tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42917665048414187512024-03-13T20:09:14.979-04:00Excels at NothingNancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.comBlogger475125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-59495845540567610982014-12-20T08:40:00.002-05:002014-12-20T08:40:24.260-05:00Almost thereI'm finishing my second cup of coffee before heading off to Walmart to procure the groceries for the week, and then I don't plan on leaving the house other than to go to and from work. Christmas preparations are almost done - today it's just regular chores like laundry and general housekeeping. <br />
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NO CHAIRS.<br />
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Wishing you all peace, and a little quiet.<br />
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Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-64132385694824392422014-11-26T17:27:00.001-05:002014-11-26T17:27:53.501-05:00Ghost of a Thanksgiving Past<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some 20 years ago, I was <strike>asked</strike> <strike>coerced</strike> convinced to prepare
a modern Thanksgiving dinner in an 18<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> century manner in the home
of said <strike>coercer</strike> host. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And oh, by the way, there
would be a member of the British Embassy attending with his family, among
others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I came up with a menu*. I scaled the recipes up for the
number of people I was feeding, photocopied all the recipes, and put them in a binder.
I made a master shopping list. I made a list of every pan, mixing bowl and
utensil that I would need for each thing I was making. I made a timeline of what needed to be started when,
when it had to go on the fire, what could be made ahead of time, and what had
to be done last minute. I was as prepared as humanly possible for something I
had never done before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Wednesday night, I made the cranberry sauce, and did as
much food prep as I could. On Thursday morning, our host took himself to the
grocery store to pick up the two fresh turkeys he has ordered previously, while I kept cooking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He returned with two frozen turkeys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He said they’d lost his order. The best they could do was
send him back with frozen turkeys. Turkeys that were supposed to be on the fire
in very short order. So I did the only thing I could think of. I named them
John and Priscilla, and put them in the shower to thaw while I kept on with the
meal prep.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rest of the day was mostly a blur. I do remember that
the turkey on the spit (Priscilla) cooked faster than the one hanging from the
clock jack (John) so we rigged up a reflector with a sheet of something shiny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember one of our
guests coming in and taking pity on me and kneading the dough for the rolls. I
remember the stiff upper lip when one of the Brits decided to try pumpkin pie
for the first time and was very surprised that it wasn’t bad. I remember
another member of the family helping with the washing up. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But mostly, I remember thawing John and Priscilla in the
shower.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;">*Nut Breads (for nibbling while I got everything on the table</span>)<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;">Crab Soup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;">Roast Turkey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Dressing</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Gravy</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Mashed Potatoes</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Sweet potatoes with lime juice, and nutmeg and rum</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Scalloped Corn</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Onion Pie</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Bran yeast rolls</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Honey Butter and assorted Jellies</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Pickled Peaches</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Cranberry Sauce</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Ice Cream</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>And everything but the ice cream was made from scratch.</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>And wine, sherry and Port.</o:p></span></div>
Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-67914373527548112232014-11-24T20:26:00.000-05:002014-11-24T20:26:17.747-05:00Update on The ChairCrappy pictures in bad lighting ... but the faux Windsor chair got a couple of coats of "Salem Red" milk paint over the stain, the was lightly sanded and coated in polyurethane. <br />
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It's not something I ever would have started out to do on purpose, but I'm happy with how it turned out. The milk paint just looks right, and there is some nice depth of color.<br />
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This is the milk paint. It's very flat and chalky looking.</div>
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This is with a little sanding to smooth out the paint and expose a little stain, and with a coat of poly on top. </div>
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There is some nice depth of color now. A little sanding, and another layer or two of poly and we should be good to go.</div>
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I never would have planned to refinish this chair in this manner, but it suits the style, and I'm happy with it. Sometimes (rarely ...) the mistakes have happy endings.Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-51969749550320206582014-11-23T20:23:00.001-05:002014-11-23T20:23:34.045-05:00Getting there ...Sweet Daughter's cloak is now about 95% finished. I just need to find the right ribbon for covering the neck seam so it doesn't rub.<br />
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The table is also done. Or, done enough for now. I'd like to get a smoother surface on it, but I need to find the right brush, or applicator. <br />
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Not a great picture, but I'm happy with the table.</div>
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I switched out two light fixtures -- the downstairs one more than once as I think the first replacement had a short in it. Replacement #2 went in easy-peasy. In part, because I figured out that one of those lights that clip onto the bill of your ball cap would help. Much better lighting that the floor lamp snaked in on an extension cord from the other end of the house.</div>
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I also decided the holly "bush" needed to be trimmed back. I couldn't get the hedge trimmer through it anymore.<br />
