Thin with water.

Sweetie and I are each creative in our own unique ways.

I just finished this wall in the bathroom. I had seen the basic idea of shredding magazines and white-glueing the strips onto a wall several years ago, and finally did it. It was fun and cheap and didn't take too long. Really perks up our dreary pit stop.




Sweetie on the other hand, gets destructive in creative ways. He set this stump on fire Monday, and it has smoldered since and has slowly been shrinking.




But apparently not fast enough. That's when he got the leaf blower. And a beer. Maybe more than one.




After a fun half hour of that, his arm grew weary, so he again got creative. (I need to submit this to There, I Fixed It.) And no, we're not really supposed to burn open fires like this unless we call the local VFD, which we didn't.







Upshot is that this morning? There is a big-ass blackened crater where a mighty maple tree once lived.

Add cheese.

This is for, who else? Mouse!

The Wrecking Crew

Happy Divorce Day!

Nineteen years ago today, I was on my own for the first time in my life; beholden to no one but myself. I had moved in with my boyfriend straight from my father's house, and we married a year later, in 1976. My divorce was final on July 3, 1991. In 34 years, I had never lived on my own.

I distinctly remember my feelings that day. I was alternately elated, sad, and bereft. I could make my own decisions for the first time, yet I scarcely knew what I thought. I could make my own choices, but I wasn't sure what I liked. I was joyous and scared.

It was as if I had finally started living.

Oh, what a long, strange trip it's been.

War? What is it good for?

Match notches.

I went upstairs last week, looking for a book, but found a bag of blue jean seams instead.




Somewhere online, I thought it was this site, but I can't find it now - anyway, I found a little tutorial on reusing blue jean seams, and so, I made this bath mat. It's about 18" by 24."





Several years ago, I wove this little basket from denim seams, too. It has turned into Sweetie's change keeper.








From the bolt of silk noil, I have created this hippie outfit, loose and comfortable. I drafted a pattern for the pants, but just drew the shape of the tunic onto the fabric.




This coat is also from the silk noil. I like the pocket detail, for which I used linen. I found the pattern in my studio; a friend gifted it to me when I had my store, along with several others in a similar vein. I dyed all of the garments in the washing machine using Jacquard's acid dye.




Next on the clothing agenda will be a long summer dress made from, hmmmm, silk noil, I think.

Insert bobbin here.

K asked if I would write a little something about my past life, back when I was somebody. First, though, since I have been sewing again, I thought I would share some snaps of my equipment.

This is my incredibly wonderful and ancient Bernina zigzag, which has a high speed motor. Most of the machines that I am showing, I have had for at least twenty years. She is my "go-to" machine. I think I paid $250 for her.




And the industrial three-thread serger, or overcast machine. This baby zips along at about 3000 stitches a minute. Love love love her. She cost me $400.



I bought this Brother for $120 back in 1989, and yes, she looks a bit forlorn here, but it's just because I haven't cleaned her up yet. If any of you all are in the market for a sewing machine, I can't recommend this brand highly enough. She doesn't have any fancy stitches, and most people don't need eleventy zillion stitches. She is also mechanical, not computerized, and so is easy to fix. Not that she needs fixing hardly at all. The current price is about $100. I did an incredible amount of production sewing on this baby.



This little bitch is a walking foot zigzag, meaning that the machine grabs both the top layer and the bottom layer of fabric and moves them under the needle evenly. I traded a loom for her several years ago, and only recently did any real sewing on her. (Recently as in yesterday.) I found her motor too weak and her zigzag stitch not wide enough. Also, the flywheel release broke off in my hand - it's that black plastic bit in the lower right. My friend bought this machine new, and so I am very disappointed in the durability aspect as well as the performance aspect. However, she may be just the thing I need for some other project.



My favorite machine leapt to her death coming home from my bricks and mortar store. She was an industrial straight stitch; that's all she did, and I loved her. If I keep on with this sewing thing, I will have to replace her. Her table and motor are intact, although they've been in the barn for five years.

So. This is my equipment. Next post will be about what I have been making with it.