KiwiGinny from 2015
Tuesday 30 August 2016
Back to my old blog
Well my original blog (KiwiGinny.blogspot.co.nz) that appeared to be completely corrupted a few months ago and I couldn't post to it has recovered! So I've moved the new posts back to it and will delete this one soon.
Friday 25 March 2016
Farmers??
Well yesterday was the big day to ear tag our new calves, castrate the male one, and drench all of the cattle. It started out perfectly with me on the quad bike in front leading them down to our neighbours yards and Ross following up at the rear on foot. We easily got them through all the gates and into the yards.
We took each of the calves through the race with their mothers so they wouldn't be nervous. I gave a little squirt on their backs and then they were on to Ross.
Bam-Bam and his mother Wilma went through first. Bam-Bam pushed his head right into the head holder and the ear tag was in quickly. Then Ross picked up the dreaded elastrator and reached for the dangly bits - - but there weren't any! Just some small teats! What had looked like the male anatomy in the middle of the belly from a distance was just a flap of skin leftover from where the umbilical cord had been. With a great sigh of relief from Ross (and probably from Bam-Bam also!), Ross released him from the run to be back with his mother, who had gone through first. Maybe we should change his - - I mean her - - name to Bambi?
Next was Pebbles who also went through easily with mother Milkshake. We were pleased to find no surprises there and only an ear tag was required. So there was only Stew left to squirt the anti-parasitic onto his back - should only take a minute right?
As backbround, Stew is a steer and almost 6 years old. He had a Devon mother and Angus father. His mother died when he was 3 weeks old so I hand reared him til he was 3 months old using a pail with a nipple on it. He grew into a handsome but very large steer who is quite docile and loves to be scratched and petted. He doesn't realize how big he is compared to me so I have to be careful not to be between him and a gate when he wants to give my a nuzzle!
Well, back to the present. Stew did not want to go into the race and gave Ross quite a fight - for good reason as it turns out. He is too big for the race and he got stuck.
We eventually got him through most of the race but after the last corner, he gave up and wouldn't go any further. He hung his head down and refused to budge.
We took each of the calves through the race with their mothers so they wouldn't be nervous. I gave a little squirt on their backs and then they were on to Ross.
Ear tagger in his right hand, elastrator in his left |
Next was Pebbles who also went through easily with mother Milkshake. We were pleased to find no surprises there and only an ear tag was required. So there was only Stew left to squirt the anti-parasitic onto his back - should only take a minute right?
As backbround, Stew is a steer and almost 6 years old. He had a Devon mother and Angus father. His mother died when he was 3 weeks old so I hand reared him til he was 3 months old using a pail with a nipple on it. He grew into a handsome but very large steer who is quite docile and loves to be scratched and petted. He doesn't realize how big he is compared to me so I have to be careful not to be between him and a gate when he wants to give my a nuzzle!
Well, back to the present. Stew did not want to go into the race and gave Ross quite a fight - for good reason as it turns out. He is too big for the race and he got stuck.
Ross decided the best thing was to leave him alone for awhile so we left him stuck there for an hour. Ross then went back, gave him a good head scratch, got Milkshake to come and moo at him and he finally bulldozed his way through the last few feet of the race! He was no worse for the wear at the end thankfully but the cattle sure sprinted up the driveway back to our place!
Not very impressive farmers are we? Can't tell a boy from a girl. Won't listen to Stew when he tells us he won't fit in the race. But all our fruit and vegies are looking great right now. Here's a little sampling.
Od'Ham Watermelon - delicious! |
Dayton apples - they make pink applesauce |
Friday 11 March 2016
StyleArc Kate Dress
I've been looking for a casual but stylish dress that I could wear when
I went out anywhere other than an audience with the queen. And I think this
dress does the trick. Maybe I could even have an audience with the queen as it
is the Kate Dress.
