Still here

Checking messages from friends who live on the coast, and seems that the predicted Tsunami has missed us... so far! I keep checking the view, to see if their is still water in the gulf... or more water in the Gulf. For the past two days we have had monsoon rains (this is the 'dry season') and terrific (!) electrical storms, which have blown the power out twice. Friday evening saw us eating bacon sandwiches in the house in the dark, at Nilo's miniature table and chairs. It was like a midnight dolls tea party.

Another reason I haven't been around much is that, on Wednesday morning, we had a phone call from the school, asking us to go and collect Nilo, who had fallen over, and landed badly on his hand. His wrist was pretty swollen for a few days, and is chest was a bit scrapped up. Poor little guy!

The next morning he was also vomiting (I think it was something he ate) so I've been chilling out for the rest of the week with him, at home. He can move his wrist now and so I guess he'll be back to school on Monday. I have to say, I rather like having him home again. He's been doing alot of drawing and lego building. He's amazing! Look at his turtle design.

I could never come up with something as sophisticated as this. It reminds me of Inuit design.

Thinking that I was going to San Jose this weekend, I got a move on with the "no boundries" denim bag that I started a couple of weeks ago, and it's finished (all but the details on the handles).



Stitching in the lining.

 

The lining is a light blue flecked cotton, with a slightly linen look.

The label.

The closure detail.



The finished item. Quite a sexy little number. Might keep it for myself ;}

Eliza, our model this morning.

Now that it's done, I guess it would be ok for me to start something new, right? ;}

Reinaldo is busy taking the house to pieces, in an effort to re-model the old office corner.

I have also been working on this. There's a link on my side bar. It's nowhere near ready yet, but you can visit and add your name as a part of the broader community and get updates as they happen. This week - now that my trip has been cancelled, due to the inclement weather - I hope to set these wheels in motion and send out a general invitation to local women to a sewing/coffee morning.  I'm planning to put up a flyer somewhere public (which, here, is either at the school, or the two churches, since there isn't even a village store!) and see who shows up! That way, it's open to anyone who's interested and avoids any personal preference. Afterall, the idea is about forgetting our differences, and working together, on the basis of sharing a common thread. Hmmm... I figure that's going to be the hard work in this!

Finally, I have added music (and other media interest) to the blogs. My father is a musico and so I was raised with very ecclectic tastes. Everything from Rachmaninov to rap, rock n' roll to gospel. The selection will change, according to whim. 

Look... Listen... ENJOY! :)

No Boundries!

Nilo will be at school from 7am 'till 1pm today, which seems to me to be a more reasonable amount of time than last week's 7am "till 11am.

Our guests, John and Mary, from England, arrived mid-afternoon yesterday, and are now out walking the trails in our forest.

I've spent the morning cutting and piecing upcycled denim, styling a new bag. It was going to be something like the sketch that I showed you here... it was going to be called "boogie"... but while I was swapping and switching the pieces around, I saw something else that I liked, and decided to go with that right now. So here's a quick peek.















Placing the pinwheel patches at the bottom of the frontside of the shell of the bag.















What about adding existing seam work? I like that.

I've been thinking about pockets too, because Megan and I agree that alot of people like to have them. Coin pockets. On the outside. you can drop your change in quickly whilst hopping onto the bus.



















I'm going straight for the kill, and have added a reclaimed pocket (from a pair of ripped dungarees). Actually it's two pockets, one's hidden under the other.















I turned the shell 90 degrees, to get the seamline in the vertical, thus, dividing the space into two equal areas. Once the edges of the pocket were ironed under, I notice that the pocket has the exact same length as two of the patches, so I'm loosing the third patch.















Visually, it works better for me, with the pocket on the right-hand side, and the patches on the left. I have also added the garment label from the dungarees that the pocket came from. It says

no boundries

Guess who's just noticed the text size button on the new post bar ;}

I like that label. I like what it says as the title for this design. Design should have no boundries. That's why I'm able to ignore the sketch I made and go with what I've coem up with this morning. Spontaneity! Pura Vida!















I'm going to line it with this white cotton print fabric, the print of which is kind of bleached out. I think alot of the fabric remnants taht I buy from the bargain bin in San Jose were probably once window displays in fabric stores elsewhere. Sometimes, the stores here will even sell you fabric, off the roll, as perfectly good, but which has been light damaged. I don't mind so much, as it usually offers some interesting effects. But imagine if you'd bought it to make a regular garment, and then when you got it home found it was all streaky! Pays to check first!

Now I just(!) have to piece this design together.

Nilo and Reinaldo came back from town yesterday afternoon, with flowers and chocolates. :)












A red rose eye!

I've fallen in love with these, the site was linked from a recent Fibercopia post.