The tail end of SWAP, and other Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine is planning out the tasks for June...

There are more metalwork/regalia projects to work on, though none as all-encompassing as the Minoan pendant. Some design work to complete before June. There is sewing that needs done, and the yard is hollering at me to get going on the summer fruit tree pruning. Like any household, there is a seemingly never-ending list of repair and renovation. Never a dull moment here at Acorn Cottage.

Most recently, the clothesline snapped under a load of washed tourney bedding, so my next housey chore is replacing it, which needs done about every two years... acquired one additional rod hanger, a few more hose clamps and new clothesline, with the effect of extending the line one more fence section for additional drying space.

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Not sure if actually sewing Summer 6PAC makes sense, since the closet already has basics, and what is really needed is filling in the few gaps, mending worn/torn garments and possibly a few new SCA clothes. Maybe more a "Summer of Basics" approach? 

1. batik popover - If I finished up the batik popover I cut out for SWAP it would be another summer dress, plus it turns out that I can wear popovers like pinafores, over a knit top, and they look quite playful and just right for the few days of  "June gloom" (weather cool/cloudy in the AM and turning hot in the afternoon).

2. new bathing suit - my old suit is scary faded, and has been repaired twice. My idea is to modify the suit pattern I have yet again, and instead of a skirt that attaches just under the bust, which then floats up annoyingly when actually in the water, create an attached skirt that is inserted into a new seam at about waist level. Shouldn't be too too difficult, right?

3. striped shirtdress - the June contest over at Sewing Place is for "stripes".  While there are already two other striped dresses in the closet, I plum love striped dresses, and there is some black/grey/blue striped fabric that may have enough to make another one. This time I will draft a new collar, or maybe make it collarless.

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Today the floral blouse (designed back in January) is done. I'm pretty pleased with it, and adding the detail of flat piping did just what I had hoped, delineation of the collar and front button bands. Switched the original button choice (tiny plain black) for slightly larger, almost black shell buttons, which have a sort of blue iridescence.

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I tried making this last week, and it was nom. I will likely make it again. I substituted in crushed buckwheat crispbread for the breadcrumbs, because wheat, and that worked a treat. It would make delicious picnic food, or daytrip food.

Laurie Colwin’s Mustard Baked Chicken

from: Home Cooking, page 100

“The chicken is cut up and coated with mustard into which some garlic has been grated, along with a little thyme, black pepper, and a pinch of cinnamon. It is rolled in fine bread crumbs, dusted with paprika, dotted with butter and cooked at 350 degrees for about two hours. It can be served hot or at room temperature and will never let you down.”

Unfortunately though, this recipe used up the last of my mustard, and it turns out that there is now only one store that carries the organic brown mustard in glass jars. Last year I was able to buy the desired mustard at my local grocery. Does it seem weird to any other than me that most of the organic companies have switched to plastic jars? I mean, I understand it saves shipping weight and hence greater profit, but plastic?!? how is that sustainable - not! Anyway, on a day when I have extra hours, I will take most of the day to head over to NW to the Food Front Coop store. They are also the only shop that carries the toothpaste I use, so I may as well stock up.

Edited: I found a backup jar of mustard in the pantry.
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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blue floral blouse	backyard clothesline	dead rope
2	x	x	-
3	x	x	-
4	x	x	-
5	x	x	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	-
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - the lovely fabric I won as a prize is now residing in my closet as a new blouse. I am grateful for the generous gift, and will think about my SG pals whenever I wear it

not with sticks and string, or SMART revistied

in which our plucky heroine sets self a challenge to get entirely caught up on my SMART goals this month (SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) My goal for the year is sixty each of make something, fix something and discard something, or approximately five each per month, which is reasonable... Rather got lost on the "timely" aspect in the last several months, which means now making ten things, fixing twelve things and discarding sixteen grocery sacks to either Goodwill recycling or trash over the month of May... can she do it, yes she can! Just watch me!!

Yesterday, as well as the usual work, there was a productive trip to the hardware store with the intention of replacing former collapesed clothesline from last year with something slightly more sturdy. Waited until after sunset for putting together an equally strange contraption...

I attached these closet rod shelf brackets to the side yard fenceposts with dual hose clamps, with the intention that they would serve far better as clothesline brackets than the previous years kludgy makeshift held in place with dowels and scrap wood lashed together...

the new clothesline holds all but the largest of the laundry quite successfully...

