Keeping busy

 Hello friends, here we are a new month, July. I have been busy finishing and learning. 

The Hawaiian quilt block is complete. The pattern is Anthurium. (The Hawaiian anthurium (commonly called the Heart of Hawaii or Flamingo Flower) symbolizes hospitality, warmth, and welcome. Because of its vibrant colors and heart shape, its English meaning centers on affection, abundance, and the spirit of giving.) 
 It may not be perfect, but I am pleased with it. I already have the next design picked out.

I am almost finished making an 18th century ladies tie pocket. I am making a few modifications. What am I learning you may ask (or not). I decided I want need to learn lace making.  Oh, not with bobbins! At the moment I have learned to make Romanian Cord which is used in lace making.  My plan is to use a simple motif. Also, I am planning to make a Japanese Pojagi window panel for my bathroom and try some Whitework embroidery. Yes, I feel ambitious. I am fortunate to have the luxury of time. The Brother Alan and Lisa have now assumed houses responsibilities. I want less to do so I can stay in my sewing corner. Did I tell you about my corner? That will be for another day. 

Sammy has been, well..... Sammy. Mostly he is a good boy. If only he did not like paper, like toilet paper, napkins and anything that can be shredded.   Loves taking Lisa and Alan's shoes. If we cannot find it we just look under my bed, his hiding place. We will not talk about today's adventure yet.

 

 Look at the full moon of May 11th taken with Alan's telescope at 11:21 am. Be sure to zoom in. His pictures are amazing. As for his new blog, technical difficulties are holding it up.

Glad you stopped by. Thank you for your friendship. 

What happened in January

 Hello friends

 I thought I would fill in the past months along with current doings. I guess I should start in December when I fell in the yard. It was about a week after getting an injection in my right knee. So, that wiped out the pain relief. Then on January 22nd while walking to see what the fire in the neighborhood was about, you may have guessed, yes, I fell. One minute I was standing then I was down. There were two neighbors who were also going to the fire so I had immediate help. I fell face first in crushed rock and began to bleed on my face. I called Lisa who was home and she came to get me and off to the emergency room we went. Five hours there and they glued the cut on the bridge of my nose closed instead of stitches. I had many small cuts all over my face. My right eye became black and blue immediately. When we returned home, I suggested we not tell Alan. Lisa gave me a look. I suggested that since he would be home late (10ish) I would lay facing the wall and pretend to be asleep. Alan stops in my room every night when he arrives home. Lisa did not seem to buy that thought. Of course as soon as Alan came home she told him. His first words were...."so you had to check out a fire". It took a few weeks before the bruising and small cuts healed. Yes, I did see my eye specialist to make sure there was no damage to the eye and my PCP. She suggested I get a PT evaluation and that was a good idea. It seems my falling issue just may be my balance. I now have a cane for long walking times and when my right knee is painful.I  have not fallen since, On to the fun stuff.

Chicken Scratch....have you heard of it, or done it? I did many moons ago as a child. 

I decided to try it again. 

 

 I bought black check gingham and used white and red for the design and made me an apron.

I do wear aprons when I am cooking. I made the bib in a floral print as well as the band and ties. A fun apron for sure. I learned Chicken Scratch when I was around ten. We had a wonderful neighborhood playground that taught us many crafts for free and held games and such. It was the best. 

Recent;y I saw on YouTube, Japanese wood carving and I fell in love with the hair combs they made. So I searched and found just the right one

 

 

It is carved from Rosewood.  It is solid/heavy compared to regular combs. I love it. The company sells many styles and choice of woods. It will require special care, not getting it too wet and cleaning it every so often with natural oil. 

Well, that about covers a back update and current happenings.  More to come soon.....

 Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your friendship. 

A change

 Goodness....how soon we forget. Well to be truthful it has been many years since starting my blog. When I set The Brother Alan's new blog, I forget many things and had to redo the blog. Please be sure to visit and follow (if you did before, please do so again). 

New name is Looking to the Night Sky . We will soon be updating with spectacular pictures.

Thank you for stopping by....... 

Down for the count

 Hello friends...... what a week it has been. A simple sore throat last Saturday and by Sunday morning , well let me say that coughing, runny/stuffed nose and headache. Staying inactive meaning remaining in bed was all I could do. Here it is a week later and I am once again functioning. Mind you, not at full mode but nonetheless I am out of bed. Of course while "resting" I watched some YouTube and now my mental file cabinet is wanting to make this and that and one thing led to another and I found a lost project.