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It was so thick, I had to cut it down to see what was in it, so to speak. Arms are still like jelly ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvqhjRb9WlWPdlCstJJi17Lu364JHaSsu9oqfjlG3Mr0yhxUTswPRq5z95NDe3iMhGvvqqhk0jC4LUP9iadZm4Pn00LfnHSxYHQiuPD_wWkBGIuk8m0J3qCOhlo_NVmeC6N_Eo91sEmU/s1600/Holly+after.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvqhjRb9WlWPdlCstJJi17Lu364JHaSsu9oqfjlG3Mr0yhxUTswPRq5z95NDe3iMhGvvqqhk0jC4LUP9iadZm4Pn00LfnHSxYHQiuPD_wWkBGIuk8m0J3qCOhlo_NVmeC6N_Eo91sEmU/s1600/Holly+after.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Any ideas what to replace it with? Southeast corner of the house, Zone 7.</td></tr>
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This morning, I woke up and decided that compared to the refinished table, all my chairs looked like crap. So I decided to refinish one. <br />
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A 1940s Windsor-style chair with a faux mahogany wood-grain finish that was chipping off gets covered in stripper ...<br />
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And it was ugly. Clear -- not a knot to be found, but ugly and blotchy. The turned pieces looked like birch. The seat is several sections of pine. I was brought up to believe that painting wood would send one directly to the fiery pits of hell ... so I tried staining it and hoping the pieces would sort of blend together.<br />
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Nope. Now it was dark and blotchy. So ... I decided to use milk paint on it. It's currently in process and I'm cautiously optimistic. And<em> that</em> is a post for another day ...<br />
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Now it's time for an adult beverage, some analgesic and a book.Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-17720006987690881882014-11-17T19:21:00.003-05:002014-11-17T19:21:59.902-05:00In the middleI'm still juggling three different projects. Nothing is done yet, but all are creeping closer.<br />
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I played Tetris with all the red wool scraps and pieced out a hood. I've got it lined, and I'm now trying to gather it to fit the neckline on the cloak which also needs to be gathered to fit. Then, I just have to decide if I want to bind the edges or not. It shouldn't be necessary, but this cloak is cobbled together from so many pieces, I think it would add some structural stability.<br />
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This brown linen project got test-pleated to make sure my math was correct for what size to make said pleats.<br />
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It seemed to work, so now I take all of them out, sew the two pieces together and start over, measuring <em>very</em> carefully this time.<br />
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Finally, the maple table is starting to look like I'm doing something right. I might even get it done this weekend. It's too cold and wet to work outside, or even in the garage, so I just decided that I'll have to clean and dust the first floor really well when I'm done. <br />
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And of course, all the regular housework is piling up. I'm keeping up with the essentials like laundry and groceries. but the clutter is piling up and driving me crazy. It's my own fault, but I'm hoping I can get caught up this weekend.<br />
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Right.<br />
Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-34533466071035673882014-11-09T09:10:00.001-05:002014-11-09T09:10:35.226-05:00Breakfast of ChampionsI hate spending time cooking and cleaning up a decent breakfast, especially when I'm busy. My new favorite it peanut butter and bacon on graham crackers with a cup or two of coffee when I've got stuff to do. Like today.<br />
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I have three projects going at once. There's the relatively easy red cloak (unless I just jinxed it), another sewing project (more on that later if it works) ...<br />
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... and a table I'm refinishing. My current dining room table is just too big for the space, and I picked up a smaller oval table on Craigslist for a song. It turned out to be a post WWII maple table, and for some insane reason, I decided to refinish it. The legs had mellowed to a lovely golden color, but the top had a slightly greenish cast to it that was so popular at the time. I've gone from the "!#$&^#!! WHAT have I gotten myself into?" stage to the cautiously realistic stage. <br />
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Once it warms up a bit, I'll be hauling all of this back outside to work on, but until then, I've got plenty to do inside, including drinking that second cup of coffee. Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-72545471929928217252014-11-07T20:50:00.002-05:002014-11-07T20:50:21.691-05:00Bits and piecesSweet Daughter picked up a pocket while in Williamsburg last year and asked that I make her another so she'd have a pair. Since, near as I can tell, 18th century pockets had their edges bound in tape so as to keep loose threads from getting tangled up with the stuff in your pockets, that's how I made her new red one. I reworked the CW one as well.<br />
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Tonight, I decided to see if the math part of my brain was working ... a dear friend had given me a cloak which had come from one of her very best friends. She was a tiny woman, and my friend thought SD might like it. She mentioned that I'd probably have to do something with the hood ....<br />
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I wish I'd taken a picture of it as I pulled it to pieces. It was the absolute epitome of cutting your coat to fit your cloth. Or making lemons out of lemonade ... or something. It was made of four vaguely trapezoidal pieces of glorious scarlet broadcloth, stitched together to make a wide rectangle, and then roughly pleated onto a collar of epic proportions. The hood was shaped like the mouth of a frog. I have no idea if it was remotely functional. This was clearly bodged together out of leftovers from another project. Nothing had been trimmed down, or squared off or anything, but it was warm, and functional and of lovely wool.<br />
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So, I pulled it to pieces and washed it, hoping it would full up a little more. Tonight, I started squaring up the pieces. I probably lost a good 4" of width on each one. This made me nervous. When I was done, I sat down with every 18th century cloak pattern I could find, and settled on the one from "<a href="http://www.preservationtheory.org/ccu/ccu.htm" target="_blank">Costume Close Up</a>". It had and illustration of the pattern laid out to scale. I ended up pulling out my architects rule I've been hauling around for 30 years and used it to scale the pattern to fit the panel I'd assembled. It's probably 10% smaller than the original, and should fit SD well.<br />
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I'll let it hang for the weekend and let it finish stretching before I cut the hem even. If all goes according to plan, I should have enough to piece together for a hood. Keep your fingers crossed ...<br />
Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-48296898319852634052014-11-06T21:03:00.002-05:002014-11-06T21:03:49.557-05:00More catching upAfter the frenzy of getting two new outfits ready for the Renaissance Fair, we decided to pull some old stuff out of the closet for "Charter Day" in Port Royal. Of course there was a pirate theme, and everyone was encouraged to dress up.<br />
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They hired somebody as a Jack Sparrow impersonator who pretty much just walked around in blue jeans, motorcycle boots, a wig and eyeliner. No, I didn't laugh. At least not out loud.</div>
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If you ignore the "sexy pirate" Halloween costumes, I was the only adult dressed as a pirate who wasn't on the payroll. I did enjoy showing the local law enforcement my cutlass and boarding axe. One offered to trade me his asp for the axe. I declined. We didn't stay long as there wasn't a lot to do, but I got to try Stout-flavored ice cream.</div>
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The next day we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and the fact I'd finished up a new, larger jade-color gown for Sweet Daughter and we headed to Williamsburg for the day. I didn't really get any good pictures of it, as it's still a little large. Hopefully it will still fit her in the spring. She's going to need a new shift, though.</div>
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There were a lot of visitors that day and they all wanted our picture. When we still hadn't made it into town after an hour, we gave up and rode the bus. We had a lovely day, and as we were waiting to take the bus back to the Visitor's Center, an orange sports car drove past, came to a stop, screeched into reverse and stopped in front of us. Yes, this was on a regular street. The driver jumped out (car still running), explained he was from Mexico and asked to take his picture with me. <br />
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I don't know why ... I probably looked like I wanted to chew his head off. I was feeling mighty done in by that point. </div>
Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-67284019693764111792014-11-05T21:14:00.002-05:002014-11-05T21:14:34.798-05:00Getting caught upI finally have a functioning laptop. After mine going Tango Uniform 17 months ago, and the one my IT guy loaned me no longer able to get updates (Vista), I finally bit the bullet and picked up an inexpensive refurbished one. Sweet Daughter was very generously sharing hers with me, but was putting in lots of hours on homework, and I just didn't have much access to it. Also, hers is getting along in years, and I cringed at the thought of it dying the night before an important report was due. Now we've got back-up.<br />
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Anyhow ... SD wore her "Lucy" gown to the MD Renaissance Fair. This was back in September.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here she is doing her best River Tam impression at the May Pole.</td></tr>
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She asked that I go in costume, too, so I made a stab at an Italian Renaissance gown.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blessings upon the woman who showed me how to properly tuck up the skirts so I could walk without breaking my neck.</td></tr>
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We watched jousting and weapons demos and musical performances.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These four guys are Cu Dubh. Percussion and bagpipes and volume. What's not to like?</td></tr>
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Towards the end of the day I came across Dagger Dan's. I wish I'd found him earlier when I had more disposable income.<br />
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He has all manner of knives and swords.<br />
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I did find this lovely little piece, and decided that it might be the first in a collection of kriss blades. Because reasons.</div>
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All in all, it was a great girls day out, and I hope we'll do it again next year.</div>
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Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-89116390399825983382014-10-02T19:09:00.003-04:002014-10-02T19:09:47.258-04:00Time for a musical interludeSweet Daughter asked me what a flow chart was during breakfast this morning. I tried to sketch one out, but didn't have time to go into great detail. <br />
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"Remind me when I get home" I said.<br />
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So, this afternoon after homework was completed, we pulled up this video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TKa72wxTGq8" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Then I showed her this chart:<br />
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And then we took a tour of early New Wave music via the internets while dancing our heads off. <br />
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It was a good evening. And she knows what a flow chart is.<br />
Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-34366234451340457122014-09-29T20:10:00.003-04:002014-09-29T20:10:30.726-04:00This is why ...<a href="http://notalwaysright.com/giving-you-an-earful-over-the-ears/39801" target="_blank">This is why</a> I can't do SCA, or Steampunk, or LARP.Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-3632589684208268222014-09-19T20:38:00.000-04:002014-09-19T20:38:13.859-04:00Yeah, I've been busy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The skirts ... yeah. I forgot to remove the extra 4" from the waist and ended up with 4" of overlap in the back. It looks fine, and I talked myself out of taking it all apart and re-cutting it. I wish I'd gone with a lighter weight fabric (a drawback of ordering online is not knowing exactly what you're getting), but Sweet Daughter is happy with it, and it works.<br />
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And then I got to learn to work with Naugahyde. It wasn't as awful as I thought. We made a belt (buckle courtesy of a 75 cent thrift store belt), a sheath for her wooden dagger and a pouch.<br />
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We're going to the Renaissance Faire tomorrow. Did I mention Sweet Daughter wanted me in garb, too? Yeah. That's a story for another day. But they're just costumes ...<br />
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Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-5842272114499004442014-09-10T20:51:00.001-04:002014-09-10T20:51:36.983-04:00The Lucy ... undergarmentI don't know what to call it ... Shift? Chemise? Shirt? Shirt is probably closest, as it's rather ... abbreviated.<br />
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The fabric we found in the slightly greenish color we wanted (it very quietly sets off the dark orange very nicely) was in rather short supply. There was maybe a yard and a quarter or so, but we grabbed it, and I figured I could always piece some muslin or something onto the bottom where it wouldn't show.<br />
