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  • #1557767
    Debby
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        Ok, I’m done with the heat. Can we please turn the snow back on? And I realize there are those suffering even worse heat than I’m experiencing. They have my utmost sympathy.

        I’m plugging away on my book nook. I had thought to get one more after this. I’m reconsidering. This is making my hands and fingers hurt. I can only work on it for a short time before I have to take a nice long break or quit. Blergh!

        My folding table arrived late last night. It was around 7:30pm. I’ll get it out of the box today. Only problem is the old sewing cabinet I’m getting rid of is still sitting in my studio. DH hasn’t felt up to dealing with it. Can’t argue since he’s been really having problems lately with his arthritic neck. It’ll eventually happen. I just need to figure out how to set things up with it taking up real estate right now.

        Yesterday I attended a dolly chat hosted by Fabiola from Fig&Me for her patrons. I didn’t have much of anything for show and tell. Nor did I really have any questions. But, I learned a lot just listening to the other doll makers. And next time I plan to have something to show. She has these chats once a month.

        Debby
        Guide - Fiber Art Forum

        #1557772
        Lena
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            My studio is kind of out of commission until Monday since I shoved all sorts of stuff in it to make Anna’s room safe. I want to make some skirts. I need to make the pattern first from the one I have. The pattern died a messy death in my flood and fire incident many years ago. I have a whole bunch of sarongs that I don’t wear anymore so I thought I would reinvent them. They have such lovely colours and patterns.  My broomstick skirts are disintegrating after 20 plus years. And they are hard to garden in. I keep trapping my feet when I sit down on my gardening bench.

            The new partlet is going well. It needs another inch or so. I will have to fix the buttonholes after, they are a mess.

            No gardening today, it is alternating between rain and steamy heat. But I almost have tomatoes,  they are turning from dark green to light green and yellow with a flush of a bit of red. We have already eaten peas and herbs and I harvested the potatoes.  They are small, I will better next year.  The zucchini are looking nice and I think there are very tiny baby zucchini on the plants. The pumpkin is flowering mightily but is only a foot long plant so I don’t expect anything much. The beans however are trying to take over the world.

             

            Doll Art by Lena

            #1557864
            Debby
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                Lena, all your wardrobe plans sound lovely. I especially like the idea of repurposing your sarongs into skirts. Can you make a skirt that allows you to garden without stepping on it? I’m so happy to hear the parlet is going well. Oh, fresh tomatoes are the best. There are worse things than beans taking over the world. :) Enjoy your weekend with the little viking.

                Went for a field trip yesterday to the grocery store. LOL Actually needed to get to the clinic to have an INR done and went to the store afterwards. It was kind of irritating that I cannot consume most of the offerings due to allergies and sensitivities. What was more annoying was my inability to get in the kitchen and create what I want from scratch. I know how, I just don’t have the stamina to stand there and cook or bake.

                I’m still building on the book nook. I’m still waiting on DH and his neck feeling better to move furniture and be able to set up the sewing machine again.

                Debby
                Guide - Fiber Art Forum

                #1557933
                Lena
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                    Argh we had plans for a fun time with the little viking this weekend.  There was a parade today and other fun activities but I don’t function well inside a sauna.  So we are hiding inside.  We were in the garden at 9am and picked the peas but by 9.30 it was getting too hot for me. Now she is getting too much screen time.

                     

                     

                     

                    Doll Art by Lena

                    #1557987
                    Debby
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                        Lena, don’t blame yourself. The weather has been brutal this summer. The little viking will survive the screen time. I’m sure you are monitoring what she watches or plays. There’s no sense in you drowning in the air. Keep cool and dry. Remember ice cream (even when made with coconut milk) is a perfectly valid dinner choice. B-)

                        Yay, DH moved the sewing cabinet out of my room. It’s not gone from the house, but it’s taken it’s first steps that direction. But then, DH put the folding table set up right were the sewing cabinet had been, to make room for the portable air conditioner. He manfully moved the portable air conditioner in front of the table, blocking off access. (shakes head) Anyway, have him on tap to move the cutting table where the folding table is and the folding table where the cutting table is. At least I’ll have some access to it there when the air conditioner is moved back in here. I’m not upset about being cooled off. In fact I’m not really upset at all. I just wasn’t in the room when he moved things around yesterday.

                        Debby
                        Guide - Fiber Art Forum

                        #1558111
                        Lena
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                            Well the little viking is home. I dropped her off this afternoon after her mom got home. It was finally much cooler.  We had an hour running around the garden.  She picked some unripe tomatoes before I caught on.  Sort of my fault because she watched me pick the ripe ones yesterday.  Oh well they might ripen on the window sill. There are far more tomato plants then I could possibly eat anyway. I am planning to spend tonight and tomorrow recovering.  I am glad I am the grandmother and not worry about screen time, junk food,  potty training and all those things. Not that she got much junk food,  mostly she binged on fruit, banana and blueberry are the current crack. If it hadn’t been so hot we would have spent a lot more time outside.

