I'm very excited to be posting about Lisa Solomon's new book, Knot Thread Stitch: Exploring Creativity through Embroidery and Mixed Media. This book is not just about embroidery. It is chock full of inspiring ways to use embroidery along with various materials in interesting and different ways. Lisa has included a wide variety of projects and after each one, there is another interpretation of the same project by a different artist. I love seeing how one idea can percolate into something else similar, yet different. This isn't just about fabric either. Paint, paper, stamps and shrinky dinks all show up in the projects. And most of them are easy, accessible and look to require little time. All good, in my mind.

In other words, it's freaking cool.

Projects that jumped out to me immediately:

These tea towels combine paint with embroidery. What an unexpected and interesting combination!

This tote bag uses a child's artwork as inspiration for the embroidery. I have done something along these lines with both of my kids and I treasure the resulting projects.

And look! A neclace made from shrinky dinks! With stitching! How fun is that? I also think it is a great project for my girls to do...really, who doesn't love shrinky dinks?

I think my favorite thing about this book is that is a wonderful starting point for exploring your own creativity with embroidery. The projects are great on their own, but work just as well as prompts that will help you create something that is truly one of a kind.

Lisa and her publisher, Quarry Books, have generously offered a copy of Knot Thread Stitch to one of my readers. To enter your name into the "hat", comment on this post before Sunday, September 16th at 5:00 p.m. Let me know how you use embroidery in your projects. If you are not a stitcher, what would you use embroidery to do? I'll let the random number generator chose a winner.

With the girls back in school the last two weeks, I have found myself needing a project to keep my hands busy while I sit at volleyball games, piano lessons and the like. I immediately wanted to pick up some knitting needles, buy new yarn and get busy. But, in a huge effort to just use what I have, I finally dug out my knitting bag yesterday.

Let me tell you, it was a hot mess. 2 unfinished sweaters, piles of needles, a bunch of papers - all jumbled up.

I haven't picked up any kind of knitting since last August when I all but completed my Sullivan. Now wait, I take that back. I did finish knitting the applied i-cord sometime in the winter or spring when I wanted the yarn for granny squares. With just two underarm seams to kitchner and all the ends to weave in, I abandoned it for the crochet hook. I know. Silly me. 

I took the bag with me as I sat at the gym door collecting admissions for volleyball games. I pulled out the Sullivan (which also looked like a hot mess), borrowed a tapestry needle from a friend (yes, not a single one in the bag, and yes, lucky to have a knitter in the gym) and got to work. By the time my shift was over, it was ready for blocking.

This one is going to be a beauty. I just know it.

Next up, the unfinished blue tea leaves. Now if I could just remember what size needle I used two years ago, those sleeves would be done in no time at all. Or maybe I should go back to my Elizabeth Zimmerman fair isle number. That just needs button and buttonhole bands. Decisions, decisions.

I snatched these flowers at the farmer's market last Saturday morning. They are still going strong and are the best smile-inducers now that the kids are back in school.

I think I lost my blogging mojo this summer. I'm sure you have guessed that already. No big news, right? But, I'm not finished blogging or going to throw in the towel yet. I think I just needed an old fashioned break and without realizing it, I took one.

I've been in this space for six years now. Six years! And when I think about what my life was like then, with two little kids who needed more immediate attention and more constant watching, I wonder how the heck I did it. Seriously. How did I find the time to be here 5 days a week with something to say? Now with the kids older, needing less watching, but more of my driving time and much, much more of moral support, I find that I don't have the kind of time that I think I need to be here. And that's the catch...I don't really need a ton of time to stop in and share a little tidbit. It doesn't have to be a huge, finished project that gets me to take photos, sit down and write. I used to share the little things, the progress of projects, small works in progress, stacks of fabric, photos of my day. I used to be more spontaneous about it all. I'd like to go back there and I'm going to try to.

I'm not going to promise posts 5 days a week. That's kind of unlikely right now. But I'm dipping my toes back in slowly. I have some finished things to share. And some unfinished things, too. I have a couple of great books to tell you about and some online craft courses to share (complete with giveaways!). I've got advice to ask about stocking the freezer for school lunches. I might just post some photos if I feel like it. Maybe I'll tell you about the cleanse I've been doing for the past couple of weeks. Or maybe not. Who knows?

So, hi. I'm Erin. Nice to see you again.

Hey there. Long time, no blog. Life, people. Summer.

School starts Wednesday. Wednesday. And there are still four skirts I need to hem. Ahem. But otherwise we are set and ready to go. I hope (fingers and toes crossed) to be back here a bit more frequently. Not as if that would be hard. Geez. I have been a slacker.

