Eclectic Technique

Sewing Machine Needles - Choosing the Right Size

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 21:22:00 +0000

In my last post I told you that I had picked up the fabrics to start a new quilt. I've actually come along a good bit on it and today I was sewing together some sashing strips to put between the blocks. The quilt uses batik and cotton and the batik is thinner than regular weight cotton. I was having some problems with the batik fabric coming through on the bobbin side of the seam. So I made a little video to show you what I was doing and what I did to correct it. Hope it helps!

Life Changes, So do We

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 15:05:00 +0000

I very nearly deleted this blog. When my mom died over a year ago, I lost all interest in most things in my life that had seemed important. The majority of my crafting was put on hold. I looked at my phone or watched television. I went back to work in September of last year as a cashier. In February I was promoted to office assistant. When June rolled around I was offered a new job as an assistant accountant. I took it. I stayed there a week. I was offered another job as a receptionist in a chiropractic office, which was more my speed, better pay, and more hours. I lost sight of what was important in my life.

I still homeschool four of my children. My oldest son moved out in January and came back with the news that his girlfriend was pregnant and due in September. My first grandson was born on August 26. He is beautiful and I'm so in love with him. They are going to get married soon. I pray for them.

Working full time, I was missing out on so much of my life. We bought a house and moved in on July 13. I couldn't even find the time to move because 90% of my day (8:30 am to 6-or-later pm) was spent at work. My kids were falling behind in some of their studies. They had a non-existent social life. I couldn't even guarantee they would make it to youth group or chorus practice on time. In reality, I was not engaged in the calling God had set forth to me. I was falling down and my family was suffering.

About a month ago I called my job and told them I wouldn't be in any longer. My husband was ecstatic and so was I! I went out and bought all the materials to make a new quilt. I also took up hand embroidery. I'm re-engaged in my children's lives, my new home is looking wonderful, and I'm re-prioritizing everything! God and family first. Enjoying life to the fullest. Making money when and where needed. Taking care of my beautiful grandson when his mommy and daddy go to work and being the best grandma I can be, because those are important to children.

So here are some highlights. These are my most precious moments to celebrate over the last month. Six Flags, buying a classic 1979 Ford Pickup for our new home, my grandson, my family, pumpkin carving, and so much more. I am so blessed that God has called me to care for my family, that he has given my husband a job where I can do that, and that I finally listened. God bless you all and stay tuned.

The Big Room Switch of 2016: Craft room to playroom

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 15:52:00 +0000

This actually started way back in November when my son decided that he wanted to renovate and move out into our attached carport shed. It's a fairly small room, but contains a sink, access to the main home's bathroom, and is about the size of a small bedroom. Perfect for an 18-year-old seeking some privacy and independence. Then about a month later I hear he wants to move into the home of a friend with his girlfriend. Not much I can say or do, since he IS 18 now. I voiced my concerns, but I'm one of those moms that feel a person can only experience the world and the result of their decisions by living through them. Having moved out at 17 myself and over 1000 miles away, I didn't feel that the 30 minutes was unreasonable. So off he went.

Well that prompted "What are we to do with this room that we put so much time, money, and effort into?" My 14-year-old daughter had a suggestion: She wanted it. Hmm...this does solve some problems. We have a 3 bedroom home. One room is shared by me and my husband, of course. Another housed my youngest son, and the third contained 2 teenage girls and 1 preteen. This third bedroom is also the biggest and the Master bedroom. My husband and I had used the smallest bedroom for the last 4 years, choosing to give the space to our 3 daughters. I also had the second largest room in the house, which I was using for my craft room. That left one other room, that was now open. The playroom. When my oldest son moved out, my youngest son was able to move his toys into his own room. Oh, the possibilities!

We decided between the 6 of us that my daughter could take the shed. My other twin would take the craft room. The craft room would move into the playroom/sun room area. My husband and I would take the Master bedroom, and my preteen could have our room. This was going to take some time.

The sun room/playroom needed renovation. The carpet that had been in it was urine soaked from my dog's puppy days and her occasional need to just go in there and pee. We took that out along with the padding. Underneath was some press board sub-flooring that was ruined from condensation on the windows and the urine. So my son and I (mostly I) began removing the sub-floor which took about 2 days. After removing the tar paper, I found that the boards underneath were in really great shape. They needed some filling, a little repair in some places, and painting. However, the cost was reasonable to do this, so we did it.

The windows in this room were terrible about drafts and keeping out the cold/heat. They also had a tendency to get a lot of condensation from drastic temperature differences inside and outside of the home. This caused the condensation to drip down onto the floor and window frames, thus causing mildew problems. The outsides had caulking, thankfully, but the insides had nothing. So after filling in the boards on the floor with backer rod and caulking, I caulked the insides of all of the windows. It worked! No more condensation. I also put weatherproof plastic sheeting over the windows to help with the heating issues. Now to paint!

I used some Olympic Assure that has a mildew block. It turned out wonderfully in the medium gray that I chose.

That was the easy part compared to moving everything from the craft room into the smaller sun room. I had a lot! But we managed, I consolidated and eliminated, and now it just needs a little more work and sorting to be finished. Anyone want some fabric?

I plan to scrape off the old white paint on the bricks (this was at one time the exterior of the house) and paint it a soft yellow. It was the same yellow my mom used in her kitchen. I think it will be lovely and add a bit of color and brightness to the room. And a bit of my mom, as well.

Look for more posts on the other rooms!

Bunny updates and Spinning Info

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 12:28:00 +0000

The babies are getting bigger fast! I recently took one to the vet for a check up and flea preventative. She already weighs 3 pounds! They are 12 weeks old now. I picked up a new hutch for Peter, because we all know how rabbits are and this guy will be no exception. No accidental litters here. :O. Yesterday I brushed them all out and got them looking so cute. Even Easter allowed me to trim down her legs and get some mats out. She wouldn't allow me to take a picture, though. That was just too much for one day.

So here they are at their 12 week debut!

Wendy Darling

Peter Pan

Tinkerbell

I've also been working on some more alpaca and spinning some Tunis fleece for my contracts. I have come to love alpaca. I think I do it differently than most people, though. I love to card it and spin it woolen, which to me enhances the softness and spring of the fleece. But I don't spin woolen like most people. I strive for a uniformity that doesn't usually come with woolen spinning and to achieve that I use a draft and hold technique. I'm thinking a video may be in order to explain this.

