Wednesday Project Roundup: Copycat Undies
In my last few batches of giant soft undies, I’ve mentioned the styles from Arq, which are American made/sweatshop free and thus not overpriced at $38 a pop–but if I can make it myself for less, why not? For this latest set, I was directly inspired by this image from the Arq Instagram:
An evening of clicking around turned up two very similar knits from Knitfabric.com and then in two hours I had this dupe:
Seeing them side by side, I could scoop out the front of the Greenstyle Embrace bra a little more next time, but those Bunzies undies are nearly identical.
I’m all recovered from the second vaccine dose yesterday and realizing that in two weeks we can take a ROAD TRIP–maybe to a hot spring, maybe to a place with a pool? Either way, it’s time to start working on some swimwear next. I might just use the same patterns.
Worth It
I got my second vaccine dose yesterday morning and at about 6 that night the body aches and chills hit…and wow they are no joke. I haven’t been sick in over a year (thanks, masks and avoiding crowds) so I don’t know if I’m not used to this or if it’s really bad.
Either way, though, it’s worth it. Thanks, science, for getting us a vaccine so quickly!
New Plant!
I ended up at the Red Butte plant sale as a pair of hands for my friend–but then I saw the houseplant/tropical section and WUT. The visitors center at the garden has these Christmas-cactus-on-steroids looking plants blooming indoors so when I saw some for sale, I bought one. Turns out they’re in the Epiphyllum family, also known as “orchid cactus.” From what I’ve read, I think if I treat it more like an orchid than a cactus, it’ll do great.
I had to buckle it into the backseat to get it home:
Dining room table for scale:
In a planter for now (we’ll see how it does with the the light in the living room):
Friday Links
1. It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday. Thinking of all women, especially a couple groups on here.
(from artist Mari Andrew)
2. Oh, and speaking of moms? This is an excellent piece by Lyz Lenz: The Pandemic Is Breaking Women and Now We Have to Have Babies? Go to Hell
Let me spell it out for you clearly. The gender pay gap is real. And it’s worse for women of color. Women who take time off from work for children find themselves at even more of a loss of income. America also has the worst maternal mortality rate among developed nations because of deep institutional bias and a lack of standardized protocols. And this was before the pandemic.
3. I’m on a streak here so have this, too. Happy weekend!
(source)
Thursday Poem
This was from the Poets.org newsletter a bit ago and “the worm, content in its windowless world” is just great, as is the ending. Here’s to ease for everyone, even if you’re not a coyote or a puma.
Nothing Wants To Suffer
after Linda Hogan
Nothing wants to suffer. Not the wind
as it scrapes itself against the cliff. Not the cliff
being eaten, slowly, by the sea. The earth does not want
to suffer the rough tread of those who do not notice it.
The trees do not want to suffer the axe, nor see
their sisters felled by root rot, mildew, rust.
The coyote in its den. The puma stalking its prey.
These, too, want ease and a tender animal in the mouth
to take their hunger. An offering, one hopes,
made quickly, and without much suffering.
The chair mourns an angry sitter. The lamp, a scalded moth.
A table, the weight of years of argument.
We know this, though we forget.
Not the shark nor the tiger, fanged as they are.
Nor the worm, content in its windowless world
of soil and stone. Not the stone, resting in its riverbed.
The riverbed, gazing up at the stars.
Least of all, the stars, ensconced in their canopy,
looking down at all of us— their offspring—
scattered so far beyond reach.
Socializing
I have an in-person work lunch today with the creative team and there’s a strong chance I’m just going to be a toad in a muumuu. But the other part of me is thinking: I can wear an outfit! I can have witty conversation with people outside my household! I can order FRIES and eat them HOT! Which will it be?
I had to think of this piece by Lydia Kiesling in The Cut about the end of the pandemic, and whether it’s going to be great or terrible:
I’m talking when I have the kids in the van and we are going to go do some activity that is finally open and safe and we’ve wanted to do for more than a year and when we get there it’s a million people and it’s so sweaty and there’s kinetic sand on the floor and pee on the toilet seats and it takes a fucking hour to get a hot dog which is 14 dollars
Which will it be, indeed.
Tuesday Project Roundup: Wearable Bedding (The Quilt Coat)
I’ve been wearing my quilt coat out and about (as much as I go out and about) and finally got some pictures of it, thanks to Doc.
I covered the piecing part in this post and the quilting part (that was all freehand, btw) in this post, so there’s not a lot of process to talk about here, except how proud I am of this one and how happy I am with it.
This was my first time really piecing a quilt and I learned a lot (mostly how much I respect the patience of quilters). I didn’t buy new fabric for the pieces, other than the black squares and the binding. The rest is all happy scraps: a tablecloth from my first apartment, a shower curtain I made right after I bought the house, fabric from a family vacation to Hawaii 15 years ago, fabric from our last trip to Moab before the pandemic. The backing fabric had been sitting in my stash for about 4 years and originally came from The Fabric Store in New Zealand.
For batting, I used pieces from my mom’s stash, which was a hard decision to make but felt right in the end–having something from her sewn up into this wearable hug makes it even more comforting.
For a pattern, I used Simplicity 8298, which I’d used about a year ago for another quilted jacket (before I really thought about whether I’m appreciating or appropriating Japanese fabrics; I kind of only wear that one in the house now). I left off the collar and straightened out the flare from the sides and sleeves by about 4 inches overall. I’m considering adding a collar now, though–I’m just happier with something up by my neck and I have lots of leftover blocks.
And since I will never, ever get rid of this, it makes sense to fine tune it so it’s even more perfect, right?
Toby Says “Wut?”
“Wut? The weekend is over?”
It is, Toby, but at least I don’t have to go into the office. (I’m not sure Toby will ever let me go back to the office full-time. Think my bosses will take that excuse?)
Happy Birthday, Skyler
My nephew is TEN today!
He is such a delight to know–sensitive, determined, curious, and so, so smart. (Seriously, smarter than the adults sometimes.) He loves model trains and chess and Legos and he and I have all sorts of fun with feats of strength on the playground.
I can’t imagine our family without him. I know my mom was so thrilled to to finally be a grandma; my dad has spent the last ten years thinking of ways to be literally the best grandpa ever. Skyler has made my brother and sister-in-law have become parents, with the patience and perseverance and love that that entails. And me? I get to be his auntie, with the video games and the attitude of, “Sure, why not get in the stream?” which is pretty much the best.
Every time we hang out, I learn something new and every time I look at him, seeing the baby mixed in with the pre-teen now (!), I’m struck all over again by how amazing it is that he exists.
Happy birthday, Bubbs. I love you so much!