Could Be Better

Another remake, this one not as flattering, but still a functional garment. 

I took two of these denim dresses, picked up from a clearance rack, and remade them into one that worked better for my needs. 

I really liked the way the dresses felt on, but they were too long, lacked the large, useful pockets that I love, and had a horrible belt that made the dresses look like a pillow tied in the middle.

So I chopped the sleeves off of one of the dresses, and other than opening them up by making a vertical cut above the sleeve placket, I used them 'as is', buttons, pleats and all, to create large detailed pockets on the second dress. 

I also shortened the dress to become more of a tunic length for wearing with leggings.

The fit is loose and comfortable, not clingy.

And I love those extra large pockets!

The scraps left over from the remaining dress will be used in my boro/sashiko embroidery work. 

Hicks Lake

Another quick day trip. 

Hicks Lake BC

Less than an hour's drive from our house.

The weather was beautiful!

3 into 1 Upcycle

I'm quite pleased with this "upcycle" project. I used "The Patti Blouse" pattern by Paganoonoo as a starting point. The pattern gives details on how to take 3 men's shirts and remake them into one ladies' blouse with a high/low hem.

I added my own little touches like sashiko inspired hand stitching and button embellishments.

The pattern instructions detail a fun way of relocating the breast pocket from one cannibalized shirt so that it becomes a functional, larger pocket at hip level.

The designer, Michelle Paganini, suggests using the button bands, intact, buttons and all, from both of the additional shirts to add detail and interest to the final shirt.

While removing the breast pocket from the main shirt I had an "oops" with the seam ripper and created a very tiny hole. I covered it with a patch from the gingham shirt, embellished it with a running hand stitch design crossing both shirt fronts, and it became a "feature".

I love the high/low hem created by adding the back of one accent shirt to the back of the main shirt. The addition also adds more hip room to a place where men's shirts are quite narrow in relation to the shoulder width. 

This project went from the three men's shirts on the left, to the finished ladies' blouse on the right.

Success! Yay!

I have two more shirts (dark navy and an eye searing chartreuse green!) that will be receiving this treatment as well but first I must find a third, coordinating shirt.

Upcycled Hat

A hat I like!

And it fits!

Other than the eyelets which I had to buy new, it's completely "upcycled" from old denim jeans.

I purposely left the edges exposed so that they would fray with repeated washing.

Did I mention that it FITS? I have a large head and can't buy ready made ladies hats. I made this one using the multi-sized "garden hat" pattern in the book, "Happy Hats and Cool Caps", which I picked up at "The Bookman", a used book store in town.

I'm very pleased with the end result. It is SO comfortable and provides protection from the glare of the sun on my long dog walks.

There may be others in the future. I'd like at least one more so I have something to wear when this one is in the wash.

Happy Canada Day, 2018!

The first 6 months of the year are all rolled up,

And they've been good ones. 

(This is the first six months of my "Year In Temperatures" scarf.) 

Aquatic Bird

One of the plants in Solomon's tank is growing multiple "spiderettes", each one branching out further from the mother plant in a generational sort of way.

It's forming a fence like appearance almost all the way around his tank.

Solomon has taken to resting on the runners in between the spiderettes, just like a bird on a telephone wire.

Ben's Wife Arrived!

Long after she was initially expected, Wilhelmina arrived, much to Benjamin's relief. With his ear to the parcel he could hear her muffled cries and was frantic for me to hurry to set her free.

Her travel box appears intact so she must have made the long trip unmolested by Customs officials in any of the countries she stopped in.

Her passport says she is the third in a line of only 76 Willies. He always knew his wife was a rare gem.

From the look of the smile just barely visible there on her face, it seems she made the trip okay and was even in a good mood. 

They were so excited to be reunited that neither worried too much about her complete lack of hair.

But I hope you agree that she is much more attractive with her custom made (by me) wig.

Benjamin got her to sit in her comfy chair while he put the kettle on for tea.

And then he rushed right back to give her a wonderful foot rub. He never, ever wants her to travel alone again! The stress of not knowing where she was really got to him!

London?!

Poor Benjamin! He just got off the phone after receiving some frightening news!

It seems his wife has taken a wrong turn somewhere and has ended up in London, UK when she was supposed to be heading home to Canada!

