lots of stuff

I have been meaning to post all weekend, but got busy.
So here are the things with which I was so busy.

The sad thing is that I have to take a hiatus from the Treadle Yard Goods.
Treadle, for those who don't know, is the best fabric store in the Twin Cities.
There are those who would argue that Crafty Planet is also quite good, but I have a special soft spot for Treadle.
I have been going there since I was a fetus.
My mom has been a customer since they opened, 3 months before I was born.
I have worked there for almost 5 years, and I hope to keep working there after I take a break.
My husband is getting busier with work, and he stands to make substantially more money if I can be home with the kids more.
He asked me to cut back almost a year ago, and I have been slowly weaning myself from my jobs.
The problem is that I love my jobs.
I get to go to beautiful places and surround myself with people who love where they are and what they are doing.
That is a lucky situation.
I am looking forward about a year and seeing myself able to ramp it back up, but for now, I have to cut way back.

So, in honor of my last day for a while, I bought a bunch of fabric and stuff, some of which I really needed and some of which I didn't.

We got in some fantastic fabric that is printed in panels with pages to sew a book.


















I bought the Woodsy Wonders, and Animals of the World.

We also got a panel that you cut out and sew into a globe, the edges of the panel are little animals to sew and stuff. These last match the Animals of the World book.

















Hello Birthday and Christmas Presents!


And they were each less than a yard of fabric so they are about $6.00 a project.



Treadle does do mail order by the way.



Another thing keeping me busy this weekend is the custom knitting. I think that I have reached critical mass for projects that I can finish before Christmas.

Often folks will present me with an heirloom stocking to copy for a new family member, and I have just finished one of those.



















This one was for a repeat customer so I had already done the pattern before, that is always a little less work. Mine is the one on the right.
I wish that I could make an exact duplicate but I can't always find the right colors, that is my only qualm about custom knitting.

An aside;
While I was here on the computer, I heard "I don't like it! I don't like it!"
The younger Hug-a-Bug was standing in the kitchen holding the cajun seasoning, having just taken a sip. Guess I should clean up after dinner...



The lovely end to the weekend was that I got to the Smith bridge just at sunset. Luckily I had my trusty camera at the ready.


I have been having terrible luck lately with the Fifth Lamp photos.
The other day there was a flock of birds flying over the river but they were gone by the time I realized that I had the batteries in upside down.
Another time, I saw a boat going west and I raced to the fifth lamp, but the boat had disappeared around the bend by the time I got there.
I was very glad when I could get this one.
















Have a great week everybody!