turn the corner...

in which our plucky heroine marks a change...

... as the weather is shifting back towards unrelenting summer. I could feel it when I went out for my morning bike ride on Tuesday. What Monday felt pleasantly cool was instead rather muggy and noticably warmer, despite my being out an hour earlier. (By the end of the week the forecast is for mid 90's F)

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~ tinyfolk tin ~

The tinyfolk are currently all tucked away neatly in the storage tin used to keep their clothing organised... I found the tin at a yard sale in the Before Times; because it was nifty it had to come home with me. In 2022 I realised it would be a perfect way to store tinyfolk things, and made some tidy dividers from scraps of foamcore board. I've mostly filled the topmost level, and will use the next level down for their costumes, historical/SCA clothing, and garment accessories. (I'm still wondering about how best to create tiny wearable necklaces for them... )

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Pants, or trousers, or overalls... they all are an appropriate response to this week six tiny garment challenge. Over the last few years I have made various modifications to the "bloomers" pattern that is included in the basic Tiny Rag Doll instructions.

As my first attempt, I followed the pattern as written, other than placing the gathers at the bottom of the legs (rather than partway up as the pattern suggests to make a flounce). I found the drawstring and button waist closure cute, but less than convenient.

For my next attempt, instead of the button closure, I folded part of the back waist and overlapped it across the back, sewing the two halves of a snap fastener to hold the waist closed. That worked fairly well, especially once I also sewed two tiny folds in the front of the waist (rather like pleated trousers)  I much prefer this way of fastening pants, and used it ever since going forward...

Another thing I did once to modify the pattern was to add an extra side seam and a curved pintuck to give the effect of front pockets. Adding an extra seam is easily done by cutting through the pattern where you want to have a seam, and adding a seam allowance on either side of the cut. I made the curved pintuck by hand before I cut out the pattern piece all the way, so as to not lose the length taken up in the tuck. On this pair of pants, I also added a bit of hand stitching along the inseam and around the hemline to mimic topstitching...

Actually though, I really enjoy making tiny functional pockets. This requires that the fabric chosen is thin, finely woven, and holds a crease well. When I made cargo pants for Opal, I wanted the side pockets to be useable, since having my tinyfolk put their hands in their pockets adds to the cute factor in photos. I had some blue linen chambray that was just perfect for this project. In addition, since Opal is taller and slightly thinner than all the others, I needed to add about ¼" in length to the pattern, and take it in on the sides about ⅛", both of which I did before cutting the fabric out. The pockets get made by cutting out a small square of fabric, hemming what will become the open edge of the pocket, then folding in the other three sides, pinning in place, and neatly overcasting the other three edges to the side/front of the trousers.

Almandine, being a fox/girl, has a tail. This precludes ordinary pants, so she got a pair made from indigo dyed wool felt. The back has the seam partially open, fastens with a simple snap closure, and has a neat circular cutout to accommodate her anatomy. I thought that folding up the hemline edge gave the effect of trouser cuffs, for a natty finish.

Back in 2020 when Ann Wood first published the doll overalls pattern, I immediately had to make Nandina a pair! Rather than patches, I added patch pockets, but other than that followed the pattern exactly. However, I found wiggling her in and out of the overalls to be difficult, so gave them a rather radical alteration. I cut off the back just above the waistline, and detached the shoulder straps from the front. Then I finished off the back waist neatly. I then made new shoulder straps, sewing them in place at the edge of the top bib; they criss-cross at the back, and fasten with snaps at the back waistline. This makes it much easier for dressing and undressing. I added tiny buttons at the front of the bib to mimic overall closures.

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	horses blouse	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	some more pruning	yard waste bin
5	4 reversible skirts	even more pruning	-
6	Peach tinyprint	poster hanger	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. epoxy - after several failed attempts (hanger strips purchased from art store fell off the cardboard, doublesticky tape that unstuck from hanger strips) to attach a hanger to the back of the "make art not war" poster that hangs in my workroom, I finally decided to use chemical bonding and mixed up some epoxy, slathered it to the foamcore back of the poster, stuck the hanger in place, then a layer of parchment paper, then my bench anvil to hold everything flat until the epoxy cured. Rehung the poster on the workroom wall. Fingers crossed, so far it has not fallen down again.
2. waterproof bandaids - I usually use paper bandage tape if I need to bind up a small injury, but when I cut my finger on the sharp edge of a can lid, while in the middle of washing dishes and cooking at the same time, I made an exception, since leaving the dishes in the sink for several days seemed like a bad option. Fortunately my medicine cupboard has a decent assortment of first aid supplies
3. the beginnings of declutter and tidy are already finding Useful Items that were either missing or forgotten. This will make future projects easier to accomplish. I found a whole bundle of lace ends for using with 1/8" elastic cord, said specific lace ends being really difficult to locate online. (I use them to modify the shoelaces on my Xero shoes)

Time of Isolation - Day 1481

pleasant petrichor

in which our plucky heroine woke up today with the sound of raindrops on the window awnings...

