Joanne painted this tea bag art and created a greeting card for my July 4th birthday.
My friend Joanne, belongs to an artists’ group in St. Augustine, Florida, -Cafe Sketchers
“Mary Ann Miller is the leader . Our group is the Cafe Sketchers and the blog is Sketching in Provence as a group of them went a few years ago… We meet at a different cafe each time and sketch and eat. Lately we meet via zoom and share what we’re working on.” Joanne writes
“the idea was to use a teabag in a sketch/painting/print in any way you desired. Ideas included painting directly on dried and emptied teabags (inspired by New York artist Ruby Silvious), printing with the wet bag and making something out of that shape, painting with tea or painting a picture of a teacup. I used tea to dye unbleached muslin to cover my T-Doodles books”
The members painted tea bags and to see their artwork clickhere
Saturday afternoon the November sweater knitters gathered in Millvale Pennsylvania. McWalker Yarns was the place to celebrate participation in the National Knit a Sweater in a Month Challenge. 50,000 Stitches, cast on just after midnight on November first. The sweater was to be completed (ends woven in and blocked) by midnight November 30th.
If you follow me on IG you know my sweater was 24 hours and 15 minutes over the cut off.
Here is Clarissa, the Grand Prize Winner of NaKniSweMo 2019 holding her prizes- a generous gift card to McWalker Yarns to buy yarn for the NEXT sweater and a very cool magnet/bottle opener.
Troveby designer Emma Durcher. Yarn is BC Garn Semilla Melange Sport Weight
Detail below of Trove. PomPom Magazine Autumn 2019
Robin designed her sweater. The design name is Hauplande Yarn Loch Lomond by BC Garn worsted weight. I think she has 150,000 stitches in her design. WOW!
Hauplande designed by Robin
Sleeve Detail with Button
Jes photographed me wearing The Purl Code Sweater Designer Isabell Kraemer. Yarn- Baa Ram Ewe Winterburn DK weight in Rhubarb colorway, Using the Morse Code Alphabet provided in the pattern there are phrases, words, place names, favorite movies and books, song lyrics and people I love, knit right into the sweater.
Christine is holding a gift bag with the sweater she crocheted as a surprise gift.
Her sweater (which she translated into Crochet from Knitting) will be added after the holiday season. Christine brought cheese ball and crackers and spinach dip to round out the party fare. McWalker Yarns Shop owner Amy McCall baked a delicious and moist chocolate cake with sweater decoration.
Below see Shop Owner, Hostess, Sponsor and Chief of Inspiration for the NaKniSweMo 2019 Challenge, Amy McCall. Making the Local Yarn Store a welcoming community for all.
“A kaleidoscope (/kəˈlaɪdəskoʊp/) is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces tilted to each other in an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of the mirrors are seen as a regular symmetrical pattern when viewed from the other end, due to repeated reflection” Wikipedia
Dovecote, a vintage boutique in Aspinwall Pennsylvania, located on Brilliant Avenue. What a great address. Brilliant!
My friend Vincie and I were shoe shopping at Soothe the Sole on Brilliant Avenue and Holly (at the shoe store) suggested we check out Dovecoteright across the street.
Here’s what we discovered –
The boutique is definitely eclectic and affordably priced. Scroll down for more details. There are vintage items, consignment items, handcrafts, antiques, jewelry, home decor and holiday fun. Sports team theme including black and gold potholders and darling onesies with hand sewn embellishment, adorable ruffles.
The felted Mr. Rogers created by Artist Christine caught my eye, and the Pennsylvania ceramic platter would be cool to serve from at a dinner party.
“If your style is eclectic with a vintage vibe, this is the place for you! We offer a wide variety of vintage & antique home decor items, as well as new & vintage clothing & accessories. From tables and lamps, paintings, and dishes; to jewelry, shoes, candles imported from Spain, gifts, vintage-inspired greeting cards, and more, there is something for everyone in our cozy store. We carry Lindsay Phillips’ line of shoes & sandals (SwitchFlops), as well as Naked Bee’s organic skin care creams & lotions. Need to make space in your closet or sell your unused home accessories? We offer resale and consignment options. Visit our vintage boutique, and then follow us on Facebook for frequent updates!”
A place to take things when you need to downsize! Good to know.
This is a collaborative guest post by two wonderfully creative women who have been friends since forever.
Colleen and Joanne hail from Nova Scotia. Joanne, living in Florida, collected the photos and good information about Colleen and her love of colorful quilting.