In other news, we're gearing up for a new school year. This is always an exciting time for me. I can't wait for school to start so that I can spring the new curriculum on my kids and see what they think about it! Of course, I'm dreaming if I think they'll ever be as excited about it as I am, but it's good to dream.

Working Through It All

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 15:01:00 +0000

Two weeks ago today, I lost a good bit of the magic in my life. My mom passed away. She was only 57. She woke up in the morning with a migraine headache. Nothing that she hadn't had or dealt with since she was a child. She got sick and called my stepdad in to help her. She told him she felt numb on one side of her body, then she passed out. He called 9-1-1 and she stopped breathing. That was the last time her breath ever came. My mom died of an aneurysm.

It has been very difficult for me these past 2 weeks. My mom was my biggest fan. She encouraged me to write and create and told me she marveled at what I could do. I don't believe I was or will ever be as good as she thought I was, but that is a mom's job. To believe in their children. And she did that very well.

About 3 weeks ago I told her I was getting some new baby bunnies. She was very excited for me and wanted very much to see them. I had been struggling with what to name them, wanting to maintain my fairy tale theme. But I was getting 1 boy and 2 girls, and there are very few trios in history like that.

So when my mom passed, I wanted to honor her in some way. I have named sewing machines and spinning wheels after the beautiful and creative women in my life. But I didn't have anything that was new and fitting for my mom. And while it may seem silly to some to name tools and animals after people, these tools and animals mean a lot to me. They are things with which I am involved on a daily basis and put much love and care into. Especially the animals.

Knowing how much my mom wanted to see these babies, I thought it only fitting that one get her name - Wendy. And that, of course, finally revealed to me what I should name the 3. Peter, Wendy, and Tinkerbell. As fate would have it, they all 3 live up to their names.

So while my heart aches, and I've picked up the phone to call her at least 20 times in the last 2 weeks, I pray that she is smiling down at me and loving the new babies. She left behind 3 children that loved her dearly, a devoted and loving husband, and 2 little dogs. One of them, dear little Teek, she rescued from an abusive situation and the little dog loved her beyond belief. My mom was a wonderful person. So full of love for others. Her presence in this world was a blessing to so many. I seem to miss her more as the days go on. But each time I miss her I snuggle these new babies and remember her love for animals and for me. And I will care for them and love them as they deserve.

"New" tech toy for pattern writing

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 23:31:00 +0000

My mom loaned me a new tech toy this week. It's one of those Dragon Naturally Speaking headsets with the software. I'm not sure if it saved me any time yet, because I'm still "training my Dragon." There are a lot of abbreviations in knitting that I have to train it to recognize. Seems to recognize my voice just fine, but some of the terms that I use seem to be a little confusing for it. However, it was a lot easier to speak what I needed to type instead of trying to type it all in and going back and forth between the page and the program.

I have wanted one of these for a very long time. Always thought it would be cool to be able to dictate my stories instead of typing them in. I think once we both get the hang of it will be a lot easier. I'm actually writing this post using it! so just put a little plug-in for the Dragon Naturally Speaking, with a little training and effort it can make things a lot easier.

No, I am not trying to sell Dragon. I just think the coincidence of my business name being Mystical Beast and to be speaking in a "Dragon voice" is really wild. I think it also gains extra points because many pattern is named Dragon Wings. If you would like to try it out yourself, I put the link to it above. I will get a little change from Amazon if you buy it.

I just finished up the test knit for, "Bells and Lyres." Hoping to make final adjustments to it and send it off to my Ravelry pattern group sometime tomorrow. I'm also hoping to finish photographing Kitty I get it uploaded to my Etsy store. Kitty has been ready for a while now, but with all of the alpaca spinning I haven't had a chance for pictures yet. So look for in the next couple of days!

They're so fluffy!

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 12:19:00 +0000

I've been looking to increase my little rabbitry - and therefore wool production - since I got Easter, my first angora. I drove 6 hours to Florida and 6 hours back to pay $20 for a rescue bunny. It's been a learning experience, to say the least.

The other day I was on one of my Facebook groups looking at all of the adorable baby angoras for sale, wishing that some were closer to me. Georgia is not a great state for angoras, especially in my mid-eastern position. Too hot, I think. I was headed to a show in Augusta this weekend, just to see if someone had babies for sale. Then what to my wondering eyes did appear? Three little bunnies that all live near here!

I knew for sure I was interested in at least one of them. I excitedly sent a text to the poster and when she called back I asked tons of questions. Told her I was definitely interested in one of them, and when I showed the pictures to my husband, he told me we should get all three! Talk about an excited woman! Couldn't quit smiling the rest of the afternoon! See all the (!!!!) lined up there?

So in 3 weeks I will be making another trip to pick up 3 of these little rascals. Now, time for the cuteness overload...

Red-eye white

Pearl

Blue

They don't have names yet, of course, but the captions are their color distinctions.

Do you have 8 seconds?

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Tue, 26 May 2015 12:15:00 +0000

As I was trolling through Facebook the other day something caught my eye. Humans now have an attention span of 8 seconds. Which is a second less than a goldfish. It took me about 7 seconds to read those first 3 sentences. Which also means if I don't "catch your attention" in those first three sentences my chances of you hanging around for the rest of this post are fairly slim. You still here? Good.

I like social media. I genuinely like connecting with people all around the world. Facebook is mostly friends and family, but I also have multiple groups where I connect and make friends with people I normally would never talk to on the street. Twitter is boring to me, but give me an hour or two of Pinterest any day! And why is this? For the reasons I listed above. We're distracted to the point where most of us are running around in a daze and checking our phones 150 times a day. I'm just as guilty of it as anyone else. Shoot, some days I have to force myself NOT to check Facebook instead of reading my Bible study or immersing myself in a good book.

That's also why I think so many of us no longer engage in the arts. We want a quick fix - like those handy tips we find on Pinterst - and to start selling our products which may or may not be sub par to someone else's because we actually took the time just to make it, not perfect it. Maybe we don't want to sell, but instead we want to just make something quick for a dinner party or a little decor in the house. However, very few people have enough concentration and determination to become very good at something.

When was the last time you thought to yourself, "Hey, I would really love to learn how to ______" (fill in the blanks here) but then started thinking about all the stuff involved in learning that skill. Those things then pile up and you just throw your hands up in the air and walk away? Or maybe you have a craft room (desk, cupboard, area) full of supplies for projects you started, and never finished? Sound familiar?

