New Yarn for the Stash

New Yarn for the Stash, originally uploaded by stelladanza's confections.

A visit to The Black Sheep in Encinitas, California, yielded this group of new yarns for my stash. Clockwise from upper left: two skeins of worsted cotton/nylon yarn (Cotton Twirl in "Lake Trail" colorway from Crystal Palace Yarns), bulky weight blue-green cotton skein hand-dyed in Chile (Patagonia Nature Cotton by Araucania Yarns), and a skein of sport weight aqua linen (Euroflax by Louet). Now to plan a few fall knitting projects....

Antiques Shed at the Country Loft

Antiques Shed at the Country Loft, originally uploaded by stelladanza's confections.

Every August, one of my favorite quilt shops has an outdoor quilt show and open house. My sister and I dropped by two weeks ago and had a great time viewing the quilts and the interior of the Country Loft, a treat in itself. We always come away with some little treasures--fat quarters, patterns, threads....

I happened upon this quote from Iris Murdoch last night:

"One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats."

There's no better place to seek out lovely small treats than The Country Loft.

Sweet Niece in Smocked Pink Linen Dress

Sweet Niece in Smocked Pink Linen Dress, originally uploaded by stelladanza's confections.

This is a recent scan of a picture I took in August of 1990. My sisters and I and my 13-month-old niece went to afternoon tea at the Horton Grand Hotel in San Diego.

My sister made the hand-smocked pale pink linen dress that my niece is wearing. Her floral pilot cap is by Hanna Andersson. It's hard to believe that my niece just turned 21 in July....

Stomping around Los Angeles

Stomping around Los Angeles, originally uploaded by confections.

San Pedro, to be exact, outside Williams' Book Store....

Lamp Post at Horton Plaza

Lamp Post at Horton Plaza, originally uploaded by confections.

I hadn't been to Horton Plaza shopping center in downtown San Diego, California, in quite some time. On an early morning visit last week, I snapped these photos. Horton Plaza had its grand opening in the summer of 1985, twenty-five years ago. It stirred controversy when it was built, because a number of historic buildings were torn down to make way for its construction.

Portrait of Caryl Nelson, Common Threads

Portrait of Caryl Nelson, Common Threads, originally uploaded by confections.

A banner with a portrait of Caryl Nelson of Common Threads in Encinitas, California.

This portrait banner was painted by Caryl's daughter, Nancy Nelson, and is hanging on a lamp post outside their yarn shop on Highway 101, Encinitas, California; it is part of the "Arts Alive Banner Project" featured this spring in their community.

Nancy's words about her painting, entitled "Mom at Common Threads":

"Knitting is our business and this portrait of my mother is a typical pose she takes in our front room. One of my mother's deepest wishes is to shout from the mountain tops and tell all those who don’t know that knitting is a wonderful stress release and can be a personal sanctuary in the midst of the crazy world we live in. Plus you get a sweater as a bonus! "

Nancy and Caryl are treasured members of the fiber arts community in San Diego County, California. Over the years I have enjoyed visiting their shop and have always gotten good advice on projects and lots of inspiration. Ten years ago, they taught my sister, a friend, and me how to knit socks, a feat at which I still marvel; I so admire Caryl for her patience with us newbies to the sock-knitting club.

Owlets on Camera

I have been watching Mama Owl Molly, her mate McGee, and two of their newly hatched owlets, Max and Pattison, on this site off and on over the last day. Another owlet is expected to hatch later on this evening.

For more information, check out this blog.

Just Another Day in Paradise

Just Another Day in Paradise, originally uploaded by confections.

I am emphatically not a morning person, but sometimes my late nights turn into early mornings and I treat myself to a take-out breakfast from my local co-op deli.

On such occasions, I will drive to one of my favorite spots along the Pacific and have my breakfast picnic-style and then take a walk next to the ocean.

Here is an early morning shot of surfers at Sunset Cliffs at a surf spot called "Garbage" near Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Ladera Street in San Diego, California.

The Coveted Wolf Dress Form

The Coveted Wolf Dress Form, originally uploaded by confections.

My sister and I are taking a patternmaking class this fall in San Diego with the irrepressible Joan McKenna, professor extraordinaire. We are about a third of the way through the very demanding course which will result in a dress sloper that can be used to create custom-fit dresses.

This elegant Wolf dress form presides over the class in the back of the room near the three-way mirror. She is quite lovely and I lust after this indispensable industry tool.

I have a brand-X dress form in the deep, dark recesses of my garage, a relic from my own dressmaking days in the 1980's. I'm going to dig her out this weekend and see if she can be transformed into a reasonable facsimile of my body shape so I can get a head start on some draping skills.



Our instructor has told us that it is a custom among dressmakers to keep a religious object on the worktable while you are drafting. So I brought along a Madonna & Child prayer card....and believe me, patternmaking will drive you to prayer! Appropriately, she is Saint Mary of Perpetual Help, St. Maria du perpetuel Secours, Maria von der immerwaehrenden Hilfe. Amen!

