The Daily Drizzle

Purple Lilac dripping

Flowering Currant dripping

Flowering Plum dripping

Mini Iris's dripping

 What do you do when you are getting increasingly irked by The Daily Drizzle.

Oregon has had it's year of ice and snow, which happens every ten years or so. But the rain and gray skies continue. I would give anything for two consecutive days of sunshine. My garden is still so soggy, I think my sweet peas will rot before they grow.

We joke, of course: "Oregonians don't tan, we rust."

Actually, we just fall prey to seasonal something disorder where the gray clouds occupy 100% of our conversations. And you can tell the native Oregonians from the transplanted. Oregonians whine really, really well. (as soon as the UFO sun comes out, we will be whining about the the heat, the glare, the ...)

In any case, I sewed some more cork lip balm teeny zippy bags.
In my RunningWithHandmade etsy shop right now. (If you look at the web page view of my blog, the shop showcases on the sidebar).

This is a great way to use up scraps, especially of my high-priced cork fabric. I'm happy to use up every square inch of this fabric.
 
I'm even contemplating a blog post listing the Top Twenty Things You Can Sew With Your Cork Scraps. I dislike these lists, especially the sewing ones. The lists are generally not curated, tested, or tried out. I've seen tutorials/patterns on these lists that are a nightmare to sew with poorly written instructions, etc.. The author of those lists is blatantly passing along bad info. 

In order for me to write one of those posts, I would have to try out each entry. No hardship there as I like trying new patterns/tutorials.

Over the course of trying new patterns/tutorials, one acquires lots of hardware. I need to use up what I have. In the photo above, there's just a couple that match.

Cute reproduction 1930's Dogs at play linings.

EOS ball style lip balm pouches

Since January, we've only had a few days with full sun. None consecutive. It's getting on our nerves a bit. Normally, I turn off the heat in our house about April 15th. This year, as we approach May, it's still on.

I think we are finally past the frost date. I recall a few years ago, one occurring on my Mom's birthday of April 19th, but I think we are free and clear - if the drizzle ever lets up.


In fact, this is a fabulous year for all those new people moving to Portland  (173/day) dreaming of getting back to nature, going green, making a difference, actually being an artist and getting paid, etc.


People watch Portlandia and then want to move here to experience Oregon. They slave away at their non-profit dreaming of owning a farm and being one with nature. At five years, they make the leap to getting that farm, usually on five acres (5 acres! lol). It takes another five years to figure out that it is impossible to make money on five acres. That getting back to nature is a 24/7 hell hole of a job, Trying to keep the organics - organic. The animals housed humanely is really all about the amount of manure and where else can you put it.
The never ending rain ought to help clinch this year's hopefuls.

Did you know Oregon has 383 words to describe rain? just kidding, I think.

Teeny Tiny Portland Timbers Lip Balm Case

  I might have had a moment...
A Portland Timbers moment.

 I made this teeny tiny zippered bag keychain doo-hickey for my daughter for her birthday. It's long and skinny and just right for lip balm.

My dear friends, Wandering Goods, out of Portland make this awesome lip balm out of all natural, non-gmo ingredients, lalalala. They sell at Saturday Market.

A couple of years ago, they scored a huge contract for a national hotel, supplying all their toiletries.
Last year they scored another gig, landing themselves into Safeway, a national grocery chain which is promoting more local, more natural items.
I get the Black Licorice Lip Balm. There is a faint smell and taste of licorice which I love. I've always loved licorice, but I can't have it as I'm allergic to all the ingredients - except licorice.
For a while, licorice tea helped curb the cravings but I find this is my go to nowadays.

And then I went on to sew a few more (now in the etsy shop!), playing with sizing.

This is the first one I made, following this free pattern on craftsy. It would be great for EOS lip balm that comes in a fat ball.
 

Then I made one longer, following this tutorial for a lip balm pouch.

I liked this one better. Instead of cutting two pieces for the outside and lining, it's all one piece now. With the split piece, you can orientate your directional fabric so both are pointing up (or down).
 

But I find it doesn't matter. One less piece to cut out. And I like that there is no seam on the bottom on the outside or on the lining.

However, this one was kinda fat for a skinny lip balm.
So I narrowed it down a bit and now it's cool.


You could carry all sorts of small items in these - from lip balm to a bit of cash, to change.

These are so fun!
Very quick to sew.


My info: Lip balm: cut fabric 4 x 5.

EOS size was 3.5 x 5 (x2) joined seam.

Fat tube was 5 x 5.