ssshhhhhhh.... there's inspiration blooming in here

I've always loved libraries. But I admit, prior to last month, it had been easily three years since I had set foot in one. I used to live in the library when I was finishing up my degree, going in there to find a quite hole to study, do homework, space out, zonk out, people watch from a 5th story window.....

My favorite way of using a library is wondering down all the aisles browsing every subject until one strikes my fancy, then I browse all the books in that section. With crafting and art being some of my favorite sections (could you have guessed?), especially since most of the libraries I go to are very tiny so I always feel like any books they have in those sections are like little gems. Gems of inspiration for me. Inspiration for this piece....

Inspired by a book on William Morris wallpapers and chintzes, a totally unexpected find in my local library. I had to hold in that squeal of delight when I stumbled across this gem. And to think, it's been in the library catalogue since the 80s and I was the first to check it out :)

My trips to the library started again last month thanks to the bookclub my friend started. Well, I guess you would call it a bookclub, we do read books and most of the time we do discuss them- over food and drinks of course :) The food has become just as important as reading the book. OK, ok, so some of us use it as an excuse to get together with other humans and eat, drink, and be merry. Like last month with Adventures of Alice in Wonderland commencing with a very happy unbirthday tea party. So what if we were drinking pina coladas in those tea cups instead of tea. And so what if not a word about the book was mentioned, there were cucumber sammies and Kahlua soaked lady fingers to be eaten! Pinkies up!

WIP wednesday

Two outdated WIPs.... both are still works in progress but have come along much farther than when I managed to find a minute to snap these pics...

The wool hooded cardigan I'm making for Tanner. I'm impressing myself with this one- all kinds of new knitting skills being learned, such as putting stitches on a holder to be worked later and decreases and forming necklines. Right now I'm about 2/3 done with the body. It's working up quickly and easily. The only thing with this project is I didn't check my gauge, knowing that was a big mistake before starting, yet I still didn't do it. So this is going to be small. I think it will fit Tanner now, but in my head I was hoping to make it too big, so it would fit next year too. But in my head I knew I was feeling way too lazy to work up a gauge swatch and told myself if it was too small when I finished, I would have it for the next babe (and no I'm not pregnant again, yet, we just plan on having more kids in the future!).


And then my favorite clothing creation I've made in a long time. Too long. In this pic I had just finished ironing on the applique. Now I'm completely done with this hemp fleece tunic dress- and I LOVE how it came out. I'm still considering this one a work in progress b/c I need to photograph it and get it onto Magnolia Skies. Maybe if Tanner gives his mama a little break today I can get it done today. If not it will have to wait until this weekend because I have field work for the day job this week, no time to fit in pictures during the daylight.