Scones & Roses: I Love My Public Library!

One of my favorite things to do is go down to the public library with my huge tote bag and load up on tons of new library books. I have to admit, my city library, The Lakeland Public Library, is one of the nicest I've ever seen. They get the latest and greatest crafting, decorating, and cookbooks, which makes me very happy.

Here are some from my latest score....

This is the most comprehensive cookbook on pies I've ever come across. The author is Ken Haedrich. Since I've stuck a post-it in over 50 recipes that I'm interested in copying, I might as well buy the darn thing. I'll wait till I get a bookstore giftcard. Cookbooks can be pricey. What I love about this one is that there are so many variations of traditional pies (apple pie with a bourbon-crunch topping, blueberry-maple pie in a cornmeal crust, etc.), but then you get the weird and wacky thrown into the mix. The one that I swear I'm going to try is Watermelon Rind pie. Apparently, it was popular on the prairie during the Westward Expansion with those dutiful housewives that didn't want to waste a single scrap. This should make for a humorous little experiment when watermelon season gets here. I'll report back the results, even if they are disastrous.

Martha has done it again. Or at least her huge staff has done it again and put her on the cover of this amazing 400 page guide to all-things-sewing. It even comes with a CD of 150 project patterns and templates. Thank you public library! Here are the some of the ones I can't wait to try....fire up the Janome machine and thread the bobbins....here come some neat-o projects.

I love oilcloth! In my opinion, the fabric store chains don't carry enough variety. Oilcloth is generally used to make picnic tablecloths or aprons, because of their slick surface and ease of care. The book notes some mail-order and online resources for interesting oilcloth fabric to make these cute velcro lunchbags. They aren't just for kiddos. They are super chic.

Love this multi-compartment tote bag on the right. Perfect for book club or couponing. I'm a big fan of customizing your stuff so you don't look like all the other cattle out there. A good place to find unique fabric scraps is to scour the vintage clothing stores and find the things that nobody wants because it has a stain. Cut that part away. If the fabric is beautiful, you can make use of it in other ways.

What a practical, simple idea. Why didn't I think of that? Farmer's wives have been gussying up jam jar lids for decades. Why not make the top of this one into a pincushion? I'm always looking for my embroidery scissors (you know, the ones that look like a bird) and all my other things like my needle threader. This would be a great idea to keep all your tiny things in one place. And they're cute as a button--pun totally intended.

Yeah, I need another apron. It's time. This baker's apron on the right has an adjustable D-ring strap for well, my D cup issues. I likey.

I just learned to knit last year and have been churning out more scarves than the Hermes factory. However, I don't know squat about crochet. I figured the best place to learn was a kid's how-to. Take a look at these adorable little projects!

Oh yes, this will be the first project I crochet. A patchwork poncho? I don't care if I'm an adult. I will wear it with leopard rain boots and go somewhere like a flea market. People are eccentric at flea markets so I'll fit right in.