Pow! Bam! Right to the Moon Alice!

Who remembers Ralph Kramden from the Honeymooners? Thinking of moon voyages long before the space program, at least for Alice! ;) But when you can't get to the moon,  you can bring the moon to you.



 That's what we did last week by bringing the excavator ( this one would look sweet in my barn right next to Bob the Tractor.), over to dig up the front yard for footings.



 My own mini moonscape and unlikely visible from space. And it hasn't gotten any better. Over the weekend Gene ripped siding and flashing off where the deck will be bolted into the house. Cut away some wood that carpenter ants have damaged and in general made it look really, really bad. He has assured me this is about as awful as it will look. Hmmmm.

Should I ever decide to make a moon flight, I have just the thing to wear too.



 I finished up this fun top yesterday. I mean really, rocket ships, planets, friendly looking robots (they don't look like Daleks thankfully), moon and stars.  The plain sleeve got a horizontal pin tuck detail.



 I liked the idea of a double row of snaps instead of the 4 loops and buttons. I am not considering this as a jacket (Sewing Workshops San Diego Jacket pattern) but a shirt, so I needed a bit more closure, scaled it down a bit and added a simple pocket.



I'll admit Saturday afternoon and early evening was completely lost as to productivity. They had a Dr. Who marathon on and trotted out the first episode of the new season. Those Weeping Angels still give me the creeps though.

Along with the top, a fun pair of cargo pants for my Mom was completed. These pics were taken right after completion.



 They need a good press but you can at least see some of the details and those voile lined pockets I worked so hard on. It makes a lovely pocket lining, smooth, stabilizing and adds no bulk at all. For those that might be new, this pattern uses a greatly modified version of Sewing Workshop's Trio pant.



 I'll be whipping up something to complete the outfit although the pants in their deep olive color will go with many, many things.

Friday was the dreaded trip to the vet with Robin and Pogo. Robin was eager for the car ride and instead of putting him in the crate I harnessed him into the back seat with a special travel harness. He did get his medication for travel sickness and acquitted himself quite well on the trip. Pogo did too, but the treats he got at the vet arrived back up on the way home. Toenails were trimmed (muzzle and two experienced people needed), shots given and lots of fuss was made over both dogs. Fingers all intact when I left too. Checkbook not so much. :)

Parting shot: The long and winding road. ( Robin & Peter)

 

Victory with Anouk

To say I was pleasantly surprised with the Victory Patterns Anouk top would be an understatement. I grumbled over it being a PDF pattern and Gene grumbled over the 50+-pages containing both instructions and tape together pattern pieces that he had to print for me. I don't have a printer hooked up to my computer, so Gene is designated "Print Shop".

The instructions were quite good, the pattern drafted beautifully. Something I also really appreciated was letting you know right on the pattern, which markings to do on the RIGHT side of the garment.  The nicely shaped European style armhole fit close and high on the body and the sleeve set in in the blink of an eye.



 Now I made a couple of adjustments which, in the end, I didn't need. I added a bit of width to the top front & back making it a bit too large. With the deep yoke and stiff regular printing paper, it was hard to get an accurate idea of fit even on Rhonda, so better a little large than a little small.



It certainly will accommodate a turtleneck underneath for fall wear, so I'm okay with it on this wearable muslin. I also found the little peek-a-boo space under the yoke to be much too low for me, so I worked in a panel to cover it up completely. Next top I'll either shorten that space or cover as I did here. And this pattern is earmarked for at least a couple of variations.



 I certainly will be shopping another pattern or two from Victory based on my positive experience with this one! It's very comfortable as you may or may not be able to tell from the wrinkles on this one.....

The heat has continued up here, with temps at 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the mid to high 90's F. I don't know how folks do it in the south or south west because that kind of daily heat just saps the ambition right out of me. Gene, on the other hand, always waits until now to begin his big summer project. Go figure! This year the front porch is being stripped down to bare bones. We've had a problem with leakage and cracking from the get go out there. He's doing an epoxy cement with a pebble finish on top. We're hoping it will fix the problem since the special epoxy is not prone to cracking in the cold and is quite water-proof. It's often used for the hardscape around pools. After that is done, the mini excavator will be rented and deep holes dug for a large front deck. The front of the house has always been a bone of contention between Gene and I. What to do with it? Finally we hit upon a solution that we were both jazzed about and didn't require lots of retaining wall building, french drain moving and super high landscaping costs. I'm, of course, elected for the supervisory position although, to clueless outsiders, it might look like a gopher position. Don't be fooled! ;) I'm leaving my paint brushes in storage this year. Concentrating on that project and finishing up every last taunting curtain project.

In farm news, we're back to this for morning feedings. It may still be hot, but Summer's hold is waning.

 Parting shot: Sewing room snopervisors (Smoochie & Robin), snoozing on the job! Thank god I don't pay these guys...