My friend and I were talking about this the other day. And it sent me on a journey of thinking long and hard about why I do these things myself. I get bored repeating the same thing over and over. If I hit a plateau where something is about as good as it gets or has very little left to learn, I leave it behind. So I learn something new. There really is nothing wrong with that, because I do continue to do something until I have exhausted its potential to awaken my mind. I work hard and plod away at things (self-taught knitter, crocheter, spinner, quilter here) until I learn them. I definitely have an attention span longer than 8 seconds when it comes to pursuing a new craft.

Many of us do not, though. If it takes more than an hour or two to learn, I think many of us will just cast it aside until we have the time. And usually, we will NEVER find the time. I mean, there are a lot of 8 second occurrences throughout the day, right? Things are constantly vying for our time and attention, and the less we spend on each one, the more we can get done throughout the day. It's ok, I get it.

Now I know that this has taken wayyyy more than 8 seconds to read, and for that I am truly sorry. If you have made it this far, I feel quite honored! My whole point of this blog post, though, is that crafting can help us get back to a more reasonable form of concentration and a longer attention span. When I took up spinning I did not realize the level of concentration it would take not only to learn it, but to continue practicing it. Every length of fiber needs to be checked for uniformity. Yes, I know there are art yarns. I don't like them. I don't make them. That's a post for another day. So I can listen to audio books (yay audio books!), but watching a movie or anything that takes my concentration away from the actual process is a challenge and my levels of accuracy fall drastically.

I can knit and crochet while watching television. Yes, I can even talk and carry on a conversation as long as I am not counting something or following a chart. A vanilla project could even be worked on in church with my full attention on the pastor (if I was ever brave enough to do such a thing) and still hear every word he says. When my hands stay busy, my mind stays engaged.

Engaging your mind and increasing your attention span will also help you in other areas of your life. You will miraculously remember your friend's favorite color or your spouse's birthday because you listened to them - and not just because Facebook reminded you. You will engage in conversation verbally. Your mind becomes sharper and you may even be able to drive without running a light, forgetting to use your blinker, and turning without the assistance of a GPS.

My challenge to you is to try it. Pick something, anything, that you have wanted to learn how to do (woodworking, knitting, crochet, spinning, scrapbooking, quilting, gardening) and do it. Don't think about what it will take to do it. Do NOT think about the hours you do not have to learn it. Just do it. And this is encouragement for my friend, as well. Turn off your phone, your notifications, your computer, the television, or take a vacation day. Whatever it is that distracts you, remove it. Life will go on while you learn, and think of how much fun it will be to check all of those posts and likes when you do return to social media. You'll also find out how little there is to care about on social media.

Or you could miss what Sally had for dinner that day...tragic, really.

Dragons Unicorns Fairies and Mystical Beasts

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Sat, 23 May 2015 14:36:00 +0000

Back in March I decided to leave work because all of my children came home to homeschool. It has been quite a busy adventure! We will continue with it through next year as well. I started a blog based on our home education plans and projects called Little Lyons Homeschool. If you're into home education, why not stop by and take a look?

In other news...

I have also given up my quilting business, Freckle Dots. I still run an Etsy store in which I will post any sewing and/or quilting projects I have completed and that are up for sale. However, I am no longer doing custom tshirt quilts. It just became too much of a hassle, too big of quilts, and not enough time to invest in them.

Spinning also became a new passion in my life to add to the eclectic tendencies I already have. And I'm not talking about spinning as in a bicycle. Spinning as in making yarn from wool, cotton, and many other fibers. I bought a little bunny by the name of Easter. She is an English angora, pretty as can be, and mean as a snake. She's a rescue bunny, and I had no idea what I was getting into when I got her. I was told she was a good wool bunny, which she is, but her first year of handling was obviously traumatic and she's not the friendliest thing. But I still love her.

She also takes horrible pictures! Here she is between the barriers
I set up for her so she could play out on the porch. She loves to find
little hideaway places. Shh..you can't see her.

I intend to use her fur to spin wonderful angora yarns. Of course, everything is harvested humanely and I have no intentions of maiming or otherwise mistreating her. Her fur will grow very long in just a few months and it is more of a necessity to prevent her from dying from wool block than it is an animal use things. Yet, admittedly, beneficial to me as well!

In view of my new passion and positive feedback I've received on my yarns, I also started a business called Mystical Beast. Mystical Beast is a little different because I not only sell the yarn, but every yarn also has a story (Get it? Yarn? Story?). I am inspired by the colors that I spin, the way things seem to come together as it is stretched into a fiber, and becomes an entirely new creature when plyed and set. I have always loved writing. I may not be the greatest author in the world, but I think I can pen a fair prose when prompted.

So far I have up only a couple of yarns. Each has a story that comes with it. The stories are just snippets of impressions, scenery, or the creatures they represent. All will have a mystical theme of some sort, involving fairies, dragons, unicorns, or the places in which they live.

So you can find me here, of course. I will not be changing the blog name because it is now a domain name. I think everyone pretty much understands that things on this blog are subject to change with or without notice, but one things remains the same - my passion for crafting.

You can find me on Facebook, Ravelry, Google+, and Big Cartel. I hope you will check me out on these sites, follow or like or whatever.

I also would like it if you could check out some of the folks that helped me get to opening a new store. Art of the Spin on Facebook and Etsy is my batt supplier for the two yarns above. Style Point Design designed all of the logos, headers, and avatars for my shops. I always want to give credit where credit is due!

Shabby Chic Recipe Box

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 15:15:00 +0000

A couple of weeks back I posted about wanting to redecorate my home in the Shabby Chic style. I'm still playing around with a few things and doing a little here and there. With my job it's difficult to really throw myself into it like I want. But I have this week off because school is out and I'm getting a few things done here and there.

Yesterday I decided to rearrange my kitchen a bit. I have an old Keurig that I don't use much and a new Hamilton Beach coffee maker that I love and use daily. The new coffee pot was sitting by the microwave and taking up valuable counter space, while the Keurig was sitting unused in a section of the counter by the stove.

Anyway, the process led me to discover that my little cardboard recipe box I've had for about 10 years was in sorry condition. It had grease all over it and the bottom of it had become soaked with some kind of smelly substance I didn't know it had come in contact with. I had to peel off some of the paper covering and also realized that the box was covered in a plastic film. I peeled that off and removed all of the grease. I also popped off the dirty sunflower decal that was on it. While it looked better, it needed more.

I had partially painted it before it occurred to me to take pictures!