As I'd not checked the weather report last night, it was very much a surprise and a treat. For part of the morning it eased off to a light drizzle, so of course I took my bike out for a ride. I wanted to go to St Johns to the free little art gallery, and to my delight I also found the other one I'd read about. Opal had come along for the ride, and wanted to check it out. I left one of my tiny block prints, and took home one of the postcards...

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Opal visits the new art gallery... this one just opened last week, and hopefully over time will have even more diverse offerings. I shall remember to always bring at least two tiny artworks on my future travels to St Johns, one for each gallery...

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Mostly, in the last week, I have been feeling sad, missing my parents, and feeling nostalgic for the times long past, the travel and adventures we had, and being nonetheless grateful for the gifts of creativity and determination that are their legacy. My heart is sore that I will never speak with them again...

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	horses blouse	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	some more pruning	yard waste bin
5	4 reversible skirts	even more pruning	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. a bike ride to St Johns and discovering the second local free little art gallery
2. tuna fish canned in olive oil is much nicer than the other sort
3. rain (rain is almost always good...)

Time of Isolation - Day 1479

What next?

in which our plucky heroine is approaching the end of a rabbit hole...

I've recently been slightly obsessed with making dolly clothing for my tinyfolk, inspired by the 13 week wardrobe challenge, and while it isn't over until September, my tin of tinyfolk is getting full. I will certainly continue through all the weeks, as I have yet to make more clothing for the denizens of Kestrel's dollhouse, but there are only a few more wardrobe components my crew needs.

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~ wardrobe progress report ~

Opal started out with only the Viking Age garments she was wearing in the "A Grave Affair" grave goods diorama, so she was basically starting from scratch, and I have rather gone overboard with adding in extras. Some, such as the aprons, the tie-dye jersey, and the blue linen dress, were from earlier sewing sprees. I am really happy with the state of her current wardrobe, which only lacks perhaps a few accessories to be complete for most all occasions!

Nandina gave up a few of her former garments to Opal, so she could use a skirt, and maybe another shirt or two...

Almandine is the most challenging of my tinyfolk to dress, so her wardrobe is not quite completed. She has wider shoulders due to her spun cotton head, and she has a fox tail. I managed her trousers by sewing them from wool felt, and adding a gap for her tail. She could use one more woven top or shirt, and I am currently working on a brown chambray pinafore for her, based on the Quimper Hitty "pleated pinafore" pattern...

Kenya is pretty much set as far as her wardrobe goes. She inspired me to dip back into dyeing wool with food coloring, since a mostly purple poncho was something she dearly wished for! I need to see if I can figure out where the miniskirt that went with her dashiki went, or if I can't find it, would be easy enough to replace. (and maybe some love beads, or a peace sign pendant, when I get around to making some tinyfolk accessories)

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It has been rather a while since I read the Wildwood Chronicles, and I'm going to put the hardcopies on hold at the library. I want to reread the books before the Laika stop motion film is due to come out next year. Here is a link to the smallest tiny teaser of animation

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~ a taste of what hope feels like ~

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	horses blouse	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	some more pruning	yard waste bin
5	4 reversible skirts	even more pruning	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. back in the 80's (before suitcases had wheels) I was living with Mark in Seattle, and one year he gave me a clever folding luggage cart. I used it often on trips, and just took it from the utility closet to use it to move the big planter pot with the tomato from the porch into the side yard near the clothesline. There is no easy way I could have carried the planter, and wheels and leverage make everything easier. Grateful for a gift of a Useful Tool that's still working well almost 40 years later!
2. The tomato plant appears to be surviving the move to the side yard.
3. Just saw some pictures on Instagram of another Free Little Art Gallery in St Johns, that I will have to track down where it is! More inspiration to build my own!! Apparently it isn't just a PDX thing, as I found a site with links all over the world...

Time of Isolation - Day 1478

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine toddles along...

Spent time the last several early mornings doing various and assorted pruning, cutting back the fig which is starting to overgrow into the good neighbors yard, trimming the flower heads off the nandina, and cutting back the shoots of Wanda plum. Incremental progress is still progress!

After a few days of not-watering, the large potted Oregon Spring tomato was just enough lighter that I could lift it down to the porch floor. I am going to use the luggage cart to roll it into the side yard, next to the clothesline, so I can still check on it frequently, but it can get a bit more sunshine than the shady front porch allows.

