nimbleknot

New Masthead

Now that I have a new air conditioner, to the tune of $9100, I got a little creative.  Really though, doesn't that sound like a small fortune? Ugh. But I am happy that our home is now properly set-up and our electric bill should be a little over $100 instead of $400 per month. It was no small task. It took three men 10 hours to install and re-duct our entire home. Our home is now zoned and it has an air purification system. I am happy about that. But honestly, the BEST thing about getting a new air conditioner? Is the box it came in. It's literally 4 feet sqaured and is now the permanent residence of my five year old son, complete with door, window and mail slot. He even has his own address.

Okay, so yea...the masthead. I wanted something a little more colorful to represent some of my work. All the bears have new homes all over the world. And for the first time, I have NO bears! I am sold out, thanks to everyone who has so kindly taken an interest in my creations. But I am working on "something" right now and will hopefully have it completed in the next few days.

It's hot...

...in my house. My A/C died today and it's 89 degrees in my house. Really. Why is it 92 degrees in October in the state of Texas? It's SNOWING in Nevada. For crying out loud. Oh, I forgot...it's humid too. Yuk. Anyway, it makes me very cranky. My neighbor is an A/C repairman. He came over, as he has many many times and tried to fix it. But, the project is too time consuming for him. He works fulltime as an A/C repairman AND works weekends for himself. He literally doesn't have the time. I really think he's the nicest man I've ever met. He was so sad he couldn't fix it for me. I have to wait until Monday and call the local repair guys. I can already tell it won't be cheap. Last week we had our water softener repaired. That was $250. It never ends. Before that it was the cracked windshield on our truck, the leaky dishwasher, the A/C starter, the leaky free-on. I will never own an Amana A/C unit again as long as I live. We had so much rain that our oak trees grew like mad. They are 100 year old oaks. But they had so much new growth, and some old, they were hanging dangerously close to the house. One wind or hail storm could have taken down a branch on a car, or worse...our neighbors car. So we spent $500 to "barely" trim them. The full job would have been $1000. Anyway, being hot and sticky in my house makes me crabby.

I decided to list this set on ebay. It will not be available for purchase after the auction ends. So hopefully some lucky collector will win the set. I spent many many hours working on the details for this set and I really love it. I was going to keep it for myself but decided to let it go. I love the colors in this piece, especially the color of Margarita. It comes with a handmade wooden rocking chair. The photos of that can be seen in the photo "Gallery o'Bears" of this blog. Or you can go to my flickr account too. Or heck, go to the ebay auction link and check it out there.

Please pray for a cold front in Austin, Texas as I would love to sleep in my bed upstairs. But it's too darn hot so I will share the couch with my two kids, husband and poodle.

Happy Fall Y'all

I feel so guilty that my blog has not been updated since August! But that is exactly the time I went back to work full time. So I guess I have an excuse. I am teaching elementary P.E. and I love it. I have gotten to know over 1,000 kids from kindergarten to 5th grade in five short weeks. It's the perfect job for me.

I forgot how busy life can be with two parents working, two kids in school and four people trying to do their own thing in their spare time. From Girl Scouts, to tennis, to karate, to choir to biking...and even squeezing in a bear, it can be quite exhausting.

But I did manage to get this little bear completed BEFORE Halloween is over. I have named it Willow the Witch and she is currently listed on ebay for a 5 day auction. I had anticipated only making the bear and pumpkin. But then I thought a traveling trunk would be a great addition. Then I thought, "well crud...the set won't be complete without an owl and broom." Everything fits neatly into the box, except the owl, since it is permanently attached to the trunk by it's wire legs. But this time I didn't sew the party hat to the bear. I wanted the bear to fit in the trunk so the hat is positioned with straight pins and can be removed.

I have my sights set on another mohair bear. I really enjoyed making a fully jointed teddy bear, something new for me. I have been working on a new pattern (boy! those are tough) and I hope that with all the tweaks it will produce a happy little bear. I really think the hardest part is choosing the mohair. It's ridiculous how much time I spent picking out a color online. Maybe I will close my eyes and point at the computer monitor, that would save me some grief.

