work, frustrating and overwhelming, I read some of my old watercolor books and followed the lessons using recent photos. I could see improvement by the end of the week, I'm not showing the really bad first atempt sketches. I need to spend a 20 minutes or so everyday with the sketch book and paints, I could easily give up some time on social media for that 20 minutes in the day.  Making better use of my time.  --Ann--

Off the needles

 

Hubby was off fishing last week so I was queen of the castle. I got to park the car in the middle of the garage,  I had total control of the remote so I watched season 3 of Virgin River everyone’s life was going pretty good until the last episode. The Lady in the Van with Maggie Smith as a homeless woman living in her van, one season of Marcella a British mystery, and Miracle in the Woods  with Della Reese, Meredith Baxter and Patricia Heaton very good. Lots of knitting time and a sweater finish looking forward to cooler days its cotton.

I had some little commitment every day like an eye or dental appointment, a meeting, bible study, just little stuff but they all happened in the same week. The haircut isn’t until next week.

I took my sewing machine in for a routine service then sat down at my old machine only to find out it wouldn't turn on, the display screen sorta flickered I turned it off and unplugged it because that always works with electronics, didn't work so not much sewing last week. But a nice change of activity.  --Ann--

on the needles

 

I started this sweater after DD and I got home from our trip to Montana,  my Olympic knitting project.  The yarn is cotton called Paradigm Shift each ball has 577 yards of yarn as you can see the color shifts are long.  The first ball of yarn went from the neck to where I stopped on the bodice.  I knit that ball from the outside.  I pulled yarn from the inside of the ball for the sleeve I wanted the color to look like a continuation of the body I feel I succeeded with that.  I pulled from the center of the 3rd ball for the other sleeve.  The color is much the same.  Yipee! Matching sleeves.  The first sleeve was completed the last day of the Olympics.  I will pick up the remainder of the second ball of yarn for the rest of the sweater then on to the remainder of the third.  Just have to wait and see what happens with the color. The pattern is After the Rain by Heidi Kirmaier she changed yarns for the stripes, I'm letting the yarn to the color work.  --Ann--

Design Wall

Something new on the design wall,  more kaleidoscope blocks but a different block construction.

I could have done bat wing construction but then I would have needed to keep my right and left pieces in order and we all know how directionally challenged I can be.

 I sewed all the matching  kaleidoscopes pieces in pairs then sewed them to a backround piece then sewed two  segments together and trimed to 6 inch squares.  That block is square its the angle of the photographer.  Easy Peasy no right or left to keep in order and I could rearrange the blocks.  Looks like I'm dreaming of cooler days on a beach.  

--Ann--

The Conrad House kitchen

I am always interested to learn how people did the everyday things way back in 1895.  The everyday things we do today but with different tools and energy sources. The stove and oven is French and  cost   $125.

   The newest and greatest bread machine of the time. 

The instructions were embossed on the cover, add the ingredients and turn the handle for 3 minutes.

A butter churn that held 4 gallons of cream.  Table the butter churn is sitting on is a zinc table top and underneath is an automatic dishwasher of some sort. The large drum with a lid is an ice box.

The pantry below with the storage crocks and the newest carpet sweeper and floor polisher of the era.

The greenhouse just off the kitchen they could grow kitchen herbs and greens all year long.

The fireplace in the dining room and a wine cask below also in the dining room.

The house from a different angle, the grounds were beautifully kept.  --Ann--

The Conrad Mansion

The Conrad Mansion was built in 1895 by Mr. & Mrs. Charles Conrad who made his fortune in Montana in shipping and freight.  The house in its entirety was donated to the city of Kalispell in 1975.  The closets were filled with dresses from each decade along with housekeeping tools of the time.  A time capsule of treasures and a glimpse into life in 1895.  

The grand stairway in the front entry 

 

There was a tour group ahead of us so we just wandered through the house as the docents tried to keep us from crossing paths with the tour.  The attic was filled with treasures including the sewing room for making all the dress for Mrs. Conrad and her daughters.  There were closets filled with dresses and gowns for every occasion white/cream dresses were grouped together and black hung together.  With all those dresses which ones do they display..... the under garments of course.

About the time I realize this would make an interesting post the tour group is where I would like to go back and take more pictures 

That glass window is the bottoms of wine bottles.

These dresses are from the 1950's the fabric is nylon the newest and latest fabric of the time easy to wash quick to dry and a cool iron.

The daughters clothes made of lawn fabric.

another picture of the wine bottle window.  --Ann--

Wool gathering

I took a week off from blogging for no particular reason other than maybe it was cool enough to sit outside so I did and maybe I was wool gathering.   I always associated that phrase “wool gathering “ with daydreaming but when I see the wool caught in the trees it makes sense.

The mountain goats shed their coats by rubbing under trees, it would have taken a long walk to find enough wool for socks.   Send the small children out with a bag and collect the wool from shrubs, trees and fences, a good time to daydream.  My wool gathering is adding to the stash.

Local hand dyed yarn from a shop in Kalispell

  

We visited Whitefish again to see the Conrad Mansion (that post tomorrow) and found the Polka Dot Sheep Yarn shop.  The owner dyes the yarn and it was beautiful so difficult to choose.  Yarn for a sweater for me and a stocking cap and mittens for daughter.  I bought so much yarn I got a free mug.  We flatlanders were exhausted after 2 days of hiking so needed a day of art shops, museums, mansions and yarn shops and a sit down meal.  --Ann--