Little People Causing Trouble

Common Threads met at Margareth's.

Margareth and Karan are participating in a block of the month for this pattern. (Karan's Maiden Name is Christman, and she had a relative who sold Christmas trees, so she altered her block a bit.) "Bringing Home the Tree" is the name of the pattern. They are both at work making some other great blocks using woolen flannel.

Margareth had this laid out on her dining room table:

I couldn't believe how tidy her work space was. She also had this quilt to show off:

She made some progress on this block during our meeting.

The pattern is 3-D, so the quilts hanging on the clothesline are separate, not sewn on. I was working on a sweater for one of the dolls, and had a doll with me. I stood her up, so I could try the sweater on. Margareth's toy poodle, Daisy, did not like the doll and had fits barking and backing up to be ready to flee, in case it turned out to be alive. In her defense, the dolls are very realistic. Dusty likes the dolls, though.

The "shell" I was working on last week went quickly and Vroni modeled it.

I like how the straps cross in the back. 

It looks great with the Kitty Cat cardigan. I've decided I don't need to hold the yarn double. It seems to work fine single-stranded.

I did some more sewing. Daphne's birthday is next month, and I have learned that Daphne Jr. and Hannah have birthdays May 1 (same as Dusty's) and May 2, respectively, and they expect presents. Good thing they like clothes for birthday presents! I made them each a dress, modeled by Dolly and Gabi (Dolly's modeling the hat as well), and while I was at it, I made a couple of extra dresses, one each for Mandy and Vroni. Do they remind you of The Group? Remember that movie? Guess we need one more doll, and Carter isn't volunteering.

Mandy gets to keep this one.

...and Vroni gets this one.

The dress pattern came from a French designer's blog, Les Chéries de Vaniline. It's in French, but the designer speaks English. If you contact her with the link to a photo, she can tell you which one it is and how to order.

I've finished a bolero-length cardigan to go with Daphne Jr.'s dress, modeled here by Dolly. (Dig the hat! I used the same pattern as for Zachary Jr.'s hiking hat.)

It's an improvised pattern. I'm working on another sweater to go with the other dress. I'm using the Mirabella pattern by Debonaire Designs.

Other activities this week included breakfast at our new local cafe, The Moose Cafe.

They are still working on their menu and service, but seem to have a great start. They're open for breakfast and lunch now, but may stay open for dinner once they get established.

We also participated in the Park City Science March. We had a good turnout, in spite of the fact that the ski season is over and hiking season hasn't started yet.

It was fun, and we got to take the pups (examples of products of the science of genetic engineering, old-school type). They've been getting out more lately, including a "hike" in Toll Canyon, where we avoided the mud by staying on the little road.

Dolly loves the hat. However, she's willing to part with it for the sake of Daphne Jr. As long as I keep photos of her in it. (I don't know if you can tell, but outside of the hat is the same fabric as her dress.)

What's on my needles: Mirabella Cardigan for Mandy

What's on my Featherweight: Still doll clothes.

What's on my loom: Still waiting.

What's on my wheel: Stanzi also still waiting.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still listening to The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson. On the Kindle app, I’m still reading Dying to Read, The Cate Kinkaid Files Book #1.

What's in my wine glass: Gato Negro Malbec.

What's my tip of the week: Save your old smartphone when you get a new one. It will make a great iPod or MP3 device. Even a spare phone when you're home.

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.