Quick Summer Pants

This time of year I grab the pile of my kids’ jeans that have a hole in the knee and my scissors and get to work. First I cut off the legs usually just above where the hole is.

For this I lay the jeans out flat and ,using a ruler, draw a line across where I want to cut. The line should be parallel to the existing hemline and perpendicular to the grain. After the first cut I use the leftover leg and lay it on top of the other to make sure, that the legs have the same length. You will need very sharp scissors.

There are many ways to finish these. Here are two:

Method 1:

Just add two rows of stitching about 3/4 inch above the new hemline. I try to find a similar thread as the original and adjust the stitch length accordingly.

This is the fastest method, but you have to deal with way wards strands where the pants fray for a while, every time you wash them.

Method two:

Here I added a strip of cotton fabric about 2 inches wide and left it open at the sides. I also finished it with a double row of top-stitching.

Other ways are to turn the hems and top-stitch or you could use bias binding to finish the edge. Or you could add a flounce like in these pants

Beautiful Frilly

I think these are the most beautiful tulips I have ever seen. I got these last year in December from someone who works at a wholesale nursery. She rescued the bulbs that had not sold by then from the compost bin and gave some to me. Thank you!

 

Was That It?

Winter  never dies. Not as people die. It hangs on in late frost and the smell of autumn in a summer evening, and in the heat it flees to the mountains.

Terry Pratchett, Wintersmith

We had three lovely, warm maybe even hot days and now it is back to the same old rain and darkness. At least my daughter had a chance to wear her new pants:

 

 

I have made these with the fabric I bought at the sewing show. The pattern is my own, but I copied the style from a Burda magazine. The pants in the magazine were in natural linen and when I sewed them in the polka dot fabric I thought, they were maybe a bit too silly looking. But when my daughter wears them I find they look very cute and match her personality. 

The appliqued stars were her idea. I think she is getting a kick out of adding her personal touch!

 

Please Excuse Me While I Mope

We are having a dreadful spring here! It is raining and if it does not rain it is cold and windy.

My youngest daughter has been learning about Medieval times and all that learning was supposed to be applied during a most glorious Medieval Feast yesterday. Well, there was quite a bit of feasting, but there was also a lot of rain.

This was my booth:

I played a wise women curing the kids from bad dreams, sore teeth, upset stomach, fear of Vampire bites and most importantly evil thoughts. (You would be surprised about how many kids admitted to having them.) I had all sorts of remedies: garlic, lavender, dragoon poop, chicken bones, spider eggs, rats’ teeth, fairy dust and devil’s kisses.

The kids were very eager to try all these medicines especially when they discovered, that hiding behind most of these names was ordinary candy. (Well, this one was not so ordinary.) It was a lot of fun and many kids even tried my love potion. ( There was one boy who said he did not need a love potion, because his acting silly attracted enough attention from the girls.)

It has not stopped raining and I still feel cold ( and , admittedly, a bit down)

Looks Promising

On Friday I talked to my uncle in Germany and sort of complained about the lack of white asparagus and sour cherries here. He patiently listened to me and suddenly said:” Seems to me that your move to Canada was not such a great idea after all.” Well, if you put it that way…

As to the the cherries he suggested growing my own. Great idea – theoretically! In fact I am the proud owner of three sour cherry trees. The first year I harvested enough cherries to can 3 jars (to make Black Forest Cake with, you know). The following 2 years I harvested about 10 cherries in total of which I tried to make the most off. ( I think I decorated some cupcakes with them. Very pretty!)

So this is where we are today:

 

Should I hope for the best at this point or use a little brush and help things along or built a glass roof over them? I guess, I have to wait and see!

 

Fun Times

On Saturday my oldest daughter had a big birthday party. For the third time in a row she asked for a Rice Crispy Cake with a chocolate filling for her party. I always complain when I have to make it because I so like to bake, instead I stand there fighting the goo.

This time I used 2 springpans instead of regular cake pans and found that a bit easier. The trick is to let it harden enough, but not too much so that the cake remains sticky for decorating.  I decorated it with fruit leather shapes that I cut out with cookie cutters.

She loved it and I promise not to complain when I have to make it again next year – well maybe a little bit.

Ahh – Much Better!

 

I was spinning last night until my leg cramped and my fingers hurt! How long can I keep the wheel?

(If I say in German “I am spinning” it also means “I am nuts”. Ha ha! Very funny, sweetheart! – Come to think of it , that is what it means 99% of the times when this expression is used, since very few people actually spin.)

New Project

 

About 2 months ago I went to a yarn store and saw a pattern book, that  I really liked. Sadly they were out of stock except for the store copy. A few weeks later I went back to the store and asked again for the book. This time they promised to call me as soon as the book was back in store. Nobody called.  

Now I have decided to make the pattern on my own. I want to knit this for my oldest daughter. I am lucky, that I found a T-shirt of hers with a similar neckline and use that as a template. This should work better than running after her with a measuring tape every so often.

The yarn I am using is Louet Euroflax and I am quite happy with it. The colour is called Crabapple and I love it. I struggle with sometimes not catching the whole thread, but I think that is more my fault, because the yarn is actually well twisted. It is also much softer than a hemp yarn I used a few years back, but I still hope, it will get softer in time.

I also hope, I will have it done soon, but I can tell you, that I have already made several mistakes and had to rip back. And when this is done she would like a matching skirt…