The Spring Tea and Bazaar at the Cloisters this weekend was great. I had no idea it was there, but it's so amazing inside. I will definitely be going back for future events and I hope to one day attend a wedding there.

The Cloisters provided tables and it was really difficult figuring out how to take my normal setup down to a single table, but here is my setup for day 1.


My table was across from this giant fireplace and this fun little carved guitar dude.




This is one of the fireplaces from the upstairs rooms.




Ok I'm realizing just how many pictures I took of fireplaces, but they were so cool. I love the tile and the carving on these guys.




The center of this house has a gorgeous spiral stone staircase going from the basement up to the 3rd floor.




My booth setup on day 2. I added some more lights and moved some things around. I feel like this was slightly better.

I will be at the Cloisters Spring Tea and Bazaar all weekend. Come check it out.

I had no idea there was a castle in Baltimore.

This was a bit of a lighter kiln load than normal. Mostly because I've been making less small things to fit in all the crevices. I need to find a balance between wanting to pack the kiln super tight and making more magnets and trinket dishes than I can possible ever need.

I am absolutely loving how the teapot came out, but I am also rather confused because I used Spectrum's sangria, but it actually looks more like Kimchi or Autumn Purple. I'm not angry at it at all, just perplexed at how it came out.

The sunflower cheese plate came out amazing. It took forever to get 3 good coats all the way up to the petals. This definitely took way more concentration than I'm used to when glazing. The coneflowers refire also really saved it, it was looking quite mottled in the last firing.

Another favorite from the kiln is the grey plate with the trees. I spent so much time stressing about what color to glaze it and the simple grey turned out just perfect.

Laguna 60 Spectrum Sangria x2	Laguna 60 KY Mudworks Hydra x2 Mayco Light flux on the rim
Flowers are Mayco UG Black, Bright Yellow, Harvest Gold, Leaf Green. Amaco Tenmoku x3 in the middle of the flower, Mayco Sapphire x3 in the background	Amaco Smoke x3
Laguna 60 Opulence Pebble Beach x2 Sea Spray x2	Laguna 60 Opulence Pebble Beach x2 Sea Spray x2
Mayco Stroke and Coat Jack o Lantern, Sour Apple, Just Froggy, Java Bean	Top: Georgie's Cherry Fizz x2 Middle: Georgie's Hot Orchid Bottom: Georgie's Rose Gold Stems: Mayco Sour Apple x3
Left: Laguna 60 KY Mudworks Hydra x2 Mayco Light Flux on the rim Middle: Laguna 60 KY Mudworks Seaside x2 Right 2: Laguna 60 KY Mudworks Morning Glory x2	Laguna 60 Opulence Violet x2
Laguna 60 KY Mudworks Morning Glory x2	Laguna 60 Spectrum Sangria x2
Mayco UG Bright Yellow, Black, Leaf Green Colors for Earth Florida Orange in the center Amaco Marigold x3 over the top This likeley needs a refire, the flowers got washed out	Mayco UG Black, Lavender, Wild Violet, Purple Pansy, Leaf Green Amaco Sky x3 over the top
I can't remember what I did the flower petals. It's either Mayco UG Purple Pansy or Colors for Earth Purple Mayco UG Black, Leaf Green Amaco Cherry Blossom x3 over the top	Mayco Sunkissed, Teal Next Time, Jaded Amaco Cobalt x3
Mayco UG Rose, Brown 2167 Clear	Clayscapes Pacific Blue Note: almost totally obscured texture
Opulence Sea Spray x2 Marshmallow x2	Clayscapes Spearmint and Cobblestone
Clayscapes Crown Heights	Refire - I added Amaco Cobalt x2 to the background and another coat of 2167 clear over the flowers

I couldn't fit the second teapot in the last kiln load so I felt the pressure to get it done before the Cloisters Spring Tea and Bazaaar this Saturday and Sunday April 29th and 30th. I'm glad I pushed myself because it looks amazing! I'm also loving my double chip and dip. The flowers on the right will become butterfly feeders once they are mounted on garden stakes.

A few years ago I bought some lemon trees. Every year I get so many blooms and then end up with 1-2 lemons. Not this year. This year I had an abundance of lemons. I should have taken a picture of the trees before I picked them, but I did not. Lemons like most citrus are a winter fruit. They also take months to get to a point when they are ripe.

I live in zone 7 so I keep my trees in pots. When the weather is above freezing the pots are outside. They usually bloom in the summer. I've learned not to get too excited because the little baby lemons often don't survive. It's not until they get to about the size of a walnut that I start to get excited and attached to the lemons. In the fall when it gets close to freezing I bring the pots inside and put the trees near a window where they will get ample light.




These lemons were so juicy. So much juicier than you get at the store.




I ended up with enough juice from these lemons to make the lemon curd recipe I had 7 times! I was not detered, the lemon curd will not go to waste!




I don't know why lemon curd isn't more popular in the US. It's a staple in the UK, but it can actually be hard to find in the US. Citrus preserves in general are hard to find which is sad because it's so yummy. This GIANT bowl of lemon curd is made from a recipe by Cookies and Cups. It worked up really quick an I can't wait to start having it on toast, pancakes, dutch babies, or just eaten with a spoon. Having licked the spoon clean after I got it into the bowl to cool I can tell you it's delicious.

This is a very simple wrap that works up pretty quick. This could be made using any yarn and sized up or down. This particular yarn is from Miss Babs and was the colorway for the Sheep and Wool Festival for 2022. It is their Caroline yarn which is fingering weight and each skein is 400 yards. This pattern uses 2 skeins and a 3.5 mm hook.






Stitches:

ch - chain
dc - double crochet
bobble - yarn over twice, pull up, yarn over, pull up, yarn over, pull up, yarn over, pull up, yarn over, pull up, pull through (11 on the hook)
sk st - skip stitch






Cast on 201. Put a marker at stitch 100
Row 1: dc in the 3rd stitch from the hook, *sk st, dc. Repeat from * to where your stitch marker is. dc, ch 2, dc (all in the same stitch). *sk st, dc. Repeat from * to end.
Row 2: ch 2, *sk st, dc. Repeat from * to the stitch marker. dc in the dc below, ch, bobble in the chain space, ch, dc into the dc. *sk st, dc. Repeat from * to the end.
Row 3: ch 2, dc in the first chain space, 2 dc in each chain space to the stitch marker. dc in the dc below, ch 2, dc in the dc below. 2 dc in each chain space to the stitch marker.

Repeat row 2 and 3 until you reach your desired width.






Edging row - around the whole thing: bobble in the chain space, *ch 3, sk st, bobble. Repeat to stitch marker. Bobble in the dc below, bobble in the ch, bobble in the dc below. *ch 3, sk st, bobble. When you get to the corners do 3 bobbles in the same stitch. When you get all the way around 2 bobbles and then a slip stitch to join to the first bobble.