Sewing WIPs

Yes, I hand-sewed this zipper in and I may have pulled the thread too tightly
- see the gathers along the top teeth?
Gah - I'll have to pull those stitches out and sew with better tension.

 WIP: Work in Progress.
I was sewing yesterday and my brain became exhausted.

I am making another Lunch Bag utilizing the tutorial by Pink Penguin and of course, I have to modify it - just a teeny bit.
This is the lining. I have an inset zipper, and one regular pocket. When we finish boxing the corners, the lining will also have a center divider. My brain was too tired to think that one through.

The gathers might respond to some serious steaming.
I will try this first before I rip out stitches.

 Well - more or less - I got stuck. Does the center divider need a zipper, a slim double pocket or just keep it simple. haha. As if I could.
No instructions, just me and my engineering brain figuring it out as we go.

 This is the hidden pocket. I doubled a piece of fabric with the fold on each part where it needed to be sewn to the zipper. I left the excess for stability when pulling on the zipper.
This part is hidden between the lining and the outer fabric.

Sunlight casting shadows on my open pocket. The top raw edge is bound with a pretty contrasting fabric.
It helps to keep this pocket from being invisible on the dark lining, aka, the black hole.

My first time making a diagram in Paint.

I'll try and tackle the divider pocket on Tuesday and post again on the progress.

First Flight 2012

I never thought to take a photo of the mailboxes before. It turned out kinda funky. The hill behind (across the main road) appears to be the roof to this mailbox row. Not sure what the farmer is growing. He tends to plant something in the winter for the Canadian Geese. It has been so wet here in the Willamette Valley that no planting has occurred and it is almost the end of April. Too mucky in the fields. If you turn the soil too early - it will turn into baked clay later on. Lots of rainfall this Spring.

{We have around 36 homeowners on our private airstrip. Taxi-way, aka, Skylane Dr. is an half-mile long - hence, the long row of mailboxes out by the main road. My mailbox is behind the front spar of the airplane (hidden - at right)}

After all the rain and cold, the foliage has unfurled  this last week. St. Paul, Minnesota has been about 20' warmer this winter and I believe, we - here in the Willamette Valley, Oregon might have gotten more snow than they got. Our Spring has been around freezing since January with grey, dreary days. The nights too - as no one could see the stars or moon because of the grey dreary cloud cover.

Through my pergola you can see the shack next door. I am still working on my living fence. Last year, much too late, I hit upon the bright idea of planting a l-o-n-g patch of sunflowers between us and them so we can sit outside and not have to see dry rot, crap siding, - basically not the best view.

Several trees still need to go in this bordering bed. View is much better at this angle- towards the runway.

 

 After napping for six months in the hangar, it's a relief to have the airplane engine rumble and catch.
The smoke coming out is the residual oil that collects at the bottom of the cylinders when at rest.
Our plane does not have a canopy - it's an open cockpit - so it's a mite cold up at altitude until late April. We can fly until early October when it starts getting cold again.
Just right yesterday.

I was trying to take photos of small towns around us as we flew over and less than 24 hrs later, I'm not sure if this is Aurora. Can't see any identifying markers.
I think this is Aurora. . .

 I think this is Hubbard. Squinting doesn't help. I got them out of order from the camera and now. . .

I'll have to do this again (and concentrate!)

Well, for certain, this is the North Marion Schools. The high school in front with athletic fields to the left. Then the middle school and the grade school with another grade school/administration bldg on  the opposite side of the road.

My creative friend's house backs onto the soccer fields at top right.
At least, I got one out of three right!


This morning, guess who was attempting to get a bird's eye view?
With an eye on the sky?
Flying high?


Today, we will hit 80' - not quite ready for actual HOT but the sun is shining. I planted my garden peas today. The bit by the fence (pole peas) turned over pretty easy but I could tell when I used my finger to push the seeds into the dirt that it was a tad mucky.
The other side of the garden where I was going to plant my sweet peas was too mucky. I turned it over roughly and hope today's sun will dry it out somewhat. Tomorrow, I can turn it over again and maybe plant the sweet peas.
Usually, I can plant my peas in February or March but it was too darn cold and really wet this Spring.

Now, I am going to hide out in the cool house and sew.

Säter Stearman

When we go on vacation, we tend to find other people who own airplanes. This one was just northwest of Stockholm, Sweden. Gorgeous Strearman.

