Wednesday Wee Ones

I have a friend

Her name is Candy

She is as sweet as her name!

A while back she said she was sending me a package - with a few glasses in it

And they would be wrapped in a few pieces of fabric

Wellllllll - I told you she was sweet.

 Sweet as gingerbread and hearts

 I separated the stacks of fabrics she sent - sorted them into matching/coordinating groups - get ready for some fabric fun!

 checks and plaids

 dots and stars - these are vintage fabrics.  I used to buy the same fabrics in Calexico, CA  (right on the Mexican border) in the 1980s at the huge outdoor swap meet.  I made doll and bears clothes using these fabrics - and now I have the same fabrics to use for my current dolls - Little Women dresses?  Little House on the Prairie clothes?  So many possibilities - I feel rich!!

 Ginghams - so many ideas for doll clothes!

 Oh right - the pretty glasses.  I adore these pink swirl glasses - they will be featured in many table settings to come.

 Candy also sent pretty florals and garden prints - summer aprons for the dolls?  Sunsuits?

 And lovely woven plaids - Autumn is coming - I'd better get out the patterns - so many ideas.

I haven't sewn anything from these fabrics that Candy sent in this latest box - but she had sent me another box of fabrics about a month before  - and I've made some pretty dresses from some of them.  I've posted about the first box of fabrics - but let us review

 These are some of the fabrics she had sent me.

And in that same box - these five patterns 

And

A new doll - Kyla.

I told you Candy was sweet!!!!

Kyla loves her new sisters and brother - and they are all so happy to have her in the family.

The dresses are from some of the fabrics in the first box from Candy - I used the pattern in the lower right corner to make dresses - just different fabrics for each doll - most of the dress fabrics are from Candy

 I've shared the dresses before but I know you want to see them again - I just love the combinations of fabrics

It is a happy time in the summer with fabrics and patterns - and pretty glasses - from Candy. (The paper doll fabric on the dress in the lower right corner came in yet another box from Candy) Thank you so much my dear!!!!

And visit Candy's doll blog this afternoon - she is one of the most creative people I know.

And speaking of creative - have a visit over at Diane's - she always has something new, clever and fun for us to explore with her many dollies and projects.

I love my doll friends!

Tuesday's Treasures

My view, sitting on the deck

 A little grove of trees behind geraniums

 Nothing but blue sky and bright green leaves

 Hot pink geranium - a gift from our daughter and her family for Mother's Day

 A sweet volunteer larkspur - the woods across the street make a nice background

 One of my favorite views from the deck

I'm surrounded by treasures!!

Tuesday's Treasures

Summer

Oh how I love summer - my favorite season of the year - long, lazy days - sunshine - picnics - flowers - long rides in the country -  kids on vacation from school - days at the beach - more picnics - more flowers.  Let's have summer collages - this is living!!

Summer is - 

 Flowers by a cute seaside cottage

 Fields of blueberries on bushes taller than your head - and in front of our glorious Mt. Baker

 Tea time with friends

 The smell of fresh hay in the fields

Oops - not that one - that goes with winter.  

 The fun of shopping at yard sales and flea markets

 Grandsons through the years

 And herons - always herons

 Fields of flowers

 Delicious breakfasts with friends

 Shorebirds skittering among the waves

 Boats of all sizes

 Seagulls

 Chickens in the barnyards

 Summer is sunsets on the ocean and great full moons

 And rain - we do live in the Pacific Northwest and our summer rains keep everything nice and green

And horses - what would summer be without horses?   

How is your summer going?

Mosaic Monday

Barns and More Barns

After a full week of being sick from a horrendous case of food poisoning, I'm finally almost back to normal - what a week!!!!  While I was "away" we had our deck pressure washed and painted/stained - the sun shone hot every day and our three precious grandsons started school - kindergarten, Middle School and High School. 

This week I thought I'd share some barn collages through the years - come along - we'll take a trip to the barns

 Some old and unused - watching time go past

 Some old and still in use

 Some showing their age and the wear and tear of the wonderful years of hard work

 Some with faces to entertain us

Barns - glorious barns

The Barn Collective

Washington Park - Anacortes

One of our favorite parks is Washington Park - in Anacortes Washington.  It is on a point of land on high bluffs - with a narrow, paved, one-way walking, biking and driving trail.  Just room for one car - everyone is polite - walkers and bikers move to the side of the trail when cars pass them - cars drive carefully and slowly - allowing time and space for those walking and biking.

There are small parking areas in the woods along the trail - with access to high bluffs that are fitted out with benches, split rail fences and picnic tables.  We often take a picnic and enjoy the scenery - islands, bays and lots of boats.

This was our recent picnic trip to Washington Park - on a hot day - but the ocean breezes kept us very comfortable.

 The Washington State ferries pass - going to and from the San Juan Islands from the Anacortes terminal

 A good variety of boats entertain us as we picnic

 After our picnic we finish the drive around the loop - to a spot high on a bluff overlooking Burrows Bay and Burrows Pass.  With swift tides you must wait until the tide is right to get through the pass - often there are boats waiting their turn

 The scenery is majestic looking back towards Anacortes

 There is a wonderful old snag on the bluff - weathered by the wind, rain and sunshine

Just one branch on the left side is still living - tenacious old tree.  

Just to the left and and across the bay, above the marina, is a house that has been purchased recently by one of my high school classmates - what a fabulous view they will have.

Mosaic Monday

Through My Lens