Another Book Sale Weekend
11:57 a.m. - 2007-04-27


It has been a busy week sewing and knitting and working in the garden, but today there are TWO library book sales that I have been looking forward to. He is going to come home from work early and we will be off to the sales.

I sewed two summer tops for Melissa. One is McCalls 5384, a loose top with V-neckline. This is very easy to sew and will be very very comfortable when the weather turns hot. The only alteration I made was to cut the armholes a little higher. I also made Simplicity 4180, view D. This pattern ran a little small so I made a size bigger than usual, and I did away with the very strange hanging panel in the front that is suspended from the shoulders by strips of ribbon. You just know you would snag yourself on this every time you tried to put it on, so I made up a panel pattern of my own and sewed it in to the front V. I made one in turquoise gauze for Melissa with fancy stitch trim in variegated thread around the neckline, then liked it so much that I made one for myself in hot pink flowered knit.

I bought myself the new King Arthur book on wholegrain baking, and I must recommend it highly. Everything I have tried is very good. I made some basic whole wheat bread, some oatmeal cookies, and the latest, a raisin whole wheat bar that is just fabulous. When you first bake the raisin cookies (the raisins are ground up), they are sort of dry, but after they sit for a day or two in the cookie canister, they are moist and utterly wonderful.

This weekend will be taken up with getting the garden in, since the bean seedlings are ready to go. I have already planted the tomatoes, peas, cucumbers, sweet peas, and squash. The weather went from cold and rainy to hot all of a sudden, it was 87 degrees yesterday. I think I had better take the cover off the AC and get ready for summer.