I like making things: August 2015

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Back from our trip and trying to catch up so I can start a new project

We have been back home a week now. There was a lot to do. The grass had grown, my riding mower still won't start, (finally put it on the trailer Friday and took it to the repair man), the raccoons totally blitzed the deer feeder so we had to repair it and clean it all out, cases to unpack, washing to do, housework to catch up on......you know how it goes lol.

The trip was wonderful, we drove about 3500 miles all told. We travelled through Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, Colorado and Kansas. We took in some of Route 66 and the Grand Canyon on the way there. Lot's of interesting places on Route 66, my favourite was the retro town of Tucumcari. The Grand Canyon was awesome. I had a mega case of vertigo when I first saw it, it's massive!!!! Two things crossed off my bucket list though!

The trip out was great until we hit LA. For country bumpkins like us LA traffic is a nightmare and I was a nervous wreck by the time we got there. We drove a different route back and my stepson drove the van for us through the worst of the traffic in LA then hopped on the Metro back home so we didn't have to endure the really bad traffic again. Bless him! Once out of LA the return trip was good until we hit the descent through the mountains. Going through the desert wasn't as bad as I had expected and as we have both been to Las Vegas we just drove straight on through it.

The skirt I made for our grand daughter fitted perfectly but I am not so sure she liked it that well as she never wore it the whole time we were there. I was happy with how it turned out though so I am sure someone will get some use out of it as clothes are passed around among friends when their kids outgrow them.

Here is a photo of it on her.

We got to spend time on the beach and some quality time with the family. I also got to go to the movies to see the new Pixar movie 'Inside Out'. That was a very interesting movie. I was also treated to a foot massage at a Chinese massage parlour where they actually massage you from the head down and you don't have to get undressed. Just wear minimal clothing like shorts and a tank top. It was so relaxing and a bargain at $25 for an hour.

The day before we left I got to go to Disneyland with my daughter in law and the children. Something I never expected to do again as walking long distances isn't easy these days. I took my husband's walker and it was such a blessing. It helped enormously.

We survived the drive there and back despite the traffic, desert and mountains and had a really memorable visit.

Will sort some more photos and post later when I have resized them for the web.

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I started this blog in 2011: Ever since my Mum taught me to knit at the age of about six or seven I have made things. Back then it was doll clothes. I was also inspired by Mrs Levitt an elderly lady who had a sewing room in a conservatory type room on the back of her house. I would sit and watch her in awe as she sewed.

When I was a child living in England the school system was such that you started at 5 years, did two years in Infant School, then four years in Primary School then five to seven years in Secondary School, depending on whether you chose to stay on after fifth form to get qualifications to go to University. I can't remember much of the Infant school other than making the standard square doily thingy from fabric that had holes in it so you could embroider patterns into it. A bit like the modern day cross stitch fabric but with bigger holes and spaces to make it easy for small hands to use. I also remember with great joy getting a toy sewing machine one Christmas which sewed only chain stitch but I did make doll clothes on it and that was before I started Primary school. I do have very vivid recollections of Primary school and having sewing and knitting lessons. In Primary school I knitted gloves and made a dress from scratch hand sewing it all.

Secondary school continued on with sewing by which time I had progressed to using full sized sewing machines and was making more intricate skirts and dresses. My parents bought me a proper sewing machine when I was thirteen. I used that same machine right up until I emigrated to Canada at age forty six years.

I have always had a fascination for sewing machines and knitting machines. I bought my first knitting machine at around age twenty one from an ad in a newspaper for twelve pounds. I had absolutely no idea what one was just that I wanted one. I trundled on the bus to the address in the advert and handed over my twelve pounds having absolutely no idea what I had really bought. Fortunately it came with a manual. It was an aged Knitmaster, very basic and I loved it. I wore it out. Next was a Brother push button one which I didn't keep because it was at a time in my life when things were difficult. Later on in my life, around forty, when things were better I bought a brand new Brother punchard machine with a ribber attachment. I loved it and made many things. Life took a different turn, I moved countries twice and along the way, regrettably I sold it.

Now, through the universe's blessing I now have another machine. It is a vintage one because they stopped making them early 90's but works perfectly and I love it. So I decided to make this blog to document my knitting progress and include sewing projects.

In 2013: we embarked on a new hobby, leather-work. My husband got started with it and it drew me in. It is something we can do together. We have a workshop so have plenty of room to work. We added another workbench for me to work on in 2013. We already had one but we were tripping over each other both trying to work at it. We only make things we want to make. It is strictly a hobby. We made some things for our good neighbours who help us out a lot. I am also working on Christmas presents. So this blog now incorporates the leather-work. Knitting and sewing will always be my first love though.

Fast forward to 2023 and now age almost 75 years. I have seven sewing machines, four knitting machines, several ribber attachments and a garter carriage for one of the machines. I am blessed beyond words, but I know that I have more than enough machines to keep me going in my lifetime so I don’t think I will be adding to my collection any time soon……….unless a nice embroidery machine manifests itself very cheaply.

I am a Brit living in the USA, sometimes I spell like a Brit and sometimes like an American. Sometimes I use slang and even make grammatical errors. I blog for the pleasure of it and to record my endeavours in the event that my memory fades, as I am sure it will with more age. I will be able to look back and remind myself of the things I have made along the way. So please forgive my mistakes when reading about my life making things here in the hinterlands and I hope you get as much enjoyment from my blog as I do from reading the blogs I follow.

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Sunday, August 23, 2015

Back from our trip and trying to catch up so I can start a new project