BERNINA CLASS #2

Thursday morning Mike and I systematically packed up the Dakota for the return to Clarkston. I packed the Bernina and accessories in her case and made sure she was loaded into the pick-up so that I would have her for the Bernina class on Saturday.

Friday morning we were up at 5:00 so that Mike could ride to Spokane for a motorcycle training session. And one of my first thoughts upon awakening was that I had left the sewing box I so carefully cleaned and repacked right there on the chest. Included in the box were sewing notions, fabrics, and projects for the Bernina class on Saturday. The most disappointing to me was that I had made quilt sandwiches out of some holiday placemats cut from a panel. My inclination was to get in the car and drive right back to the farm to retrieve the box. I decided instead to buy a little fabric and batting here in town and simply re-make a quilting sandwich. In terms of conserving gasoline, this was a wise decision. However, I spent $35.00 at Jo-Ann's.

The class at the Bernina shop went well. Only two of us students showed for this session which made it seem so much more relaxed. I had no complaints about the first class, but this second class was really fun. I think one of the purposes of the class is to make the new machine owner realize how much she is missing by not having various feet, clever machine accessories, and the expensive stitch regulator module.

This afternoon I began work on the frumpy frock, which doesn't fit. Tomorrow I'll experiment with some alterations. KW

VINTAGE DRESS

This week our stay at the farm is just a few short days. We've been busy. Mike lit the propane wall furnace (always a chore), closed the vents under the house, closed the attic window, put away the hammock, and studied the house to determine (unsuccessfully to present) how the wasps get in – fall chores in preparation for "Old Man Winter." We had our first fireplace fire of the season last night. Mike also hung a mirror that Ken and Ginny gave us in the sewing room (see photo). My Great-Grandfather Dickson made the chest of drawers for his daughter, Grandma Ina. I have carried it around with me since 1974. It has held my fabric and sewing supplies for years. In the photo you can see my blue sewing box. I've used it mainly for storage in recent years, so yesterday I cleaned it out and put current sewing supplies in it so that I can carry them back and forth between town and the farm. I bought grapes in the clear plastic box and it struck me it would be perfect for storage of my fat quarter stash – reduce, re-use, recycle.

Today I undertook to cut out the 1930's housecoat, an interesting experience. In 1931 the standard fabric width was 39 inches. In fact, I don't think it became 42 to 44 inches until the 1960s. And let me tell you, those extra inches of fabric were a godsend. The original diagram called for the skirt to be pieced at the hemline, and I was so glad I didn't have to do that! I was going to try the pattern on an old sheet, just to be sure I had made correct alterations, but I decided just to cut it out and hope for the best. I can always make a quilt if it doesn't work – right? – and buy more fabric on sale. In 1931, the seam allowance was 3/8 inch, so that means there's no seam allowance to let out at my hipline. I hope I added enough. The lady who originally used this pattern – perhaps in 1931 –made the short-sleeved version while I am making long sleeves. She did not cut the skirt facing, so I think she converted the dress to a shirtwaist rather than a coatdress. I believe she was a meticulous person who knew what she was doing. Perhaps she kept her carefully refolded patterns for years and years and finally they were sold when her estate was auctioned. Yes, I do believe she is gone now. She was an adult in 1931. Perhaps her collection of patterns fell to her daughter and were sold at her daughter's estate auction. Another interesting – and inconvenient – fact is that the cutting and stitching "charts" are on the pattern sheets and are rather sketchy. I was pleased that the pattern pieces are complete and in excellent condition.

We'll go back to town tomorrow and will be there at least until next Tuesday. Mike is going to participate in motorcycle training in Spokane, and I have a Bernina class on Saturday. KW

PITTSBURGH LANDING HUNTING/CAMPING TRIP

As Jackson and I had seen a few chukars on our backpacking trip from Pittsburgh Landing to Kirkwood Ranch I thought that would be a good place for an opening weekend hunt. So Ken and I headed out Friday morning and arrived a little before midday. It was very hot just as it was when Jack and I were there--100 degrees in the afternoon and still 90 at 6:00 pm. We tried scouting around some in the afternoon but it was just too hot, especially for the dogs. Swimming in the river was much nicer.

