Japanese Laundry Hangers

 I received Happy Mail last week on a very difficult day.
It is amazing what a little package can do.

 Kyle, from Vacuuming The Lawn, sent me some labels to sew into a bag.

PLUS, a turquoise leather tassel that she made and some chalkoners - chalk markers that she bought because she likes them- she thought I might too. These chalk markers are to transfer different lines on your sewing pattern to your fabric. As you 'wheel' along, it dispenses chalk in a nice even line. The different colors are for dark and light fabrics. White won't show up on light colored fabric, so you could use the red or blue instead.

I have a white one from forty years ago that is very similar, but now they come in colors!

 Now, I need to sew  up a tote bag to do this tassel proud!

 This is my other happy mail. While I was in Japan, I noted how everyone does laundry there and really liked the portability and the storability of these hangers.

Back in Oregon, can I find them? Only the tiny lingerie sized ones. Maybe 16-20 pegs.

These are around 50 pegs. They both fold up to about 16 inches square by 3" deep. Easy to store by the washer.

I had wanted a clothes umbrella tree for years to dry my laundry outside. This is not usual in the states as we all have electric dryers.

Looking for a place to put a line up, or an umbrella, or anything, it was always gonna be in the way. Of people's heads, of airplane clearance, in the way of the other person in this household.

What I like about these is the small footprint. I can hang them out on my patio and then take them in when the clothes are dry.  They are in absolutely no ones way. Nor are they permanent.

The footprint is much smaller than a fold out laundry tree. My wind tunnel would blow over anything not secured - which just makes you cranky as you pick up laundry off the ground. Since these Japanese laundry hangers hook over something, they won't blow over.

I bought one in an aluminum frame. My friend in Kyoto and I both think this one will last the longest. The second one is plastic and the UV just kills these, making them brittle with age. The aluminum one also has clips that look like I can fix with household parts if they break.

 I finally took the plunge and asked my Japanese friend to purchase two for me and I am so happy I did. Each rack will hold a small to medium load of laundry which is normal in my house nowadays. I can even hang them inside if a case of Oregon rain comes by.

And you get a peek at  my laundry. 


 



***last day......SALE continues in my friend's Etsy Shop;
CraftyTokyoMama on etsy. Use Coupon code AUGUST20 throughout the month of August to get 20% off your purchase.

Don't forget about Etsy Love - even if you don't buy anything - just hover over the heart on each listing and tap on it. (thanks!)

Pacific City and Cape Meares

 Pacific City beach by Pelican Brewery.

One of the few beaches where cars are allowed.
Lots of people in the water on paddleboards wearing neoprene. It's cold in the ocean. This is not the beach where you might see bikini's in Oregon (Short Sands).

In the valley it was almost 100 degrees. Here, it edged past 80. Much nicer.

 The big vertical hill. If you make it to the top, you can windmill down.

 My sis and mom & dad.

 Looking south at Cape Meares.

 You can easily see the Cape Meares lighthouse. It's less than a quarter-mile walk from the parking area. Too much for my dad and slightly steep coming back.

 Nephews looking at. . . . .being patient.

 Rocks north of Cape Meares lighthouse.

 South again. Slight mist burning off. Gorgeous day at the beach.

 And look what I found.  Do you recall me finding the watercolor below at a garage sale earlier this summer?  Look at that headland above and tell me it's not the same one.
Just painted from the northside,  instead of south - where I was walking.

Looks like the artist (unknown) threw a lighthouse on top for interest. Not quite the Cape Meares lighthouse though.

  I tried to edit the photo to make it easier for you to see.
Very similar.

We finished off our day with lunch at the Tillamook Cheese factory.

The Cheddar Baby Loaf Van.






***just a few more days...SALE continues in my friend's Etsy Shop;
CraftyTokyoMama on etsy. Use Coupon code AUGUST20 throughout the month of August to get 20% off your purchase.

Don't forget about Etsy Love - even if you don't buy anything - just hover over the heart on each listing and tap on it. (thanks!)

Milky Way Rope Bowl

This rope bowl turned out exceptional.

A giant THANK YOU to Pencil Girl for dyeing the rope and all the other things you've done for me. The Milky Way Bowl is winging it's way to her on Monday. It will look awesome on her dining table filled with seasonal fruits.

I just love how these bowls are reversible. I did some orange stitching - getting rid of orange bobbins - on the outside and it looks like the Milky Way.

I tried to get an oblong track out of it but was only slightly successful. Another skill to work on.

This bowl has beefy handles and a beefy knot to match.

Pencil Girl has spent many years as a 4-H leader. Her second kidlet ran off to college last year!  She is scaling back.
This post from 2010 regarding tie-dyeing is still relevant.


I still have a few yards left of this dyed rope - thinking of adding it to another bowl as the top part.

