Just in time for swimming lessons

so someone can tell which one is her towel

Summer is here !

The lilies are starting to bloom


The strawberries are ripe


and my first ever quilt is finished just in time for the first picnic of summer.

It's not perfect - the corners of the binding are kind of weird, but I don't care !

I love the way ity turned out. It took a surprising amount of time to decide where to place the different blocks, but the sewing was quick and the quilting of the top was fun.

The dollies grabbed the quilt the minute the last stitch was made and headed out side for a lovely ( felt ) strawberry tea under the trees. Don't forget your napkin, Mr. Bear !

Looks like it will be a grand summer .

Where the wild things are

First they were in the orchard, then under our bedroom window and now they're in the house ! This bird was flying merrily around our livingroom while both cats were sitting on the couch, completely riveted.
Mr. RFD claims he gave the masterful command of " Leave it ! " and supposedly Pete , the more intelligent of the two, immediately sat like a stone. Yea, right.

After the bird release, Pete thought he would come and entertain himself where I was working. My sewing chair swivels and as soon as I got up, Pete would take a running jump which was enough to spin the chair around. He also does some complicated maneuver with his paws, pushing and pulling himself sideways so the chair spins faster and longer.

Kind of makes you dizzy in a delicious way.

( This cat can also open doors ! )

To show how versatile he is, he thought he would help me with my next project .

I wonder what it can be ?

Pretty in pink

The Clapotis is blocked and dry at last and since I fear my modeling shot will not make it into America's Next Top Model Hall of Fame, so I give you this instead :

Chair, modeling Clapotis ,with gratuitous cute kitty. By the way, Emlyn , you were right : Clapotis is pronounced " Clap-O-teeee" - it's French and means "little waves."

While the ClapOtee was blocking, I went to the fabulous Fabric Row in Philadelphia and bought this pretty pink toile fabric.

I used it to resurrect the old dressing table which had been languishing in the top of the barn. Today we delivered it to a happy little girl who loves pink more than anything. Kindly note pink crown !

After much hair combing, lotion applying, hairclip selecting and make-up applying, it's also wonderful fun to crawl under the skirt and pretend the dressing table is a house.

Next up - a new project involving Mr.RFD's favorite pink shirt which has a frayed collar and is worn out.

Journals # 3 and # 4

The Easter Bunny has been busy making more journals - these two are for a doting auntie and a mother who never seems to have pictures of her own darling children in her purse so she can show off how adorable her children are. Now she can brag and keep organized at the same time. This journal making is really addictive.

Journal #2

This journal is for a horse-crazy little granddaughter.

It even has cool horsey endpapers !

Mystery unveiled

It's a dear little journal made entirely of items one would ordinarily throw away, except maybe for the photographs.



Here's a view of the back as well ( recognize the daffodils next to the driveway ? Not much longer now until they're in bloom.)



And here is a bonus view inside - all recycled papers .The endpapers are some crazy kiddie art. The latter was a sort of emergency solution to a warping problem. I knew that gluing a photograph to one side of a piece of cardboard would cause warping , I didn't realize it would be quite so severe and needed a quick fix, so R's drawing pad had to come to the rescue.

The journal is amazingly functional and sturdy, even though it's just an experiment, and I can't wait to make another one, this time with a little more planning ahead of time. If you want one, raise your hand !

Recycle Fever

The adult Stashbuster socks are done and I love them ! I'm already planning the next pair. It's so satisfying to use up little bits and pieces which would ordinarily be thrown away.
Inspired by those socks, there has been a recycling outbreak here at chez RFD. Here is a mystery project which will be unveiled later today. Stay tuned....

What could it be ????

Spring !

Today is a perfect March day; there is a strong wind, it's not cold, there are dramatic bursts of sunshine alternating with equally dramatic clouds, which makes for totally dramatic shadows on the landscape.

The grass is visibly getting a bit greener every day and everywhere green shoots are pushing out of the ground.

Each day there is something new to discover; if you don't pay attention , you'll miss the latest happening.

You have to look under the bushes to find the snowdrops - in Germany they are called Schneegloeckchen - Snow Bells - a rather apt name.I haven't heard them ring, but last night we heard a sure sign of spring for the first time this year. Peepers !

Inside there is a burst of creativity as well. A secret project for the next birthday this month. Don't peek if it's yours !

A basket full of leftover yarn turned into something useful and was a lot of fun to make.

Stashbuster spiral socks for a little grandson. How cute are these ?

What creative things are you engaged in to celebrate the beginning of spring ?

How many peanuts does one family need?

This is what you get when you order a bag of environmentally friendly packing peanuts ... I thought it said five pounds? Apparently they are very lightweight.



No I have a lifetime supply of peanuts and it also happens to be the least expensive and most exciting toy my children have come across in a long time, they both love it!