I decided it was my next project. The first thing I did was to attach a piece of felt to the bottom of the box where I had to tear off some of the paper covering to remove the yuck. I used a bit of my Loc-tite I'd used on my knob plates to glue it down.

I took out some of the pretty blue paint we'd used for the kitchen and mixed it with a bit of baking soda to make a chalk paint. After 2 coats of paint and waiting for it to dry, I dug through my collection of scrap book supplies and did a bit of a search on the Graphics Fairy for something kitchen-y. I used a product called Rub-Onz. I really love this stuff and it is very easy to use. It took a few minutes to print my design in reverse, apply the adhesive film, and rub it onto the top of the box
.

I applied some stickers designed for scrapbooking and a strip of ric-rac style paper around the top. It took a couple of hours, but mostly just waiting for the paint to dry thoroughly. I love how it turned out! What do you think?

Graphic on the top

Stickers, graphic, and a beautiful jar of peanut butter.

Wheel Love

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 16:38:00 +0000

*contains paid affiliate links

Happy Valentine's Day world. Nope, still not a big fan, but I love all of my readers and followers, so gush, gush, kiss, kiss.

Now that that's out of the way...

Last year I made it a resolution to learn how to spin. I spent part of my very short summer vacation trying to learn just how to do that. All I had was a spindle from Craftsy and another I'd obtained from somewhere else I can't quite remember. Anywho...it didn't work out too well. I did spin some fiber, but the spindle was frustrating to me because of the back spin, the constant starting and stopping, the multiple coordination skills involved... Basically, I just decided it wasn't for me!

So I went on about my way, feeling that I had at least tried something new. But there was an empty place in my heart. A place that could only be filled with wool. Wool spun into yarn. And I wanted to do this special spinning using a traditional wheel. Which, in the world of wheel spinning, is called a Saxony. There are many different styles available; everything from modern electric spinners and pvc wheels, to more traditional castle and Norwegian styles. They all pretty much do the same thing, but it depends on what you're willing to learn and what you find attractive.

I love the look of an old-style wheel. Rumplestiltskin always fascinated me (straw to gold? yes, please) and Sleeping Beauty is my all-time favorite Disney princess. Yes, I have some femininity in there somewhere. I even have a daughter named Aurora, though my intention was not to name her directly after the princess, it was just a happy coincidence. So I searched long and hard for my perfect match. Bearing in mind I only had around $450 to spend. I finally found her.

I chose a Kromski Interlude for many reasons.

A. She was priced just right at sale price of $460. These generally run around $529.00. I picked mine up at the Woolery on sale, so keep your eyes open. You can still pick up the smaller "Prelude" for about $399 unfinished at KnitPicks.com.

B. She was beautiful. I would have to stain her, since the sale price was only reasonable on the unfinished style, but I could pick any color I wanted and bulk up my wood staining skills. (no, it wasn't fun. yes, I would do it again.) She was also in the traditional Saxony style I wanted without the huge price tag.

C. The Interlude is a good beginner wheel. Easy to learn, single treadle, single drive, good size bobbins, and a good low to high ratio with expansions available for faster flyers.

D. It's size means that I can travel with it fairly reasonably. The wheel comes off easily and remounts just as quickly. So I'm looking for that perfect, secluded place where I can meditate and spin.

So after choosing my wheel, I was so pleasantly pleased with the customer service from the Woolery, their super-fast shipping, and excellent interactions that I have to put a little plug in here for them. They're on my list of go-to places for future shopping, since they carry a lot of accessories and wool.
It took me 2 days to stain it after I got it.

Out of the Box and ready for staining

I chose a light pecan to go with the floor in my craft room.

Partially stained.

After staining it, I used a lot of Yosemite Sam cussing, a video on YouTube, and the instruction manual to put it together in about 3 hours. I could do it in probably 20 minutes now, but I had NO IDEA what all the pieces were and where they went, so it was difficult to say the least! If I had to do it all over again, I would do a "dry run" on assembly, so I at least understood where to put everything and what portions should NOT be stained before they are put together. That was one of my downfalls, because I had to sand off some of the stain. The pieces are perfectly fit and even a 2 layer stain causes problems.

finished and put together

I also purchased a video on Craftsy called *Foundations of Spinning. It was fantastic and helped me learn not only how to spin, but about my spinning wheel.

The results of my first roving hank spun

I'm about half way through it right now and have spun 2 1/4 bobbins from some roving I had on hand. Yes, you can find 100s of free videos online and countless books, but I always find that my Craftsy videos give me the most information and help me learn how to do something right! Plus, there's no searching around for it, it's just right there when I sign in.

3 bobbins full

First time the roving went ON the bobbin

The yarn isn't pretty and perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it's taken me about an hour a day over the course of a week to get to this point. Not too bad, really. I was getting much better by the end of the third bobbin and spinning more consistently. Now I get to learn to ply!

If you really want to do something, and your heart desires it all of the time, you CAN do it. It takes practice, dedication, and persistence, but that's all in your desire to learn it. Anything you really want to do, and find worth doing, you can learn.

Collecting the Shabbiness

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:12:00 +0000

Shabby chic is in full blown collection mode. I have scoured Pinterest, made new boards, collected paint samples, planned so many new things to do with the furniture and additions to make, and I went thrift store shopping. Yes, I know, it was very dangerous. But I made it out with less than $50 spent and a really great collection of new projects.

Probably the one I am most happy with and love is the little bunny doll. I don't think she's very old or even vintage, although she was covered with a good bit of dust. But everything from her flowery dress with lace collar, to raffia ears and bows, to her little wooden body and missing basket made me fall in love with her. And for $1.99, how could I say no? She will become a permanent fixture in the sewing room.

My new bunny

wire cage

My other finds include what I believe to be a plate cover that will become a hanging lampshade, a little wire and stick birdcage that will be filled with mosses and fabric roses, a clock with a Celtic knot (that will probably stay just the way it is, with new hands), a basket for the bathroom, 3 little buckets I'm hoping to make into light shades for the other bathroom, and a hat rack.

rose lights! For the bedroom

soon to be lampshade with butterfly, basket, and the buckets for lampshades.

The Celtic Knot Clock. (Please forgive the messiness of my crafting table!)

I love the hat rack almost as much as the bunny. Almost. I plan to paint it and distress it first. Then it will become a plant hanger for the craft room. I love my greenery.

