Pending Projects

My current project list is a bit, um, scary. And it does not include books to be read or job stuff. Perhaps this is why blogging has fallen by the wayside?

Knitting:

• Mitered Square Shawl
• Alpaca cardigan
• Backpack
• Northern lights scarf
• Zaurball shawl
• Emerald sweater
• Cover for lumbar cushion
• Lace vest from takli spun cotton

Wood burning:

• Kitchen table
• Cabinet knobs - Kitchen
• Knobs hall
• Earring frame
• Sideboard
• Desk
• library boxes
• Library stool
• Plant stand table
• Laptop tray table
• Bat house
• Vintage box with metal strap
• Box for interchangeable needles
• Camp stool
• Mirror frame for master bath

Gardening:

• Rock wall
• Move remaining rock to back yard
• Dig out grass in NW corner
• Plant white lavender along wall
• Add yarrow and another lower plant along front of house
• Move leopard plant to back yard
• Terrace upper end of back yard
• Build small deck for tea house
• Prune dead limbs off lilac
• Prune mock orange
• Dig out grass in backyard
• Lay out path in backyard
• Acquire and spread mulch in backyard
• Prune shrubs under porch
• Install drip in backyard
• Terrace lower end of backyard and install pavers
• Repaint back porch
• Buy bench for lower end of back yard
• Paint mural on back fence
• Acquire and install rush fencing along chain-link
• Repair gate
• Repair concrete front steps
• Repair concrete back steps
• Plant solar lights
• Repair and reinstall broken siding piece

Inside big jobs:

• Finish scraping kitchen floor
• Paint kitchen walls, ceiling, cabinets
• Replace hall bath sink
• Prepare walls and paint hall bath
• Tile hall bath floor
• Replace master bath sink
• Tile master bath floor
• Paint master bath
• Replace light fixture in master bath
• Wash all windows
• Replace cracked garage window with stained glass

Other projects:

• Outfit picnic basket
• Sew picnic blanket
• Sew and block print canvas slipcover for couch
• Make duvet cover for bedroom
• Rehem bedroom curtains
• Make slipcovers for library chairs
• Organize Yosemite pictures and format book
• Organize fiber room
• Finish tweaking Country Craftsman Wheel
• Mount niddy noddies on wall

On another note, I am testing out Blogsy iPad App, so just ignore the picture and link:

Purplefuzzymittens.blogspot.com

 

Posted with Blogsy

Preparations

I've been caught up in preparations for an upcoming trip. Armed with a recommended gear list I have tackled the likes of REI and Amazon, slowly accumulating a small mountain of items. The trip is an awesome 7-day raft trip through the Grand Canyon, so I can't afford to forget anything important. Yet the maximum allowed luggage is 25 lbs. Tricky.

It is going to be HOT in the bottom of the Canyon, so at least the requisite clothing will be lightweight.  Several folks have recommended taking a sarong for light-weight bathing suit cover-up around camp.  I whipped up a standard-size one on the sewing machine and, after experimenting, decided I didn't like the tight knotting or resultant slippage.  So, using an old nightshirt as a basic cutting guide, I whipped up an extra-loose dress out of lightweight cotton. It counts as my first attempt to sew more than a skirt, bag or trailer curtains. 

I will be taking the Nikon Coolpix AW100 and handful of extra chips and batteries. In case the spare batteries are not enough, I have acquired a cool little gadget called the Solio Bolt (cheaper from Amazon). It is a pocket-sized solar charger. It only outputs through USB, so at first it was going to be unusable for the camera batteries. With some searching, I found a battery charger that can be powered by USB. Neither is speedy, mind you, but a workable backup.

Aware that many of the 17 other family members on this trip will be bringing identical cameras and REI-sourced gear, I have pulled out that wonder of modern science, the Sharpie.