About 5:00 I decided to place a geocache while Ken fished for our supper. The spot I picked was only 1/3 mile from the parking lot but it necessitated an ascent of over 1,000 feet. It wasn’t too bad though, as it only took 35 minutes to get up there. It’s called simply Upper Pittsburgh Landing in case you want to look it up. Meanwhile Ken had a nice bass and trout for our supper.

We turned in after supper but it was too hot to sleep. At one point during the night I got up and just sat outside on the table enjoying the breeze. About 4:00 am the rain began and it really came down. Fortunately my reliable 40 year old blue canvas tent kept us nice and dry the whole trip. The rain eventually stopped but it threw us about an hour late in getting out to hunt.

The only birds we found were a very short ways from camp. They were running up the cliffs above us and the only way to make them fly was to shoot into them on the ground which I did. The shot at the one on the ground wasn’t a kill as is usually the case but one that flushed provided a shot as he was curving around the bluff. Unfortunately he just dropped one leg and fluttered on around the bluff out of sight. If it went down there was no way to know where. Pretty much the same scenario was repeated within 100 yards of the same spot. This time I killed the one on the ground as well as the one that flushed. The dogs each retrieved a bird so supper was assured. We hunted another couple of hours without so much as seeing a bird. Later in the afternoon we tried a spot a couple of miles down river because a camper said he had seen some huns in that area. We didn’t see a bird there either and as it was beginning to rain we headed back to camp.

The rain really set in so I rigged a tarp from the pickup to a bank and that served as our cooking and dining area. Ken served as chef and he did a good job on both the chukars and fish the night before. The rain had cooled things off so sleeping was much more comfortable but the rain really came down all night. It reminded me of a Scout trip with Milo into Moose creek. Except, unlike that trip, we stayed dry.

Fortunately, the rain stopped before daylight and I roused Ken out a little before 6:00 am. In the same spot as the previous morning we flushed a single chukar. However, he flew out from down below us and a boat moored across the river would have been right in the line of fire so we didn’t even shoot. That was the only bird we saw that morning. I’m afraid it’s going to be that kind of year.

The sun was out now so we broke camp about mid morning and headed back to town. In spite of the poor hunting we had a great time. However, if you seek seclusion, that’s not the place to be. The river was like highway 95 with all the jet boats and rafts.

FUN WITH FAT QUARTERS

Two weeks ago, Hallie researched vintage fabric online and then shopped at Pacific Fabrics in Seattle for quilting “quarter flats” typical of that era. She made a selection which she purchased and mailed to me as a starter on my vintage fat quarter collection. “I’m sure that some (or a lot) of them missed the target era . . . it gets tricky when you definitely weren’t alive anywhere near the time,” she wrote. “I still thought they were fun.” And she wants to know what others think about them. I’ve shown them to several people and scanned them so that you can see them.

In the first picture, the red which predominates is not one of the samples Hallie sent. When I was at Jo-Ann’s last week, I decided to look over the fat quarters and see if any spoke to my memory, and the result was this red swatch. Yes, said Rosemary, the red reminded her of a flour sack design. You know, she added, some students came to school wearing dresses made of the flour sack fabric. And Mary Jane laughingly rejoined that “we knew who they were.” The other two florals in this set I immediately identified when I opened Hallie's packet as typical of what I remembered from the kitchen at the farm. Everyone seemed to agree on that, and Harriet said the top left reminded her of fabric at Bill’s mother’s house.

Everyone seemed to think the fabric designs were typical of the era in question. Harriet picked out the two "greenish" small prints on the left in this second photo and several more as typical. We spoke of several as reminding us of wallpaper, especially the blue in the middle on the right.