Hat rack destined to be a plant hanger

Cupboard Door Knob Backplate

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 13:16:00 +0000

It's my first legit crafting post of 2015! I have decided that THIS is the year that I will finally decorate in the shabby chic manner that I so love. This means lots of little crochet pieces and a blog filled with shabby stuff. So I hope you're prepared!

The first thing I wanted to do is fix the paint chipping off the cupboard doors behind the knobs in the kitchen. I have looked at many different backplates for this solution, but nothing really struck my fancy. The ones that did were too pricey for the amount I needed, too!

So I decided that I would try to crochet some lace doilies and use those as backplates. The biggest challenge was trying to find a small enough doily pattern to use. I only had about 3" of room. I finally decided to just look at the center of some larger doily patterns and chose Curlique from the book Irish Lace Doilies on e-patternscentral.com. I just made the first 4 rounds, which, as indicated in the pattern, would measure 3" perfectly.

It took me a couple of nights, but I made the first 7 to go on the upper cabinets, where the chipping was the worst. First, I removed the knobs and repainted the chipped areas after a light sanding. After that was dry, I starched my doilies using a 1/2 white glue, 1/2 water ratio and letting them dry after blocking.

Once they were dry I applied them to the cupboards using Loc-tite Crafter's Indoor Safe Adhesive. It is non-yellowing, acid free, and low odor. It also says it is water resistant after curing and creates a permanent bond. This was exactly what I wanted.

So what do you think? I think that crochet can be used in so many different ways. All it takes is a little ingenuity. On my way to glorious shabbiness.

A look back and a glance ahead!

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 20:27:00 +0000

2014 was a really good year for me. I didn't mean most of my resolutions, but who does? I did, however, learn to use a spindle and I spun some yarn with it. I decided that I really want to work with a wheel. I don't think the spindle and I get along too well.

I have decided that I will just let the year carry me through and not forget to try new things and do more stuff that makes me happy. The only thing my heart is really pushing for is to continue working on this blog, reading my Bible daily, and being more involved in helping others. And with that I will include helping animals as well.

I started the day out yesterday making some scrap pillows for shelter/rescue cats. I ended up with 12 of them before I had to stop for the day. Basically, I'm just stitching together some squares from fabric I need to use up and stuffing them with strips of t-shirt materials from the quilts I've made. They're not the fanciest, but I think the kitties will like them!

I also finished up a fair isle knit sweater I've been working on since December 6. My daughter really wanted a pair of fingerless mitts because her hands stay cold. I found an amazing pattern on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fingerless-gloves-musica. I was always a little hesitant about doing color work of any kind, especially fair isle. The look has always appealed to me, but dropping one yarn, picking, up another, working a few stitches, repeating the process sounded boring and intimidating. Now, though, I had to try it.

I picked up continental knitting while working my two-at-a-time hats . So I used the technique of holding one yarn in one hand and another in the other hand and I did it! I made another set for a friend and then a third set with a different pattern for my daughter's boyfriend.

So what comes after knitting 3 pairs of fingerless mitts? Why, a sweater, of course! So that's what I did. I had been eyeing a pattern by Natalie Moreva for months. Her foxy sweater was gorgeous, and I wanted one. So I made one. I finished it with about 35 minutes to spare last year. So I think I will revamp my original resolutions and say that I was successful at learning to fair isle knit and add it to my repertoire of knitting skills!

So what did you learn this year? Were you successful with any resolutions? Let me know in the comments!

Three Months?

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 14:07:00 +0000

Yes, it has been three months since I was able to post on my beloved blog! Honestly, most people haven't even noticed or cared, but it is something that grates on my nerves in a big way. I started out great this year and kept it going for about 6 months. That's longer than most New Year's Resolutions.

But now we're approaching the end of the year. And the beginning of a new one. Christmas is always busy for me, but especially since going back to work and trying to finish up my final quilt. Yes, I said that too. My final quilt.

I was so excited to get it finished and out of the way! I could finally say, "I am done," and not have another bag full of t-shirts waiting for me to cut, starch, cut again, plan, sew, sash, quilt, and bind. No more worries about what the final product will look like, if I messed something up, if I couldn't find 100 t-shirts into a quilt designed for 20, and time for other pursuits. I can knit and crochet, craft and bake, clean house, shower, exercise, and live without guilt about what I SHOULD be doing in the sewing room.

And I'm also on to new pursuits. I'm hoping to have some exciting information to share in the next few months. One thing that has changed drastically since September is that I am now home educating 3 of my 5 children. This changed a lot of things for me, and one of those is that I will be returning to full time mom and business owner. I'm eager to return to what I do best: teaching. So after the first week in January my life will once again turn course. It's exciting, and a bit scary, and a little sad. I'll miss the munchkins at the art center. Kids really have a way of getting in and burying themselves in my heart. I'll go back to visit, but I'll also have more time for my own children, which always take precedence.

I also have another blog. This one will go along with the home education AND art. I have a passion for creating, as you may or may not be able to tell. This blog helps me to plan and show what we can do to integrate art and education. It is www.littlelyonshomeschool.com. I hope you'll take a look at it! Even if not for a homeschool, it is still going to be filled with crafty ideas and some art journal pages!

So what are the plans for Eclectic Technique? I'm going to continue with what I started at the beginning of the year. I will focus on completing and continuing with featured days. Maybe not one every day as in the beginning, but at least 3 a week.

What were your favorites? What did you like best? To get an idea, please use the page tabs up top and tell me what you would like to see in the future or continued from the past.

I will also be designing my own patterns and hoping to do something even more exciting. I can't reveal it yet until all is finalized, but once it is, I'll let you know!

Craftsy's Big Fall Course Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 12:04:00 +0000

It's that time again! The time for hot cocoa, crisp and cool mornings, walks along paths littered with colored leaves, and knitting. If you're lucky enough to live in one of the cooler climates, you can knit by the fireside or bundled up in a blanket. Or maybe you like to sew, decorate cakes, crochet, and a variety of other crafts to keep you occupied on those chilly fall and winter days. If not, but you've always thought you might like to learn, now is the time!

Craftsy's BIG Fall Course Sale!

(sponsored post)

Have you heard Craftsy's BIG Fall Course Sale is happening now? Learn from the world's best instructors in the comfort of your home, when you shop up to 50% off ALL online classes! Once you enroll you can watch your classes anytime, anywhere, forever. Hurry, offer expires September 22, 2014 at 11:59 PM MT. Shop Craftsy's BIG Fall Course Sale and save.

You can never go wrong with a Craftsy class. Great for watching on those days you just want to be creative, or any time you feel the need for more crafting. Get inspired!