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~ do not eat ~
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Back in 2009 I bought a set of gel paste food coloring, to make a rainbow cake for a "hippie food" theme tween's birthday party. (while I always find the taste of artificial coloring quite abhorrent, no one else seemed to mind?!) Since then, however, rather than for cookery I have used the colors several times to dye wool yarn, when I need small quantities of colors I don't have. In the past I have dyed wool a cheerful orange, to make a Laurel headband for my pal Marya, for example...

I decided that I really wanted some purple yarn to knit a tiny poncho for Kenya, so I got out my little jars of coloring, some white vinegar, the cone of white fingering wt wool, and a saucepan. Before my evening zoom, I measured out 4 yard lengths of yarn, made some mini-skeins, and set them soaking in warm water vinegar bath. Later, after playing alchemist for a bit before bedtime with more simmering water, toothpicks dipped in dye/gel paste, damp yarn skeins, and spoonfuls of white vinegar, I had three different purple bundles of yarn hanging up to dry.

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It is Thursday, which means that the garment for week 6 of the tiny doll wardrobe challenge has been posted -  pants! After checking my dolly clothing tin, all four of mine already have a pair of pants, of various styles. This greatly reduces the number of pairs I will want to make (only a few to send to Kestrel) but gives me a number of examples to share ways to vary the two basic patterns I have used. And maybe an impetus, should I feel inspired, to move forward on making a new denizen of Tansu Terrace, Nandina's father and Kenya's partner Raúl... (I recently found the brown chambray I used making Nandina, which may be a hint that Raúl needs to turn up soon)

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• food for hope: "Trial Results for Longer-Lasting Covid Vaccines and More (Next Generation Update 17)"
• a dangerously wrong turn: "What Went Wrong with a Highly Publicized COVID Mask Analysis?"
• food for thought: "Some Thoughts On The Society For Creative Anachronism" by zzambrosius
• currently reading for fun: "Reaper Man"
• currently listening to: "A Closed and Common Orbit"

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	horses blouse	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	some more pruning	yard waste bin
5	4 reversible skirts	even more pruning	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I picked more blueberries - thinking about pancakes
2. scientists continue to strive for better ways to keep folks healthy in this (and future) pandammits.
3. Sewlarium had packages of 0.9mm white marking leads. I brought some home to use in one of my several Sumogrip mechanical pencils; they fit perfectly. It leaves a very narrow line, less bright and blurry than my chalk marker, but will be most useful for tiny stitchery. I wrapped the barrel of that particular pencil with some washi tape, to better identify it in the pencil jar.

Time of Isolation - Day 1475

tinyprint Tuesday

in which our plucky heroine carves again...

I am gradually adjusting my sleep wake to be awake in the early morning, which is not my natural state, but is useful. We had another lovely "June Gloom" morning, so I hopped on my bike and headed off to the hardware store while the sun was still hidden behind clouds. We used to get a lot of this weather actually in June, hence the name, cool overcast mornings and sunny afternoons. June this year was anything but, being instead the territory of the Unrelenting Sun.

Between housey chores and zoom meetings, I took some time to further my blockprinting, and to finish up some of the tinyfolk clothing. I am going to pack up the current batch of treats for Kestrel's dollies and get them to the post office, since she and her family are coming home to the US a bit earlier than the original plan.

I wanted to pick up some Evapo-rust from the store today, so I can start soon on de-rusting the undersink during the time when open windows and fans are an option. The undersink will never be pretty, but it can be solid once I deal with the rust caused by former owners negligence. Evapo-rust is supposedly less odiferous than many products, and on the website there is information about a way to use it on surfaces*, instead of just on items that can be dipped into a bucket.

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~ tinyprint Tuesday ~

Linocut print # 8 in my textile livestock series is "alpaca". I am debating whether to redo this block as the alpaca head is a bit ambiguous; I will try another sketch and see if I like it better... Like all the rest, it is ⅞" square, and will be used as part of a miniature book. I think I will finish up the series with "yak".

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I am trying to remember where I recently read mention of a book entitled "Georgia O'Keeffe - Living Modern". Apparently the book is related to the previous exhibition of the same name, and I was delighted to find that our public library has a circulating copy. I immediately placed a hold, and look forward to reading it and seeing images of her clothing!

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~ we are all in this world together ~

This brought me so much joy!

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I've been playing mix and match with my tin box of dolly clothing and the wardrobe planning charts. At this point, Almandine needs one more top, and a pinafore, and Kenya needs a poncho. Other than that, any clothing I make is fun extras, or bits to mail off to Kestrel. Whee! I'd really like some purple yarn for Kenya's poncho, so I may have to play with wool and food coloring again. I am going to measure out how long the pieces for poncho stripes want to be while I am knitting the other half of Opal's poncho.

