Commencing on shirt 2.
The cut line is not only long, it also curves. At the end I will remove all of the basting that is not covered by the repair stitches.
Showing posts with label backpack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label backpack. Show all posts
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Progress on maintenance
Hello, everyone. The holes in the previous post are almost done. All they need is to have the Fabri-solvy to be soaked off and a bit of Fray check to discourage the bits of yarn from making runners.
The front and back work on shirt 1. I got a really good color match on this one. The front work is close to where the backpack strap goes. There will probably be test fit later. š¤
The damage is more structural with this one, the one hole is at the shoulder and cuts 2 seam lines. The ball point pins came out because getting the shoulder to lie flat in the embroidery hoop was going poorly. And keeping the strain on the knit fabric as even and gentle as possible matters. This cut crosses over where the backpack strap will lie, making it even more important.
There are 3 different threads in use for basting: the remnants of the earlier work at the neck, a darker shade, and the darkest, which looks like the best match: "Tree Bark" polyester thread. I basted the shoulder seam line straight before beginning to stabilizer the rest. Then I basted down the point of the cut to nest into itself.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Finished a project
Hello, everyone.
The old Aggie Bag that has been going with me on so many trips is getting a bit old. More to the point, I recently used it on a trip where my only luggage was a backpack, carried on. The Aggie Bag was a big to carry on as the pack, and so I proceeded gingerly down the aircraft aisle with a big round thing held in front, the bag, and a big round thing in back, the pack. It was doable but not really desirable, if y'all know what I mean.
I have been learning about my beautiful gift from Santa (I understand that there is now a newer, bigger version on offer instead) and found a project on Sew4Home to practice the embroidery on. It involved buying new thread...oh boy, more stuff that has to find a home!...and embroidering a design, then using the embroidered fabric in a tote bag. The tote is a good size to hold my tablet, DH's tablet, and some few odds and ends...assuming one also has a waist bag, it will work I think.
Yesterday it was finished.
This is the zipper added to the top, to keep the contents from spilling out all over my feet during a plane flight, and discourage strangers from exploring the bag. It is a purse zipper, from stash. I looked around and used one of the various tutorials to create the zipper facings and attach it. The bulk of the bag made things a bit difficult.
The print used for the sides and the zipper facings is from stash--it's left over from a set of half-circle gathered swags at the Former Abode. Or maybe it was a sample piece left from the decision making at that time? The white used is a fake-linen piece (poly) and I used Stay-Flex for the interfacing. The rest of the interfacing was iron on fleece. Maybe I should have gotten some of the Decor Bond that was recommended. Speaking of bulk under the needle of the sewing machine! But I didn't want to add yet another pile of half-used stuff to the sewing studio.
The embroidered side. It is an open pocket. I lined it with a white on white cotton print, so the lining wouldn't show through the white panel. As y'all can see, I didn't go with the suggested leather handles. (Really? Stiff leather handles for something that has to tuck in by my feet in those tiny airplane seats? Don't think so!) I made straps out of some solid cotton that matches one of the colors in the printed fabric, padded with some iron on fleece, and stitched into the seam between the top edge of the bag and the rest of it.
I also added a zippered pocket on the back side. With only a little bending and folding, boarding passes could fit here. Passport would go with no trouble at all. And of course! the credencial. When ever we get to return to the Camino path, that is! The zipper here is an invisible zipper from stash.
About that new thread: it's Auriful 80 weight cotton. It comes on a wooden spool. Of the three spools I got, one has a snag on the edge. It catches the thread while sewing. And, being very, very thin thread, I had to lower the top tension on the machine a lot to get the project to sew out reasonable well. There are 2 failed attempts now in stash, and DH says they're cute too and look like quilt blocks to him. We'll see what turns up. The stitching pulled in when it was done. And because of the snag and the tension issue, there were a lot of thread breaks. I'm not at all sure this thread is for me.
On the plus side, Fat Quarter Shop had really fast service. (Thread link above is to their site.) And lots of colors of thread, too!
The old Aggie Bag that has been going with me on so many trips is getting a bit old. More to the point, I recently used it on a trip where my only luggage was a backpack, carried on. The Aggie Bag was a big to carry on as the pack, and so I proceeded gingerly down the aircraft aisle with a big round thing held in front, the bag, and a big round thing in back, the pack. It was doable but not really desirable, if y'all know what I mean.
I have been learning about my beautiful gift from Santa (I understand that there is now a newer, bigger version on offer instead) and found a project on Sew4Home to practice the embroidery on. It involved buying new thread...oh boy, more stuff that has to find a home!...and embroidering a design, then using the embroidered fabric in a tote bag. The tote is a good size to hold my tablet, DH's tablet, and some few odds and ends...assuming one also has a waist bag, it will work I think.
Yesterday it was finished.
