Open Studio Sunday

Friends, you are looking at my $5.25 score 

during yesterday's infamous Route 90 
Garage Sale. Look carefully and you might see some 
hand made sketchbooks and a new Silver Trumpet 
toy or two. And here I've been avoiding this 
megga-garage sale all these years....

Notice that exotic fan in the background? 
It's a garage sale gift from my partner in crime, 
Tracy, who has the companion fan in black. S-weet! 

What's in the Studio today? 

A heap of new bags perfect for those
late summer-to-fall knitting projects, 
meeting a friend for lunch 
or heading to the farmer's market. 

Keep an eye on my Etsy shop for this fresh 
assortment of finished bags and
Silver Trumpet's original bag & quilt sewing patterns. 
Again I say, S-weet!

Sunny Side of Summer

Looking for heat-of-the-summer 
sewing inspiration? Head over to 
sewmamasew

where Silver Trumpet is featured

with other talented sewers

sharing fun projects!

Scroll 2/3 down the page for

my Pinwheels tutorial; a snap to make  
with fun & creative uses. Check it out!
  

 

Starting this week,

Silver Trumpet Style will post twice weekly:

Wednesdays and 

Open Studio Sundays 

This decision is simply a result of 
being super duper busy!
  

Goodness from the garden: Dill Pickles

With garlic, hot pepper flakes & fresh dill, 

this isn't your run of the mill dill.

15 minutes to prepare, 2 days on the counter 

and they're ready to spice up your picnic table. 

You know it's good when it's from The Pioneer Woman.

Meet you again for Open Studio Sunday!

Open Studio Sunday

Just finished, a beautiful new knitting bag 

for what promises to be an equally 

rich in color, beautiful hand knit sweater 

from Amy Swenson's knitwear designs.

This shot silk & Amy Butler print go together 

like peas and carrots, and while this test run 

will remain with me, a similar bag is under way 

in the Studio that will soon be posted for sale 

on my new Etsy shop.  

 (Slowly but surely, patterns are being typed and posted.

Thank you for your patience.)

Back to the sweater pattern, my heart is 

set on using madelinetosh, so I went straight  

to my dear friend Beth's wonderful yarn shop,

Sheep Thrills in North Syracuse, NY.

There, I knew l'd find enough madelinetosh 

for the job, not to mention plenty of other irresistible 

yarns and patterns, and pictured above is the 

 yarn color I chose: "mare."

As if sewing a new bag, starting a new knitting

pattern and filling a new shop weren't enough,

drum roll please....

the link to my free Cartwheels quilt pattern

 is now available

in the right margin under the Project Linus link. 

Designed to be a fast sewing project, 

and one that looks good in just about any 

fabric combination, this modern, graphic design 

would be loved by any teen or child in your life.  

If you'd like to sew one up for Project Linus, 

well, that would be really great, too!

I hope you enjoy Cartwheels. 

Sweet Stitches

Considering how hot it's been here these past few days

I hardly remember the snow that was piled

 high outside my window when I stitched these 

sweet blue birds. 

While I'm still fairly new to embroidery,

I have to say I love it, all of it. 

I love choosing motifs, considering 

colors, threading several needles 

(coveting Rebecca Ringquist's needle cases.) 

I love sending the needle into the fabric, 

the image revealing itself a stitch at a time.   

12-18month dress & bloomers ready for
summer's heat.

During those snowy months spent indoors

 "A Rainbow of Stitches", written by 

Agnes Delage-Calvet, Anne Sohier-Fournel,

Muriel Brunet and Francoise Ritz, 

kept me interested in embroidering.

The blue birds motif shown above is from the book.

Honestly, what's not to adore?  

Small amounts of time result in a lovely

bit of hand work that makes any thing 

more special. If you're inclined to pick up 

needle and floss, have a look at this book and 

think gift giving for loved ones or yourself. 

  

I agree, Stanley, it's too hot outside. 

A Banner Day!

 Today is the opening day of  

Project Linus Institute 2011! 

While I couldn't attend this year,  

today the stars aligned and I met 

Lynn Augenstern, head of Project Linus's 

Broome County Chapter.

Aren't they sweet? You wouldn't guess it was 94 degrees!

 Lynn (left) and her sister Joann (right) were  

so kind to meet me in Binghamton and accept my   

donation of a few quilts and two giant bags of yarn.

These are the two quilts I handed off to Lynn:

My version of Kaffe Fassett's Red Diamonds quilt

and my own Cartwheels quilt (below).  

I wish I could make a living from donating

because these quilts were so much fun to sew 

and very rewarding to give.

 A special word of thanks to Spun Right Round 
for generously donating half of today's yarn! 

If you or your group would like to sew (or no-sew,) 
knit or crochet blankets for Project Linus, 

find your nearest local chapter and 
make contact. They make it really easy to give.
I know I look forward to seeing Lynn again soon.

Putting out a call for help:
My big goal was to have ready the link to my free
Cartwheels pattern in celebration of the Institute's
opening day today. Sadly, my lack of techie skills 
are showing. I'd be mighty grateful to anyone who could 
leave me a comment with the know how for 
posting my PDF to my sidebar. 
  

Open Studio Sunday

Sneak peek at the Clutch'Ems Collection!

The computer is actually my Studio today

because I'm busily creating PDF's for  

your sewing pleasure, HOORAY!

Coming soon are the sewing patterns you've  

been reading about and I've been promising: 

quilts, bags & toys for babies, kids & teens - perfect 

for gift giving and for your own family.

The perfect purse for your favorite teens!

Thank you all for your kind words and support

over these past few months. 

