Tuesday trinkets and treats

in which our plucky heroine has a pleasant surprise...

FOUND!! My beloved retractable tape measure, long missing, turned up in, of all peculiar places, between the crock pot liner and the crock pot! When plugged in to start warming up (while prepping remains of last night's chicken legs to make broth for tom kha gai) noticed the inner pot was sitting all cattywhompus, so before it got hot enough to damage the plastic measuring tape housing it was back in the sewing box where it normally lived, and the broth was able to cook properly

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~ peony ~

Not in my yard, but walking (or biking) around the neighborhood there are all sorts of delights for sight and smell. Roses blooming, and fragrant wisteria... Right now the honeybees are so fond of the sage blossoms that they are loud when walking toward the front door

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I had forgotten the Haptic and Hue podcasts, when a post turned up on one of my social media feeds for their recent presentation about the Folly Cove Designers. Not only was that a treat to listen to, but now there is a lot more content for me to enjoy listening to

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As a way to supplement my earthquake shelf, ordered two new bulk food powders to try: coconut milk, and cheddar cheese sauce. it occurred to me that it might be possible to get some of the dried cheese sauce most often found in little aluminum packets inside boxes of Annies mac, or Kraft dinner. A pound bag was worth the taste test. As was pound of dried coconut milk; since it usually comes in largish cans too big for when I make dinner for one. Yes, I freeze the rest in cubes for future use, but it would be very handy to have some shelf-stable option in the pantry . 

The cheese sauce is tasty, (tried that one with rice pasta the day it arrived) and doesn't taste near as salty as the tiny packets. It will do nicely for pasta or other starch or for veggie sauce, even not in an emergency, as will the dry coconut milk, which worked out very well in dinner tonight (faux tom kha kai) Lots of substitutions but a tasty dinner anyway. Ginger instead of galingale, fresh lime zest and juice instead of makrut leaves, brown sugar instead of palm sugar, some red thai curry paste instead of fresh chilies, and the new powdered coconut milk (very easy to rehydrate by shaking 3 tablespoons in a jar with ¼ cup water. The soup was a treat, and there are two more portions for tomorrow and/or the freezer.

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Last week was the annual five days of "Making Zen": free online workshops, and Selina Ben's "Unwritten Folded Treasure Pouch" tutorial was appealing enough that it will be my next small handwork project. Combining as it does almost origami-esque folded design, and a new-to-me decorative fastening stitch, it will be another good use for small pieces of special fabrics.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Rosa sketch	Bad Smell gone	greenwaste bin
2	boro thread basket	-	recycle bin
3	boro basket 2	-	-
4	boro basket 3	-	-
5	boro basket 4	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Good podcasts to listen to.
- Lovely scented seasonal flowers, particularly roses and wisteria.
- long missing beloved tape measure found
- honeybees love the sage blossoms
- faux Tom Kha Gai soup
- finished cutting out landscape blouse

Time of Isolation - Day 2132

betcha can't make just one

in which our plucky heroine solves a conundrum...

... and removes toxic art materials from the house;  also finishes up a second boro thread basket. Now the sewing machine and the serger will have their own, and there are ideas a-fizzing for other ways to use this technique.  

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~ strata ~

Working on a tiny stitched container is incredibly satisfying, one could become addicted to making these and the resulting small squashy palm-size basket is Just Right. This project is small enough to always have one on hand for pickup work. Limiting factor will be the thin gauzy fabric for the innermost layer.

Basket #2 will have the inner layer made from pinstripe leftovers from my most recent shirt sewing project. The directional changes remind me of geological formations. The base form I've been using was probably once a mustard jar, but for years now has been holding backstock whole peppercorns, so as it is turned about during stitching, it makes a small rattling sound, softer than a rain stick.

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a stinky saga... Last night before bedtime I caught a whiff of a most peculiar and somewhat acrid scent. Early today when I sat down at the computer for a video meeting, it came back randomly, but often enough to be concerning. (Since it smelled a bit like burnt plastic/shorted wiring! it was not something to ignore.) My pal Turquoise helpfully looked up info online about "odd smells in the home" which let me know what it likely was not... 

I spent hours this morning attempting to locate what was wrong. First opened windows in each room. Climbed up the stepladder to open the attic hatch, headed over to the far end of the workroom to check the circuit breaker box, went outside to sniff around both my heat pump and my good neighbors heat pump which is just across the side yard from the living room window. Unplugged every non critical bit of machinery, and switched off all the power strips. Periodically going outside to let my sense of smell reset...

It was clear after both walking round the house sniffing everywhere, and unplugging things, that the scent was mostly in the living room . . .  I then glanced down . . . Yesterday I'd purchased some "soft-kut" linoleum substitute, a grey rubbery slab, to carve a new printing block, and had left it on a side table near the computer zone. When picked up and sniffed, et voila, the source of the horrible odor. I immediately put it outside, and after breakfast, returned it to the art store, since it is too stinky for me to want in my house!! 

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As the last of my Sulky variegated mercerised cotton topstitching thread gets used up, remembering Fabric Despots aisles of threads, from many different manufactories (not just the single display that most shops have) makes me sad and wistful. There were so many years of shopping there, from when it was a special excursion from Olympia to Portland, and then once it was a few bus transfers away. It was such a reliable source of everything sewing related, a literal warehouse of fabrics for garments, for quilting, for home decor and all the notional items needed to make use of that fabric. We will not see its like again.

