things to do on a hot day

crank up the stove and make jam of course!

seriously, we got a great deal on some blackberries, and there is a limit to how many of them just two of us could eat before spoilage becomes a problem

never mind, we like jam, and it is an ages old method to preserve fruit

nothing like the sound of the jars "pinging" as they seal on a hot afternoon -- nothing except the sweet taste of summer on your tongue when we spread some of this on toast in the middle of a winter storm

so after that adventure I went into the studio and finished this pair of pants that had been waiting for elastic

cool

I have two brand new pair that will take me into the cool weather months

(and most of the time in the cool weather I wear sweat pants around the house)

this fabric is pretty neat -- I like the pattern and the colors -- maybe should have bought a bit more of it to use for some other project


the beading has begun!

this is an hour's worth of work

for a long time I have kept really good records on what materials go into the jewelry I make -- and how much they cost -- and used it as a guide for what to charge for a finished piece

the problem with that approach is that it is perfectly possible to make a really elaborate piece that uses materials that are really inexpensive -- but takes hours and hours to complete

so beginning with this piece I am also going to start logging how much time goes in these -- it should be interesting

time to get to the laundry