Hardy Little Hummers

Last week Spring! This week, Winter. Cold, snowy and just plain raw. And while I am complaining only mildly about winter's resurrection, the resulting moisture has been a very good thing. Lots of rain and then 6 plus inches of wet, slushy snow. It is not pretty but if we want a chance of keeping fire season at bay until at least June, it is worth it.

I did feel sorry for the few early arriving hummingbirds. We have at least one pair of Rufus Hummers. This is the little male last week enjoying sunshine and nectar.






There is not much I can do about the weather, but I kept their feeders on the warm side. I have two so we would pull one in and replace it with another that had stayed at room temp in the house. The hummingbirds are up and seeking food long before the first finch, chickadee or sparrow even peeps a good morning call. I hear them buzzing not at first light but first glow, the almost imperceptible lightening in the east. They are the last to go to roost too. Leaving in the deepest of dusk as the bats are starting to patrol. Natures shift change.

And of course as I am sewing and watching great big wet blobs of white slop fall from the sky, I am wondering why I am working on summer garments! Floral linen no less! But it is what it is. If I was working on winter sweater knits or woolens, no doubt it would be blazing sun and 80 degrees. Hm, maybe I can control the weather? ;)

So, here is a rundown of all flax sewing.

A linen dress.



 I don't often make dresses or wear them, but this big bold print screamed hot summer days in something cool and flowing.





 Simple modifications of a slightly dropped bodice, a couple of pleats in the lower portion and loose fluttery sleeves. Pair it with a straw hat and some cool canvas flats and I'm good to go almost anywhere.

Cross weave linen in black and white turned into a Schoolhouse Tunic with some fun reverse applique.



The dog fabric is vintage and likely from the late 50's early 60's. I have used it sparingly over the years since I love it so much and once it's gone, it's gone.





  I had an awful lot of fun with this and it will see a lot of wear with it's season spanning color and fiber.



Lastly, a pair of cropped pants, my standard pant pattern, shortened darted and pleated.



The fabric is a crisp and tightly woven Japanese linen in a color that is sort of grey, sort of brown and sort of deep blue. It will go with almost anything.



 Just a touch of an orange twill cotton ribbon. After all, orange is the new black!

Big Sal has been weaving steadily. I usually have a break in my day late in the afternoon. Traditionally this has been known as "Beer Thirty".



 It's the time after all the dogs and horses have been fed, and our dinner is either in process or easy enough to start at five-ish. I crack my one and only beer and sip and weave. Since I don't have to keep track of treadles and throws with the dobby, it's a perfect zen kind of 30 minutes. I'm getting to the end of the runner. I don't know exactly how long it will be but whatever it is, it'll be long enough.

Parting shots: Shedding is very Zen.


Very, very Zen.

Well, Dang It!

Despite my best efforts I have absolutely no power over the weather, no matter what Gene thinks! I should be at the Medford International Airport checking in for my flights to Boston, but as of last night at 5:30pm, the first leg of my journey, Medford to Denver, is cancelled. It was cancelled on Friday too, so I had an inkling and looking at the flight stats site, there are a lot of other flights cancelled too. I think that blows my conspiracy theory that the Denver Broncos are controlling the airport so that out of towners can't come in and root for the other team. The real culprit is a freezing layer of inversion, or freezing fog. Dense, cold and almost impossible for small planes and airports to manage, especially since the FAA has deemed they can't seed the fog after dark at smaller airports. In any event, I have kindly been rescheduled for Monday and they even corrected the problem of having me leave from Cincinnati. :) I have nothing against Cincinnati (they have a first rate zoo), but it is a hell of a drive to get to from here.

Sewing wise, after a week of company and then trip prep, stuff has been sorely neglected. I tried a quick new pattern, Burda 7203 and it was a wadder.
Some companies and patterns do cut on sleeves well, others, not so much. This one fell to not so much. I"ll take the fabric apart and use it elsewhere. The Grainline Scout T is always a winner.



 Like the orange version, I lengthened this down to a long tunic, added pockets and have a garment I love in a wonderful cream double cloth fabric.




