If it is stone dust, that is stone crushed to a sand like consistency then try wetting it as you compact. What are you using to "tamp" as you call it? Stone dust will never be as hard as say, concrete and you will need to replenish if you are doing much snow shoveling but it shouldn't pick up on your feet unless it has other 'stuff' mixed in with it.

*blushes* Thanks! I AM feeling rather pleased with myself--and I DID have my morning coffee out there. And my afternoon tea, and a beer yesterday evening...it's rather like being a new mom--in a weird way. All I want to do is gaze lovingly at "my" handiwork...except it doesn't need feeding and changing(!). Perry--glad you think I did an OK job documenting. I really worked at it...the only thing I would do differently is I would take MORE "before" pictures. The New Dawn will be going in at either the left end of the bed (if you are looking OVER the rail with the driveway at your back) or the center...I bought it on reccommendation of the person at the nursery--who said it got to be 10-12 feet. THEN I looked it up on GW--goodness. "Rank grower--upwards of 20ft+..." I think I'll be whacking it back! Given that growth habit it'll probably go up AND over the fence! DH fell in love with Westerland--but the bush they had at the nursery was expensive and somewhat puny...am going to see if I can find something similar at another rose nursery--otherwise I'll go back and get the Westerland we saw. (Or perhaps order one from Ashdown.) I don't spray--so I need roses that are disease resistant. Black Spot and (to a lesser degree) powdery mildew are real problems down here. I have a buff beauty pillar that has done really well...am hoping New Dawn lives up to it's reputation for disease resistance. I'll post a picture once the roses are in! melanie

Thanks for all the nice comments! The stained glass one was done in a workshop with Karen Kay Buckley. The "leading" is that fusible bias tape (expensive stuff!). You trace the design on the background fabric then glue the colored pieces in place with water soluble glue stick. Then you fuse the bias tape in place and sew it down with a twin needle. Before you sew you layer the backing, batting & top, so it's QAYG. The fabrics in the other quilt were one of those pre-packaged fat quarter bundles that I got at Hancock's, so that's why they are so well coordinated! :) Donna

*sip* *sip* *crunch* *crunch* *crunch* (I just LOVE tea time!) But bad news! I tried on my smock, and the front is hanging very weird! It actually pooches waaaay forward, and it looks like I am 6 months pregnant. I have no idea why this is happening. It is very strange. I can smooth it down, and then if I kind of swing back and forth, the front of the smock literally grows! I can watch the fabric actually pull out in the front! I thought maybe the fabric just needed to be washed. So I washed and dried it. It still does it. All I can think is that: 1. when I put on the pockets, I somehow gathered the fabric between them so there is a permanent pooch/pouch? 2. I pulled the binding too much in some places (but where?), and that is making the front swell forward? It is truly bizarre. It didn't do this before I put the edging on. I don't know if it started after I put the pockets on. I guess the easiest thing to try is to remove a pocket. But is that doesn't work, then my dear smock will be relegated to apron status. No way, no how am I removing that endless bias tape! Shoot--I'll bet it is the !@#$%^& bias tape. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. francy