Vintage quilting

I think this quilted pillow is about 35 years old. What is so cool is that I remember my mom buying it for me. She purchased it along with a full size quilt and matching quilted doll. Even better, it was handmade by the quilting bee at our church. I remember the Christmas Bazaar in the basement of the church like it was yesterday. I sit on this pillow everytime I sew. I remember lying in bed as a kid picking out my favorite fabric on the quilt and pillow. The quilt was on my bed for many years, then hung on the wall. Now, it's back in the linen closet and gets used on cold nights. After all these years there is not one loose stitch. Ahhh...quality!

I started a new job this week. I will be teaching PE with two other teachers to almost 1,000 little kids at a great elementary school. I don't know if all schools are like this but I can tell you I have never felt more welcome. The staff at this school is "over the top" in friendliness. Each day since I got this job I keep saying to myself, "I cannot believe how lucky I am to be here." I am even luckier that I can ride my bike to work and stop at Starbucks on the way! WOOHOO!

Mohair Fun!

I unpacked my Intercal box and took a deep breath.

I drew my own pattern so it would fit on a 12x12 piece of mohair. As most of y'all know, mohair can be quite pricey. I decided to do a small bear so it would fit on a square foot of mohair. I had to rework the pattern a couple times to get it on there but it finally fit. I bought pre-crimped eyes as I had heard the horror stories of glass eyes breaking when pulled through the head. I thought I would spend a couple bucks more and get the best eyes.

I have to tell you I really dragged my feet on this bear. Since this was a new venture and I was teaching myself how to make this bear with help from everybody at Teddy Talk, I had a lot of anxiety about it. I had this idea in my head about how I wanted this bear to turn out and I was on uncharted territory. After about a week, I turned out this little guy...

Everything about this bear was a learning curve for me. I stopped at ever juncture and referenced each particular skill at Teddy Talk or a book I have about repairing old teddies. And while I learned a LOT, I have a lot more to learn. I didn't skimp or cheat on this bear. I followed the proper rules and etiquette for making a good quality, jointed teddy bear. Even if I had to unstuff the head three times, I wanted it done right.

Even photographing this bear was different than shooting my felted bears. There is so much more depth to this bear, who I named "BooBoo." But it's really hard to see in the photo. I took the photo in evening sun after a rainstorm and will not do that next time.

I used a technique for sewing in the eyes that I really liked. However, after a couple days of looking at her I decided I didn't care for the space between the eyes. It was a bit too wide.

When I pushed on the eye, it came loose! ACK!!! So I pulled on the other eye and it did the same darn thing! What tha? So I researched another technique and used a different thread and re-seated both eyes closer together and much deeper in the head. Which of course I don't have a photo. But it looks much better and gave more character to BooBoo.

I am already drawing a new pattern to fit on a bigger hunk of mohair. I want to make changes to my bear as there are some things I don't like. But we all have to start somewhere. I really enjoyed making a jointed, stuffed, mohair bear and have plans to make many more. I spent an hour and a half last night combing the mohair inventory at Intercal. It's like walking into a candy store! Yum! MOHAIR IN ALL COLORS!!!!!!!!!!

By the way, I listed Mama Margarita on ebay. She will be offered for sale through this Friday. Click on my ebay link in the upper left to take a peek.

It's a Country Bear

I finally finished her. Fran and her cardinal. Or is it a chicken? I dunno. Either way...it's a bird on her head.

I like Fran. For some reason her head is bigger and her face is more dainty. I made her nose and mouth a tad smaller. Her bird is made on a pinhead out of polymer clay with glass eyes. So whoever buys Fran can move the bird to her hand, her toe or on the cupcake.

The rain has not stopped. We have had 35 consecutive days of rain. If we have five more I am building a boat. It's just not funny anymore. The rain pattern is supposed to last until October. I laughed when I heard that. However, if you would have told me back in April that it was going to rain almost everyday from then until now I would have laughed too. Like I said, it's not funny anymore.