Hawaiian Quilt square. Dianna the teacher and a best friend. Started November 2016

 

I really have a lot done so now the task is not so daunting. The name of the pattern is Anthurium. It symbolizes hospitality. Thought to bring luck and protection against evil. quite a few years ago. It was Dianna who chose the design for me and taught me. Well I am determined to finish it. I must before I start a Koren project...oh it never ends.

This Mother's Day I received a beautiful gift from the grand-kids,,, 

They painted this yarn bowl for me with all cacti around it and also sent a grating dish.....garlic will never touch it! I have wanted a yarn bowl but just never found one that I liked.

They all signed the bottom including my D-I-L Andrea,,,, Devin, Julian and Rosie. They even wrote on the inside....

Nana' Yarn! How lucky am I? Very. Andrea sent pictures of them painting it. 

Have you visited the other blog yet?  

My Nighttime Sky  soon to be updated with the rest of the Big Dipper pictures. Alan is getting ready to introduce us to the galaxies and they are fascinating. Be sure to follow and leave a comment.Thank you  for stopping by and thank you for your friendship.

A new blog

 Hello my friends. Hope all is well in your world. I have been busy learning new things...never want to stop learning. I have really become interested in Japanese crafts. But, wait....you must be wondering about the new blog. For the record, my blog...this blog...is continuing. I know, I am trying to post more often,

The Brother Alan and I are co-hosting My Nighttime Sky .   He supplies the photos and I blog. Alan has a new hobby and he is really enjoying himself. Each evening he and Lisa sets up his telescope and programs it to capture specific stars in the universe. His enthusiasm is wonderful to see and I get to enjoy it all. Now you can too. Be sure to pop over and follow the adventures.

There are so many things to catch up on that I think I will add them in as they come to mind. I just finished this  Japanese Noren curtain to hang in my bathroom doorway.  

Definition:

    Noren (暖簾) are traditional Japanese fabric dividers hung between rooms, on walls, in doorways, or in windows. They usually have one or more vertical slits cut from the bottom to nearly the top of the fabric, allowing for easier passage or viewing. Noren are rectangular and come in many different materials, sizes, colours, and patterns.Many Japanese shop owners hand their Noren out daily to let people know they are open and take them down at closing.

    Noren were originally used to protect a house from wind, dust, and rain, as well as to keep a house warm on cold days and to provide shade on hot summer days. They can also be used for decorative purposes or for dividing a room into two separate spaces.

My Noren is hand stitched and appliqued with 2 ladies walking down a path. It is from a pattern that I have had for years and I modified it to fit my purpose. I am really pleased with how it finished. 

Thank you for visiting with me and thank you for your friendship. 

Can it be 4 months

 Oh yes it has been. so many things have happened. The highlights for now; My craft area has been redone, I have started a Boro style jacket, I sewed a machine cover, a mug rug, a chair cushion and small curtain all matching, We grew a marvelous tomato plant from a half of a tomato and Sammy is now 1 year old. Today would have been my 56th wedding anniversary. I should mention that I had a few falls.

I should start somewhere so let's start with Sammy. What a year it has been with him. 

His ears are still standing up straight at 3 inches! He runs the house most of the time as we are wrapped around his paws. Sammy is a love bug and shares it all the time. Mention "car"  or  " bye bye car" and he runs to his harness. If you leave the car door open he jumps in waiting...mind you it is parked in the garage and we just got out.  He does not like going outside in the yard when it is dark. We have plant lights and a large spot light that switches on with motion detected. This means that at any time....1am, 3am.... I must accompany him.

Most people keep the toilet paper on the standard bathroom holder. Not in this house. Sammy loves taking the roll, even a full roll and running around with it. Actually any paper is fair game. Mail, delivered packages, they are all his. If something is missing, the first place to look is under my bed, then behind the recliner or sofa. Socks are another favorite item. The laundry basket is a treasure trove of wonderful things.

Sammy has a hobby, he collects rocks and plant material to bring into the house. As soon as he finds leaves or a pruned plant branch, that too becomes his property. He always helps Alan. 

Sammy is a people person ....loves to kiss and greet everyone. We love him beyond words. Our home is complete because of him. After Murphy passed we all said no more dogs....so glad we fell in love at first sight with this boy.

We will catch up on all the other happenings soon.

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your friendship.