First I put my name on my camera. Then I decided to customize my green duffel bag. It wouldn't help much to put my last name on the bag, since at least 5 of the other rafters will have the same name. And there is another Amy on the trip. I went for pictures instead.  (For much more elaborate Sharpie Art, check out the official blog.)

 
Should be useful to identify the bag in the airport, too. There's still plenty of ink in the Sharpie, but I draw the line at labeling my underwear.



And here's a shot of Saturday's harvest from the garden.

More Sewing

Yes, I can! OK, the stitches look a little wobbly in the picture, but the coarse, loosish weave cotton is a bit stretchy to work with. I promise it looks fine in person.

In other sewing news, I made an apron out of a vintage linen tea towel. (Thanks, Heidi, for the towel!!) The strips at top and bottom are doubled and top-stitched at each edge to keep them flat. The bottom strip adds enough weight to make the apron hang nicely when worn. I like that it has a vintage feel, without being ruffly. This was super easy and only took about a 3rd of a yard (plus the towel). I'll be keeping an eye out for other likely tea towels with a "landscape" design.

Sewing

I have been threatening to start sewing for a long time now. I have bought fabric. I have bought inspirational books of vintage fashions. I have collected bits and bobs of remnants and buttons and trims. I have even, recently, bought a new sewing machine. Yes, I was going to launch into sewing my own clothing any time now. My friend Jen, master seamstress and awesome teacher, offered to give me some instruction. Still it took a long time to get to the point of finding the hours to do it. Finally my underlying need to create clothing boiled over and I found myself spending a weekend with the ever-patient Jen, constructing a corduroy skirt.

My first step was to deconstruct a linen skirt that had been worn to the point of threadbareness. I used the pieces to make a pattern out of heavy paper.
Despite having a bin full of fabric already, I purchased four yards of gorgeous deep purple corduroy. Yes, four yards is a lot, but it was all that was left on the bolt and I can always make something from the leftovers. I also bought thread, zipper, etc.

The original skirt was elastic-waisted lightweight linen. I didn't want to do the same with the corduroy because it was heavier weight and, most particularly, I felt it would be good for me to install my first zipper. Skill building is good. Because my pattern was too wide to cut on the fold as I originally intended, I had to seam up the front and back. I took advantage of this and angled the fabric so the cords in the corduroy make an inverted vee in the front and back. Adding a waistband gave me a chance to learn to install a buttonhole. There was a slight speedbump in the zipper installation when it was discovered I had brought the Spanish version of the sewing machine manual. Happily the English version is just a Google search away.

I can only say that, despite being occasionally scary, and requiring slight plan changes during the process, I am very pleased with the results. In some ways, the scariest part is throwing it in the wash at the end. Will the whole thing disintegrate or shrink funny despite having preshrunk the fabric? It held together and I was able to wear it to work without anyone snickering.

If I hadn't been working under Jen's watchful eye, I would probably still be contemplating the instructions in the zipper package. The next big test: Can I make another skirt all on my own? Stay tuned and find out.

Sewing with Cats

Sewing with feline assistance can be problematic.

Woman vs. Machine

Anybody who knows me at all well knows that sewing and I do not get along. In fact, I will go to great lengths to avoid it, knitting everything possible in the round to avoid seams. Several years ago, in a fit of good intentions towards decorating, I bought a reconditioned sewing machine. I took it home, placed it in a corner of my fiber room, and there it sat until tonight.

I am proud to say I met the beast and I conquered it!

I found this cool purple cotton chenille fabric at Windy Moon Quilts in Reno. It just had to become pillow covers for the trailer! I like how it is sort of both vintage-looking and quirky at the same time. Being 100% cotton it feels great. I bought all they had. When I put it through the wash for preshrinking, it sent purple fuzzies out the dryer vent and across my front yard. After minimal experimentation (and only 1 broken needle) I knocked out covers for 3 pillows - 2 huge ones and one smaller one. I am pleased and proud of how they came out.


Tomorrow I attempt curtains.