Sweet Relief

More rain please?  It was much nicer today.  The skies were a bit clearer but the haze was enough as was the heat that the windows stayed closed.  About 8 pm a very light short rain cooled the air and made things much better.  But we need so much more rain.  We have a sump pump in the basement because the house is built on a bit of a spring.  Normally, this time of year means the sump runs at least once every two hours day and night.  It might run once a day this year.  That is how very dry it is here.  

I kept my spirits up by hitting the sewing room this morning. First task of the day was to make the bias binding.  I did it the old fashioned way and though every one online says the continuous strip is faster and less hassle, I found it much much quicker to do it in strips.  It also gave me a chance to use some parts of the fabric that couldn't be used well with the continuous loop but worked really well for the old fashioned way of doing it.  

About an hour and a half after starting, cutting, pinning, sewing and ironing, I was done.  it took a healthy three hours the other way. Old fashioned girl that I am, I will stick with the strip method.

And here we are, the first bias strip section on the pinafore.  You can see now why this is the perfect match.

The other benefit of doing the bias strip this way is that I now have enough fabric for a tank top, likely an Ashton top.  I already have plenty of bias binding!

This afternoon, I sat down and decide it was time to start Marcus sweater.  He wants it yellow with a great big M on the front, one that goes all the way from the bottom to the top.  

It's a start.  I found it a bit harder to knit today.  My hands tired out quickly so I would knit for a bit and then put it down and then pick it up a while later. It's just the way it is right now and I will take it over not knitting at all.

As I was preparing to start the yellow sweater, I came across this in a box of patterns.  I made t big so you can clearly see.

For many many years, the farm papers and farm women's magazines sold a selection of dress patterns, quilt patterns, doilies patterns knitting patterns and the like.  The selection changed weekly but if you couldn't get to a store, it was a great way to get up to date fashion patterns.  My mother in law ordered these sometime in September of 1943.  The patterns inside are crocheted doilies.  Dorothy made these patterns several time over the years.  She had them on several tables in her home.  

I am typing slowly tonight because I am sitting in front of my open window breathing in the cool fresh clean air.  That is just about the best thing in the world.  Well besides baby giggles and kids kisses. 

PS, hail not so much, but I will take it.  It is moisture after all and every millimeter will help.