SEWING
I've been doing mending for people.  It keeps me busy, challenged and I get enough money to buy bread and a few things each week.  One lady has become interested in learning to sew and has ordered a sewing machine on-line, it should arrive soon and I will help her get started with learning.  Here are some of the things I've done this week.

The customer wanted this duvet cover split into two for two chaise lounge covers.

I used the small strip of fabric from between the two cushion covers to make a small pillow as a bonus for her.

The customer needed the rip in the front of these carpenters pants repaired.

The customer wanted this scarf split lengthwise to be used to wrap a curtain rod.
This was a little challenging because the fabric was so thin.
I had to sew it to tissue paper then pick out the tissue fragments from between the stitches.

The customer needed these Komocauzy pants shortened.
This was very think fabric like sailcloth.
My sewing machine would not go through the doubled seam area.

The customer wanted the pink scarf attached to the shirt so it wouldn't move while she is working.
I sewed it on by hand and gathered the fabric up for fullness.

APRON
Made another apron today.

CHURCH BBQ
Saturday afternoon we had a church BBQ (Grill) behind our church.  We had a good turn out of people.  There was a little difficulty getting the coals to start but they finally caught and all had some good food.  I had made the blackberry pie and cobbler to share.  I didn't bring any home.   Now it is time to pick more blackberries.

The Frisbee really helped with starting the briquets.

BIKE TO RHEIN AND LAMPERTHEIM
On Saturday morning we rode about 25 miles out west to the Rhein river then north to Lampertheim and then back through the Viernheim Wald and Kafertal Wald.  The weather was wonderful.  We had to stop to see the bison, who now have 3 babies.

Us at one of the stops along the Rhein river.

Viernheim Wald

South of Lampertheim

Kafertal Wald

Bison mommy and 3 kids

BIKE TO BERRIES
Last week I rode out to a place where we saw a lot of ripe black berries (Bromberries).  This patch I found is about half way to Ladenburg beside a gravel/pit yard.  Blackberries grow wild all over the place here but they are not always in a place easy to get to, to pick them.  This patch is really accessible along a small road.  I found that blackberry bushes are full of thorns, every part even way down to the berry, even on the backs of the leaves.  There are so many good ripe berries that are too high to reach, I need to find a portable ladder that I can take on my bike to get to them.  But I did get plenty within my reach.  I had my bike helmet and bike gloves on, that helped a little bit with protection from the mean thorns, but I still ended up with more little bleeding scratches than I do when I bathe 2 cats.  The berries are really good and I made a pie, and 2 cobblers.  We took the pie and first cobbler to the church BBQ on Saturday and didn't bring any home, that was good.  The second cobbler I made last night was better I thought, and Steve and I enjoyed it warm with vanilla ice cream.

The small road to Ladenburg and the berry bushes on the right.

You just start picking one by one.... 

soon the container is full!

and soon another container is full!
I spent about 2 hours picking berries.

There is a price to pay in blackberry stained fingers.

and stained finger nails and little thorns.

Berries after I washed them and put them on the counter on paper towels to dry.

Globes of juicy goodness. 

First cobbler, like a cake with berries on top, before it is baked.

Cobbler when done and sugar on top.

Blackberry pie.

SILK DRESS
Sister Lorz from our church gave me this piece of 100% pure silk from Thailand.  It was about 2 yards and I was able to squeeze a dress out of it by using smaller seam allowances and not going exactly on the grain and making the facing with 6 pieces instead of 3.  Silk is challenging to sew.  It is really slippery, it wants a very new sharp thin machine needle that I didn't have, it ravels like crazy, and it wants to have larger seam allowances that I wanted it to.  I ended up zig zagging every seam or using fray check on them.  But I think I can wear the dress and I do love the feel of real silk.  I'll wear it to church but I don't think it will hold up to a bike seat so I'll bring it in my basket and change into it when I get there.

2D image

3D image

Very little scraps

NORWAY TRIP

TO GET TO THE NORWAY BLOG GO TO:

http://susanssmith2013-norway.blogspot.com/


TO GET TO THE FIRST ENTRY OF THE NORWAY BLOG, GO TO:

http://susanssmith2013-norway.blogspot.com/2013/08/susanssmith2013-Norway.html