***added next day::: The second bowl.

***just a few more days...SALE continues in my friend's Etsy Shop;
CraftyTokyoMama on etsy. Use Coupon code AUGUST20 throughout the month of August to get 20% off your purchase.

Don't forget about Etsy Love - even if you don't buy anything - just hover over the heart on each listing and tap on it. (thanks!)

Dyed Rope Bowls

 Pencil Girl dyed me some clothesline.
And she did it in a vase!

 She has dyeing supplies from her 4-H'ers, so she was all set to get this ombre effect.

She took some cotton clothesline from Ace Hardware. A dye packet, some salt, and some hot water from the tea kettle.
She left the clothesline roll intact and dipped it into the vase for 20-30 minutes and then turned it upside down and let it sit for another 20-30 minutes.

How cool is this?

 And then let it dry.
On this handy cardboard frame.

I was having trouble with my coverstitch machine - as in, I rarely use it, and it was a mess.
In fact, I had to call an emergency Pencil Girl meeting and she obliged and sorted me out. 

We fixed the needle issue, got the tension sorted and I will be using it on my work shorts hem as soon as I make another pair.

She also let me play with her newest machine addition - a Consew Industrial. Serious speed demon sewing.
I can always find room for another machine. Her husband jokes that every room in their house needs a sewing machine adornment. This machine would fit into my dining room  perfectly. Already have a place.

 Then she fed me lunch of baked chicken breasts and fresh veggie salad.
She knows I need to eat plain. It's so nice not to worry about making bad food choices when visiting.

Now, I need to sew a bowl out of this awesome ombre clothesline. Small? Big? Handles? Fiddly bits?   Do I need to match the thread?

These are my favorite colors.



SALE continues in my friend's Etsy Shop;
CraftyTokyoMama on etsy. Use Coupon code AUGUST20 throughout the month of August to get 20% off your purchase.

Don't forget about Etsy Love - even if you don't buy anything - just hover over the heart on each listing and tap on it. (thanks!)

Clackamas County Fair 2016

Smiling pigs, Floppy rabbits, Cocky roosters, Bedazzled llamas and a spotted cow.

I almost didn't go. We finally got the hots as in 100 degrees hot. The Clackamas County Fair wouldn't be complete without the paramedics taking someone out for heat stroke.

One of the vendors handed me a free ticket so I went between work shifts on Friday. At 9:30am, it was already 90+.

Once inside, I got wrapped up in my agenda of looking at Hobby Hall, a quick walk past vendors downstairs, then out to the barns for the cutest rabbits and piggies.

My kids and I would enter our creations and then endlessly speculate "WHY?" as to what the judges picked to be ribbon-worthy.

 The lights weren't on yet when I climbed up to Hobby Hall where the textile entries reside (early). Even with low lighting, this scrabble quilt is amazing.

 "Oh No You Didn't" was the title of this adult professional painting.

 Clothing entered. My work shorts won a red ribbon - not a blue ribbon like I expected. This just means someone else entered an adult pant or short that was even better than  my work shorts.

Actually, it's just sadly ridiculous how easy it is to win a blue ribbon. There were even less entries this year than last year. I am on a mission to encourage people to take the time to enter their makes into their county fair. 

County Fairs are one of the last ways to enjoy our agricultural heritage and they are fading away.
 

 My table runner won a blue ribbon! 

All of my items won ribbons which means I can splurge on more fabric once I collect the premiums! Blue pays out $4. We can enter our items at our county fair for free. The ribbons won pay out in cash. Woot!

 Happy dance to someone else showing off their collection of little airplanes.
I might have most, if not all, of these. Ahem.

My airplane items were all together in the same case with the airplane collection. 

My echino blue airplane bag in the back got a blue ribbon, the others a red.

 

Franny the cow. Yep - she had a nametag on - attached to her ear.

Newly shorn and bathed goats.

This smart aleck llama was in the same pen as a spotted llama. I know Teresa would like a better photo of the spotted one but he wasn't cooperating on this super hot day.

Cow butts.

 
 Also, on this super hot weekend was Junk Refunk, an event started last year by my friends at Big White Goose.
This years Junk Refunk was even bigger.

I had a couple of friends working as vendors on Saturday. I loaded up a cooler after work with frozen Otter pops and sunscreen and made the rounds offering vendors a cool treat to either use around their neck or actually eat.  I even had one vendor, who was by herself, avail herself of me as a booth minder while she searched out a bathroom.  

 Lots and lots of people, most of them from out-of-town, came through Junk Refunk and they were buying, in spite of the 90+ temps.

 My friend I went to school with and her younger brother. Their mom still lives across the street from my mom & dad's old house.

Their booth is Farm Vintage.
Out of Sherwood.

Today, it's a tad cooler, and I spent most of the day watering everything outside. I also  rearranged my guest room and straightened it up with fresh sheets and a dusting as well as throwing my kid's stuff willy-nilly into the closet to hide it better.

Hoping your summer is amazing.