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Additional impetus to the declutter and tidy plan: sorting my smaller fabric scraps by color, as well as making clear what size of scraps are worth saving. It would be useful to have a modest box for holding packets of boro basket materials, since there are additional uses for such small containers of holding. I want to experiment with a triadic option next.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Rosa sketch	Bad Smell gone	-
2	boro thread basket	-	-
3	boro basket 2	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- seasonal asparagus
- dopamine hand sewing
- adorable tiny boro thread "baskets"
- Past Me cleverly ordered backup filters for the heat pump air handler. Current Me cleverly made a pull handle from duct tape to more easily remove the filter next time, as it is a Very Tight Fit.
- the Bad Smell was not the house wiring shorting out, but a package of Soft-Kut printing block, now returned to the art store.

Time of Isolation - Day 2125

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine enjoys flowers...

The gradual shift in what is flowering made my first glance out the front door yesterday a real treat. Almost gone but not quite little grape hyacinths in dark purple, along with the ongoing paler purple faux bluebells, and the barely starting dwarf lilac. The further distant dwarf apple blossoms peeking through, and the front garden beds are full of dozens of pink violets. 

There seem to be a few more birds this year, at least there are some I don't recognise, aside from the local corvids and juncos. The grassy spaces in the front and back yard are horribly shaggy, but each time I get ready to try and attack it starts to rain.

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~ apple blossoms ~

There is a random dwarf apple tree next to the driveway, and I have no idea what sort of apple it is, though it has been there for well over ten years. It was likely a giveaway, maybe leftover from some tree planting scenario. It is still not as tall as I am, and last year, for the first time, had one flower cluster but set no apples. This year there are four clusters of apple blossoms, and I will be curious to see if there is any fruit to follow. (there are plenty of bees this year)

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Taking a break from my garment sewing shenanigans, and started transferring the rest of my shirt/blouse/pinafore pattern pieces to Costco cardboard before temporarily storing them away. Time to give my brain some time to mull over what I want to do next. Also, whilst perusing the fabric storage shelves, found some Spoonflower prints that Ariadne sent me when Kestrel was a baby, but never had their chance to become kiddo clothing. Will be taking photos of the various fabric designs so we can ask directly what would be the happiest options for future garments, as K has Definite Opinions. It will be fun to sew for them.

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Good news is that the glucose test strips conundrum has been solved as of yesterday, as part of my quarterly medical visit (My PCP is still on indefinite medical leave alas, I hope she is doing okay) Bree, the PA, very kindly lent me a book about glucose and ten suggestions for ways to hack your metabolism, backed by legitimate scientific research, and not involving exotic and expensive chemical or supplemental interventions. Still reading through it, and there seem to be some changes that would be simple to implement

Alas and OUCH! While I felt just fine yesterday, today my left foot has developed a peculiar and intensely painful ache in the area of the long small bones. I have not fallen, or twisted my ankle or foot or done anything out of the ordinary, but the pain is "loud" enough to be distracting. There is no visible change from the usual appearance or difference from the other foot. Just making a note of it here as a way of tracking the issue, in case that turns out to be useful. Bodies are weird, and do things for reasons I don't always understand.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	accordion pouch	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	bone acorn earrings	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	stripey pinafore	shirt sleeve length	-
5	-	tax papers	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- tax paperwork has all had fair copies made and is tidied away
- all the spring flowers in the front yard
- what appear to be 1 or 2 potential baby pears on the Bosc

Time of Isolation - Day 2112

an interesting revelation

in which our plucky heroine has a new thought...

For many years, while I never doubted that I am a maker-of-things, indeed I apparently arrived with that characteristic, it never felt like I was an artist. I spent the philosophical aspect of my higher education learning about and thinking about why our culture chooses to draw a line between art and craft, the delineation began in the Renaissance. I don't identify as an artist, my self declared occupation on my tax forms is "artisan". To my mind and in my experience with other makers of things, "artists" are folks who make their art form irregardless of input or payment from others. And there is all the cultural baggage about what kinds of making are "art", which even if we don't agree with it, still permeates our lives, and the commentary from adults when we are children. I remember being told in reference to my creative endeavors as a teen and young adult "that is all well and good for a hobby, but you (will) need to major in something for a real job when you aren't in school. 

Our plucky heroine went on to have enough varied peculiar jobs to have an appropriate resume for a back of the novel blurb, should I have turned out to be a writer of words rather than a manipulator of stuff. None of those things was a career, a real job, though I have been a working taxpayer since I was fifteen. Since 1993 I have been making SCA regalia, using my enameling and metalworking skills. And while I am fairly competent at what I do, I rarely ever spend my non-work time in that genre, unlike the metalwork "gods" I have been fortunate enough to meet or know as friends. This disconnect is part of what manifests in my mind as imposter syndrome, my not having the behavior like the other artists I know. 

Whereas there is always part of my brain that is designing, not jewelry, not regalia, but my personal clothing. When talking about my dissatisfaction with Karen last week, I came up with the idea: "Making jewelry and regalia is my day job; creating whimsical unique garments is my art form."  This counterchange of how I think about what I spend my time doing may be a solution to a mental and emotional challenge that has caused me pain for decades.

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~ what a mess ~

Yesterday, when it became apparent my workshop wheelie chair(s) weren't rolling as well as formerly, it turned out that over the years the chair casters have been collecting random frelch, mostly snippets of thread that end up on the floor while sewing occurrs! This is not acceptable, and obviously my ongoing attempts to send bits and pieces into the large workshop wastebasket are ineffective. 

