Well, I did get some sewing in this week. Well, one seam.
Gabi (a Tonner My Imagination doll) is modeling the fleece hat and scarf I made for Lauren, the Habitat Girl. I'll be handing these items over this week. You may remember that Lauren (a Creatology doll from Michael's) has been outfitted by some of us and will be auctioned off at Habitat for Humanity's Overall Ball in Park City in October. Lauren has already moved in with someone from Habitat who is training and grooming her for the big day. I got the pattern for the hat and scarf here, but I made some changes. First of all, I didn't think the hem was needed because fleece doesn't ravel, and I didn't want to get out my zigzag machine for that little bit, so I cut the rectangle 1" narrower, the amount of the hem. The other thing I did that was different was I didn't make a pattern and cut it out with scissors. I figured might as well get some use out of my quilting notions, so I used my rotary cutter, rulers and mat for cutting out the three pieces needed. One seam and some additional cutting to make fringe for the top of the hat and the ends of the scarf, and I was done. All while Dusty was napping.
Some knitting happened this week, too, too. I managed to make two sweaters and two hats. True, they were doll-size, but still. (I'm glad I have to do this retrospective of my week, because I didn't think I had done anything crafty this week, with all that was going on.)
Here are Dude (left) and Buddy (both My Sibling Dolls), showing off their new sweaters and hats. I used the same pattern for both boys. Dude is wearing his with the buttons in back, which, as it turns out, is how you make a pullover for a doll. His hat has a tassel on top. Buddy's sweater is a cardigan, and his hat has a pompon on top.
Here's a look at Dude's tassel (Dude's real name is Dudley, but don't tell him I told you):
I had ordered some T-shirts and pajamas for the boys. They arrived this week from Home Sew.
Here's Buddy in his PJs. It said "Deer" on the package, but based on the shape of the head, I think they are moose with stylized racks.
Unfortunately, the T-shirts didn't fit the boys. They have very broad, manly shoulders. I could get them on, but they looked like something out of a '70s sitcom, so I'm making T-shirts for them instead. On the other hand, the T-shirts fit the girls just fine. (Please pardon the undies.) I'm working on a skirt for Hannah, now that I've made two things each for each of the boys. I hope to be able to show it off next week. Maybe with a sweater or top to go with it.
In the meantime, Tuesday found us with a man on the roof.
Our new solar panels were installed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Additional disclaimer: I did NOT get up on the roof to take the photo below.)
This is pretty much the view from our living room, but we have to look at it through deck rails. The new solar panels are supposed to provide 50% of our current power usage. It may do better, now that DGD1 is no longer living with us. The power company will buy back anything we produce but don't use.
Typical weather for here in the Utah mountains this time of year: chilly nights and pleasantly warm days, unless it rains. Tuesday, DH was busy with the solar installers, so I took the pups up to the firebreak road. I had Dusty on a long leash, so if any bicyclists came by, and he tried to chase them, I could play a trick on him and teach him a lesson. I tried to get the pups to pose for a photo with the nice view in the background. I told them both "sit" and "stay. "Here's their individual interpretations of "stay." (That's Dusty on the left, at the end of the leash, and Rocky on the right.)
Dusty ended up right next to me. Oh, well. There are other lessons to learn first.
Like chasing bicycles. I've never had a dog who chased bicycles or cars before, so this was a new thing for me. On the advice of two vets and Dusty's breeder, we took him out with a very long leash. It was a chore to carry. As you can see from the photo, we had a choke collar on him. (It doesn't hurt the dog, just startles him.) The leash is heavy. I hauled it all along the trail and back without seeing any bicycles. When we were almost back to our car, we came across a bicyclist just getting ready to ride. (I think it might have been the same guy Dusty ran after the week before.) I asked him if he would help me teach Dusty not to chase bicycles, and he agreed. As he took off, very slowly, I kept telling Dusty, "leave it." He just watched. I suggested the bicyclist ride faster, and when he did, "leave it" only worked for a second, and Dusty was off after the bicycle. I had the end of the leash in my grip and just let the rest of it go. Wham! The little guy's feet went out from under him, and he was down. I thanked the bicyclist, and Dusty came back to me, none the worse, but hopefully a bit wiser. The bicyclist asked if that was enough, and I replied that it was a good first lesson.
Common Threads met at Karan's last week. There were only three of us. It was pleasant, though Karan was hand-quilting, and Lynda and I were knitting.
Happy 75th birthday to my own DH, Charlie!
What's on my needles: A skirt for Hannah. The “So-not-my-palette Cardigan” is sort of on hold while I work on doll clothes. Still on the second sleeve.
What's on my Featherweight: Doll clothes.
What's on my wheel: Put away for now.
What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still no audiobook in action, but I'm listening to practice music for the Park City Singers' Holiday Concert. Still reading Corinna: A Sweet & Clean Historical Romance by Lauren Royal. I'm still liking it.
What's in my wine glass: Trader Joe's Charles Shaw "Two-buck Chuck" Merlot. Always a favorite, even though we had to pay $3 for it.
What's my tip of the week: Beans are high in fiber and protein, but they cause intestinal distress in some people. Your body gets used to it if you eat beans frequently, but to reduce...um...gas, drain and rinse beans after cooking. If you're using canned beans, drain and rinse the beans before using them in a recipe.
Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.
No comments:
Post a Comment