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October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween

ハッピーハロウィーン。
Man of the House Circa 1982
指クッキー。2011年作。
Finger Cookies I made in 2011


October 30, 2014

Throwback Thursday

昔の写真。2008年?二つ折りのエコー。
Circa 2008. Folded nicely in half.

October 29, 2014

Mending a Dog Bed

かじられて、穴開き放題の犬のベッドをつくろいました。
Somebody likes to chew stuffy things
Mended

October 28, 2014

Ristra

パンプキンパッチでリストラと呼ばれる唐辛子の束を買いました。
残念ながらうちのじゃなくて人にあげる用。
Ristra
収穫された唐辛子をこうして束にしてつるし、料理に使ったりします。魔よけ用に玄関先につるしたりもします。
パンプキンパッチでは大きいのも沢山売ってました。
我が家用にもひとつ欲しかったけど、二人の所持金の残りが1ドルで断念。

Got a ristra at the pumpkin patch. Unfortunately, it is not for us. We only had 1 dollar left between us so could not buy another one.

October 27, 2014

Pumpkin Patch

この時期になると町のあちこちでみかけるパンプキンパッチに寄ってきました。
装飾用のかぼちゃを売っているのです。ハロウィーンにジャックオランタン作るのに、皆かぼちゃが必要だからね。うちは飾らないけど。
かぼちゃのほかに、七面鳥・ヤギ・鶏もいた(多分子供が喜ぶから)。
まだまだ日中は30度台なので日差しが強いです。

October 26, 2014

Too Many Okras

ちょっと目を離すと猛烈に育っている我が家のオクラ。
2日?刈り取らなかったらまた巨大になてってしまってた。

Ignored for 2 days and okras have grown too big again.
It is amazing how much they can produce.

October 25, 2014

Failure: Butterick B4443 Special Occasion Dress

ワンピース、完成したんだわ。
でも大失敗作となりました(泣)
なぜなら
What can I do with this rubbing mark right in the middle of the chest?
仕上げにアイロンをかけていたら、アイロンからぴゅっと水が飛び出してワンピースの身ごろのど真ん中に着地。それを拭いたら布に跡が出来てしまいました。
胸の真ん中で、隠しようがありません。
手洗いしてみたものの、変りなし。
光の当たり具合によってはもう言い訳できないぐらい、そこだけぴかぴか光っています。

前回のワンピースと同じ型紙を使ったにもかかわらず、難しい布を使ったおかげで何倍も時間かかったのに、結局着られないものになってしまいました。
それも前回のフィット感がイマイチだったところを改良して、かなりいい出来だっただけに、ここ連日12時ぐらいまで作業していただけに(普段は9時就寝)、ショック大きすぎ。

So my Butterick B4443 special occasion dress is finished.
However, it was finished as a big failure...

I finished it, hem and all. I made some changes from the previous version and my back was fitting much better and I was so happy. However, as I was ironing for the last time, well, to be honest, I wasn't even ironing at that time, I was just using vertical steam, and a big droplet of water jumped out of the iron and landed right in the middle of the front bodice.

I was struggling with the water stain with this silk fabric earlier, so I rushed to wipe it off. And I wiped it off probably too much too forcefully that it left a rubbing mark on the fabric.

I tried to spot clean it (and made it worse with water stain); I tried to soften fabric with vinegar solution; and I even handwashed the entire garment. Yet the mark is still there, right between my bust points.

It looks worse depends on how the light reflects and in a slightly dark room with indirect light, which is exactly what it would be like in a party environment where I was going to wear this at, it looks terrible.

After sewing until midnight every day this week (my usual bed time is 9), after all the hand-basting (fabric with underlining, then every single pieces were hand-basted before put them under the sewing machine because they shifted so much without basting), my disappointment is so big right now.

October 23, 2014

WIP: Butterick B4443 Special Occasion Dress Days 3-5

間に合うのか?

Origami Dragon #2

先日の龍に引き続き、また折り紙の龍作成。
My origami dragon adventure continues...

