More blogs and websites

I've discovered some more crafting/sewing blogs and websites that I think you'll like. They all have cute little projects that make you say, "I could make that!" Like square pillows and drawstring bags that are made in trendy fabrics and photographed in rooms where you'd like to live.
Pottercraftnews.com is a publisher's website with links to authors of some of the books they publish. Some sewing, some knitting, and some designers that just sell stuff.

Jansdotter.com is the website of Lotta Jansdotter, the author of Lotta Simple Sewing. I saw it in the bookstore, and I'm going to try to get them from our library. In the book there was a note that she designs fabric, but that link on her website was still under construction

celinedupuy.com is the website of Celine Dupuy, who wrote Simple Sewing With a French Twist and Make Your Own Handbag. I just returned the french sewing one and I made a purse out of it. Her website is in French, but the designs are really simple, so you can figure out how to make them without reading the descriptions.

I'm still creating

I haven't posted any of my creations on 0ur blog for a long time. I HAVE been producing quite a bit, just not photographing my works. So here are some of the things I've made in the past several months.

The first is a quilt I made as a retirement gift for a co-worker. We worked together for over 25 years before I retired. I'm especially proud of it because I didn't use a pattern, although I did get ideas from some sources, including a book that Pam loaned me.

The next two pictures are a purse I knitted for Linda. The pattern is a free one from the Berrocca yarns website (www.berrocca.com), which is a great website with tons of really great free and low-cost patterns patterns. The pattern calls for it to be knitted in all the same yarn, but I used mostly yarn that I had. It looks good in lots of different textures. It's knitted on circular and double-pointed needles, but you start in the middle with four stitches on four needles, which is VERY tricky. Once you get a few rows done, though, it's very simple.

Next is a scarf I knitted with a hand-dyed yarn that's a wool/silk/ alpaca blend. It was more expensive than what I usually knit with, but isn't it neat the way the colors go from one to another? That diagonal knitting pattern was kind of fun to do, too. So much fun that I made another one from the same yarn in a different colorway. I think I gave that one to Linda, though, so I couldn't photograph it.

And last is a cotton quilted purse that I made this weekend.

I've also knitted two (and a half) additional purses out of cotton yarn, but haven't gotten around to sewing the pieces together and finishing them. That's my least favorite part, and I always put it off. But I'll p0st them soon.

cooking = crafting

Because it's lunchtime and I'm jealous of my own dinner from last night, here's what I made:
Roasted eggplant, red onions, red pepper, and yellow squash toasted on parmesan black pepper bread from a great German bakery here called Guglhuph (which I call "google hoff"). It was delish. I think I'll have it again tonight.

other blogs to check out

Obviously, we're not the only craft bloggers. I thought this first link was a cool junk-mail-art project and the second is pretty cool too.

http://alittlehut.blogspot.com/2007/05/recycling.html#links%3Cbr%20/%3E

http://whipup.net/

Oh, and I finally figured out how to make these things links.

By popular demand, here's the blog of a friend of mine from high school. She's a knitter and sewer and takes beautiful pictures of her stuff http://rainyday.squarespace.com/

John and his friends....

I had to share this picture with all of you, because it is so funny. Last week, John went over to Toledo for a golf outing with a friend of his who lives in Detroit. At the golf outing was Bill Walton, the basketball player, and John's golf foursome had their picture taken with him. Bill Walton is standing on the same level as the rest of the guys! I think we should enter this picture in the Laney "optical illusion" picture category! Who has the picture of the giant Jennie? And Kathy with the curtain hair?

Beach Trip

Sometimes it seems like all I do is take short trips to see Brian, but I swear I also work! This week we went to KittyHawk, NC to meet some friens of Brian's from high school. Plans changed, though, and while I was there it was just Brian, his friend Erin, 2 dogs, and myself. Another wave of people came the day I left, so I mostly have pictures from the cloudy, rainy 2 days we spent being entertained by the dogs. KittyhawkMay2007

Quick and easy baby quilt

This is the baby quilt that I made for my friend Bridget's baby. They named her Penelope. Kathy gave me the pattern from a quilt magazine - she made the same quilt with an L on it for baby Laney. It's a very quick quilt to make, and comes out really cute.