White orchid blossoms and some more bloomin’ handbags

Please send prayers and good thoughts to the Houston area. My friends and family are safe so far, thank God, but the flooding is getting worse. Thank you!

One of my phals has been budding for several weeks and I couldn’t remember what color it was. It finally blossomed last week and it is a beautiful white with a yellow throat.

It was a Kroger rescue. It looked pretty bad when I bought it (half price). It had rotting roots and some fungus on the potting medium. I pulled it out of its pot, cut away the rotting roots, sprayed it well with Listerine, and sprinkled them with cinnamon. Then I gently repotted it with new growing medium. I also cut bigger holes in the sides of the clear pot to let it get some air to the roots. I have to water it twice a week, but it’s worth it to get these blooms.

While the phal was growing its buds I was making hats and purses and one wallet. The hats aren’t ready yet. They’re by my sewing machine about half-done. I did get two purses finished and to the Appalachian Arts Craft Center last week. 

Buttercup Bag pattern by Made by Rae.
Necessary Clutch Wallet and Marichel Hobo bag by RLR Creations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Marichel Hobo by RLR Creations is made from an outdoor fabric and a very soft black vinyl. I used the same fabric and vinyl on the wallet and a wonderful map fabric–Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements Expedition Multi–on the interior. I used repurposed cotton webbing belts for the straps on both bags. I love these for straps because they are reusing something discarded and they don’t slip on your shoulder like quilting cotton or vinyl. 

 

The smaller striped bag is the Buttercup Bag from Made by Rae.    It’s a small bag and won’t get too heavy, but it’s large enough to hold the necessities. 

The Necessary Clutch Wallet by EmmalineBags is one of my favorites. It holds everything I need in a wallet and more. However, my daughter says it’s too big. I’m going to force myself to make some smaller bifold wallets and some trifolds for men. 

Eiko and I have about one more week before Eiko’s show. I’d better get back to sewing.

Turtles ahead!

One of my grandsons, T,  is crazy, CRAZY, for turtles. Tortoises, terrapins, snapping turtles, turtles who live in the lake and the ocean. He wants turtles as pets, toy turtles, and turtle costumes. When I keep them, we have to watch turtle videos on Youtube.

As it happens, I have a friend who is a certified box turtle rehabilitator and I took them to visit her two unreleasable terrapins the other day. T was in heaven. Little brother, not so much. He’s two and was sleepy and a little leery of small animals with mouths that might bite. 

I must say that RK and Cleo were absolutely great with T who held them sideways and upside down at times. When told that they didn’t like being held that way, he was good about bringing them upright again. He inspected every part of them and was gentle and respectful. Not bad for a five-year-old. 

Last Thursday his mom and dad invited me to go with them to the aquarium a couple of hours away in Chattanooga. There were turtles everywhere. All kinds of turtles! I think the boys wore themselves out going from exhibit to exhibit looking at all the different animals! I know I did, but it was wonderful. 

T kept saying, “Dad! Put me in there!” He would have gone swimming with all the turtles if he could have. And he touched a snake–a ball python that an aquarium guide was holding. In some ways, he’s very brave, but in some ways not. 

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If you’re in the area, I recommend the Chattanooga Aquarium. There are two separate buildings housing all kinds of aquatic animals from otters to sharks. Let the little ones bring a swim suit or something to get wet in and they can wade and play in the outdoor “creek” which reminds me of Granny’s “cement pond” on the Beverly Hillbillies, but is only about ankle deep. The boys were dying to get in there, but we didn’t know about the play area and hadn’t prepared. 

Find the frog

Can you find the frog? 

Fun New Hat this Week

Eiko’s linen got into a new project this week. I fashioned a brand new hat, my own pattern, and I think it turned out pretty well. There are a few tweaks I’ll make to the pattern next time. I made a detachable flower pin out of scraps. Isn’t the fringey effect great?  This hat is floppy and casual, but fun. (Please ignore the white bag peeking out from underneath the hat. I had to pad the glass head.)

Please excuse the underpad on the floor. I have a little old lady dog who leaks when she sits and that’s her favorite place.

 

I’m tempted to keep this one, but it’s going into the Owl Tree shop.  Maybe I’ll keep the next one. Maybe. 

There were some little visitors to my porch the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

A new toad has moved to the neighborhood.
This is a brave moth. He was near not one, but two, orb webs. Aren’t they pretty?