Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Gimme time, stained glass and yet another idea

 I finished the current woven panel and Fred and Ursula are guarding it and the others against dastardly marauders


Yesterday was a great afternoon for sitting on the deck watching birds and clouds and reading. I heard Gary at the front door call me. Made my way to the door, in time to see him drive off.  

Today I reminded him to give me a minute to get there. He explained he thought I might be upstairs sleeping (!) and he didn't want to disturb me. As if.   But he'll allow for my increasing slowness. He's too polite to look in and see if I'm on my way. Very proper!

Today I returned the shoes I was thinking of painting to improve the hideous color, nothing like the online color. I had decided life's too short to be endlessly coping. And I hoped the UPS lady wouldn't get all bureaucratic about the lack of the original box they came in, now broken down and recycled.

As with a lot of in-person encounters, a lot depends on the person behind the counter. Today it was a very happy lady who scanned the code I'd screenshot, whipped out the receipt, easy. Thank you. 

The refund will more than pay for the completely satisfactory ironing blanket thing. Amazon, which I only use when all else fails, has tightened its returns rules, now specifying to return in the original mfr packaging, but this lady wasn't worried.

Meanwhile another skirt idea occurred  to me about some pedal pushers in a nice color, but now too big. I shrank, they didn't.

So I cut the inseams off, trimmed back and now I'm insetting batik in a cheerful contrast, 


Front 


Back

You can see why I'm taking the trouble -- great cargo pockets, drawstring waist, much better as a skirt than hanging in the closet.

But this is only stage one. After I've stitched the inserts, which have a technical name, never mind,  inside there's a  rectangle of batik, front and back.

After I finish the insides, I will have two triangles to trim off, parallel to the sloping sides of the inserts.. Which will then be appliqued to the outside of the  skirt to complete the design and disguise its pantly origins. It will also use up every square inch of this piece of batik, all I have in this color.

The geometry of this idea took a bit of thinking and pinning and snorting in annoyance and reversing and repinning.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi loves to say don't agonize, organize.  This stitcher says don't repine, repin!

And for a change of pace from my endless stitching and bitching, here's a lovely stained glass work to enjoy


Look her up, she's a terrific designer. 

And happy day everyone! Off to stitch now, good vibes to your experimenting today. And everything else, really.






26 comments:

  1. Not quite getting the green insert. I keep looking at it expecting something do change. Good idea to redo the pants.

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    1. As I explained, something will change, when I do the rest of the design.

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  2. You are a wonder! I know I wouldn't lookout those and see a skirt. I do like the stained glass kitty.

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    1. Isn't that work lovely? So much more fluid than the usual stained glass designs.

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  3. Ah! Your skirt reminds me of the skirts we used to make out of jeans. I made one, embroidered it, got married in it! I still have it somewhere.
    Your new woven panel looks great. Glad you have such a good guard team. Marauders are everywhere these days!

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    1. Bears are the answer to marauders. I figured you'd get the pant-to-skirt pipeline! It will look different when it's done, more designed.

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  4. You are so endlessly inventive! And I like that stained glass cat too.

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    1. I'm glad I came upon that artist. She's worth checking out.

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  5. Love the stained glass cat. But then it's a cat. Of course I love it! I hadn't heard about Amazon changing its return rules. That's good to know.

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    1. I had heard they were trying to discourage people from returning, and I notice the menu for returns was missing some of the items I've used in the past, such as ordered wrong item, or ordered by mistake, and I ended up choosing pattern/ color not as expected, which is true but less compelling.

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    2. For this item the instructions specified use original packaging, even though they also tell you not to wrap, ups will bulk ship with other returns.

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  6. I used to do a lot of this when I was younger and I needed to be thrifty
    I got spoil later on. Or maybe I just didn’t have the time. Either way I might have to start doing it all again.
    For now I’ll just enjoy your efforts and keep getting inspired by you

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    1. I make this partly out of thrift and care for the earth, but mainly to make art of it. And to use techniques I love, such as applique. This piece has reverse applique, those inserts, and direct applique, the triangles soon to be revealed!

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  7. I am always surprised by the projects you do, Boud. Well done again, my friend!

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    1. Sometimes I'm surprised too.my brain presents ideas. I'm just the executor.

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  8. It is such a pleasure seeing you continuing this fine sewing, and explaining it.

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  9. Godets? I am really enjoying your repurposing.

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    1. Yes. I was avoiding the technical terms, but yes. We used to pronounce it goddets and now I wonder if we were right. We also called nougat nugget!

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  10. We live in a two-storey townhouse, so people have to be a little patient with us. I have been known to call out the den window, that I will get there eventually.

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    1. I have three floors and a patio, as do the neighbors who still think I'm spring loaded!

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  11. Aaahhh now we understand the blue/green skirt (reading backwards is daft but hey...) that jewelled cat picture is zce. Xxx Mr T

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  12. The thought of altering clothing to make something else gives me pause. I could never attempt it. Difficult enough for me to take a seam in or to shorten Resident Chef's pants (most inconsiderate of him to only have a 28" inseam!).

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    1. He shares that measurement with me. But I'm guessing he's taller!

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    2. He's just over 6' - short legs, extra long torso. He's fond of saying he's a big midget.

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