Introducing Victor/Victoria

 Here's cutie pie....

This is Vixen's baby.  Isn't he a cuddler?  At least I think it's a male, but since I'm not sure, I've dubbed him Victor/Victoria for the time being.  And he really does have his Daddy's eyes!  He came and ate kibble and egg with his mom this morning and also got his own chicken because she was growling at him when he tried to dodge in and get some kibble.  I took a lot of photos and this is the only one that really turned out.  He is as jumpy as a wind-up toy and the sun was so bright he was over-exposing and even with computer magic I couldn't fix the rest.  Now I'm really glad I came back up to the cabin.

Have you seen, read or heard about the periodical Where Women Create?  It's a wonderful magazine that features the studios and work spaces of artists and other creative women.  Well, this is where this woman was creating today...


It started out on the picnic table...sewing machine, travel steam iron, makeshift ironing board with towel on picnic bench...

If you must sew, there couldn't be a prettier place...

I discovered, after a very long time, during which I measured, measured, cut, remeasured, remeasured again, pressed up edges, remeasured, etc., that my sewing machine wouldn't run off of an extension cord.  I guess Sears was afraid I'd fry myself.  So then I had to tote the sewing machine inside and set it up on the table, which necessitated moving the computer keyboard and monitor, something I had hoped to avoid...

Then it clouded up and started to rain and I had to bring in everything else, using the top of the cooler, which I'm keeping inside for now, and the area around it as craft central.  Water is for hydrating DIYer and steam iron...

I did any further cutting and measuring here in this little floor space in front of the door...

Do you think I might merit a page in Where Women Create?  Here's the finished product...

...two panels for one window and this took six hours!  As usual when I'm sewing, if I could figure anything wrong I did.  I intended to make the curtain for the big south window first and did all my calculations...depth of rod pocket, amount of turnover, depth of hem, amount of turnover...and, of course, did them incorrectly forgetting that I had to turn over raw edges twice, not once.  So the first panel was too short for the south window and too long for this window and I had to cut a chunk off.  Then I tried and tried and tried to get the patterns to match up on the top and bottom of the first and second panel and finally just gave up I was getting so frustrated and angry.  These look OK if you don't inspect them carefully.  If you do make the mistake of looking at the back of the first panel and the hem of the second you might think a small child from a country with no child labor laws had sat on the ground with her little sewing machine and turned these out for pennies.  If anyone asks, I'm going to say I bought them in...pick a third world country.


Hopefully the next two panels will go more smoothly although I don't ever seem to learn from sewing experience.  Each time is a new adventure and every time I measure anything when I'm sewing I get a different number.


I also want to make a skirt--yes, I know I said I was sick and tired of everyone skirting their cupboards, but the doors on this one were so warped they wouldn't stay shut--for the cupboard right under this curtain.  I took the doors off a few months back and the contents--cleaning and laundry products--have been on full display ever since.


Yesterday evening while I was waiting for various spray painting projects to dry I recovered the top for this little bench...

...I didn't want to miter the corners--I wanted a softer look--and tried to gather the corners, but I'm not sure I'm pleased with this, so may have to pull out a few staples on the corners and try again before I screw it back onto the bench.  Although I hate to sew, I love fabric and had hundreds of pounds of fabric in my storage (take my word on the weight!) so had numerous choices.  I think this pattern looks nice with the ornate wrought iron.  This will probably stay in the cabin to use as a side table by the bunk now that the steamer trunk is gone.  You can see why my motto is "Not Your Mama's Mountain Decor"!  I've been giving some thought to this idea I had for the cabin--and for my dream shop should it every happen--and it is an idea I've used in decorating some of the other places I've lived.  I think it is the combination that resulted when women who lived in more cosmopolitan cities homesteaded in more rustic or ethnic places, taking their most beloved household furnishings with them, and augmenting them with local, handmade treasures.


That's all for today.  I'm not sure I'll post tomorrow.  Kind of depends on how the sewing goes.  Oh, and by the way, for some reason I re-read yesterday's post and fixed that egregious spelling error...let's just say I was not at my peak!  Teddee