Circular Lace Knitting Needle Review: Hiya Hiya

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 13:26:00 +0000

This is the third and final installment in my list of knitting needle reviews. Today we're looking at the Hiya Hiya interchangeable needle sets.

Chiaogoo review

Addi Review

Selections	Chiaogoo	Addi1	Addi2	Hiya Hiya
Tip Length	5”	3”	5”	4” and 5”
Lifeline	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Cord Lengths	24-40 (3)	16-40 (4)	24-40 (3)	16 – 40 (4)
Cord Material	Nylon Coated Steel	Not given	Not given	Not given
Tip Sizes	2-15	4 to 11	4 to 11	2-8 or 9-15
Tip Material	Stainless Steel	Nickel Plated Brass	Nickel Plated Brass	Steel
Cable Connectors	2	1	1	0
Storage Case	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Extras Included (ie. Stitch markers, gauges, etc.)	Yes	No	No	No
Extas available for purchase	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cost	~ $169.00	~ $169.00	~ $169.00	~ $80/set, $160.00 total

The Hiya Hiya needles were suggested to me in a knitting group I use on Facebook. Since I wanted to make sure I was covering my bases, I decided to review them as well. Again, I purchased a fixed circular set, size 5, from eBay. First and foremost, the Hiya Hiya sets don't offer a lot in the way of extras with their sets. You can choose from a 4" set, either in small sizes (2-8) or in large sizes (9-15) or a 5" set with the same variables. Each set comes with 4 cable sizes of 16", 24", 32" and 40". The sets are approximately $80 each, adding up to a total of $160.00 for a set as complete as the Chiaogoo.

When I first took my Hiya Hiya out of its package, the cable was badly twisted in a loop, meaning that the memory retention was much higher than I cared for. I put it in some warm water and let it set for a while, which released the loop. They still are not as flexible as the Chiaogoo or the Addi. I set about knitting up a cabled shawl in fingering weight yarn, knowing this would test the agility and smoothness of the needles.

The needles are very smooth, and it's almost like there is no join whatsoever. The yarn glides across the cables and slips easily over the needle tips. Sometimes too easily. I've lost a couple of stitches from the needle sliding out. This is something I'm used to from the Boye, but did not encounter with the other two. The tips are very sharp, quite accurate at manipulating the yarn, and I love that aspect of them.

All in all, I have to say that I am not sold on the Hiya Hiya. I don't think I get as much for my money and the memory retention is higher than I like. So what wins? Chiaogoo. In my opinion I just get a lot more for the money I invested, I have a full and complete set available with many extras. I can also get singular cables for the smaller sizes I may need in the future.

I hope this has helped you make some decisions of your own. My opinions are given according to what I am looking for in a circular needle set, and you are free to make decisions based on your own experience and preferences. This experiment wasn't an exact science, but it did give me some guidelines on what to expect from each brand. Happy knitting!

Circular Lace Knitting Needle Review: Addi Lace Turbo

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 15:13:00 +0000

Continuing with my Interchangeable Lace Knitting Needle series, I am reviewing the Addi Lace turbo series.

Today's review:

Addi Sets have a little more when it comes to choices in their interchangeable needles. They offer two different lace sets, one with short 3" tips and one with longer 5" tips. The 3" set includes the same 8 needle tips in sizes 4-11, but they have 5 cable lengths instead of 3 (16", 20", 24", 32", 40"). The 5" set has the cable lengths in 24", 32" & 40".

The long lace also include lifeline holes, an added bonus. The Chiaogoo also have lifeline holes in their interchangeable sets.

Addi on top, Chiaogoo on bottom

So here is a tabular breakdown of the Chiagoo vs. Addi.

Selections	Chiagoo	Addi	Addi2
	5"	3"	5"
Lifeline?	yes	no	yes
Cord Lengths	24-40 (3)	16-40 (5)	24-40 (3)
Cord Material	Nylon coated steel	Not given	Not given
Tip Sizes	2 to 15	4 to 11	4 to 11
Tip Material	Stainless Steel	Nickel Plated Brass	Nickel Plated Brass
Memory	little to none	little to none	little to none
Cable connectors	2	1	1
Storage Case	Yes	Yes	Yes
Extras Included	Yes	no	no
Extras Available for purchase	yes	yes	yes
Cost	~169.00	~169.00	~169.00

Thoughts:

I really liked the Addi Needles, but they seemed too light in my hands. I know that is a strange thing to say, but it was almost like holding nothing at all. The memory in the cables seems to be very low, but I don't believe they are as flexible as the Chiaogoo.

Red Chiaogoo cable, Blue Addi Cable

I love the "extras" that come with the Chiaogoo. Right now the Addi is on sale on Amazon, so that is a huge bonus, and would justify buying the extras available, but not included. The Addi needles did seem to be much smoother at the joins, and the yarn glided over the cables and needles with ease. The Addi needles also don't seem to be as sharp, either, although their tips appear to be exactly the same.

Chiaogoo tips on left, Addi on right

My biggest dilemma right now is that I really don't like the weight of the Addi needles. However, I really like the smoothness. I wish that the 16" and 20" cables were available in the 5" sizes. You can purchase them as extras, but they will not make a true 16" circular, as stated on the Addi Website. So I'm guessing with either one, I will need to buy 16" fixed circulars (which I already have in size 5). Still not entirely decided yet. Reviewing the Hiya Hiya set in a couple of days.

Circular Lace Knitting Needle Review: Chiaogoo

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 13:38:00 +0000

I'm doing a small series on lace knitting needles. As you know, I'm taking a Craftsy course to design lace shawls and of course, a crafter is only as good as the tools she uses! I have a good friend that uses Chiaogoo Red Lace needles, so that was my first needle to try out. I've been using Boye interchangeables for years now, and have never had a problem with them except that they are really not pointy enough for lace and the cables leave a lot to be desired when it comes to flexibility.

My end result will be an interchangeable needle set from one of the manufacturers that I review. I intend to review the Chiaogoo, Hiya Hiya, Addi Lace, and (possibly) the Knit Picks interchangeable. I say possibly on Knit Picks because they do not offer the variety in tips and cable lengths that the other three offer, even though they are less expensive.

