This Year's Theme Revealed...

Hello Everyone! Well, the theme so far for 2023 is Tying Up Loose Ends. Projects ranging from home repair to tree trimming to sewing are being completed - some have lingered since 2021. How do I feel about this? I'm glad progress has been made and there is so much left to do.

First up, sewing. Two promised Christmas presents from 2021 were completed and sent off in January. The first was a coaster set made with fabric already in possession but a fancy variegated polyester thread was purchased new along with a tear away stabilizer. I had never used stabilizer before - it was suggested for the zig-zag stitch edge. There is water soluble stabilizer too - the tear away was the only available at the brick-and-mortar store. If you look real close you may see bits of remaining stabilizer but I let it go. The coasters are reversible so that is pretty neat. And the great thing about the zig-zag stitch, you can go over previous stitching no problem if for example, an edge was missed. The imperfectness/non-uniformity added interest.

Coasters, First Side

Coasters, Second side

The second project was modifying a blouse to make it more interesting and better fitting for the intended wearer. I was really excited how this came out because it was completely experimental. The source of trim was a vintage handkerchief with a crochet edging. The crochet edging was looped through the linen of the handkerchief so I decided to cut the edging off the linen square so the looping remained intact. The edging was then attached to the shirt with a longer zig-zag stitch so that it laid flat and yet not fray. One side of the square was used for each of the cuffs and then two sides were joined with another zig-zag stitch for the collar. The corners were not used. I have many of these vintage handkerchiefs so this project opened up some future possibilities.

Shirt Reborn

I won't go into the home repair project because that was a necessity not a creative endeavor. The good news is that I am happy with the result. Reading has been ongoing, but it has had its ups and downs. The One Book, One Community selection this year was The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik - it is a fictional take on the documentary photographer Dorothea Lange. Great book but unfortunately there were no book discussions to fit in my schedule, all of them seemed to be on the same week night that I can't make, Tuesday, or during the work day - so that was a bummer.

On my reading list, I plow through both fiction and nonfiction. Something happened to the latest nonfiction book that hasn't happened in the last couple of years - I refused to finish it. It was a 2021 book on sewing and I think sewing IS tough to write about because it can easily turn into reference material whether author intended or not. I haven't had this problem with other nonfiction such as biographies or more emotionally charged subject matter (eg, climate change, homeless youth). In this book, the author had some more personal vignettes, but I couldn't read them because the type was 9 pt. The replacement book "How to be an Illustrator" by Darrel Rees is not much better - ironic considering that illustration is in the design field (it should have better design!) - but I am getting further along. It is not a modern phenomenon because I did flip through a 1970s sewing book to see if the experience would be better and same thing, very small type.

Experimental Pie, Before Baking

Experimental Pie, After Baking

The last loose end project is in the kitchen. Last entry I covered the wide ranging holiday baking. The aftermath was cleaning up not only the physical surfaces but using leftover and unwanted ingredients from Holiday 2022, way back when and from others' kitchens. A cinnamon apple bread mix also included dried blueberries and maraschino cherries. Maraschino cherries I think deserve a better reputation and should be used more in baking. A leftover pie crust had a filling with outdated brown sugar and random nuts as well as fresh eggs, matcha, and Peruvian ground cherries. All very experimental and requiring an open mind with regards to taste. And definitely unique. Until next time...