fiveandtwo

Harvest

I think harvest is a bit ambitious.

The pumpkins. Two Queensland Blue and one Butternut, down from three Qld Blue and two Butternut: we've eaten the missing ones. This is why I don't usually grow pumpkins: three Queensland Blue vines  = three mature pumpkins, the Butternut was one vine and two mature pumpkins. Not worth it.

The trombocino zucchini was wildly successful, we ate most as small "zucchini" but  I found a few monsters in the undergrowth. They're firm-textured but bland tasting when in monster proportions. Benefit from strong seasoning: SE Asian, Indian, Mediterranean.

Clare and Al with huge, curly curcurbits.

Yes, Clare sports a Mockingjay pin. I bought it for her at Dymocks book shop. I was sorely tempted to buy one for myself! Yay, Katniss Everdeen.

In my plans for next summer's veg: not pumpkins, more tomatoes.

 

William Kentridge.

Yesterday Clare, Ally and I took the train to Melbourne to see the William Kentridge Five Themes exhibition at ACMI. A major retrospective of Kentridge's work. I'd been meaning to go since the exhibition opened in early March.

Reasons to see it: Unsettling and wonderful animation and artwork; Linsey urged me to see it; it closes on Sunday; children travel fee mid-week on the V-Line train from Bairnsdale (providing they're accompanied by an adult); Linsey finishes Uni at 1:30pm on Wednesdays (so we'd be able to catch up); I'll regret it if I don't see it.

Reasons not to see it:  Money. It's never just the cost of a train ticket and exhibition entry. I can take some food, but not enough for 3 people for what amounts to a 17.5 hour day (and I like having coffee/cake/food different to what's on offer in Bairnsdale). I like the shops, looking at all sorts of stuff, sometimes tempted to buy...

So, the twins and I went, in spite of the minuses. And I am so glad. William Kentridge's work...I've never seen the like of it. Sorry to use a hackneyed word, but it was awesome. As in inspiring awe.  We hung out with the eldest, which for me involves new stuff to talk about : books read, issues from ABC Insight TV program and other current affairs, how the work's going at uni, people she and I know and people unknown to me. Splendid, as always, to talk with Linsey. Splendid, too, to hang out with Clare and Ally and experience the William Kentridge exhibition with them.

I didn't take a camera, obviously. So, words without photos.

Letter Spacings Are Wrong.

I started making my market stall sign. I thought I had the spaces between the letters right. Sigh...not so.

The f and the i need to be moved closer, when the black paint's dry I'll block it out with a couple of coats of white. Note stickybeak Micky-cat, on the corner of the table there is his "box". Micky loves to curl up and relax in that cardboard box.

I've joined the East Gippsland Makery, after thinking about it for six months, ahem. At a venue called The Stables the Makery has an area for members to display their work (cost $10 per week & 10% commission). A monthly market, the Artisan's Bazzar, is held at The Stables. So, I had a market stall today but made little more than the stall cost, now crossing that off my list of markets.  However, I've sold some things from the Makery. Yay! Interestingly, this morning I sold more stuff through the Makery than from my stall.

This is all part of the "I'm not going to get a paid work job any time soon so must ramp up the craft" scenario. Gosh, though, full-on sewing in all windows of spare time means all else slides. The garden is completely feral, for example, and that jacket I wanted to wear this winter is unmade.

Onwards.

 

That Stuff I Made.

Little fella owls. About 10cm tall.

Rabbits! A new toy (after much prototyping). That dark brown one is The Velveteen Rabbit, made from a repurposed plush cotton velvet jumper. A very soft bunny that one.

A two piece pattern, modelled on a photo of Peter, Clare's rabbit that absconded.

A satchel bag. Lots more are cut out, including patched wool ones.

These two from some time ago. A storage suitcase tagged "wool bags to be sewn". I'm trying to do something with these relics. These were before I started making facings for bags and I think they're less "professional" looking without a facing.

An assortment of scarves.

I want to write some stuff about making etc, but others want to use the computer. Another time perhaps.

Making, But No Photos

I've made seven rabbits, a new toy after much prototyping; lots of Baby Owls (fourteen?); eight scarves of sewn together wool fabric squares; three bags and sewn together the panels for five wool patchwork bags. Hive of industry, I tell you. A photo session was meant to happen today but it was too gloomy. You'll just have to wait, with bated breath.

So, you get photos of tonight's tea instead.

Waiting for the soup. The bread looks all artisanal but it's from Coles, called Pane di Casa to sound handmade. It's pretty good for small town Australia when you can't be fagged making bread.

Pea and ham soup, recipe from Stephanie Alexander's The Cook's Companion, the big orange book. That book was published in the 90s, I think. It really got me going with cooking. Meals have never been the same at our house! There's Giles roughing up Cooper the pup in the background. It seems a house of many people and animals here sometimes. It adds such richness to my life.

Not About Tomatoes.

Just a handy photo from the files.

Because I like to have a photo when I post, you know. Picked when I pulled ouy the remaining tomato plants today.

