Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine has a busy week here at Acorn Cottage...

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Thursday I completed the long delayed project of installing the LED rope light along the ceiling above my front porch ramp. It took rather a great deal of "figure it out" all out of proportion to the finished effect, but I am pleased nonetheless. And it means I no longer have all those feet of rope light hanging from the closet rod. I may be slow, but I eventually get things done. There are 18 cable clamps holding up the lighting, which meant 36 individual trips up and down the stepladder, once each to predrill the pilot hole, and once each to actually screw the clamp to the ceiling, once I had threaded all the clamps onto the rope light strand.

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~ hand craft ~

About a quarter of the way done with hand stitching a pair of leather gloves, for doing yardwork, so I won't keep tearing up my hands. They will fit my stumpy little fingers, which readymade gloves never do. This I've been meaning to do this ever since I took an SCA workshop on how to make a pattern for gloves... These, made from salvaged pigskin, with seams on the outside, are very "rustic". If I could purchase gloves that fit me, I wouldn't need to do this, but having work gloves with fingers that end where mine do, instead of a cm or two beyond, will allow for much greater dexterity

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My sister sent me two kitchen surprises this week - a box of pre-cut 4" rounds of parchment paper, and a bottle of Fiori di Sicilia (exotic flavoring oils) both which were used for making an improved plum torte. I can't quite describe the flavor, other than that it adds a depth and complexity that tastes "special". I did change up the recipe a bit, switching to some light brown sugar along with the white, and adding ¼ tsp vanilla, ¼ tsp almond extract, and 6 extremely tiny drops of Fiori di Sicilia dripped from the end of a toothpick. Oh, and I left off the lemon juice/cinnamon/sugar. Much tastier torte...

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~ oh darn it ~

Sister Gigi's dog chewed glove, along with the gradient assortment of mending/darning wool I ordered. I am pleased that there are several different medium grey yarns; one or the other of the central grey skeins is probably the best match of the seven. It should be fairly unobtrusive to knit up the thumb, once the extra tiny knitting needles arrive here. It will be a challenge for certain!

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	11 jars of Awesome Sauce	prune grapevine	yard waste bin
2	3 jars applesauce	pick up windfalls	yard waste bin
3	title tinyprint	more windfalls	recycle bin
4	1 jar apricot preserves	xp2 sunhat toile	yard waste bin
5	7 pints applesauce	cut back ferns	yard waste bin
6	rainbow panova	porch light fixture	recycle bin
7	2# dried pears	2 tiny glove darns	x
8	8 pints applesauce	x	x
9	5 jars Awesome sauce	x	x
10	+ 6 more jars of Awesome	x	x
11	+ 7 jars of Awesome	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I was much amused when I realised the noises I was hearing from behind the former daycare fencing were not human kids, but young goat kids! As I discovered when I put my eye to a gap in the fence boards.
2. improved plum torte
3. it might be the last of the line dried bedding, given the time of year, but I am very much enjoying the scent of my nice clean duvet cover.

Time of Isolation - Day 1188

rule of thumb - day 20 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine has a good breakfast...

starting the day on a brighter note, my kitchen experiment with swapping out cooked kasha (buckwheat groats) for the cooked rice in Spinach Rice Bake* was an unqualified success! I've already tried from time to time changing out the vegetable for what I have on hand, but this was the first time with an alternate starch. Since I adore kasha, and try to be sparing with my rice useage because arsenic, this is a win win.

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I have long found apron straps to cause trouble inside the drum of the washing machine by entangling other clothing into stupid knots... and finally came up with a solution: instead of laundry day tangles, detachable straps/ties!

My first step was to create a leather spacer to keep the crossed straps tidy. Two layers of fairly thick leather glued together, then cut to shape, the holes punched at the ends where the cut slits are serve the same function as grommets, to distribute the strain and keep the leather from tearing out.