I bravely bought my fabric online without getting a swatch first and I
wasn't disappointed. It's Impressionistic Rayon Jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics and
it is unbelievably soft. I prewashed it in the washing machine on
delicate cycle with cold water. There is a 26 inch repeat so I bought extra
fabric (4y instead of 2.8y) but it was way more than I needed. It was a
little difficult to cut out as the fabric didn't hang perfectly straight. The
straight grain was on the pattern correctly so I ignored the 'hang' issue and
cut it on the grain matching up the fabric pattern everywhere including the
sleeves.
I thought about eliminating the tucks on the right front because I
thought the print might look weird but I kept the tucks and I think it looks
fine. I also kept the tucks on the sleeve and the tie in the back.
Instead of the tearaway Vilene and elastic along the neckline, I used
1/2-inch Sewkey knit staytape that I bought through
Nancy's Notions. I fused it onto the wrong side of the edge, turned the edge in
3/8 inch and topstitched at 1/4 inch (3mm stitch length). I used 1/4-inch clear
elastic tape to stabilize the shoulder seams, sewing them onto the back SA with
most of the width of the tape on the SA side.
For all the main seams, I used my Brother overlocker with 4 threads
(matching Gutermann polyester thread in left needle, beige overlocker thread in
the other 3), differential feed at 1.2, stitch W 6mm, L 3mm and a 75 stretch needle.
One little tip: when topstitching the front edges where the belt has been
attached, make sure the belt is pulled away into it's final position for tying
it before doing the topstitching. I wasn't thinking and didn't do that so had
to take out the topstitching at the belt and redo it.
Conclusions: This dress fits perfectly and is so comfortable I could
sleep in it. Maybe I better make a rayon jersey nightgown! The hang issue (see
above) was not a problem at all. I wore it last night for the first time and my
only complaint is that the nor'wester with gusts up to 100 k/h is not an
optimal situation for a wrap dress! I would happily make this dress again.
06 March 2016 - A Few Quick Sews
Quick Sew #1
Simplicity 7869
Pattern from my stash dated 1968!! Yipes, I really must be getting old.
Can't remember which version or what material I used back then. But I bought a
cute cotton/lycra print at The Fabric Store in Christchurch that was mostly
purple (I never wear purple) and decided to use it on this skirt pattern.
I made View 5, 25 1/2 inch waist - same size I made in '68! I used a
0.5mmL, 2.5W zigzag fro the seams and then finished them with a 3-thread serge
on my overlocker. Although not in the instructions, I underlined the waistline
facing. The pattern says to sew the side opening edges of the facing before
putting in the zipper but in retrospect, it would have been better to wait til
I put in the zipper to do it.
Quick Sew #2
I then bought some 'First Class' viscose/spandex from Harald's Fabrics
in Christchurch and made a Sewaholic
Renfrew top View A but with 3/4 sleeves to go with the skirt.
Of course, the best colour I could find was purple - so now I truly do wear
purple! I prewashed the fabric in a cold hand wash. I used a Janome blue
tip needle and tried the Sewaholic's recommendation of a zigzag stitch (1mmW,
2.5mmL) and then overlocked the edges on my Brother overlocker using a
ballpoint 70 needle. I'm not pear shaped (I'm 8 bust, 6 waist, 2 hip per
pattern!) but I made B8, W8, H6 and it worked fine. I'm very short
waisted so I took out 1 inch at the waist and shortened the hem by 1 1/2 inches
(measuring from the size 2 line). I sewed 1/4 inch staytape onto the back seam
allowances at the shoulder with just a little going into the actual seam. For
the ZZ around the neck, I used 4W, 2L.
Here's how it turned out. I love the top but any wrinkles in the skirt
show through the shirt. The skirt pattern called for twill tape on the waist,
which I used, but I don't really like it - feels too tight when I sit down. One
of the threads has popped already on the waistband of the top so I guess I
should have either used a shorter stitch length or just used the overlocker for
the seams.
Quick Sew #3
McCalls 7290 jacket, view C, size medium. I bought a lightweight
viscose/lycra knit from Fabric Vision in Christchurch. It has a black and white
print on one side and
solid black on the other. I
prewashed the fabric on cold in the washing machine.
