Forbidden Fruit

Not literally, but figuratively, white, in this household has forbidden fruit status. And I love white! There is practically no one from age 4 to 94 that doesn't look great turned out in something clean and white. Nothing replaces a crisp white shirt under a suit, a bright white T elevates a simple pair of Levi's and who doesn't feel the excitement of future adventures like a pair of new white canvas sneakers cause? White in my book has it all over black. Sadly, white is not practical here, land of red clay dirt, slobbering horses and multiple paws of mud. This year I vowed, more white, more lighter, brighter colors and be damned with practicality! I sew, I'm getting better with my growing skill set and I can always make another, or something better. Bring on those whites and lights!

So I broke out that white linen cotton blend I had been saving. Saving for what I don't know, but it hit the cutting table last week for a Sewing Workshop Liberty Shirt.

 

 The fabric is stiff and crisp and wrinkles easily. I wanted more of a tunic and I had an idea to use the way it shows things underneath through it's not quite opaque surface. I lengthened the body by an inch, I practiced my miters and I made a minor adjustment to the collar.



 I don't like the stand up-ness of it, I wanted my collar to be tame and lie where an obedient collar should! The snap is for detail only. And then I went to work on my little design feature. I had bought a yard of a Dala Horse print I saw on line. Maybe pillows or napkins or ?. Anyway, there they were, those white and charcoal horses, just waiting for something wonderful. I fused them to the wrong side of the fronts, then faced as the pattern calls for. I like my little ghost horses.



I even used the selvage in the crease of the right cuff.



If you have been following for any length of time, you know I love to use any particularly pretty selvage end as a design feature somewhere on the garment. I've paired the top here with the light lavender linen pants. Can you feel warm spring breezes?

Okay, back to reality.... In other news, the dental double whammy hits on Friday when Peter has his turn on the table. We tried keeping some dental issues in check with antibiotics but it just ain't happening. A few have got to go, and the last remaining top front canine is the catalyst. Who would have thought the little bugger would have kept that one so long?  It has made it through a number of dental procedures over the years. With luck though, Peter will hang onto those back molars for the rest of his life. Fingers crossed for the little guy as it is always a bit trickier with his heart condition. But quality of life is just as important and when your mouth hurts, there is very little joy in the world.

My cold is waning. Sunday was a lost day. I felt like death and other than staggering out of bed for a drink or to feed something, I slept over 19 hours into Monday. I had plenty of company. Nurses Stella, Robin, Charlotte and Jack stayed for the duration.
Rodger was head purrrer and Bea kept the monsters in check under the bed. Smoochie played nurse to Peter. Smoochie, you are simply the kindest dog I've ever know.

That about covers the goings on here for today!

Parting shot: What friends are for.

Second String

That's not a bad thing. It means the Murphy loom is free and ready for a new flag warp. It means every single hand written prayer line has been woven into a flag and is now blowing in the wind. (Possible earworm!).



 And it means I better attend to my squeaky beater and get a new warp started on the reel. Over time I have simplified these flags and I am happy with the changes. Less really is more especially when it means more flags get done and they are more fun to do.



I guess I could have also titled this the second coming post, because there are a fair number of seconds here. Second of the seconds, Mouse #2. Caught the day after Mouse #1 and also channeled into the release program. Complete with picture.



 So far after 2 nights of resetting the trap, no third mouse. I do want to say, in Robin's defense (he's probably the most game of my crew for mousing), he alerted me last week by barking and digging around the crates there in the laundry room. I thought he was whining for a dropped kibble that might have rolled behind a crate, but in retrospect, I think he was probably on to those mice. Certainly deserving of an appropriate picture showing just what he can do where rodents are concerned. ;)



Third of the seconds, is another visit up to Howard Prairie to see a man about a boat. I had questions about what kind of boat one of them in my last post was, so, being up for a drive I tootled over yesterday morning for a look see. While I was there I couldn't resist taking some more pics of this lovely resort. It has a long, long jetty that made for a perfect picture taking stroll, and yes, I did get the boat info that was requested.

Flock of seagulls ( BTW, anybody remember that band?). These pictures should all enlarge. That's Mt. McLoughlin in the background, still holding some snow.



Boats at the dock. I was thrilled with how nice these came out. I do love my new camera!





A Pelican!



In farm news, Sunday evening was dang perfect. I grabbed Cooper and we went out for an evening ride. Left at 7:30p.m. and got home just a bit before 9:00p.m. A lovely relaxing finish to a wonderful day. He got to poke along and graze and I just enjoyed doing what I've loved doing since I was about 4 years old. There is nothing for me as magical as riding a horse.

