SUMMER FUN

This year was the first year that our Cinnamon Magnolia tree bloomed.  It didn't have lots of blooms, but they were the size of a dinner plate, with snowy white petals against the lush green leaves.

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GIRLFRIEND WEEKEND

This year the girls arrived at my house on Father's day weekend.  It turned out to be an unusually planned, ah, not so planned, get

together we've had so far.  Everyone arriving at different time, but we still had fun.  Lots of talking, laughing and all round good time.  I gave out Strawberry Jam to very one.

Beth gave us all a box full of herbs:  Chives, Garlic Chives, Greek Oregano, Sage, French Tarragon, Thyme and Skewer Rosemary.

  They have a home in my herb bed.

Teresa gave us each a Whirlygig.  Sherri chose the Cardinal, Beth a Hummingbird, and I got the lovely green and yellow Duck!  What fun to watch his 'wings' fly around, and fly he does!  We have lots of wind here!

Sherri was our designated driver, or at least my driver.  My car was in the shop for a day and she was the first to arrive, so guess what?  She had to be the chauffeuted.  Thank you Sherri!

One of our destinations was to take a walk through The Minature and Toy Museum in Kansas City.  Amazing!  The workmanship was incredible.  Beautiful doll houses, a fully functional harpsichord, smaller than the size of a cereal bowl, and ships in bottles.  In one display there was a working loom, making a small rug.  

Hummm, that got me to thinking and Tada - I made my own 'loom'.

I used the metal frame from my vintage Loop Craft kit.  Adding Kabob Skewers and twisty ties, I strung upholstery thread over the pegs.

I cut 1/4" strips of grey wool.

Weaving was trying and I felt I was all thumbs.  Occassionally I would pull too hard and break my wool strip.  I just sewed it back together and continued on.

  

 It measures 3" by 7".  This petite rug will have a home with Sherri in one of her doll houses.

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GRANDDAUGHTER PROJECT

My seven year old granddaughter was staying with us a couple of weekends ago, and I felt it was time to 'introduce' her to sewing.  So I cut a square out of cardboard and cut slits along all the sides.  I gave her some blue yard and showed her how to weave around the slits.  After a few minutes she says, 

"Grandma, I'm going to make a cat.  Can you cut me some ears?"

  "Of course."  So I cut out 2 small ears.

"Those are to small."  So I cut bigger ones.

"Now I need a round head."  So I cut a oval head.

"How are we going to stick them together?" I ask.

"Gorilla Glue!"  Oh, yes.  Grandpa has a bottle sitting in the window ledge.  

After picking some button eyes, I went upstairs (we're in the basement) and glued on the ears and eyes, then clamped them with clothes pins.  In the meantime, she cut out cardboard for the tail and arms, adding sparkly stickers from another project.

"Now I need to make legs."

"But you already have legs."  I'm not quite seeing her full concept.

"Those are arms, Grandma!"

"Ok, ok."  I cut some legs.

Then it was assembly time. 

Her Cat!

PROJECT #2

This weekend we worked on her next project, a gift for her father birthday.  I thought we could make him a small basket to hold his remotes.

We used plastic grid and blue yarn, (the same yarn in the above project.  I have a lot of it!).  Cutting the grid to the size we wanted and with lots of encouragement, we managed to get it done in one day!

She completed the 2 small sided and helped with the bottom.  I did the long sides, bottom and lashed it all together.  I know he will enjoy it!

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Hope all our projects are this much fun!

Thanks for visiting,

Cinder

Girlfriends are wonderful!

MISSOURI TOWN 1855

This past weekend was the annual lost arts/living history festival at Fleming Park in Lee's Summit, Missouri.  There were crafter's making paper, spinning wool, rugs, and wood carving.  There was a tinsmith, a blacksmith and quilters, with many items for sale.  Also demonstrations on how to make apple butter, apple cider, sorghum and living history of medicine of the time period.  Children could play old time games from bow and arrows to stilt walking.  There were horse drawn rides and visitors could get up close to 2 amazing oxen.

 

  Mountain men vendors had displays of many animal pelts from buffalo to beaver with fun things for sale.  If you look hard, you can kinda see the tepee in the background behind the oxen.  

There were many other fun activities, along with some wonderful dulcimer, fiddle and guitar music.

Here is part of our crew:  me, Teresa, Sherri and Robin standing in front of one of the many 1855 buildings that you could tour through.

We would take time out from selling old time candy, baked goods, dolls, pottery and needlework in Teresa booth and visit the vendors.  

AND THEN I saw it!  A rug loom!  

  Upon my soul, I had to buy it.  I know I said I was going to work on all my unfinished projects, but.....OMG, what is a person to do!  I promise to continue to work on my other projects, I promise!

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LOOP LOOM

Sherri and I did some shopping before heading to Missouri Town and I found this 1960's metal loom in an antique store.  

