Prepping Projects for the 1541

My Wawak thread order is on the way. I ordered 2” wide twill tape from an Etsy seller for a curtain hemming project for my neighbor and that’s been shipped. I ordered some yardage of polyester Ottertex waterproof canvas because I want to see how it behaves compared to waxed canvas. And I am about to put in an order for some 1680 Denier Traveler nylon from Seattle Fabrics because that is the fabric I used for the first generator cover. I made that generator cover in 2016 and it’s still going strong. The second one hasn’t held up quite so well—it was made from a lighter-weight Cordura—so the husband has asked for a replacement made from the Traveler nylon. I also have to make a cover for the Miller welder/generator that powers the house when we’re off the grid. Its cover is beginning to disintegrate. This is my sketch for that one:

My drawing skills are nonexistent. I know what all those lines and measurements mean, though, and that is what is important.

The best way for me to get comfortable with the new machine is with a smaller project. I pulled some waxed canvas out of the stash for a Forever Shopper by Spencer Ogg patterns:

This is a no-fuss shopping tote with French seams. The pattern has both a large and small size. I prefer patterns that have cutting instructions by width and height rather than ones with pattern pieces that have to be taped together and cut or traced. This pattern had to be taped and traced, but I was willing to do that because it has some interesting shaping at the bottom. I prepped the pattern yesterday. I’m going to make the smaller size to start.

I also organized my bag patterns. I have a lot of bag patterns. Some women love shoes; I love bags. I’ve got every pattern that Anna Graham at Noodlehead has put out, because her stuff is so good. I’ve also got a lot of byAnnie patterns.

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I finished trimming the yard with the push mower yesterday morning. Full bags of grass clippings get emptied into the chicken yard for the clucks. I thought I could empty the first bag without turning off the electric fence, but I managed to shock myself on the wiring along the door. The jolt is enough to make one utter a few bad words.

After that, I took the push mower out to the garden and mowed the perimeter. Those grass clippings get dumped onto the potato patch for mulch. However, I slipped on the grass clippings I had put down the last time I mowed and fell down—very gracefully, I must say—onto my right hip. I have plenty of padding there and my fall was cushioned by another pile of grass clippings. I’m not feeling sore this morning, which is good.

I was already down on the ground, LOL, so I worked on weeding the potato patch until it started to rain. It did occur to me that perhaps I just ought to sit in a chair and read a book for the rest of the day so I didn’t injure myself further.

The beans I started last week are up in the greenhouse and almost ready to transplant, as is the corn, and those will be the last crops to go in. I am going to start some trays of lettuce in the greenhouse next, and I’ll also clean out and restart the lettuce-growing system in the basement. Theoretically, I can keep lettuce growing in that system indefinitely, but the jars get covered with algae and have to be cleaned every couple of months. The lettuce I grow is so superior to store-bought in terms of taste and texture, though, that it is worth the extra effort.