I used a 75 stretch needle on my Janome sewing machine and Brother
overlocker. I followed the directions as printed, shortened the bodice by 3/4
inch and ended up with a dressing gown (aka bathrobe). Should have made a small
I guess! So I folded the sleeves up 2 3/4 inches and made cuffs. I did this by
cutting off >1/2 of the back SA, folding the front SA over it and
topstitching for the bottom 5 1/2 inches of the sleeve seam. I then pinked the
hem edge, folded it over towards the right/print side, then pressed and
topstitched it. Then I folded up the cuff and tacked it.
For the bottom edge, I cut off 2 1/2 inches at the back increasing to 4
1/2 inches off at the front. Then rather then just pinking the front and bottom
edges, I folded them over to the inside along the bottom edge to approximately
where the front edge starts to roll and then tapered to no fold and folded in
the opposite direction for the front edges. It turned out fairly well and isn't
too obvious where I transitioned. I don't think I'll make this pattern again
though. I always seem to be fussing with where the collar and front edges fold.
It might have worked better in a slightly heavier, less stretchy fabric. The
pattern called for 'Fleece, Sweatshirt Fleece, Jerseys, Cotton
Knits, Interlock, Sweater Knits'.
29 February 2016 - Wanaka Triathlon
On Feb 20, my husband Ross, neighbour Jo, and I did a team half Ironman
in Wanaka. Fortunately it wasn't 32C like it was at home in Christchurch. When
I started the swim, it was 12C, colder than the water! But the water was still
pretty cold and there were huge waves as we headed out. Here's a photo of the
lake and swim course the day before (before the wind and huge rollers arrived!).
Jo and I were starting to worry about Ross as the time rolled past 3.5
hours.
90k and 3:45 later, he rolled in looking not much worse than when he
started.
So off went Jo on her half marathon that she completed in 2:08 despite
rain for the second half. We ran across the finish line with her so I don't
have a photo (unless I pay $29 for the official one) but here's one of the
weather at the finish.
It was a fun day although I did feel a bit of a fraud when at 9pm I saw
some of the Ironman athletes crossing the finish line and I had only raced for
38 minutes! Here we are at home with our participant medals - no podium finish
for us.
We came 161 out of 306 in the team division, which isn't bad given there
were no age categories so we were competing against people in their 20s and all
male teams. Next year?!
The day after the race was warm and sunny and the drive home was
beautiful.
4 February 2016 - Summer At Last
Well my sewing has slowed down a little because our wintery summer
finally became a real summer. It was 32C today. I would rather the high had
jumped from 15C to 25C but beggars can't be choosers. We had a warm week a few
weeks ago and it was followed by a week of rain and now warmth again so the
vegie garden is growing like crazy. We've just finished apricots, broad beans,
broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, and sugar snap peas. And now we're eating
plums, Asian pears, cabbage, kale, green beans, kohlrabi, lettuce,
zucchini..... Yum! The corn is starting to get tall.
Scarlet runner beans flowering |
Rhubarb |
An unexpected visitor. The hole is fixed now! |
The NZ pigeons (kereru) are visiting a lot. Here's one enjoying the cabbage tree seeds. The cabbage trees flowered prolifically this spring. They smell lovely but there has to be a lot of them for the scent to make it down to your nose.
We have 2 new calves this summer and they are enjoying each other's
company. We thought they were both boys but I think the 2nd calf just had a
prominent leftover bit of umbilical cord. Can't see any dangly bits at the rear
end anyway! We named the first one Bam Bam (his mother is Wilma). So number
two's name has been officially changed to Pebbles.
Nothing like standing in the trough to cool off! |
Pebbles with Mother Milkshake |
Bam-Bam with Mother Wilma |
Dad aka Bonzo |
When we put the cattle in the chook paddock, the vhooks find it easy to escape as we leave a gate open for the cattle to get to the water and the electric fence that works fine for the cattle is of no use with a chicken! Our dog Phoebe has been a victim of these wanderings.
