Nana Cathy’s Monthly Photo Challenge

Chiming in with Cathy’s Monthly Photo Challenge this month – fences and post boxes – here are my contributions.

Here’s a black & white photo of a wooden fence during a snow shower. If you can see the white blobs that look like they’re painted on the darker wooden fence – that’s the snow!

This is the well-known Erie Canal in winter, and the metal fencing on both sides. Can you see how far down the water level is? Someone told me this is done every Autumn, but they didn’t know why. Maybe to reduce ice damage? Our past 2 winters have been so mild, there hasn’t been much danger of that.

I believe the lift bridges along the canal are closed during the winter, so maybe it’s to discourage boats from trying to sail. If anyone knows, do tell!

Now here’s a two-fer: A metal fence surrounding a “house” of metal post boxes, plus slots for out-going mail. The reason why it has a roof & looks like a little house is because there are 350⁺ mail boxes on the 4 sides, with the interior 2 sides completely under that roof.

Think of 2 rectangles, one above the other. Remember we’re talking a flat-lay drawing to indicate separation as in an aisle – one along side the other – not physically one on top of the other! There’s an interior aisle’s width between them and one roof covers both. There’s enough overhand on the outsides to give some protection from rain. Hope that helps with visualizing.

I do admire the glorious crochet and knit objects that jolly up so many postal boxes in the UK and elsewhere, and perhaps they exist over here, too. But mainly, we seem to have needed to protect postal boxes from those wanting to damage them and their contents.

Thank you, Cathy, for giving me a reason to troll through my shoebox!

Catching up

Hello Lovelies! Long time~no blog. It’s been busier than usual round here with unexpected projects that didn’t include sewing. (Meeeh!) Some are resolved, some are on-going, but they haven’t stopped my thinking about wardrobe . . .

That’s what I was thinking about when I strayed into my all-too-local fabric store. You know what’s coming . . .

On the left are two 100% cottons that feel almost like lawn – wonderfully light and silky even though they were new bolts in the quilting section. (Gasp!)

Originally I was just looking for something to make a couple pairs of sleep shorts to go with 2 oversized tees I use as sleep shirts. But the fabrics are so soft I can’t stop thinking about other possibilities . . . . . .

The red rayon on the right (how’s that for alliteration? 🤣) looks to have been maturing in situ, waiting for me to grab the last 4 yards on the bolt. It washed beautifully and has a very luscious feel.

I’m thinking loose slouchy trousers & a top – maybe the Amalfi (by Masin). Has anybody made it? I’ve looked through IG but there’s not much about it, although there are lots of nice piccies.

If the universe will get off my back so I can sew!

✂️ 🪡 🧵 ✂️ 🪡 🧵 ✂️

Macro Monday

This week’s Macro – quite different from last time . . . . .

Last week’s elicited interesting comments, so I thought I’d pull the lens back a bit and show what it actually is. First, a review. . .

And now a couple of shots from farther out ~

Whilst visiting my local yarn shop just lately, somehow another skein of this decided to come home with me. Then I remembered I had crocheted a hat late last winter, but hadn’t a matchey-matchey scarf . . . . (click pic below for last year’s post). I do love this yarn!

Macro Monday

Sliding in a wee bit before midnight with a macro.

A bit of hot water ~

When I moved in last August there was hot water to spare and heating was off. I could shower any time and never have to twist the shower’s tap more than from 6 o’clock counter-clock wise up to 2.

Autumn came and it began to get nippy. I started sorting out buttons for donation & for Sis1, who uses buttons in her freestyle needlework designs. (She’s shy but if you’re interested, I’ll see if she’d let me post some piccies. Let me know!)

One Tuesday the heat was turned on. Mind you, I still had the heat turned off in my place and windows open or air con on.

Washing up after lunch one day I noticed a decided difference in water temperature: It was lukewarm. I made a mental note to check mid-afternoon.

Barely warm – I reported to Maintenance & was told the boiler would get fixed tomorrow. Meanwhile, they said, ‘run the kitchen tap whilst turning on the bath tap and eventually there’ll be hot water in the kitchen’.

Whaaaat??? It didn’t work or make sense, especially with water shortages & high prices, even if this building doesn’t charge us for water or heat.

