Indiana Excursion

On Sunday we took an excursion to see the new exhibits at the Brauer Museum of Art on the Valparaiso University campus. There were five exhibits!  We especially liked the lovely photographs of William Richardson. He was an early Twentieth Century artist who helped save the dunes. 

The Photography of William D. Richardson
A collaborative exhibition with the Westchester Township History Museum
Art in Bloom at the Brauer: Arrangements by Kenton Johnson, Hidden Garden Florist
 Floral arrangements inspired by art in the Museum's collection. (they were amazing!)
Plus three exhibits from the Museum's permanent collection.


Since we'd seen "part 1" at Brauer, we drove over to Chesterton to see "part 2" at the Westchester Township History Museum. That was a wonderful surprise.  The museum is in a lovely historic home and has local exhibits, dunes exhibits and the William D. and Flora Richardson collection of photographs and books.  The people on duty were very friendly and gave us a lovely tour of the home after we had viewed the items from the Richardson collection that are on display.  I was thrilled to find a huge overflowing notebook on the Bailly homestead and family.  

Sunday was quite hot and our excursions perfect for the day.  We'll be back to visit both places in the future.

my turn

Boy, do I have show and tell! On Saturday our final Homewood Guild field trip was to the Bead 'n Button Show in Milwaukee. Chris was my partner in crime and we had way too much fun. I mostly bought kits--I think it's a great way to learn new things and try things out. And, boy, did I!

 

This was the first project I completed Sunday morning, a pearl and wire necklace. I'd seen them in stores and couldn't quite figure it out. Then, on to Steampunk style.

 

 A Christmas gift, done! Below is a tin charm, I put it back into the original package 'cause it's so cute. Glass Garden Beads.

  

These next two were from a St. Louis shop with great ideas, Lady Bug Beads.
 This last is a sample of "Viking Knitting" which is done on a stick-like tool. I got a pack of materials and a kit to give it a go. I made this sample in a short time, just to get some experience with the wire and how it works. It uses a lot of wire--this took about 32" and the finished piece of wire maybe an 1-1/2" long--and that's after being drawn (which makes it longer, smoother and even).

No housework got done this weekend. We (Hubby and I) did go on a fun Sunday excursion, though. More on that to come.  

show-n-tell

None of this was done by me--my sister-in-law the knitter is quite prolific.  

A teaching cardigan (on how to add sleeves using steeks).  

 I love this collar.

  

Another cardigan

  

This one just needs buttons.

  

 In addition to knitting, she's a felter. I fell in love with this amazing nuno felted vest. 

  

 We made her model it for us. 

   

 Isn't it wonderful? 

 

 Not to be outdone, my sister's been busy, too. She made this purse for the sister-in-law.  

 She has several quilts in the works. I got a pic of one in the planning stages.

Days flying past

 

Poof! this week has flown by. Work is ramping up--a conference to run next week followed in July by a two-week-long summer school. I'm mired in details! Last Saturday we visited with my family, at my sister's. 

 

We feasted and brought home bags of fresh-picked asparagus. We had a very good time.  

 The weather was perfect. We lingered by the cars, not wanting the day to end.  

On Sunday, we went to a car show in Crown Point. Lots of interesting vehicles. In parking lots today all you see are bland white, silver, greige, beige boringness, with an occasional black or red car. At car shows there is COLOR! Peach, hot pink, yellow, orange, blue, purple, a rainbow! (although you can't really tell that by this picture!

How's this?

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

We saw this movie on Memorial Day (movies are a great way to escape the heat!). I really enjoyed it. Great characters, each making the same trip for different reasons. I found it lovely. It discusses that forbidden topic--aging! It was not the focus of the movie, but rather the backbone, perhaps--just there. It was not clichéd, maudlin, or brushed off but looked at right in the eye and dealt with. No pat answers, either, everyone deals with life differently and this is true in the movie.

A couple of finishes

 

 I've completed a couple of odds and ends lately. My sister gave me this cute design with preprinted fabric. I decided since I'm on a wool kick to stitch it in wool. Mostly Medici and some other odd things I had on hand, silk'n'wool among them. Cute charms from Designer's Desk. 

I saw this design in a recent issue of Stitch and liked it so I got out wool to make up two. One's done, the other cut out and ready to go. 

  

This doesn't look like anything and I got some amazing blank stares when I tried to explain it to people in the doctor's office recently where I was knitting. It's a swatch for a project I'm planning to knit. The swatch is done, washed and dried like like I expect the finished item to be, and carefully counted and measured. Last night I planned the pattern. I'm adaping a pattern to a different idea. Should be interesting. It's something I've never done.

Japanese Embroidery

 

I set up my frame for the holiday weekend and got in some stitching on three mornings. (I took a four-day minivacation--bliss!) One morning I completed the hemp leaf pattern on the left-hand fan blade. Another I stitched the maple leaf. And on the third the bamboo leaves. For each of the latter, I was deciding on my own what threads to use in what order. I spent a lot of time dithering. 

But, on the whole, less time ripping out than I usually do. I was more relaxed with the stitching and not as "don't come near me, I need absolute quiet!" as I have been. Hubby knows, though, and took himself off to work on the car and to the store one morning, giving me more time to stitch.

Another one of the neighbor's roses.