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I scaled down the pattern I'd used for my camicia (Italian shift) and realized we were still short fabric. So instead of folding the fabric length-wise, I folded it width-wise. This is a pattern with raglan sleeves (the sleeves and shift front where the sleeves attach are cut at an angle, instead of more fitted, set-in sleeves) and I planned to use the finished selvedge edge of the fabric around the neckline opening. <br />
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After washing and drying, I had about 42" of width (turned sideways, so now it was length) to work with. I cut the body 30" long, and the sleeves 12" long, figuring they'd be hidden under the velvet sleeves anyway. I carefully folded the sleeve portion over twice, so I could cut both sleeves at once and guess what? Bad news: I cut from the wrong folded edge. Good news: I stopped when I realized what I was doing.<br />
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I had to flip the sleeve around so the mis-cut armhole was now on the hem edge, and I could cut the armhole correctly. That part about the finished edge forming the neckline was right out the window and I didn't have any matching thread, so I improvised. The undergarment in the movie has a very subtle X pattern embroidered around the edge, IIRC. Instead, I turned the edge over and used an embroidery stitch over the raw edge in a slightly darker shade of green. <br />
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The outside edge is visible on the left, the inside portion is the vertical part on the right. The ivory-colored tape is the casing for the ... elastic. Yes, ELASTIC. Not a drawstring. Get over it.<br />
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The next step, was to fix the armhole cuts in the sleeves. I simply took wedges out, removed some of the fullness and called it a day.<br />
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The finished garment is long enough to come down to mid-thigh, and the sleeves won't show under the finished bodice.<br />
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It's a little more full around the neck than I'd like -- I should have cut it on an A-line, but lesson learned. The only bit that's going to show is the ruffle around the neckline of the bodice, anyway. It's just a costume, remember?Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-90507893583646644002014-09-09T21:33:00.001-04:002014-09-09T21:33:20.094-04:00Fabric choicesThe fabric for the Lucy dress mostly came online from Fashion Fabrics Club. (And I paid for every last inch of it, including the hefty shipping fees. Fabric is heavy.) I went with them, honestly, because they had the dark orange velvet for the sleeves, and when I started poking around they had most of everything else, as well.<br />
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Starting from the top ... sleeve lining from Joanne's. This is visible here:<br />
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Next ... the bodice fabric. We went round and round on this one. <br />
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This really looks like an unbleached linen with a print on it to me. I couldn't find anything like this. I looked for printed linen, embroidered linen ... I even thought about trying to print or embroider it myself, but I had a brief flash of sanity and dismissed the ideas. I could have gone with the plain, unbleached linen, but FFC had and embroidered silk on sale for less than what the linen cost, so we went with that. It was a bit of a crap shoot, as the picture looked like the unbleached linen, but the description said "copper", but it looks like it will work out just fine.<br />
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The white is a cotton/rayon twill for the underskirt.<br />
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The velvet is for the sleeves, obviously, and I had forgotten just how much I HATE working with synthetic stretch fabrics. I was very creative with my vocabulary there for a bit.<br />
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Next up is the shift/chemise/undershirt whatever-you-want-to-call-it fabric. You'll notice in the bodice picture it's a sort of greenish color, and has a very subtle embroidery design around the neckline. We picked up a piece of quilting cotton, again at Joanne's, and had to get rather creative on cutting it out. More on that later ...<br />
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And, at the bottom of the pile, is the dark orange twill overskirt fabric. Close inspection of the photo indicates that it's a silk dupioni to me, but I couldn't find any the right color. And the cotton was much, much cheaper. Heavier, too, but that was a compromise between availability, cost and how the final product would drape. <br />
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Besides, it's just a costume, right?<br />
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Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-25807810615648974472014-09-07T22:28:00.001-04:002014-09-07T22:35:30.193-04:00The Lucy Dress - making the patternSo, if you look at the picture of the Lucy dress, you'll notice princess seams through the bodice, and four panel skirts. The sleeves are fitted at the top, with a bell on the bottom section. I had to decide if I was in "artistic" mode - like when I made the white cross-barred muslin dress and just sort of winged it, or if I was in "math" mode and needed a known starting place. When I thought of the set-in sleeves, I opted for "math" mode.<br />
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Apparently people don't sew clothes for pre-teens to wear anymore, judging by the dearth of patterns. I ended up with the only thing we could find that was close. And it was in a woman's size. Definitely not designed for a 9-year-old, but it was a starting point.<br />
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Princess seams? Check. Set-in sleeves? Check. Four-gore skirt? Easy fix. We were on our way. <br />
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The first thing I did was compare Sweet Daughter's measurements to those on the pattern. I noted the "ease" allowed - 4". Since the bodice was to be snug, I had to eliminate those 4". And since this was designed for a "mature" figure (meaning a waist much smaller than the bust line) I had to make some changes. Since I needed to remove 4" from the chest, but none from the waist, I decided to remove an inch each from the center front and back, and a half inch from the side front and side back pieces. So, I made a quarter inch fold in each of the side pieces at the top, tapering down to nothing at the bottom. I made two of those on the center front and back pieces - one down the center, and one through the shoulder. I also compared the back-waist length from the pattern to SD, and remembering fitting issues I've had in the past, removed the excess from the armseye. I also managed to make these same alterations to the sleeve. It went something like this:<br />
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I put some gridded pattern making stuff over the pattern origami, traced my new cutting lines and had new pattern pieces.<br />