October 21, 2014

WIP: Butterick B4443 Special Occasion Dress Day 2

先日作り始めたワンピース、やっとこさファスナーを買ってきたので再開。
Butterick B4443
今週着たい予定なんだけど、間に合う?

I finally went to Joann's and got a zipper so started my Butterick B4443 again.
I even bought a matching serger thread, thought only for the upper looper. Can I finish this before Friday?

October 20, 2014

Origami Dragon

折り紙で龍を作成。
Origami Dragon
Made an origami dragon.

October 19, 2014

Titan Missile Museum

タイタンミサイル博物館に行ってきました。
博物館と言っても、ミサイルが沢山あるんではなくて、冷戦時に建設された、対ソビエト用大陸間弾道ミサイルの発射設備がそのまま保存されていて、地下格納庫に半世紀以上静かにたたずむミサイルが見られる場所です。
Titan II
冷戦って、言葉ではよく聞くけどキューバ危機以降の核戦争の脅威については日本は蚊帳の外だったからあまり深く考えたことなかったので、ボランティアのガイドさんの説明を聞きながら進める施設のツアーはとても興味深かったです。
View from the top of the silo
ちなみにこのミサイルに当時積まれていた実際の核弾頭は広島・長崎に落とされた核爆弾の600倍の威力があったそうだ。

この発射施設には24時間体制で4人の兵隊が常置されていたらしい。でももし大統領からこの核ミサイルの発射命令が出て、実際に発射スイッチが押されていたたら(実際はスイッチではなくて、鍵を回すことで発射システムを起動)この4人は何重もの分厚いドアが締められたこの地下施設に取り残されることになるのよ。
基本的にこの核ミサイルは迎撃用なので、発射命令が下るということは、いわゆる「東側」から核ミサイルがすでに発射されているということ。

施設には30日分の水と食料が常に保管されていたらしいけど、残された4人は無線で入る通信を待つ意外に外界との交流はなく、もし無線が入るような状況でなかったら、残された選択肢は(1)餓死、(2)窒息死、(3)緊急用通路から地上に出て世界の週末に対峙、ということだったらしい。

Went to Titan Missile Museum.
It's not like a museum where you may see hundreds of different missiles. It was an actual launch facility built during the Cold War (after Cuban Missile Crisis) to house Titan II, an intercontinental ballistic missile against the Soviet, and you can see the real Titan II that's been quietly sitting in this underground silo for over half a century.

The volunteer docent who led the tour (a retired Air Force man) did a great job and I really enjoyed the explanation, history, and the nuclear missile launch simulation.

I though you would press a big red button to launch the nuclear missile but it was actually turning a key to activate. And it was not one key, but 2 keys simultaneously and you have to hold the keys for 5 seconds. The keys were located far enough so that one person could not reach both, and they were spring-loaded so 2 people really had to hold the keys turned for 5 seconds to activate the system. Once activated, there was no kill switch, whatsoever; that was it, to the end of the world.

The guide told us that there were always 4 military personnel staying in this underground facility. But once the launch was activated, they would have been locked inside the facility until further order from the radio communication. The facility stored 30 days of food and water. Since this missile was strictly for retaliation, the fact that the launch order was made means there was another missile on the way. If no radio communication was made, the 4 soldiers had options of (1) starve to death, (2) suffocate to death, or (3) open the emergency hatch to get above ground and face the apocalypse.

October 18, 2014

The Glass Castle

コラムニストのジャネット・ウォールズが書いた自伝、「ガラスの城の子供たち」を読みました。
実は読むの2度目。最初に読んだのは、もう5,6年前?
ニューヨーク、マンハッタンの高級アパートからパーティへ向かうタクシーの中で、ゴミあさりをしているホームレスの母親に遭遇するシーンから始まり、そのあとは著者の3歳のやけど事件から年を追って生活の様子がつづられています。