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the strap guide keeps them neatly centered in the back (without the guide, straps tend to cross right behind the neck, which I find most uncomfortable), and the straps then go through loops at the waist, cross one more time, and either buckle or tie closed.

the entire apron strap assembly is detachable, as it connects to the bib of the apron with this clever swivel/snap hook hardware... The whole system now works like a charm to defeat the laundry day blues, and I can have several work aprons in rotation but only need the one set of straps. I now will be making a heavy shop/gardening apron, in addition to the lightweight kitchen aprons

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beauty in the time of isolation:

callery pear flowers, they don't fruit and are common street trees...
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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	-	-	recycle bin
3	x	x	-
4	x	x	-
5	x	x	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	x
10	x	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 - this recipe from my childhood is become a staple breakfast dish, or equally well as a potluck contribution, should we ever have social gatherings again...

* Spinach Rice Bake
1 C cooked starch (rice, kasha, bulgar etc)
1 C shredded cheese
1 c cooked veg, chopped
2 eggs
2 T melted butter
2 t chopped onion
⅓ C milk (or 1 T dry milk and ⅓ C water)
½ t Worcester sauce
½ t dried herbs (or such fresh herbs as seem pleasing)

10 x 6 baking dish, 350°F, 20 - 25 min

enclosure - day 18 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine gets some yard work done...

I really need to get back to my plan for creating some leather work gloves for myself. I made the pattern, I have several types of suitable leather. My poor paws are both scratched and bleeding from tree twigs, and rough and dry from repeated handwashings. Hindsight is 20/20.

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kitchen art wall... The DIY wooden brackets for the vintage Couroc that also allow it to be easily removed, have finally been installed. I found the tray at a yard sale years ago, and love the iconic San Francisco motifs (Fisherman's Wharf, Coit Tower, cable car, etc...) Now I can enjoy seeing it every day. Was quite a design challenge to figure out how to attach it to the wall.

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this sort of protection is a necessity for any tender food plants or seedlings. I found a parsley plant growing amongst a big patch of chickweed, when starting to refurbish the salad table, and decided to repot it into a bigger and deeper planter... in the 24 hours between my doing that and this afternoon, a good chunk of the new potting soil was on the porch floor. So, my yardwork task of the day was to wrassle with some of the wire mesh to create a temporary squirrel-proof cloche.

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There was an attempt made at stuffed baked pork chops. While techincally edible, it was not a success. I suspect that the difference between tender succulence and dry-as-dust is only a few degrees of heat or minutes of time. I don't usually cook pork chops. While the flavor of the dried fruit/port wine/pecan stuffing was a great compliment to the meat, the meat itself was sadly overcooked, fibrous, and bland. I'd have done better to simply slice the chops into thin stir fry bits and made a sauce with the filling.

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The other thing that got done this afternoon was about an hour and a half of pruning/cleaning up the Japanese maple tree next to the front porch. I was about a week late to the task, as it has begun to show signs of spring growth - buds and even a few unfurling leaves. It helps my aesthetic sense to clear away all the twigs and branches that died over the winter, and some minimal pruning, to remove any branches that are starting to cross over one another and rub, or some that are drooping so low as to interfere with mowing...

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Kestrel kuspuk	darned Totoro gloves	recycle bin
2	6 jars orange marmalade	power bar kitchen	random books
3	5 jars applesauce	power bar workshop	recycle bin
4	horseradish	long power bar computer	extra apples
5	charter #1	rain capelet binding	yard waste bin
6	Black Ice cardigan	new mask elastics	-
7	charter #2	new mask nosewires	-
8	6 jars sumo marmalade	alter An Tir knit top	-
9	rainbow baby cardigan	wall mount Couroc tray	x
10	rainbow baby hat	refurbish apron straps	x
11	rainbow baby booties	prune Japanese maple	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude -
I know when to stop (sometimes)... both pruning, and dealing with wire mesh, and yard work in general, tend to break me. I think I stopped soon enough today that I am only tired. Also, this pocket saw is really a champ, folds safely, not to heavy or large for my pockets, and does exactly what it is described as in the catalog... would recommend 10/10

slow and steady

in which our plucky heroine makes use of a simple idea...

I've wanted a leather catch tray for my bench for years, and after converting it to a cutaway version it was finally possible. Then it took months for me to figure out a removeable/replaceable attachement system...