He's so worried! Please send him some supportive thoughts.

Kayaking on Harrison Lake

Living in paradise, as we do, it's easy to take a blissful mini-vacation any time the weather cooperates.

Now that my husband has retired we can take advantage of some of the beautiful lakes in our area and slip away for a quiet morning of peaceful kayaking -- mid week even, when the crowds are tied up with work and school.

Harrison Lake BC is only about a 30 minute drive from our home in Chilliwack.

The weather was perfect, neither too hot nor too cold, and barely a ripple on the water.

It was a perfect way to make the most of a beautiful day. 

I'd take a kayak over a motor boat any day. 

And That's May

May's work on the "My Year In Temperatures" scarf.

If you're not a regular reader of my blog you might be wondering what that's all about. More details on the project can be found in earlier blog posts, HERE.

A Bra For Ben?

Benjamin is feeling a bit ridiculous but he's being a good sport about modelling the bra I made for his wife, Wilhelmina. She'll be here in a week or so.

I couldn't very well make her a wardrobe without her having "the proper foundational garments" now could I?

New Shirt for Ben

I finally found some time today to make a couple of shirts for Ben. Both are blue, but one has short sleeves and the other has long.

Looks like maybe next time I should make the long sleeves a wee bit shorter. Still, not bad for a first try.

More Colourful Days

The days are getting hotter, and my "Year in Temperatures Scarf" is becoming more colourful. 

Closest to the needles are the most recent days. Down at the bottom is where I started on January first. 3 rows per day representing the high temperature with the centre row of each a dot that represents the day's low temperature. Each month is bordered by a garter stitch ridge in black.

New Kayakers

With a school closure our granddaughters had an extra day added to the Victoria Day long weekend. We kept them busy today by giving them their first kayaking experience. 

The weather was perfect. Not too hot or too cold and a nice light breeze.

There were a few interesting things to explore. We got up close to a family of turtles sunning themselves on a log.

And watched a mother duck walking her brood along the shore.

Both girls really enjoyed kayaking, but with only two kayaks it meant someone always had to sit out while the other had a turn. We need more kayaks!

Fun Little Fellow

I've been helping out as a daily volunteer in my granddaughter's classroom. That commitment has left precious little time for crafting which in turn leaves little to blog about. But there HAS been one fun little addition around here. 

I HAD been selling off my ball jointed dolls, intent on leaving the hobby. This little Dream High Studio "House Elf" enchanted me and convinced me that I was missing out on too much fun.

My original intent was to style him as a drab "old man next door" type of character -- a quiet loner into books, newspapers and other solitary activities. He went along with that idea for a brief bit but is now demanding much more colour, pattern, and FUN in his life. 

With his direction and supervision I've made him a fun new chair. Now he is refusing to get into his drab old man clothes.  He wants a new wardrobe too! "Lots of colour, pattern, and FUN, just like the chair!", says he.

Oh. And apparently I'm to make another chair. He says he's intent on wooing a lovely lady he has just met via the Internet and when she comes visiting she'll need a place to sit. 

March in April

Now that April is well underway I am finally getting around to posting a picture of the March section of the "My Year in Temperatures" scarf.

With March bringing warmer temperatures than we saw in February the scarf got a little more colourful! The "tomato" red is the warmest weather we've had so far this year. That was March 12, with a high temperature of 18°C (64°F). We saw 7 days with lows of 0°C (32°F). Those lows are represented by the dark blue green dots (Knitpicks Palette in "Rainforest"). The black garter stitch ridges divide March from February and April. 

Retired After 44+ Years

After more than 44 long years of dedicated service --

-- the squeak of the handle of this well worn lunch kit will no longer be announcing my husband's return from work as a telephone lineman.

Today is the first day in over 44 years (not counting vacation time and the very rare sick day) that both he and his lunch box will not be heading off to work. The two of them have now officially retired. I'm so thankful for all the years he worked to support our family and to secure a comfortable future for us.

Enjoy your retirement Brian, you deserve it!  ahem  Are you ready for your "Honey Do" list?

(Full disclosure? This lunch kit wasn't  quite with him the entire time. For the first few years he had a shorter one just like it.)