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These were cut out of scrap fabric (okay, a sheet that's older than I am that has done past duty as a drop cloth), sewn together and checked for fit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYk9qddTHpv9FMDgE7-EngMfbZVQ1Eq3JUsWanZ5MDRM1xvaHi09HuJuuvKzJY42oib5c30Asx5JrGB3j9Nm3SRteVAFXy0xkJWGzJ2NHHgzZmfhygw3lMzUDOdNwxOvwAAl4SHjIsTkE/s1600/First+fitting+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYk9qddTHpv9FMDgE7-EngMfbZVQ1Eq3JUsWanZ5MDRM1xvaHi09HuJuuvKzJY42oib5c30Asx5JrGB3j9Nm3SRteVAFXy0xkJWGzJ2NHHgzZmfhygw3lMzUDOdNwxOvwAAl4SHjIsTkE/s1600/First+fitting+2.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the difference in the curve of the back piece.</td></tr>
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Lines were drawn, notes were made and another set of pattern pieces made. Another fitting muslin was cut out and sewn, and we nailed it on the second try. Even the sleeve fit! Well, the top half.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay2rJ_AoSmMLzm0O2hLFbpTIsRXUCBs37_gLVf7jrVjyS1PbzVl5jN_lHpbV2wvUwtVsNPKyIMsfHX7XKJzlRkaBzBV_GHObs1X77ocOvY-3iU4yvd-ehNQjJbabKu0wLyFrCpQm6RY8/s1600/Second+fitting+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay2rJ_AoSmMLzm0O2hLFbpTIsRXUCBs37_gLVf7jrVjyS1PbzVl5jN_lHpbV2wvUwtVsNPKyIMsfHX7XKJzlRkaBzBV_GHObs1X77ocOvY-3iU4yvd-ehNQjJbabKu0wLyFrCpQm6RY8/s1600/Second+fitting+3.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I continued to sketch out the necklines and alter as necessary.</td></tr>
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The bottom half had to be drafted. I started with a rectangle as wide as the measurement of the bottom of the sleeve. I looked at the picture of Lucy, and made a SWAG that the bottom of the sleeve was 1 1/2 times the width of the top of the sleeve. I also guessed on the length, as SD wasn't around, so I couldn't measure her. I then drew lines every inch, vertically across the paper.<br />
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I cut on the lines, and put the slashed piece on another piece of paper. I spread the bottom of each piece a half inch from the next in order to widen the bottom by 50%. <br />
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I traced the new outline on the bottom piece of paper and made a new pattern piece.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyUXKLiH-mhSAJWPAwJVH3DjhLVY2Kle_D2urEQ_LW4zGodK3VxROt-RetwQY51P21IYtuGB4BLBDRbIvlUQ7y4XD6NkjxnsqTlXAvoCj704UyFnTHz5oz0YuOzBGRCslr7wlL9B9X14/s1600/Sleeve+3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyUXKLiH-mhSAJWPAwJVH3DjhLVY2Kle_D2urEQ_LW4zGodK3VxROt-RetwQY51P21IYtuGB4BLBDRbIvlUQ7y4XD6NkjxnsqTlXAvoCj704UyFnTHz5oz0YuOzBGRCslr7wlL9B9X14/s1600/Sleeve+3b.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could not get this to rotate properly for love nor money.</td></tr>
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And ... it worked. Well, it was about an inch short, but that was an easy fix when it came time to cut things out for real.<br />
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The skirts were much easier. I taped the center and side pieces together, and cut both the center front and center back so they were on the selvage, not a fold. I forgot to remove those extra 4" of ease (D'OH!), so there's some extra overlap in the back, and a bit of puckering on the waistband, but that's all hidden by the bodice, so I resisted the urge to take it all apart and recut it. It's just a costume, right?<br />
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Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-59032096915351665932014-09-05T09:45:00.001-04:002014-09-05T09:45:48.051-04:00Ready, set ...<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Go!</span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk45NwLpdNHfrqGNk-I_N1oIBJ2MhH-lgFGQWDa49aV0lZ-guiDkWWGFJe7Rvm_BQe7QYPbtOZVzMbb0iu8CqxeBBu9AmlHPJ7g6KFE7rqtQi-4akpoBRuBpXpoAeR7L84Pk3xH8BsrE0/s640/blogger-image--805846124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk45NwLpdNHfrqGNk-I_N1oIBJ2MhH-lgFGQWDa49aV0lZ-guiDkWWGFJe7Rvm_BQe7QYPbtOZVzMbb0iu8CqxeBBu9AmlHPJ7g6KFE7rqtQi-4akpoBRuBpXpoAeR7L84Pk3xH8BsrE0/s640/blogger-image--805846124.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShN60qwMTzk_a1yx037lq4FMy6qwCVf-IyzvnGEj40AinUrfO_I59TJLIW4gkJrxWtZ2DmPgxLGzI2HvsBEb6kX2VTdWLM_Xco5dg_CT6PrKsVfkFi2XjI1JsnxSLPCLq3veCqxVA_qQ/s640/blogger-image-511381680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShN60qwMTzk_a1yx037lq4FMy6qwCVf-IyzvnGEj40AinUrfO_I59TJLIW4gkJrxWtZ2DmPgxLGzI2HvsBEb6kX2VTdWLM_Xco5dg_CT6PrKsVfkFi2XjI1JsnxSLPCLq3veCqxVA_qQ/s640/blogger-image-511381680.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-74838242476095340172014-09-04T21:53:00.002-04:002014-09-04T21:53:43.588-04:00Catching upYou know how when you're running, and you trip, and you have to do that wild, staggering stride just to keep from falling over until you catch your balance again? That's what it's been like since we got back from the beach. <br />
<br />
I'm glad we went at the end of the season, and left the day before Labor Day. It wasn't crowded until Saturday, which made it a whole lot easier to leave on Sunday. Sweet Daughter was <em>really</em> looking forward to going back to school, so she wasn't too torn up about leaving, either. But it's been non-stop ever since. I'm finally caught up on laundry, but remember the water meter issue? It's still leaking, just not as spectacularly. (Thank you to the three neighbors who helped with the issue while I was out of town!) There's food in the house, but the grass needs to be cut, and we've been getting pop-up showers after work. Oh, and the mower's not working (solenoid? safety contact under the seat not engaging?) but the neighbor will look at it when it cools off a bit. <br />
<br />
The transition to a new teacher and classmates seems to be going well so far this year, and SD is already plotting and planning her first book report. A few more days, and I'm sure we'll hit our new groove, which is good. I tend to forget just how busy September and October are. <br />
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Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-25238264634207918702014-08-23T22:15:00.002-04:002014-08-23T22:15:57.153-04:00Preparations
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sweet Daughter and I are renting a beach house on
Chincoteague thanks to a rather generous Christmas gift and we’ve spent the
past 8 months preparing. I asked SD what was important to her … she said “Just
a place to sleep. We’ll be busy doing other things!” I wanted a screened porch
where I could sit and read with a drink in hand after a day at the beach. Oh,
and at least two toilets. Because two is one, and one is none, and all that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next step was prioritizing what we needed to acquire.
Another umbrella, so we didn’t have to both squeeze under the shade of one, a
SD- sized shovel for digging moats that wasn’t too heavy, and a set of buckets
sturdy enough to haul seawater without the handles falling off, but not so big
that SD couldn’t carry them herself. We also watched the sales and picked up
things like a small cooler on wheels so SD could help haul things from the car.