This is the zipper added to the top, to keep the contents from spilling out all over my feet during a plane flight, and discourage strangers from exploring the bag. It is a purse zipper, from stash. I looked around and used one of the various tutorials to create the zipper facings and attach it. The bulk of the bag made things a bit difficult.
The print used for the sides and the zipper facings is from stash--it's left over from a set of half-circle gathered swags at the Former Abode. Or maybe it was a sample piece left from the decision making at that time? The white used is a fake-linen piece (poly) and I used Stay-Flex for the interfacing. The rest of the interfacing was iron on fleece. Maybe I should have gotten some of the Decor Bond that was recommended. Speaking of bulk under the needle of the sewing machine! But I didn't want to add yet another pile of half-used stuff to the sewing studio.
The embroidered side. It is an open pocket. I lined it with a white on white cotton print, so the lining wouldn't show through the white panel. As y'all can see, I didn't go with the suggested leather handles. (Really? Stiff leather handles for something that has to tuck in by my feet in those tiny airplane seats? Don't think so!) I made straps out of some solid cotton that matches one of the colors in the printed fabric, padded with some iron on fleece, and stitched into the seam between the top edge of the bag and the rest of it.
I also added a zippered pocket on the back side. With only a little bending and folding, boarding passes could fit here. Passport would go with no trouble at all. And of course! the credencial. When ever we get to return to the Camino path, that is! The zipper here is an invisible zipper from stash.
About that new thread: it's Auriful 80 weight cotton. It comes on a wooden spool. Of the three spools I got, one has a snag on the edge. It catches the thread while sewing. And, being very, very thin thread, I had to lower the top tension on the machine a lot to get the project to sew out reasonable well. There are 2 failed attempts now in stash, and DH says they're cute too and look like quilt blocks to him. We'll see what turns up. The stitching pulled in when it was done. And because of the snag and the tension issue, there were a lot of thread breaks. I'm not at all sure this thread is for me.
On the plus side, Fat Quarter Shop had really fast service. (Thread link above is to their site.) And lots of colors of thread, too!
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Third day's walking: Deba to Markina 27 km
Hello, everyone.
We left Deba at what was turning out to be our new standard departure time: between 6:45 and 7:15. (We would have liked to leave earlier, but we kept forgetting to set our watch to 0530 to get the day started!)
This was a day of walking away from the ocean and into the mountains.
The river at Deba was beautiful in the early morning.
We crossed the dam and began the long day's climb. Y'all can just see the beginnings of the path at the right side of the picture.
Parts of the path were reasonably level. Parts of it were steep. The village of Olatz was in a little enclosed valley that doesn't drain away: a polje I think it's called. The bar had a very welcome bite of food to eat. I refilled my water bottle at the sink in the ladies' room.
A bus group came and sat around outside the bar in their couple or three dozen, eating sack lunches and buying nothing from the little business. I felt like it was tacky of them. If they ordered the sack breakfasts from the lady at the bar, she could have had them ready and the extra business might have been the difference to make it worthwhile for her to be open an extra day during the week. Instead of only at the weekend.
The trail, which was mostly on dirt lumber roads, went pretty high. We had some lovely views.
We had gotten a barra loaf and some sardines in Deba, because of the notes in the guide book about a near-total lack of facilities en route, and about 1 we sat down near a farm with a (non-potable) spring and ate. The kids at the farm had set up a table to sell drinks: sodas, Aquarius water, and maybe some beer. We bought drinks to go with our food and enjoyed a rest on the grass.
The lunch stop was about 10 kilometers from our destination, according to a sign we saw. Those were some long kilometers! There was a really long descent at one point, somewhat steep. I zigzagged my way all the way down on the concrete way. And it wasn't the end! There were still some more miles.
We got to Markina about 4 in the afternoon, and almost the first thing we saw was the famous shrine to St. Michael the Archangel. The statue is in the center of a megalithic rock construction. There are a couple of benches for a visitor to sit down for a minute inside the building.
In Markina we stayed at the convent of the Benedictinas. The building was in the classic hollow-square shape and clotheslines for the pilgrims were inside the paved courtyard at the center. (In that climate the heat reflecting off of the walls is an advantage.) They had something I'd never seen before, a little electric gizmo that would spin-out your wet laundry after you washed it in the (cold!) water at the sink. This was interesting, it almost got the clothes as wrung-out as an actual washing machine load. I needed help to figure out how to start the machine.
The Benedictinas had blankets, beds, showers, and the above discussed things--but no internet. (Not that internet is necessary, it's more of a luxury. Come to think of it, having a bed instead of a bunk is a luxury, too!) There are a number of places in the area to eat and we enjoyed a hot meal for dinner.
We made sure to get back to our sleeping place before the doors were locked and the lights turned off at 10 PM. This had been standard when we were on the Camino Frances and the Camino Portugues, but it is less so on the Camino del Norte. Some of the pilgrims, especially the ones who were more hikers than pilgrims, felt like the rule of 10 PM should be relaxed so they could keep the lights on later. This didn't work, as the sisters had established that as a strict rule that probably has been in force as long as they've been sheltering pilgrims on the Way. We were too tired to want to party all night anyway.