お父さんはかなり頭がいいようなんだけど完全なアル中で、ブルーカラーな仕事を転々。
お母さんはどうもかなりいい家の出身のようだけど、芸術家肌。
そんな両親の元で、ジャネットと姉、弟、妹の4人兄弟が頑張って生活していく話です。
極貧でありながら、社会からの施しを受けるのを嫌う両親のおかげで生活保護も受けられず、かなりひもじい生活をするのよ。学校に行ってもランチを買えないので、ゴミ箱あさったり。
雨漏りのする家ではトイレはバケツ。
育児放棄どころではなく、お母さんは子供たちがお腹をすかせている横で隠れてチョコ食べてたり。

でも「私、こんなすごいひもじい暮らしを耐えてきたのよ」っていう話ではなく、逆にそんな生活の中でいかに両親が子供にとって影響的か、っていうのと支配力があるっていうのがとても興味深かったです。

Read The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls.
I actually read it 5, 6 years ago. I was waiting for a reserved book from the library and I wanted to read something short and easy from my book shelf in the meantime. Yes, this book is one of my rare "owned" books.

The book is good. I like the simple and clear writing style and the matter-of-factly way of storytelling. Because the degree of neglect and poverty she endured is extraordinary.

October 17, 2014

Red Eye

レッド・アイ。飲み物ではなくて。
ユキの目が赤いのよ。目が、というより、3番目のまぶた(瞬膜)が赤いの。
ライチのマイクロチップを入れて、ケンネルコフ(伝染性気管支炎)の予防注射を受けたついでに目も見てもらいました。
涙の量が少ないのかな、と思ってたんだけど、テストの結果、涙の量は普通で、結局アレルギー?ステロイドな目薬もらって様子見。

Red eye. Not talking about the drink.
Yuki's eyes are red. Well, rather, her third eye lids (nicitating membrane) are red.
Since I had to take them to a vet for bordetella shot and microchipping, I had the vet take a look at her eyes.
We had originally suspected maybe her tear production was compromised but the strip test came back within normal range. So no real diagnosis. Possible allergy. Got a steroid eye drops.

October 16, 2014

WIP: Make Bra Hipster Day 2

パンツの試作品。
Make Bra Hipster muslin
パンツの写真を載せるようになるとは。イェイ、アラフォー。
試作品なので、ぼぼけちゃった古いキャミソールを解体して再利用しています。
ゴムのつけ方がイマイチでやり直し。

Muslin version of my endeavor to the underwear making. Now I am showing an underwear photo to the world. Oh well. I am old enough not to blush?
I am recycling my old cami to make this muslin and that's why I had to add a side panel to have enough width.
The instruction said not to stretch the FOE at the waist but it looks terrible so I am re-doing the FOE before I can even try it on for a fitting test.

October 15, 2014

Microchip Day

ライチ、11歳半にしてやっとマイクロチップ入れました。
これで迷い犬になっても平気ね。
Yup, she is official. At the age of 11 and a half, my little one is finally microchipped. She is legit.

October 14, 2014

WIP: Make Bra Hipster

パンツを作ってみることにしました。
ズボンなパンツではなく、パンツなパンツね。まだ私の裁縫技術ではズボンなパンツは無理。
Make Bra Hipster
Well, I still do not have a zipper for my Butterick B4443, so I have decided to try making an undie.
Let's see what fabric I can use...

October 13, 2014

Giant Okra

茂みの後ろのほうで育っていて何日も見逃されていたらしいオクラ発見。
巨大に育っておりました。大きければいいってものでもなく、さすがにここまで大きく育ってしまうと筋っぽくなるんだけど、グリルで焼いたらおいしくなりました。
うちのオクラ、まだまだ2日に一度はこのぐらいとれるぐらい育っております。

My okras are still producing nice fruits about this much every other day. We must have missed one that was growing in the back of the bush for a few days; it has grown ginormous.
Yes, when it comes to okra, it is not bigger the better; usually when it grows too big, it gets too fibery and woody. However, I find that grilled okra, despite its overipenness, was still very nice and tender. Yum.