I got a better chair that I can get out of easier, and will hopefully be easier
on my back. SD got my hand-me-down chair. We’ve been squirreling away things
like an extra box of mac & cheese, pasta sauce, and making cookies to freeze
for the trip. We’ve put a jar out to collect discretionary funds for dinner out
one night. SD has been hoarding her allowance to spend on … stuff. She’s a very
thorough. We spend several days shopping, and then at the end of our trip she
makes a list of what she wants, what it costs and how best to spend her hoard. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been a good exercise in planning and prioritizing. And
like all good plans, it won’t survive first contact with the enemy. We leave
bright and early tomorrow morning – keep your fingers crossed for us. And hope
that tropical disturbance near Hispaniola doesn’t get stronger and come
a-calling.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-24538651421545221992014-08-21T16:22:00.003-04:002014-08-21T18:01:27.811-04:00Side-trackedSo, instead of dusting baseboards and washing dishes the other night, I decided to do this.<br>
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Sweet Daughter had a pair of outgrown jeans that couldn't just be sent off to Goodwill. Oh, no. They had a cat on them and so must be kept forever. So I cut off the bottom of the leg, and added one of the pockets to the back. Then I added a rectangle to the inside to form the bottom of the purse, and another rectangle with a zipper down the middle for the top. Made a shoulder strap out of the scraps ... and <br>
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Then the topic of Halloween came up. She's picked her character and outfit.<br>
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In order to justify this sort of effort, she's going to have to wear it more than once, which means a trip to the Renaissance Festival. Which means I've got to make something for me, as well, and how did this spiral out of control so quickly, anyway?Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-22263366970724908622014-08-09T19:26:00.001-04:002014-08-11T13:01:18.319-04:00What to do with your BasementI have a copy of the 1934 booklet put out by the Public Service Company of Northern Illinois, titled "Your Basement What to do with it .... How to do it"<br>
<br>
"The Jazz Age is past and American Home is coming into its own again, as the scene of a more wholesome, closely knit family life. Surest is the question that children and parents alike are asking, "How in the world can we find space for all the home parties, home hobbies, home pleasures that we want to enjoy?"<br>
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Seventeen different suggestions are given, but the one that caught my eye first was this one:<br>
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Theatre and Pistol Range<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqhbt0JnKva5VTi09h6a6SLLKG4rc8o0p8c4fgytD_qzW2uoxcMKC87BPkblse-QJ2R2w3PmOOdf28EudJONUXo3AlsiaQ5XF7XoCJfNdl6k56ar_Z0cYO8Bc5Nk4BzBuMD_BQGF6FkQ/s1600/Book+cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqhbt0JnKva5VTi09h6a6SLLKG4rc8o0p8c4fgytD_qzW2uoxcMKC87BPkblse-QJ2R2w3PmOOdf28EudJONUXo3AlsiaQ5XF7XoCJfNdl6k56ar_Z0cYO8Bc5Nk4BzBuMD_BQGF6FkQ/s1600/Book+cover.png" height="228" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to embiggenate any of these ...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV06CxC0-Xv3xZ1FvzsAmoK05jna2ewK_SU9Epcm8Tu9tpfRRsPnnJahnfxqwTSRWhCtUBTAnPO_YFxRuxTx4cybO7JSwzqTpAL85mMs3Ey70DrkwU3Zyb5NCdugKVsWCAgJcEqMWeezk/s1600/Book+page+30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV06CxC0-Xv3xZ1FvzsAmoK05jna2ewK_SU9Epcm8Tu9tpfRRsPnnJahnfxqwTSRWhCtUBTAnPO_YFxRuxTx4cybO7JSwzqTpAL85mMs3Ey70DrkwU3Zyb5NCdugKVsWCAgJcEqMWeezk/s1600/Book+page+30.png" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">" ... archery practice, pistol shooting and the presentation of home movie shows."<br>
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The construction of the back wall is interesting.<br>
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Sorry about the quality of the images. If there is interest, I can try to get scans.</div>
Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-17235677666454896362014-08-06T21:55:00.000-04:002014-08-06T21:55:10.186-04:00America's Night OutLast night Sweet Daughter and I attended our local "America's Night Out", and as I've done every year we've gone, I open carried. Last year the sheriff asked if I was a LEO. I said no. He asked why I was carrying then, and I pointed at SD who was participating in some activity, and said "To keep her safe. And make your job a little easier." He pretty much grinned and gave me a metaphorical thumbs up. I like our sheriff.<br />
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This year the only comment I got was from a boy about 10 years old.<br />
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"Is that a gun?"<br />
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"Yes."<br />
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"Are you an AGENT??"<br />
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"No. Agents don't have 'Hello Kitty' stickers on their magazines."<br />
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"Then why ...?"<br />
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[Pointing at SD] "To keep her safe. And me, too. I can't run as fast as I used to."<br />
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And then I told him about some of the guns I shot at NEBS last weekend. I think his poor head was going to explode as he tried to process the concept ... middle aged mom ... pistol ... machine guns ... And since our county has one middle school, and one high school ... maybe he'll spread the word about SD's crazy mom, and the boys will be less of a problem in another few years .<br />
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The fire department did a demo where a pan of bacon was set on a stove on "high" and left to catch fire. There was a good speech on how fire needs heat, fuel and oxygen to burn, and how eliminating one will put the fire out. Then they explained why water was a bad idea for a grease fire, and threw some on the bacon flambé. It made a beautiful cloud of flame ... and then went out. They put out a grease fire with water.<br />
<br />
So, they tried again (all the while emphasizing that just getting out of the house in case of a fire was also a very good option). This time was to demonstrate how a grease fire will catch the cabinets on fire. This also failed, but as I pointed out to an EMT standing next to me, this was a new mock-up of a kitchen. That cabinet had not been saturated with cooking grease for the past ten years. We were shown how to put out a fire with wet towels, flour, and/or a fire extinguisher. All good things to see demonstrated, even if our fire department stinks at actually setting things <em>on</em> fire.<br />
