Progress Report and Mail Call

I had some time this week to work on my piece for the AAQ contest. I love it when I can take an hour or two first thing in the morning and sit by the window and do some hand work. It's the best way for me to begin the day. I've added more roses and some white sequins and French knots, which I think of as stars. I've also added more beads.


In the evening, I'm working on my Faire Isle vest. I'm getting closer to the point at which I start the steeks for the armholes and the v-neck. I'm feeling very confident with color work knitting at this point, and I'm going along at a pretty good clip. I won't make the deadline of finishing this before my mom's birthday next week, but she'll get an IOU and a small consolation shawl.

I've had great mail over the past couple of weeks. First Beth sent me these lovely vintage linens. She an I share the passion for old fabrics and I really love the avocado green in this selection. I'm thinking of making aprons from my now-expanded stash of pretties. Check out Beth's blog, Love, Laugh, Quilt, where she posts a lot of scrappy and improvisational quilts.


Sue sent me this really cute ATC of my cats called "Cleo and Louie in the Garden." It's so cheerful and fun. I'm keeping it on my desk where it keeps me in a good mood while a grade midterms. Sue is making a series of beaded ornaments this year, and she makes a lot of preemie quilts that she talks about over on her blog From the Magpie's Nest.


My crazy Christmas cactus is blooming. It does that sometime, blooming a couple of times in the winter. The Christmas cactus is one of those old fashioned plants. My mother's got several of them, some of which she's had for decades, and my grandmothers kept them too. They're hardy and this one really likes it in my kitchen near the window.

Photogenic Louie was happy to pose next to it, just to make the photo prettier.

Enjoy your weekend. When you sew remember to make a few pillowcases for soldiers for Operation Pillowcase.