My time is also being spent on tennis and swimming. Ross and I crazily
said yes to doing a team half Ironman on Feb 20 in Wanaka. I'm doing the swim
and Ross is doing the bike. I only have to swim 1.9k but Ross has to bike 90k
with hills!
I am in the middle of sewing the Sewaholic Granville blouse in a
beautiful liberty print. More about that once I'm finished.
Plus I have everything cut out for an Italian tweed jacket and for a
StyleArc Kate dress. Just have to pray for a little rain.
21 January 2016 - Personalized Jalie 2908 Stretch Denim Jeans
I have been desperate for a new pair of jeans for awhile as my 'good'
pair is now being worn while I garden. I bought a jeans kit from Heather
Lou Closet
Case Files last year. It's a great kit including blue and black
stretch denim - a generous amount, Im sure I could make a pair of jeans for my
granddaughter with what is leftover, 2 zippers, 3 buttons, rivets, a packet of
Schmetz jeans needles,and topstitching thread. I also bought Heather's ebook on making jeans and it is awesome. It
contains endless little details that make the difference between an amateurish look
and a professional one.
I didn't use the Ginger jeans however as I wanted a flared leg. I have
big calves and it isn't unusual for my pants to get stuck on them - not a great
look. So I used the Jalie 2908 stretch jeans pattern - 2nd place on the Sewing
Pattern Review website for 2015 in the pants division. I
By my measurements, I am a size R on the Jalie sizing chart. I made a
muslin using broadcloth as I didn't have any appropriate stretch material. It
was scarily tight, especially at the waistband, so I didn't think the added
give of the stretch denim would solve the problem. So I made the next size up -
S.
I made a couple of changes to the pattern.
1. I traced off all the pattern pieces with a 5/8 inch SA. That way if
the pants were still too tight, I had some leeway.
2. I had some cute stretch cotton print with little bicycles on it (from Blackbird
Fabrics) in my stash leftover from making my daughter a bike skirt
so I used it in the waistband and the front pockets. For the waistband, I
folded the pattern piece in half lengthwise and then added the seam allowance
to the fold side. Then I cut one piece from the denim and one from the stretch
cotton. The only change I made in the front pockets was to turn the pocket
facing over so it would be visible from the inside of the jeans rather than
from the inside of the pocket. I did leave the pocket lining oriented as
instructed in the pattern as I thought the edge of it could potentially be seen
from the front.
3. I interfaced the back pockets before adding the personalized design.
4. I made the fly shield as described in the jeans ebook, sewing a
diagonal seam at the bottom.
Sewing machines: Janome Memorycraft 6600 professional, Brother 3034D
overlocker.
Needle: Schmetz jeans needle
To personalize the jeans, I wanted to put something different on the
back pockets. As I am a dual New Zealand and Canadian citizen, I decided to put
a maple leaf on one pocket and a kiwi bird on the other. I traced the design
onto lightweight tracing paper then pinned it onto the pocket and topstitched
directly over the pocket. I used what I think is called a saddle stitch (Mode
2, Pattern 05 on my Janome). Then I just tore away the tracing paper.
For the seams, I had to increase the thread tension to 5.5. I sewed a
regular seam L 2.5mm, then trimmed it and overlocked the 2 seams together
before topstitching using Gutermann Mara thread at a stitch length of 3.0. For
bartacks, I used L 0.5, W 1.5.
The buttonholer on my Janome isn't very reliable so after 3 practise
buttonholes and 1 1/2 failed buttonholes on the jeans, I just made the
buttonhole using a ZZ stitch (L 0.4, W 2.5 & 5). After opening the
buttonhole and applying fray stopper, I went over the sides (ie the 2.5mm
width) a second time, just to be sure. I skipped the rivets as I had visions of
making unhidable holes with the awl!
The pants fit very well and are really comfortable. There are
wrinkles on the back of the legs but my guess is if there weren't any, it would
be hard to sit down. They don't catch on my calves, no button digging in
at the waist, comfortable when sitting, what more could I ask for? Plus I'm
sure no one else has a Kiwi and a maple leaf on their back pockets!
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