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Another demo was done with our new K-9. We have two now. This one actually got put to work earlier in the day, when a gentleman walked into the courthouse and asked if there were any warrants out for his arrest. This was checked, and answered in the affirmative, and the dude turned and ran. Ruger got sent after him, and performed admirably. <br />
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"Ruger?" I asked the EMT next to me. "Why is it always 'Ruger'? Why isn't it ever 'Hi-Point'?" <br />
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The next demonstration was almost watching the removal of Diet Pepsi from the lungs of said EMT. At least he has a sense of humor.<br />
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Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-17509210893435157252014-08-04T22:24:00.001-04:002014-08-04T22:39:30.680-04:00The WeekendSo, I did <a href="http://www.ma-rooned.com/2014/08/gather-tribe.html" target="_blank">this</a>.<br />
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Of the 59 hours I was gone, over 25 were spent in a vehicle driven by somebody who has a "road rage" tag on his blog. The trip was never boring, I can say that much. The stream-of-consciousness that at times just fell out of my blogfather's mouth was staggering. And entertaining. And I learned a few new compound words. <br />
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All the <a href="http://tooldtowork.com/2014/08/northeast-bloggershoot/" target="_blank">nice</a> things people say about this event and group of people are true! <br />
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I got to meet <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.munchkinwrangler.com/" target="_blank">Maj. L. Caudill, USMC (Ret)</a> </span><span style="color: white;">in the flesh. And he fired my Brown Bess.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a great idea. Muskets get messy.</td></tr>
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I shot lots of stuff, and to be honest ... I'm still trying to sort the blur that was the weekend. As always, everyone was very generous and helpful. And ... towards the end of the day, we prepared for the bayonet charge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9IKaU5dggaR-Ike_6wUfH06JUNRs1rQRJd8_-EaEJlz2YmV2vcAzrT8oMwnqx25tXyS2zOKd6Ay4r-jnqkg8XdFSzXDgDGe9gKKh3OJpMT9HpvRQECGgzNQNq3BdjD-Bv8xKwYSjCL4/s1600/Bayonet+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9IKaU5dggaR-Ike_6wUfH06JUNRs1rQRJd8_-EaEJlz2YmV2vcAzrT8oMwnqx25tXyS2zOKd6Ay4r-jnqkg8XdFSzXDgDGe9gKKh3OJpMT9HpvRQECGgzNQNq3BdjD-Bv8xKwYSjCL4/s1600/Bayonet+crop.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"That's not a bayonet ..."</td></tr>
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I brought these:<br />
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Sweet Daughter was brought along to the thrift shop to help pick out the victims. Clifford (we both HATED the TV show) obligingly erupted stuffing when shot, but the scary doll with the dead eyes and bunny rabbit nose JUST WOULDN'T DIE.<br />
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So, time to run them through with a bayonet charge. The doll ended up skewered right through the head, and Clifford?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXSaurTu5yj2oGDDMsts5uEzsNJFiHz8XpI3DCSyiPJyXMsZsEitc3by2wPQI5BW9zO5YopWbv2gCV3XmiUXve6j_L-Wm36JXOPMt8uTK7HbvnWCYJLANTBaLTXxnf0SNRygvO8ejEaE/s1600/Clifford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXSaurTu5yj2oGDDMsts5uEzsNJFiHz8XpI3DCSyiPJyXMsZsEitc3by2wPQI5BW9zO5YopWbv2gCV3XmiUXve6j_L-Wm36JXOPMt8uTK7HbvnWCYJLANTBaLTXxnf0SNRygvO8ejEaE/s1600/Clifford.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>" ...pour encourager les autres"</strong></td></tr>
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The bunny doll still didn't seem damaged enough. And that's when I spied a red paw. It was Elmo from a previous shoot. So the undead zombie doll was dispatched to keep Elmo company.<br />
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Maybe somebody will bring a flamethrower next year, and we can kill it for good.Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-84511380313117696572014-07-31T22:41:00.002-04:002014-07-31T22:41:39.560-04:00Water updateI woke up on Tuesday morning at 4:30, wondering how much water was in my back yard. Once the sun came up, I could check! Increased flow in the driveway ...<br />
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And in the new "creek" in the back yard.<br />
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I called the county back ... it turns out there was a worse leak that needed attention on Monday. Tell that to my back yard ...<br />
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They showed up about 10:30 and started digging. It didn't take long for them to figure out that they couldn't shovel water faster than it was being replaced. So they got in their truck and left. About a half hour later the returned with a truck that had a pump and a holding tank. <br />
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By now, all that clay they dug up was finding its way to the bottom of my driveway and was clogging the drain in front of the garage. No way I was leaving until the water stopped in case my garage flooded and I had to figure out what wasn't in a plastic tub and needed to get moved.<br />
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They finally got the truck pumping faster than the leak so I went to work. I came home to find the leak repaired, but the access to my water meter now well above grade. Probably because of all the dirt ended up here covering my drain:</div>
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Of course, the county has said nothing about the damage in my back yard, or come to get the two bright orange traffic cones they've left by the water meter.</div>
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I'm thinking since I've already begun digging the trench, I might just want to go ahead and extend the drain hose down to the edge of the property. Once I fill in that giant underground hole ...</div>
Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-2642028376822444912014-07-28T21:12:00.001-04:002014-07-28T21:12:29.842-04:00Water, water everywhere ...Last February I found a very nice note of my front door from my county meter reader telling me there was a leak on my side of the meter. Called a plumber, got it fixed and went on my merry way. <br />
