Penny Richards' photos

I made a sleeveless blouse last month, but wasn't happy with it--but this week, I added crimson-red crocheted sleeves, and now I'm very pleased! Thrifted rayon yarn.

Nell and I entered a chalk art festival at the Redondo Pier today--and won 1st Prize in the Family category! Our square was called "Frida Underwater."

Nell and I entered a chalk art festival at the Redondo Pier today--and won 1st Prize in the Family category! Our square was called "Frida Underwater."

Nell and I entered a chalk art festival at the Redondo Pier today--and won 1st Prize in the Family category! Our square was called "Frida Underwater."

Nell and I entered a chalk art festival at the Redondo Pier today--and won 1st Prize in the Family category! Our square was called "Frida Underwater." This is the square before we started (we were ready way before the official start time of noon--that's the ocean behind our tent, it runs under the pier at that point).

Nell and I entered a chalk art festival at the Redondo Pier today--and won 1st Prize in the Family category! Our square was called "Frida Underwater." This is the square in progress....

Made this from thrifted yarns, no pattern--boxier than a cloche shape, long enough to turn up the brim all around--light enough weight for late summer wear.

My first (intentional) attempt at freeform crochet--I like it more than I thought I would. Like crochet collage, or crochet sculpture... hmmmm.... all thrifted or stash yarn (mostly thrifted).

Did this on the Anderson Park sidewalk for the Kindergarten picnic on Saturday.

We had our tile counters demoed--always hated them--and replaced with Corian (more photos soon).

This is a thrifted Marina Rossi cotton-poly-rayon knit sweater--I liked its weight and texture and scoop neck and shape, but it didn't even come close to fitting me. So it became a candidate for refashioning...

A thrifted grey sweater got a crochet inserts in the sleeves and center front, to make it fit and to make it personal. All yarn was thrifted as well.

A thrifted grey sweater got a crochet inserts in the sleeves and center front, to make it fit and to make it personal. All yarn was thrifted as well. In this view, you can see the sleeve details more clearly.

Went out for ice cream (well, gelato) with the kids, to mark the passing of my grandmother today--she was a big ice cream fan, to the end, and it seemed like the right way to spend the afternoon.

A beach (mostly) unvisited by human beings and its lovely waterfall. At Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, on the Coast Road between Monterey and Big Sur. We stopped to see it in December 1996, and again July 2008--beautiful in any season.

Sign outside a general store in Lucia, CA, on the coast road between Monterey and Big Sur, July 2008. We definitely saw fire damage along the coast, but McWay Falls and its beach were unharmed (barely), and the road was fine as of last week.

Another weekend, another sleepover, another tea party for two little girls in the front yard. Peanut butter sandwiches, orange smiles, bowl of blueberries, cheese and crackers, plus mint tea with honey and milk. Favorite random linens.

A sheert? Yeah, a shirt made from a sheet, or in this case, remnants of two vintage sheets. This is made with the Simplicity New Look pattern 6809, which I'll definitely use again--it was simple, it fits, it was forgiving of my carelessness, and it's a good shape for lightweight sheet fabric. And now I've made something with sleeves! These sheet pieces were acquired in Lisa C.'s summer skirt sheet swap--thanks for the fun sheets! (yes, those are flamingos and palm trees)