Colleen says “I have a huge stash of fabric that I like to look at for inspiration. Some I have had for many years and almost everything was purchased in the US. I order online occasionally but it gets expensive with taxes, customs and shipping and delivery to Canada can take a long time – so much for instant gratification! Currently Florida is my “go to” shopping locale because I’m there at least once a year. Found a great quilt shop in St. Augustine” http://www.beesquiltshop.com
Here is Colleen, looking to the sun.
Colleen’s cookbook shelves were featured on the blog about five years ago
When I was visiting the family in Ohio for an extended stay, one of the last days I was there we went to Von Maur, a lovely department store in Columbus at the Polaris Mall.
Maura and I saw all the elegant Spring/Easter hats on display. She tried on a gray one that matched her Ohio State Swim shirt. A gracious salesperson asked if we needed any help and of course, we did not. But she didn’t seem worried about trying on a hat.
(*see Men’s Hat Posts below the photos)
Growing up, almost all women in church wore hats.
.The Kentucky Derby, the first Saturday in May, is a place to wear a fashionable hat. Or a Derby party as you watch the race on TV. You see Royal Wedding attendees sporting stylish hats. I wish I’d looked inside the hats to see where they are made. Do you own a hat and on what occasion do you wear it?
Putting on a hat can change your whole persona, help you feel dressed to the nine. The epitome of dressing up in style.
“To the nine” is an English idiom meaning “to perfection” or “to the highest degree” or to dress “buoyantly and high class”. In modern English usage, the phrase most commonly appears as “dressed to the nine” or “dressed up to the nine”.
Thanks to all who have responded on the positioning of the photos when they view the blog. It has been beyond annoying and frustrating, especially for those who get the photos sideways.
Today I spent time rotating and saving and resizing the photos which were shot vertically. If they are on their side, I hope you will inform me right away so I can go back to the drawing board. When I look at them they look correct but not for all receiving them.
I heard from a woman I photographed last week about the auto rotation of photos on various programs. Here is the link to that information
Saturday afternoon McWalker Yarns in Millvale PA hosted the November Sweater Challenge (NaKniSweMo) Fashion Show.
All of the sweaters were made with yarn from McW Y, had at least 50,000 stitches and were knit between 12:01 on 11/1 and midnight 11/30.
Knitters were to wear their sweaters if they knit them for themselves.
One sweater knitter had to be at work today and was unable to attend the fashion show but we’ll try to add a photo.
Margaret “Maggie” Toth brought her husband Chris who was modeling the sweater she knit for him – Berocco Man’s Sweater free pattern “Dan”.
She used Cascade ECO yarn– colorway Shire.
Here’s Lauren Eicher modeling Jamestown Sweater knitty.com by Amy Christoffers
Yarn Malabrigo Rios “Archangel”
Christine’s niece Rebecca baked Gingerbread Men cookies sporting Holiday Sweaters
And here is Christine modeling her Free Range Kimono Corner to Corner Crochet
Pattern by Jess Coppom Yarn Cascade Wave “Nightshade”
Christine standing by the display showing yarn she used for her Free Range Kimono
Meet Barb McAbe modeling her Sideways sweater designed by Joji Locatelli in Laine Magazine#6 Autumn/Winter 2018 Wow, look at those cables!
She used Shepard’s Wool in the Mint Colorway
Here is Denise Kaliowski wearing her Kimono Cardigan by Linda DeRuiter
Yarn is Painted Mist in Misty Rainbow (6 skeins) She made notes that it is very drapey and soft and she loves the colors. We did too.
Amy McCall (owner of McWalker Yarns) knit Selenity by Annie Rowden Laine Magazine#6 Yarn Scout Colorway Blue Heather
How about this detail?
Here I am sporting Humulus Sweater designed by Isabell Kraemer
Photographed by Amy McCall
Yarn- Lore by The Fibre Company (Earthy colorway) and Sunflower Heather is by Scout
Aimee Benswanger cheered us all on as we modeled our sweaters and here she is with her Entrelac Scarf http://www.frecklesandpurls.com Berocco Remix Colorway Pool
Denise is working a baby hat
Already onto the next sweater. Amy McCall inspired us to complete our November sweaters. We had a fun afternoon. The challenge produced a lot of creativity and camaraderie. Amy gave us all a sheet of Temporary Knitting Tattoos for participating.
There was a grand prize drawing for a $50 store credit and the ticket was drawn by a Sock Club member. I was fortunate to win so am planning my next sweater to start AFTER Christmas.
How about this detail?
Here I am sporting Humulus Sweater designed by Isabell Kraemer