So here is the breakdown:

Chiaogoo Red Lace Fixed Circulars, Size 5 US, 16" Cable

Chiagoo Twist Red Lace Interchangeable Knitting Needle Set

Complete Set includes:

Sizes 2-15 in 5" tips
Cables in 24", 32", and 40"
2 cable connectors
4 end stops
2 cord keys
1 needle gauge
24 stitch markers
Cloth carry case

Stainless Steel tips, nylon coated steel cables

Thoughts:

I purchased a pair of size 5, 16" fixed circular needles to try these out and see what I think. The needles themselves are very lightweight, almost like holding nothing at all so they are very easy on my hands and make for quicker work. The tips are great, allowing me to easily pick up my lace weight yarns and make yarn overs, knit two together, ssk, and sl1,k1,psso with ease. With my most recent Estonian knit shawl I had to employ all of these techniques, including nupps. Nupps are not easy. Especially on the purl side pick up. However, the Chiaogoos made things much easier and I am pleased with that.

The cables were very flexible. Chiaogoo had a recall on some cables that went out with their interchangeable sets in 2013. They make it easy enough to send them back and get a replacement, though, if you end up with a set of the recalled cables. I had absolutely no problems with these cables retaining memory.

The join was a bit sticky. By that I mean that my yarn seemed to catch on it occasionally. Since these are fixed needles I'm a little worried that the interchangeable won't be much better, since the join is the main downfall of interchangeable needles. However, I've heard a lot of good reviews on them and so am inclined to think that maybe they are better. The yarn traveled very smoothly most of the time and had no problems on the tips and cable.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the Chiaogoo Twist Red Lace Interchangeable needles. I think you get quite a bit in the set for the money. It's always good to have needles in every size because I never know what the next project may be. I would like it if there was a cable in a 16" size, though.The larger 24" is not hat friendly in my opinion.

So there is the rundown on the Chiaogoos. Next week I'll present the Addi Lace needles and do a compare/contrast on them.

ANOTHER way to purchase patterns and online marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 14:12:00 +0000

I just found a really cool site called Store Envy. I've been playing around with it for the last couple of hours, knowing dang well I should be doing something else. But I've been trying to move away from Etsy and their fees and find other online marketplaces for my patterns and goods. The more the merrier, right?

Anyway, here is my link for Store Envy

You can also find it in the side bar. Payment is through Paypal, and as always, shipping is free on patterns. I will add more to it later including the baby blankets and additional patterns.

New way to buy patterns

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 16:53:00 +0000

Good afternoon! As per my last post you know I'm shutting down my t-shirt quilting business for a while. However, I'm moving into improving and building up my crochet and knitting patterns. I recently enrolled in a Craftsy class called Lace Shawl Design. I'm learning a lot and watch it when I get a chance. Since I've gone back to work part time my chances aren't as many as I would like, but that's what Craftsy is all about! Whenever, wherever, and however long it takes. Have I mentioned I love Craftsy?

Anyway, I wanted to let my readers know that there is a new way for you to purchase my patterns right through this blog. As I build up my library, I want to offer all of the options I can. So now, by clicking on the link at the top that says, "Crochet and Knitting Patterns" you will be taken to another page in this blog. There, you can purchase directly from Payloadz.com where I upload my patterns for safe-keeping. Downloads are immediate and payment is secure.

If you would still like to purchase from me on Etsy, Craftsy, Zibbet, or Ravelry please feel free to do so! This is just another way for me to offer you an option.

I thank you for your support and hope to bring you much more in the coming months.

Big Changes, Knitting Shawls, a Craftsy Sale, and Art, of Course

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 13:04:00 +0000

Good day to you all! There have been some major changes in my life as of late. First of all, I'll be closing down my t-shirt quilts for a while. I'm just tired of peanut butter sandwiches and want to explore some more exotic tastes. An eclectic person like me finds it somewhat difficult to continually pursue the same thing day after day. The joy is gone, so now I must move one.

With that comes the pursuit of something new! And I'm very excited about it. I decided it was time for me to go back to work. So after a few weeks of filling out applications and taking those repetitive employment tests, I found a great job through a Facebook contact of mine. It is working with students at our local art center after school. It's only part time and minimum wage, but I love it! The kids are great and I get to be in a teaching position at least in some aspect. I also get off all of the school holidays and the summer. Unless, of course, I can find something else to do there during that time...

On top of that, I'm also assisting with our Charter School's drama class. I also work with students there in an extracurricular session and the teacher has some really cool things planned. I don't get paid for that one, but the benefits are amazing.

A possibility also exists - pending approval from the governing board - for me to teach a knitting class on the last 3 Saturdays of the month at our library. I really love being involved in the community and some of the main social centers of our little town. Being an avid book lover, working at the library and teaching knitting is awesome. Can you tell I'm geeking out a little?

So with the possibility of teaching a knitting class, I decided it was time to step up MY knitting prowess and take another Craftsy course. After learning how to spindle From Fluff to Stuff this past year and working on Stupendous Stitching as an addendum to art quilts, I decided to head back over to Craftsy and take a course on Lace Shawl Design. I have been designing some hanging plant baskets lately and publishing patterns for them. Lace shawls (really lace in general) always intrigue and fascinate me though. So I thought this would be a good direction to take my newest pursuits and continue to produce some patterns!

Right now, Craftsy is having their Dog Days of Summer Sale and ALL CLASSES are up to 50% off until August 11, 2014. I just bought the Lace Shawl Design class for $14.99. It is normally $49.99 - so that's more than a 50% savings. If you've been itching to take a new class or explore deeper into a craft you already know, now is the time to do it!

So here is the announcement:

August Big Course Sale at Craftsy: Save 50%!

(sponsored post)

Don't miss Craftsy's Dog Days of Summer Sale happening now! Enjoy up to 50% off ALL online classes! Take advantage of big savings today. Hurry, offer expires August 11, 2014 at 11:59 PM MT. Shop now and save!

And I hope you take advantage of it. There is nothing like learning a new skill or improving on one you already have. I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't take advantage of it myself!

Here's to you, my friends. May you be ever artful and happy in life.

I am a paid affiliate for Craftsy.com and clicking on any banners or links in this blog post will take you to the Craftsy site. The affiliate commissions add no extra charge to you whatsoever. I will never recommend a site or a sale that I have not first tried and am happy with. Thanks!

How to Share to a Group on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 14:19:00 +0000

Just this morning I was asked how to share an image to a group on Facebook. I tried to explain in words, but we all have different learning styles, so I thought a visual would be good. First of all, make sure your image is "Public" otherwise you'll get that lovely little notification that "This image may not be visible to all users because of your privacy settings" blah blah blah and la-de-da.

