Garden walk

Today was my friend Denise's birthday, and to celebrate she invited me and two other friends to attend the Kankakee Kultivators Club garden walk. It was a wonderful day!

We met at Denise's house at 8:30 and headed out.

We saw so many beautiful gardens!

It was pretty warm today, but luckily there was a brisk breeze.

We picked up lots of gardening ideas.

I don't enjoy gardening myself, but I do enjoy the gardens that Dave creates in our yard.

And now I have ideas for him! ;-)

Before leaving this morning, I finished Sophia's pink, purple, and yellow band. Sophia wove the first 6" and did a beautiful job. I just have to mail it to her now. I know she'll be thrilled to have it.

My day wouldn't be complete without an Ice Drop!

Garden walks and lace...

Even though I've been working on my lace curtains, I haven't completely forgotten my tatting! The top left edging is "Itsy, Bitsy, Baby" from Nice and Easy Tatted Edgings by Diane DiRosa Biswas, Altin Basak size 50, Sherry Pence (Lady Shuttle Maker) ceramic shuttle. Bottom left is a daisy edging I learned from watching Bev Dillon's video, Tatting from Start to Finishing, Hakelgarn size 20, "Diane" shuttle from Sherry Pence (yes, it's named after me! I feel so special!). I've been using this edging to decorate bobby socks for my granddaughter, Lily. I have 4 pair completed, 2 to go! On the right is Basket Edge from Vintage Tatting, Cebelia size 30, Peter Cua shuttle. I love working on edgings because I can evenutally memorize the pattern!

Yesterday I went to the Crete Women's Club Garden Walk & Bazaar, "A Day in the Country" with my friends Pat and Brenda. Despite a few showers, we had a wonderful time. Pat and Brenda are really into gardening... I'm into looking at gardens and I leave the actual work to Dave! Two of our Grant Park friends, Amy and Ingeborg, each had vendor stalls. They both make the most beautiful cement pieces out of leaves. I have three for garden accents and three in the house... one is used as a decoration in my dining room, one is a soap dish from my friend Kris, and one is in my sewing room as a pin dish. I have a rhubarb leaf, 4 hosta leaves, and I can't remember what Ingeborg said the other one was (my pin dish).

One of the gardens we visited was at the home of Bill Aldrich, publisher of Chicagoland Gardening... what a wonderful surprise! We each purchased books from him, which he kindly autographed. I can't wait to read, and Pat and Brenda can't wait to garden... life is good!