I've been plugging away at creating what I believe  

are cute, simple sewing patterns for gifts & home. 

I'm grateful for your opinions and guidance, 

and I'm thrilled to finally be able to share all of this 

with you, my friends.   

You may remember the FREE Project Linus quilt, Cartwheels!

Every pattern is designed for ease of sewing  

and easy care. 

Sturdy, stylish, functional bags

Fun, scrappy, economical quilts

Safe, washable, engaging toys

Stay tuned for patterns being available for download.

  

The projects shown today are a snap shot across 

SilverTrumpet's current pattern collection, and

I'm excited to report that even more projects are 

pouring into the Studio. 

Oh, Happy Day!

In the Heat Of Summer

In upstate NY, we've been experiencing a string 

of what I'd call perfect summer days. Today, I'm paying 

homage to my flourishing gardens because they continue 

to grow and flower despite my severe lack of attention.

French Green Beans well on their way, and 

I love these soft, warm yellow-greens.

Nice colors for a summery quilt...add a little  

pink & blue and we're in business!

Since my dear friend Lori showed me her Patty Pan squash

last year, I've wanted to grow them too. She picks them when 

they're a little bigger than the one shown above, 

but still fairly small, because of how tender they are. 

Just a few more days and this one's going in a stir fry!

A change of scene, my front walk in desperate 

need of my TLC. While it's always a work in progress, 

it's soul-satisfying work. The changing colors and textures 

bring me great joy, and this garden is a peaceful retreat 

on our already quiet street. 

 Alright, now I'm motivated to prune, water, divide and conquer!

Savoring the Reward

Just this afternoon, while picking black raspberries,

one red raspberry made itself known.

So as I took this photo (with my head down) 

the sky grew dark, the winds whipped up, 

and I was dive bombed by crab apples! I quickly 

picked up my berries & camera and hustled back to the house. 

Convinced I must have berry stains on my white shirt,

(I know...) I safely stepped indoors just as rain 

fell in buckets. No berry stains on my white shirt. 

For my narrow escape, the red one is mine.

Open Studio Sunday

 On the banks of Skaneateles Lake there sits a surprise: 

a serene yet vibrant lavender farm. 

 My dear friend Tracy and her lovely mother Norma

invited me to join them this morning at the farm's 

4th annual Finger Lakes Lavender Festival.

 Walking among rows of lavender for the picking, 

observing the minute differences between varieties, 

deeply breathing in the calming fragrance 

with the sun on my face -

I can't imagine a better Sunday morning,  

Norma and Tracy!

and these are the two spectacular women responsible. 

Cindy Petters's talented hands at work.

The variety of artists & fine craftspeople was a pleasant 

surprise. While I enjoyed talking with many of the artists, 

I have to say that meeting Cindy Petters of 

Farmgirl Sass was clearly a highlight.

Wish you could get closer? Visit her online!

 A few words about Cindy and her work:

charming, meaningful, engaging, fun and

all at once, down to earth & ethereal.

Crepes, any one? How French!

Scissors and a seat are all you need to bring home 

a bundle of fresh lavender goodness.

How easy to pass the day in one of these pretty

chairs just people watching, taking in the views 

and eating lavender crepes.

My take-home loot, and as fate 

would have it, this Cindy Petters necklace is titled:

"Love & Embrace What Is."

A Visit To the Extraordinary

Tracy, Marjorie, Ginny's niece, Sue, Renee, Nancy and Cheryl Schaefer

Today, some of my knitting friends & I enjoyed a spectacular visit 

to the one and only Schaefer Yarns! I asked my car full of 

fiber friends to share what they enjoyed most.

Tracy

Cheryl is a delightful host!  She shared the ins and outs and 

ups and downs of her business along with anecdotes that were entertaining. 

Since I have no business experience, it was very interesting to me 

to hear about how she deals with various suppliers in different countries, 

and how the ebb and flow of things with her suppliers 

means that she must also be very adaptable.
I loved seeing all of the rooms where the dyeing and skein winding 

were done.  I really enjoy getting to know the entire process, which helps me 

appreciate, all the more, the end product.

 

 

Renee

I had a great time. Cheryl is AWESOME!

I totally scored...Spun Right Round now

carries Schaefer Yarns!!

 

Marjorie

The names of the color ways are based on famous women.

The skeins hanging on the drying racks.

Cheryl herself - how friendly & welcoming to her business.

Yours Truly

Like my friends, I was impressed that Cheryl Schaefer gave us a personal tour. 
That she's funny and down to earth made it even more enjoyable.

Her flower gardens are a show unto themselves. Walking among the colors and
 textures made me wonder which of my favorite Schaefer color ways were 
inspired by these very gardens....   

From the cones, to the dye baths, to the drying racks, 

Schaefer Yarns truly earn their reputation for being 
of the highest quality, and for providing consistent, 
exquisite color combinations. 

We can't thank you enough, Cheryl, for 
an extraordinary Saturday morning!

(My loot!)

Jam Session

When my lovely friend Lara Smoot posted a 

recipe for Blueberry & Lime Jam on her blog, 
I just had to try it. Any recipe Lara sends my way 
is delicious and this one's no exception.

If you make this recipe, use Lara's two modifications:

2 packets of dry pectin & 4 cups of sugar.

Try it drizzled (warm) over vanilla ice cream or ricotta cheese,

over steel cut oats with a dollop of natural peanut butter, or, 
drum roll please.....

 make an ooey-gooey sandwich with toasted whole grain 
bread slathered with peanut butter, Blueberry Lime jam 
and homemade marshmallow.

(Scroll down to Wednesday March 9th, 2011.)

C'mon, I dare ya!