:::



May SMART goal challenge

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	*	side yard clothesline	*
2	*	*	*
3	*	*	*
4	*	*	*
5	*	*	*
6	*	*	*
7	*	*	*
8	*	*	*
9	*	*	*
10	*	*	*
11	*	*	*
12	*	*	*
13	*	*	*
14	*	*	*
15	*	*	*
16	*	*	*

Friday fragments

Seemed like today was the first day of spring... the sun was shining on the yard, shining with all it's might, or at least as much might as a February day could muster. So there was nothing to it then but to hang the first load of laundry outside for the year. 'Tis a small but certain pleasure, the scent of sun-dried sheets, and one that requires only some modest effort (and the good fortune to have sheets, a washer, and a yard to hang them in) to indulge myself.

:::

Not only was it the first outdoor laundry dry day, but it was also the first bicycle errand day. For some reason I have yet to feel tired of heading out to do local errands on two wheels, even if it is only taking the recycling away, and picking up a few groceries. While my cranky feet, while improved, are still not where I would wish them to be, and they remind me so most loudly when I must climb up or down stairs, like the steep one up to the paper recycling bin, the rotary motion of cycling, combined with it being a transport that takes most of the weight off my feet, means that it is much less painful than shanks-mare.

:::

Yesterday was the holiday that once again is for "other people". Most surprisingly though, while walking down the street, a young woman handed me a folded piece of paper and wished me a Happy Valentines Day. Though I suspected it to merely contain a bit of advertisement, the pink crayon heart on the outside led me to open it, where I found a few lines of Walt Whitman poetry, including the words "...but now i think there is no unreturned love, the pay is certain one way or another, (i loved a certain person ardently and my love was not returned, yet out of that i have written these songs.)" The world is always sending messages of importance; I need to remember always that the equation always balances. Always. Whether or not I know how it does, and whether or not it does so in the way I would desire. Simple physics, the law of conservation of energy...

:::

Making progress on my black overall pinafore, and had the semi-brilliant idea that adding some teeny rivets would be a nice detail, to reinforce some of the pocketing. Despite wearing dresses most all the time, our plucky heroine is still the little girl that wore coveralls as a child; while I doubt very much that Carhartts makes shop pinafores, my aesthetic leans more towards downhome than downtown, and that is the effect I am going for. Oregon Leather had some small silvery rivets in packets of a dozen, and that will be plenty for this particular project, though knowing they are available, I may go back for more in the future. Mayhap the brown twill pinafore would look well trimmed with black rivets?

cool days, good days

What a difference a few degrees makes, and how very much more productive activity is possible. Enameling is bearable when the temperature is lower. The kiln has been in use most of the weekend, and the two much belated projects are well underway.

One of them is a remake of a double-sided medallion that is lost somewhere in the studio, and rather than create more chaos by taking my storage boxes and drawers entirely apart, it just made more sense to re-do the project. (When the Good Folk bring it back again, it can become a bit of backstock, though probably be re-set as two separate medallions).

(adding another layer
of background enamel)

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Some scraps of Ikea fabric are now a tidy tote for clothespins, and the gifted wire hanger turned out to be plastic coated, which is ideal for such a use. There are so many small things that can be scavenged or created that make chores just a little easier. Instead of carrying the clothespins around in a basket, which meant constantly setting it down and picking it up while walking up and down the clothesline, now the pins can slide along just ahead of where they are needed - much better!

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Yesterday, a lunch break was a chance to visit with C, which was a most enjoyable treat. We ended up walking to Thai Ginger on Rosa Parks, and had a very tasty lunch. While I get quite a bit of exercise walking and riding my bike to run errands, I'd forgotten how very pleasant it is to just walk with a friend.

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Betwixt and between all this, there has not been much more preparation happening here for Self Stitched September. My mother sent a big box of fabric, most of which is a BIG piece of interesting wool in a large herringbone weave, that will be a good option for a coat, if IF it can be overdyed with blue. Wouldn't it be nifty to have a charcoal and blue tweed coat! (fabric is currently charcoal with brown and tan and cream herringbone)

Normally I have no difficulty with overdyeing fabric, but this is about five yards of 60" wide wool. There are no pots or pans here at Acorn Cottage big enough for this project, and acid dyes work much better need to be done as a hot water dyebath. Given the condition of the Acorn Cottage bathtub, if it gets used for a dye vat, it will be blue forevermore. Anyone out there have experience/suggestions about dyeing such a big piece of fabric?

