Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine dreams of cooler weather...

September is almost here, but the temperature outdoors, while not as horrid as in some of the previous years, is still fiercely summer. I've been working on the multiple layers of woolen garments suitable for 16th c German, a sewing commission that is quite fascinating. My own autumnal garment making plans are legion, but more realistically I've about a half dozen things in the queue. Mostly sewing, as I am a Very Slow Knitter...

For sewing I'll be finishing up the grey and white striped everyday dress from my summertime queue, a white cotton slip to wear with it, and to help it transition into autumn, hopefully adding a darker grey linen pinafore to layer. Probably two new long sleeve knit tops, one in a pale teal mushroom print, and one in a peach/pink with Charles and Ray Eames motifs. (I had good luck last year turning decorative tee shirts into sleeves for a long sleeve kit top, and want to try again)

The more exciting project I hope to get to is to create a short jacket by combining handknitted sleeves with some handwoven wool twill fabric. The fabric was a gift, and isn't enough by itself to make a garment, but is dense and flexible. I immediately thought of Carol Sunday's "Stripey Sleeve Bolero" and was inspired by the style and combination of solid and stripes. I'm pretty sure that the pattern is out of print, since it isn't on her website any more. I'm going to use the design as a jumping off point, and plan on making it as outerwear, with worsted weight stripey handknit sleeves suitable for the heavier wool fabric, useful in the cool damp days that will surely eventually arrive.

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Suddenly one morning whilst our plucky heroine was in the shower, brilliant if small idea struck!... I can use tongue depressors (aka "craft stix") as shims for the wooden molding in the bathroom. That project has been on hold for months, nay years, since I couldn't figure out how to deal with neatly attaching the molding to surfaces that vary in height. Why, one may ask do I have tongue depressors? because I am considering a short detour to the land of the very small. While I did send Hazel and Zinnia off to live with little Kestrel, that doesn't mean that there won't be future small artifacts and tiny dolls made. Seriously, is not this clothespin bed too cute for words?

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	undergown bodice	popover pockets	plant stand
2	Lion's cub master	gown band printed	bag to Goodwill
3	Leo Minor master	Kestrel gown neckline	bag to Goodwill
4	Lion's Mane master	freezer defrosted	bag to Goodwill
5	Kestrel gown toile	kitchen wall painted	old frozen food
6	smocked linen apron	repair soapdish	morning glories
7	overgown bodice	add AC to kitchen	windfall apples
8	x	x	-
9	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 - living near enough to Pendelton mill outlet stores that their wool fabric for historical garments is a possibility. The brown wool I am currently using is a dream to work with...

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Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine switches gears and cogitates a lot...

Currently busy working on an original scroll, with a Byzantine theme, which I chose to interpret using various pieces of historical cloisonné as my inspiration. The challenge for me is to find a way to create a visually balanced design without the aid of using a manuscript page for my inspiration, which, being a two dimensional, rectangular object, is easier to adapt...

Am pretty pleased with the overall plan I came up with, after several false starts. Tonight, after I transfered the design to Bristol board (that will be the base for the actual artwork), I am now drawing in all the small patterned details, prior to inking the outline in so I can then move on to the actual calligraphy and illumination.

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popover dress is completed, and while there are a few minor changes I will make to the new draft, for future popovers, I am rather pleased with the outcome. The overdye worked out most excellently.

The "teal" color is a bit more of a turquoise green than a turquoise blue, which is actually good, as it is a tiny variation on the colors I already have, but perfectly acceptable. Indeed, I am considering if a few more garments in the teal/turquoise end of the spectrum would be welcome for that transitional season where summer turns to autumn, or where spring turns to summer...

A while back I was gifted with a dresslength of heavy cotton/linen in a turqoise/black shot weave, that might indeed make a colorful pinafore...hmmm... and there are a few printed cottons (all in the blue/navy/teal spectrum) that will someday turn into tops/blouses/tunics... I've some vague idea brewing of how to transmogrify the popover pattern into a tunic/top with actual sleeves...

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	x	overdye dress	-
2	x	-	-
3	x	x	-
4	x	x	-
5	x	x	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	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

sick for days

in which our plucky heroine is as hollow as a stalk of bamboo...

I have been quite ill for the last several days, and while I will spare all and sundry the gory details, my first comment says it all. The numbers on my scale have gone down almost ten pounds, but I certainly do not recommend this...

