Joy in the Little Things

[Phaedra]

I got this door of the 2nd roofed chicken run done today, and it's so far my best practice.

I will keep working on another new door for the Hen House Spruce next week. This time, I will cut, drill, paint everything before assembling them.

 

[Phaedra]

Sewing practices - I made two pillows from an old T-shirt for Bobo and Momo, besides, a tea towel (for selling in my shop ). A newbie sewer can still create something lovely, similar journey as a gardener.

The door looked nice, but later we changed the direction to open it.

Another week became a page of history, and I wish you more joys for the coming weeks.

 

[SPedigrees]

Sewing practices - I made two pillows from an old T-shirt for Bobo and Momo, besides, a tea towel (for selling in my shop ). A newbie sewer can still create something lovely, similar journey as a gardener.
View attachment 62203

The door looked nice, but later we changed the direction to open it.
View attachment 62204

Another week became a page of history, and I wish you more joys for the coming weeks.

I love making something new from something old, like your dog pillows from an old t-shirt. Your dog looks to have claimed that pillow for him(her?)self! The tea towel is very nice. I find it very relaxing to sew, either repairs or new creations, even though I'm not an accomplished seamstress and don't even own a sewing machine.

It looks like your hens are inhabiting their new home. It came out beautifully!

 

[Branching Out]

Good for you for practicing Phaedra. My mom was a sewing teacher and seamstress, but she was never too interested in showing me how to sew. When I got to high school I took sewing in home economics, but could never really figure out how to thread the machine or how to get that little bobbin in place under the machine. It all seemed so complicated. Maybe that's why I took up gardening.

 

[flowerbug]

Good for you for practicing Phaedra. My mom was a sewing teacher and seamstress, but she was never too interested in showing me how to sew. When I got to high school I took sewing in home economics, but could never really figure out how to thread the machine or how to get that little bobbin in place under the machine. It all seemed so complicated. Maybe that's why I took up gardening.

i was taught to run the sewing machine (a Singer Featherweight) at a young age and i still have that machine in my closet (Mom was going to get rid of it and i asked her if i could have it), just by chance this past week we had a visitor and the topic of sewing machines came up and she knows several people who collect and repair them. it still works and i use it for small mending tasks.

Mom sews a lot and we've gone through several machines in the past half dozen years and i normally have to read the manuals and help her out with threading, changing needles, oiling, untangling or interpreting instructions for her. finally is happy with the machine she has now (a Brother 1500S i think it is) and it is super heavy and a beast but it works for what she needs it to do. she can do 4 lap quilts a day and is busy for most mornings and sometimes in the evening too if she feels like it. hundreds of lap quilts and also other larger quilts for friends and family. i just stay out of her way...

 

[Phaedra]

The sewing machine is a gift from my father in law, so it's extraordinarily precious. He is the one led me into the universe of gardening, and a couple years later, he gifted us his sewing machine. However, dementia already caught him then, just we didn't realize.

When he brought us his sewing machine, he couldn't remember how to use it. None of us realized about the coming shadow. Later, he told us that the machine didn't work any longer (in fact, the machine should be ok at that moment.) and he throw that away. Before Christmas of that year, he gave me cash and asked me to buy a modern one for myself. I was so touched at that moment, as he always treated me like his own daughter (he didn't have one, he has three boys). We shared a lot of hobbies - gardening, cooking, classical music, and the last turned to be sewing.

I never used a sewing machine before, just like I never grew anything on the ground. I bought one machine and some beginner's guide/toolkit, but I didn't start using it because, just a few months later, he was officially diagnosed dementia. Our life changed a lot as DD and I started to station in his house to take care of him, until he had to go to a nursing home in another eight months.

My feeling toward this machine is always a bit complicated. I am the type that hates reading any manuals, till today. I still hate reading manuals, that's why there are still some advanced devices I owned remained new.

Anyway, I did start my sewing practices and decided that it will be a journey only I can decide how far, how deep, how often, how blablabla I would like to explore. I finally learned to ignore whatever ''you should/you've better blablabla'' and be accountable for what and how I want to experience.

My FIL moved into a nursing home which is specialized in taking care of dementia people. I prefer not using the term 'patient' here. He is doing there much better than staying in the ordinary one. He is confused about DH - sometimes he thought DH is his father, sometimes brother, and can't remember DH's name. Well, name is just a code, isn't it? His health is improving after the medical team there double checked his medicine, discussed with the doctors and further deleted unnecessary ones. He started reading again, eating well, and most of the time, in a very good mood, as the nursing home never forced them doing things like having meals at a specific time and location, or must wake up at 8 for breakfast (how weird!) in the first nursing home where he suffered a lot.

Last week when DH asked him, do you remember Phaedra?
He said, of course, she is your wife!

We participated in each other's life for just six to seven years, and then he started his journey to the universe of dementia, where is still very unknown to us. However, I am so grateful that we met and became a lovely mark in our lives.

 

[Phaedra]

The florist MUM (propagated from the potted plant I bought from Lidl in 2021) growing in the greenhouse - without the interference from the harsh, rainy, windy weather, they just blossom like a flawless, creamy dream.

 

[Dahlia]

I love making something new from something old, like your dog pillows from an old t-shirt. Your dog looks to have claimed that pillow for him(her?)self! The tea towel is very nice. I find it very relaxing to sew, either repairs or new creations, even though I'm not an accomplished seamstress and don't even own a sewing machine.

It looks like your hens are inhabiting their new home. It came out beautifully!

I make new things out of old things all of the time - especially when sewing! I made a plant pot macrame holder out of an old anchor rhode, ditty bags out of old sails, teddy bears out of old fluffy sweaters, and more!

 

[baymule]

How blessed you are, your father in law loves you and guided you into the world of gardening and sewing! You are pretty handy on making chicken coop doors! Good job, they sure look nice.

 

[flowerbug]

...
My feeling toward this machine is always a bit complicated. I am the type that hates reading any manuals, till today. I still hate reading manuals, that's why there are still some advanced devices I own remained new.

a lot of sewing shops will have classes so you don't have to read manuals.

Anyway, I did start my sewing practices and decided that it will be a journey only I can decide how far, how deep, how often, how blablabla I would like to explore. I finally learned to ignore whatever ''you should/you've better blablabla'' and be accountable for what and how I want to experience.

it is sad about the FIL but i'm glad that at times he does still know who you are and i'm glad he's doing better. sweet stories.