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.

The Crappy Post!

Sun, wind, rain, sleet, snow? Pick one because we had all of the above yesterday. Five in the morning found me not only feeding horses but getting the heated water buckets set up. I put it off because Sunday, temps were in the 60's and the horses were wearing fly masks. I left my hose attached to the no freeze facet, and thankfully, the hose hadn't frozen up solid so I was able to fill those buckets. The horses certainly appreciated the warmer water as it was refilled at evening feed time. They also liked that the cold temps had finally given them and their ears some relief from the gnats.

One of the worst jobs in this weather is cleaning up the dog pen. If you've ever had to clean up after dogs on regular basis you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, you're dang lucky. I even have little ditties to make the job seem more fun. Hi ho Hi ho, it's off to scoop we go....You get the picture. I've made stuff up using tunes ranging from Man of La Mancha ( To Scoop the Impossible Poop) to Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I'll spare you that one. No matter what song I sing it's always the same. I diligently get everything clean, survey my fresh slate and then...one of the little treasures decides it's simply too perfect now and decides to poop. They then trot by me, tail up and quite pleased with themselves as I stand, rain hat and gloves soggy, scooper in hand, shoulders drooped (often soaked) and feeling defeated. I imagine them giggling at the back door. Trying to get someone else to muster a crap and realize this is the universes way of getting even with me for my childish tricks on my great Grandmother. My GG was senile, older than Moses and compulsively folded things and made the bed. She lived with my grandparents. As a 3 year old, I loved nothing more than running through the bathroom door, (it had a hallway door too) pulling down her freshly made bed and then streaking out the bedroom door to wait to in the hall to do it all again. Other times it was whatever clothing items she was folding that I would dart through and muss up. I tortured that woman. She had no idea who I was, sometimes she thought I was my grandmother. After the second round one of the adults would catch on and chastise me and I would go on to other daily pursuits. But there you have it, pay back. It's obvious that Great Grandma Ludwig has a sense of humor. And so do I! )

A fitting parting shot!

Brushing Off the Dust

I never got a chance to thank you all for the lovely comments on my quickly sewn love seat covers. Thank you! I can't say I enjoyed making them, it was a gotta do situation.

But the help I received and the great comments certainly made up for any lacking enjoyment in the actual sewing. It did however spark a love of a craft I have too long avoided. Sewing. I was so impressed again with the older style machines, heavy metal heads, gears instead of computers and wondrous attachments in bright shiny metal.

I had to get me one! My Bernina, while it has always been a great quilting machine, just doesn't have the umph that a vintage machine does. Plus, the new computer machines just can't be serviced at home like an older one can. What fun is that I ask? To that end I bought myself an old 50's Singer 401A,

much like the machine I learned on ( A Singer 237) but with all the whistles and bells you wish you could have afforded at the time you settled on the no nonsense workhorse 237. Gene and I also found a lovely Husqvarna Viking 6020 to keep set up for the heavy strap goods he needs sewn once in a while for his business.

My Bernina hated them and it was quite the pain to be constantly changing out everything to black thread. He might lose that 6020 to me. It's a fine machine and has the free arm! :) But fear not little Bernina I still love you!

So, along with weaving a little sewing has gone on here. Stella has a wonderful new fleece coat which my Dad poo-pooed until he saw her rip it off of Pogo ( checking for size) and want it back on her. Plus we all agreed, she wears it well and it makes her more willing to venture out in the rain.

These pics were taken before some adjustments were made, but you get the idea.

I was also inspired to actually sew a garment. I haven't sewn anything wearable in something like 20 years, but a lot of it came back and this pattern was just right for getting my feet wet again. No sleeves (which I actually like to do) but I had to make bias binding and that has always been one of those sewing jobs I never looked forward to. It wasn't too bad though, so maybe the long break was a good thing! Gene couldn't believe I actually made something to wear and wore it, so insisted I get up from the loom and model. So here you go, a rare picture or two and yes, I felt it was public worthy and did a much needed run to town without changing.

