The chicken that couldn't cross the road

He's still under construction, but soon will have legs attached and the ability to wander around the house, and maybe even across the road.  During my morning walk I always check out the chickens next door (who live very harmoniously with the turkeys) to assist me in figuring out where to place the legs, and where more feathers might enhance his whimsical chicken appearance.  It's a bit of a nature study.  By the way, I haven't seen the ducks lately so I'm speculating that maybe they've been trucked off to the local French restaurant.

It wasn't my plan to make a chicken.  I had a big blob of felt that was destined to become a cat in a basket.  But then I lost interest in the cat idea and decided I could probably poke and prod the blobiness into a chicken shape.  It's the biggest decision I've made since March.

I have several other projects underway.  I'm adding flowers to a jeans jacket that has long been a work in progress.  I'm also making a patchwork Christmas stocking.  I have no deadlines looming because of craft show cancellations so I'm kind of like a free-range chicken in my Treehouse.

My "knitted" chicken

At one time in my crafting life I did latch hooking.  This involved using a special hook to attach short pieces of yarn to a mesh backing.  I made several rugs this way, and also a couple of wall hangings--one of which was a rooster.  I hung it on a wall in my apartment.

So yesterday I was emailing with an old friend from my working days.  She's also a crafty person and I sent her a picture of my unfinished needle-felted chicken.  She has a good memory and she reminded me of what one of my old boyfriends said when he visited. "Did you knit that chicken?"  We had another good laugh all these years later.  

I knew Mr. Gadget was a keeper when I discovered he knew the difference between rug hooking and knitting.  And also that he would be accepting of my "piles of interest."  Those can usually be found beside each of my chairs and, more often than not, collecting on a floor somewhere.

As I mentioned, this chicken is a needle-felted one.  I'm referring to pictures but otherwise just winging it.  I like the idea of a whimsical chicken in bright colors, so the orange is the base color and others will be added.  I'll have to make some chicken legs and make sure he can stand up.  Or, if that's too challenging he'll be a sitting-down chicken.  Or maybe he'll be a rooster.  My poultry knowledge is limited.  

I do, however, know that these guys are turkeys.  They live next door.  You just never know who's going to move into the neighborhood.

Two bags and two chickens

A few years ago, before my grey hair, Mr. Gadget and I traveled to Grand Cayman with some friends who had a timeshare there.  Strangely, but apparently not too unusual on tropical islands, there were chickens roaming freely.  I seem to remember a story about hurricane winds scattering cooped-up chickens, and then the nearly impossible task of re-cooping.

So here I was sitting by the pool doing a little chicken embroidery, and someone suggested I show my work to the visiting chicken.  It didn't seem to make an impression though and chicken walked on hoping to find french fries. 

I decided a few days ago to make another bag like the one on the left. I sewed Lefty using some fabric I received as a bonus gift with a magazine subscription.  The bag and I have done lots of traveling. It's just the right size for everything I need.  At some point, after we downsized our home, I downsized my handbag.  I didn't really need all the crap girly necessities I always thought I needed.  I threaded a hook on the strap and sewed a loop to my sunhat so I can carry that along on a hot day.  It holds my mask too.  Who knew?

Righty, still in progress, is being sewn from fabric I found while digging through the strata here in the Treehouse.  It's denim from which I had long ago cut out a jacket, and then promptly lost interest.  But the back piece had enough yardage to allow for the bag.  The pattern is just something I cooked up.  I'll put a dark blue cord strap on it, and a small patch pocket on the lining inside.  I have some blue velcro for the closure--thanks to the combo lunch/velcro shopping trip I made to the big city with Big City Girl.

So, there you have it.  This just goes to show that a person doesn't need anything special to blog about.  Any old thing will do.

What to do when the power goes out

First you curse.  Then you discuss with your husband just how long you think the power outage might last.  And then you get hit with high winds that are Isaias's final blast and you decide that it might be awhile.  But you never suspected it would be 4+ days.

Thankfully, you have a portable generator that will keep you going somewhat.  You have to feed it gasoline but it will keep your fridge cold and, most important of all, allow you to make coffee.

Mr. Gadget was our designated gas gopher, and our neighbor pitched in because we were sharing our power with him via a long extension cord.  I rode along on the first gas outing, but then allowed Mr. G to go on his own. He was not in a good mood and my coping abilities are minimal before I've had my coffee.

So now we're through that ordeal and back to the regular ordeal of pandemic life.  Here are a couple of my ordeal projects:

A patchwork placemat--one of two--that I finished on the sewing machine. I practiced my hand-stitching until my stitching finger got sore.  I haven't been kind to it over the years.

I also did a decoupage project.  This was a box Big City Girl had given me, and I hope she isn't annoyed that I refashioned it.  These cute sheep were just the right size and were begging me to put them on the cover.  

I didn't do a very good job, but then I'm not a decoupager by nature.  I'll find some clear tape to doctor up the edges.  

So that's what I did during my prison time vacation from electricity.  

A study in red

 

Why should an antique rocking chair be boring?  Just send hubby to the paint store and have him get a can of redder than red.  You'll end up with Atomic Red.

It's added a nice bit of color to the Treehouse.  I'm sure Grandma won't mind.  She's been gone a long time, and if she's speaking to me I can't hear her.  I'm not so sure about my cousins, who are still very much here and might remember this chair when it was a fixture in Grandma's living room.

I had hoped the doll would be a little larger...to be more of a presence in the chair.  As I mentioned before she is the first of two dolls.  She still needs glasses and a handbag.  I'll get around to it.  I've named her Bertha--after Grandma's housemate.  The second doll will be Iva.  That was her childhood friend from Maine.  I always used to giggle when I'd hear her say "eh-ya!"  She lived in the small apartment just off of the garage.  Grandma's name was Ferna.  Bertha, Iva, and Ferna.  They were quite a trio riding around town in the big ol' Plymouth.

So now I must go.....before the hurricane winds pick up and we lose power.  Good thing I've had a lot of practice sitting in my recliner doing nothing...