                            I am working on the knitting and I did pick out 2 of the sarongs to turn into skirts. All I have to do is move some stuff put of the studio and fold up the spare bed and I can make the pattern and layout the fabric.

                            Good luck with the furniture moving.

                             

                            Doll Art by Lena

                            #1558154
                            Debby
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                                Lena, yay for being grandma and only babysitting once in a while. I know you adore the little viking, but only having a little around for short periods is ideal. Well tomatoes can be eaten green if you cook them. Hope you can move the studio around soon when you’ve recovered.

                                Got the furniture moved. There are a few more things to make the space more usable. Mostly having to do with lighting and the amount of electrical outlets available. Need to get a bigger power strip. I did sew on the doll overalls yesterday and the day before. I’ve now surpassed what I spent 2 weeks on sewing by hand. I still prefer hand sewing. I don’t really care how long it takes. The overalls are still cute and so I am motivated to keep going on them.

                                Debby
                                Guide - Fiber Art Forum

                                #1558168
                                Lena
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                                    It was deliciously cool and cloudy this morning so I did some whipping of the garden lawn bits and pulled some weeds.  Weeding was easy because of all the rain we had. And it was in the vegetable plots.  Then the sun came out and I went in.

                                    I got the studio and spare room back to usable space. And then I crashed, lol. I am reading a silly mystery novel.  I did a row or two of knitting but my concentration isn’t there and I had to unknit a chunk because I can’t count to 2 in the right place. So I stopped for now.

                                    I am glad your reorganised space is working for you.

                                    I may have some more ice-cream…

                                    Doll Art by Lena

                                    #1558220
                                    Debby
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                                        Lena, glad you were able to get out into the garden. Falling down is fine, just make sure you can get back up from where you fall. Otherwise you find yourself feeling silly having EMT’s picking you up. (Been there, done that, unfortunately.) Sometimes you’ve just got to read a silly mystery or a sappy romance or a predictable adventure story. Ice cream is good. In fact ice cream should be it’s own required food group. :good:

                                        I’ve been spoiled. DH is dealing with his own medical stuff having just visited the emergency room. I’m managing, but boy is it hard. Lots of energy and knee points required. Tho’ I did do a tiny bit more sewing. Did the top stitching on the overall bib. Next is the little pocket on the bib. Hoping I can get to that today. DH is still kind of out of it, so I need to stay on top of that as a priority.

                                        Debby
                                        Guide - Fiber Art Forum

                                        #1558393
                                        Lena
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                                            I am sorry your husband is feeling poorly.  I hope things get better for him.

                                            I have been working on the garden,  harvesting and processing the vegetables and herbs between rain and heat. We had the edge of the dredges of hurricane Debbie come through.  But the weather is getting nicer.  I picked the Bush beans this morning while they were in the shade. I will process them later today.

                                            Because of the rain I was able to make the first pass at remaking the skirt pattern yesterday.  I am not sure if I can do anything with it today.  Knitting wise I am casting off the second parlet. It is taking ages of boring garter stitch but it will make a nice edging around it that matches the front and neck edges.

                                            The hurricane weather does a number on my joints.  I am stiff and sore and I haven’t done anything to warrant it.

                                            Doll Art by Lena

                                            #1558436
                                            Debby
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                                                Lena, so sorry to hear you are being affected by the hurricane. All you can do when the weather turns against you is rest. Your garden sounds like it really did well this year. I take it the second partlet is coming together nicely.

                                                DH has a follow up appointment tomorrow. Crossing fingers the problem has now resolved in the short term. There is still the specialist to see for the long term. Even so, he is in a better frame of mind and is managing to cook again. (Yay!) He really likes cooking so I leave him to it for the most part. It makes me feel spoiled.

                                                Got more sewn on the doll overalls. Next are the back pockets, tool pocket and tool loop. However, I’m fighting the book nook not being finished and taking up space. So, I switched gears thinking I was almost done with the kit anyway. No, no I was not. I’ve been working on it for 2 days now and it’s still not done. It’s fun to put together but with the neuropathy in my hands, it’s not quick. Once it is done, I’ll get back to sewing the overalls.

                                                Debby
                                                Guide - Fiber Art Forum

                                                #1558612
                                                Lena
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                                                    All the Bush beans got frozen. Yellow ones and the purple ones, they turn green when cooked.  My herbs are taking longer to dry here, we aren’t in a semi dessert now and it has been raining.

                                                    I took yesterday off, I did some weeding early in the morning but nothing else except going to the post office and the pet food store.  I cleaned up the pattern.  Today I woke up with a bad headache so it was a write off mostly. I ironed the sarongs and played with the layouts of the pattern. I think I got it figured out. The pockets will probably be be pieced with another fabric.  It took a bit of juggling.