 Last year I embraced lighter colors in my sewing and I am so glad I did. Whites, creams and some pastels dot my wardrobe now at least in tops. The lighter color slacks for the most part, didn't work out quite so well. They just fall prey to dirt and stains too easily. Red mud on little paws does stain.

And remember that skull top, it is for a Bruins hockey game in Boston colors of black, white and gold. Thankfully that treat is at the end of my visit. :)

I did not get any further on Big Sal. I decided I didn't want to leave her apart with her beater and front beam off for weeks while I was in Massachusetts so have opted to commence threading when I return home and can do it in one shot and get her back together. Those are both big parts to store elsewhere and a bit of a pain in the butt to take on and off.

So, I have these couple of extra days to cuddle with critters and write Gene more cautionary notes and instructions to tape around the place. The lobsters of New England can breath a sigh of relief and make a break for deep water.

Parting shot: You're leaving me and Timmy. How could you?

A Scarlett O'Hara Moment

Well, in spirit at least. She was able to envision a gown out of drapes (although Mammy did all the sewing). Myself, a summer top from a tablecloth.



 Can you see me sitting at the table, eying the most recent spaghetti dinner splatters and wondering if they can be a design element? No? Good, because I bought this tablecloth in clean, barely used condition and never planned for DH to come anywhere near it with a plate of pasta.



The collar fabric is left over from the little jacket.



 The pattern, an Amy Butler one. And thrifty fabric wise. Take that Scarlett!

Over the week, I cut out the last of the trip garments. Spring in New England is a tough season to straddle. It can be cold and rainy, hot and humid and everything in between and often on the same day. Weather schizophrenia. Packing for a month stay, I want some rotation in the wardrobe at least top wise and I sure needed another pair of cargo jeans and a basic white shirt. Both of those items are in the bins waiting for their turn at the machine, plus a few others. This one was a test for a summer top pattern. Unhemmed as yet in this picture.



 Easy and wonderfully versatile. No sleeves, short sleeves, long sleeves like I cut, great on it's own and perfect for making a few closer fitting cami/tank type things for underneath. The maiden piece is done in a drapey rayon. I'm calling it my Grecian Goddess. It's long, loose and has all the earmarks of a perfect warm weather top. Some protection but very cool and easy to wear. I'm not a fan of sewing rayon and this was no different. The fabric reminds me of trying to sew limp egg noodles. The saving grace of course, is the way it feels on. Soft and light but not sheer. Quite a feminine fabric really. The pattern calls for a thin tie belt. Not my best look, but using a leftover piece of bias binding from the neck, I was able to give it a hint of a belt with a couple of tucks, set more at empire height than natural waist then two snaps for a little detail.



 The next time I make this, I heading down one size. For those who like the pattern, the V neck is nice, and not too low like some of them end up being.

It's probably a good thing I have patterns cut and ready to go. Gene kindly passed on his head cold to me. Holding up crossed fingers, silver bullets and garlic have no effect on cold germs. Dang!

On the Bea front we have seen improvements by leaps and bounds. She is eating her usual kibble now, not softened with hot water, crunching slowly on her evening biscuit and perkier than she was pre-surgery. We are keeping her on a low dose of anti-inflammatory for her arthritis but I am hoping to drop her off of that once we get into the warmer weather of summer. She'll be a little more active and won't have to contend with the cold and damp winter and spring offer. Some winter days we are both two creaky old ladies together.

The fox pair have been seen regularly, either early evening or during my dark morning feeding time. In fact some mornings are like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom ( I loved that show as a kid.), I see so many "extra" sets of eyeballs flashing from the woods and down the driveway. One morning alone garnered the foxes and a pair of fighting feral cats, another skunks on the move and what I am assuming was an owl, whose eyes glowed at me from a perch in a tree on the woods edge. I'm alert on my stroll out there though. And noisy. And if my barn kitty escort is jumpy, so am I.