So, now for the image tutorial.

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

And that is that. Once you click the share photo button your picture should appear. Also, make sure that your group's rules are ok with you sharing images and cross posting. Most are, but make sure so you don't get kicked out! Ok, have fun and share away.

Why Pattern Designers Should Sell on Ravelry or Craftsy

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 18:02:00 +0000

Do you design knitting or crochet patterns? Have you ever tried to sell your patterns? What outlet do you use to sell your patterns through?

If you said Ravelry or Craftsy, you're up there in the top percentage of very smart and thrifty designers! Ravelry has been around since May 2007 when Casey and Jessica Forbes decided to found a social networking site that allowed fiber artists a place "...to keep track of their yarn, tools and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration." (Wikipedia, "Ravelry." 28 February, 2014.)

In comparison, Craftsy has only been around since 2011 when it was launched by Sympoz (former eBay execs John Levisay and Josh Scott) but had over a half million enrollments in its first year. (Wikipedia, "Craftsy." 24 November 2013.) Craftsy is popular for their video tutorials teaching people various crafts such as sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, cooking, and painting. But did you know they also have a ton of patterns released by independent designers? Everything from sewing to crochet and knitting? Did you also know that it is free to sign up, free to sell, and you keep your profits? http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sell

Neither Craftsy or Ravelry charge fees. Ravelry gives you up to $30 in sales a month before they charge anything, and then it is only a very small fee. Craftsy makes the explicit statement that it is your pattern, your design, and they do not take any of your profits. To make a long story short, Craftsy and Ravelry allow me to keep most of my profits (there is always the Paypal factor) but I lose out big on Etsy! If you want a break down, read on.

Now why am I saying all of this? Because I am also a vendor on Etsy. I sell my patterns there. To sell my patterns, I have to pay a $.20 listing fee, then another 3% +.25 if they are buying through direct checkout. If they buy through Paypal, I lose an additional .5% on Etsy then 2.9% + .30 on Paypal. So if I sell a pattern for $2 on Etsy, it costs me $.57 ($.06 is 3% + $.25 + $.20 listing fee) just in fees, making my grand total of profit $1.43. If I sell through Paypal, I lose an additional $.31. This takes my profits down to $1.12 Etsy and Paypal are collecting a tidy little profit off of me at this point.

Now granted, if I sell through Craftsy and Ravelry I will still lose a portion of my profits through Paypal. I have a business account on Paypal, so my fee drops down to 2.2%. Which is only $.04. I can handle that. I would rather lose $.04 than $.88! Now, I know I'm going to lose out somewhere along the way and I can't make 100% profit, but the alternatives to selling on Craftsy and Ravelry seem better to me than paying Etsy!

I'm not an Etsy hater. In fact, I adore Etsy and credit their venue for providing 90% or more of my sales. I can sell through Craftsy and Etsy at the $2.00 rate and still make $1.96 on each of my patterns because they don't charge fees for selling. But on Etsy, I have to charge $2.50 - $3.00 for those SAME PATTERNS just so I can make close to the same profits.

I'm not going to go into the details of what is involved with pattern writing and production right now, but unless I sell A LOT of patterns, I won't become rich or supplement my income in doing it. I basically do it because I like to and can make a little change here and there. Ravelry and Craftsy are two of my favorite selling venues. If you're looking to sell your patterns online, try out one or both of these sites and see what I mean.

*Disclosure: I am a paid affiliate for Craftsy.com and will make a small commission from sign ups generated through clicking on these links. However, all opinions expressed and recommendations are based on my personal experiences. I do not sell for vendors that I do not use or have experience with.

Camping, Coffee, and Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Tammy Lyons) — Mon, 12 May 2014 13:29:00 +0000

Water lilies along the shoreline

As you all know, I've been away from Blogland for a while now - far too long for me! I'm taking a vacation as soon as I finish my current quilt and writing and blogging will be a big part of that. But, until I actually get there, I wanted to show you what we did this past Mother's Day weekend.

First, I put all of my shops on vacation. Then we packed up and went to the Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park here in Southeast Georgia, near Claxton. It was a wonderful park. It sits right on a lake with fishing docks and bench swings that face the water. The mornings were bright and beautiful replete with watching the sun rise over the lake and seeing the mists shroud it like a beautiful lace shawl. During the day, the park provides a nature trail, fishing and paddle boat rentals, and a splash pad. There is a playground and volley ball courts, group shelters, cabins, miniature golfing, and plenty of areas to cook and enjoy a day in nature.

We go tent camping, mostly because we haven't invested in a camper of any type and we can still get away with it fairly cheap! So our site was set down a little further than the others and a little closer to the water. I was nervous at first, because there are signs set along the docks that warn, "Do Not Feed the Alligators." Hmm...okay. So if you have pets and small children please DO NOT FEED THE ALLIGATORS! I did ask the campground host if they've had problems with the gators coming up to the camps. Of course, being in a tent I didn't feel we had much protection from a hungry gator. He said that they have never had any reports or problems with them. That made me feel a little better, although my inner smart alec wanted to ask if that was because they were eaten before they could report it. I didn't, but wanted to.

We did survive the gators, though, and our first morning my husband made a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and campfire coffee. If you've never had campfire coffee, you're missing out. We have a coffee pot that has been handed down from generation to generation. It is at least 25-30 years old and has this really awesome smoked patina to the metal. Anyway, it was delicious and one of the camping highlights.

Afterward, we went hiking on the nature trail. So much natural beauty surrounded us. Overhanging vines, Spanish Moss, and natural tree canopies shaded most of the walk. The trail winds around the lake, so there are some muddy areas where there is run-off. I say this because my 8-year-old was none too happy about stepping in some of it and getting her new shoes dirty. Apparently she is not much of a hiker. At trail's end there is an overlook, which according to my husband and older children does have a small risk of quicksand and swamp muck to get past and see. I did not venture in to see!

Afterward, we let the kids play down in the splash pad and get soaked for a while. We were serenaded by a man with a guitar that had a lovely singing voice. It was kind of like an island scene. Kind of. No island, no oceans, no leis or grass skirts, but kind of.

Singing Guitar Man

We ended our evening with lunch, fishing, dinner, and more fishing. The frogs sang
to us all night long and we awoke to another beautiful morning. I would have to say it has been one of the best and most relaxing Mother's Days I can recall. We're going back again soon. I hope you might try to take your family camping one day - or even get out on your own and just enjoy the peace and solitude of nature.

Baby Frog!