Lunch Sewing

I had today off to sew. There's an overwhelming leaning aspect to the sewing room that keeps me out sometimes. I desperately need a little elf to sort and straighten.
After my doctor's appointment, I did go in and came up with fabrics to sew Ayumi's Lunchbag fairly quickly. Ayumi (aka Pink Penguin) has written other tutorials and she is fantastic at piecing together fabrics if she doesn't have enough. And the fabrics she has are beyond cute in the way she mixes them.

This bag reminds me of the chalk bag I sewed for my son. It also incorporates a drawstring closure to keep the contents in/safe/dry. You should also read the comments for this tutorial post. Several sewists dropped by with their links to the bags they made.

Made December 2010

This is a small bag that can be used in many ways. I plan to sew a couple more as part of my trip gifts (summer trip to Sweden & Finland). Along the way, I will change up some details.

1. The bag bottom was two pieces of fabric sewn together. It can be one piece, embellishments can be sewn prior to construction. The seam on the bottom does make it easier to make a precise box corner.

2. I did sew a touch bigger seam on the lining and this worked perfectly. Sometimes when linings are made the same size as the outer bag, you get a lot of waddage hanging around inside instead of a slim fit within the other.

3. You see the pocket I added? Hidden.  I might add a zip pocket or at least a pocket with a flap. All of my bags have tipped over (overloading - moi?) at one time or another so a flap for the hidden pocket would be good.

4. Some exposed seams on the cover which I would turn under one more time so no fraying threads keep sheering off, bugging me, making me twitchy.

5. The linen I used could be stamped on with a word or two. . . .

I love how easy this was to make. It turned out fabulous with ideas on how to take it to the next level percolating.

Garage Sale Airplanes

Show & Tell. My deals of the day.

Airplanes at each garage sale stop today ranging from the weird: Softie toy disguised as a 707 jet (?) -- to this cool biplane shelf.
My best score? This set of old stationary.

Little factoids on the left side reaching across the top.
"Little Men Notepaper" - doncha love it?

Gold embroidered fabric to put in the Etsy store.

Sewing Hams. Everytime I find these and list in the etsy shop, they are gone within a week. Interesting that most of them were made here in Portland, Oregon. For my non-sewing friends, these are necessary for sewing garments in order to steam or press them well with the iron. They are filled with sawdust and hard as a rock almost. The ham on the left - shaped like a canned ham- is for steaming flat a curved seam. The long roll is for tighter spots - the cuff on a shirt, for instance.

Also destined for the etsy shop, a box of four cams for use in a buttonholer attachment for older sewing machines - New Home, in this case.

Upper left a floss caddy, up front a Ziploc with more floss and an embroidery project.

On the right is a Japanese Enrico Cover ??? Idk, It's Japanese. There is a fan and a square piece of material. I have a small medium stash of Japanese textiles.

Guinness Glasses 3 for a buck. I have found my green juice tastes better  in these big glasses. The Guinness glass somehow makes it taste better than drinking your veggies.
Random packets of legos and more random sewing supplies.

 A nearly completed Bucilla embroidery psalm. Another etsy shop item.

 Next door to one sale was this yard full of wheeled kids toys, plus the fabulous weeping cherry tree fort!    Just starting to bloom - in just a few weeks, kids will be hidden.

 Same yard  with a row of llama topiary. Lots of kids plus llamas to ride equals . . .
Look -- the last one has a red bow on his neck from Christmas.

This was my steal from two weeks ago. Our last sale of the day - a well hidden sewing mecca. A 'nearly new' cutting mat for ten bucks. I think these retail for over $40. Saved me a bunch of money as my old one was getting a little thin in places. We found so many quilt rulers, sewing books, and fabric,  we were reaching into the bottom of our purses to cough  up spare change. My creative friend tossed her truck for more loose change and I came up with my lucky gold dollar coin in the pocket of my purse. The sweet old lady watched our cash frenzy  and finally called a halt so she could say, "That's enough." She was going to move out of her too large home into a smaller assisted home and had decided to let go of her quilting stash. She was fun to talk to as we lingered telling our own sewing stories.

Eggs & Chocolate

I decided to dye some easter eggs after seeing this great posy post.  She managed to dye her eggs with onion skins to a fabulous terra cotta color with the flora contrasting so well.