The pattern on the fabric which I have saved for YEARS is called Bow Wow Chow Mein.

And finally, parting shots. Two Old Farts, Squeezed Cheek to Cheek.

Hello November with PICTURES!

Well, it's been a fun and fast two weeks or so. We had a lovely time with my folks.

There was football, lots and lots of football! There were nifty day trips with my Dad. One to Mount Shasta. Gene came too.

and another to a small Hurdy Gurdy maker in a little town on the way to the Oregon coast. Dinners out and dinners in and some of the best margaritas any of us has ever had at Larks in the Ashland Springs Hotel. No bar mix for this place, everything is freshly made. They were big and yummy!

We did galleries. Our favorite exhibition was at the Davis & Cline Gallery in the railroad district of Ashland. These paintings were ethereal and if I had a spare $800-$950 I would have come home with one. Good thing most of them were sold..seriously!

There was tons of shopping with my Mom,

and we scored on a number of items. She was finally successful in getting me to give in to new ( and better looking than my old blue Crocs) shoes. I was gifted with two of the most wonderful pairs of Josef Seibel shoes and they have been comfortable for my fussy feet since minute one. The Crocs have been relegated to paddock duty only and at this point, we're into the high mud boots anyway.

Dad and Stella took to each other like PB&J. I am sure had I really offered he would have taken her with him. Stella is now finding us lacking in comparison. Dad was always up for a good game of ball.

We laughed lots. We ate lots. We drank lots. We did not do any weaving. The Hollandia did get a much needed overhaul. All her lamms needed adjustments to bring her back up to spec and it was a long process made much nicer with two sets of hands and heads. The silk from The Silk Tree arrived and was whisked up to the bag for the trip home where silver and gold will become a fantastic snowflake scarf. I can hardly wait to see pictures.

And finally, parting shots. Stella is now larger than Pogo, but not by much!

Love Seats

The much promised love seat shots. I'm very happy with the covers. They look better than I had expected. Okay, and maybe, after a little breather I might even attempt a second set, for summer maybe....a BIG maybe.

Thanks again Linda. I couldn't have done it without you!

Running By

Well, it seems like that, actually I'm sitting with coffee to gear up and fortify myself for going out to feed. The thorough fall cleaning is in full swing. The parents arrive this weekend and there is still a lot to do on the punch list plus all the regular stuff.

Thursday I am going to treat myself to some time with my favorite riding buddy and Friday I will do a lick and a promise run through the house again. The open work linen and alpaca scarf has GOT to get off the Hollandia and it would be nice to wash a couple of the dogs. BEWARE FURBUTTS! You know who you are.

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to my patient and generous friend Linda who gave me a whole day of her time and use of her sewing machines to help me get the 8 cushion covers done in time. I NEVER could have done it without you. And thank you too when for standing firm when I got cranky about the whole dang project. I will say the zippers you put in where much better than the ones I did get in, but by the 4th one it wasn't looking too bad. I promised you pictures and pictures you'll get on blog Saturday morning. I'm waiting until the last minute to put those suckers on. They are almost too pretty to use....almost! ;)

It will be sporadic blogging for the next two weeks. I'm so looking forward to the visit and hoping for sunny skies for a good part of the visit. Oregon in October can be fickle but she usually brings us some beautiful days.

Parting shots. No one adores me quite like Charlotte.

Look, Up in the Sky, It's Some Nut!

It was a busy weekend around here. I was hoofing along alone while DH took off for a trip up to Seaside OR to go paramotoring. Oh yes, folks, there is a certain flavor of nut that likes to strap on a lawnmower motor and jet around the sky with their para wing on. And I have one of those. He had a blast and showed up back on the doorstep at 3:30am Monday morning just as I was getting all the house critters fed. There was a lot of noise and excitement at both the arrival of feeding time and "Papa's" arrival.

So while Gene flew the friendly coastal skies of Oregon ( and saw whales) I did a little weaving. Having finished up the first pillowcase, started in on the second.