Just because a design didn't spark a memory didn't mean it wasn't a vintage design. We agreed they seemed typical.

And lastly, I opened out and scanned the pattern we all knew was the 1950s but a fun print.

"What will you do with them?" was asked with some skepticism, as if to be sure I knew they didn't all belong on the same quilt just because they might represent the same general era. "This is just the beginning of my stash," I say. KW

FRUMPY FROCK UPDATE

I’m developing a program, “No Skimpy Christmas Here,” a one-woman presentation in which I portray my grandmother, Ina Dobson. I have one scheduled presentation -- in December, of course. With that in mind, I have been seeking a frumpy frock, a housedress or housecoat, that I could wear as a costume. My ideas as to that dress are fairly fixed, and I have looked through all current pattern publications for a suitable pattern or one that I could easily (emphasis on “easily”) modify. Failing that, I also searched the web and finally found the pattern shown on vintagecat.com, my favorite website for vintage patterns.

This pattern, published in 1931, is a size 16. The bust is supposed to be 34 and hip 37. A size 12 in today’s patterns lists bust 34 and hip 36. I haven’t taken my measurements in years – and a part of me just doesn’t want to know. The pattern pieces look good. I might have to copy or re-draw them to make alterations. I suppose I should treat the pattern with some deference since it’s truly antique. In teeny-weeny print on the back of the pattern envelope is this sentence: “This garment is fitted closely at the hip.” That’s the story of my life! Unfortunately my hips are not fitted closely to my waist, but I believe I still remember what I have to do to make a garment that fits. And I want a garment that’s somewhat ill-fitting – loose. I hope to make the dress less fitted through the waist and hips.

HAVIN’ FUN

I was shopping for a jacket pattern at Jo-Ann's Fabrics the other day – a pattern suitable for some corduroy I bought 20 years ago. I discovered that Butterick has a selection of "retro" patterns, including retro coats / jackets. "Why not?" I said to myself, as I considered a jacket pattern marked "retro 1952." I retrieved the pattern from the drawer and did a double take on the price -- $16.50. I happen to be someone who remembers when patterns were $.35, so $16.50 seemed a little steep. As much as I wanted the gratification of instant purchase, on a whim I decided to check the sales flier. And there it was – a Thursday through Saturday sale on Butterick patterns -- $1.99 each.

"So," I asked the associate, "does this mean that on Thursday I could buy this pattern for $1.99."

"That's what it means," she said.

"Then I'll be back Thursday," I replied.

It didn't take me long to realize that I could buy 8 Butterick patterns on Thursday and still not exceed the regular price of that one pattern. After all, I am a hopeless pattern addict. And I have a new sewing machine and need to sew. So, during Monday Night Football I searched the Butterick website and made a list of patterns interesting to me – 8 in all. And today – Thursday – I showed up at Jo-Ann's, list in hand, to select and purchase my patterns. In the photo above you can see my choices. The fabric in the background I plan to use to make the jacket.

And – my sales receipt indicates I saved $105.58. I don't think Mike appreciates what a gem he has in me! If I'd bought more patterns, I would have saved even more money! KW

GOT ONE!

"Nothing in the traps again this morning," said Mike.

"I beg to differ," was Nellie's response. She focused on the trap next to her food dish, looking me square in the eye as if to say, "I'm telling you, you need to check this out."

"Okay, Nellie, I'll show you there's nothing in here," said Mike, carefully drawing the lid back while Nellie stood poised for a possible chase. "Oh!" laughed Mike, "she's right!"

That mouse was the only one we caught this week, but we left all three of our commercial traps in the kitchen / dining area when we left.

Here are a few photos for Nellie fans.

"They're packing up again. What if they don't take me?" (Taken last week.)

"I know I'm in the way, Kathy. But I'm just slightly irked that you're so slow in getting dinner tonight." (right)

"I'm waiting here under the pear tree to see if they invite me to go with them. I'm a little nervous about it." (Taken yesterday as we packed for the trip to town.) KW