What to do, what to do? Aha! One of my favorite designers, Ann Wood, has a pattern tutorial for making "stitched vessels", little containers made from precious (or not so precious) scraps of fabric. I already bought this pattern last year, it is currently residing in my folder of assorted future/someday projects, and I've intended to do something about the growing pile of garment sewing cabbage*. A pair of smallish containers to be placed right next to the sewing machine and the serger will be next up on my handwork list, though for now some small teacups will have to suffice. 

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Finished up the stripey pinafore that is intended to be overdyed chocolate brown/black instead of off-white/black. Very pleased with the various width black linen bias edge binding and overlay. I used a second strip of bias to cover the places along the bottom edge of the skirt gores where it had been necessary to piece the fabric, and once I completed that, it reminds me very much of some Elizabethan skirt decoration.

My overdyeing turned out to be not quite as successful as hoped for. Apparently Procion MX #119 "Chocolate Brown" can be just a bit tricksy. The resulting color reads more like a dark grey than any sort of chocolate. It isn't perzactly brown at all, nor black, nor grey, but one of those betwixt-colors that I love but cannot name. And, since I didn't actually strain the dye (not having a suitable strainer) there are a few fairly subtle splotches here and there where the magenta in the dye mixture left speckles. Thankfully not alarmingly vivid given the overall darkcolor, but I notice them, sigh and alas. Once the pinafore is dry, it will get a careful looksee, (note from next morning, the magenta is in fact difficult to see if one isn't looking for it) and hopefully it will be friends with the rest of my wardrobe, despite being a peculiar dark rather than the hoped for chocolate brown.

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adorable Totoro ongiri bento

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Although Parkrose Hardware was having a 50% off sale, my plan to get over there and buy some Gamma lids ran headlong into the reality of spending multiple hours getting there and back. It is over an hour and a half each way on transit, with three transfers. Plus their full price is significantly higher than full price at TAP Plastics, so even the large discount turned out to be a little over $2 per lid. So, instead, time for a bit more housey chores to get done this weekend

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	accordion pouch	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	bone acorn earrings	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	stripey pinafore	shirt sleeve length	-
5	-	tax papers	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- my friend Claire is on vigil for the Order of the Laurel
- new stripey pinafore pleases me despite not being brown
- vocation avocation revelation

Time of Isolation - Day 2110

* "cabbage" is a collective noun for fabric scraps... 
some historical context in this post

sociable Sunday

in which our plucky heroine leans into her current obsession...

It seems that lately all I want to do is refurbish my worn clothing, sew a few new garments to replace those too worn to mend, and plan out how they all will interact nicely. In this time of multiple systemic collapse, why am I focusing on such a frivolous thing. It isn't all I focus on or take action about, but it is the only thing that brings me any delight, pleasure or even satisfaction. I can't make there be snow in the mountains for summertime water, or sanity in the halls of power, but by golly I can have clothing that pleases me to wear and amuses and delights random folks out in the world. 

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~ is grey okay? ~

The finished stripey shirt finished, plus details... As currently existing, the fabric reads as light grey from any significant distance, with the handmade glass buttons definitely and defiantly taupe and black. While am still tempted to overdye it, so as to let it join with the brown sector of the wardrobe, that color group already has multiple shirts and blouses, while the grey/black group is quite sparse (and also missing any pinafores in good condition) Alternatively, a taupe overdye would let it play happily in both colorways.

... I tried on the finished shirt today, and discovered that I have two (2!) different and unmarked sleeve pattern pieces in my pattern envelope. One is for a three-quarter sleeve, and one for a full length. Guess which one was used to mark out the shirt fabric... Yup... a significant oops!... the shorter one, which makes the sleeves about two inches too short. Fortunately, there are fabric scraps remaining large enough to cut two wide strips, which will be given a bit of embroidery decoration, then used to lengthen the sleeves. A bit below the intersection of armscye and side seam the entire sleeve will be sliced open and the additional fabric will make the sleeve the correct length in the least disruptive way.  And, two new sleeve pattern pieces will be cut, and each one will be labeled with RED magic marker as either "full length sleeve" or "three-quarter sleeve"

 . 
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The beets that came in my produce box still had their tops. I remembered to cook the beet greens while they were still in good condition: first melting some butter in a saucepan, adding some of the Ethiopian spice alternative that the aunties gave me, then some green onion and the chopped up greens. It was, when mixed with a scoop of cottage cheese, just enough for a single lunchtime serving. I miss life in the Before Times when we could safely eat in restaurants, but at least the savory flavors can still be enjoyed. 

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Today was alarmingly warm, for the beginning of April. It was almost 85°F on my front porch this afternoon. This does not bode well.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	-	tiny beaded star>	greenwaste bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
-Sunday is the day of the week when I get the most social contact, usually three zoom meetings with different groups of people. - faux ayeb begomin for lunch
- Bartlett pears are so delicious
- being able to share a few sewing tips online
- most of the time, I've enough colors of embroidery floss for the projects that I want to make

Time of Isolation - Day 2096

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine reaches for bootstraps...

The warm weather on Monday was a fluke, as going forward throughout the week the weather returns to the more usual for this time of year. It has been grey, and drizzly and not particularly warm. Which is fine. 