October 12, 2014

Oktoberfest

最近は日本でもけっこうやってるみたい?なビールの祭典、オクトーバーフェストに行ってきました。
おらが街のオクトーバーフェストは先日行ったスキー場でやっているので、寒さ対策なジャケット持参でいざ、山へ!
今回はいつもの山登りドライブではなく、山の裏側から2時間ぐらい延々と未舗装道路をくねくね登っていくオフロードな旅になりました。未舗装どころではなく、がたがた道が続くので、首や腰が悪い人は要注意です(笑)
スキー場までたどり着いたらやっぱり風が冷たくって速攻でジャケット着込んでジッパー首までがっちり絞めました。それでも風が吹いたらものすごい寒いんだけど、日向はとても心地よくて、おいしいブラッツ(大きなソーセージ、ホットドッグみたいなもの)をザワークラウトと一緒に食べて、いい天気の昼下がりにフォークミュージックをBGMにビールのんで(私は持参した緑茶だけど)、いい気持ち。
Went to my town's Oktoberfest. It is held at the top of the mountain where we went for ski lift ride last month. We took the back route this time to go up the mountain. The road goes on the back of the mountain and it is not paved for 2 hours. It is not too hard core off-roadingl like you need a navigator to tell you which rock you need to be on with which tire, but mostly washboard, a lot of washed away dirt road, barely wide enough, and constant vibration and frequent jumping and bumping. If you have issues with your cervical spine or lumbar spine, you don't want to go that route.

We hadn't gone out for fun these days so it was nice to do the back route and have a fun outing. Though it was very chilly in the shade and I was freezing when wind was blowing, we enjoyed the brats and very nice weather (in the sun).

October 11, 2014

WIP: Butterick B4443 Special Occasion Dress Day 1

なんだか裁縫ブログって言える位裁縫ネタが続くんだけど、また裁縫しています。
それも先日作ったワンピースと同じ型紙でまたワンピース。
Butterick B4443
でもこれはちょっと高級な布を使っているので、ヒジョーーーーーに緊張しています。
手でしつけ縫いとかしてから縫っています。
でも高級な布なのに普通に洗濯して布を傷めてしまったのでものっすごくショックです。
2週間後に着たい予定なので、間に合うように頑張ります。
(でも材料がすべてそろっていないので、とりあえず裏からつくっております)

Too many sewing related posts lately, but that's what I have been doing so I guess it's appropriate as my diary.
I am making another Butterick B4443, the exact same pattern that I finished the other day.
Same design, though I did trim off about an inch from back waist seams on both bodice and skirt for my sway back.
I don't even have a zipper yet so I'm starting from the lining for now.

October 9, 2014

Turtle Neck Refashion

タートルネックのTシャツはやっぱり似合わないと思い、タートルネックを切り離すことにしました。

Original state
布はいい素材だし、サイズも合っているので手放すのがもったいなかったから。最初はタンクトップにしようかと思ったんだけど、袖を切り離すのが面倒だったので、襟だけ変えて普通の丸首シャツにすることにしました。
この時点で丸えりの線が曲がってることに気づけばよかったんだけど・・・。
I should have realized that the curve was askew at this point
 気づかなかったからやっぱり襟の曲線が片方によっています。
So the neck band was sewn askew...
I had this Ralph Lauren turtle neck shirt for a while but I have finally come to a conclusion that the turtle neck does not good on me, especially with my sagging middle age double chin. I liked this drapy knit fabric (94% rayon, 6% lycra) so it's a refashion time.

I just unpick the turtle neck, cut the turtle neck lengthwise in half then stitched together at the short ends to make a narrower band, and attached it as a round neck band back onto the shirt.

I originally attached the neck band on the wrong side so I probably spent more time unpicking the 4-thread serged seam than actually sewing.

October 8, 2014

Wandering Poet

酒飲んじゃってます。
Rihaku the Wandering Poet
夕ご飯、残り物デーなので料理しなくていいし。
島根の李白酒造というところが作ってるらしい、純米吟醸、超特選
さすがにここら辺の酒屋さんはワインの種類は多いけど、お酒は売ってるのがものすごく限られています。そんな中で大体どこの酒屋さんにも置いてある吟醸レベルのお酒です。あまりお酒の飲めない私でも、とてもスムーズで飲みやすいので好きです。

Yup, I'm drinking. I rarely drink and I have such low alcohol tolerance but I do like to drink at home to wind down once in a while. Especially when we are having a left-over day and I don't have to cook. A shot glass full of sake is good enough for me. I'm such a cheap date.

