Category: sewista stuff

Brandt’s Blvd. Wallet Pattern Review & More Blooms

Brandt’s Boulevard Wallet by Chris W Designs.

Meet the Brandt’s Boulevard Wallet from Chris W Designs. I tried it for the first time last week and I like it. Don’t love it, but I like it. I’ll make it again, but I’ll change a few things in the construction process to make it a little less bulky in the seams and have a little neater finish. I’ll try to post a tutorial if I get it figured out.

The top half has a zipper coin pocket and a padded cell phone slip pocket. The bottom half has card slots, a pocket for bills (paper money, receipts, etc), and a clear ID window.

The back looks a little wonky when opened, but it looks fine when closed. I think the Peltex™ insert was a little too big.

All my lovely Phalaenopsis orchids are in bloom. Two minis and three regulars.

This little miniature is white with a pink tinge. Sweet little thing.
This is my full-size white phal that leans more toward the yellow end of the white scale.
This was my first orchid. I love the rich color of this full-size one.
This is a mini that has the cutest little raspberry-colored stripes on a yellow background.
This one is my unusual one. I love the narrow petals and the mixed colors. Again, yellow and raspberry, but quite different from the yellow and raspberry mini.

So far my dendrobium aggregatum shows no signs of blooming this year. I’m still hoping, though. And it loves its driftwood and its little neighbors.

If you notice my poor fern below the driftwood, it’s in terrible shape. I have another one just outside the picture that is in bad shape too. Ants got into them last year. Argh! I thought they had laid eggs in them. I know they carried in scale bugs. One week the ferns were bug-free and the next they were covered. So, I’ve repotted them and killed all the scale bugs with alcohol spray. Now, I’ll keep an eye on them and see if they come back. So far so good and it’s been a week. I hate scale bugs.

Those wispy little seed heads on the right are from an air plant that my son & family found on their Florida vacation. The group was in a little intertwined knot around a dead branch and when the branch broke it fell to the ground just for me.

Spring is here–for two days

It’s been interesting weather here for a while, and from what I hear, all over the country. We’ve had flooding like I’ve never seen before. Our average rainfall for a year is 49-55 inches. Saturday alone, we got 17+ inches.

The city of Kingston had a boat slip docked at 58 Landing (a boat launch area and walking path along the Watts Bar Lake and Highway 58 in the town.) It came loose and floated away a few miles. It’s back today, but they’re still anchoring it. The water looks like thin mud full of trash, trees, and branches. The water level of the lake is usually very low in Winter, but it’s now more full than in Summer.

This is a spring that we didn’t realize was there. It’s usually underground. Now it has been shooting a foot in the air like an artesian spring.

It has been a very strange season. The weather was cold last week, but for the last two days, it’s been in the 60s and 70s. It’s supposed to be cold again next week.

On a lighter note, my phalaenopsis orchids are still blooming. Three are in bloom and two more are on the way. My white one is winding down, but another pink one is blooming.

An orchid-colored orchid. It’s gloriously expanding its bloom stem.
This little mini is still very showy.
This one is coming along nicely.
Another angle of the Macrame hanger orchid..

And to end my blog today, a comical view of my grandson. Kids do the weirdest things.

Sleepy-head nose-ringer.

Whew!

It’s been a long Autumn. I’ve had numerous health problems–nothing life-threatening, just really intrusive and annoying. So I’m running way, way behind on my blogging. I’ve been thinking about it, though. 

Speaking of running behind, my dear granddaughter’s eighth birthday was December 30 and my Christmas gift to her had become a birthday gift for her and it was still late. I finally finished it on January 1. She got to wear it finally and loves it. She’s been in it twice when I’ve seen her and my daughter posted a video of her in it, twirling in the driveway.  She’s finally learned to walk in it without tripping on the skirt, which is a bit long, but she’s growing like a weed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is made from the Seraphina pattern from Violette Field Threads. There are so many gathers! I think it turned out pretty well considering-considering I was taking prednisone and had been awake for three days with only short naps and one one-hour sleep-considering this is the poufiest dress I’ve ever made. There are 12 yards of tulle in the underskirt. Three layers of skirt. It is glorious. 

Seraphina comes in an everyday version and this special occasion version. It has two styles of sleeves and two bodice styles. It’s a wonderful pattern and I will probably make it again. Maybe the everyday version next time. 

In the meantime, my orchids are in rare form this winter. I have two in bloom and three more with flower spikes! I’ve never had this many bloom before! I feel like I’ve really accomplished something, although these phalaenopses are fairly easy to grow. 

 

 

 

 

 

This little rosy one is usually in a terrarium-like container with a lid, but the flower spike is too tall for it so I improvised a lid with Press n Seal wrap. I cut a slit from the edge to the center for the spike.

 

My dendrobium aggregatum is loving the driftwood that I put in on. Its roots are actually going all the way through the wood and are coming out the sides. Whee!

 

This is one of my succulents, Huernia thuretii I believe. I’ve never seen it bloom before and I’m overjoyed. Three blossoms.

 

 

 

I’ve neglected to post any pictures of the semi-finished pond. Here is the almost finished version from early fall. More pictures later after the waterfall is done.