Plan C

My eyes flicked over the sweater sleeves all squeezed together in a long row at the thrift store.  Natural fibre stands out doesn’t it? Especially when it’s chunky, patterned, soft cotton.  

I plucked a sweater into my arms, rushed to the till and hastened homeward. It seemed a smidge short but I wasn’t worried. Blocking after washing was plan A. I found myself tugging at the hem each time I wore it though. I pondered plan B. I could add the hem tails  of an uocycled shirt., but by now I found myself also tugging at the neck. On to plan C. Scissors! That’s what was needed.  The hem of the sweater became the top of the tote. The sleeves became pocket one, pocket two and shoulder straps.  I didn’t even ask my sewing machine how it felt about sewing the straps on.  I just added wooden buttons as though I had planned it all along. 

New true blue

What is denim but blue canvas. And what is canvas but an invitation to paint. Here is my new, true, blue friend 

Should you

Should you sit by the seashore? Yes. Should you share the view with a companion ? Sure. Should you sit under a coconut tree? Hmmmm. 

Dither

Do you ever dither? I love that word because it so perfectly captures the feeling you get when thoughts collide.  It's a sort of Modified Stationary Panic, to quote Patrick McManus.  Clarity and calm usually follows though thank goodness.  And then I can't imagine why I didn't see the way forward before. Out of the many choices, very suddenly, the best one is right before my eyes. Wonder of wonders. 

Coffee break

"What's that," I hissed, clutching my husband's arm.  There! There it was again! A strange hissing/shriek.  Even as he whipped out his phone and opened the Merlin app my mind had sorted and shuffled birds calls.  I knew it was a raptor of some kind….."It's a Barred Owl," my husband exclaimed.  

It didn't take us long to spot it perched on a great curving tree limb above the creek.  They hunt for crayfish but this owl was on his coffee break. 

"Who who whoo whooooooo," I said, by way of trying to strike up a conversation. 

But he just stared and tipped his head sideways.  When you are on a break, you are on a break. 

Slither

"We got alot of videos of the snake," the mother announced happily to her cluster of preschoolers. And then she repeated the sentence. "We got ALOT of videos of the snake". 

Oh my!

We continued past them towards the pond.  Now if there is one word to keep in mind when snakes are involved it's ROCK.  Especially on a cooler day.  Rocks hold the memory of yesterday's sunshine. 

Sure enough, as we peered over the rail fence a snake lay draped over the rock. Oh, and another was curled up, fast asleep.  Oh, and a larger snake headed for the reeds below.  Oh, and a small snake slithered behind a stone. "

"Was that four or five?" my husband asked as we strolled towards the parking lot.  

It can be hard to tell with snakes, where one ends and another begins.

Hankering

I've had a hankering for a  comfy, cool, boxy top.  Something scrappy and one of a kind.  Something quick as a blink to sew. 

I thought I should make a practice run first though instead of cutting fabric up willy nilly.  

Why not start with some low stakes fabric scraps. 

Hazah! Three companionable prints leftover from assorted decades. 

Then why not measure a couple summer tops for the sake of comparison. And a paper pattern too.  And me! 

Fold, cut, pin, sew, snip, press, topstitch, and celebrate!