                                                    I am thinking of putting a book nook on the Christmas list. That way I don’t have to chose.

                                                    I finished the partlet but I need to shape it and think about it.

                                                    I hope the medical appointment went well.

                                                    Doll Art by Lena

                                                    #1558653
                                                    Debby
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                                                        Lena, it’s good to take a day off once in a while. Even 2 days off. Wonderful that you have the recycling of the sarong figured out. If they are hidden pockets being in a different material or pieced won’t matter at all. You should put a book nook on your Christmas list. You might even score a couple of them that way. LOL I take it you still aren’t happy with the partlet.

                                                        Well, my appointment went fine. It was a gastroenterology appointment. I basically told her I was doing ok. Maybe not super great, but my gut had mostly been behaving itself and I didn’t want to upset things by introducing yet another new medication. She agreed. She just wants some labs done before the next appointment. I can do that.

                                                        DH on the other hand, did not have a resolution. He is seeing a specialist on Monday and the doctor he saw for the follow up from the ER wants him to talk with them. So, we are kind of in a weird holding pattern with him right now. He is trying to hold it together but he’s upset. He’s nearly 69 and hasn’t had much in the way of medical issues. Not even really getting sick and needing antibiotics so this is hard for him to deal with. As he said, it’s fine when I have the problem and he can take care of me. It’s a whole other thing when he’s the one with the problem.

                                                        In spite of all things medical, I did some sewing. I’ve finished the back yoke and straps and started on the back pockets. I was top stitching the little tool strap when the sewing machine beeped and informed me my thread broke. Got the fabric out and the thread was fine. Tho’ there was an extra thread sticking up from the bobbin hole. Hmm… Ok, pulled on it, it wouldn’t budge. pulled the plate out where the bobbin sits. Pulled the bobbin out. Still have a random thread that won’t come loose. Grr… I ended up pulling off the feed dog plate, the retainer for the bobbin mechanism, and the bobbin mechanism itself. Still can’t get the thread to budge from where it’s stuck. Ended using pliers to pull it and it finally came out. This. This is why I don’t like hanging out with a sewing machine. What even happened? It had been sewing just fine. I really wish my hands weren’t a problem with the hand sewing. (sigh)

                                                        Debby
                                                        Guide - Fiber Art Forum

                                                        #1558996
                                                        Lena
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                                                            Machines can be annoying that way.  I have been sewing most of this afternoon on my skirt. I had to do some cleaning up today first.  It was an inside day as the rain from the latest hurricane washed over us. Luckily the hurricane stayed well out to sea so it was just rain.

                                                            Yesterday I was at my daughter’s and helped unpack books to excavate her sewing table.  That consisted of me handing books to my daughter up on a ladder. I was not allowed on the ladder. It is now all set up so that also clears off the dinning table because all her sewing machines and supplies had been dumped there.  The rubics cube of unpacking.  So there is now finally a living room,  dinning room and sewing area set up. Note the dinning table is really a d&d table except on holidays.  I  also got to play outside with the little one so mom could do some things in the kitchen and run to the basement with stuff. This is such a better living situation for her with grass out the back door instead of asphalt with questionable cigarette buts.  I had to clear an ant of the little slide so it wouldn’t get hurt.

                                                            Eta

                                                            I finished the skirt

                                                            Skirt

                                                             

                                                            Doll Art by Lena

                                                            #1559056
                                                            Debby
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                                                                Lena, that. That right there is half of why I hate moving. Glad you are able to help and the sewing area is available again. Dining tables are for so much more than just eating at. Doesn’t surprise me at all that it’s really for D&D. The skirt is beautiful. So cheerful. Have fun wearing it now.

                                                                Lots of medical things since DH went to the ER two weeks ago. Finally had an appointment with a specialist for him yesterday. The doctor was convinced that DH could get the problem fixed. DH was in a much better mood on the way home.

                                                                I finished the overalls. Oops. I should have taken a picture. I’m not happy with the fit. I used a commercial pattern for a me made doll. She’s almost the same dimensions as an American Girl doll, just a bit slimmer. So, I figured something loose like overalls should work. Yes, I checked dimensions before I started. I think the fit issue is because of the body shape. DH says I’m the only one who’ll notice. He’s probably right.

                                                                I started on something for me next. I wanted to make a newsboy style hat. I had a blouse I cut out but never finished sewing up. Now the blouse would be too small even if I did sew it up. I decided to re-purpose the fabric for the hat. Cut things out, applied interfacing. Sewed things together. I’m not done yet and DH pokes his head in the room asking how is it going. I had just finished the cap part, no band or brim attached and said see, popping it on my head. The stupid thing is too small. Like way too small. Again, I measured my head before I started. The pattern said my head diameter was medium. The cap when I measured it is actually smaller than the small size of the pattern. I’m confused. The project is in time out. Maybe permanent time out.

                                                                Debby
                                                                Guide - Fiber Art Forum

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