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~ not buttons but tiny shelves? ~

There are many tutorials online about turning avocado pits into buttons, and how sturdy the inner seed becomes as it dries. Out of curiosity, decided to slice up the most recent one... These little semi-circular slices, while they could be trimmed into small discs and drilled with holes, rather call to mind miniature wall brackets, and could without much difficulty be repurposed into 1:12 scale rustic decor for the tinyworld. Hmmmm....

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With my focusing on completing unfinished projects, the ruffle-edged pillow shams have been completed, and hopefully soon be on their way to their new home, and the bank account a bit more pleasantly enlarged.

The Icelandic cardigan has been ungrafted into pieces, and is getting marked center back and either side in order to better line up the upper and lower sections. Sister made the sweetest interpretation, that once it is altered to fit me, 'twill be like "a warm hug from Dad".

While there are more of my own personal wardrobe projects eagerly awaited, my immediate next effort is to finish Bab's heraldic brooch. Maybe the experimental abalone inlay project will get its turn not too long after that (to replace the lost Mexican silver horse brooch), that is, once I finish with the small enamel award pendants for John. Those enamels are the last thing in the workshop line, my queue is almost empty.

Time to experiment as well with what sorts of enameling I can do without using silver. I switched to a fine silver ground over four decades ago, for technical reasons. Copper has always been less spendy, but much trickier for cloisonne. Now that silver (never inexpensive) has more than tripled in price, it is really affecting the choices artists must make, and it is probably time to switch back to copper... I'm considering moving away from  my beloved cloisonne to limoges style enamel for regalia, as one example.

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The last week or so have been particularly rough. Aside from the multiplicitous dumpster fires that are our current timeline, which are more than enough for anyone who is paying attention, there is no obviously immediate personal reason. Doing my best to seek and pay attention to small joys and bits of goodness is sometimes enough to contradict the brain weasels. But not always; recently the weasels are winning. Plucky heroine is Very Stubborn about not giving up, though. I seem to remember an idea of making an actual ARTifact of anti-brain-weasel serum, maybe time to revisit that idea. I think Acantha had some relevant ideas...

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It is always a small thrill when my internal database tosses out a word that fits my writing perzactly, and the spell check says nope, but double checking several online real dictionaries says yes, and then that dopamine moment of clicking "add to dictionary"

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Month SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	ruffle pillow shams	-	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Super Supportive - Chapter 274 !!!
- using chevre as a feta substitute (not quite the same flavor profile, but an improvement on a bike ride in the cold rain)
- quince rosewater applesauce
- that dopamine moment of clicking "add to dictionary"

Time of Isolation - Day 2066

so much time on transit

in which our plucky heroine spent hours on the bus...

Finding a 22" long zipper in beige or tan was more of a challenge than expected, and required an excursion to the posh fabric store Josephine's Dry Goods, in residential SE, as that was the closest possible source. Fortunately, the resipei embroidery is very suited to being stitched while riding the bus. And when I got there, they didn't have two of the same color, so I bought two that were close but not identical. Foolish me didn't think to ask about that over the phone.

When I got home and could take a look at the emailed receipt, it turns out they are buying their zippers from WAWAK. Which is what I should have done in the first place, given the extremely good prices and selections that WAWAK offers. I'll go ahead and order more in the three most likely colors, since they are less than $1 each. 

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~ day 9 ~

I've had this little Japanese inlaid wooden box since I was a girl. It is about 6 inches tall.

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Rather than going directly home after buying the zippers, instead rode the bus all the way to Grocery Outlet, to pick up suitable cheese (different from my regular sharp cheddar) to top the eggplant parm I want to make tomorrow. Had to look up a few recipes to get an idea of what the usual ingredients were, and decided on some mozzarella. 

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Tomorrow I am going to draw two Objects Of My Affection, as tonight I am just too tired to draw at all (sad). It is much better when I draw at the start of my day, not wait until before bedtime!

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Friday the calendar master pages were finished, now off to the copy store, then they need be cut to size, have punched holes and added string, and will be ready to either mail out or hand off to my local pals. Am quite happy with the slightly rustic hand drawn effect of doing all the words and numbers by hand rather than using digital fonts. That said, I will be scanning in the finished pages to also save as PDFs, so I can email them as files for my out of country pals to print out.

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	-	orangeflower water
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Very Helpful clerk at the copy shop, did several adjustments to  my master copies so they would print out as well as possible
- a tiny indulgence, on the way home from Josephines Dry Goods, I walked the seven blocks to Fifty Licks, and bought myself a mini scoop of my favorite "Lemon Coconut Saffron" sorbet
- made a really tasty tomato sauce for Sunday's eggplant parm, using half of the remaining freezer tomatoes, assorted veggies, herbs, and dried mushrooms. Yesterday I sliced and oven roasted the two eggplant that came in the produce box this week, so all I will need to do tomorrow is layer the ingredients and bake it

Time of Isolation - Day 2022

double trouble

in which our plucky heroine gets entangled...

two factor authentication is a good idea in theory, but in practice it makes me want to tear my hair out. Particularly when attempting to sign in to one site it then wants to send a code to an email account, and when I try and sign in to the email account it wants to send a code to my phone, which then wants me to find a code somewhere in my email and round and round. Grrrrr. If I liked playing with strings, I would have been born a cat

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~ mossworld ~

They never get old, I never tire of looking at them. This is from Monday, walking back to the bus stop after my eye appointment. The early morning light was still very golden...

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sewing progress report: lines 5 - 8 on the resipei embroidery are complete and am working on the last underline and then the drawing of the ice cubes. Still finding it very relaxing. 

