Applique inspiration - Summer at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (Blue Sky Sewing)

Nothing says summer like a ride at the historical Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

What makes me want to create an applique inspired by this design from the Santa Cruz Beach Bordwalk?

Because:
-  Orange says summer like no other color
-  Charm of the school's-out scene, that little girl is so obviously happy
-  Seahorse Beach motif also speaks to summer

Where might I applique a design like this?

- Beach or Shopping Bag
- Back of a bathrobe
- Pillow Cover

Where would you put an appliqué inspired by summer at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk?

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Mix a spot of history with your CA beachside fun http://postcardfromcalifornia.blogspot.com/2015/07/california-summer-at-beachside.html

California Summer at the Beachside Boardwalk in Santa Cruz( SF Bay Area Field Trip)

Back around the turn of the 20'th century, amusement parks were a big summertime draw for regular folks - middle class and the lower middle class. With the railroad making close by day trips doable - people took weekend trains out to the edges of urban areas to ride fast rides, eat funnel cakes, compete for cheap prizes and enjoy a little fresh air at a plethora of public amusement parks.

The railroads, having acquired massive tracts of territory
through power private and public land grabs, often owned these temporary fun towns. The trips increased train ridership, 
even though the actual take at the gate didn't provide much in the way of profit for these major corporations.

A Trip to the Boardwalk inspires thoughts of Appliqué

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was a part of a chain of seaside parks along the West Coast of the United States. Built in 1907, it is the oldest such park to survive, and, though no longer accessible by train, it  still makes for a wonderful weekend field trip from the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Sewing - Inspiration for Appliqué http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2015/07/applique-inspiration-summer-at-hte.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cruz_Beach_Boardwalk

Great public radio podcast - Amusement Parks History and More http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/public-radio-international/pri-to-the-best-of-our-knowledge/e/amusement-parks-38106844

Sewing Summer Essentials - Singing the Blues Tee

My newly created Singing the Blues Tee Creation

I'll work for you.
I'll slave for you.
I'll be a begger, or a knave for you.
If that isn't love, it will have to do.
Until the real thing comes along!

Billie Holiday knew how to sing the blues! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Holiday

 I'm continuing to work with the tee shirt pattern I drafted from the moulage I created in my French Pattern Drafting class. Who can't use another comfortable, pretty, feel good tee over the summer?

  

Sewing summer essentials keeps me from 

feeling blue,

 even when I find myself singing them.

Enchanted By Sewing Audio Podcast - Episode 32 - Parlez Vous French Pattern Drafting ? http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2015/05/ench-by-sew-32-parlez-vous-french.html 

My Damson Plum Private Eye Tee, was the first shirt I made from my tee pattern - http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2015/04/damson-plumm-private-eye-nibbled-that.html 

Peaches from California!/Melocotones de California!/Peches de la California!

 Melocotones de California!

Peches de la California!

Peaches! 

Recipe - My Favorite way to make Peach Cobbler http://postcardfromcalifornia.blogspot.com/2010/09/summers-end-peach-cobbler_19.html

Border Terrier Hand Embroidery - How Shalll I use it?

My Border Terrier - one of my practice mini-projects on my trip

What do you think I should use this little embroidery motif for? I haven't decided yet. A pocket maybe? It could go on the outside of a tote bag or be added to an existing shirt. I could even stitch it, as a patch, onto a pair of jeans - like we used to back in the 60's and 70's. Do you have any other ideas?

In my June Enchanted by Sewing podcast, I mentioned that while on vacation in the United Kingdom for two and a half weeks,  I kept my sewing hand in by practicing hand embroidery stitches, using the smallest hoop I could find. It didn't take much room in my luggage and I took a great guide book -Embroidered & Embellished: 85 Stitches Using Thread, Floss, Ribbon, Beads & More • Step-by-Step Visual Guide -  along as a Kindle iBook on my iPad.

(You can also buy  Embroidered & Embellished: 85 Stitches Using Thread, Floss, Ribbon, Beads & More Step-by-Step Visual Guide in regular book format)

In my June Enchanted by Sewing podcast  I mentioned that dogs are a big travel theme for me. I pet every dog I get the chance to visit with. Not only do both pooch and I get a lot of pleasure from the interaction, it's a great way to chat casually with people around me. No tourist pressure - people can either talk or not. I had several quite long talks with dog owners on the trip.

I took along this piece of recycled linen (it used to be a pair of pants I got a lot of wear out of) for practicing my stitches. Here I was practicing a split stitch. What better design could I choose than a dog?  I bought a soft lead pencil for less than a pound in a stationary store, then drew the design by looking at a photo on my iPhone. I tested my drawing out on a piece of scratch paper a couple of times to build my confidence, then started trying it on the linen. I did a little redrawing around the nose, but it wasn't really that all hard to look at the lines in the photo and get what I wanted. The pencil washed out fine after I got home. I just ran it under a little cold water in the sink and rubbed in some hand soap.

The photo was of a  darling Border Terrier I encountered in one of many parks we visited. I saw a number of Border Terriers in the Lake District, where we walked. You may know that the Lake District is close to the border between the Lake District and Scotland, so it's the origin of this darling breed. I'm not really a breed person - frankly I'm happy with whatever mixture of pooch comes to live with me, but it's fun learning about where different breeds come from. Like me, many pups have ancestors that come from different places.

Practicing hand embroidery, something I hadn't done in years - since I got a machine capable of emboridery - is just the kind of travel activity that keeps me . . .

Enchanted By Sewing!

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 Resources
                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Enchanted By Sewing Audio Podcast: Back In Town- A combination of a field trip report and sewing reflections http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2015/06/ench-by-sew-33back-in-town.html

                                                 

There are Fairies at the Bottom of My Garden-California Patio Garden that is)

Fairy magic adds  enchantment to my gardening lif

A Fairy Garden Tutorial 

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!
They often have a dance on summer nights;
The butterflies and bees
Make a lovely little breeze,
And the rabbits stand about and hold the lights.
Did you know that they could sit upon the moonbeams
And pick a little star to make a fan,
And dance away up there
In the middle of the air
Well, they can!


There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!
You cannot think how beautiful they are;
They all stand up and sing
When the fairy queen and king
Come gently floating down upon their car.
The king is very proud and handsome;
The queen, now can you guess who that would be?
She's a little girl all day
But at night she steals away.
Well, it's me!

      "There are Fairies at the Bottom of our Garden" - Liza Lehmann, 1917

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liza_Lehmann

Enjoy the Comedy Julie Andrews singing There are Fairies at the Bottom of Our Garden

                     

Fairy magic adds  enchantment to my gardening life

San Francisco Field Trip: Gay Pride Parade

Around here, this famous parade is simply known as the "Pride Parade"

Gay Pride on Parade

Celebrating Basic Rights

All Kinds of Romance!

The Supreme Court latest decision supports everybody's right to love whom they love, and celebrate the romance of their love with legal marriage.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/watch-live-supreme-court-decision-sex-marriage/

San Francisco Chronicle - Gay Pride Parade, June 2015
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/06/26/marriageequality-ruling-to-deliver-most-epic-sf-gay-pride-parade-ever/