A Christmas Fantasy

Take Five (Hiking Edgewood)

Aphelocoma californica - CA Scrub Jay

Did you get my good side?

This Edgewood local knows the girls are checking him out!

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Resources
Aphelocoma californica - Western Scrub Jay (CA Western Scrub Jay)

Half Moon Bay Harbor

Driving to the coast

Too long no water views

Half Moon Bay Harbor sings

Calling All Vests!

Manufacturer is Timeless Treasures
Collection:Cabin Fever Flannel
Source: Fabric.Com

I see I'm not the only sewist who found this Bird print on a creamy background of 100% flannel appealing. There are just seven yards left at fabric.com. This fabric feels great. I have it cut out for a comfortable warm, lined fitted vest I hope to get sewn up soon. The theme for my January Enchanted By Sewing Podcast will be vests. If you have a favorite vest pattern you'd like to see featured in the January podcast, let me know by emailing me at Enchanted By Sewing AT Gmail.Com (or post a response here). I'm also hoping listeners and readers will send in photos of vests they've made and would like to see featured in the show notes.

Do you Love Butter? In praise of the Buttercup Purse

My latest buttercup purse is
still in the construction stage.
I sew it as one long double sided bag,
then just stitch across the bottom of the lining
before tucking it down inside the bag.
The big bird image above is part of an inside pocket.

Some  favorite postings

* Romancing the Dress Part 1: Dainty

* Romancing the Dress Part 2: California Romantic asks do skirts really fit into her active and arty modern life?

* Romancing The Dress Part 3: The Dress Comes to Life

~

Back in the 1920's, when my mother was a little girl, there was  a game amongst her friends in regards to buttercups. They tickled each other under the chin with the bright yellow flowers and giggled "Do you love butter?", then checked to see if any pollen had stuck to their little chum's chin. My mother, not being a sentimentalist, recounts this activity with a curling lip. The fact that she still recalls it, tells it's own story.

I happen to love the buttercup purse pattern by Made by Rae. I first  discovered it on the purses/bags/wallets forum at Crafster.org. It's a free, easily downloadable purse pattern, with the caveat that it's not to be used to create items for sale. I've probably made close to ten of these winsome bags by now in a variety of sizes. Wonder what you'd find stuck on the bottom of my chin?

Eva's Cowgirl Purse was a Buttercup

The basic pattern produces a rather small pocket-sized purse (which also made it perfect for 4 year old Eva). But that's just the right size to hang across my chest to hold my iPod, keys and reading glasses and accompany me on a walk or when I'm attending to domestic activities. Essentially I use it to replace a pocket and it keeps my pants pockets from wearing out. I don't think the original pattern includes a long handle, but mine always do. I've started interfacing those handles with Peltex interfacing for a really sturdy strap.

I made this goodly sized Buttercup in purple velvet
cut from a never-made-but-cut velvet suit
I turned up in my own sewing stash

However quite often, as in the case of this bluebird buttercup above, I enlarge the pattern for a regular purse-sized bag.

Techniques: 

After downloading the pattern (it's only a couple of pages) and stapling or taping them together, I photocopy them at a couple of different sizes. I think 129% is the biggest my local copy store goes, so sometimes I've enlarged an enlargement. I also like to simply extend the bottom of the little purse to make it deeper.

My in-progress buttercup purse is a recreation of one I made from the same quilting-cotton fabric last January. I loved the bird embellished fabric so much that I pretty much wore it out. I didn't line much more than the top pieces and it didn't stand up to the weight of the items I put in. So I started over with fresh fabric.

This time through I stabilized the buttercup's bird fabric not only with fusible quilt batting on both the outer and lining layers, but also with a layer of crinoline on the inside of the outside pieces. I also did some simple quilting on the outside layer.

This buttercup should really standup to the service I expect of her. 

Bird in the Bush (Green Movement Humor)

Go ahead and click on the illustration above,
 to fully enjoy the details


~~~


 Recent Letter to Japan: 
  
 Nature can be a tough friend 

Bird Song: Well it Ain't Rainin' Today!

Please click on the robin above to see all the joyful detail
. . .

Bird Song


Well it Ain't Rainin' Today!

I didn't have the nerve to tell Mr. Migratorius, that it's only a brief respite between storms. 

Could you rain on his parade?

Baylands: Believing

Please, click on the illustration above 
to enjoy the really glorious detail

Baylands: Believing

It took a lot of people believing that marshlands were vital to the future of a good many people and animals, for this area to be set aside. It took a lot of people pushing, talking and, maybe even shouting down other people. From the birds point of view,  it's the difference between a place to settle for a few days, eat up and rest, and flying on in desperation. When you eat like a bird, that's the difference between survival and raising your family and not making it.


Today I vote for believing mixed with a heavy dose of being pushy. 

* * * 

History of the Baylands Nature Preserve (Palo Alto City site)

A few other illustrated Baylands Bites from this journal have included:

Baylands Bounty

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011

Some of us have to really put our heart into searching for supper.

Baylands: Sarcocornia pacifica recovering from overindulgence

Jan 11, 2011 

I’m partial to a pickle myself. S. pacifica likes that salty taste even more than I do. 

A Baylands Bouquet

Jan 02, 2011

California buckwheat,. Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum. Please click on the picture above to immerse yourself in the detail of this lovely buckwheat bouquet. What's so great about the. BaylandsNature Preserve? ...

Baylands is for the birds

Jan 09, 2011

I think this gentleman is trying to nerve himself up to go in. I'm like that about lake swimming. I know you're supposed to be tough and jump right in, but....

A Taste for Tidal Salt

Jan 03, 2011

Pretty delicious, particularly if your name is Pickle Weed, Cord Grass or Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse. You may also enjoy A BaylandsBouquet. ... to enjoy this really salty repast.