Throwback Thursday: chair organizer

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

In May of 2013 I made this arm chair organizer that has pockets on the side for magazines and notebooks. I’m not sure why I didn’t sew on something to hold it down on the seat cushion, instead relying on butt power, but I am pleased how nicely I trimmed out the pockets using bias tape.

Photo description: floral fabric with a black background sewn with three overlapping pockets trimmed in green and filled with books
Photo description: other side of the organizer with different sized pockets to hold different books, electronics, and magazines
Photo description: over exposed photo of the chair from the front and the organizer stretched across the arms of the chair, no butt anchor

If I were to remake this project, I would add fabric to tuck down on the sides of the cushion, or maybe even go all the way around or under the cushion. Hm. Maybe I didn’t have enough fabric so had to rely on butt power. It would have made more sense to run the center section under the cushion.

Four-leaf clover

On By CarynIn Flora

I have found a new patch of clover in the front yard that is producing four-leaf varieties. I took two pictures of the same patch, a few days apart. How many can you spot? Swipe left to see the ones I found circled in red.

  • clover leaves
  • clover leaves with red circles
  • patch of clover leaves
  • clover leaves with red circles

When I was photographing the clover patch, I thought I counted eight, but in the photos I can’t switch my perspective and confirm that a fourth leaf is attached or part of a different cluster. I only circled the four-leaf clovers that I was sure of. Still, six in a single patch is a fun find.

P.S. the slideshow function I used for the images apparently only works in a browser. Bummer.

More Marled

On By CarynIn Craft

I liked the two-tone Jacob’s sheep roving spun up so much that I decided to make more marled yarn with the other two colors of Jacob’s roving I bought from Sweetgrass Jacobs farm.

Photo description: a dark brown ball of roving and a light brown/gray ball of roving in the bottom of a popup hamper with a jumbo bobbin

I pulled the ends from both balls of roving and am spinning them together on my Ashford Traveller spinning wheel.

Photo description: single spun marled yarn on a regular sized bobbin with a sliding loop flyer

It will take longer to spin this two color yarn, just because there is more. My plan is to chain ply it like I did for my other marled yarn, and then make plans for a warm vest.

Puffball

On By CarynIn Fungi

I found a puffball mushroom in our yard. I have read that they are edible, after I threw one over the fence after finding it last year.

Photo description: puffball mushroom in leaf litter

I broke this one open and the inside is soft and spongy, rather like pound cake, but it smelled of dirt. I hope a critter on the other side of the fence enjoys the snack.

For the birds

On By CarynIn Wildlife

I was cruising the aisles at TSC and couldn’t find the seed and fruit cakes that fit my suet feeder. They had huge ones, but nothing to hold them. They also had “stackers”, which are seed cakes with a hole in the middle, like a donut. They did have the holder for these, and it was inexpensive, so that is what went into my cart.

Photo description: seed stacker holder with three different cakes and a suet cage hanging beneath

I put out all this birdy goodness then realized it was going to rain soon. To protect my investment from washing away without going through an animal’s gullet, I fashioned a rain cover from a disposable pie tin lid with a hold cut in the middle, because that is what I had on hand.

Photo description: same seed cake setup but with a clear lid to deflect the rain

I have to make a confession. The food out there “for the birds” is really for my squirrels. The birds are an interesting side effect, but I really like to watch the squirrels. The cute little land otters that they are. The squirrels and the birds agree though that the suet cakes aren’t worth their time or effort. Maybe suet is favored more with northern critters.