We left Deba at what was turning out to be our new standard departure time: between 6:45 and 7:15. (We would have liked to leave earlier, but we kept forgetting to set our watch to 0530 to get the day started!)
This was a day of walking away from the ocean and into the mountains.
The river at Deba was beautiful in the early morning.
We crossed the dam and began the long day's climb. Y'all can just see the beginnings of the path at the right side of the picture.
Parts of the path were reasonably level. Parts of it were steep. The village of Olatz was in a little enclosed valley that doesn't drain away: a polje I think it's called. The bar had a very welcome bite of food to eat. I refilled my water bottle at the sink in the ladies' room.
A bus group came and sat around outside the bar in their couple or three dozen, eating sack lunches and buying nothing from the little business. I felt like it was tacky of them. If they ordered the sack breakfasts from the lady at the bar, she could have had them ready and the extra business might have been the difference to make it worthwhile for her to be open an extra day during the week. Instead of only at the weekend.
The trail, which was mostly on dirt lumber roads, went pretty high. We had some lovely views.
We had gotten a barra loaf and some sardines in Deba, because of the notes in the guide book about a near-total lack of facilities en route, and about 1 we sat down near a farm with a (non-potable) spring and ate. The kids at the farm had set up a table to sell drinks: sodas, Aquarius water, and maybe some beer. We bought drinks to go with our food and enjoyed a rest on the grass.
The lunch stop was about 10 kilometers from our destination, according to a sign we saw. Those were some long kilometers! There was a really long descent at one point, somewhat steep. I zigzagged my way all the way down on the concrete way. And it wasn't the end! There were still some more miles.
We got to Markina about 4 in the afternoon, and almost the first thing we saw was the famous shrine to St. Michael the Archangel. The statue is in the center of a megalithic rock construction. There are a couple of benches for a visitor to sit down for a minute inside the building.
In Markina we stayed at the convent of the Benedictinas. The building was in the classic hollow-square shape and clotheslines for the pilgrims were inside the paved courtyard at the center. (In that climate the heat reflecting off of the walls is an advantage.) They had something I'd never seen before, a little electric gizmo that would spin-out your wet laundry after you washed it in the (cold!) water at the sink. This was interesting, it almost got the clothes as wrung-out as an actual washing machine load. I needed help to figure out how to start the machine.
The Benedictinas had blankets, beds, showers, and the above discussed things--but no internet. (Not that internet is necessary, it's more of a luxury. Come to think of it, having a bed instead of a bunk is a luxury, too!) There are a number of places in the area to eat and we enjoyed a hot meal for dinner.
We made sure to get back to our sleeping place before the doors were locked and the lights turned off at 10 PM. This had been standard when we were on the Camino Frances and the Camino Portugues, but it is less so on the Camino del Norte. Some of the pilgrims, especially the ones who were more hikers than pilgrims, felt like the rule of 10 PM should be relaxed so they could keep the lights on later. This didn't work, as the sisters had established that as a strict rule that probably has been in force as long as they've been sheltering pilgrims on the Way. We were too tired to want to party all night anyway.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Pilgrimage 2018 is heading out
Hello everyone.
I think it was Bilbo who is supposed to have said "It's a dangerous thing to go out your door" and then reflected on how the road goes on and on.
The Camino is like that, too. It calls, and when you have answered sometimes you discover that it has built a homing beacon into your heart.
We hope to make it to Santiago's tomb this year, and to pay respects also to Our Lady of Covadonga and at Oviedo. "God willing and the creek don't rise" as they say.
Here is my personal pack load, except for the Teva sandals, hiking poles, and electronics like this device.
Wear one, pack two, as the fellow who posted his 5 kg pack video to the Camino Forum said: 2 shirts, 2 panties, 2 sock pairs (Injinji low cut lightweight) in the pack. 1 bra in the pack. 1 fleece pullover, 1 windbreaker, 1 pair of shorts--wearing the zip off pants, 1 Icebreaker merino tank dress (splurge), 1 rain poncho. The merino Infinity Buff. The two packed shirts are 1 Icebreaker tank and 1 BCG tee, the shirt I am wearing is a long sleeved ripstop.
Dopp box has toothbrush, tiny powder, razor, ear swabs, toothpaste, hairbrush, a head band and a hair liga, and a small bottle of hair/body/clothes wash. Also a poly fast dry towel. Also the little mesh box with hiking pole tips.
The Fabulous Bag to put the pack in for the flight, a dry clothes bag for the shower, a mesh bag for dirty clothes or shopping, the bag for the sleeping bag liner.
Sleeping bag and liner.
If I remember them all correctly!
Ultreia!
I think it was Bilbo who is supposed to have said "It's a dangerous thing to go out your door" and then reflected on how the road goes on and on.