Surprisingly for July in Southern Oregon, yesterday evening marked the start of two days of  rain and very cool temps. As I write this it's 48 F out and I'll be grabbing my rain coat and hat to go feed this morning. A welcome relief.

Parting shot: A true original. Peter enjoyed the trip to Howard Prairie too.

Water Logged

Which is probably a good thing after our low snow, low moisture winter. This is shaping up to be a typical spring. Wet, muddy and fairly miserable. Can I say again how much I am loving the new little barn? I need not slog though ankle deep muck to get to flooded feeder tubs. I just go to the windows outside the paddock, pull the hay feeders through, fill them and slide them back in the stalls. They keep the hay off the ground and the horses all have somewhere not mucky to stand and eat. Heaven for all of us.

This of course is the least favorite weather pattern for the small and useless furkids.

I use useless in the most loving way! Everyone that has a short smooth coat wants and needs a little something extra for those forced outdoor marches.

I am always amazed that what takes ages to do on a sunny warm day is accomplished by 8 dogs in less than 5 minutes flat. Hmmmmm.....

Tuesday early morning saw 9 plus inches of the heavy wet stuff, just enough to nix a breakfast date in town. By 4:00 p.m. it was 4 inches with a heavy layer of slush. YUCK!

For spring I think this area should be renamed "The Mudsprings".

Precious little has gone on here, lots of make work. Picking up, organizing the buildup on counters and end tables, pulling books for donation and old clothes that have seen their last winter here at least. The cats were all hauled to the vet yesterday morning

for check-ups and rabies. It was challenging for the barn cats but all in all they acquitted themselves quite well. Buzz was paralyzed by fear, but he never offered to scratch or bite. Juno probably would have been purring in ten minutes time, but a pre-school group was due for a field trip there within the hour and we wanted the cats on their way home before that circus arrived. Rodger of course was cool and calm, walked out of his crate purring and said a cheery hello to everyone.

The rest of the crew will have their rabies shots at the end of the month. Dr. Beth (who use to do big animals) is making a house call. We'll do the all the dogs needing it and also the horses and donkeys. She's excited, I'm excited and vet tech Nic is excited since he's going to vet school in the next year and large animal experience is helpful. I have a nice crew when it comes to ground manners so a good intro for him. Any mistakes are usually met with just a surprised look.

A little sewing has gone on and a little prayer flag weaving and not much else. The prayer flags you've seen a ton of times, but this sewing pattern is new. Simplicity 2841.

It's out of print but still available on the Simplicity web site. This is my first Khaliah Ali pattern and I am terribly impressed with it.

Very well designed and makes quite a handsome tunic to my eye. I will say the instructions are good right until you have to start fiddling with that neck.

It was slow going but the result is well worth the work and once you have that ah-ha moment about what they want you to do, it's all just fabric manipulation. I'll certainly use it again. Might add some inseam pockets because, who doesn't like pockets??!

Parting Shot: The always regal Peter. Looking pretty good for 17 isn't he.

My Verona

And it's way over due to be starting in on the Sewing Workshop Verona coat pattern.

The pieces of both coat and lining have been cut out and hanging for weeks on pant hangers in my closet, taunting me. I'm wondering why I waited so long?

The coat itself has gone together beautifully. This is how I spent most of my sewing time this past weekend. As always the SW patterns are excellent to work with. You may not like a style, but you can be assured they are well drafted, all the register marks and dots match up perfectly and the directions will walk you through what looks like a difficult construction.

The two piece sleeve went in like a charm. Something I worried about with this heavy coat fabric. In fact I don't think I've had a sleeve set as nicely as these did ever. And it's a nice roomy sleeve, one that won't bunch up a sweater in it like a lot of ready to wear coats. I couldn't be happier at this pre-lining point!

My only headache with this so far has been, of all things, the pockets. The wool is thick.

It's double woven with a smooth lighter side and a darker boucle side. The boucle is meant to be the "right" side but either could be used. I'm doing this in the boucle side. After doing the pocket and seeing in person the effect that was called for, I realized I could have done it differently and cut down substantially on the bulk and lined those suckers too. Lesson learned for the next one. The Ambiance lining is the next challenge and I am hoping it's as clear and easy as the coat itself was. Fingers crossed.

And since we were going for contrasts, this shirt was finished off Friday for spring and summer.

It's a whisper light voile in classic grey/white mini stripes. This is the second view from Burda 7220. I am so glad I tried this pattern. It is quickly becoming a favorite.

