SV Cascadia

From the dreary viewpoint of February, Northwest summers burst with possibility, appearing long and sunny in the distance. We anticipate the late sunsets and dream of local tomatoes.  In reality, the weekends fill quickly with parties, projects, camping trips, and travel plans, and before we know it, the rain and cool weather have returned. Rain gear resurfaces, heaters fire up, and the down comforter returns from storage. Time to reinstall the bimini flaps.  After our Bridge Blast shenanigans , we had no events on the calendar until the Cascadia festival the last weekend in July. We finally got the missing parts for our composting toilet and installed it! But that will be a separate post. As will the delicious foods we cooked. This year, we planned to ride our bikes to Granite Falls (about 65 miles), camp for 4 nights, and bike home. While we can carry a minimalist camp setup with ease, we wanted lazy comfort and good food. We took notes over the winter when ideas s...

The beloved belt.  Wayne bought a burner belt three years ago. He has worn it almost daily, and this puzzle box of pockets carries all of his essential stuff. Last summer he lamented its impending demise. The linings of several pockets had worn through, and his fixes with gear repair tape wore out quickly. As soon as we bought a sewing machine, he suggested that I might be able to repair it. I added it to the long list of sewing projects and promptly forgot about it. The calendar turned to spring, and like magic the sun returned. "I miss my burner belt," he said. All winter he has worn a hoodie with a million pockets , designed for the nerd on the go. Seriously, this thing can carry a full-sized ipad, and it manages to not look weird and lumpy. For winter, it's impressive. In summer, it will be oppressive. In April, I decided to tackle reproducing this beloved bag. I spent an hour or two sketching out the layers, trying to figure out where all those flaps and zip...

Last August we bought a  sewing machine  as a first step toward replacing all of our canvas and upholstery as well as making, repairing, and tailoring our own clothes. Our levels of comfort and experience with sewing were similar. My mom had a home sewing business when I was little, and she taught me the basics. With her help, I made a couple of shirts from patterns in middle school, but I never progressed beyond that. Wayne hemmed his school uniforms and did basic clothing repairs. Neither of us had done any significant sewing in decades. We registered for a "This Is a Sewing Machine" class at  Drygoods Design , then showed up on the wrong day. Our second attempt found the class small and practical, the instructor patient, and the facility tidy and well-lit. This gave us a common foundation of skills and a refresher on best practices. Wayne suggested that we start by making a new sail cover, but I was intimidated by the size and expense of that project. I insist...