In spite of your excellent input regarding my job applications, I didn't get a look in. Just letters saying my application hadn't been shortlisted. Disappointing. The search continues...and I am glad of your comments, put me in the job application thinking frame of mind.

 

Stray Dog Update.

He was still here this morning, but my neighbour wanted to shoot him because, "That dog is one of those killer dogs like you see on TV". Hmm, right.

I set out walking Suska and Cooper and the brown dog came along. I don't have a spare lead, or a spare hand and I didn't want to encourage him. This morning the brown dog was really excited about heading off for a walk, running around, across the road and back. when a car comes around the roundabout and Bang...collects brown dog. Stupid fucking driver kept driving, hit the dog again and he went right under the car and out the back. "This dog's a goner"' I thought (tears sprang to my eyes). But the brown dog got up and walked away. If he was a cat I'd say, "That's one life gone". He was rather battered though, skin off in lots of places and most likely horrible bruising. I  cut short walking my two dogs and just went home. I checked over the brown dog and washed down a nasty scrape to see if it might need stitching -was ok. When the vet opened at 8.30am I rang and explained what'd happened. They said bring him in and that they'd contact the pound and he'd go there once checked.

Man, did I feel like a traitor taking that dog to the vet. The whole episode has really rocked me.

Good ending though. The poster put up at the corner shop yielded a phone call. The Owner - Yay! Brown Dog, whose name is "Copper", ran away from home during a very close and loud thunderstorm last Friday. I wonder if he ended up here after hearing us calling Cooper, Giles' dog. Anyway, Copper's owner will have to collect him from the pound or the vet and hopefully he'll have him microchipped (and neutered).

A very friendly dog, not "one of those killer dogs". Go and mow your lawn again Kevin (sorry, that was uncharitable).

A Nifty Device.

After seeing a little write-up in Threads magazine I ordered a seam allowance guide.

A magnet attaches it to your scissors and the black O ring can be moved from minimal seam allowance to 3 cm. The pack contains two, catering for different slopes of scissor blades.

I did quite a bit of tracing and cutting "road map" patterns this weekend and this little device is a winner. I love it!

See how it works. Clever and simple.  For all your Ottobre (plus other European patterns) and Japanese patterns.

Where did I get it?  Seam Allowance Guide, $15 including postage. (No, I'm not being an advert. for the device. It really is good.)

In other news:

A dog has taken up residence at our house. Well, residence in the driveway because he hasn't got access to the house yard. Three days now. A flyer is going up in the corner shop and a notice in the newspaper tomorrow. Failing that...it's the pound.

He looks really well cared for: good teeth, not emaciated etc, and is quite friendly. All this in spite of his terrible ugliness. Don't know the breed, if it is a breed. Huge head, like a Staffy mutated large. I hope we find his owner.

 

 

Ottobre Basic Shirt-Blouse

Pattern 5 from Ottobre Woman 2/2006. I told you it was a good issue.

I've had this shirt sitting around half-made for, hmmm...over two years. It's been to Sewjourn and back at least two times. WIP done, finally. I don't wear shirts much these days, but I'd spent a lot of time altering this pattern to fit that it'd be doing the work injustice by not sewing it up. I did the usual trace a smaller size for shoulders/sleeves/neckline thing, lowered the bust dart and moved the torso darts (hard to remember after a couple of years).

Green capsicum horns? The fabric is a stretch cotton from the oppy. The stretch element helps, I think, in preventing my usual shirt problem of the front riding up over my bosom and bunching on my upper chest - unless I constantly tug the shirt front down. I won't be making more shirts any time soon but it's nice to know can make one that fits if I want to.

No, I didn't iron the shirt.

The pants are an extensively modified version of New Look 6005. I've made a number of these. So many, in fact, that in some circles I've scored the moniker "Pants Sue".

Apolgies for the poor photo quality. Night time without flash = sad photos. I dislike single flash illuminated photos but was too slack to alter the camera settings.

I have had my hair seen to. I sold my brassy, faded ends-of-hair to a hairdresser this afternoon. I like it better.

Ottobre Skirt.

Another one, similar to the green cordouroy skirt but straight instead of A-line.

A yoked straight skirt, pattern 7, from Ottobre Woman 2/2006 (a particularly good issue). I used a heavyish linen I got from the oppy ages ago and some lining fabric from, I think, Rathdowne Remnants & Fabric in Melbourne. Also ages ago. It came together very nicely, as Ottobre patterns do, but did I have problems with the zip! The pattern requires an invisible zip, which I like, I think it gives a very neat finish. The problem was the combination of fabric, interfacing and facing where the yoke joins the skirt. Too much fabric. The invisible zip went in beautifully but upon opening, it became stuck at the junction. Then broke because I forced it. Twice. Lots of unpicking there. I ended up using a regular zip.

Turquoise lining. Looking at these photos I think I need to get some new bras and have my hair seen to.

This is an excellent skirt pattern.