 

Parting shot: Beanie babies

Two Can Be as Bad as One

 Three Dog Night had it right when they sang "It's the loneliest number since the number one." Just ask Cooper who looks like a pretty sad gate keeper up at my paddock. I knew he would be waiting all day Saturday for Nick to return, but I didn't expect the vigil to continue to all day yesterday and I am certainly hoping it will have ended by today.  He is eating well, drinking well and physically in fine shape, but those that don't think animals have feelings need to either get a few or pay close attention to the ones they do have. I can say without a doubt in my mind, they have friends, they have enemies, they love, they get angry with one another ( and make up too) and they grieve. I have no way of telling Cooper he's found a new home. To him, Nick is just gone.  If anything, paying extra attention to Coop has kept me from feeling too sad about Nick's departure.  Dandy has been a steady friend also, hanging with Cooper even though I know he would rather be back up on the hill in the shade of the trees

Nick did me proud though, he walked right into that strange trailer with Mary, made himself at home and said let's get moving onto new adventures. And off they went. I'm told he was a gentleman unloading and sensibly surveyed his new digs without drama or silliness. The end of a long chapter here with us. Onward Ho!

I did bury myself a bit in the sewing room. The Hazel dress by Victory Patterns was a total success. Color blocking in a classic and simple style.



 I had wanted a way to use this deep apple green linen since it came into Fabric of Vision, but it's a hard color to work into an adult wardrobe. This pattern was the perfect solution. The bottom shell is fully lined with a beautiful satin smooth muslin. If I had more of this creamy white fabric I'd be making myself a blouse with it, the hand is so smooth and soft, the weaving tight and firm. The cream bodice is a linen & hemp or cotton blend. It was very nice to work with also. Certainly held a press well.



 I'll be making one or two more of these in tunic length for the fall and winter. The fit is wonderful, not a single adjustment other than length needed. I didn't do the color blocked cuff, it was just too much for me and instead opted to do a simple cuff slit and add a touch of the apple green as detail.



Second up is an almost finished blouse. (That's sun making it look blotchy.) This is Butterick's 5365 another Connie Crawford pattern and quite nice right out of the envelope.



 I like that the collar and stand is sized smaller than many patterns. Nothing screams home made like a too big collar on a blouse.



The dart detailing from shoulder to bust area work to give the blouse a soft easy silhouette
and are quite pretty I think. My only adjustment will be to lengthen the sleeves on the next one. They ended up on the short side which usually is not the case for me.

The big cement pour happened Friday at high noon!



Not near as exciting as when the house foundation was done. Then they had six cement trucks loaded in a line down the driveway with a crew of 4 men (plus the drivers of each truck), and it took most of the day. Friday we had one truck, a meager 4 yards ordered and the driver.



 That meant I was pressed into slave labor. My job was to level off the footings while Gene and the very nice (and fun!) driver poured the next one.



 It took 45 minutes from the time the truck got into place until he left the property. Gene smoothed off all of the footings. This week the actual building begins.



 Okay, I want a cement truck in my barn right next to Bob and that little excavator! They are just so nifty.

If you don't have anything good to say, best not say anything at all. I have nothing to say about the Patriots game yesterday and the missed 22 yard field goal. Nothing.

Parting shot: Red Alert! Code Blue! Everyone to the kitchen STAT! An escaped Timmy!

To Market, To Market

To buy a plum bun.
Home again, home again, market is done.




No plum buns, that I could see, but DH has a standing request for the fresh donuts that are a fixture at our local growers markets. While Ashland holds their big one on Tuesday and another smaller one on Saturday, I prefer the  South Medford one on Thursdays.



 The parking is easy, the crowds less domineering.



 It's just a nicer experience and the standing breakfast date with a friend make the little extra drive worth it.



 It's a smaller market (less crafty stuff), which just showcases the bounty available.





Afterwards it onto the other errand running, feed at the grange, doo-dads of one sort or another at the hardware store, a stop at the fabric store or some other down town destination and then to finish off the weekly grocery shopping. Gas up on the way out of town and we're good for another week. Going down on Thursday also helps to avoid some of the weekend tourist crowds.

We made it to just now on our hay. I'm down to my last 2 bales and around the valley hay is being cut and baled. Gene picked up 6 emergency bales to get us by, but my hay has already been secured for the year. I'm taking all first cutting, 10-12 tons now and I'll add a couple of tons of second cutting in the fall. It's meant some juggling of finances since we usually do the big buy in October, and of course, hay is cut just when property taxes are due. :) But it's a big load off our minds to know that we're pretty much all set for the year on this at least. The horses did very well on all first cutting last year.