The Camino is like that, too. It calls, and when you have answered sometimes you discover that it has built a homing beacon into your heart.
We hope to make it to Santiago's tomb this year, and to pay respects also to Our Lady of Covadonga and at Oviedo. "God willing and the creek don't rise" as they say.
Here is my personal pack load, except for the Teva sandals, hiking poles, and electronics like this device.
Dopp box has toothbrush, tiny powder, razor, ear swabs, toothpaste, hairbrush, a head band and a hair liga, and a small bottle of hair/body/clothes wash. Also a poly fast dry towel. Also the little mesh box with hiking pole tips.
The Fabulous Bag to put the pack in for the flight, a dry clothes bag for the shower, a mesh bag for dirty clothes or shopping, the bag for the sleeping bag liner.
Sleeping bag and liner.
If I remember them all correctly!
Ultreia!
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
It's getting close!
Hello everyone.
Our return to the Camino is coming.
Today we took the packs and sleeping gear outside for spraying.
(Yes I am going to take a new sleeping bag this time. It's one of the Big Agnes ones that was promoted by REI a few months back. It's almost half a pound lighter than the old green one.)
Ultreia!
Our return to the Camino is coming.
(Yes I am going to take a new sleeping bag this time. It's one of the Big Agnes ones that was promoted by REI a few months back. It's almost half a pound lighter than the old green one.)
Ultreia!
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Training report
Hello, everyone.
Yesterday we did our first long walk of the year: all of the Mission Hike and Bike, over to Bentsen State Park, around the road loop inside the park, and back along the Hike and Bike to the truck. We estimate it was 14 miles. The converter told us that works out to 22 or 23 kilometers, a reasonable day's walk, in just under 5 hours. Of course that was over flat territory and mostly pavement.
The feet are fine. The boots and sox worked well together.
For me, that was a pair of Injinji liner socks in the new Merrell boots that have the Megagrip soles. Tee shirt and shorts, of course.
We are refining wardrobe decisions in preparation for departure.
I think I will take my pair of zip-off pants and a pair of shorts, and the Icebreaker merino tank dress for evenings. (It's light weight and dries fast.) A total of 3 pairs of the light weight Injinji socks, two light weight low cut ones and a liner pair to wear as a regular sock pair. 3 pairs of undies. Probably 2 tank tops that can be under layers, 2 bras, 2 tees, 2 ripstop long sleeved shirts that can have their sleeves rolled up. The pink fleece, the windbreaker, the Buff or the Infinity Buff (not both) and the hat and rain poncho.
Further items haven't been settled on yet. Certainly the new sleeping bag will go, and the fabulous bag that covers the backpack on the plane, and of course the poles. The new dopp box.
Yesterday we did our first long walk of the year: all of the Mission Hike and Bike, over to Bentsen State Park, around the road loop inside the park, and back along the Hike and Bike to the truck. We estimate it was 14 miles. The converter told us that works out to 22 or 23 kilometers, a reasonable day's walk, in just under 5 hours. Of course that was over flat territory and mostly pavement.
The feet are fine. The boots and sox worked well together.
For me, that was a pair of Injinji liner socks in the new Merrell boots that have the Megagrip soles. Tee shirt and shorts, of course.
We are refining wardrobe decisions in preparation for departure.
I think I will take my pair of zip-off pants and a pair of shorts, and the Icebreaker merino tank dress for evenings. (It's light weight and dries fast.) A total of 3 pairs of the light weight Injinji socks, two light weight low cut ones and a liner pair to wear as a regular sock pair. 3 pairs of undies. Probably 2 tank tops that can be under layers, 2 bras, 2 tees, 2 ripstop long sleeved shirts that can have their sleeves rolled up. The pink fleece, the windbreaker, the Buff or the Infinity Buff (not both) and the hat and rain poncho.
Further items haven't been settled on yet. Certainly the new sleeping bag will go, and the fabulous bag that covers the backpack on the plane, and of course the poles. The new dopp box.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Sewing with pet screen
Hello, everyone.
As many of you will recall immediately, last summer while on the Camino del Norte, we had a bad day, and DH was injured. We concluded, after reflection, that both of us need to be using hiking poles.
Poles have tips--little rubber ends that screw on so that if you're using them to keep from falling on slick pavement, they don't go "click, click, click" and also don't make holes or catch in pavement that is, like some asphalt, a little bit rough. The tips are not large, and I became worried that they would fall to the bottom of the pack and be unfindable--totally a word, guys!--when needed along the trail.
Thus the pole tip bag was conceived.
The little bags are about 3"x3" in finished size. The chief difference between these and your standard boxed-corner utility bag (like a dopp kit) is that these have an overlap on the top for the Velcro closure. They were made of pet screening, a sturdier version of window screening that can be found in one or two colors at the hardware store (it's used to screen windows that pets scratch on as it's resistant to the damage caused) or many colors online at sewing/crafting shops. I have seen a bolt of black pet screen on the Utility Fabrics shelf at my local JoAnn store as well.
