beads

If you come to Phoenix and the weather is great, be sure to go to First Friday. What is First Friday?, you ask.
First Friday is only the most fun evening ever! It’s like what the renaissance fairs used to be, with artisans and crafters, entertainers and buskers, hippies, neo-hippies, sightsee-ers, rastas, students, old folk, young folk, in-between folk, dancers, actors, show-offs, vendors and just plain looky-loos. What you won’t find there is bored people. There is nothing boring about First Friday.
All the shops along Roosevelt around seventh avenue are open. There are a lot of galleries in that district (the arts district) and they all are open until late at night, too. It’s a real eye-full.
You’ll find the world’s greatest bead shop open. I just looked all over for their address, but I swear I’ll pick up a card tonight. They always have a big table full of $2.00 strings of beads, a real bargain. I have been getting beads with holes big enough for the twisted wire thingys, but now I think I want some beads to use on a quilt in the tie-through knot. Tie them on with a real strong knot and they won’t break free in the wash. Not good for baby blankets, though, babies can chew through anything.

I need to finish the Christmas projects I have going on the work table, and I’m a few days out on that.  I have been experimenting with zipper pulls.  I don’t know about you, but these days I need all the help I can get.  The days of nimble fingers and muscular tugs are over for my knobby fingers, and I like a good grip.  So of course I assume everybody else does, too.  Even top rated diet supplements won’t help.  Yoga helped my neck, though.  More even than the PT.

So of course everybody gets one in their stocking.  I have to find some of those keyring spirals.  Some that are somehow special.  I found a bead store, down on 6th Street and Roosevelt in Phoenix that has the greatest beads for $2.00 a string.  I got big flattened cylinders of malachite-colored stone.  The hole is big enough for wire.  Even for silver or gold wire, if you want to get fancy.  I found a bunch of other beads, too.

zipper pulls

I like the glass leaf beads, only $2.00 each string.  wow.

So I am making zipper-pulls.

Lazy weekend,  Sammie and Dave and I went to see that Jules Verne thing with Brendan Fraser in it.  it was entertaining, not too hokey and not violent at all.  We really enjoyed it.  It would have been great in 3D like when it first came out, lots of things flinging themselves at the screen, and that wild roller-coaster ride.

I did have time to do the ruffle on Joleen’s Quilt.  It really makes a happy feeling when you look at it now.  That happy feeling is kind of a goal of mine when I make a quilt,  and this one has it.

I’m glad you like it, J.  It’s about a double bed size.  I was surprised it was so small, but the design doesn’t need anything else, I am working on a wide border now to finish, and form the wrap edge so the back pattern will tie in to the front design.  

I figure it’s the right size for Joleen’s family since they’ve downsized recently, this blankie will fit into a washer easily, and cover a couch or a kid’s bed just fine.  When you settle again, Joleen, I will make you a big one.  You have a big family and can use more blankies.

Looks like I will be done with it before school starts.  At least mostly done.

I hung it on the clothsline next to the citrus trees, the greens shadows are just right and it makes a good picture.