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Though soon it will be cool enough for knitting to return as a take-along handwork project, currently embroidery is filling that niche. There are at least five more jumpers planned for autumn sewing, and one will be narrow wale grey corduroy. My original intention was to use black corduroy for the edge binding and some narrow stripes just above the hemline. This contest inspired me to add an embroidered component as well. Andrea's embroidery designs are pleasingly quirky, and it was difficult to choose which one to add to my jumper. Though tempted by this caterpillar, I chose this bird on a branch instead, and a variety of subtle almost-grey floss in various colors.

(partially completed couched outline,
some of the paper already removed)

My usual methods of transferring designs work poorly on corduroy. What did work, oddly enough, was to simply print out the design, at a size that was appropriate, baste the paper, to the fabric, and stitch right through the paper. Once that is completed, it is pretty easy to tear away the paper, though fine pointed tweezers helped with some of the small bits stuck between where two stitches were close together. Once the outline is finished, comes the fun of "coloring it in" with fill stitches. Hmmm... satin stitch?, bayeaux tapestry stitch?, long and short stitch?...

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This week is time to put together a schedule for the enameling and metalwork classes this autumn, so as to have a schedule in hand for Art In the Pearl. My intention is to offer at least one class a month... any special requests?

sunshine daydream giveaway

While truly, I'm grateful for living where I mostly don't have to deal with snow, the dark grey sky makes it seem like winter will never be over. Even ordinary chores seem to take longer, and the ease of summer feels like a sunshine daydream (okay well maybe not that kind)...
Still, the sun is returning, each day the evening dark comes just a little later, and soon there will be dry breezy days; I'm surely not the only one who likes to hang my laundry outside to dry on the line. My dear friend Rois is having a giveaway over at Hrafinstaad, she's made a colorful and useful, beautiful clothespin bag that will be perfect for adding a bit of a smile to that necessary task. All you need to do to be entered in the drawing for the giveaway is to leave a comment on her blog. And while you are there, do check out what she has to say about the various aspects about urban homesteading; she has a lot of good commonsense information, as she has been doing it pretty much her whole life. She is one of my inspirational mentors as well as a good friend.

~ : ♥ : ~

This just in: my entry was voted #1 in the Kenleigh's Fiber Felted sheep contest! a big grin for Little Bo Peep and her sheep, and a huge thank you for all the folks who voted... The kit that Shannon provided for the contest was wonderful, and the wool fleece was the nicest I've ever worked with for needlefelting.

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Started a new knitting project for riding on the bus, a pair of wristlets to take the place of the pair lost this winter. The pattern is called Voodoo Wristwarmers, and is dirt simple; there is a lot of the chocolate color wool leftover from the unraveled merino Goodwill sweater, and it is both wonderfully soft and about six ply, so it should have a bit of wear left in it. This project is a chance to try out the "magic loop" technique that I'd been wanting to learn, on something easy. My friend Sam gifted me with a clever instructional book, and it looks to be just the thing for not losing your needles; I'd been doing small round knitting in the traditional many double pointed needle method, which is fine by the (virtual fireside) at home, but not so much fun when your needle drops to the filthy floor on the bus and rolls out of sight. This new-to-me method is much more secure, and just as easy; I expect that if you were just learning, it would be much easier than the "traditional" method.

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Took the test for the US Census today, and same as ten years ago got a 100 score - of course that doesn't correlate with getting a job, but it means that I don't need to schedule any re-tests. (Fortunately I enjoy taking those sorts of tests, don't know why; I took lots of them as a young thing, since every time I changed schools I had to be re-tested, and we moved a lot back then.) It sure would be good to get a temporary job this spring, right around tax time any little bit comes in handy...

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For anyone who's got a full piggybank and likes incredible guitar playing, Richard Thompson is going to be at the Alladin Theater (Monday through Wednesday next week) Should be well worth seeing, I wish I was going...

1952 Vincent Black Lightning

Media Monday + ornaments

Every day, in addition to my regular work, I've been making things for our Holiday Marketplace this weekend. It is always a real challenge for me to come up with ideas for things to sell for under $20, as mostly I make things that are very time consuming. This year I am focusing on small decorative ornaments, intended to sell some for $5 and some for $10. Today I finished using the last of some beautiful printed linen, combined with felt and a bit of embroidery...
There was one small piece left, and I decided that the front door of Acorn Cottage needed a bit of Dala horse holiday goodness. I added the holly leaves from a scrap of felted sweater and some leftover bits of red wool felt. I was over at Bolt, my favorite small local fabric store, on Saturday; I brought along the ornaments to show them, since I'd been buying the felt and floss there,(the quarter yard of printed linen was from Japan, by way of Etsy). Gina (the owner) asked me to let her know if ever I want to write some tutorials for their shop. When using public transit, local shops become very important, I could go to Fabric Depot or Mill Ends (never to the evil J-A empire), but that takes at least an hour or more; Bolt is only a short busride away, in the summertime I could actually ride there on my bike, and the folks who work there are both very knowledgeable and really friendly.