The frustration has made me irritable. When I get irritable I look for things to make me un-irritable. Some people eat. Some like to shop. For me...I go one the hunt for a new craft. I could continue to work on my dollhouse. Yea, that one. Funny, it's sitting on my coffee table full of plastic Marvel and Star Wars heros. My son has taken it over. He thinks it's his. It is the center of his Marvel town. If I tried to take it he would fight me to the death with his light saber.

So in my quest to get un-irritable I ordered some supplies last week. For my new craft project. They arrived yesterday. In this box. From the UPS guy.

Recognize the label? I can't wait.

Ever Have One of Those Days...

...one of those weeks...one of those months...? I am telling you, it's been downright depressing here in Texas with all this rain. I don't think I have seen two sunny days in a row since May. I hate to complain, the rain is good, but COME ON! I've had enough rain. Our local weatherman called it, "The summer that never was." I can honestly say I miss the heat and humidity.

This is my favorite shirt to wear when I am feeling blue. I think it's quite appropriate. But guess what, when you're feeling bad, what do we want to do? Yep, EAT. So I made these things called Hello Dollies. I cannot tell you why they are called Hello Dollies but their taste packs a punch and will definitely make you feel better in a hurry.

They are sitting on my favorite plate. It's a plate with two poodles on it having malts. I bought it at a quilt store of all places. I know y'all have probably seen these treats before but I'll share anyway. I saw a guy on a talk show rattle off the recipe a long time ago. I don't even know if I got all the ingredients. But this is what I caught and this is how I've been making them forever.

Hello Dollies

1 1/2 packages of graham crackers-crushed
8 T margarine melted
12 oz. chocolate chips
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup chopped almonds or pecans

Combine the margarine and crushed graham crackers into a pliable meal. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan and press the graham cracker crust on the bottom. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the crust covering it completely. Spread the chocolate chips and nuts over the top. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

They are so close you can taste them can't you? Go ahead, smell the screen. You can also add coconut or marshmallows to the topping which is REALLY sinful.

I brewed myself a pot of Starbuck's Gold Coast and ate the whole plate. After I ate that I was feeling pretty good. So good in fact, that I actually started sewing.

So this photo right here proves I HAVE been making things. This is the way I do it: I needlefelt the bear...I make the body and limbs then stop. Then I decide what sort of color scheme I am going to do. After I decide that, I go back to the bear and add the color, string the joints and make the outfit. So I am very near completing another bear, finally!

Thanks to everybody that stopped by while I was on hiatus. And thank you to everybody that left comments. I read them all and appreciate every word. Oh yes, I am working on a new banner too. I was working in Photoshop so much this evening my fingers cramped so I had to stop. So bear with me, it will all come together shortly.

P.S. Go see Hairspray, it's fantastic.

WIP

Did y'all think I hung up bear making? I didn't. I promise. But I did have hand surgery three days ago. One year ago today I had a mountain bike wreck on my vacation. It didn't appear to be anything beyond breaking my hand. So much for looks. I've had surgery, 7 months of occupational therapy, and many many injections. I also know my huband and friends are sick of hearing about my hand. And last Friday, another surgery. So if my writing seems a little "off" it's because of narcotics. If it were up to me I wouldn't be taking them because I have already had the post-surgery narcotic stomach revolt. My body is prone to heavy scar tissue, which is my enemy in this particular healing process, I have to move and massage both my incisions. Yes I know, ouch. I have an incision in the palm of my hand and the knuckle. Therefore making bears is going to be slow. BUT! I decided to dig up this little guy and work on him in the meantime.

I never finished him. I don't know why because he's actually got a cute face. Not sure if you can see the detail or not. His features are subtle but I think with some color he will definitely come to life. I am going to remove his arms and reshape them a bit. I want his palms and shoulders to be a little more pronounced.

I will re-string the arm joints since you can see here they are just tacked on. I do like the ears though, nice and thin. I am going to re-shape the bunny a bit too, a little more here, a little more there. I will have to decide whether or not to make a dress. Perhaps an apron is in order? And most definitely a carrot.