The next day the boiler got fixed and I started washing up. Lukewarm water. Reported again. There was another problem, but it’d get fixed Thursday. I also learned . . .

Hot water temps are regulated by state law. (I’d been told this in other states, too.) The previous plumbers had been willing to raise temps above the legal limit; the current plumber wouldn’t. So we were advised again to turn taps on in kitchen and bath. Still didn’t work for me.

Meanwhile I was taking showers as late as I could, turning the shower’s tap 3/4 around. Then came the Official Office Memo I wrote about.

The boiler got another looking at/tending to, and it was announced Maintenance had raised the water temp, after signing a non-responsiblity waiver for doing so. (Quite rightly!)

So, is the hot water back to “normal”? 


Half-way. I’m still showering and turning the tap ¾ counter clock-wise. Washing up is sometimes warmer, but still not as it was when the heat was off. Will there be another chapter? We’ll have to wait and see.

Meanwhile during that last Arctic front I finally got to shut the windows, wear my fleece LB Pullovers, and was beginning to think about sewing a wint’ry vest.

How-EH-ver . . . now it’s back to the 30’s/40’s/50s. I’m sitting quietly writing this up whilst both living room windows are open. And the hot water is warm.

Wardrobe planning? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? !  I feel like starting with anything in stash and making whatever. Sooner or later it’ll be wearable. 🤨

Oh. Remind me to tell you about my adventures with Canadian quarters in the basement laundry machines . . .

Wardrobe woes

Last winter was my first winter back in North country. Grateful for housing even in a 60° basement, my wardrobe was 2 LB Pullover fleece sweatshirts, 2 pairs of L.L. Bean flannel-lined trousers and 2 Bean long-sleeved turtlenecks, to which I added a thrifted red puffer jacket & vest. Plus a new pair of low-heeled boots.

The rest of my things were in storage, stacked haphazardly & in haste by some truckers. Now let’s skip to this past August’s move into this old & well-insulated (read hot) building.

The above photo is a much cherished piece of a soft, synthetic knit sent by a lovely friend in Edinburgh and immediately made into a midi skirt with slit. I just love it!

However, static cling is a big problem here in winter. And the skirt doesn’t have pockets. If I made a half slip out of a cotton or rayon I’m hoping that would help.

There’s only 1 seam in the skirt, so in-seam pockets aren’t a possibility. But! Somewhere around here I’ve got a long piece of the fabric left over, and I’m thinking maybe patch pockets would work.

But I’m concerned about this stretchy knit. Pockets I can line, but a phone in a pocket might make for a sagging skirt. Oh! How about if, instead of a slip, I did a lining? Might that alleviate the problem?

Any thoughts on the subject, Lovelies? All suggestions are welcome!

Tree & Sky

Joining in with Cathy for her January Photo Challenge.

As I’m in the middle of town these days, getting a lone tree is fairly impossible, so I hope everyone will understand.

Given the fact this month has had abnormally cold, snowy and icy conditions, followed by abnormal fog and rain, walking around hasn’t been on anyone’s To-Do list. But I did take this last weekend, during an all-too-brief day of sunshine.

Hope you enjoy, and click over to see Cathy’s gorgeous entries. She’s got proper countryside, with fabulous trees and skies!

2024 Sewing Plans

As you can see, I finally got a door swag cobbled together, with inspiration from Sis2’s gift of, amongst other things, those small red bells hanging towards the bottom.

Hope everyone had, or is continuing to have, a most relaxing and enjoyable time celebrating whatever traditions you hold dear.

Happy New Year to all!

Some happy mail brought that french terry I wrote about here. The design is called “Chalkboard” and the background is that peculiar grayed/black chalkboard shade.

The colors are more pastel than I’d thought, but the overall effect still makes me smile. I’m trying to decide what to make with it.  AND – as the fine print says – after shipping I received roughly a 30% refund in the shipping cost. Great!

As the holidays started I finally got to listen to Lisa Woolfork talking with Tiffany Turner over on the Stitch Please! podcast. They were discussing sewing plans, and espoused a mantra so perfect that I shall try to remember it throughout the year and beyond.

Plans are a set of guidelines … possibilities … NOT contracts!

Tiffany Turner on Stitch Please!