 

All the parts were there, even the loops and booklet with instructions on how to use both loops and yarn.  I had to buy it!  $4.00!  It is a nice addition to my supply of fun projects for my granddaughters or great nieces.  

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GIFTS FROM SHERRI

I was so excited to have Sherri stay with me before we headed to Missouri Town.  When she opened the trunk of her car to get her lugage out, there were the Prairie dolls that she make to sell at the festive, along with a few topsy-turvy dolls and Lula Bea Butternut.  I almost started to cry.  LULA BEA!  Sherri asked if I wanted her.  Do I WANT HER!  Absolutely!  

Sweet Lula Bea is now sitting perched on the window ledge in the spare bedroom, keeping an eye on things with her button eyes.  

 

Sherri also brought me 2 beautiful crochet vintage doll dresses.  The needle work is exquisite and I have a shelf I will put them on in Lula Bea's room (notice how it went from spare bedroom to Lula Bea's) to display them.   She also gave me a set of quilt hangers and I already know where to use them. 

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What a great weekend I had and it was fun to get away and be with friends.  

BFF explains it all.

Love you girls,

Cinder

Girls Get Together

FUN, FUN, FUN

It was time for our annual girls weekend and we had a delightful time!  LOTS of talking, laughing and trying to solve some of the worlds problems (not really).   It goes by so fast!

  I gave Teresa and Sherri some honey and honey butter from a local beekeeping company (we love exchanging small gifts).  Teresa brought Sherri and I books, mine was on quilt history and Sherri's was about primitive furniture making.  Sherri gave each of us an adorable fairy.  

 I named mine Buttercup.  

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We took a trip to St. Joseph, Missouri and below is our adventure.  (The battery in my camera went dead so I had to take pictures with my phone so I apologize for the poor quality.) 

GLORE PSYCHIATRIC MUSEUM

What an interesting time Teresa, Sherri and I had visiting the museum on the campus of the State Lunatic Asylum.  There were lots of detailed information on all the past "treatments" that were used on mentally ill patients.
   
HISTORY:   The State Lunatic Asylum #2 was a fully functional mental hospital built in 1874 in St Joseph, MO.  In the early years the patients worked on farms to grew their own food and had livestock, making the institute completely self-sufficient.  They also did their own sewing and laundry.  The population eventually reached up to 3000 patients in the 1950's, causing overpopulation, with patients who suffered from depression, all the way up to the criminally insane.  Treatments included lobotomy, ice baths, electroshock therapy, to name a few.  By the 1990's most of the patients were provided with counseling/rehab and medication and released into society.  The hospital campus continues to provide psychiatric rehab and also has a state prison, along with the museum and a few other buildings. 

There were exhibits from treatment devices from 1600's - 1800's, up to modern times, along with the history and photos of the asylum and art work from patients.

 

The morgue was a cold, eerie place, housed in the basement of the building. 

 
This is a display of various items that a patient swallowed.  You can kind of make out the beads, nails and pins.  Good heavens!  

This straight jacket has multiple sewing areas to make it strong, with no give to it, so the patients remained restricted in their movements.



Colonic Irrigation table, need I say more!!!

 

Apparently I was not able to behave myself and was placed in the stocks until I could maintain control.  

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Also in the museum building there were three other collections...


AMERICAN INDIAN COLLECTION

This collection contains many arrowheads, pottery, baskets, clothing, moccasins, bead work and much more.  



I wish this picture showed you the exquisite bead work that was done.  The blue pants are ALL beads!  Amazing!

 
 
There were portraits of many American Indians.

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BLACK ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Also at the museum was a collection of portraits, photographs and history of local affluent people of St. Joseph.  

 I loved this saxophone display on Coleman Hawkins who was born in St. Joe and played swing music, big band and bebop.

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DOLL COLLECTION




There were many different types of dolls, from porcelain to papier mache, Barbie to GI Joe, from small to large.  I really liked the apron on this one.

 
 
This beauty looked so sophisticated standing there.  I would wear that dress!



And here are some small whimsical wire/pipe cleaner dolls.

We took our time and casually strolled thru all the collections and would recommend it as a fun day trip.

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BARBOSA'S

Check out the unique restaurant we ate at.  Their avocado dip is to die for!!!  I did not get the history of this old home, but it was fun to walk around and explore some of the nooks and crannies.  There are photos on the walls from the original owners.

A motley crew if I ever saw one.  By the way, my gray hair is now netting me senior discounts.  Rock on granny!
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We've had fun watching a pair of Killdeer protect their eggs.  The eggs blend so well with the rocks in our driveway.  Driving to the house was a delicate balance of not stressing the mother out and stay to the left side.  Whew, glad they are hatched.

Hope your spring is going well.
Thanks for visiting,

Cinder