The blouse will be part of my wardrobe for the New England trip this spring. Since I loved the fabric and it's casual, I decided to use some of my last bits of tractor ribbon. It was only fitting that a red Bob like tractor be on the front. :)

Lastly before we head out of the sewing room, I must mention the batting is here for the little Stella fabric quilt. Who knew they had batting that has some stick and tack to it? I certainly didn't but here it is. an 80% cotton, 20 % poly. Not my favorite but not having to use safety pins or other means to hold the layers together made it more desirable for sure. Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Fusible Cotton Blend. Well priced at about

$25.00 for a queen sized bat and heck, American made. They grow a lot of cotton in Texas.

In other news, I spent my weaving time riding. No apologies on that.. We had a beautiful sunny warm weekend and Cooper and I both were just itching to get out and enjoy a little change of scenery. And that we did. It was a slow careful ride in spots, but oh so good for the souls. Where there was still snow, I stopped and looked for tracks, old and new. Lots of rabbit and squirrels, fox, weasel in the deep woods around Tub Springs, possible coyote tracks, which isn't a stretch since I've heard them. No deer, no bear and no big cat. All good. Coop, always the gentleman, was the watchful patient one as I stopped him numerous times to hang over his side and peer down. He's smart too. He can tell from my weight and upper body position just were I'm looking (as most horses can), and skirts what I've targeted so the tracks don't get muddled with hoof prints. He never would have made an arena horse and when I got him as youngster someone made such a nasty comment to just that fact I've remembered it to this day. There was truth in it, I'll grant you that but it was the way it was couched. There is nothing so undervalued in the horse world than a trail horse or a lesson horse. Both do the grunt work and good ones do it with a certain kindness, always judging what their rider needs and wants, all the while keeping them both safe. Nope he's not show material, he's not a fancy horse, but when your butt is on the line, alone and miles from home out in a real wilderness, you can't go wrong with such a sensible, smart, sound and kind hearted animal.

Sunday night our spring weather ended with a storm that moved in and dumped about 12 inches by the end of yesterday. It always happens! Just when I'm starting to accept and look forward to spring, winter pops up again. I hope our storm has headed east on to Judy.

Parting shot: Snow Day the series. Peter, plain and simple.

New and Improved

Besides still feeling like a bloated tick right now from taking the notion of "Make Merry" to heart, I have managed to accomplish an upgrade on the Julia loom.

One of the many wonderful gifts I received was a kit to turn Julia into a countermarche loom from her original counterbalance status.

Of course, I had to untie her, again, and unthread. And I forgot to put the cross back in, but rethreading proved easy and it is only a nine inch warp. Here are some pics of the finished upgrade showing the CM head and jacks that have replaced the bar and horses.

The upgrade took a bit of careful reading and certainly some measuring of the bundles of pre-cut Texsolv, but the one thing that was truly brilliant was the treadle tie method. Best of all, it worked perfectly and I have the best shed I've ever gotten on that loom. Basically you take the treadles off the bar at the back,

rest them on top of the rear support and do your tie-up. It grades the harnesses perfectly. I've fallen in love with this loom all over again.

The snooperviser/weaver in training had to do a thorough inspection to make sure all was up to his lofty standards.

The same weaving Santa who gifted the loom upgrade also included other thoughtful weaving gifts. A McMorran Yarn Balance and a wonderful sley hook from Vavstuga, there was a perfect German made hand drill too and all can be tucked in with shuttles and such into this very handy heavy canvas Boat Riggers Bag.

Not to be outdone Mrs. Claus, sent along a beautiful quilt that matches everything perfectly. It made snuggling in Christmas night extra special. It's beautiful!

The elf crew here also did themselves proud and the sewing room got a new addition.

A late 50's Singer Red S Featherweight 221. She may be small (they really are very small, almost toy sized), but oh what a sweet little machine she is.

Manufactured right around the time I was and I might add, in almost mint condition.

I would love to say we got lots of pics of the dogs and their stocking stuffers, but the truth is with 8 dogs and many toys, it was all we could do to keep the squabbling down. There is always "that" toy someone has and another wants and we needed to keep watchful eyes and ears tuned to negotiate delicate treaties between terrier clans. It's never easy and even Stella was vying for something other than a rubber ball. I can offer up these though.

Who wouldn't want this under their tree, or in our case, on the loom bench!

We capped off the day with roasted beef tenderloin, mashed, gravy, greens, tangerine mousse and a lovely bottle of wine.

While the holiday was bountiful in so many ways, the magic of it (and every day really) is this parting shot. Two good old friends, sharing a walk. Priceless.