This one I decided to do a pale green for the weft and stay in pattern for the hem area, then of course, the 20/2 cream for the body of the case. At this update I have about 10 inches of cream body woven.

Wrote out some prayers for the warp waiting on the Julia loom, knitted a bit on the vest and waited for hay to arrive. And arrive it did. 14 tons have been delivered and stacked in my barn and all I had to do was write out a check. Easy peasy for me, but Gene usually sheds a tear or two. ;) This year we went with all second cutting and all small bales. One bale fits perfectly in the front end loader of Bob the tractor and is just right to feed out each meal. MUCH nicer than wrestling those 125# bales from last year. I did a happy dance, the horses did a happy dance, the goats did a happy dance. Gene was gone flying and avoided it all together. I brought up buckets of loose hay for a little snack while they unloaded to an audience of 10 ( 5 horses, 5 goats).

I will admit that Sunday I did a lot of football watching and a fair amount of reading, so rather than go through scores, I'll give you a run down on the current reading list.

In process is "Rosa" By Jonathan Nabb and after a rocky start I am finally into the book and enjoying it.

Finished and enjoyed was "Death in a Strange Country" by Donna Leon and is the start of a series of detective mysteries set in Venice Italy. The second in the series is already on my Kindle waiting to be read. Also read are two period mysteries written by C. S. Harris, "When Gods Die" and "What Angels Fear". I enjoyed both these series mysteries set in the early 1800's (Regency period) in England and there are more to be read!

Stacked up either on the Kindle or on the wish list, are the following books:

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

A Small Furry Prayer: Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life by Steven Kotler

The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches from the Fault Line Between Christianity and Islam by Eliza Griswold

Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne

Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser.

All the books listed here are available at Amazon even though I didn't do individual links.

Before I forget (again) I wanted to show you all this little charmer of a knitting book, Whimsical Knits 2 by Ysolda Teague.

Since I do seem to be spinning a little more and have some wonderful fibers/yarns available in smaller amounts, these patterns really appealed to me.

Lastly, Parting Shots.

Silk

I'm on the fence about silk. In some things I love it, in others, it doesn't send me. I did however find some tussah silk yarn I love. It all started out with some reconnaissance for my Dad. He informed me he wants to work on a silk scarf during his visit and what are the local resources like. First I went really local, like my stash and sent some pics of lovely Gems silk with a Curious Creek Fiber yarn, which he liked.

It was set aside. But, being my father's daughter in some respects I know he, like me, would like some other options and that's what I was looking for. I came up pretty much goose eggs for fine silk fiber in the valley except for a very small amount of some lovely Silk Tree #6 in the most amazing gold. I had just the project in mind, one I had been searching for a complimentary silk casually for a while and the 2 skeins available might just do it if I planned right.

In fact Llamas and Llambs in Jacksonville had another 2 skeins of a lighter brighter yellow which I had them hold. I'll pick them up next week. So, I wrote my Dad, told him he'll need to find silk at home or order something up from the Silk Tree and here is a list of colors that would go with that Curious Creek yarn, Earl Grey. The trouble came when I started twisting that lovely CC fiber with my coveted golden silk. Then instead of keeping the secret to myself, I had to send a picture to my Dad.

Needless to say, we have some lovely silk coming in #14 gold and #5 grey. It should all arrive in time for the visit starting the 15th.

While I'm on my silk kick, I'll also update on my merino/silk spinning adventure. I've fallen hard for this fiber.

Who would have thunk it after all my complaining about merino, but it's true. I love spinning this.

So, heading off of fiber and into the world just inside my front door.

The much anticipated settle bench has finally made it from Cindie's garage to my foyer and it is just as wonderful as it looked.

That silly looking raccoon just puts a grin on my face. We use a bench there a lot. In fact every time we go in or out so having something so unique has made the changing of the footwear extra fun. And it's always nice to have a little extra storage for hats, mittens, gloves, flashlights and scarves.

There's lots of other news but I'll save it for the next post. Instead I'll leave you with this silky duo.