The front lawn is raked, and most of the leaves are now in the hen pen; the girls were very dubious about my dumping piles of leaves all over their spot, but soon discovered that there were bugs-n-bits in those leaves. Total time for raking and leaf moving is about four hours, spread over several days...not too bad. The henhouse is also all cleaned out and fresh straw installed. While doing all these healthy outdoor chores, I had a sudden flash of insight about the henhouse: I don't need to build a new one, I can remodel the one I have. If I add windows (probably plexiglass reinforced with wire mesh) to the main area of their house, it will be lighter inside, and less appealing as a place to lay eggs. Then if I add a different nest box that is both lower and darker than the main area (and maybe close off the current nest box), they will probably decide to sleep in the upper zone. Needs more thought over the next month or two, but has possibilities.

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I decided to hang the laundry outside to dry, as the sky is clear and sunny. However, it is so cold today that the dishtowels that I was hanging out froze stiff, looking very odd as they didn't flap in the breeze. but tilted. Hopefully the wind will gradually pull the moisture away, and if not, I haven't lost anything and can still put them in the dryer.

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And to start the week and the month and the holiday season off properly here's something slightly askew - I first heard this song as a freshman in college...

The laws of physics are implacable, and other tidbits

I recently finished knitting a new scarf-headband "Quant", knit in entrelac, and designed by Star (who worked at the Olympia Food Coop when I was there, but now works at Twisted here in Portland, and as a knitting designer) I had knit it a bit too long, so decided to felt it gently. The Taos yarn is really quick-felting, and the surface went from being highly textured to being smooth, which really shows off the color variations. It is the perfect little head-warming thing to wear around the house, and will be very welcome as the autumn fades and winter sets in. Acorn Cottage is rather drafty...

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Sometimes lack of forethought bites you in the butt, or in my case, the elbow. Was a sunny day, so I put the clothing out on the clothesline to dry. Except the clothesline broke, since the wet clothing was heavy, and the cord was old. Did I cleverly take all the clothing off before trying to re-tie it? ...no. I tied the broken cord together and then heaved mightily on the end of that old worn out clothesline to lift the wet clothing back up to where I could tie off the end of the line. Did I think about what a year of being out in the sun and rain meant for that cordage?...no. When the ancient fibers parted, flinging clean laundry everywhere, tossing the bucket of clothespins into the garden bed, and turning all that potential energy into kinetic energy, did I acrobatically do a backwards somersault and land on my feet?... NO. I went down backwards on the concrete walkway, fortunately my bottom hit first, but my elbow was a close second. Hopefully in the future I will think before doing, or at least not hang up the laundry before breakfast. Ice, Arnica, and Hypericum are my friends...

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propane - runnin' all round my brain... Wednesday was intended as a smoothly planned working day involving lots and lots of soldering, and a bit of visiting with my dear friend Viki. Well, it ended up with the two of us spending most of the day driving around in her car instead. The folks over at Amerigas are starting to recognise me, I was there earlier this year to see if they could figure out what was going on with my Orca torch; it turns out that the problem was in my tank and not in the torch head at all, since there were suddenly similar problems with my sturdy old reliable Bernzomatic. SO, we dropped the old tank off to be dealt with, and I decided that I needed to get a new back-up tank. I wanted a little tank (smaller than 5 gallon). After much searching, we ended up at Bi-Mart, and I was able to get a tiny one-gallon tank. Now mind you, a one gallon tank will last me the better part of a year, soldering doesn't use anywhere near as much fuel as cooking.

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My friend Kat brought me some snowdrop bulbs from her yard; they will be planted in the memorial garden. I look forward to seeing them blooming early next spring. She also brought me some autumn-flowering cyclamen, tiny and pink. I was hoping to put them in the ground near the sage in the front yard, but the ground there is rock hard and not very welcoming. I'm thinking instead of putting them in a planter-pot for now, and then planting them in the ground after the autumn rains have softened the soil and I can do some digging

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I was surprised to see that this is my 100th post - doesn't seem like I've been writing that much, but there you have it... As seems a bit "traditional" in blogland, I'm going to offer a surprise giveaway to celebrate the occasion. One lucky reader will receive a surprise package of Acorn Cottage crafty goodness. Please leave a comment, with your name and how to contact you. I'll be drawing a random number on October 25.