Finished the collar for the flannel shirt, after carefully trimming back the undercollar ⅛" on either short end before sewing the upper and under collar together. This pulls the outer layer just a bit which keeps the underlayer underneath. It has been edge stitched, and the raw edge basted, ready for when it will be needed. Also temporarily basted twill tape to the center front of the bodice pieces, to keep the bias edges from stretching out of shape before the whole thing gets assembled.

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~ day 8 ~

This little camera was a birthday gift from my parents, over 20 years ago. I remember how pleased they were and how happy I was. It still works really well, particularly for macro photos.it is also really really small, about the size of the palm of my hand, and my hands are about the size of a midsized child

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Spent time in the sewing/guest space today, picking up a few of the larger more obvious items to put away. Fortunately most of what is in this room actually belongs in this room, and will be returned to the storage shelves, at least temporarily. That is what they are for after all. It was a surprise and a treat that the pattern for my long janes showed up folded in amidst some jersey fabric. Particularly since I had been dreading going through the process of taking a pattern from the extant garment, as I knew there was a pattern somewhere... As this is the time of year long janes are needed, and most of the pairs I have are getting rather "worn to a ravelling", at least two or three pairs are on my ASAP sewing list.

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	-	-	orangeflower water
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Ursel is now on Discord and we can chat there
- I recreated most of the (missing) Advent Swap list
- sitting at the now mostly cleared off dining table feels really lovely. My hope is to extend that sensation throughout Acorn Cottage.
- chatting with Turquoise online reminded me of how fortunate I am, in being able to sit and look out at the various birds in the yard and the sun on the plants. Feeling very appreciative.

Time of Isolation - Day 2020

go get your eyes examined

in which our plucky heroine is up and about before dawn...

As indeed, my visual fields test was the first task on the list this week. So, up before 6, got to eye office at 8 when they opened, along with rather a lot of other folks so there was a long line to check in. Unfortunately my mask doesn't cooperate with the machinery, so had to change to a KN95, which only added to my stress. Thankfully as far as test results can discern, my eyes are okay... I always worry, because family history, and more so after my dreadful corneal tear last year, but as long as I keep using eye drops, the doctor said there appears to be no significant changes.

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~ day 5 ~

My electric teakettle is terribly useful, and is filled multiple times a day. Not just for the obvious, but also when washing dishes, or cooking. For years I had either a saucepan, or the sort of teakettle one filled and put on the stovetop, but after the time I absentmindedly walked away from the kitchen and came back far too late to find the heat coil red hot and the enamel base of the kettle melted into the burner (which necessitated discarding both and replacing the burner) my pal Elfrida gave me this electric teakettle that cleverly turns itself off when the water has boiled.

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Valerie of the custom pillow shams came by today having found the specific edging trim for the next set of shams. I still need to get suitable 24" zippers, which will first of all entail phone calls to see if anyplace local has something suitable. Bolt is closed for the next few days, but maybe Modern Domestic? Otherwise will have to venture further afield. 

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Put in time cutting out more pieces for the plaid flannel shirt. The peplum sections, and I decided that mirroring the two ends of the collar would make enough of a difference that it was worth the trouble. There is a whole lotta math in sewing, as I calculated the various rectangles needed for collar and cuffs and front button bands. My next step on this project is to read the instructions for the tower placket, as adding that before sewing the sleeves to the body will be easier.

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- holiday lights in the darkness
- the busdriver recognised me, and noticed I was "going the other way" from where he usually sees me on the bus. I guess my attire is pretty distinctive
- my eyes got a basically clean bill of health, in that they are not any worse than they were a year ago, and the optical technicians and doctor were willing to mask at my request.
- Gersvinda came by this evening with a grocery sack full of winter veg from Acantha; onions and potatoes and squash oh my!
- A belated birthday gift package of treats from Iceland, several skeins of blue Lettlopi, a delicate pierced metal tree of life ornament, and a bar of soap encased in felt with a pony design. 

Time of Isolation - Day 2017

a surprise and a treat

in which our plucky heroine gets more than she bargained for...

After lunch took a walk over to Sewlarium only to find out that they were closed so decided to check in at the Goodwill to look for buttons (ie mens shirts that might have enough, and of an acceptable color). Found some in a perfect dull teal blue, and thought, hmmm... 11 buttons for $6.99, not bad. When removing them from the shirt I realised that there were two smaller secret undercollar buttons as well (that will be perfect for the upper buttonhole on the tower placket). I had never seen hidden collar buttons before; rather than the usual buttonhole in the collar point, these had a wee twill tape button loop sewn into a seam in the undercollar.

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~ further resipiei progress ~

Finished embroidering line 7: "Put in mor water." This has me not about a halfway done with the second page. The first page has just as much text and more illustrations, so I expect it will take longer. 

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The flannel is a non-symmetrical woven plaid. Glad I noticed that while laying out the bias cut front bodice, and not after it was cut out.  Instead of cutting double layers, after cutting out a single layer piece for one side, it was flipped over and carefully matched with the correct plaid stripes to mirror the alignment on the other side.  Never too old a dog to put new tricks into use; I'd heard of doing this, but never before needed to put it into practice.

