Idea Girl

Tween made a grosgrain ribbon headband yesterday, bookmarks and a bracelet today. She has so many creative ideas and really is acting on them.

Mama made a deadline. There was some creativity in that. Squeezed in a few rows of knitting and painted another coat of fabric paint on the stenciled tee, cut yesterday.

Yesterday also held a conversation with the pectin expert who clearly knows how to troubleshoot canning issues. New knowledge: there is a point of too much sugar with this product, and overheating the pectin kills the gelling action. Mama likely did both of these, at least 3 times over. There may be no saving the gel, so the un-jam will become a sauce in the fridge. Seems this type of pectin may require substantial math skills...and we're all about The Arts here, folks.

In a Groove

Leave the jam, & get out of the kitchen.

Tween sang and knit. She is showing crafting commitment.

Mama re-jammed, and will be calling the pectin hotline to figure out why the jam failed to gel again.

Mama knit a bit while waiting for some meetings. Plans to get started on a stenciled shirt gift tonight. Last night's T-shirt "save" is on hold...second thoughts.

Thought this would be the week to learn to use the new sewing machine--but the jam and an unexpected, short-deadline writing assignment are reflavoring the week. Noting creativity, however small the dose.

Tricky Fixes

Last night, Tween learned to purl. She is knitting a purse in stockinette stitch.

Tonight, Tween learned to change yarn: stripes! (Photo needed.)

She also sang for hours at her first choir day-camp: another kind of creative endeavor. And she gave a sweet little felt embroidered pendant to her BFF and a tiny embroidered felt dog to BFF's younger brother.

Yesterday, Mama made three batches of jam: one strawberry and two strawberry-rhubarb. And knit a few rows on a pillow cover.

Today, Mama *remade* two batches of jam. Tomorrow she will remake a non-gelling batch for a *third time.* How special is she, failing multiple times with "no-fail" Pomona Pectin? She is not a canning novice, and she may return to her chemical-laden original brand of pectin.

Tonight, Mama is back to planning a crafty "save" for a favorite t-shirt that Oxy-Bright cleaned the color right off.

Made in Summer

We want to "see" what we made.

Our goal: Daily creativity. The kind we don't have time for when school/work is in session.

The Tween is on track with daily making: sewing, jewelry creation, embroidery, knitting. The Mama is trying (a couple rows of knitting counts toward the daily tally).

Now, to chronicle what we maids Made in Summer.