skating skirt

That trying to slow down is really not going very well.  I have only walked about 27 miles this week.  And put these skates on to coach two Basic 1 ice skating classes.  The Old Man had only tried to get me to coach for about 15 years.  It was a quiet push but he always wanted me to have another skill to fall back on as a just in case.  He would be pleased.  He would be chortling!  I realized as well that he did not ever wish to go to another funeral of one of his "kids."  The One he talked about was enough for him. 

Funny thing is I can just see him looking over his glasses and smiling at me.  With that smug look.  I would call him on crap and that was the look he would give me when I was right.  I would be getting that look today.

Bert's "kids" have been getting together a couple times a month.  Again, if the Old Man knew this was what it would take to get some of us back on the ice, he would have said, "Here, hold my coffee.  I got this."  His coffee was usually not just coffee unless I brought it to him from home.  But skating a few times a month, I noticed that the skating skirt I wore the most was starting to fall apart. 

Now, I loved the length of this skirt but I never truly liked how transparent it was.  I was going to get some black chiffon and make a new one but I liked the softness of the navy blue metallic lace better.  Soft is always good.  If I could have found the black, I would have bought black.

I laid the old skirt out as a pattern.  Cut.  Hemmed every side.  Three edges were a rolled hem and one was just a simple fold over so I could cover it with a ribbon tie.

It was really simple.  I started the sewing of the skirt just over two hours before the public skate started.  I got there as the skate started.

I like that it is not so transparent.

And it moves well.  This was a really crappy one foot spin I did for the photos.  But it shows the movement of the skirt.  I have enough supplies to make another which I may make up to sell.  

Not too long afer the picture was taken, I tried a sit spin.  A normal sit spin.  My foot said no more!  The sit spin stretch things in the foot too much and my balance was off.  I asked a friend who was there if when she was dealing with the same thing if she could do sit spins.  She said not work.  I bet a camel would have but I did not need to push my foot anymore.

trying to slow down

This week has been about trying to slow down.  The left foot in that picture is awfully damaged.  The best path for healing it is staying off of it.  Not walking thirty miles on it like last weekend.  This week it has hurt.  When I am hurting that badly, my creativity seems to pause, my energy sinks, and my mood turns more blue.

I am trying to do what I am supposed to do.  I only walked ten miles in four days.  That is really good for me.  I am icing it three times a day, stretching it multiple times a day, and I have an old ball of Koda Bear's that I am rolling it on.  The ball has spikes and it is hitting all the knots.  What is really hilarious is that I know I could put it in an ice skate, whether hockey or figure, and have a lot less pain.  

If it feels a bit thin on the blog, it is.  Because I am not being creative.  I spin yards of Finnx's fleece but you have seen that.  I can do that sitting down.  I am working on a hat but it is not done.  I am putting buttonholes on a shirt but that is not done.  Slowing my life down!  But I can say that I keep moving forward which I am most grateful for.  It is healing.  It takes time.

Maybe I will have an empty house soon and I can boil cabbages.  I use it for dye and I need to do that.  But the boyos complain.  Soon maybe?

beets

I went to get dressed the other day and realized the slip I had pulled out was losing pieces of itself.  I was not incredibly surprised because it had been store bought and not that expensive.  I had even cut some of the lace off of it in the past so I could wear it under more dresses.  It did mean I needed to make a new slip.

I went into my plant dyed silk reject pile and pulled out a few pieces.  There were a couple pieces I liked now.  I realized that I had used red beets to dye the silk.  At the time, I did not like the results.  I think I thought it should be more dramatic and less subtle.

A couple pieces had been dyed with just beets and a couple others had had iron sulfate added to the dye bath.  Pulling the silk out, I had an antique like rose and a green.  Neither was in your face color but that is not usually what you want for a slip.  Especially since I like white shirts and I do not want people wondering what is under the shirt.

I actually pieced the silk together to cut large enough pieces to cut a front and back.  The binding and straps were not a problem, just the width.  When I am playing with dye, I like using smaller pieces of fabric so if I do not like what I am making, I have not wasted much.

As I put together a quilt top, I also stitched on the slip.  

I really like how it came together.  And I stitched heart cut from a cotton calico to be its tag.

The colors really change depending on the light.  It is something I am going to need to observe.

Time to play with more beets!

winter camping

Winter camping in Texas is always interesting.  Over four days the temperatures went from the 70's to the 20's.  It was probably not the wisest thing I could have done.  Especially since I am still healing from an ear infection.  But it was lovely in its own fashion.

Inks Lake was down eight feet which meant we did not stay in our normal camping site at the park.  That was actually a very wise thing because somehow the new to us camp site was very sheltered.  When the wind came up, we were not hit as hard.  

The camp site we normally chose is right on the lake.  Other sites are not very close.  We always have a lot of birds.  But they are mainly water birds.  This new site had a lot of cardinals, which were just a lot of fun!  They were cheeky buggers.  By the last day, they were coming up to the picnic table even when we were close.  It is pretty amazing how well they blend into the trees and underbrush even though they are so red.  The females are not though.

The lake was down on purpose by the Colorado River authority.  Inks Lake is created by dams on the Colorado River in Texas.  The river authority had lowered it so maintenance could be done to structures on the lake and the dams themselves.  It happens about every ten to twelve years we were told.  If you do no time it right, you do not see it because Inks Lake is what they call a constant level lake to help with the effects of drought.  If it is not at level, drought is bad.  They also had the electric turbines going at full speed so there may have been a greater demand for electricity.

Even though it was cold, it was pretty.  We walked about thirty miles over those four days.  Just walking.  My cheeks are very red from wind and sun.  Even though we are home, I would still like to be camping.  It must be a fatal flaw that I would like to be going more.  Or it could be, I just like being outside.  That is probably what it is.  Except, it is hard to take my sewing machine outside.  I would miss that.  It would mean I would need to do more hand work.  Which is not a bad thing.

More babbling obviously going on.  I may laughed at! 

floor was warmer

I have been meaning to lay out another quilt for awhile now.  But I admit that when the floor is as cold as it has been, it is hard for me to stay down there long enough to put squares out.  I had the heater running right on me as I worked on this.  But, I got it laid out which means I can put another quilt together.  It is a happy place for me.  

I have noticed that I have been getting chilled easier this winter.  Which would not be a big deal but camping is planned for this weekend.  It will be a good change.  A change of scenery.  I am waiting on yarn to be delivered and at this rate it will not be!  Poo!

I am such a strange body.  I can not leave the house for days on end.  Except to buy milk for my tea and go to the library.  Books are a must and not every thing is an eBook yet.  And I do like to hold a real book in my hand.  But then I go traveling and I love that.  I just wish to bring my tea, books, and projects with me.  I can laugh at myself.  Just take home with me and I am happy.  

The cashier at the grocery store said I looked a bit under the weather.  I chose her on purpose because she makes me laugh so she sees me regurlarly.  I do not feel under the weather but I do fill chilled.  I might end up in the tent this weekend, reading, and being warm.  It sounds like a good plan to me.