My jewel orchid under glass is getting ready to bloom! It has sent up the spike and there are buds at the top.
It isn’t a great photo. When the blooms open, I’ll have to see if I can set up a photo shoot for it. I’ve heard the blooms aren’t very showy. Jewel orchids are mostly prized for the leaf decoration, which you can see in the photo above is showy.
After removing the rotting wood top and wire brushing the rust and wasp nests from the Singer Treadle machine base, it was time to refinish the cast iron.
I chose to treat the cast iron with black stove polish to keep the rust away and keep it close to the original color.
I used squares of cotton and a small brush to get the polish in the cracks and crevices. It was satisfying to see the paste melt into the iron.
The wheels all rolled well, so I cleaned them with a brass wire brush on my rotary tool and treated them with sewing machine oil.
The plan is to put on a table top, but keep the treadle functional by putting holes in the top so the drive band can come up through and run a device on the surface. I may experiment with some scrap wood first.
Making blocks is a great thing to do with the odds and ends of left over yarn you have in your stash. Warm Up America is a non-profit organization that gives warmth to those in need. One of their many ongoing projects takes 7”x 9” blocks either crocheted or knitted. Volunteers join the blocks together to make blankets. They have many free patterns, which is another way to increase your skill level with a smaller time investment, and make something truly meaningful. There is more than warmth in handmade items, there is connection and the knowledge that another person put time and effort into helping a fellow human. It is a philanthropic activity that is both physically and psychologically beneficial to both the maker and the receiver.
I made blocks with the diagonal squares pattern from Mary Maxim, which I love so much. I found worsted weight acrylic yarn crocheted with a size K hook with 8 squares by 10 squares makes a 7” x 9” block.
The block on top in the picture above was made with alternating rows of color, which was an interesting experiment, but resulted in many, many, many ends that had to be woven in. Please weave in your ends!
In March 2018 my eldest received a corn snake from her grandparents for her birthday. She requested snake themed cupcakes for her cake, and so we made little fondant corn snakes with air brushed patterns.
I remember the snake themed cupcakes, what I didn’t remember were the tiny fondant baby mice.
Oh yes, we set up the cupcakes with the snakes and the mice.
I found this copper disc lying in my washing machine.
It is an old penny, by the evidence on the other side.
The year is completely worn off, as is Lincoln’s face, but the fact that it is still copper colored and not silvery zinc tells me (according to the internet) that is was made before pennies were only copper plated, around 1982.
I think it was stuck in my washer until it was worn thin enough to escape. I’m keeping it because the wear pattern looks like a tree and roots, very similar to my graphic design logo.
Critters and Craft 