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	horses blouse	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	some more pruning	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I was glad to read that my dear friend Ariadne seems to have only lost her sense of smell/taste briefly and now it is partially returning. I am hoping that is a good sign...
2. enrollment in my Advent of a Better Year in 2025 swap is now up to 16 folks... the more the merrier!
3. The local hardware store actually had Evapo-rust in stock, so I was able to get a quart bottle. Summer is the time to use such things, when open windows and fans are an option. And I remembered this now, and not in, say, October

Time of Isolation - Day 1473

*... " Soak a thick paper towel with Evapo-Rust and then place it over the rusted area. Make sure the soaked paper towel conforms to the shape of the object bein de-rusted. For heavier rust, cover the soaked towel with the plastic wrap and tape the wrap down to prevent moisture from escaping. After an appropriate period of time, remove the soaked towel and rinse the area with water. The paper towel must remain soaked with Evapo-Rust® for this method to work effectively."

Monday mending and musings

in which our plucky heroine has a productive day...

Still slightly cooler weather this morning, so I once again took to my bicycle first thing. Then decided to do some yardwork chores before breakfast. I'm intending to make progress in several areas today, and will reward myself with some time carving an alpaca block for tomorrow's Tinyprint Tuesday.

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~ make do and mend~

This is the lower center front of my "horses" blouse, post transmogrification. Long ago I bought some cotton Heather Ross fabric (sometime before 2016), from which I made a blouse in 2020. Eventually (in June 2024) I reconfigured the collar and, desiring to lengthen the sleeves. bought some (what turned out to be not identical) replacement fabric  to allow for alterations. While the newer fabric doesn't match, it will work well enough for my needs, and should give me a number of additional years of use. Having finished the alterations yesterday, I tried it out on this mornings bike ride... it was perfect. The sleeves now cover my arms down to my wrists (for improved sun protection) and the natural sleeve folds that form when wearing make the extension inserts unobtrusive. For in truth, how many people look at the details of how the garments worn by passers by are constructed?

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well dang... the stain of greed, or rather, how I accidentally dropped chocolate ice cream on the front of my grey stripey dress last week, and discovered that is leaves a mark that is impossible to remove. I had tried my usual (prior to cold water laundry wash and line dry) rinse off with cold water and rub in dishes soap, and there was still quite an obvious tan stain, which subsequent attempts with vinegar, and with hydrogen peroxide have done nothing to dislodge. Ah well, the dress will no longer be wearable on its own for anytime I don't want to look scruffy, but as the sleeves and neckline are still in good condition, it will work in the winter under a pinafore, or in transitional seasons as a "work dress".

There is rather a life span of garments, which I first made sense of when I was still living in Seattle. Back then, every year I would make myself three new dresses, to wear to OCF. They were my festival and party dresses all that year, and the next year they became my everyday clothing... Eventually either the year after that, or whenever they were too damaged to be really presentable, they became "work clothes", as at that time I earned my daily bread cleaning houses. The cycle is a bit slower now, and I only make new garments for myself if a piece of my clothing wears out beyond mending, or perchance I am inspired to try something new....

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Not sure how many days it will take to tackle all the pruning, but I managed to get outside today and spent about a hour, culling apples, cutting back the lovage, and trimming some of the forsythia overhanging the sidewalk. It is really helpful to get out first thing in the morning; it is useless to wish I had more stamina, the trick is to work with what energy I have

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	horses blouse	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	some more pruning	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I remembered that I have a rotary cutter, and used it for the bias strips to finish the hemline of the horses blouse project. Whooot! that thing is great!! I think I need to also get a full size one, as the one I have is petite and intended for future lingerie projects.
2. I found two more jars of pickled beets in the pantry... might be enough to see me through salads during the summer heat
3. I trimmed back the lovage today, and noticed that there are some new little shoots coming. Some snippets of that will be a good celery flavored addition to potato salad; I cooked enough ingredients to make some for lunch today, and some as a side dish tomorrow

Time of Isolation - Day 1472

Weekend whatnots

in which our plucky heroine woke up to a grey morning...

which is in fact my favorite thing to see out the window. It was cool and not-sunny, so once I was up I headed out for a bike ride, even before I checked the weather forecast. I finally turned around when it began to rain, and I could hear thunder in the distance. Then I saw a flash of lightning, probably across the river, and was glad I was almost home. 