This guy sure liked the carrot I gave him. His name is Zeke and was in a pasture down the street from my father-in-law's house. Says nobody rides him. If I lived near Zeke, I would most definitely ride him.

He asked me if he showed me his teeth, would I give him a kiss? I think those are worth a smackaroo.

#5

So I am riding my bike in Yosemite on our second day. We were having a grand time. I felt like I was in Disneyland. The weather was gorgeous, the wind was blowing through my (short) hair, my kids were laughing, my husband was snapping photos. I was just cruising along when I came around a corner and saw this sitting in the middle of the bike trail.

Yes, #5 was sitting 20 feet in front of me. My knobby tires came to a screeching halt. Okay...the bear pamphlet, I didn't read the pamphlet, I know not to run...they want food...I have none. I turned around to tell my family and other bikers to slow down since #5 was not interested in moving. Then I turn around and see the rangers...they had obviously been tracking this guy with GPS. Anyway, the rangers let us take our photos as they tried to keep the bear back off the trail and he just continued to trot down the bike path.

We saw four bears during our visit to Yosemite. Which I hear is pretty cool considering I know other folks who have been there a dozen times and never seen a bear. But next time, I am actually going to read the pamphlet.

Yosemite

I am back from my trip. If you have never been to Yosemite, add it to your list of life's "must do before I die." You will come back a different person. Really. My husband and I keep saying, "we gotta do Vegas again." But after being to Yosemite a few times, this is now the place "we gotta do" again and again. This is a shot of El Capitan. Every photo you take in Yosemite could be a postcard. It is jaw-dropping gorgeous and a place that can get under your skin, forever. If you've been, you know.

We left our kids with the in-laws so we could hike Vernal Fall. While it's not considered a difficult hike, the climb can still give you the heebie jeebies. It's wet and steep. And only about 1.5 miles one way, which will take about 4 hours round trip if you take pictures. And if you go, please don't wear Crocs and carry 12 ounces of Evian like the many ding-dongs we encountered along the trail. Even saw a man carrying a baby on his shoulders. A First-Aid responder, who happened to be hiking, told the guy to turn around. We each emptied a 100 oz. Camelback and consumed food. We gave a bottle of Gatorade and food to a girl that bonked above Vernal Fall, she couldn't go any further. Be smart and safe about your hiking.

This is my husband standing at the base of Vernal Fall. It is so loud you have to scream. It is magnificent. I think part of the Yosemite allure is the accessibility. There are very few railings so there are many temptations. However, there are consequences as we found out a day later.

These are some of the stairs nearing the top of Vernal Fall. They are about 18 inches in height. But after climbing these for an hour they may as well have been three feet in height.

These are literally the last few steps to the top. The drop-off is straight down so there are several feet of railing at this point. Still, it's creepy to look over the edge.

This was my view as I turned around to snap a photo of my husband. When we reached the top we ate lunch and walked over to the Emerald Pool which is literally a beautiful shade of emerald green. My husband has all the gorgeous photos, mine are just snap shots. I need to post a link to all his photos.

This is not my photo of Half Dome, I googled it. I want to do this hike. It takes several hours just to get to this point. We have heard its a 12 hour hike for a fit person and just this part can take 2 hours to ascend. Sadly, while we were atop Glacier Point a helicopter flew into Yosemite Valley. We were looking at the Half Dome climbers through binoculars. You automatically think the worst as helicopters do not come to Yosemite unless it's bad. A man was on this part of Half Dome when he slipped and caught his foot on the cables. It threw him over the cable line and he fell 1,000 feet to his death. The helicopter was there to drop off the rescue crew and recover his body. Two hours later, when we got back down from Glacier Point, the helicopter flew out. A sad and eerie sight. May the hiker rest in peace. This must be his view from heaven.

I snapped this as we flew over at about 20,000 feet leaving Sacramento. Half Dome is clearly visible.