There Was Sewing Done

 I made a similar book bag a few weeks ago and immediately received an order for another.
This customer wanted elephants inside the tote.

I was looking for a blue kokka elephant fabric for the inside lining but had to settle on this pasha elephant instead. I believe I have some blue elephants but they may be airplanes instead. Zowie - there goes my mental mindkeeping. I'm almost certain they are inside my sewing room hiding in plain site.
 
haha - here they are. they can't hide forever...

 The book tote is completely reversible so she can put her big books out there or throw the elephants around.

I had some Yoko Saito books come through my library queue and I'm enjoying thumbing through for inspiration. My blogging friend, Mrs. N,  is learning to do Japanese patchwork and I thought to do some myself.


I had to work today for a few hours. I'm very proud of myself - I rode my bike into town and back. Its just over 3 miles to my work place. I need to do this more often. My schedule changes so much and it's difficult to predict. I don't want to be on my busy roads at twilight.
I could always bike in, and if I need to, call my hubby to come pick me up.


We celebrated Memorial Day yesterday with BBQ baby back ribs, baked beans and potato salad.
The weather has been much cooler than a year ago when we were already sweltering under 100' days. This May has been averaging 70' or so making it very comfortable to sit outside on the patio and enjoy our dinner.


I'm trying to get my yard in shape and my new nemesis is the garter snake.
This is the year of the garter snake. 

 

The last few years have been all about cute baby rabbits which are not to be seen (at all!) this year. A whole lotta shrieking has been heard around here as Mr. Snake slithers away from where I'm about to step.


My vegetable garden is still a mass of weeds but I'm almost through whacking them down so I can roto till and re-do the compost piles and show those garter snakes who's the boss.

---breathe---

I made some more microwave cozy hot pads for my etsy shop too. Sewing is easy on these but it took me three sessions in the sewing room to get them done. I just love these red thimbles on the fabric. I found this fabric in Hawaii back in January. So perfect for the sewing enthusiast!

On that note, I'm ready again to try and get computer viruses just so I can watch The Great British Sewing Bee which is now up to season 4.

Recently. someone released season 1 to youtube but I think I would buy it if it were available. This show is sew much better than Project Runway with real sewing getting done and no drama - at all!  Getting little snippets is not my preferred way to watch tv. I saw on Netflix, they are carrying the Great British Bake-off ---- so maybe they will add the Sewing show too.

I had both kids home last week - not at the same time. It was so pleasant to catch up on their news. I am so grateful both of my kids are functioning adults and really living their lives.
 
We'll see the son again multiple times this month as he moves from central oregon to his new digs south of us  and settles in on his pharmaceutical residency. He graduates as a doctor in two weeks. Proud mama.

Mail Count Half Over

Flying airplane with chickie pilot - Love it. Looks like our old Cessna 170A.

Fukuoka:  Special postcrossing postcard for different regions in Japan. Vintage castle postcard.

Scandanavian Crocheted Heart - you can find how-to directions on the sidebar of Teresa's Blog:

A fellow Postcrosser: Over 4000 cards sent and she lives 20 minutes from me!!!

Benta sent a fabric postcard for my mail carrier too!

Fumikou - Japanese letter sachets. I can make my own now.

Sweet pile of February fun.

Today's outgoing mail

Taking photos today of some of the postcards I've received. So far.

My carrier is super happy with how much mail volume she has received. Normally, during count, mail volume vanishes. ** As in, everyone suspects the PO of holding back the mail, somehow. Not this time. Lots of packages, lots of hours, lots of first class. Three routes are being counted out of six rural routes for my city of Canbyland. We have five city routes which get figured differently (I know!). So complicated - it's the government at its best. I love being a federal employee (sarcasm!).





I came up with a giveaway for everyone who reads this blog - you can tell your friends too.
To win this chicken pot holder, all you have to do is send me a postcard (or a letter). It must be postmarked between Feb 7 - 24, 2015). My address is in the original giveaway post.

This helps out my amazing mail carrier with more mail volume. I will draw randomly - seriously- the best postcard photo, the best joke, the best drawing, it will be my favorite card.

International peoples are welcome, I will post this chicken hot pad to the winner at the end of February.
Rural mail count goes from February 7 - 28, but I chose to end this giveaway on the 24th so I can receive your entry during mail count.

***You might get extra points if you state on your postcard or in your letter how many other stamped pieces of mail you sent out during this time.
***Or maybe you know some good chicken jokes.
***Or, you can sketch flying airplanes, with chickie pilots.

Red Thread Stash Busting

 I am notorious for not changing thread.
Not because it's hard to do.
I'm an amazingly lazy person. I will sew Red until I am out of red projects. It's quite amazing how nice red looks on yellow.

My serger is threaded with neutral thread cones. Most of the time - Black or White. And it's an easy machine to thread too.

 However, I made a New Year's resolution to completely use the fashion fabric before I moved on so chickens were hatched.

The remains of that yellow chickie material are in tiny pieces in the scrap basket.

 Do you know what I dislike even more than changing my thread? Making flocks multiples. I can easily cut out ten but by the time I get to the fourth one, I am done. D-O-N-E. Time to move on.