The blue fabric is ripstop nylon that was on hand, and the Velcro tape was also on hand. Stash usage! (Well, the pet screen was stash as well--we have pets.)
The idea with these little bags is that we will tuck them into the top zipper pocket of our packs, or if the tips inside are wet maybe we will hang them from a loop on the side, and when taking the pole tips off to walk on dirt trails, we will put them into their very own place so they don't get lost.
(Links go to examples of the thing described. The fabric may have been purchased at Fabric.com or the local JoAnn store instead, but these links were handy to illustrate with.)
As many of you will recall immediately, last summer while on the Camino del Norte, we had a bad day, and DH was injured. We concluded, after reflection, that both of us need to be using hiking poles.
Poles have tips--little rubber ends that screw on so that if you're using them to keep from falling on slick pavement, they don't go "click, click, click" and also don't make holes or catch in pavement that is, like some asphalt, a little bit rough. The tips are not large, and I became worried that they would fall to the bottom of the pack and be unfindable--totally a word, guys!--when needed along the trail.
Thus the pole tip bag was conceived.
 |
| Tip bag, closed. |
 |
| Tip bag with tip sticking out of opening. |
The blue fabric is ripstop nylon that was on hand, and the Velcro tape was also on hand. Stash usage! (Well, the pet screen was stash as well--we have pets.)
The idea with these little bags is that we will tuck them into the top zipper pocket of our packs, or if the tips inside are wet maybe we will hang them from a loop on the side, and when taking the pole tips off to walk on dirt trails, we will put them into their very own place so they don't get lost.
(Links go to examples of the thing described. The fabric may have been purchased at Fabric.com or the local JoAnn store instead, but these links were handy to illustrate with.)
Friday, June 30, 2017
Returning to our first day of walking in Spain
Hello, everyone.
The last post left off at lunchtime. One would think that lunchtime was only half or maybe three-quarters of a walk day. But if the pilgrim doesn't elect to stay the night at Pasajes/San Juan--some do, and after the difficulty of the first half, it's probably far from a bad idea--the route carries on into San Sebastian. (Sorry, the Basque name of the city escapes from me at the moment. Anybody who knows and wants to put it into the comments, feel free.)
There are a couple of marked ways out of the little port town of Pasajes-San Juan. At least, that's what the guide books say. One is said to be easier (meaning less steep) and the other is said to be scenic.
We followed our noses and didn't look around to find the easier way--even though we'd talked about not wanting to climb the very steep stairs to the lighthouse, that was what we ended up doing. There are some pictures we took, early on, on the stairs. Later on there were more decrepit steps, some with rebar poles to steady the risers...and some of the steadied risers and even treads had disappeared over time. This is not a staircase to run up!
You can almost tell here that the size of the treads and risers varies. It varies more later on. At the very top of the steps, there was a picnic table. I'm not ashamed to say that we lay down on the benches to rest a minute before continuing on.
There were some really pretty views. There was a bit of paved road, and then the trail went off pavement and continued on along the sides of the hills.
The last post left off at lunchtime. One would think that lunchtime was only half or maybe three-quarters of a walk day. But if the pilgrim doesn't elect to stay the night at Pasajes/San Juan--some do, and after the difficulty of the first half, it's probably far from a bad idea--the route carries on into San Sebastian. (Sorry, the Basque name of the city escapes from me at the moment. Anybody who knows and wants to put it into the comments, feel free.)
There are a couple of marked ways out of the little port town of Pasajes-San Juan. At least, that's what the guide books say. One is said to be easier (meaning less steep) and the other is said to be scenic.
We followed our noses and didn't look around to find the easier way--even though we'd talked about not wanting to climb the very steep stairs to the lighthouse, that was what we ended up doing. There are some pictures we took, early on, on the stairs. Later on there were more decrepit steps, some with rebar poles to steady the risers...and some of the steadied risers and even treads had disappeared over time. This is not a staircase to run up!
 |
| Before the stairs began: the water is so clear, the rocks are so neat! |
 |
| Near the bottom of the endless stairsteps |
You can almost tell here that the size of the treads and risers varies. It varies more later on. At the very top of the steps, there was a picnic table. I'm not ashamed to say that we lay down on the benches to rest a minute before continuing on.
There were some really pretty views. There was a bit of paved road, and then the trail went off pavement and continued on along the sides of the hills.
 |
| Looking down at San Sebastian, just before the trail began its steep descent into the city |
Thursday, June 22, 2017
First real day of walking
Hello, everyone.
In the last post, we arrived at the albergue in Irun.
Once there, laundry was done, and hung on a line on the balcony. User tip: if it's already 5 pm, your clothes may not get dry before bedtime. Also, they do have a second balcony there, if the first one is full of clothes. (Drying laundry on the balcony is normal in northern Spain, nobody thinks anything of seeing it.)
