Defective....Defection

I am sorry that I have been absent from this little space lately, my brain has been defective, it is the only way to describe the slump it leaves me in.  In the meantime I have been popping the odd snap over on Instagram.  It gives me little smiles throughout the day, and has been helpful in fighting my defective brain.  If you are of the Instagram inclination, please do pop over.  I will try to be back here shortly.

Many many thanks for popping by, it cheers my heart.

Toodles....L x ❤️

p.s.  I am The Gephart836.

p.p.s.  My little collection of dressers has been growing, along with a little old granny hooking.

June 28 - Sunday Sewing

I found a bag of fabulous pre-cut vintage feedsack fabrics at the flea market yesterday. Today I have been carefully stitching them together.  Sunday stitching bliss ❤️.

Toodles .... L x ❤️

June 24 - Hump Day

Nothing better than seeing my work desk packed up for the day!  So glad this week is on the downward slide to the weekend!

Thank you for stopping by, I do hope your week is going well too.

Toddles ... L x ❤️

June 23 - At Last!

 

For longest, longest, time I have wanted an old free standing kitchen cabinet, a Hoosier cabinet or Sellers cabinet they are called here in the U.S.  Generally speaking they are either in very poor condition or way above my price range or they have the dreaded sold sticker on them.  None of those things have stopped me from studying every single one that came through our local flea market.  Finally, after years of looking and searching I found one that I love AND that received the Mister's approval with a more than affordable price tag!  Yippee!  Double yippee when the seller knocked ever more off the price and I scored this beauty for under a hundred dollars. It makes me smile every time I see it. I've polished, dusted and de-cobwebbed it and it has pride of place in our living room. Of course of stuffed it full of stuff and it is the perfect place for my growing collection of tiny toy dressers.

I love it when patience actually pays off!

Happy Tuesday and thank you for stopping by.

Toodles.....L x ♥

P.S.  I'm on the hunt for another one now to replace my 90's orange pine dresser in the dining room.  ☺

  

20 June - Little Star Quilt

I don't have many words today, this week has seemed like I have lived someone else's life.  My son was happily married on the 15th.  It was a lovely simple wedding in the brides Mum's garden, it suited the bride and groom perfectly, they like things simple and casual.  It went well, despite the 103 F heat with horrible humidity!  The bride and groom are now enjoying the VERY sunny temperatures (112 F) of    Las Vegas and enjoying every minute - thank you Facebook!

I am so happy to have such a beautiful daughter in law.

I do hope all is well with you and the weather is treating you kindly.  

Toodles ... L x ❤️

P.S.  I nearly forgot, the little quilt is s flea market find I'm loving these days, a sweet 1930s baby quilt.

14 June - Sunday Smile

My Sunday simple, the sweetest floral camera necklace I found at Target'. Making me smile on an otherwise hot and stressful Sunday.

Toodles ... L x ❤️

June 9 - This Moment.....

My Middle J is getting married in 6 days.  YES 6 days.  I've not mentioned it before, well because it has all happened so fast!  He texts me daily from the other side of the country to tell me the current changes in the "plans"...casual dress one moment, formal the next.....registry office one day, backyard the next.....it has me all in a state of high anxiety.  So, as I sit here this evening, stitching a little something for the sweet young couple I wish that times didn't move so fast, that the plans would stay still going forward and Mostly wishing I could go back to the stress free life of childhood!

Toddles.... L x ❤️

P.S.  Do you think it would be silly to pack three outfits to choose from as the wedding is out of state??  I so fear packing the wrong thing and plans changing the day before!!!

June 4 - Ripple Back

Finally getting back to my lovely ripple blanket (Attic24 pattern, always 😀) which has been tucked away for months,   We've just gotten back from a long car journey to Virginia to visit my MIL who unfortunately is in critical care, so it has been a stressful day.  Finally able to relax a bit and I thought my ripple was just what I needed to put my mind a little at ease.  The colours and pattern were the perfect solution.

I do hope all is well with you and your loved ones.  Thank you for stopping by!

Toddles.  L x ❤️

May 28 - Slow Progress

I'm making slow progress on my hexagons, my crappy eyesight limits my stitching time to times when I can sit in the natural sunlight to stitch.   Hoping I can make them into a tiny quilt to put on top of my tiny drawers which are full of vintage buttons!  More on them another time.....

Toddles ..... L x ❤️

May 27 - Buttons & Coconuts

I found these fabulous buttons at my local yarn shops going out of business sale.  They were wicked expensive, much like everything else in that shop, but at 80 % off I was actually able to afford them without selling my kidney!   They are absolutely perfect for my w.i.p. Sawtelle cardigan, so I need to get knitting and finish it!  

Before I rush off I just want to thank you for popping by and sticking with my whilst I was a.w,o,l. There for a little while.  Your friendship and words of encouragement mean so much to me.  Thank you.  

Toddles .... L x ❤️

P.S.  I forgot to say, they are made from coconuts! How cool is that?

May 26 - Down by the creek.....

Spent the late afternoon hours yesterday down by Evitts Creek with Little J and his mates.  It was hot, humid, buggy and I swear there were snakes in the long grass watching me, but it was a brilliant couple of hours because the kids had a blast!  No pool fees, no trips to the snack bar and no running on slippery concrete. Note to self, do this more often!