Factoring in plain ol’ procrastination, and the mildness of the weather, there’s another reason I’ve had so much hesitancy with making plans:

I’ve discovered I’m living in a “warm building.” Meaning that unless the wind is coming from the West and my windows are wide open, my place is mid-to-upper 70’s even when it’s freezing outside and my heat is turned off.

That’s too warm for me to wear winter clothes. I’ve had to get out summery things. That’s another kink in my wardrobe planning.

🥵

Update: Late today a memo from management reports the boiler’s hot water temp will be raised on Thursday, and we should be careful not to scald ourselves.

While I’m delighted we may not be doing dishes in lukewarm water come Thursday, there’s another consideration: The heating is hot water powered. 

24th December

In keeping with the season, below is a short piece (3.3 minutes) for listening.  Hope you enjoy.  Will see you on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Happy Holiday, no matter which one(s) you do or don’t celebrate❣️

PS/ For those of you familiar with Britain’s traditional A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge, here’s a link to the 2023 program via BBC World Service.

Please note it’s available ONLY through Thursday of this coming week (28 December).

New-to-moi podcasts

Photo from Amanda’s Bundles – click the pic to go to fabric.

One of my favorite sewists (Julian Collins) has partnered with a new-to-me sewist (Aaronica B. Cole) to create a new sewing podcast, AudaSEWtea.

This past week I finally made time to have a listen, plus catch up with Lisa Woolfork‘s excellent Stitch Please podcasts, and Black Women Stitch. All of which I enjoy and learn from.

Now, about this fabric ~

I’ve long admired many of Julian’s fabric choices and learned some of his favorite online sources. Mood Fabrics is a given, but it’s so huge I’m often overwhelmed. Besides, I’m always on the lookout for something quirky, and who doesn’t ❤️ a bargain – he-hee!

One of the sites Julian mentioned was Amanda’s Bundles. The above photo is some french terry from their site, so deeply discounted that my 3-yard order almost equaled their basic $14.95 shipping. But I was in the mood, and it makes me smile.

Many thanks to Aaronica, Julian, Lisa, and everyone involved in these podcasts!!

🥰

December . . .

As you can see, one end of this long & wide scarf has got its’ fringe on.

The other end’s fringe is ready to be applied, but somehow it hasn’t made it onto the scarf yet. Have been busy with other projects and priorities. 🙄

My area has seen a first snow fall, sort of, if patches of barely covered grass counts. Maybe it was an astrological reaction to Monday’s tree-cutting exercise. The three lovely trees that provided shade of an afternoon are now gone, every last fragment. Huge sigh.

Yes, they were getting quite tall. Yes, they probably would have negatively impacted my windows and the side of the building in an unusually high wind. But now, although safer, I look out onto a parking lot, and instead of rustling leaves I hear entire conversations.

This was the view in late October & is just a memory now.

Last weekend we had our Thanksgiving Day celebration, which turns into a nice 4-day weekend, and I had planned to spend a lot of time fondling patterns and fabric. However, the weather suddenly shifted from cooler temps to COLD.

Fabric fondling plans got shafted whilst I spent time locating and laundering heavier winter clothes. But it did give me a chance to get a better overview of what I’ve got, so there was a silvery lining after all.

My necessarily amorphous plans for Winter sewing are not badly impacted, and this week’s shift back to Autumnal temps is giving me a lot more to consider, as I’ve had more time to see what others in the sewing community are making.

To be continued!

Silly Saturday & talkin’ about tea!

My favorite tea for many years, starting when I was visiting, then living in Silicon Valley (California), is a rooibos-based herbal tea named Good Earth Original Sweet & Spicy. And it is!

The Good Earth was one of the very early Palo Alto restaurants featuring a healthy menu, and they served this tea by the pot. Eventually, they began to sell it in bulk and in boxes of individual bags.

At some point somebody had the idea to put something besides their logo on the little tags on every tea bag, and the rest is history. Sometimes I’ll save a memorable tag, and that should explain the above collection’s variables.

Happily, today the tea has a definite niche following, and can be found on many grocery shelves. It seems to sell out often, which is why I can verify that Walmart also stocks it. 😉

Although it’s my favorite tea I don’t enjoy it constantly. Rather, I’ll wait until late afternoon, when hopefully I can take time to sit and savor it.

Do you drink tea? What kind? Do you have any tea-related habits or traditions? Do share!

☕️ 🫖 🍵