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There is this annoying thing the body does, when for some reason it gets a nasty glitch in the sub-scapularis region. To the point of it being painful to breathe. It has done this on random occasions for at least the last fifty years. No obvious activity sets it off, and after making breakfast and been up for a while this morning, there it was. Bah! Getting dressed was a challenge. While I managed to do a few housey chores, eventually gave up and went back to bed, trying not to move. Very thankfully, whatever structural alignment was out of whack sorted itself while I was napping, as I woke up about an hour later able to take a deep breath again. 

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pairs underwear	vegetable steamer legs	fridge science experiments
2	knitted shrew	shrew eyes	yard waste bin
3	1 pair undies	Gamma bucket lid	recycle bin
4	2 alphabeast  drawings	one page of the embroidery transfer	recycle bin
5	1 alphabeast  drawing	daypack mended	recycle bin
6	phone pouch	cleaned keyboard	x
7	transit pass case	undie waistband	x
8	x	Otterbox case	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- secret undercollar button surprise
- stupid body glitch only lasted half a day
- clever trick to mirror non-symmetrical plaid 

Time of Isolation - Day 2011

Sunday betwixtmas

in which our plucky heroine has an unexpected visitor...

Early this afternoon, the doorbell rang! I practically jumped out of my skin, as I had been sitting and reading, but to my surprise and delight it was my friend Drusa (Kate). I'd not seen her in person in I don't know how long, certainly since before she moved away, so getting to exchange multiple hugs, and some porch visit time was really special. The knitted shrew I made earlier this winter was for her, as shrews are her special favorite animal, and she really likes it. And is enjoying the bonus Advent Swap treats. She gifted me with some homegrown eggs, and an assortment of her homemade goat milk soap. I am so happy she stopped by to visit!

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~ moar Advent Swap treats ~

an additional assortment of tiny treats, including a maneki neko bell, a lampwork pendant that is also a top, a crocheted/knotwork flower?, a star bedecked packet of rhubarb seeds, a hand painted gold star sticker, a box of red bead cubes that look like coral, and a delightfully painted mushroom depicting a tree in a floral landscape. That folks come up with such a wide variety of things that fit in 1¼" space never fails to amaze me!

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Today I found out that the Liberty-esqe fabric is truly Liberty lawn, and was a gift a number of years ago from my friend Cricket, purchased when she was in London. I shall treasure it even more, and enjoy adding it to my new sewing project. It will become the accent fabric for my teal plaid shirt

Speaking of which, Past Me cleverly downloaded all the many pages of the tower placket instructions and put them in a notebook, in the bookcase with the other sewing tomes. This will be everso useful when I get to that stage in the shirtmaking, since I have only ever made a tower placket once before,back in February of 2020, when I made the grey houndstooth plaid flannel shirt.

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Winter 6PAC Lucky7

dk neutral overlayer - dk neutral bottom - dk neutral coat - alt color overlayer - alt color bottom - alt color top - color link top-

- brown linen pinafore - brown jersey long janes - brown raincoat - teal linen pinafore - teal jersey long janes - teal floral blouse - teal/cream/brown plaid shirt

This is the current wardrobe sewing plan, subject to change as whim decrees, but this group of garments will be a very welcome and easy to integrated addition.  It's tempting to add accessories, a la Vivienne Files - thinking about an Alabama Chanin headscarf, or blue painted shoes to replace the pair that wore out...

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Thinking ahead to New Years, it seems like a good idea to do some cooking ahead. The menu is fairly set. Black-eyed peas, greens, carrot coins, and Sister Gigi's corn pancakes (an optional but delicious and appropriate addition). Since the big box of greens was on sale at GrocOut today, I will cook those today and freeze them. There may be room in the freezer for some of the corn pancakes as well, if I use frozen corn as an ingredient.

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pairs underwear	vegetable steamer legs	fridge science experiments
2	knitted shrew	shrew eyes	yard waste bin
3	1 pair undies	Gamma bucket lid	recycle bin
4	2 alphabeast  drawings	one page of the embroidery transfer	recycle bin
5	1 alphabeast  drawing	daypack mended	recycle bin
6	phone pouch	cleaned keyboard	x
7	transit pass case	undie waistband	x
8	x	Otterbox case	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- a clear instructional tutorial for sewing a tower placket
- a surprise visit from Drusa
- "Digger", by Ursula Vernon

Time of Isolation - Day 2010

sew the good stuff

in which our plucky heroine shares her plans...

this morning, our Sewing Nomads discussion touched on our sewing plans for 2026. I remembered how back in the days of SWAP, Boxing Day was the official day to "start your sewing machines", which might be why I was inspired to work on my new plaid flannel shirt yesterday.  I've no need for 13! new garments in my wardrobe, despite how many items are beginning to wear out, but a half dozen would be a good start to replace the all ones past refurbishment. (mending my clothing stops happening when the weave of the base fabric becomes too weak to hold stitches.

Not sure if it was CCL or I who first mentioned a winter 6PAC plan, but there was enthusiasm for the idea, as a way of cheering one another on, and before we were done, Turquoise had added an additional channel to our group Discord. My additional exhortation today was to "sew the good stuff". At my stage of life, it feels foolish to save the best fabrics for some future special occasion, and more satisfying to turn them into garments to enjoy wearing. So, this pretty plaid will become a shirt accented with what is probably Liberty lawn. I'm going to attempt one step past a 6PAC into a Lucky 7, with two pinafores, two pairs of long janes, a shirt, a blouse, and the interminable raincoat. With TNT patterns for all the basic garments, and only a few steps left to complete on the raincoat, it should be possible to finish all of these in the next few months.