We often had summer thunderstorms when I lived in New England, but they have been rare here, at least in the past. As the noise of the storm increased, I shut down the electronics, and instead decided to tackle the rest of the ever renewing Mt Dishmore. The lights flickered a few times, but we didn't lose power here. I am worried about how all the lightning has probably started many more fires, without enough ensuing rain to douse them. For now, for here, though, all is well

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~ moody blues ~

Yesterday my local art store, Artist and Craftstman Supply, held a hands on indigo dyeing demo, and I couldn't resist (ha ha!)... I took a largeish piece of lightweight linen from my resource shelves, 32" square after hemming the edges, and headed over there early in the day. I hadn't really planned ahead, or I would have tried preparing some more elaborate stitched shibori, so I decided to see what I could do using the rubber bands that were provided. I am quite pleased with the finished results, which will be a great addition to my scarf wardrobe. I am also curious about the internal variegation of the dyed portion, which has an almost crystalline appearance that is very pleasant, but I've no idea what caused it

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Today I finally tackled altering/refurbishing the horses print blouse I made a few years ago, the one I recently decided the ¾ sleeves were too short. I cut away the peplum to use it for fabric to lengthen the sleeves. There was enough fabric, other than that I was unable to come anywhere close to matching the print, and in places that mad my efforts looks peculiar. But at least the color and hand of the cotton is identical, and often the sleeves are sort of scrunched up onto my forearms so the alteration is not that visible.

The missing peplum is being replaced with the other fabric I bought online. I had hoped for the exact same print, but the background color is slightly darker brighter blue, and the substrate is more like quilt cotton than like cotton lawn. Thankfully no one will ever see the mismatch, since I only wear blouses under my pinafores.

Reattaching the peplum is a bit tricky, part machine work and part hand stitchery, because I didn't want to remove the front button band section and the bias trim. Once that is done I will do a narrow bias bound hemline and call it done. The whole recombinant effect is a bit kludgy, but I am hoping it will turn a blouse that mostly just sat in my closet into one that I will be able to wear regularly...

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I opened the bedroom curtains Saturday morning: lo and behold, a bunny was sitting under the Wanda plum tree! Apparently the rabbit population here is increasing, as I have seen more rabbits in the last few months than in the twenty years I have been living here. Prior to this year, I think I only ever saw one, several years ago in my front yard. This is the third one I have seen this summer!

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	horses blouse	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	-	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. The thunderstorm today has probably improved the air quality locally, at least for a while
2. One of the store clerks yesterday complimented my clothing ('cos apparently my attire is noticeable enough that they recognise me!) while I was unlocking my bike to ride home, and we had a short chat about sewing. I encouraged her to be brave and try it, and pointed out that making mistakes is part of learning.
3. There are currently 14 people signed up for the Advent swap. Almost halfway to 31. I hope I can encourage more folks to participate, to increase the ambient random whimsy!

Time of Isolation - Day 1471

more Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine looks backwards just a bit...

I don't for even a moment wish we were back in 2020, with all the uncertainty, trauma, and deaths, with nothing other than some scraps of cloth and wishes to protect us from the pandammit. But I sorely miss the sadly short-lived feeling of "we are all in this together"...

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In 2021 I made a 1:12 scale patchwork quilt. Most (but not all) of the fabric squares were scraps leftover from making cloth masks, so it is a bit of an artifact of the times. I cut ninety-nine 1" squares,  stitched with a ¼" seam, made believably small patches. There was no need for quilt batting, or even for actual quilting... I lined the patchwork rectangle with some very thin cotton lawn and called it good, the seam allowances give it enough substance without extra layers.

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Today I just heard that dear Ariadne and Young Kestrel have caught Covid, while they are out of country in Guatemala on their language intensive course. This is in addition to the five people I know who are sick and have tested positive just this week. They have been being so careful, and even the kiddo is so good about masking. My heart is full of concern for them, and hope they can get helpful medication where they are.

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	-	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	-	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. so far this summer it has been cool enough, and not smoky, so that in the early morning, box fans can bring fresh air into the house and I don't need the heat pump til afternoon
2. I happened to stop by the grocery store when they were having a "one day only 50% off the bulk aisle" sale. Yesterday I had noticed how my big jar of rolled oats was getting really low. Synchronicity for the win!
3. My impromptu indigo scarf turned out rather well, given that I had no plan at all. The local art store (Artist & Craftsman Supply) was doing a hands on indigo dyeing demo, so of course our plucky heroine couldn't stay away...

Time of Isolation - Day 1469

blueberry summer

in which our plucky heroine notices what is tasty...

Most of the fruit here is not yet ripe. There are green plums all over the prune plum thicket, and small fuzzy quinces starting to be visible. The apples are not going to be good this year, as I neglected to properly thin them when they were small. I haven't checked on the persimmon tree, but in this midsummer, suddenly I notice the blueberry bush...