Toggles. First some wirework with scrap brass wire to create a toggle with an eye, then hemp cord tied in a loop. The loop is run through the eye in a larks head knot

Then the whole toggle/loop is run through a punched hole in the leather in a second larks head knot. Five eye screws attached to the underside of the bench, as anchor points... the brass toggles are sized to neatly fit through the eye. It is a tidy and functional fastening system, and uses materials that were on hand.

I realise that this is not anything like rocket science, but a pretty simple concept. Sometimes it just takes a Long Time of Cogitation for a good solution to work up to the surface of my brain, and when trying to do something for which there are no easy internet tutorials, I have learned to be patient with myself and my mind.

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Took a while to get up to speed this morning. Heather and Brandon are here to help out, and my initial idea for gathering up assorted yard detritus and heading out to the transfer station turned, in the face of how cold it is, to instead, completing the painting of the kitchen walls. Which basically took all day, though putting a fan and one of the little oil radiators in the kitchen and closing it off from the rest of the house encouraged the paint to dry.

We cleverly decided that our Friendsgiving meal would be better cooked and served before we tore the kitchen apart to paint two more walls, and it was a wonderful feast! Heather brought a package of BIG scallops from the good fish market in Olympia, which I cooked on the stovetop in a vaguely "scampi" style -  browned butter in a pan, and seared on one side, then turned and cooked just long enough on the other while I made up a butter/garlic/sherry sauce. Side dishes of a big green salad, some steamed sweet potato, and oven roasted brussel sprouts with olive oil and baslamic vinegar, followed, later on, with narrow wedges of my homemade pecan pie.

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	three sketches	necklace pegs	yard waste bin
2	2 more sketches	cardigan sleeves	paper recycling
3	scrappy collage cardigan	harvest 15# persimmons	lots of leaves
4	scrappy collage knit top	patched overall pinafore	apple watersprouts
5	floral scarf	Tullia mitts	yard waste bin
6	rain capelet	side yard drainpipe	paper recycling
7	Awesome sauce	Drusa mitts	-
8	quince jelly	hooks for plunger	x
9	quince sauce	leather catch tray	x
10	persimmon ketchup	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 - being able to complete projects, with the help of friends. Having skills and knowledge to make incremental progress that will make further activity more pleasant.

no sharp pokey bits

in which our plucky heroine prevents injury...

stitched up a sturdy leather case for my new tiny scissors... they might be only 2 7/8" from stem to stern, with blades only 3/4" long, but they are mighty sharp, and need a safe home while travelling:

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	brown linen blouse	GM enamel	extra tartlets**
2	jingle bell	brown blouse cuffs	bag of fabric scraps
3	indigo batik dress	enamel reset	low hanging branches
4	miyazaki stamps	x	yard waste bin
5	Laurel stamp	x	bag to Goodwill
6	much Awesome Sauce	x	-
7	5 jars mandarin oranges	x	-
8	scissors sheath	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	-

motorcycle jacket (accordion) gusset

in which our plucky heroine rides the wayback machine to save a bit of old but still useful data...

Okay, I'm going to try and explain what I call the "accordion gusset", which is used on the back armscye of motorcycle jackets to allow the riders arms to move freely in a forward direction, which as you can imagine is vital...

Now obviously this sketch is not to any particular scale, and (if your pattern does not have these gussets as drafted pieces) you might want to do some experimental mockups to determine the best width to allow your arm to move freely. This will not affect the armsceye seam or your sleeve, just the back of the jacket. If you have a back yoke, the gusset will need to rise as far as the shoulder seam.

There are two layers to the gusset, which is stitched together to form a kind of accordion pleat between the back and the sleeve. In leather, to make sewing the shoulder and side seam less difficult and lumpy, the under-layer of the gusset (which attaches to the sleeve) is cut wider than the upper-layer (which attaches to the back) and is offset by at least the width of the seam allowance (so as to not have several layered seams all needing to be stitched into one place). It can be offset more as a design element.