We wandered out after a bite to eat. We should have found a grocery and gotten water bottles and maybe some nuts, but we were tired and didn't think.
The next morning, we set out. The trail leads up a very "nature-y" way to a chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, then goes left and into the hills. Not that the previous walk leaving the city was flat! But it gets hillier. We were fortunate enough to have dry conditions for this.
These are a sample of the "road" surfaces we walked. There were some actual asphalt surfaces as well, with no shoulder, but those didn't get photographed. These are as wide as actual car-type roads because occasionally people drive on them. And some parts had been improved with a load or three of coarse sand. (Thank you, somebody!) As y'all can see, one's eyes need to be kept peeled. (That's "be alert!") Also, no matter if it does seem that one can go at a good pace, those rocks aren't quite as far apart sometimes as they look. More so on the places with ancient paving stones. I got toenail blisters on this day, either on this part or in the afternoon. I have now learned that just because it seems like the toes are sliding around in the boot a little, that doesn't mean you should tighten laces. In my case, had I loosened the laces and slowed down things would have been better.
This in various permutations was the morning. We did descend down tiny paved lanes and steps into Pasajes/San Juan (also called Donibane I think) about noon. There is a little tiny shop on the first plaza you come to with a full chiller of water bottles. After almost chugging the water, we got onto the little water taxi-ferry and rode across the harbor to the other side.
Once across, we wandered until we found a bar and ate bocadillos with cafe leche for lunch.
In the last post, we arrived at the albergue in Irun.
Once there, laundry was done, and hung on a line on the balcony. User tip: if it's already 5 pm, your clothes may not get dry before bedtime. Also, they do have a second balcony there, if the first one is full of clothes. (Drying laundry on the balcony is normal in northern Spain, nobody thinks anything of seeing it.)
We wandered out after a bite to eat. We should have found a grocery and gotten water bottles and maybe some nuts, but we were tired and didn't think.
The next morning, we set out. The trail leads up a very "nature-y" way to a chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, then goes left and into the hills. Not that the previous walk leaving the city was flat! But it gets hillier. We were fortunate enough to have dry conditions for this.
This in various permutations was the morning. We did descend down tiny paved lanes and steps into Pasajes/San Juan (also called Donibane I think) about noon. There is a little tiny shop on the first plaza you come to with a full chiller of water bottles. After almost chugging the water, we got onto the little water taxi-ferry and rode across the harbor to the other side.
Once across, we wandered until we found a bar and ate bocadillos with cafe leche for lunch.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Pilgrimage preparations
Hello, everyone.
We are getting ready to go on pilgrimage again.
One of our preparations is to spray the packs with permethrin to fend off assorted bugs that might be around.
The clothes line is good for holding the pack while spray is applied.
The brown grass, by the way, is because there hasn't been much rain lately.
In a future post I will show the socks that are going with me. I need to take a picture of them still.
We are getting ready to go on pilgrimage again.
One of our preparations is to spray the packs with permethrin to fend off assorted bugs that might be around.
The brown grass, by the way, is because there hasn't been much rain lately.
In a future post I will show the socks that are going with me. I need to take a picture of them still.
Monday, April 10, 2017
New hiking socks!
Hello, everyone.
The Birthday Angels sent me a new pair of socks to walk in.
I had such good results walking in Injinji socks in 2015 that I'm sticking to them. They got their first walk this morning--4 miles on the Hike and Bike, with weight. They feel great!
Thank you Birthday Angels!
The Birthday Angels sent me a new pair of socks to walk in.
I had such good results walking in Injinji socks in 2015 that I'm sticking to them. They got their first walk this morning--4 miles on the Hike and Bike, with weight. They feel great!
Thank you Birthday Angels!
Saturday, March 25, 2017
This n that
Hello, everyone.
Sewing has been keeping me pretty busy. The second backpack duffel is almost done and the third is halfway there.
Here is a spring flower for enjoyment.
This flowering tree was in the Montes de Oca. We walked past it in 2014, on the day after we slept in Villambistia.
Sewing has been keeping me pretty busy. The second backpack duffel is almost done and the third is halfway there.
Here is a spring flower for enjoyment.
This flowering tree was in the Montes de Oca. We walked past it in 2014, on the day after we slept in Villambistia.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Now that the giddy excitement has mellowed a bit
Hello, everyone.
This is a little more info about the pack duffel. (Yesterday it was so exciting to just have it DONE that all I could think of was putting the first pictures of the complete project up--forgetting entirely to put a photo of the duffel in its normal "working" configuration.)
This is a little more info about the pack duffel. (Yesterday it was so exciting to just have it DONE that all I could think of was putting the first pictures of the complete project up--forgetting entirely to put a photo of the duffel in its normal "working" configuration.)
 |
| Hanging from the banister in the hall. Pocket zipper is just barely visible on end |
 |
| With a bit of supplies tucked into the top opening. (Plastic clothespins and some soap) |
Saturday, March 11, 2017
First pack duffel completed
Hello, everyone.