Extraordinary Desserts--Cakes

Extraordinary Desserts--Cakes, originally uploaded by confections.

Yummy, exquisite cakes fill the display case at Karen Krasne's Extraordinary Desserts on Union Street in San Diego, California.

Enough said! Where's my Valrhona mocha?

Floor Plan of a 1911 Craftsman Bungalow

Floor Plan of a 1911 Craftsman Bungalow, originally uploaded by confections.

Our humble abode (which was remodeled a bit by local architects three years before we purchased it) will celebrate its centennial in May of 2011.

We're gearing up for some spit and polish before that momentous occasion. Life in 850 square feet! (Fortunately we have a double detached garage and a partially finished basement, AKA the Dog Den--that would be my husband's domain....)

Laundry Day Hand-Appliqued Quilt

Laundry Day Hand-Appliqued Quilt, originally uploaded by confections.

One of my favorite late August activities in San Diego County is going to the Outdoor Quilt Show at the Country Loft in La Mesa, California.

The Country Loft is a quaint white cottage with a picket fence entwined with Cecile Brunner roses. Inside is a wonderland of quilt fabrics and primitive antiques. In late August each year, the front yard is filled with donated quilts which are sold in support of Quilt for a Cure.

The backyard features quilts and other fiber arts projects completed by students who have taken classes at the Country Loft during the last year. What a joyful way to spend an afternoon!

My sister and I ran into a long-time quilting friend and her daughter and sister-in-law during our visit on Saturday--fellow kindred creative spirits.

The much larger San Diego Quilt Show happens in about three weeks. That one signals the last bit of official summer and the beginning of fall quilting season for me. Happy Quilting!

Cottage in Little Italy, San Diego, California

Cottage in Little Italy, San Diego, California, originally uploaded by confections.

I parked in front of this sweet cottage in the heart of Little Italy in San Diego the other day. It was a Friday afternoon, people were gathering for dinner at the many enticing restaurants. I indulged in some pistachio gelato at Cafe Zucchero and had a passagiato through the neighborhood. A little bit of Roma right in my own hometown....

Artichoke Bloom

Artichoke Bloom, originally uploaded by confections.

On my walk last week I came upon this artichoke plant in bloom. My sister and I saw it again on Father's Day (June 21st) and most of its glory was spent. The ephemeral nature of spring blossoms....

Yarn Stash

Yarn Stash, originally uploaded by confections.

Here are the latest additions to my yarn stash, acquired last weekend at The Black Sheep in Encinitas, California. One is a blue and gray novelty cotton and nylon yarn called Rumba Mix, by Katia, made in Spain. The soft yellow is a cotton baby yarn, M & K Eco Baby Bomull, from the Netherlands. The pink (shown below) is Mulberry Silk by Laines du Nord, made in Italy. A veritable tour of the European Union, and I only had to travel a few miles north....

I'm not sure what I will make out of these tempting skeins, but I am leaning toward fun fashions for Blythe!

Starbucks Patio at Liberty Station, San Diego, California--TtV (through

Starbucks Patio at Liberty Station, San Diego, California--TtV (through the viewfinder), originally uploaded by confections.

Continuing my latest fascination with the "pencil sketch" application available at this website, here are a couple made from photos shot "through the viewfinder" of my vintage Kodak Duaflex camera. The original TtV (through the viewfinder) photos are below as well for comparison.

Detail of Applique Quilt

Detail of Applique Quilt, originally uploaded by confections.

The 2008 San Diego Quilt Show has been happening over the last few days. Here are some of my favorites from the exhibition.

Eye Candy from the Quilt Show

Eye Candy from the Quilt Show, originally uploaded by confections.

My preliminary haul from the vendors at the San Diego Quilt Show....

Tall Ship "Gloria" through the Viewfinder

Tall Ship "Gloria" through the Viewfinder, originally uploaded by confections.

The "Festival of Sail" is happening in San Diego this week, and I went to one of my favorite vantage points on Wednesday morning and watched the tall ships sail into San Diego Bay.

For some of the photos, I used the "through the viewfinder" technique, viewing the ships through my vintage Ricohflex Model VII camera and snapping the photo with my digital camera. The photos look as though I were viewing the tall ships through an old spyglass like Captain Hook!

Pay close attention to the more detailed pictures of the "Gloria". There are sailors standing above the sails on the mast!

Tall Ship--The Star of India--San Diego, California

Tall Ship--The Star of India--San Diego, California, originally uploaded by confections.

Today there will be a Festival of Sail in San Diego Harbor and at least twenty tall ships will be on parade, including San Diego's own "Star of India", seen here.

I hope to take my camera down to the bay and capture some of the majesty. Below is a collage that shows the San Diego skyline twenty-five years ago (in May 1983) and the way it looks today. San Diego Harbor used to have a free anchorage which lent a lot of character to the bay, but it was outlawed many years ago. I think the harbor view is less appealing now that it is gone.