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~ a modest harvest ~

This year is the best harvest ever. There are more blueberries on the small plant than I have seen before, and more came ripe in the last few days since I picked a few spoonfuls on Sunday. I was excited as I slowly added berries to the container before dinner, dreaming of eating sun-warmed homegrown fruit with yogurt as dessert. Then I dropped the container, and all the berries ended up in the mulch and spiderwebs under the bush. Oops! Now you can imagine our plucky heroine scrabbling to find each and every precious berry, which is exactly what I did. They now required much washing before I called them once again food safe; and rather than a delightful dessert, they will become tomorrow's breakfast

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I've started the process of altering/lengthening the sleeves on the horses blouse. This entails both removing the peplum from the current blouse so it can be used to alter the sleeves with the identical fabric, and creating a new peplum from the newly purchased (same print but different fabric and slightly different color) This will work because no one ever sees the peplum, only the upper portion of the blouse is visible under my pinafores. Much to my surprise, I had created the former peplum from a straight length of fabric, adding a curve by sewing in multiple darts!?! Removing the darts returned the fabric to a straight rectangle, which will be much nicer for extending the sleeves!

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Week 5 has us making a short sleeve cardigan, which can also be worn back to front as a short sleeve sweater...

I just knit many many tiny cap sleeve sweaters for week 2, and since I am trying to only use what yarn I have on hand, there will not be seven more little knit tops this week! I decided that using the Placket Tee pattern would be the best option for this week, and embellished the front opening with some very tiny buttons to add to the "cardigan" effect.

The only teal yarn I had was some Knit Picks Curio #3 crochet cotton originally purchased for tablet weaving. Knitting with cotton is more difficult than with wool, since it lacks resilience, but Nandina is very happy with the vivid color and silky texture! I did knit a second one in some vintage russet color wool, and that cardigan is set aside with the other dolly clothing to be sent to Young Kestrel.

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
3	very smol Birks	-	recycle bin
4	silkworm print	-	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	2 tiny cardigans	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
1. medical paper tape, which I can apply to bug bites to keep me from ripping my skin off. Something bit me on the belly while I was salvaging the blueberries, and now instead of a little welt, I have a double layer white square on my tummy skin, and in a few days to a week, the itch will subside and my skin remain in one piece!
2. Did I mention pickled beets earlier? They make an excellent addition to salads. I need to remember to make some for the pantry, as I've eaten most of the former batch
3. The peplum of the blouse I am altering is actually formed from a darted rectangle, which will make using it to lengthen the sleeves eversomuch easier!

Time of Isolation - Day 1468

tinyfolk Tuesday

in which our plucky heroine feel partially recovered on a number of axes...

The last few days have been all at upson downs, with disrupted sleep and miscommunications, all topsy turvy... with naps inserted at what are almost random intervals.

I've managed to get the most vital timebound tasks finally completed, and so today mostly consisted of catching my breath, as it were. There was, however, a fair amount of sitting at the computer processing images and text, though by the time that was done, it was far too hot outside to shake out the stiffness by walking or biking. Some stretches, an electrolyte drink, and what I had intended as a short nap turned into a three hour snooze.

I am continuing to try and get my sleep/wake intervals into better order. Fingers crossed it is possible!

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~ week 4 done ~

This has been a fun week in the tinyworld, of experimenting with various ways to customise a simple sleeveless reversible top for all the tinyfolk. I carved a tiny eraser stamp of the OCF peach and made everyone a faux souvenir of Fair. I used my new stamp pad (Yellow Owl Workshop "All Purpose Ink Pad"), which says right on the front "for fabric, paper, and more"... the ink pad is "permanent, waterproof, and archival" and even has instructions on the back for how to heat treat the fabric after printing; (was also a lot easier to use at this extra small scale than my usual tubes of ink and a brayer).

I also experimented with "fussy cutting" the top pattern from printed fabrics to center a small motif in the front of the bodice. Opal (2nd from left in lower photo) has a design of some ferns and a white rabbit on a black background, on the reverse side of her OCF top; this is a great way to take advantage of scraps of printed fabrics.

The other thing that can be done with good effect is to combine the sleeveless top and the flared skirt to create the look of a two-piece dress. In the lower photo, Nandina is wearing abstract rayon batik, and Almandine is wearing batik stripes, both with the top and skirt made from the same fabric.

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currently reading : "My Life in France" by Julia Child
currently listening to : "Paladin's Strength" by T. Kingfisher

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	pruned grapevine
3	very smol Birks	-	-
4	silkworm print	-	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	8 tiny tops	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I might as well write it down every day... the cooling aspect of the heat pump has been making a HUGE difference in my well being every day this summer so far. I don't run it 24/7, but rather from midday to morning; turn it off when I wake up and use the fans to pull cool morning air into the house, lather rinse repeat....
2. I suppose it is better to have realised my life purpose (creating and sharing beauty whimsy and delight) at this advanced age than to never figure it out. I do wish I had figured out that what I love to do is okay when I was younger
3. we still have access to antibiotics and they still work. My poor infected toe is now as far as I can tell, fully recovered. (before antibiotics, those sorts of random infections could be fatal)

Time of Isolation - Day 1466

weekend whatnot and whimsy

in which our plucky heroine seeks the silver lining...