I bought four onions which I never have in my pantry (another food sensitivity of mine).
I peeled skins off the onions, cut sprigs of greenery and flowers from the garden, laid my frondy things onto the egg and wrapped them in sections of old pantyhose. Then, I boiled the funny wrapped eggs amongst the onion skins.

Admittedly, I forgot the vinegar.
More skins are better. My eggs are too light to show the botanicals. I did a zoombrowser contrast trick to get them past a  soft watercolor look.
I think I also read that Martha adheres her frondy things on with egg white.
While the house smelled like onions, the  eggs themselves did not taste onion-y.  We fortunately had yet another sighting of the sun yesterday with temperatures above 60'. Yes, it was prop the doors open and air the house out weather.
The clouds swallowed the sun around 4:30 --about when I finished unwrapping the eggs. I had to delay the photos until Easter Sunday.

The best flowers were the Leopard's Bane (daisy) and Veronica (small, spreading purple flower). They naturally wanted to conform to the egg shape (re-thinking the egg white glue).

Happy Easter everyone.



Drizzling Chocolate on the coconut macaroons.
Recipe here.
I thought about making a nest of the macaroon - the better to put jelly beans in.
In the end, I decided to drizzle the macaroons with chocolate. Spring treat for Easter dinner.
(all of the j.beans were sent off Monday to assorted Easter recipients)

Boring Amazing! chocolate drizzle video taken with my left-hand while drizzling with my right:

Oregon Monsoon

Another random post of random stuff that is gestating/fermenting in my head:

1. My spring flowers are being beaten to death by the never-ending  monsoon.
2. On a fantastical note, I have discovered how to get a sun break.
3. I stuck  my houseplants out on the patio to get watered and wash off dusty leaves. Two hours later, they were still dry and in danger of getting sun-burned. Try it.
4. Just because it is Spring and just because it was sunny and dry this morning does not mean this is the day to wash some outside windows. As soon as I started, the wind started blowin' and the sprinkles started getting icy. I did five without removing screens and it does appear to be brighter inside.
5. I want to sew but cannot drag my sorry butt into the sewing room.
Too many projects - can't settle on one.
6. My new boss? the one who is n i c e? got sent to another workplace on a work detail probably because it was too good to be true. However, I am working more at the job with benefits.
7. Which means I can pay the hairdresser to 'do' my hair.
8. Thursday at 9:30am
9. Lots of thought-provoking copyright issues out there in sewing land.
10. I'd be interested in what you think.
11. Like this one about Pinterest from DDK portraits.
12. or this one from The Free Motion Quilting Project.
13. Or blatant selling of free sewing tutorials, uncovered by The Selfish Seamstress and her readers, Part 1 & Part II.

14. More on Pinterest and images of children by Made by Rae.
15. I've been contemplating the creative journal (aka THE BLOG) again.
16. The above might have been lurking in my sub-conscience because I am thinking my decision to not post tutorials except in the loosest terms is still holding true. There's another reason too. But I can't find the minimum words to describe it succinctly. It has to do with tutorials posted about how to lower your pressure foot or how to pop your bobbin into your machine and then the blog writer claiming ownership of the material. Simple tutorials for things sewn I recognize from forty years ago but because they are 'written' now, the writer claims ownership of the design.
17. definitely not simple thoughts in my brain this week.
18. Unlike my dog, Rusty, who only owns one thought at a time in his brain. "Ball" and "food". Fetching trumps food btw.

19. Missing my other complicated dog, Rocket, like crazy this week because I read this post. I miss Rocket being the willing model to my creations.
20. The monsoon continues, the rivers are still rising, flooding is eminent. Again.
21. Those people who have the horses (3) by the bridge in Aurora? They now have four horses on not enough grazing land. The Pudding river has flooded several times this winter forcing them to buy hay and NOW they have another horse? More volunteers helping evacuate?
22. Have just read yesterday the Alabama Stitch Book (library). Pretty book. Interesting sewing concepts which I have tried before but would you wear something with thread knots on the outside? With threads dangling?
23.Now reading The Help. Libraries2Go, the e-book resource for Oregon Libraries had my mom at #723 (!) on the hold list back in January for her Kindle. Glad we discovered using my sister's library card in MN got my mom on a much shorter list @ #4. I received an email this morning telling me she can have it from Oregon today. --too late--
24. Monsoon and icy winds - might just finish The Help. Inside, where I can see easier with the winter grime off my windows.
25. Or, I could write a couple of blog posts to post later as I am working full-time this week too.