A couple fewer projects...

I'm not even going to summarize where the UFOs (unfinished objects) stand these days, it's so demoralizing.

But I made the list a little shorter tonight, by shopping my way out of a creative need.  Joann's has some luggage that the store sells as sewing machine luggage.

(Who knew?  My sewing machine has a lovely handle, and hard case, and lugs around quite nicely as is.  I guess these are intended for those who don't do their daily pushups.)

These are the solution to the SoftTrunk project.  I know, I know, I was going to MAKE something, and something flyable, but I so rarely fly, that continuing to suffer for some undesigned ideal was just silly.

(Also, I will nearly always sleep in a place with storage under the bed.   Even if it's my new cot.)

I was actually at Joann's looking for needlefelting needles, for an upcoming sheep project (they're finally going to get a home, yay!).  I may have to look in Tallahassee this weekend.  But ever since Melbrigda got her nice baskets at Joann's, I check around to see what solutions they might have that I haven't considered for the Shlepping Stuff Problem.

These have pockets all around.  They have feet and wheels and telescoping handles that a small light spinning wheel might be tied to.  The bottom and back are extremely sturdy, and the front and top are sturdy enough.  My feastgear plates fit inside, FLAT.  I have all my feastgear, loaner feastgear, sleeping stuff, and my sewing basket loaded in/on the bottom one.  (Not the cot - which is still Cat Habitat in the dining loom room.  But it has its own bag.)

Four days of garb will easily fit in the other one.  They're big enough to fit my fan, my scroll scrapbook, notebooks, and water resistant.  And the fabric looks renaissancey.

Check out the net pocket in the lid - perfect for Maudey's veilpin case.  There's straps to hold whatever (maybe a brush, maybe spindles?) and neat little accessory cases that velcro out easily.  I've put my sleep stuff in one (eye mask, ear plugs, cough drops) and my travel emergency med kit in the other, which leaves just toiletries in my train case - WHICH MATCHES.  Geez.

I do want to decorate these guys - put 'z z z' on the sleep stuff pouch, and a red cross on the med pouch, paint my name prominently on them, and maybe some black bees after I get my device passed.

Does anyone know where to get a gothic lettering template?  I used one in a leather workshop at Gulf Wars, and it would make the decoration go faster.

While verifying that these would indeed work (and that I needed to print out my other coupon, drive back through the Sky Falling and Car Swallowing Flash Floods, and buy the second one) I decided that I can safely ditch another project on the UFO list.

The embroidered cotton bedcover.  Why?

1. It takes up a lot of room in my satchel, for a purpose that is easily filled by a shawl or mantle, that I'm going to want anyway.  Silly to duplicate.
2. The more I've thought about the embroidery - the more I think it wouldn't really work, to cover the rust damage on the cover.
3. It's always going to be obviously a G.I. bedcover.  Sow's ear.

So...that's two down!  And the sheep are on their way out!  And the weather says that I won't need my shawl done for Gatalop in eight days after all (lows only in 60s, and I'm good for 50s with what I've got), so I don't have to worry about that so much either!  I may see the dining room again by November.

Good thing, because I need the table for a Gothic Fitted Dress.  Or two.

Comments

[Eeyore]

Yul in our group has been doing quite a bit of needle felting. I can ask him where he got his needles and other materials. As great as Jo-Ann's can be, sometimes they don't have the really specialty items we need.

[Eeyore]

Okay, talked to Yul. He got his first set of needles and brushes at Jo-Ann's. He said you should just be able to ask one of the sale associates for needle felting supplies. Recently he went to his local yarn shop and got better (and probably more period) needles. He said you could also look on the internet for supplies, or to get an idea of what you need. Apparently there was a fiber convention-type thingy going on in NC he was hoping to make it to last weekend. I swear if you two are at the same event I'm just going to introduce you and stand back. ;-)