Forward Motion

Sew-and-So

After sifting through a gallon jar of buttons, I settled one one ginormous honking button at the collar, because why not? It has a match if I decide to add a second, but I’m kind of liking the one-button look.

The sleeves will be edged in black, using self-made bias tape. Amazon delivered a set of bias-tape makers late yesterday, which will hopefully make the process a snap. (The link is an Amazon Affiliate link. I assume nobody here will buy bias-tape makers, but if you click through and buy anything else on Amazon over the next 24 hours, I will earn maybe 3 whole cents.)

The skirt isn’t cut out yet. I’m debating whether to attach it or make it a separate piece, and still debating between pleats or more of a flounce skirt. Whether attached or separate, I’ll need to do some math to settle on final length and what size the black strip (if any) should be at the bottom.

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I also hit thrift stores over the weekend and bought some sheets, so I can cannibalize the fabric for sewing. The purple and orangey-red ones are microfiber and I think queen size. I most likely can’t use them for my own finished clothing. I could use them for a muslin/test garment if I were so inclined, but my tentative plan is for things for my granddaughter.

The solid gray solid at the bottom is cotton sateen, which has a soft sheen reminiscent of raw silk, without the price or the cling of silk. This isn’t the best photo. In person, the color falls somewhere between silver and pewter and is shiny, not fuzzy. I bought two of the gray sheets, and they’re twin size.

A few months ago I bought a saree on eBay. It’s sheer gray with orange roses (similar to this one in color.) It’s gorgeous, but I wasn’t positive I could use it.

I purchased the saree on the premise it was 100% cotton. It is most definitely not. I also didn’t realize how sheer it was when I ordered it. But if I line it in cotton, it should make a lovely dress for this year’s office Christmas party. At least now there’s a plan…

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Digital Ephemera

The car photo at the top of the page isn’t one I took.

I was behind the wheel of Stormtrooper. G snapped the picture as I inched forward over the dirt road. The dirt doesn’t faze me. With mud puddles, though, you never know how soft the ground will be or what potentially damaging trash could be lurking beneath the surface. While the photo doesn’t show it, the sky last weekend was terrific. It was mostly bright clouds with a few patches of blue sky: great diffuse light instead of the normal hard desert sun.

It’s hot enough we can only go out early in the mornings, most days. Considering early morning light is typically best for photography, this isn’t a drawback. G is an early riser by nature, anyway. I’m not a huge fan of waking at sunrise. For good photo weather, though, I’ll make an exception.

Not all my most recent photos were taken in the great outdoors. We have a handful of photo props, including a small mirror, some blocks of solid-color cloth, and lots of vintage and not-so-vintage doodads.

Case in point:

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Straight pins on a mirror. Simple stuff, isn’t it? This is obviously a macro (magnified) photo. I’ve found my phone to be the go-to for macro captures. My Nikon camera requires a special lens to do macro photography, and macro lenses are pricey. My phone, on the other hand, can take great pictures almost to the point the screen touches my subject.

Another macro photo, and a return to my black-and-white roots. I still do monochrome photography, albeit less than I used to. I love acorns, so this was a given.

The last photo is our local library. There was a library building here when we bought the house, but they tore down the original and built a larger facility onsite. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to check it out inside in the near future.

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It’s taken me several days to write this entry, thanks to some longer-than-24-hour bug.

I’ll live.

I’ll live more happily once this stuff is over.