The Adventures of Sisters in the Spirit

Dorothy Alexander and Gabrielle Tonner cordially invite you to attend the birthday party for their friend Daphne Jr.’s Uncle Zachary, who turns four on April 8, 2016.

Here are Dolly and Gabi, seeing how they look in their new aprons. I raided my quilting stash to find fabric to coordinate with their outfits. The pattern was here.

The website is closed, but the pattern is available until the domain runs out. It says that patterns from this website are available on Craftsy.

Dolly and Gabi have a lot of cooking to do.

I must confess, I thought they were looking at a cookbook, but it was actually a quilting book. Guess they were talking about their next quilting project while they were baking the cake.

With the food ready, it’s time for the girls to put the finishing touches on their party attire. (We’re wearing lots of purls; let’s wear our pearls!)

Was that the doorbell? Welcome to our party, everyone!

(They asked me to tell you that both dresses are based on this pattern. I knit them as written except that I eliminated all the seams except setting in the sleeves, one seam down the center back of the skirt and the shoulders on Dolly’s. Gabi’s was designed to have only the two shoulder seams. Can you tell I don’t care for sewing up?)

Here’s a recent photo of the young man they were honoring:

Happy birthday, Zachary!

Common Threads met this week. We had a small, but cozy group. We are sort of “Sisters of the Spirit.“ Georgette had fixed a real breakfast: french toast and fruit with yoghurt.

Karan had finished her Fair Isle scarf in Easter colors.

She told us she did the scarf because she wanted to try Fair Isle (good job, Karan) but didn't want to make something big, like a sweater. (Seriously, Karan?) Fair Isle in cotton isn't easy. The puckers are hard to block out, and she doesn't have puckers.

I worked on my "Sistine Chapel." Lynda was working on a sock. Kathleen is knitting the same scarf. (I think she only works on it during our Common Threads meetings. Georgette modeled the dress she bought for her son's wedding, so we could advise her about the length. (It was fine.) She's started another needlepoint project. I'll try to get a photo when she has more of it done.

Speaking of "sisters," The Frog Prince group on Ravelry is moving along. As I write this, we're up to nearly 60 members. We're opening discussions comparable to the KALs on the soon-to-end Knitting Community. I'm trying to add a few tips a day from the "Tips and Tricks for New Knitters" discussion in the Learn to Knit KAL. We will try to include tips for experienced knitters/crocheters/weavers/spinners as well as new knitters.

Well, maybe not "sisters" plural, but Rocky's sister, Sunny, is shown here getting her lunch during our first real hike of the season, at "The Living Room," a viewpoint overlooking the Salt Lake Valley. (Yes, we hiked up from Salt Lake.)

What's on my needles: Still hand-quilting the “Delectable Pathways” quilt. Working on the Aran sweater for Daphne Jr. and socks.

What's on my Featherweight: Finished aprons for the dolls, and jeans and a cowboy shirt for Dolly. Ready to start on the I-spy quilt for Johan.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished The Lady at Willowgrove Hall by Sarah Ladd. Now listening to Saint Odd by Dean Koontz. Still reading A Lady of High Regard by Tracie Peterson on the Kindle app.

What's in my wine glass: Corbett Canyon Merlot. Always a nice choice.

What's my tip of the week: Doll clothes are easier to make if you line the smaller pieces instead of making facings. You don't have to save fabric, after all. I learned this on the Red Riding Hood dirndl, and used it for the aprons.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.