October 7, 2014

FO: Butterick B4443 Polka Dot Dress

もう最近このネタばっかりだけど、いいのよ、それが私の日常だから。
そんなわけで完成したワンピースを着てみました。
I know, my belt is loose.
ベルトがぶらぶらしてるとか言わない。
もう普通に一日仕事に行ってきたあとなので、しわしわ感いっぱいです。
風吹いてて失礼。
後姿は、まだまだフィットがイマイチ。
Back fitting is still nowhere near perfect
Ok, so I wore my finished Butterick B4443.
How do I feel? Well, I am very proud of my very first woven dress despite the flaws.

Recap:
Pattern is Butterick B4443, fitted bodice with princess seam and a circular skirt.
As many people's reviews were saying, the upper bodice was way too loose for me too.
I cut a size 12, tapered out to 14 at waist. I had a huge back gaping and still considerably loose front neck. So I removed many inches from center back and pinched out upper bust in the front to reduce the gaping.
Raised armhole by 1/2", pinched 1/2" at waist and all the way down the skirt sides.

I used self fabric to line the bodice, skirt is left unlined and I am wearing a half slip that I made separately.
Also the skirt is shortened by few inches. I just cut the hem line as View D's ribbon placement line.

My fabric is 100% cotton. It held up better than I thought after sitting at the desk all day on my balance ball and commuting 35 minutes back from work.

Front is OK, except some drag lines in the side panels and I should reduce the curve at the bust point. But I will definitely need to do a sway back adjustment. Back looks terrible...

I was so terrified to make a dress with woven fabric because it would not hide my wonky seams. This particular pattern was easy and straight forward enough that I think I did OK for my skill level.
This was also my very first lined bodice so I just followed the instruction and it came out easier than I thought. Now that I feel kind of good, I am going to use this pattern for a special occasion dress next.

One thing I'm not sure is where to place the top of the zipper. I placed about 1/2" below the neck line, thinking I would need 1/2" to put the hook and eye. But it looks a bit too much gap? Should I just start the zipper from the very top and not put the hook and eye? Hmmmmm.

WIP: Butterick B4443 Polka Dot Dress Day 9

ワンピース、完成っ。
スカートに裏をつけなかったので、代わりにペチコートも作りました。
スリップの型紙はたまねぎ工房さんの無料ダウンロードペチコートを使いました。
初めて日本の型紙使った!
Half slip
ワンピースの内側はこんな感じ。
Finished B4443
Back view
Finally finished my polka dot Butterick B4443.
Since it was not fully lined and my fabric is cotton, I made a separate half slip so that I can wear the half slip under other unlined skirts.
I used the free download pattern for the half slip from Tamanegi Kobo, my very first Japanese pattern.

October 6, 2014

WIP: Butterick B4443 Polka Dot Dress Day 7 & 8

あとは裾の始末をするのみです。

I am almost done with this Butterick B4443.
Butterick B4443 Hem unfinished
Finished understitching, connected the shoulders, handstitched the shoulder openings (for turning) closed, took in 1/2" at the waist on the sides and the skirt sides.
The center back still gapes a tiny bit but not too noticeable, hopefully.
Only hemming to do.

October 5, 2014

WIP: Butterick B4443 Polka Dot Dress Day 6

Still working on the Butterick B4443.
Serged edges.
I have decided to use fashion fabric for the bodice lining too. Not because of whatever justifiable reason, but because for some reason, I have too much of this fabric.
Neckline understitching
Slowly working on the understitching but I'm not consistent.