What's Sewing On

When I bought the additional sewing machines, the second question (the first question was how much) from DH was about where in heck I was going to put them. I can see he had visions of me colonizing another area over to fiber. Certainly wasn't going to be in my loom room, which I love just as it is. Open areas, dogs and pins don't make for a good match, especially with a youngster who feels the need to troll the floors for anything interesting and nothing annoys me more than having a cat lie on my sewing. I told him to never fear, I had a space which I had colonized a long time ago that was just perfect.

The master bedroom closet. It's huge! The house plan had originally called for a smaller closet and a small master bath and hall bathroom since they would back each other . Let's be real here, the amount of real estate I want or need for my daily washroom rituals is very small. I don't feel the need to have yet a third bathroom to clean, nor do I spend a lot of time in that room. But a big roomy closet is always useful.

I took it over long ago when I had many more clothes than I do now. Most of my stuff are items that prefer folding, not hanging like skirts, dresses and blouses. In fact, with the removal of all the coats I seem to have started storing (downstairs to the coat closet where they belong and some to Goodwill), I had a ton of room. Room I could close off from snoopy sniffers and feline nappers. Hence the additional sewing area was born.

It works quiet well too. And only steps away from the original sewing area still in use.

I have a few shelves empty for fabrics, a decent cutting space, a nice long shelf DH put up for me, and good lighting. You might even recognize some of the fabric.

I found another pattern and immediately thought of the orange mixed wool fabric for the back yoke panel on the little sleeveless jacket.

Coupled with some lovely wool I've had for years, I think it will work.

This is the latest sewing project, a little work frock in a fine wale cord and I've had that pattern/fabric combo around for quite a while too.

Over the weekend I made a paper pattern from a top my mother bought me during her visit that I love. Then I copied it into fabric.

The original is a heavy french terry cloth, the copy also french terry but not near as nice in weight or quality.

This is a big problem with internet shopping of fabric and we are lacking terribly in this area for fabric stores. Any suggestions of good internet fabric sites for clothing fabrics is very welcome!

A little weaving has gone on too. I've been working slow but steady on the pillowcase warp and finally, all the prayers for Prayer flags are written out and cut into strips. I'll be weaving those up today I hope. They need to get done and out to the folks who have requested them and I refuse to start another warp until they are.

For Parting Shots, A Duo of Diligence.

Weaving Cobwebs

The cashmere scarf is off the loom and done. It was fairly hard to get it on due to it being so delicate. I had problems evening up tension and doing the last tie in the front. Very delicate stuff. The scarf itself though was worth the effort. Quite gossamer. I could probably pull it through a wedding ring. It's like holding down in your hand.

  Since I had put all my orphan bits and bobs together I had found some hand dyed mohair locks which I incorporated into the weaving with nice results I think.  I just love adding stuff that way, can't you tell! Someday maybe I'll figure out how to do a scarf with small somethings that as you find them tell a little tale. 

Anyway, back to the scarf at hand. The Habu cashmere warp as set at 10 epi and is fine enough to go to 20 epi assuming you wanted a heavier fabric. I didn't, however for the second gift scarf, which is for a man, I will probably go with 12 or 15 epi and skip the mohair. We'll see, that one needs a little more imaginary play time. For this scarf I used fishing line as a floating selvage, mostly to protect the edges from reed wear it was so soft. The fishing line pulled out just as planned and I didn't have a minutes problem with the edge threads suffering from abrasion at all.

I did get a few more rows done on the saddle blanket but it was hard to jump back and forth from beating a rug to placing cashmere in a delicate warp. 

On the farm news it appears that Puck has moved on. I haven't seen sign of him for at least four days. I didn't get a ride in but did manage to work with Imp who needed some reminding of lead line etiquette after a long winter off.  Something seems to happen to the adolescent male horse mind around the age of 3 and everything you've taught them seems to have packed its bag and taken a vacation to Rome. By 4 they have recovered some semblance of memory and thought and all those hours you think you wasted, pay off. In Imps defense it was awfully windy. Nothing gets a young horse going (or an old one for that matter) than having a wind blown day.  Nose into the breeze snorting, tail up and flowing, even the slowest horse can look like Pegasus waiting to take wing. You just don't always want to be on the end of the lunge line when they do!

And now, onto something completely different. We haven't been running the heat, which is a wood fired boiler outside named Rube if you need to know, as in Goldberg. Anyway, it's been a wee bit chilly in here a few mornings and I guess Rodger decided to be a kindly soul and help Peter out since there was no blanket available. They stayed like this for at least two hours yesterday morning. Peter put up with Rodgers kneading and Peter stayed cozy.