Shower Caddie Encore

12 Apr

Back by popular demand…shower caddies as functional gift bags for the women at Wheeler Mission for Women and Children.  Our adhoc group of benefactors delivered 72 overstuffed caddies for Christmas last year.

We have a “green light” and a jump start for 2016.  A friend of a friend saved LLBean outdoor seat cushion covers from the REJECT bin.  The Plan:  Recycle as shower caddies.  Enough fabric for 13 of the 72.

Outdoor seat cushion covers undergoing "ripping" or deconstruction.

Outdoor seat cushion covers undergoing “ripping” or deconstruction.

I asked our group leader (who also has Master Black Belt Six Sigma certification), if there was VOC (voice of customer) feedback to incorporate this year.  Her suggestion…”leave off the button holes”.  Yes, I put button holes in the caddies last year to drain water that might accumulate in the bottom.

Six equally spaced button holes on a radius is a little time consuming.

Six equally spaced button holes on a radius is a little time consuming.

I did that without DRBTR!  (Design Review Based upon Test Results).  Do shower caddies without slots hold water?  YES.  Is that a problem?  Maybe.  Search for a suitable mesh fabric bottom was unsuccessful.

Mock up for test

Mock up for test:  Fill with one cup of water.

  1. No slots:            Drains      3.42-3.70 minutes          Over twenty times as slow
  2. One slot:            Drains        .60-.70 minutes            Four times as slow
  3. Two slots:          Drains        .28-.38 minutes            Twice as slow
  4. Three slots:   Drains      .15-.18 minutes         Baseline

The winner is a three slot design for the few occasions when water may accumulate it is a reasonable feature to have.  I will use parallel slots to save the time preparing the radial layout.

Here we go AGAIN!

 

 

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Friday Photo: I Ching No. 22 Elegance

8 Apr

“Elegance” as translated by David Hinton.  Also translated “grace” or “adorning”.

Mom @ Hampton Court 2012

Mom @ Hampton Court 2012

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Journey with a drop of water

5 Apr

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Journey with a drop of water

in an ordinary stream on an ordinary farm.

Begin at the rusty barbed wire fence in the northeast section.

Consider tumbling, flowing,

floating, pooling, rippling,

swishing, swirling,

bank left

crashing, splashing,

bank right

movement through sunlight and shadow

embrace stones

waltz around pebbles

glide across sand

dive beneath limbs

carry fish

Emerge at the one land bridge.

Elizabeth Frazee  3-Apr-96 (WOW…20 years ago)

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No fooling…that’s a LOT of love

1 Apr
Shipping 80 liners and 320 flannel pads to Days for Girls International

Shipping 80 liners and 320 flannel pads to Days for Girls International

Enough to complete 40 kits!  Liners have wings with snaps, reinforced pockets and PUL (polyurethane laminate) middle.  Flannel pads are reversible, tri-fold with top-stitching.  The design intent is for three years use.

My favorite color/pattern combos

My favorite color/pattern combos from this shipment

Back side of liners

Back side of liners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volunteers provide their materials (often).  For me, the joy of sewing comes from playing with the colors and patterns…..the bolder and brighter the better.

It's awesome how many gazillion graphic designs there are for butterflies.

It’s awesome how many gazillion graphic designs there are for butterflies.

http://www.daysforgirls.org

 

 

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Flash, a Book Review

22 Mar
Cousin Louisa, born and raised on Nina Bay Farm

Flash’s “Country Cousin”, born and raised on Nina Bay Farm

Flash by Rachel Anne Ridge is a delightful, charming first hand account of her homeless donkey who taught the family about life, faith and second chances.

Artfully woven into each chapter are Bible verses…like icing on cake…the perfect topping (for great stories).  Examples: Chapter 4: Run with horses. Proverbs 23:7 “As a man thinks with his heart, so is he” or Find your passion. Be a trailblazer. Psalm 32:8 “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

Yesterday, I thought of Rachel and Flash (and the donkeys/burros at Nina Bay Farm).  It was Palm Sunday.  She reminded us on pages 160-1 that Flash’s ancestors had historic roles in the life of Christ.  Beginning with Mary and Joseph during his humble beginning, as well as Christ’s journey the through Jerusalem which ends at the cross.  In Rachel’s words, “God using the ordinary to do extraordinary feats”.

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Gallery

Friday Photos: I Ching No. 6 Conflict

18 Mar
Touring Washington D.C. landmarks
Touring Washington D.C. landmarks

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Elated with Eliot’s Elegant Book Review

15 Mar

I was so elated that I purchased I Ching: The Book of Change translated by David Hinton (new to me).  I am amazed that I found Eliot Weinberger’s review in my twitter feed.  Here is the link:

http://www.chinafile.com/library/nyrb-china-archive/what-i-ching

His review is comprehensive, concise and engaging.  My study of I Ching began 17 years ago preparing collage interpretations, followed by a lull, then re-engaged last year with photo interpretations posted in Elfcroft’s Friday Photos.

Here are some gems from Eliot’s review:

“it can explain everything”

“crucial words have no fixed meaning”

“Everything is connected.  Everything is in a state of restless change.”

“Chinese characters as ideas rather than words”

“Cosmic filing system”

“microcosm of Chinese civilization”

“tease the mind”

“read in an infinite number of ways”

………the possibilites…..:)

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I spy butterflies!

7 Mar

Guidelines for proper selection of fabric for Days for Girls International Kits:

Some prints are offensive or illegal in some communities.

Prints with people, animals, faces and figures cannot be sent to Muslim communities.

NO camouflage fabrics as these are illegal in many countries.

Fabrics with food, bugs, reptiles, guns, knives, culture-specific themes as well as girly-glam should be avoided.

Bugs, reptiles and animals are predators in some areas; fabrics including these are uncomfortable for the girls to wear and use.

Butterflies are OK. 
Rev May 23, 2015

Nine beautiful butterfly designs on flannel!  Enough fabric to supply liners for 40 kits in next shipment.  🙂

 

daysforgirls.org

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Friday Photos: I Ching No. 43 Displacement

4 Mar
Thames River cruise (2012)

Thames River cruise (2012)

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Inside the lock

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Displaces river water

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From Houzz: 8 ways to arrange artwork

1 Mar

 

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