***** Disclaimer:
The Captain is very supportive of my sewing efforts, and (so far) he’s not packing his bags.
I have a lot of scraps from discontinued upholstery and drapery samples and am happy to have found a use for them.
If you’re not into sewing, just skip over this next part and go to the end of the post after the photo.
*****
Each side panel of the bags has three rows of four 4″ squares.
The sides have a strip of 2 1/2″ by about 11″ (depending on the height of your panel). The top has a 2 1/2″ strip that is about 18″ long (again, you’d measure your bag that now has the strips on each side of the panels). The bottom strip is the same length but it’s 3 1/2″ wide.
There’s a lot more to do to put the sides together, cut out a 2″ corner to make a flat part in the bottom. There’s interfacing to use as a stiffener on the panels, and then a lining to fit the inside of the bag. Pockets on the inside of the bag are nice too. The straps with interfacing in them are pieces that are 5″ by 28″ folded over and sewn.
The tricky part is to get the straps to be between the outside of the bag and the lining inside. But that’s the fun of putting it all together.
There are lots of videos that show how it’s done, but the best thing is if you can go to a sewing class put on by your local sewing store.
Don’t ask me how many needles I broke going over some of the thickest parts of the fabric, especially where the handles attach. It’s worth it though.
These bags are fun to make because no two are exactly alike.
Against all odds, the cluster of daffodils that pops up near the fir trees every year, has decided to make a dash for the light of day.
For each of the flowers, the bigger photo is now, and the smaller photos at the side are what they will look like later this spring.
Irises popping up.
Oriental poppies beginning to grow already.
Below are the not-so-lucky ones.
It looks like a dull, gray, foggy day. Most of us would be glad to be somewhere sunny, maybe with blue water instead of that dull gray stuff. But for the fly fisherman, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be just at this moment.
It looks like he could be lost in that fog, not knowing which way to go, but I don’t think he cares right now because he just had a nibble.
More than a nibble. It might be a whale. Sure the rod isn’t bent right over, but that’s just because the fish has stopped to take a breath.
Hey! Weren’t we taught never to stand up in a boat? Maybe this fish will pull the fisherman right over into the water. No worries. He’s wearing his lifejacket. It’s one of those slim ones that inflates if you hit the water.
Worst case scenario, his camera-wielding friend might have to put the camera down and go rescue his buddy.
These place mats are meant to help teach children how to set the table. I made this set for my nephew when he was about 5 years old. He probably already knew how to set the table, but if he inherited any of my genes, he might have had moments when he forgot what goes where.
Not only do the place mats show where the cutlery goes, but they are also an example of what the three primary colours are. To make a set of four, I had to add another colour for the fourth one. Do you know your primary colours? Which one of the set does not belong?
This is the last of my alternating flower and bird photo poems. I suppose I could call them phoems. Thank you to those who hung in there until the end. I’ll spare you now and space out my posts a little more.
An oyster bed near the shoreline is encouraging to see. If you like oysters, be sure you’ve checked your local website for updates on any shellfish contamination that may be happening in your area.
We saw tons of oysters, but our fishing licences only allowed 12 each. That is certainly enough for a meal.
Poor Emma. She ran over these oyster shells and was soon limping along with sore feet from the rough barnacles on the shells.
After that, she preferred to run over pure sand or maybe a clam bed, both of which were easier on her feet.
I found a bit of beach money to pay for the clams and oysters. See the sand dollars below? The whiter ones were dead and sun bleached; the yellower ones were probably not feeling well; and the darker purplish brown ones (not pictured) were quite alive. I didn’t get a picture of them because I didn’t find them until later when I figured out that they were a few inches below the surface of the sand.
Emma was interested in a lot of things on the beach. This oyster was by itself, away from the rest and was covered with big barnacles. It seemed out of place here among all the clam shells.
The beach had so much driftwood washed up that it was an endless job for Emma to explore for mice and other little creatures that left their telltale scents on or under the logs.
She finally decided to tackle that big job, one log at a time.
It kept her busy all day.
So much fresh air and a tiny bit of sunshine ensured that we all slept well that night.
wordsfromanneli 