New Projects

It's been awhile since I've been on our blog because my mom and I took the baby on a car trip to Stuart's Draft, Virginia to visit my aunt and uncle. We just got back a few days ago, just in time to get some gardening done before this next batch of thunderstorms we're getting here in Kentucky. I'm also happy to write that my husband, Matt, is home form his research trip to Spain. Ari cannot be happier to see daddy!

While in Virginia, we visited a wonderful quilting shop called Rachels' Quilt Patch. I had to scoop up two "Aunt Philly's Toothbrush Rug" kits for Kandyce and I to try. I just read about these in Mary Janes Farm, our new favorite magazine, and knew I wanted to try them. Has anyone out there made these rugs before? What's great about them is you don't need to do any sewing and you can use up all of those scraps of fabrics you have in your sewing baskets. The owner of Rachel's gave me a quick demonstration and showed me how her ugliest scraps actually make the best rugs. I'm OK with the straight stitch, but don't quite have the hang of turning yet. Lucky for Kandyce--and all of you who live in Colorado, Aunt Philly herself will be in Loveland and in Denver this summer giving classes. You can check out her website for other products and her calendar by clicking here.

A last minute surprise on our road trip, my sister, Erin flew in from New Jersey for two days to join in the fun. While I worked on just two rows of my toothbrush rug, Erin managed to crochet a sweet new hat for her daughter, Madison. Which reminds me: the new Craft Hope Project 3 is up! If you haven't already checked, the new project is making baby hats, booties, and blankets for babies in India.I'm planning on sewing a blanket and my sister is going to make another hat. You can find the pattern she used in the book Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders: 101 Small Indulgences. Here's Ari modeling it reluctantly