The first of the three pack duffels is complete.
Behold it in the stowed format:
The first of the three pack duffels is complete.
Behold it in the stowed format:
 |
| 7 3/4 ounces/221 gm! |
Monday, March 6, 2017
Bias binding for the duffel
Hello, everyone.
The sewing on the first duffel is proceeding. It has become obvious that there are a few supplies that can't be gotten from the store.
One of them is bias binding made of lightweight nylon fabric. The stores are full of poly or poly-cotton bias tapes. They come in dozens of colors and are really handy for the right project.
Some projects just aren't meant for the matte finish and general all-around heaviness of the prepackaged bindings. Wedding dresses, for one. (Organza bias, not ripstop.) And these pack duffels for another.
The scraps of ripstop that are left from cutting the stow pocket bags are the source of the bias binding for this project. One of their purposes is to finish the seams on the said pocket! Seams that will be on the outside when the duffel is stowed into its little pocket. And while the binding doesn't match the zipper or the main fabric at all, it does match the pocket bag.
The bias binding is also standing in as an interfacing on the main zipper application--just a skosh, as we say, more stability and almost no added weight. (On this project, it is possible that the zippers weigh as much as the rest of the project put together.)
The sewing on the first duffel is proceeding. It has become obvious that there are a few supplies that can't be gotten from the store.
One of them is bias binding made of lightweight nylon fabric. The stores are full of poly or poly-cotton bias tapes. They come in dozens of colors and are really handy for the right project.
Some projects just aren't meant for the matte finish and general all-around heaviness of the prepackaged bindings. Wedding dresses, for one. (Organza bias, not ripstop.) And these pack duffels for another.
The scraps of ripstop that are left from cutting the stow pocket bags are the source of the bias binding for this project. One of their purposes is to finish the seams on the said pocket! Seams that will be on the outside when the duffel is stowed into its little pocket. And while the binding doesn't match the zipper or the main fabric at all, it does match the pocket bag.
The bias binding is also standing in as an interfacing on the main zipper application--just a skosh, as we say, more stability and almost no added weight. (On this project, it is possible that the zippers weigh as much as the rest of the project put together.)
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Learned a new thing with zippers
Hello, everyone.
As y'all may recall, there is a project in hand to make back pack duffels, for protecting the packs from airport conveyor systems.
The sewing has begun. The first strap has been made and attached, and the next step in assembly was to make the end of the bag that has a zippered pocket for stowage.
The zipper with the flip pull is way, way too long for this use--and this was the smallest it came. (It's also quite sturdy, but that may be more of a "feature" than a "bug." If the stowed bag is used as a pillow, the user will have to point the zip side away from the neck for comfort, but on the other hand it's sturdy enough that it probably won't come apart in transit.
The lovely videos at byannie.com include one on how to add a pull to a piece of zipper tape, either because you had leftovers or because you bought the whole roll of tape that some places sell. So when I ordered the flip zipper, I also ordered some catches to use up the leftover lengths of tape.
As y'all may recall, there is a project in hand to make back pack duffels, for protecting the packs from airport conveyor systems.
The sewing has begun. The first strap has been made and attached, and the next step in assembly was to make the end of the bag that has a zippered pocket for stowage.
The zipper with the flip pull is way, way too long for this use--and this was the smallest it came. (It's also quite sturdy, but that may be more of a "feature" than a "bug." If the stowed bag is used as a pillow, the user will have to point the zip side away from the neck for comfort, but on the other hand it's sturdy enough that it probably won't come apart in transit.
The lovely videos at byannie.com include one on how to add a pull to a piece of zipper tape, either because you had leftovers or because you bought the whole roll of tape that some places sell. So when I ordered the flip zipper, I also ordered some catches to use up the leftover lengths of tape.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Pack duffel progress report
Hello, everyone.
All the materials for the pack duffels have arrived! It's so exciting. And as soon as the project I'm doing now finishes, in a day or so, the duffel making will begin.
Our duffels will be made from nylon Oxford cloth. It's not as lightweight as ripstop, but it is expected to go through airport conveyor systems, after all. Stated weight is about 4 ounces per yard. There will be about a yard of fabric in the duffel.
These zippers open from the middle, not from the ends.
The gray zippers have a reversible pull--that is, it can be pulled from either side. That will allow us to close the stow pocket after we stuff the bag into it.
The pocket bag will be made from a chunk of ripstop fabric that was already on hand.
All the materials for the pack duffels have arrived! It's so exciting. And as soon as the project I'm doing now finishes, in a day or so, the duffel making will begin.
 |
| The fabric for the shell: main (red) and contrast (gray) |
 |
| The top zippers: a good color match. |
 |
| The zippers for the stow pocket. Almost a good match, but not supposed to be on display anyway. |
The pocket bag will be made from a chunk of ripstop fabric that was already on hand.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Pack Duffel (Beta version) report
Hello, everyone.