Toodles .... L x ❤️

P.S.  Little J caught that fish with his hand less than five minutes after we arrived!  He was kind and quickly put it back in the water.

P.P.S.  Speaking of snakes, we didn't see any at the creek but we have seen three in or near our yard this year.  Three more than I'd like!  Little J was even brave and saved one from the neighbor kids who put it in their pool.  I was proud, but did suggest next time he check with and adult to make sure it wasn't dangerous, even if was only a baby garter snake.

May 22 - Little Hexagons

Wishing I had better eyesight for these tiny stitches.  I can hardly see them even with my glasses on, but I am loving these hexies!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Toodles,,,, L ..... ❤️

May 13 - Old Glass

I'm helping my best friends 80 something year old father sell his electric insulator collection (He's a retired linesman from the local electric company).  He is a spritely as can be and has three times the get up and go I have - which now I think about it isn't hard!  Words cannot express how much I am enjoying my time hanging out with this lovely gentleman.  I never knew my own Grandfathers, and my own Dad is no longer with us, so I am treasuring every moment.  It's just a plus I get to see all this beautiful old glass.

Toddles.....L x 

P.S. This is an old lightning rod glass insulator with the metal spike that was driven into the side of the barn the lightning rod was on top of.

May 12 - Crochet Vest & Hello 😊

Sorry to be gone so long.  Life has just hurtled by at great speed.  I hope you are all well and thank you for coming by.  I hope to be back more often, but don't hold your breath.  😉

Toodles.....L x ❤️

March 17 - Lunchtime Smile

The highlight to my St Patrick's Day, a little hooking during my break at work.  Since I don't leave the house to go to work, there was no green in my day, just a little blue whilst I took break waiting for files to upload on my slow poke work computer.  Although my husband has Irish heritage and shares the same name as this day, we really don't do much to celebrate.  I make sure our St Patrick's day flag is flying from our front porch and I always wish my Mister a Happy it's Your Name Day.  

Hope you had a lovely St Patrick's Day!

Toodles.....L x

March 8 - Sunday Sewing (with Spud)

Did you know the best spot to sit is always right where someone is trying to sew?  Spud never fails to investigate my sewing project and them plop her bum down right on top of it.  Of course I'd rather she sit on whatever I am trying to sew than trying to steal the pins out of my pincushion, which always makes me nervous.

Silly old cat.

Happy Sunday!  I hope your weekend was good to you.

Toodles...L x ♥

March 6 - Old Jeans Bag

Second success of the week - brilliant new bag out of an old pair of jeans!  Anyone who has read my blog for a while will know I l♥ve to make bags.  Some of them get used for ages, most end up in the back of the hall cupboard.  This one however won't end up there.  What started out with me making my first 'dresden quilt block' (more on that another day) ended up with me staying up WAY past my bedtime making another bag.

I L♥VE IT

Big J donated an old worn out pair of jeans, which I used the wrong side of the fabric as they were a few murky stained parts and the denim was quite unevenly faded on the right side.  Little J donated an old belt so I could use the metal rings for the handle.  I added a pocket on the outside and inside and much to Little J's relief a key keeper, since my keys always sink to the bottom of my bag out of sight.

Did I tell you I L♥VE this bag?

Oh and the big button was a treasure I found in my first ever auction purchase!  I went to my first auction last Sunday, oh my, what a fantastic time I had. More on that later too.

Happy Weekending!

Toodles...L x ♥

5 March - Poncho Surprise!

Hello and almost Happy Friday!

I'm was excited to show this little ta dah moment the first photo I took as it was chucking it down snow this morning.   I really wanted a nice white background and the snow was perfect. You can see the snow falling and I had to dash back inside before it was soaked. It still got pretty damn and it was only out there a few seconds.  The second series of photos are a bit higgly piggly because I threw it down outside before the dogs came rushing outside and messed up the nice white snow.  It was still snowing at that point, but slowing down and I only had my slippers on so I didn't want to tromp around in the snow to straighten it out and get my slippers wet.  I know, I'm nuts.

Anyway, this dark green yarn started out as yarn for a cardigan. I tried three different knitting patterns and two different crochet patterns and nothing worked!  I was on the last sleeve of another tea leaves cardigan before I admitted that the top of the sleeves were just too tight and I hated it.  I threw it across the room in a fit of frustration and cried.  Luckily, the Mister rescued it from Beets, the cat and his partner Charlie, the dog, before they got a hold of it and destroyed it. After strong cup of tea and some deep breaths I decided it would be perfect for a cozy poncho to wear while I work. I'm always cold and sit with a blanket wrapped around me, so a poncho seemed perfect.   I made the pattern up in my head as I went.  I know I started with a chain of 84, which I joined with a slip stitch and then double crochet (US terms) to the 42 second chain where I did two double crochets, chained three and two more double in the same stitch and then at chain 84 I did the same.  If that makes sense?  Then I just did whatever stitch or colour took my fancy and was in the closest yarn basket.

I LOVE IT!

This yarn just wasn't destined to be a cardigan, it wanted to be a poncho.  It took me less than a week and I will definitely make another.  Perhaps next time I'll write the pattern down as I go?

I hope all is well with you this week. I'll have another ta dah tomorrow, a sewing project. I've had two successes in one week, its been great and after so many failures it really has got my sewing/knitting/crochet mojo back in full swing!

Toodles...L x ♥