I have little enough time to sew, and way too many projects percolating in my head. Sewing the same project over and over leads  to . . .

Can you sew in multiples or do you like unique projects more?

  There is a particularly difficult place to sew on these chickies. I wasn't getting my bias tape just right here. I must have sewed over it four times before I realized I had emptied another spool. I was just making needle tracks.

Underneath shot where the eggs come out. lol    Looks like a baseball mitt here.

The Chicken Pot Holder giveaway is still open through the end of the month. All you have to do is send me a postcard or a letter. My address is on the original post. I've already got some really cute postcards, including an embroidered airplane.  I'll post those in a couple of days.


This morning dawned bright and sunny - no fog!  I went out with the dog as he started on his morning patrol. As I came around the kitchen window hedge, I got dive bombed by some snarky hummingbirds and the wrens and finches were making angry chirping songs. Their feeders were empty.
While I waited for the sugar syrup to cool, I lucked out on making this video of the poor staving hummingbird.

Do you make your own hummingbird syrup? It's easy: One part sugar to four parts water. Red food coloring optional for most.

In my household, I have to add red coloring because, helpful hubby sees the 'water' in the pan and dumps it, scours the pan, and then throws it into the dishwasher. Coloring it red means I don't have to re-make it.

Have A Cup Of Tea With Me

 Chicken, Chicken,  who wants a cool pot holder??
Got a giveaway going on here through the month of February.
All you need to do is send me a postcard/letter.
International peeps too.

 A customer recently sent me a surprise package with some insulbright for me. I sewed up some hot pads right away and then recalled that she had bought a couple of hot pads already so I went with my patented "Have a cup of tea with me" idea instead as a thank you.

 And then, that same week, Pencil Girl sent me a happy package as well. She's famous because she helped sew the giant lion that appeared in the super bowl half time show. I almost watched the game for her. Almost.

Still figuring out what to make her. I caught a head cold that is very drippy.
Did you notice how well the zips matched the fabric -- maybe not -  as the color on the computer twisted them. But they match the pretty green (yes) of the fabric plus some extras in my colors of aqua/turquoise.

I love getting mail. I hope you will enter my giveaway and send me a postcard or a letter this month.

Chicken Giveaway

I dumped my tea kettle for this very efficient water kettle. It boils water, like in 2 seconds (lol). My chickie doesn't really care for being perched so high.

Much better on my Desert Rose teapot.

I came up with a giveaway for everyone who reads this blog - you can tell your friends too.
To win this chicken pot holder, all you have to do is send me a postcard (or a letter). It must be postmarked between Feb 7 - 24, 2015).

This helps out my amazing mail carrier with more mail volume. My address is below.
I will draw randomly - seriously- the best postcard photo, the best joke, the best drawing, it will be my favorite card.

International peoples are welcome, I will post this chicken hot pad to the winner at the end of February.
Rural mail count goes from February 7 - 28, but I chose to end this giveaway on the 24th so I can receive your entry during mail count.

You might get extra points if you state on your postcard or in your letter how many other stamped pieces of mail you sent out during this time.
Or maybe you know some good chicken jokes.
Or, you can sketch flying airplanes, with chickie pilots.

I told you it would be a random pick.














***For the next three weeks, my rural postal route is being counted (Feb 7 - 28).
 
I have the best carrier and I like to support her so I will be posting extra letters and packages this month from my home to help her out.
Counting rural routes determines a carriers salary - an evaluation.
Mail volume has re-bounded since the recession with first class mail up over 1.5%.

Her route has not been counted in four years so she should see a huge boost in salary for the long days she has been putting in. She starts her day at 6:30/7am and ends it around 5/6pm. She generally works five days a week with a sub on Saturdays.

I've written about mail count before:
1. How your rural carrier gets paid.

2. Letter Writing.

3. Who to write to.

A lot of rural routes are being counted this month, not just mine. Whether you live on a rural route or know someone who does, I would like to encourage you to write more snail mail, especially this month.

Chicken Hot Pads

I had a productive rainy day Sunday sewing time.
And I needed to change my blog post photo from the last one. Eewww.

Everyone I know was watching the super bowl but me. I've never been into football that much, can't drink the beer {Glutens, barley, hops :'( }. I almost watched it because Pencil Girl helped make the giant lion who made an appearance at the half time show.

   

I have a friend who is dire need of replacing her chicky hot pad so I dug out the box from where it had been stored for a few years and found that I already had some chickens cut out and ready to sew. I used to make these for holiday bazaars.

The wings are pockets for your hands. She keeps hers sitting/nesting over the teapot handle.

My zips came in so I was able to finish using up my laminate and I also used this free 'suede'  sample swatch from Spoonflower. Just the right size to make this Dumd Valentine Pouch.

This one might be my favorite. Soft airplanes.

I tried top-stitching on the vinyl laminate with a dull sewing machine needle and the backside is cruddy with skipped stitches. I am contemplating tossing this one or doing a giveaway. I spent about two seconds thinking about ripping out the top stitching and hand stitching around the heart instead with a thicker thread (the holes in the laminate are permanent). It might have to go into the time-out closet.