As the title says, this is the beta version of the pack duffel. (The prior version was just proof-of-concept.) The pack in the picture was filled with assorted bedding to approximate the shape and size of a loaded pack, and the hip belt was clipped around the pack instead of flying free.
The length of the bag was taken in somewhat and the height of the end panels was diminished a little. The stow pocket was not altered.
(I didn't put the top zips back on for the test fitting in this version. I was already satisfied with that part of the bag.)
Onward and upward and all that stuff.
As the title says, this is the beta version of the pack duffel. (The prior version was just proof-of-concept.) The pack in the picture was filled with assorted bedding to approximate the shape and size of a loaded pack, and the hip belt was clipped around the pack instead of flying free.
The length of the bag was taken in somewhat and the height of the end panels was diminished a little. The stow pocket was not altered.
(I didn't put the top zips back on for the test fitting in this version. I was already satisfied with that part of the bag.)
Onward and upward and all that stuff.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Stash Busting Again
Hello, everyone.
One of the nice things about having a stash of supplies on hand is that one can explore possibilities.
But first, another apron is done. It didn't use up any sparkly stuff this time, but it did use up a couple of decent-sized pieces that were begging for a purpose.
And, after discussing the possible fates of backpacks in checked baggage, the thought of making a travel cover for our packs came up. Something light weight, not a heavy canvas duffel bag! And as we talked, the idea of how to store it during the trip came up, too. A test of the project concept was necessary. Not only was it needed to see if the idea would even work, it was a great way to use up some shiny stash fabric, and to try out the idea.
One of the nice things about having a stash of supplies on hand is that one can explore possibilities.
But first, another apron is done. It didn't use up any sparkly stuff this time, but it did use up a couple of decent-sized pieces that were begging for a purpose.
 |
| Another spring-themed apron |
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
More on the green bags
Hello, everyone.
This will likely be the final post about the little green bags. There are now three of them!
The cute green ribbon with ladybugs was not in great quantity around here. In fact, there was just enough for the first bag. I discovered a forgotten roll of rattail cord. This is satin-covered round cord that is sometimes used for stringing large-hole beads. The spool had been in the bead stash, not the fabric stash, or it would have been used on all three of the bags.
(Yes, when there is enough stash, it subdivides. The fabric is divided again, between clothing, cushion cover, and quilting. Also "other" for making toys and such.)
The fabric here is a lightweight nylon poplin from Fabric.com. (This is the search page of whatever they have in taslan. The orange blouse I made in 2014 was also taslan, but it's a thinner, crush-look fabric. So it's a good idea to get a swatch of the stuff before buying yardage.) It is stated to have DWR coating, but I was unable to determine which side the water resistant coating is on. (Shower bags don't get a lot of abrasion anyway. I just wanted enough splash resistance to keep the undies dry!) The fabric doesn't ravel much at all and this was the most successful and pleasant experience I have ever had with French seams. I used a #10 sharp needle in the machine and Coats & Clark poly-wrapped poly general-purpose thread. A #9 needle might have worked out even better, but the only thread I was sure would go through it is "bridal ivory" in color. I went with the matching thread. (Yes, there is thread stash, too.)
In future, I intend to make a ripstop bag just about the same size, to hold clean clothes inside the backpack. When we walked the Portugues in 2015, I acquired a plastic bag in a store and began to keep the clean clothes in it. They stayed together and I always knew where to find them. Between the plastic bag of clean clothes and the mesh bag of medical sundries (hung from an internal strap near the top of the pack) my mind was a lot more peaceful. And there is some ripstop, in about three colors, in the stash. Perhaps I'll use the Sew4Home ripstop grocery bag pattern.
This will likely be the final post about the little green bags. There are now three of them!
The cute green ribbon with ladybugs was not in great quantity around here. In fact, there was just enough for the first bag. I discovered a forgotten roll of rattail cord. This is satin-covered round cord that is sometimes used for stringing large-hole beads. The spool had been in the bead stash, not the fabric stash, or it would have been used on all three of the bags.
(Yes, when there is enough stash, it subdivides. The fabric is divided again, between clothing, cushion cover, and quilting. Also "other" for making toys and such.)
In future, I intend to make a ripstop bag just about the same size, to hold clean clothes inside the backpack. When we walked the Portugues in 2015, I acquired a plastic bag in a store and began to keep the clean clothes in it. They stayed together and I always knew where to find them. Between the plastic bag of clean clothes and the mesh bag of medical sundries (hung from an internal strap near the top of the pack) my mind was a lot more peaceful. And there is some ripstop, in about three colors, in the stash. Perhaps I'll use the Sew4Home ripstop grocery bag pattern.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)