The edge/seam allowance/contour of the under gusset needs to be the same as the original armscye edge, with the other piece drafted to be further in towards the jacket body. I would probably sew the upper gusset to the back, turn and topstitch, then sew the under gusset to the upper gusset. From that point you can simply sew as usual, as the back of the jacket is now the same size as the original pattern.

I also used this concept for a wedding dress made for a friend, who wanted complete range of arm motion combined with a fitted set in sleeve. I did not offset the gusset at all, since the silk fabric was much thinner that riding leathers. By experimentation, we determined that extending the gusset under the arm, and gradually curving it away to nothing in the front armscye, would both leave the front of the bodice entirely undisturbed and allow her to move her arms freely both forward and directly overhead. When her arms were down, the gusset folded up neatly and unobtrusively.

This is a Useful Technique and is not often seen other than on riding leathers...

slow stitchery

in which our plucky heroine unvents* a knot...

I've been slowly making progress on my Viking purse, in betwixt working on projects for others, or for sales trinkets. I love that I've been able to bring knowledge learned as a child into projects done decades later. I learned to braid round, and square, four strand braids back when my age was measured in single digits, and that skill has served me well over the years.

After I braided the ends on the shoulder strap for my Viking bag, I really wanted some sort of tidy way to finish the ends, after sliding the braid through the holes in the carved wood. My vague concept was "some sort of decorative stopper knot, with a tassel"...

After an unsuccessful internet search for a four stranded stopper knot, I experimented with different ways to bring round the ends, and decided to combine a four strand square braid interlace I learned as a child, with a sort of loop around and through, to form a knot with a tasseled end. Each of the four tassel ends were then split in half again, leaving eight strands.

Well, as it turns out, I managed to "unvent"* the Turks Head terminal knot, as Tullia commented when she saw my project. Turns out I was looking in the wrong places for information, and when I borrowed a Library book on leather braiding, there was the very knot I had sussed out a few days before...

...and now that the strap is neatly ended and attached to the bag, all that still remains is to run a line of stitching in waxed linen up each side of the shoulder strap. This is a slow process, not as much in the stitching which is straighforward and simple, but because stitching through the two layers needs must have stitching holes punched through all along the strap on both sides. I use some venerable thonging chisels, which come in either single, four, or seven ended options.

I've been using the four end chisel, as that is the best balance between effort and convenience. I expect that the strap will be finished entire before the first summertime SCA event.

* unvent is an Elizabeth Zimmerman term for creating from scratch a design or technique that others have likely come up with once or more again in history... not exactly the same as inventing somthing brand new, but equally clever

Norwegian medieval money pouch

in which our plucky heroine does a dab of leatherwork...

I've long been wanting to try this project, a small medieval coin pouch. I followed these directions on Katafalk, and found them to be both accurate and useful.

The design, based on an extant 13th/14th C medieval artifact from Bruges Museum in Bergen, has a clever and simple round of gathering, that shapes the pouch, helps make a space for the coins, and actually creates an almost flat bottom for setting the pouch down.

The first step, after cutting out the circle of leather that makes the pouch, is punching the holes for the drawstring and the lower gathering

Next step is to run a strip of leather through the holes in the middle of the circle...

Then pull the leather in to create the pouched center. and anchor one end of the strip so it will keep that size

Take the long end, thread it into a large needle and carefully stitch over each of the gathers, catching the gathering strip at the same time. Once all the way around, send the working end of the strip to the inside of the pouch, and tie it off.

Voila! a clever pouch, with neatly anchored gathers. Approximate size 3" from base to top edge. I looped the drawstring strap around the top edge, which still leaves just enough to loop and tie onto a belt.

There are more detailed process photos on Cathrin Åhlén's blog Katafalk, I find her various works very inspiring, and am grateful that she found this delightful small purse and showed so clearly how to re-create it.

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May SMART goals

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	printed trim samples	caged feral roses	cardboard recycling
2	banner design	block printed undergown hem	-
3	small coin pouch	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	-	-
7	-	-	-
8	-	-	-
9	-	-	-
10	-	-	-
11	-	-	-
12	-	-	-