Woke up in the wee small hours before dawn, from a quietly horrific WW2 nightmare. I was walking in drylands grainfields after the harvest, having a philosophical discussion with some adventurer. He and I passed a large tree that had been limbed, debarked, and cut in half, but was still standing like a sentinel. Then came the warplanes strafing the roadway, and the sky all patterned bomber formations like flocks of geese. Adrenaline taste in my mouth at 3AM when I opened my eyes to the quiet bedroom. Ugh, there would be no more sleep that night....

Exhausted already, but I finally managed to regain enough composure, pull on outdoor clothing, and was outside before sun was high enough to start battering my eyes. Started cutting back the plum seedlings, a bit of fruit tree branches, and the grapevine extensions that were reaching across to the apple tree, thereby filled the greenwaste wheelie bin.  If I can manage to do this every morning (sans nightmare hopefully) I will actually make progress on my sadly neglected yard.

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~ yin yang petunias ~

Yin/Yang petunias, in a decorative planter pot for sale outside the grocery store. I don't think I have ever seen the white ones with the textural black throats before, and the combination is striking! If I had both a sunny spot near the front door, and the funds for such frivolity, I would be tempted...

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currently reading : "Once There Was" by Kiyash Monsef
currently listening to : "Paladin's Strength" by T. Kingfisher

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	-	-
3	very smol Birks	-	-
4	silkworm print	-	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. the scent of mint underfoot as I rolled the greenwaste wheelie bin down the side yard path this morning
2. the blueberry bush that Larissa gave me 20 years ago remains alive, and this year has more blueberries than the two or three that usually show up. I harvested an actual handful, enough to top some yogurt, or drop into a serving of pancakes!
3. naps

Time of Isolation - Day 1464

friendship Friday

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

This is a very fragrant season: the last of the summer jasmine is still blooming, some (but not all, I wonder why) linden trees are delightfully scented, and here and there I find honeysuckle vines, which although they are rather thuggish plants, have a strong pleasing fragrance. I wonder if there would be a good place to plant some honeysuckle, maybe along one of the back fences?

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My phone rang this morning and it was my dear friend Rois... she and Chance were going to be heading over this way today, and would I like some company... Yes indeed! I've not seen them for several years and I miss them so much from when they lived in Beaverton instead of on the other side of the mountains, and we would get together for projects and crafts and cooking and suchlike. We had a nice long porch visit, and it was good to hear that things were going well in their lives. They had their two dogs with them, and were headed over to visit Sol and Ruby afterwards. Seeing friends in person is so rare these days.

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I have been making good progress at tidying the remainder of the house, the living room is almost ready for its "portrait", and the sewing room not far behind. I intend to complete all of this by the 14th, whereupon I can start actually looking through the various boxes and bags of "stuff". I did put about a bag of random unnecessary old greeting cards and envelopes in the wheelie bin. I only saved out a holiday block print card made by my late young friend Seb, which brought back bittersweet memories.

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~ where I wish I was... ~

For so many years, the Oregon Country Fair was the hub that my personal wheel of the year revolved around. It was, for me, a glimpse pointing towards a reality where if other choices had been/could be made, the world would be different in a way that bent towards the arc of life. I miss being able to be there so much (as much as I miss the feeling of hopefulness), though that chapter of my life ended long before the pandammit...

Today I carved the most tiny of OCF peach stamps, with the intention of making wee little Fair shirts, a few for Kestrel's dollies, and one for Almandine. I might have to send a tiny patch, or flag, or something to Ånni, who had to stay home from Fair because sick doggo...

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	-	-
3	very smol Birks	-	-
4	silkworm print	-	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	Peach tinyprint	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. tiny hemostat is such a useful tool.
2. my collection of Sharpie markers were a gift from my SIL Barb, and have been everso handy. I sometimes use them to "dye" doll fabric garments a different color
3. Rois and Chance. I am honored that people I admire so much want to be friends with me. (I think I first met them back in 1989 or so, shortly after I met Mr Dawson, back when they still had their Akita dog Nick and were living in Portland)

Time of Isolation - Day 1462

throwback Thursday

in which our plucky heroine gets inspected...