Hannah Hollandia has seen some weaving action. I would take a pic but the towel on there right now ended up NOT being the greatest color wise. I need to get through that one fast and onto a better color palette for the next one.

For those who might be around the area this weekend into next, the U.S. National Paragliding Championships will be just outside of Jacksonville OR. Their landing zones are basically on winery properties and it should be quite a spectacle. Sip wine, nibble some great local cheeses and watch the races. My crazy husband will be there on and off during the week, but thankfully, won't be competing. More information is here.

Parting shot: Feline intimidation tactics are quite lost on Stella. She hasn't read the book I guess.

A Right Fine Dumping

Winter came and it conquered with some pretty decent snowfall amounts, about 14 new inches on top of our 10-12 we had before the day and night of downpour. This shot was taken at the start of our big snowfall. It was all welcome and did help with our 5 inch waterfall deficit. We still have a lot of catch up to do. The dogs had a marvelous time. To them it must be magic that those pee spots get "refreshed" every night. HA!

With snow also comes the general knowledge that everything outside takes longer, be it a drive to town or refilling water tanks. Hoses must be hung back up carefully, snow paths need to be broken, trudging around is slower etc. And then there was the completely lost NFL playoff Sunday. Congratulations Patriots! I will admit to not watching the last 1.12 minutes of the game. I was sure it was going to be tied and go into over time or worse, end with a Raven touchdown. When I switched back,

I was pleasantly surprised of course. The Ravens gave that one away. And congrats to the Giants, who fought for every single point against the 49'ers. It was a great game, well played by two teams that were evenly matched. I didn't have the vested interest in this one and enjoyed every minute of it.

The prayer flag warp is just about at it's end. I think I can eek about 4 more flags out. I leave a good amount of space for fringe with these little flags so it does eat up warp. I figure I should get about 15 flags. The green wool warp is ready for winding on and threading. I'll use 4 shafts in plain weave, although for some interest I will probably double or triple up threads every 3 inches or so and try to get a little textural windowpane effect in the weaving. We'll see.

I finished off the new McCalls pattern and while I loved certain aspects of it, I truly disliked others. They have you mark everything with circles, squares and triangles. Really, I can match sleeves and cuffs quite well with just a couple of clips and maybe a dot.

The collar, that big collar with the large neck opening is set on a stand. Let me tell you, it was a bugger to get in neatly. It is on the outside, that inside facing is ugly though and the next time I make this, I'll make the collar a bit wider and set it right into the neck and face the inside with grosgrain ribbon or something. The last gripe is the sleeve construction. The top yoke/sleeve is wonderful and the lower sleeve piece fits well, but then it is not really set into an armhole but created by sewing up the side seam into the sleeve seam.

It's just not the nicest construction style for a blouse IMHO. It's okay but not great. I wanted great from this pattern especially since it uses a whopping 3.5 yards. I do love the mushroom fabric, enough that I bought more for later since my hefty stash of it was eaten up on this one garment.

The quilt top has been pieced and is ready for batting and backing.

I haven't yet decided on what type of batting I want to use. Maybe a light wool. I also need to get a binding fabric. I wanted it pieced before I decided on that. It's pretty cute and those squares were quite easy and fun. A nice re-entry into quilting.

I've been reading up on linings and honestly, I am disappointed in what I'm finding in my general sewing books. I have an unlined coat pattern that I want to do but need to line my fabric choice for it.

If I want to bag a lining from edge to edge, a fair amount of good basic instruction. If I want to tailor a men's jacket by hand with linings, interlinings and all sorts of stuff, I can find that too, but for a mostly bagged lining with prominent facings, not so much. I realize how this is probably done but some detailed explanations would be handy to have. I think my old Time-Life The Art of Sewing: Basic Tailoring has the closest information and maybe a peek at some of my coat/jacket patterns with linings may have what I'm looking for in the way of concise steps. We'll see.

Parting shot: Stella, keeping Timmy close on a cold winters day. ;)

For those that may have missed it, "Timmy" is the name of her ball(s). As in , "Go find Timmy, Stella!" Or "Is Timmy lost?" or "Hand Timmy over to me." This one rarely works unless she is absolutely sure you are going to toss...Timmy.