I posted this photo on Flickr yesterday and while doing it thought I should blog about this. I really don't like to trace patterns.  I am the type of sewer that wants to jump right in, skipping this vital step.  Also, taping a bunch of 8.5 x 11" sheets of copy paper together is a pain in the rear and tissue paper tears so easily.  I've tried freezer paper too, but I find it kind of stiff at times.  But, after a few cut pattern fiascoes and those crazy overlaid patternsin Japanese craft books, I am beginning to realize that I should justtrace every pattern I sew before I cut.  I think I have found a great solution.

Enter exam table paper.  You know, like at the doctor's office.  It comes on a large roll and is a bit heavier than tissue paper, but still see through.  This is what I have been using to trace patterns for about a year now.  This is the only roll I have ever bought - I got mine at the local store that went out of business, but you can buy them at medical supply stores too.  There is still a ton left on the roll so I imagine that I will be using it for a long time to come.  Big bonus too is that it doesn't take up much storage space and the ends don't curl up so much when you roll it out.  I generally use pencil or pen, but fine tip felt tip markers work great too - they just glide down the paper.  So there you go:  my tip for the day.

And can I just say how completely blown away I am at the number of comments on yesterday's book post?  Wow.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  Who doesn't like free stuff?  If you want your chance at winning a copy, comment on yesterday's post.  Comments here won't count and I am cutting them off at 12:00 a.m. EST (New York) Saturday morning, the 13th.

I hope you all enjoy the weekend.  I'm looking forward to some quality time with my sewing machine.  What do you have planned?

I have spent the last few weeks reading The Gentle Art of Domesticity by Jane Brocket.  The book arrived on my doorstep, courtesy of STC Craft.

Reading this book was a comfort to me.  I loved the way Jane explored the things that she loves to do, which are coincidentally some of the things I like too.  Beyond the sewing and the knitting, her ponderings struck a chord with me on so many levels.  The photos are inviting, the words captivating and the tone welcoming.  I didn't read her blog before I read this book, but I will now.  It's that wonderful.

And lucky for you, I have an extra copy for sharing.  If you would like the book, leave a comment on this post before Saturday, September 13th and I will use the random number generator to choose a winner.

Hope you are having a great day.

I couldn't help myself.  I started another sweater and I bought a pattern and some fabric for a new bag. 

I have good reason:  this sweater is too hard to knit on the go and this bag has a big tear. 

Did I mention how good I am at justifying?  Very good.

Saturday night was magical.

It was breakfast for the kids' dinner, old signs, local brews, pretty skies, a new-to-us biergarten, party lights and serendipitously meeting friends for dinner.

The best kind of unexpected and simply wonderful.

You all are the best.  And wine with some Project Runway and no knitting is pretty good too.  I got up this morning and attacked the yoke again.  I am three rows in and so far so good.  It probably helped that the house was empty and I was able to talk to myself the entire time....you know counting my stitches out loud, telling myself to put 2 on the cable needle to the back, etc.  I'll try to add a few rows each day and maybe by the time it gets cold, I will actually be able to finish it.

I did manage to finish some sewn items.  First up, I re-did my square for the Virtual Quilting Bee.

I had all kinds of different red prints pulled out for the center square and really couldn't decide which one to go with so on a whim, I used this green one.  Pretty much perfect if you ask me.

I finished my orange quilt top.  I haven't decided what I want to do on the back so for now, it's sitting folded on the table.  I keep looking at it, but nothing seems just right.  I'll figure it out eventually.

Happy weekend people.  I can't tell you how happy I am that it is Friday.  Enjoy!

I can't tell you how many f-bombs flew from my mouth today.  I lost count after the first thirty.  Seriously, there is a reason that this sweater is called the tangled yoke.

I have spent about five hours trying to master the first four rows of the cable pattern.  Tangling the yoke and then untangling the yoke.  I finally gave up and ripped back to the decrease row.  My mind is numb and my wrist hurts so I think I am going to crawl on to the couch tonight, wine in hand, bundled in my quilt and watch some Project Runway on Tivo.  Then maybe, just maybe, I will attack this sucker again tomorrow.

Maybe.

Our nephew Kenan turned 1 on Sunday and a t-shirt was requested.  I couldn't refuse!

So here it is - I did finish it in the carpool line last week. I think the monkey is a bit, um, robust.  Cute, still, but if I do one like this again, I think I will slim him down a bit.

Off I go...I have a yoke to tangle.  Finally.

When I opened the wordplay envelope from Blair at the beginning of July, I was really excited to see the word she chose was cover.  There are so many possible interpretations and the first one that jumped into my mind was covers, as in bed covers.  Quickly followed by, "Oh crap.  I just made a quilt."  Strike that idea.  The remainder of my initial thoughts were phrases:  under cover and cover me, both of which have a strong police, spy connection.  It got me thinking that maybe I was watching a bit too much Law and Order.  Hmmm.

A few weeks later, I found myself thinking more about this word.  I worked it round and round in my head and on paper.  I can't tell you how many times I wrote the word and sketched ideas.  I thought about a photography project/flip book, but as my deadline drew closer, I knew that I needed something with more depth, something that I was more excited about.  My original thoughts kept coming back and so I embraced them.

I chose to work with "cover me", but not in the guns drawn, police crashing through a door sense.  It came to me one night when I made my rounds through the house before bed.  I turned off the lights downstairs, climbed to the second floor and went into Kate's room to turn off the night light and sneak a kiss before traveling across the hall to do the same for Jane.  There she was, curled up in a ball, cold from the overhead fan, but completely uncovered.  I pulled her sheet and blanket up and there it was:  cover.

I like that I was able to take this one word and use it for inspiration for my piece and in my process, too.  I layered, or covered, many parts of this piece with another material hoping to get a bit of dimension even though the base is watercolor paper.  I am very happy with how it turned out.  I know I will explore this more - I already have another idea how to use this word.  Luckily, I have another willing model.

Thanks Blair for joining us for this round of wordplay.  I am anxious to see what Tracy and Emily come up with.  When they post their projects, you can read about them on their blogs or visit our flickr group.  It's always amazing to me how we interpret one word in such different ways.  The next word has already arrived in my mail box.  I haven't opened it yet - I'm excited by a whole new round of possibilities.

And if I told you that Heather Smith Jones sent it, wouldn't you be excited too?