But, I've been reading a lot. Tons, actually. The amount of pages turned may inversely correspond to the amount of blog posts this summer. Or not. Who knows? Here's what I've read on my summer vacation:

Orchid House by Lucinda Riley

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris (Small coincidence, huh? My Jane Harris gave this to me for my bday)

The Marriage Plot by Jefferey Eugenides

The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger

In One Person by John Irving

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

Bowling Avenue by Ann Shayne

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (7th in a series - all mysteries, best read chronologically)

Eight Inspector Montalbano books by Andrea Camilleri (again, mysteries that are best read in chronologically - these are not necessarily listed in order. There are also a few (5 or so?) that come before these that I had already read):  The Age of Doubt, The Patience of the Spider, The Potter's Field, The Track of Sand, The Wings of the Sphinx, The Paper Moon, August Heat, Rounding the Mark

That's 17 books since my birthday. I'm impressing myself.

That pile up top? 5 are mine, 2 are Fatty's. 1 of mine we will both read. Bonus points (and maybe a prize?) for anyone who can figure out whose are whose.

I know that I have been neglecting the blog when Fatty asks, "What? You don't post anymore?"

Yep. Sorry. I didn't mean to be away for so long.

I blame summer, people. It's busier than I'd like, but still oh so good. Our day to day changes, well, daily. And since I was last here, we've been to the beach and have come home. It was a great week with my family - lots of sun, sand, surf and way too much food and drink. And now, back at home, I'm getting the girls ready for a week at camp and myself ready for grown-up camp (a.k.a. a Denyse Schmidt workshop in Portland, OR). Exciting for all, right?

Before we left for South Carolina, I did sew up another version of Anna Maria's Painted Portrait Dress. This was my third go at this pattern and each time I sew it, it comes together quicker than the time before. I love making it and I love wearing it. I also love that it can be made in so many different combinations - sleeves, no sleeves, top, dress, with patchwork, without. I can safely say that there will be more than three versions of this pattern hanging in my closet. I'm just about ready to start another one for fall.

But before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you about this one. I was inspired to make it when out shopping for something white to wear for a family photo on the beach. I found many options at different stores, but loved nothing. It dawned on me that instead of spending more time shopping, I should just start sewing. I bought the fabric locally - it didn't have any identifying marks on the selvedge so I can say who makes it. Because it is white, I knew that it would require a full lining. The pattern only has instructions on facing the yoke, but having sewn this pattern before, I was confident that I could figure out how to line the entire thing. There was some serious contemplating about the arm hole, but once I wrapped my brain around what I needed to do, it all came together very easily. Again, like the blouse version I made earlier this year, I took in the back seams so it would fit me better. Each time I have done this after sewing everything together. I think I'll try altering the actual pattern pieces before I sew the next one.

And because I didn't have any white cotton perle on hand, I couldn't resist adding a little surprise for the button loop. It makes me smile every time I see it.

Also, it should come as no surprise that instead of getting everyone ready for their respective adventures, I cut out another blouse last night. This time, it's a Tova and it's green. See you on the other side.

I can't believe a week has gone by since I've been here. Where does the time go?

I have some fun things to share with you all and a dress to show off, but that will all have to wait. I did want to tell you that Blair asked if I would contribute to the granny square sampler this week and of course, I said yes! I even made a little video. You can see what I chose over on her blog.

And with this week's crochet work all complete, I need to go back and do last week's assignment. With that, I'm all caught up. How about you?

This spring I discovered a new-to-me cocktail: La Paloma. I ordered one at a local restaurant and immediately knew that I wanted to try to recreate it at home. After a little googling and some discussions with multiple bartenders on our trip to New York plus some good old fashioned taste testing, I've zeroed in on a great version to make at home.

La Paloma has a tequila base and most often has lime juice plus a grapefruit soda. The first one I had was tequila, pink grapefruit juice, lime juice and tonic and I loved it. I tried this mix at home and the results were refreshing, but only so-so. The next one I had at another local bar was tequila, lime juice and Ale81 (a local soda, similar to Squirt). It was great! In New York, I had one with grapefruit juice, lime juice and soda - good, too. Emily had been making hers with grapefruit Izze, lime juice and a splash of soda. Jarritos is the traditional soda used south of the border. If you can get your hands on that, it might be worth a try. I couldn't find any locally so I went with San Pellegrino's Pompelmo. It is refreshing, grapefruity without being too sweet. Perfect for my taste. And while I have seen recipes that call for a salted rim on the glass, none of the ones I ordered in bars came that way and I like it fine without the salt. Below is my recipe.

Erin's La Paloma - Makes 1

2 oz. silver agave tequila (I like Dulce Vida)

2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice (1 to 2 limes)

4 oz. San Pellegrino Pompelmo soda

Mix tequila and lime juice. Pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with San Pellegrino grapefruit soda. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Happy weekending to you all. Cheers!

For Independence Day, I present you with a star made of stripes. With any luck, it'll be a quilt top in a few days. (Made using the pattern in Denyse Schmidt's book, Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration.)

Stay safe and have a great holiday!