Caftan

 I bought these fabrics  in May with intentions of making three caftans. I prefer a cotton blend of fabric for this type of project since it's for comfort  around the house during summer. However, I will wear caftans in colder weather with a sweater. 

 How hard could it be? Who needs a pattern for that? 😶 I do.

Folding, cutting a neck hole and at the last minute deciding I wanted pockets didn't work out as well as I would have liked.

Sewing and drinking coffee. My Home Ec. teacher 
would be appalled. NO FOOD OR DRINK WHEN
SEWING!!

Since the front and back looked the same I decided

to add these beads I had in my stash. The dental

floss is to make sure they stay in place. The only

problem is that the white floss shows. Sooo, I used

a turquoise marker on the  white floss.

Front

This shows the finished caftan to
the waist. I was later told that this is 
a tunic and not a caftan.

It is now the middle of October so I'll put the idea of two other caftans to the side until warmer weather, the same way I did last fall 2021 for

    this 

          project

Bleached flannel

But, that's a story for another time.  

That's it***

Digging Sweet Potatoes

 I have to admit that when I saw this Facebook post,

the first thing that came to mind  was 1965 and the extremely popular tune  by Jr. Walker and the All Stars singing "Shotgun." * 

There's a portion in the lyrics that  says, 

" We gonna dig potatoes. We gonna pick tomatoes..."

After arriving it was determined that I wouldn't be digging any potatoes and that most had already been done.

I did come  prepared. 

I can't tell you the friendliness, warmth and welcoming I felt from the people associated with this church. It was if they'd always known me and I was one of their members.  

The weather was beautiful and cooperative. Here's a 360 of the surrounding area.( < :30 length)

What a tranquil site/ sight. Pews and tables located underneath this towering tree. I'm told that services are held here whenever weather permits. In case of inclement weather services are held at the Urban Ministry building located on the block diagonally east to this site. (<:30 length)

   DIGGING UP THE POTATOES  (click the link for video 1:23 length )

OTHER  GARDEN ASPECTS

I was gifted this bag of sweet potatoes by the good people at Community Church Without Walls.

DISCLAIMER:   To my knowledge, no shotguns, red dresses👗 or high heels 👠were involved with harvesting these sweet potatoes.  Although, I can still do the Jerk and the Twine.😊

S'Mores were to be roasted over the campfire later.

*Shotgun was the "Electric Slide" song of the time. You could be sure you'd have a crowded dance floor when Shotgun was played. Years later after reading the lyrics ,they seem to have been made up as the musicians were playing.   Most songs tell a story. This one did, but with some unusual characteristics.😧 Still, it was #1 on the Billboard chart for weeks.

     

WBW- The Other White House-revisited

 WBW- Way Back Wednesday is the same as TBT- Throw Back Thursday only it's done on Wednesday.

I did a post on this fading 1905 mansion in a previous post titled The Other White House in 2019. At that time the owner of  Le'Nell's Beverage Bar had bought the property, added her beverage store to the left and had future plans of turning the mansion into a family restaurant.

Fast Forward to September 24, 2022.

I was part of the Eat, Drink and Ride Tour with a group of Red Hatters. Le'Nell's was a stop on the tour.

The establishment is designed beautifully.  They have a wide assortment of beverages.  Gins, which were displayed in a bath tub. Whiskey, wine, sake, and much more.

* Champale

That's it 🍸🍷🍹

. 

Red Mountain Makers Fundraiser and Open House

   

Birmingham, Alabama was once well known for its  iron and steel industry.  

There was a running joke when I went off to school, that if you were from Birmingham, Alabama your Daddy worked at one of the steel mills. Not always true but, close. 😊 

Though the steel mills have closed, their  history will never be forgotten. Steel was the bread and butter income of many families.  Sloss Furnace,  now a historic landmark, was once a blast furnace producing pig iron. It was open from 1882 until 1971.

 Further notoriety of the iron and steel business in Birmingham, Alabama is seen through it's permanent fixture of  the cast iron statue atop Red Mountain, known as Vulcan, 

Signage could have been a little better. Had to walk two blocks to the entrance

 Jiggly octopi made from 3-D Printer

The welding I did not get to see because I didn't want to wear a sweaty welding hood

Auto darkening hood

that unknown other people  had been wearing.        Icky!! 😖

I did get to see blacksmithing and the forging of a sword.

 

Red Mountain Makers is not only paying homage to the city's steel and iron industry. It is keeping alive many of the crafts and vocations that might otherwise be lost without those who continue to practice them.

That's it 🔥🔥🔥