Quick Tutu Keeps a Girl Happy (Doll Sewing)

Kaity Rose (above) likes to imagine  herself
on stage at the San Francisco Ballet

(Originally published in my Sewing Blog: Me Encanta Coser/Enchanted By Sewing)

Kaity Rose had been after me for a tutu of her own, ever since she heard me speak about my fascination with that garment in the final Pensamientos/Reflection part of the Enchanted by Sewing January Podcast. Of course I had made the mistake of mentioning that I had a piece of tulle and a bit of purple satin in my fabric bits inventory, not to mention a sparkly embellishment or two. Any doll would bug you once they knew that.

Did I use a pattern? No.

Is this costume going to hold up to the rigors of long-term play? No.

But I did make one doll happy. And if another little child ever comes along who wants to play with a ballerina doll, then I'll just get busy and sew up a sturdier version.

I may focus on sewing for my own wardrobe, but occasional sewing for dolls is another one one of the things that keeps me Enchanted by Sewing.

You may also enjoy Cracking Nuts at the Opera House

Weeping Flowers (California Historical Scene)

Weeping Flowers in California

Junípero Serra: The Mission Man

Junípero Serra was not exactly the good old buddy of California native people that he imagined himself to be. Were his missions indeed like old-time concentration camps for the enslaved native population who didn't manage to escape the rule of the Conquistidores? Likely many of the diseases that decimated local people spread from the missions.

This statue's up behind a roadside rest stop off Highway 280, one of two major arteries on the peninsula that runs between San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. That freeway still bears the name of this man, though many of us don't relish the connection.

What are your thoughts on the man with more than one mission? 

References: 1491 : new revelations of the Americas before Columbus / Charles C. Mann.

Finding History at MacWorld 2013 (San Francisco Field Trip)

MacWorld's not what it used to be. These days it's more like a recreation of the good old days in the 80's and 90's to remember when it showcased the marvelous new apple computer products we were all so hyped about. 

It's a short BART trip from my home in Silicon Valley up to the expo.  So I went, still hyped about my mac and all it's associated mobile devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod), and my work on IOS app development. I mostly saw business apps, some hardware and tons and tons of accessories - cleaner, cases and covers. This stuff I can buy on the web. I didn't find any of the educational apps I was interested in contrasting with my own work. The app display area ("Appalooza") had plenty of room to sit in comfort, as there were so few vendors. 

Upstairs I found some of the tech listen-in sessions that used to excite me, but I just couldn't get my enthusiasm up. So I went for a good long walk to enjoy a little more of the history of San Francisco.

Thanks for the memories.

It's all happening, it just isn't happening here anymore. 

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, Wasting Time Soulfully (Field Trip)

Click on the illustration above, for a mighty fine view

Spent a nice bit of time this afternoon on a bench behind the
San Francisco Ferry Building wasting a little time of my own

Sittin' in the mornin' sun,


I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come
s,

Watching the ships roll in,




And then I watch 'em roll away again,

Yeah

 I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
,

Watching the tide roll away
,

Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay


Wastin' time

.

 Thanks Otis, you said it all for me.

Last Stop Before Oz (Hiking Edgewood)

Planning a trip to Oz?
You won't find a better way to get there, then a hike up to the top of
Inspiration Point at Edgewood Nature Preserve
Click on the illustration above for an enhanced view of this Oz portal.

A Measure of Inconvenience (Union Protest)

Bet  it's inconvenient for this
gentleman to go without work,
 due to the strike
But reduced wages and benefits,
are even more inconvenient

I'll be boycotting Northern CA Safeway stores until the USW dispute is settled. There's a lot of grief in the world. This is grief that touches me, because I've been shopping at this grocery store for the 45 years I've lived in CA. I don't want the dollars we spend on groceries supporting management that doesn't care about the living standards of the people who clean the aisles and restrooms, and take out the garbage.

It certainly will be inconvenient for me to walk another half mile down the street to avoid shopping at Safeway while I wait for the United Service Workers to settle their differences with Northern CA Safeway stores.

It will be inconvenient if I can't find the brand of salad dressing I like, or have to take extra time to run my errands. It would certainly be easier just to duck in and take advantage of the specials.

I'm guessing it's a little more inconvenient for these folks to stop work. What's it about? The newswire says...
"The janitors were motivated by their frustration with says, 

contractors' unfair intimidation of workers, including illegal threats of
termination, and proposals to sharply reduce standards for wages and benefits.

"I walked out because Safeway's janitorial contractors are not working with us
to negotiate a contract which will remedy unsafe and unhealthy conditions in
the stores, and help us support and build a life for our families," said
Leodegario Acevedo, a janitor in Santa Rosa. I am standing up for my

rights."