children

A look back at my January. 

I think we can all agree that I am a child at heart.

~b

Friday Post Card

Anyone else dreaming about a coastal get-away today

like I am?

~b

send in the clowns

 I really want to get my paints off of our dining room table

so these may be the last of the little wood-turned pieces

Mr. b makes for me to paint for a while.

But don't worry I have a different list of items I hope he will try.

~b

NOT

I thought I liked this bag when I bought the pattern...

 Turns out I didn't!

~b

crushing it

 My resident craftsman is really getting creative in his woodshop.

You can tell he really enjoys being out there and working on his wood lathe.

I love crushing my dried herbs in this mortar and pestle he made.

It's like my birthday everyday 

when he brings me something new he's made.

~b

Friday Post Card

 A few more mushroom girls for your weekend...

~b

boys

                       This may be a few of the things a boy of the 1950's played with...

soldiers, marbles, trucks and a good western book.

~b

scraps

 I finished this quilt over Christmas hand stitching the binding 

while we took care of the granddaughters for a week 

and watching The Handmaid's Tale.

It is almost 99 percent made out of my scrap tote.

I used a second hand sheet to back it.

It doesn't get much more scrappy than this.

~b

cheer up

 

Blue Monday? Really?

The most depressing day of the year?

Don't believe it okay?

Go do something cheery...

Like make yourself a cute Hubert and Sorrel zipper pouch.

~b

Friday Post Card

 

This quilt is finished and ready to give away.

I bought the picture in an antique store in Iowa.

I think I might like it hung in our camper.

We'll see...

~b

mushroom love

 Mr. b made me these little mushroom shaped pieces one day 

as part of his apprenticeship in wood turning.

(He will chuckle at this comment.)

I painted them this morning and paired them 

with this Mary Engelbreit book for my picture.

~b

monsters

 Today I tried another new pattern for this monster zipper pouch.

The pattern calls it a small headphone bag.

It will make a fun valentine gift 

filled with candy conversation hearts.

~b

smashed potatoes

 At nine a.m. today I didn't know what a potato masher was...

By 11:30 a.m. I knew what it was and had one in hand.

Mr. b turned one out for me in a couple of hours

and I'm singing "It's so nice to have a man around the house."

It is beautiful!

I can't wait to make some smashed potatoes.

~b

Friday post card

 In light of this week's events I don't know why this picture

 in my archives caught my attention?

Do you?

This is San Quentin prison in San Quentin Ca.

San Quentin State Prison is California’s oldest and best known correctional institution, which was established on the site currently known as Point San Quentin, in July of 1852, as an answer to the rampant lawlessness in California at the time.

Our ferry went right by this prison.

No, I didn't wave.

~b

the wild west

It was time to sew a zipper pouch...

isn't it amazing how fast skills are forgotten.

I had to slow down and think on this one 

whereas a few years ago I could almost make these in my sleep. 

I can't explain my love for western fabrics.

There is not another western bone in my body.

Not music, not landscaping and not home decorating...

just fabric.

Mr. b just finished this cowboy paint-by-number.

He loves western movies and books about cowboys.

I know...how do we even stay married?

~b

grape jelly

 This grape jelly was unbelievably easy to make with only three ingredients...

grape juice, pectin and sugar and it is husband approved.

He loves grape jelly on his peanut butter.

I did my best to price it out and estimated it at $2.45 a pint.

It makes three pints.

You can find the recipe on Pinterest.

I cut the sugar back to three cups. 

Next time I am going to try using two cups of sugar.

I think today I need some homemade buns to go with it.

~b

routine days

It's been a quiet week here at knit and pearl's. 

Everyone is back to their normal routines.

After all the rich foods over the holidays

vegetable beef soup sounded good.

I like to make mine in the instant pot.

Mr. b sneaks out to his woodshop 

and always returns with something fun.

Grape jelly and sewing is my agenda today 

so be sure to come back here tomorrow to see what I come up with.

~b