Rain, Rain Go Away!

The tempest that raged throughout all of Southern California has kept me pretty busy over the last few days.  First there were the ants.  All buildings in Southern California rest upon one massive ant hill.  Ok, I exaggerate, but battling ants is a common problem.  On Wednesday afternoon the ants were flooded out of their nests and began looking for higher ground.  They were literally streaming out of the cracks in the garage floor and many of those who had made it out of the underground nest simply loitered around, unmoving.  I have never before seen hundreds of ants stand still, as though they were marooned on a desert island waiting for rescue.  I was a little freaked out....  Luckily, I've been able to deal with the solitary ants that continue to visit the house, presumably looking for a dry place to hang out.

So after a long, wet drive in traffic on the rain-soaked freeway this past Thursday I was too tired to write a Vintage Thingies Thursday post (sorry!).  I was also distracted by the large puddle of water that covered half of my backyard.  Then came the sleet, and that is very unusual here, although that didn't last long.  The bright zaps of lightning and claps of thunder were also quite distracting. Happily, all is well at my house in the end, though I feel for others who have not been so fortunate.  All in all, this was a storm to remember, and another one is headed this way next week!  It's hard to believe, as today was cheerful and sunny, with puffy white clouds in a bright blue sky.

I thought I'd catch you up on a couple of projects that I've been working for the last few weeks.  First, I've actually been sewing a bit with my little Bernina, Heidi.  Yes, I've named her Heidi.  A few of you made comments awhile back and suggested the names  Helga, Helena, and also Heidi. (You all must like names that begin with the letter "H"!).  My husband cast the tie-breaking vote, as he suggested Heidi too.  I think it fits.    So I'm using Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing to make two reversible aprons with some of my Christmas fabric.  I've sewn the side panels on the front and reverse sides.  In the photo you can see my pink Post-It note bookmarks (so many projects to make!): 

I've need to press the seams and the apron strings flat before I can move on.  Needless to say I've avoided setting up the ironing board for over a week now. 

I'm also fiddling with nylon crochet thread for the first time.  It's incredibly slippery, but fun to work with.  This is the body of a small, casual evening purse:

I'm actually working out my own pattern for the first time ever.  The body was made with a simple single crochet stitch.  I have several stitch encyclopedias and craft books and have been experimenting with different edgings, trying to figure out which one I'm going to use to decorate the flap of the purse that will also work well with the nylon thread.   I'll probably be working on this for some time.

The only good thing about rainy weather is that I feel like I have an excuse to stay in the house and craft.  As long as most of the ants remain outside and my backyard doesn't flood the next storm won't be so bad...I hope.