October 4, 2014

Dog Photo Shoot

ルリマツリがきれいだったので
My plumbago was flowering very prettily
きれいな花の前で犬の写真をパチッと撮ってみようかと
So I wanted to take a photo of the dogs with pretty flowers
試してみるけど、
なかなか
二匹一度は

難しいですね。

October 3, 2014

Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar

何年か前に、裏庭にメキシカンハニーサックル(スイカズラ?)という花を植えました。
今年のはじめ、花壇を作るためにこのメキシカンハニーサックルを移動させなくてはならなくて、花壇を作ってる間は大きめの鉢に移植し、その後出来上がった花壇にまた移植。

結構タフな人生を送っていたこのハニーサックル君なんだけど、最近やっと移植後のショックから立ち直り、花が咲き始めたな~と思っていた矢先・・・。

この前まで緑々しかったハニーサックル君の葉っぱが全部無くなって惨めな茎だけになってるうぅぅぅぅ。
一体何が起こったのかと見てみたら
Rustic Sphinx?
巨大なアオムシが葉っぱ全部食べてた!
びっくりするぐらい大きなアオムシだったので、オットが帰ってくるまで取っておいた。(もちろんその後は塀の向こうに投げ捨てた)

一体このアオムシはどんなステキな蝶に変身するのでしょうと思ってリサーチしてみたら、どうもこれ、蛾のアオムシだった(泣)私、蛾がとても苦手。

Our Mexican Honeysuckle has gone through a tough life. We bought it a several years ago and planted it in the back yard. At the beginning of this year, we transplanted it into a big pot while our new raised flower bed was being made. After the flower bed was done, it was planted back in the flower bed.

The last couple of weeks, it had finally come back to grow and started to flower. But when I looked at it when I got home from work, it was all of a sudden totally bold, leaving only sorry looking bold stems. Then I found this ginormous caterpillar, eating my precious honeysuckle leaves and dropping hundreds of big poops all over.

I was hoping at least it could be some sort of beautiful butterfly or something, but oh no, it was a moth caterpillar. I think it is called Rustic Sphinx from looking at the picture.

Yup, sorry caterpillar, but I have to toss you over the fence.

What is funny is that there are tons of brown ugly caterpillars on our citrus trees and I thought those were some kind of moth caterpillars. Actually they were swallowtail butterflies. I guess I will keep them on my trees even though they are so ugly looking...

I just do not like moths...

October 2, 2014

WIP: Butterick 4443 Polka Dot Dress Day 5

早速実際に使いたかった布でのワンピース作成に取り掛かっております。
伸びない布で服を作るのは緊張する。

B4443 Bodice
Finally cut into the fashion fabric to make my Butterick B4443.
Just finished sewing the princess seams and side seams for the bodice.

By the way, I have learned this double pinning technique from Susan Kahlje's Craftsy class and it is revolutionary. I had never seen or even heard of this technique before. You pin twice with one pin, kind of like doing a running stitch. I am usually a pin-perpendicular-to-seam-line person (because that's what my mother did) but used this technique for pinning the princess seam.
It really worked well easing the extra fabric as if I were doing a basting stitch, but it was much easier to unpin rather than unpicking the basting stitch. It is amazing how a little tip works. This kind of thing really makes me want to do an apprenticeship under a master couturist/tailor/bespoke, so I can learn all the techniques correctly.

October 1, 2014

WIP: Butterick 4443 Polka Dot Dress Day 4

あきらめません、勝つまでは!やっぱりあきらめたらいかんよ、そこでおしまいよ。
そんなわけでフィット感がなかなかうまくいかないこのワンピース、まだまだ頑張っております。
4回目の正直。まだわきの下が大きすぎたのと、首が苦しかったのを直す必要があるんだけど、ついに古いシーツの再利用な試作品から、実際の布を切るにいたりそうです。

No, I did not ditch this dress.
Butterick B4443
I have decided to re-cut the pattern as size 12 (14 at waist) then pivot the center back and front neck line inward to eliminate the back and neck gaping.

My muslin #4? finally turned out to be a better fit. I will raise the armhole just a bit and lower the neck line slightly.
Last pattern modification
I am finally moving on to the fashion fabric.