Blogger: surprise! We ate your link list!

Hello, everyone.

As it says in the title, the favorite blog list has disappeared. The gadget is no longer in the gadget list. Who knows why? Now there is a different link collection gadget.

Why can't people leave what isn't broken alone?

Trying something completely new: a fidget blanket

Hello, everyone.

Back at the computer again, and looking forward to getting some cool weather soon. We hope! It was 91F when we stepped out the door to walk a little this evening.

There have been, among the other sewing and quilting pins, a number of Pinterest items on my feed about Alzheimers fidget quilts. Or blankets. Or mats. Also called dementia fidget quilts.  It seemed like a good thing to figure out for gifts.

The pictures here are in-progress photos. (It's not done yet.)

Dangles and doo-dads to put onto the top side when it's assembled.

 I found a zipper to put on the top, and some dangly bits, and an old yellow shape that now has an orange mesh loop at the base to fiddle with. Also made a little tassel out of leftover fuzzy white binding.

The top side is getting another strip along the upper edge. 

I found some red corduroy to use as the back side, and a smaller piece that was full of embroidery stitch testing. I'm planning to add the white tassel to the piece of embroidered corduroy. The zip and the yellow shape will go on the brown piece, and the dangly bits will be scattered here-n-there.

The completed blue top

Hello, everyone.

I found the mislaid photo of the (nearly completed) top: the camera had decided it was taking pictures in 2011!

But here it is...

I think this was taken before I added a long triangular gusset in the back. The main features are in view here--the buttons don't really need to open. But using up stash buttons is good, too, along with the stash fabric and the stash zippers.

A new stash project has been started--and I had to go to the store and buy fabric to finish cutting it out. (Ran out of poly organza for the underlining! Also picked up a beige zipper.)

Working on pattern layout on the beige boucle

The intention for this is to be a beige skirt for the cooler months, with godets at the seams instead of a kick pleat in back. The basic skirt form is a pencil skirt--the same pattern that was once made up in the blue of that top above--from Burda of January, 2008. It will have pockets in front, not wide pockets, but still able to hold a pen or a card.

A programming note, I will be away from my computer for a few days and posting may be deferred until I get back.

Stash busting: blue top

Hello, everyone.

Going through stash to use up, I found a leftover blue matelasse piece. There was just enough to use with the same pattern as the blue and yellow stripe linen, as long as the major elements were pieced. As long as there was piecing anyway, I added zippered pockets in the front.

One of the fronts with the pocket zipper in place

I hand basted the pocket zippers before sewing them in. Also hand basted the pocket bags to the zipper tapes before sewing them, too.

There were some surprises in this project. The matelasse had less looseness in the fabric. Also, since there was piecing needed to get the top cut out, a pair of pockets were added. The pockets are thin but they are each big enough to hold a pilgrim credencial.  At the end, a gusset was added in the back for ease.

It's amazing the differences that come when the pattern is done again in a different fabric.

H is for Hamelia

Hello, everyone.

I was looking out the window at the visiting hummer and realized that he, or she, comes around that particular bush multiple times a day. Or at least some hummer comes.

This is one of our hamelia bushes. There are actually two color varieties growing in our yard. This is the red one. There is also a "yellow" flowered one--think of an orangish shade of yellow for that. The bushes seed out around the yard for us, thanks I think to birds eating the berries.

Hamelia is tender to freezes, but if we have a winter with no freeze it will continue to grow. This one is around 8 feet tall.

Just for fun: kitty

Hello, everyone.

The newest project isn't quite done yet.

This is a photo to pass the moment with in the meantime: Jude.

More stash busted: red bag

Hello, everyone.

While waiting for the computer parts to arrive, I worked on another stash buster.

This is a tote bag, for some friends.

The outside of the bag (bottom seam has been sewn)

 The bag was completely constructed out of stash--from the "pillow making" pile for the outside and general supplies for the rest. It has two straps, long enough for carrying on one shoulder.

The completed bag. As the contents of the bag are generally white, I lined it with natural-colored muslin.

There has been other sewing, but I'm not exactly sure how that came out. (Possibly sewed a strip of hook and loop on backwards!) If it is okay, it will probably get a post.

Happy computer news, and itchy feet (from Camino fever)

Hello, everyone.

As y'all can see, the computer seems to be fixed. It has a new monitor, a new HDMI cable (didn't have that at all before) and a new graphic video card.

It isn't that easy to find a new card that will work with a 6 year old computer.

But it's possible.

And on the other topic of the title, we didn't go on pilgrimage this year at all, and with the heat lately we haven't even been walking around the area. (Today it reached 102F...slightly north of 38C for my metric zone readers.)

Our feet are itching.

Sahagun? but it was siesta time.

The south side bus station in Madrid--both times we walked from our sleeping place
to the station for the 0615 or so express bus to the airport.

Some of the road walking after Lisbon.

This was a nature walking area...I kind of think they'll be adding trees sometime in the future.

More Portuguese road walking.

And even though the scariest roads didn't get into the camera, I think y'all can see why the color for the blouse was called "Don't Run Me Over" Pink.

God willing, we will go on pilgrimage again next year. We're thinking about the Camino Norte. Or possibly a further exploration of the Camino Frances that we did in 2014.

A small programming note: a break for a few days

Hello, everyone.

My computer woke up with a dead monitor and until the new parts arrive I'm without my desktop.

Posts will resume when the comp is fixed.

Thank you for understanding.