I have been sipping this rehydration solution which tastes peculiar but seems to help. Today, as I have been able to stay upright and awake for slightly longer, and as my fever seems to have abated, I cooked a tiny amount of plain white rice, and plan to add it to some of the "broth in a box" which has been next on my list of inputs. I keep the plain broth on my earthquake shelf, and having it here has been a great help when I am feeling too feeble to leave the house to go shopping. Indeed, it would also have helped to have some of the rice noodles on hand, as they cook a lot faster than even white rice. I will add them to the shelf when I am feeling robust enough to shop again. The resilience of a small shelf of easy to fix and eat supplies is not only useful for natural disasters, but more commonly and frequently for the smaller domestic and personal disasters such as illness.

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When I was on my way over to Marya's house for some scribal fun on the day before I was laid low, there was clear indication that wintertime will soon be gone - the hedge at the far end of her street has started to bloom!

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Sadly, the last few days have consisted of only resting and recovery, though I am quite grateful for being able to stay home, and not share being ill with others, and for having supplies here to take care of myself. (I am not looking forward to my utility bill to come, since I have turned the portable heaters on in both the bedroom and the bathroom for the last few days.) It also has become clear to me that my prior strategy of letting things get into a bit of a mess for a few days, and then cleaning and tidying, is not a good idea... I was just getting ready to do a big push, and deal with Mt Washmore and Mt Dishmore when I fell ill, and having to look at a sink full of dirty dishes, or a pile of unfolded clothing, without having the energy to deal with what is usually a minor effort, has been very discouraging. In fact, it has furthered my recovery in that all I want to do is dive back under the covers and sleep some more! But again, not a recommended strategy. When I am actually feeling better, I will do my best to end each day with a cleaner slate!

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Slavic scroll blank	-	-
2	x	-	-
3	x	-	-
4	x	-	-
5	x	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	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

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scavenger hunt Sunday

in which our plucky heroine makes progress...

my pal Randal organised "The Epic Photo Scavenger Hunt", as an online challenge between August 1st and October 31st. There are 67 items on the list, I had six the first week, the second week added another ten... the third week added five more, and this week added six more -

17. five

I noticed that the eggs from Boneclaw Mother and Nanny Og (my backyard hens) made a lovely design. Even more than I like the five eggs, I like the five different reflections in the steel bowl of my kitchen scale.

36. a silhouette

Farbjorn installs the cloudlight panel above my entryway. What pleased me about this image was the different levels of lighting, from the silhouette of his head to the way the light played along the panel with hard and soft shadows on the ceiling...


42. a sunset

setting sun seen through heavy smoke, view from Willamette bluff across to the west hills, early in August, when the smoke from multiple fires across the PNW blanketed the city.

47. a freight train

in front of Kate and Dublin's house, the train tracks are busy with freight trains, and with passenger trains. Caught this one in the morning while we waited for the eclipse to start.

48. an empty parking lot

New Seasons Arbor Lodge, just after closing, at about 11:05 PM

59. front page of newspaper

I'm hoping that this is the most exciting newspaper front page to show up between now and the end of October, I much prefer natural occurrences to politics.

scavenger hunt Sunday

in which our plucky heroine has fun...

A friend organised "The Epic Photo Scavenger Hunt", which will take place between August 1st and October 31st, as an amusing way to share images and learn more about how to use our cameras, and to comment in ways that may help us to become better at photography. A camera or at very least my clever phone is part of my EDC, and it occurred to me that the images could be shared here on the blog, as well. There are 67 items on the list, so getting started right away seems like a good plan. So far I have six:

10. a barn

August 2 2017. While I forgot my digital camera, as well as several other desired things, when I left Portland very early Wednesday last week to escape the worst of the heat wave, I did have my phone with me... and attempted to catch several of the barns visible from the train heading north to Olympia. This image was my most successful.

21. a closeup of an insect

August 6 2017. a Grey Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) feeding on wild mint nectar. I was actually in the driveway attempting to photograph the many different species of bees also enjoying the mint nectar, and then noticed this wee grey butterfly that was moving quietly along one horizontal blossom spike.

28. a passenger train

August 4 2017 - one of the passenger platforms at Union Station in Portland, Coast Starlight on the left, Amtrak Cascades on the right. I happened to unexpectedly take a train trip up to Olympia this past week, and on my return to Portland the very chiaroscuro lighting on the platform caught my attention when we returned...

30. a team mascot

August 2 2017. OMNIA EXTARES! This is a beautifully artistic interpretation of the mascot of my alma mater (The Evergreen State College), our native geoduck. We even have a fight song "Go Geoducks Go"

37. a pet

August 2 2017. Toshi, canine guardian of the Mud Bay folks, paw in hand with Maeva... because Toshi, although very photogenic, is averse to having his picture taken, I decided to go with the more conceptual image, to illustrate his connection to the people he loves.

64. P is for... pea vines

August 2 2017. Also for peascods, and peasblossoms, in the backyard at the Mud Bay House. (we get to choose what "P" is for, and I thought these beautiful enough to be worth sharing)