** 6PAC = Six Piece Awesome Collection, the wintertime one is two inner layers, two outer layers, pants, and a coat
* SWAP = Sewing With A Plan, eleven garment sewing challenge from the late lamented Stitchers Guild, rules changed every year

(more useful information about the 6PAC concepts here on the Fabulous Dr E's Fabulous Blog)

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~ Tana lawn fabric ~

This lovely fabric, which feels and looks like Liberty Tana lawn, is going to be the accent fabric for my new flannel shirt, being used for the underside of the cuffs and collar, the lower portion of the tower placket, and for the bias binding around the neckline. I wish I knew who gave it to me, so I could thank them, as I've no memory of purchasing it myself!

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My Otterbox phone case is actually transparent on the not-screen side, and once I found out how to remove it again, I was able to measure out and cut a piece of fancy handmade and screen printed paper to fit in the clear space. A bit more fun than the basic black effect. This current season seems to be include (indulging in?) various small efforts to brighten everyday life. 

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pairs underwear	vegetable steamer legs	fridge science experiments
2	knitted shrew	shrew eyes	yard waste bin
3	1 pair undies	Gamma bucket lid	recycle bin
4	2 alphabeast  drawings	one page of the embroidery transfer	recycle bin
5	1 alphabeast  drawing	daypack mended	recycle bin
6	phone pouch	cleaned keyboard	x
7	transit pass case	undie waistband	x
8	x	Otterbox case	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- my Otterbox has a clear back, and today I figured out how to add a piece of decorative paper, so the mobile phone is not all black.
- the Havarti from Costco is tasty, with tiny crystals that crunch
- a multigenerational button box, even if no longer in the container I remember from childhood...

Time of Isolation - Day 2009

A small improvement

in which our plucky heroine has a fairly quiet day indoors...

Doing a little bit of productivity, and a fair amount of planning. If I had rain boots, going out for walks in foul weather would be less fraught. This will require research, and possibly contacting Tullia

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~ the right tool ~

Sewing a transit pass case: while I missed, I am sure, much of the useful content since I do not speak Japanese, I was able to follow enough of the video to create a functional and useful case. Instead of using what appears to be double sticky tape to hold the clear vinyl in place, I used washi tape just on the edges and removed it when done with the internal edge stitching, as shown in a different tutorial. Had to forgo the tiny D-ring, for lack of such hardware, but a leather loop and split ring serve the same function. The new finished case is nowhere near perfect, but it is perfectly functional and a lot less flimsy than what was previously in use...

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Earlier this evening I started cutting out plaid flannel shirt, mostly becasue it is actually a fairly simple sewing project, the only two challenges being properly mirroring the bias plaid front, and then adding the tower placket to the sleeves. My intention is to cut out the rest of the pieces tomorrow, and put in some time every day until it is finished. It may not yet have made much difference, but moving even one packet of fabric and pattern out of the emporium and into the wardrobe is helpful. Another warm wintertime flannel shirt will be very welcome.

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If the forecast is correct, tomorrow might be a good day for a bike ride to the post office. Today was Much Too Damp! 

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pairs underwear	vegetable steamer legs	fridge science experiments
2	knitted shrew	shrew eyes	yard waste bin
3	1 pair undies	Gamma bucket lid	recycle bin
4	2 alphabeast  drawings	one page of the embroidery transfer	recycle bin
5	1 alphabeast  drawing	daypack mended	recycle bin
6	phone pouch	cleaned keyboard	x
7	transit pass case	undie waistband	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- knowing that done is better than perfect
- Mt Dishmore is (temporarily) vanquished
- being able to talk about deep topics with my friend Mischa

Time of Isolation - Day 2008

wistful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine misses the Before Times...

which is really nothing new, I'll probably feel that way more or less for as long as Fortune lets me continue walking in the bright world. Doing what I can, with what I have, where I am, right now as the saying goes, is the best I can manage.

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~ W is for... ~

wolf, and wisteria, the calendar illustration which I just finished inking today. And a bit more time tonight has been spent working on the last of the drawings for the AlphaBeast calendar for 2026. Currently pencil sketching the design for the final motif: "O is for otter and orchid". Once that is completed, I can start putting together the actual pages with months and dates... Fingers crossed that this year I manage to get it all completed, printed, and mailed out before the end of the year.

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Found a tutorial online to sew a simple cross body, three-pocket folded pouch to hold a mobile phone, and decided that would be a great option to let me easily keep music and podcasts handy, but also easily move said phone safely out of the way when doing things that involve water, like washing hands, or dishes

Combined some linen from a former SCA gown, some extra large vintage snaps, a length of the colorful twill tape from B&K, and finally an embroidered OCF peach patch that has been living on my pinboard for years. Very satisfying to give a second or third life to textile bits and bobs... I'm planning on a matching small case for my transit pass, to fit in one of the pockets, inspired by this tutorial, and this tutorial, and this one as well. None of them are perzactly what I want, but each has tips that will be useful.

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Tomorrow I plan on making an "Eastern European" version of my standard spinach rice bake, substituting purple barley for the rice,  and cabbage and mushrooms for the spinach. If I had had the time, a different cheese than the usual Tillamook sharp would have been better, but needs must. I may try substituting a mixture of farmer cheese and kashkaval next time.

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"If I knew the way, I would take you home..."