Teaparty Tidbits

Corrie has a chocolate bunny. (well really it is old Playmobil and has been in my box of odd bits for years now, but it is perfect for her.)

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One of the things that I did last week was make some more* candied peel. The frugal thing about candied peel is that you eat the tasty citrus first, and since citrus peels compost very poorly, using them as an ingredient is a good thing. I've decided that grapefruit peel is the best; it has a lovely texture when candied, the contrast between the sugary crust and the tender, slightly bitter inside is something that I find delectable. I'll post later this week about the process, (if anyone is interested). It is easy, but a bit tedious.

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What I did with some of this peel was decorate the cupcakes for today's teaparty. I doubled my usual cake recipe (in lemon, without poppyseeds) and baked it as cupcakes. Atop a simple white-lemon butter frosting, the cut bits of candied peel looked quite glittery, and the wee cakes were well received.
Today my friend Z showed up, as well as the most of the teaparty regulars, save those who were away at various events. Z brought me an amazingly huge book, a memory gift from the estate of David of Moffat, all in French, of "Emaux de Moyen Age Occidental" which I think, based on the lovely pictures, is "Enamels of the European Middle Ages. I will think of David every time I look at the pictures refer to the book; he was a generous patron of the arts and an incredibly talented artist in his own right as well. In addition, My friend Sam brought some wood hyacinth bulbs for Acorn Cottage. I am blessed with thoughtful and generous friends.

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Last week I ran off for an afternoon with my dear friends at Hrafinstaad; I always return home to Acorn Cottage, after visiting them, inspired and energised. They are turning their Beaverton yard into a more sustainable homeplace, and there is a wonderfully quirky colorful and artistic sensibility that pervades their home. I never know what new project they'll have been working on since my last visit...I got to see their hay bale garden beds, and the new (decorative and edible) plantings in the front yard, and the folding fence-hung clothesline. That last one I'm figuring out how to modify for my own back yard... Rois has a true eye for making a home that is beautiful, comfortable and full of intriguing artifacts and vignettes, without ever feeling cluttered. She sent me home with a vintage doll dress for Coriander. The dress is probably a Madame Alexander or Ginny doll dress from the late 50's, and is in remarkably good shape. Stylishly striped, with an attached cotton petticoat, it reminds me of the kind of dresses that I wore back then, although as a child I much preferred coveralls to skirts.

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* I had sent all the candied peel I made off to my father as a (belated) holiday birthday gift, and since I hope to make fruitcake next wintertime holiday season, which is certainly months away and since I adore candied peel at any time, it seemed the thing to do while citrus is still in season and relatively cheap.

Because it's time + clothesline envy

I am so ready for winter to be done, I left life in the snowlands behind 'cos I love the grey rain, not that snow in March thing... so, being hopeful that the inspiration will be the parent to the fact, I chose some springtime colors to make the new seasonal sprites, and am changing out my front window decorations to reflect the (hopefully) warmer days to come. Made a little Early Rhubarb sprite all pink and green; one of my two rhubarb plants has made it through the winter and is just peeking above the dead leaf mulch. I'll be making a few more sprites, in varied soft and bright colors and putting them into the shop. The sprites are just the right size to take with me as a riding-transit project, all the supplies fit in a little plastic sandwich box, and having a project makes the waiting for the bus into a productive time rather than an annoyance

Today is a housey-day, all the needed tasks are a form of housewifery. A bit more cleaning needs done before folks arrive this weekend, I'm going to get a head start on tea-party snackage, I have a sewing commission to work on, and since the forecast is a sunny windy day, some time in the backyard doing cleanup/garden prep would be a good idea. Hmmm...laundry + sunny-windy, I think I'll hang the laundry on the line this morning. Nothing better than sundried clothing and bedsheets.

Once I get the new chicken run in place, I'm hoping to figure out a better clothesline solution. Right now, I have a cobbled-in-place one, tied from the side chainlink fence to a hook above the door to the shed. It works, but it also crosses the pathway to the backyard, so if there is laundry drying, you run a gauntlet of damp flapping fabric. Not ideal! My nextdoor neighbors, on the other hand, have a perfectly good sturdy clothesline in their backyard that was obviously built by a former owner, since they never use it, and last year turned it into a bean trellis. In my dreams, I've one of these lovely Hills Hoist laundry dryers from Australia, but realistically, a better location in the backyard will be a good solution.

~ :♥: ~