Ever since they cut a sizeable chunk out of my arm a few years ago, I get periodic dermatological checks from top to toe. I was happy to find out today that all looks normal, at least on the outside, and I can come back in a year for the next one. Dr O was pleased with how well I am doing, and was pleasantly surprised when I showed him my arm guards (long white jersey fingerless gloves that go all the way up my forearms)

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Back at the beginning of the pandammit, just after the big Columbia Gorge fire, I made Nandina a wool felt skirt all decorated with embroidery and pinked felt, rather in the style of Salley Mavor's Wee Felt Folk. Remembering this, (as seen in the photo above) I decided to decorate the green linen side of the skirt I am making for Almandine with some little embroidered vines.

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I stopped at the store on the way home, hoping for some tasty decorations for salad tonight. Ummm, two weeks ago small avocados were $1.49 each. Yesterday they were $1.79. Today they are $1.99. What I see reminds me (in a small way) of when I visited Yugoslavia back in 1989, before it fell apart, and how the prices would change every day.

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Tuesday night I decided that whatever was making my left small toe super cranky was not going away and actually getting worse, so I made an appointment for first thing in the morning (8am) at the Immediate Care nearest my house. Got going super early so I would be there right when they opened.

Only to find out, when it opened, that they had just been notified that their storefront was closed for the day, and they needed to call everyone scheduled to let them know... but I was already there. The clerk must have apologised at least ten times. All I asked was if I could have an appointment at the only other one somewhat nearby, and she was able to schedule me there at 9am. So after riding about two miles there, then two miles back home, then maybe another mile or so in the opposite direction, I finally was able to see a clinician!

They took a look at my foot, and asked about medical history stuff, and particularly since I have had cellulitis more than one time (and one time really badly), I am now partway into a week of Keflex three times a day; the good news is my foot is improving.

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I really need to get off my duff and start doing more small fixit things. Whenever I look at my SMART goals grid for July, the middle column seems really empty and in need.  Could be housey improvement, could be mending clothing, could be ???

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	-	-
3	very smol Birks	-	-
4	silkworm print	-	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Two avocados! A gift from the grocery clerk who feels as bad as I do about the prices rising every week...
2. A clean dermatology checkup this morning; I don't need to come back for a year, and the two things I had questions about were normal human variations and not more cancer.
3. Yesterday I got to go a little further in the Golden Sky Stories game with Stef and Mischa. Eventually I will get the hang of it, but I am already having fun!
4. I think I caught the foot infection in time, as symptoms are improving since I got a scrip for Keflex yesterday.

Time of Isolation - Day 1461

tired of the heat

in which our plucky heroine is feeling weary....

Tonight, at 9pm, it was 90°F (32°C) on the front porch, down from a high of 104. Hopefully it will cool down overnight, the forecast is for somewhat less hellacious thermometer readings.

When my laundry was finished this afternoon, in addition to putting on a protective sunhat while I hung everything on the line to dry, it occurred to me that I could wear my still damp from the washing machine blouse as a sort of sunproof cooling jacket. By the time I finished hanging out the load of washing, the blouse was dry.

Not sure if it is the heat, or if there is an infection developing in my left foot which is painful and sort of itchy. Made an appointment at the express care clinic tomorrow morning to get it looked at.

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~ very small friends ~

The tinyfolk keep me company while I do computer things

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This morning while chatting with Leslie on zoom, I began planning sewing projects for me. I need to replace the sun protective glove that was lost. I would like to make a sort of sun protective shrug/bolero, to cover my arms and neckline when wearing one of my popover dresses. And it would be fun to have a new popover from the pretty batik rayon.

The other sewing related thing I did was to set up embroidered hemline decoration for another reversible Almandine skirt. One side will be black/brown chevron stripes, and the revers will be green linen embroidered with a vine motif.

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I have made some progress on the "tidy and photo inside the house" project So far I have done 2 rooms (kitchen + bedroom) and utility closet, still need to do sm bedroom, living room, and workroom... I'd hoped to get more done by now but still feeling exhausted. Tomorrow I should be able to do the small bedroom and the living room; it does bring me satisfaction to see how the rooms look with less clutter, and will help motivate me to sort through the now condensed detritus.

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	cleaned keyboard	recycle bin
2	tiny cargo pants	-	-
3	very smol Birks	-	-
4	silkworm print	-	-
5	4 reversible skirts	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I've been managing to keep the skirrets and the mock orange alive, remembering to water them frequently enough despite the dreadful heat.
2. I brought in the grocery delivery before it baked on the porch, and decided to cook the chicken and the chard right away, so they could be in the fridge for meals tomorrow.
3. There was an appointment available first thing in the morning at Immediate Care, so the weather outside should be bearable, and the indoor air quality the least fraught possible these days.
4. I bought replacement filters for my P100. I think I will deploy them tonight, to have them ready for tomorrow.

Time of Isolation - Day 1459