Finally, It's Done

After I attached the first part of the closure hardware to the Haralson Bag, I realized it would take less than an hour to complete the rest of the steps. It seemed silly not to do that.

I am gifting this to a friend of mine. I’m just happy it’s done. Would I make another one? Maybe, but not this week.

I’m not sure why I had so many issues with this project. The problems I had weren’t due to the pattern because Noodlehead patterns are some of the best. Bag hardware is always difficult to source locally. If I can find the correct size, it won’t come in the finish I need. If it comes in the finish I need, it won’t be in the right size. Same with zippers. Nylon zippers can be cut down with scissors; metal ones have to be a specific length unless I want to get out the toolbox.

I do love my rivet press. And I love sewing on the 1541, although I think I am going to have to fiddle around with the servo motor settings again to toggle them back to “stop with needle down.” That is driving me nuts.

School starts soon for the neighborhood kids. I feel like the community is once again breathing a huge sigh of relief that summer is over. We didn’t have any fires, the tourists will be heading home soon, and schedules will start to slow down for most of us. (Maybe not for the parents of school-age kids.)

The husband and I were watching a YouTube video the other night about preparing a dinner in the early 1800s. The menu was beef boiled with turnips, cooked carrots, hard-boiled eggs, and biscuits. What struck me most was how slowly and methodically the cook worked. There was no rush to get to the next thing. I don’t think we realize, sometimes, the speed at which everything moves now.

I’m not romanticizing life in the early 1800s. I know it was difficult. I suspect, though, that even life in the 1980s moved at a much slower pace than it does now.

Ground beef was on sale this week so I bought several family packs. I made a huge batch of meatballs yesterday; I mixed the ground beef half-and-half with our ground pork and seasoned it with hot Italian spice mix. I used a scoop to form the meatballs, then put them on a rack in the roaster pan to cook in the oven. The whole process takes a couple of hours, but by the time I was done, I had enough for dinner and plenty to freeze for future meals. Yes, I could go to Costco and buy some, but mine taste better and I know what’s in them. 😋 The husband ate 12 of them for dinner.