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Until this morning when Sweet Daughter and I were headed out the door at 8:00.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELKAnjMVcGgfUz-mC1aLwOww0uXvgdeH-ZtICbWBuwSm7aoCcXAhhs1XMl737MlqvKBS6h_yktECsWHhTrYBRvxBBOlbJZNHyCMqC8vx7w_MZK-rac6G2Ai6B9B4L_wrYsuQyfLQjIKM/s1600/driveway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELKAnjMVcGgfUz-mC1aLwOww0uXvgdeH-ZtICbWBuwSm7aoCcXAhhs1XMl737MlqvKBS6h_yktECsWHhTrYBRvxBBOlbJZNHyCMqC8vx7w_MZK-rac6G2Ai6B9B4L_wrYsuQyfLQjIKM/s1600/driveway.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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I dashed up to where the water meter is, kicked off my black heels, pulled the cover and saw more water gushing out than last February. Still in my office clothes, I grabbed a bucket and started bailing. Now, in February, the meter reader explained that he was supposed to tell me that we are not supposed to use our own meter key to shut off the water. So let's just say I managed to stop the numbers on my meter from moving. I took SD to day camp, came back and there was more water than before. So, I called the county and informed them of the leak and that it sounded like it was on their side of the meter ... since I had my side repaired in February.<br />
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According to a neighbor, they send somebody out at 10:00 and they did ... nothing.<br />
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All that water coming down the driveway? It empties into the back yard. Which is now a swamp. And it's continuing to flow faster and time goes on. SD and I dug a trench when we got home to sort of direct the flow a bit.<br />
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You can't really tell, but the water is coming out faster than if I had a garden hose on at full blast.<br />
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I'll be calling the county when their office opens in the morning. And frequently thereafter, I'm thinking.<br />
Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291766504841418751.post-20819418707912241732014-07-27T20:49:00.001-04:002014-07-27T20:52:42.558-04:00How to make inexpensive 18th century shoes for kidsWell, not make, exactly, but how to make "acceptable" ones on a budget.<br />
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The hobby standard is to use black oxfords with black tights or knee socks. Not cotton Mary Jane canvas flats, but lace-up shoes. They sort of disappear, or at least become neutral instead saying "LOOK AT MY PURPLE CROCS UNDER MY GOWN!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVqJGUVHJb4gWBIrFaIqRY-I-3w1o8W-xLGkDiEp4j5Npm34AA-e-Te6F-NIYNTKgZmo-x4QLMEp78O4o_odfqtaZUtQYEyYZNQIGH8-MOZ0dG_XD1Bd_BG6OmMVMwrPE-I6_E9Y6vt0/s1600/Ft.+Fred.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVqJGUVHJb4gWBIrFaIqRY-I-3w1o8W-xLGkDiEp4j5Npm34AA-e-Te6F-NIYNTKgZmo-x4QLMEp78O4o_odfqtaZUtQYEyYZNQIGH8-MOZ0dG_XD1Bd_BG6OmMVMwrPE-I6_E9Y6vt0/s1600/Ft.+Fred.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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Black oxfords can be picked up at Goodwill for a couple of dollars. If you look closely ...<br />
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... you can see the padded ankle and the huge clunky heel and the laces, but it general, it doesn't detract from the overall outfit.<br />
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When I made the white cross-barred muslin gown for Sweet Daughter, I knew I'd have to step things up a bit. She was going to need white stockings and the shoes were going to be noticeable. I found these shoes, <br />
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and thought "What the heck? The price isn't <em>awful</em>, and they have a round toe with no seam, and sort of a buckle ..." The tongues turned out to be absolutely ridiculous, and so I trimmed them back. But not enough ...<br />
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And they scuffed terribly after only being worn two days. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRaFsS43zxpW66SGBHNk8N4JGG_Not74bPBMbqA8RizU4yGORXgqqLoUzERDGT4zNu-mH5DDCyHEiWvi9_FsncX6L_3vk5SgJeAKjyQkxWe4AOpEfkCpgcGEDanjjY0cJ1psIVsgITQ0/s1600/black+scuffs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRaFsS43zxpW66SGBHNk8N4JGG_Not74bPBMbqA8RizU4yGORXgqqLoUzERDGT4zNu-mH5DDCyHEiWvi9_FsncX6L_3vk5SgJeAKjyQkxWe4AOpEfkCpgcGEDanjjY0cJ1psIVsgITQ0/s1600/black+scuffs.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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They were absolutely "\costume" quality.</div>
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So I decided to spray paint them red with Fusion paint designed for plastics. I cut the tongues down some more, masked the heels and soles, and sprayed them red. I figured when they get scuffed up again, I''lljust give them another squirt of red paint.</div>
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I ordered some inexpensive oval brass buckles (well inexpensive compared to real shoe buckles) and substituted them for the cheap rectangular pot-metal ones. The shoes are till scuffed, but they look a LOT better.</div>
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An easier way to make more passable shoes is to take a pair of thrift store oxfords and cut them down. See the lower profile? Cut down past the first row of grommets. You can touch up the cut edge with a black Sharpie.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtLbi3q8-kH0pulqefM2VspMRvFzOXxBrBVNn_8ib_iJq0kHGZDnT2T4jkDluV1rgY6eFl1r4mD42uUBKMG1FrktmPpsj680FrHk0ucLcF2-CjB-W4dJ2fV8m6xDLI5i-KXGGjwGGr_0/s1600/Oxford+outside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtLbi3q8-kH0pulqefM2VspMRvFzOXxBrBVNn_8ib_iJq0kHGZDnT2T4jkDluV1rgY6eFl1r4mD42uUBKMG1FrktmPpsj680FrHk0ucLcF2-CjB-W4dJ2fV8m6xDLI5i-KXGGjwGGr_0/s1600/Oxford+outside.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then cut away under the second row of grommets. Cut away so that you have finger-shaped tabs and tie with a silk ribbon. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VvVWFbFdNfmp1A-OiwofPWKAUHXPM1Ux9dquRLXFL9obU6ufV93TydDRcQhVuM1MMtbf8gvrKzo6L8gmgIoz0NgUNFvSgkjZislmHPc6JP8aZCt_WerU94Eny6EpwrmC5j0qqkdjvF0/s1600/Oxford+inside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VvVWFbFdNfmp1A-OiwofPWKAUHXPM1Ux9dquRLXFL9obU6ufV93TydDRcQhVuM1MMtbf8gvrKzo6L8gmgIoz0NgUNFvSgkjZislmHPc6JP8aZCt_WerU94Eny6EpwrmC5j0qqkdjvF0/s1600/Oxford+inside.JPG" height="229" width="320" /></a></div>
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Same pair of shoes ... after being cut down and before. Quite the difference, eh? <br />
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The next project will be thrift store shoes cut down <em>and </em>painted red!Nancy R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13088583590240745542noreply@blogger.com3