hot town summer in the city

in which our plucky heroine does her best to keep cool...

I keep thinking it is Saturday, not sure why. I've been running the heat pump, as it is 90+ on the shady front porch. So far, the house has stayed at a comfortable temperature. I have my fingers crossed for the next several days, when we are forecast to be in the triple digits. Hoping not a heat dome.

No fireworks stands on every corner means less explosions in the city. While it was rather loud last night, in the better part of valor I waited until morning to run over to the grocery before it got really hot out. I wanted to get some salad greens, and also bought a new tomato plant in hope of some homegrown treats. No Juliet left alas, but they had Oregon Spring, which is also good one, if very different.

※※※

~ festival footwear ~

Opal has the biggest feet of all my tinyfolk! So when it was suggested that Opal needed a pair of tiny tiny Birkenstock sandals, I carefully cut slices from a cork, using a serrated knife, and then sanded a few of the cork slices smooth. Tracing around her feet to start making the pattern. Some thin leather for the uppers, and and black Bristol board for the outer soles.

I started by cutting the prepared slabs of cork to shape, then glued a layer of Bristol board to reinforce them. Once dried, I began fitting the narrow leather strips and glueing them in place to create slide on shoes. I really find the miniature clothespins really useful for tiny clamps; I used Tacky Glue for the whole project, it was setting up fast enough. Once all the straps were attached and dried, I fitted tiny bits of Bristol to level the bottom of the sandals and glued that in place as well. Finally, I added a third layer of the black Bristol board to cover the whole bottom of the sole fully, it really gives the effect of the rubber sole of full size Birkies. Since there was no way I could add an actual buckle to the straps, I approximated it with carefully drawing on each strap with a gold metallic pen. The tiny sandals really add to her outfit - I'll be taking some more photos outdoors, but not until the temperature drops!

.
※※※

The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, by Ursula LeGuin made it really clear to me about why I adore some novels and find others tiresome. The essay seems to me to reverberate in an adjacent way with The Mushroom Hunters, by Neil Gaiman

※※※

Next in the textile livestock series is "silkworm", and I am going to print the linocut proof later today, and hope there isn't too much revision necessary. Carving a tiny caterpillar is hard!

※※※

Fifty years is a long strange trip indeed...

※※※

 

July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	-	-
2	tiny cargo pants	-	-
3	very smol sandals	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. the house is pleasantly moderate in temperature
2. I had everything needed to make Opal some Birkenstocks
3. The skirret is still alive, I have been remembering to keep it watered.
4. I found another fairly new Little Free Art Gallery that is within biking distance, when it isn't too hot. 4720 NE 26th. Looking forward to checking it out!
5. Someone used my Very Basic (two rectangles of garter stitch) Tiny Rag Doll Poncho pattern that I posted on Ravelry, and came up with their own variation.

Time of Isolation - Day 1454