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pairs underwear	vegetable steamer legs	fridge science experiments
2	knitted shrew	shrew eyes	yard waste bin
3	1 pair undies	Gamma bucket lid	recycle bin
4	2 alphabeast  drawings	one page of the embroidery transfer	recycle bin
5	1 alphabeast  drawing	daypack mended	recycle bin
6	phone pouch	cleaned keyboard	x
7	x	undie waistband	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- more progress on the resipei embroidery
- The internet was only out for a few hours, and Sister and I had a phone chat instead of a video chat.
- new handy phone carrying pouch

Time of Isolation - Day 2006

the days get shorter, the darkness gets stronger...

in which our plucky heroine works on small projects...

Well, I almost always do small projects, so that isn't a surprise. The coming week my plan is to see how many of my unfinished tasks get checked off the list, in the hope that doing so will brighten my dispirited outlook. If only I could remember where I put that bottle of Anti-Weasel Serum, lost somewhere in the clutter and disorder. Remind self that cannot begin any sooner than right now, that doing one thing is an improvement on doing no things, and that comparison is the thief of joy. I persist in making an effort to push past how I feel, to notice the fragments of odd quirky delight that still exist in the world, but it gets harder every day.

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~ R is for reindeer and rose ~

Progress has been made on drawings for the 2026 "AlphaBeast" calendar, finished two this afternoon: serval/snowdrop, and reindeer/rose. After I get otter/orchid and wolf/wisteria inked in, it will be time to do cut and paste to make the numerical monthly grids...

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My first attempt with sugar syrup/food coloring transfer was unsuccessful. I don't know if it needs more food coloring, or a higher proportion of sugar, or ???. Could experiment further, as there is still some blue paste color left. Or I could go downtown to Blick and look for Saral Transfer paper in blue or red (I have some, but white, which absolutely does not work for this project - I already tried) To do prick and pounce transfer on this size would be very tedious indeed, and  pencil graphite transfer doesn't work well on this particular fabric. This is a learning opportunity (sigh)

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Gradually improving the undies toile whilst using up various remnants of cotton lycra. My goal is to have a weeks-worth, including all the samples that have turned out wearable... The most recent toile isn't particularly elegant looking, with a different remnant in each of the parts, but the pattern is getting closer to my preferred fit. Using cotton/lycra for the leg bands works very well; getting the waistband comfortable and also functional is a bit more of a challenge. Each different piece of cotton/lycra has a different amount of stretch and return, which makes length and width more variable in a frustrating way. I'm wondering if some of the wider elastics from Bra Builders might be a better option, that would allow me a consistent result.

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pairs underwear	vegetable steamer legs	fridge science experiments
2	knitted shrew	shrew eyes	yard waste bin
3	1 pair undies	Gamma bucket lid	recycle bin
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- tasty Ethiopian seasoning blend from B&K - I sprinkled it on some chicken legs before roasting them.
- more Cory Doctorow
- a few of my other friends, in addition to Leslie, may want to join me in my 100 day drawing challenge.

Time of Isolation - Day 1996

Monday media and miscellany

in which our plucky heroine trusts herself...

I've been making toys for longer than I can remember, well more than fifty years, and should by now remember not to panic when pattern directions are lacking. A bit of restitching today (and not continuing to work on a project when it is really time for sleep) will yield much better results and a calmer happier self...

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~ day 8 ~

a pair of whimsical earrings, which appear to be little plates of faux sweets? (assuming that the spiral item is gingerbread roll)

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My left hand is still sore from stabbing the palm with the 4/0 knitting needle last night. Still, I went ahead and stitched up the shrew, doing my best to make front and back match up okay. I stuffed the body and head with bits of wool fleece prior to sewing them up. Little shrew-ling looks pretty odd without any front legs or rear feet, or tail...

Words of wisdom: add the eyes last, the placement is better. Since I'd sewed the eyes in place when suggested by the pattern (prior to knitting up the body back and body belly and assembling the torso) my guesstimate of eye placement was incorrect. It was easy enough to cut the yarn holding them in place and replace them more symmetrically, at the same time as I embroider the nose. Much cuter shrew face:

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Still sorting out the best way to substitute cotton lycra fabric as a substitute for waist and leg band elastic, since it varies so wildly in both lycra content and "stretch and return" factor. I thought I had it dialed in after the last batch of undies, but the current fabric seems to stretch more and not be inclined to return to it's original length. I'm going to have to redo the two pairs just finished, as knickers that fall down are not the desired finished product.

I miss when it was easy to know what to purchase for good waistband elastic; when one could go to Fabric Despot, or one of the other large independent shops and see the options for oneself, and buy it per yard instead of pre-packaged lengths. (I feel the same way about blister packed hardware, FWIW).

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current domesticated news: Prepared and brined another turkey thigh yesterday, and plan on cooking it for tonight's dinner (Roast at 350°F until interior is at 165°F) There is the last of the roasted sweet potato still in the fridge, and some green beans that will be steamed for veg. Managed to deal with Mt Washmore and Mt Dishmore, and will be putting things away while the turkey roasts this afternoon...

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pairs underwear	vegetable steamer legs	fridge science experiments
2	-	-	yard waste bin
3	-	-	recycle bin
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- having a new roof on the house means not having to fret about the "atmospheric river" of rain that will be dumping water on us for the next few days
- an idea: to start a 100 day art project in January: "Objects of Affection". (Very small 15 minute drawings of beloved artifacts)
- TIL that it is possible to place an order with Costco online without being a member, though it does require paying a non-member surcharge of 5%

Time of Isolation - Day 1990