Derby: In Memoriam

Two Winters ago one of my favorite rams passed away.  Derby.  He was born on our farm in 2004, sweet and gentle from Day One.  As he aged, his disposition never changed.  He was top ram for a couple of years when youth and testosterone were on his side, but slipped from power pretty quickly because he just wasn't a fighter.  He is the only ram we've ever had that never, never, lowered his head to me.  I was perfectly comfortable, never hesitated in fact, to break that Cardinal Rule and turn my back to him while in the pasture.  Aside from his remarkable demeanor, Derby was, and still is, the only sheep we've had who has shed his wool.  Each Spring, I would wait for his fleece to loosen and lift off the skin.  He would stand stock still for me while I pulled off, handful by handful, his gorgeous chocolate brown wool.  When he died late one evening, the other rams stood vigil.  My husband found them and remarked how it was chilling to find Derby on the ground while the three other rams stood quietly with their heads resting on his lifeless body.  Being the middle of Winter and befitting a Shetland ram who has equally strong Scandinavian as well as Scottish heritage, we built a large bonfire from a shed that had been torn down and sent Derby off in glory.  His soft nose, nuzzling into my hand, and his calming presence are sorely missed around the pasture.

So I decided to honor his memory the best way I know how,

with my needle and thread. 

Lederhosen braces

Since taking up leather tooling, my husband, Hank, has come up with more crazy unique ideas than I thought possible.  It all started quite innocently with belts and can coozies that were handed out by the thousands this past Christmas.  Simple keychains led to talk about cuffs, collars, corsets and wouldn't the guinea pig love some Viking-styled armor?  Maybe just a helmet and a saddle...?  I knew I had to redirect this creative energy to a more useful end (only, if for no other reason than, to spare the poor guinea pig), hence, the suggestion of traditional Lederhosen braces.  If Hank would supply the braces, I would supply the Hosen.

Draped in plaid

Earlier this Winter I decided to take a scissors to some wool and try my hand at draping.  I am confident enough to alter a pattern, sometimes quite drastically, to suit my taste, but never had I just draped the fabric off a dressform in hopes that it would magically transform in a couture garment.  In my collection were three pieces of lightweight wool in coordinating colors.  The problem:  I only had one yard of each.  I decided to put all three together and play with the possibilities.

gettin' witchy

Earlier this month I had the occasion to dress in my finest witch's costume and head out for a little late night shopping.  One of our local antique stores was hosting their annual Witches' Night Out, an evening for ladies to shop while nibbling on cheesecakes and pumpkin spice coffee.  Special sales in the store and door prizes added to the fun.  But let's be honest, dressing up only for the 31st?  It's really not enough.

Leather tooling :: the possibilities!

Small, unassuming metal stamps have been taking over my house for the past two months.  And there seems to be a direct correlation to the number of hours that Mr. Schimstock has spent sitting at the dining room table.  Yes, Folks, you've guessed it.  Hank has a new hobby.

Swishing my way out West

When Hank and I first started planning our vacation out West, it was clear that we had very different approaches to the 3000-mile trip out to Yellowstone and back.  He immediately pulled up Google maps, started plotting cities, researched attractions and calculated mileage.  I casually thumbed through my sewing patterns.  Hank anxiously gave the 1950 Chevy a thorough run-through, hoping she'd hold up for just one more roadtrip.  He changed the oil, checked the brakes, checked the suspension, double-checked his emergency toolbox and, just because he's that cautious sort, signed up for AAA.  I thrilled at finding the perfect piece of summer-weight wool.  Priorities, you know. 

When I think of Summer vacation , I immediately picture billowing, cotton sundresses and snappy playsuits in novelty prints.  But when I combine that image with Summer traveling, I cringe at the thought of ironing said cotton dresses with teeny hotel irons and flimsy boards (should you be *lucky* enough to even have one).  Such was my dilemma.  The South Dakota Badlands in August were sure to be hot, but once again, I opted for wool.  Hank looked up from under the hood of the Chevy just long enough to raise his greasy eyebrow at that decision, but I sewed on.   Ultimately I decided on two staple pieces on which to build my wardrobe:  an A-line skirt and a pair of pants. 

Retro Restyle: This tater sack's a humdinger!

Over a year ago I made up my mind to make something out of burlap.  There are so many fabulous potato sacks out there with catchy slogans and vintage graphics, and they all can't be made into tote bags.  At first I was thinking corset or vest, paired with gingham perhaps, but this particular sack wouldn't lend itself to cutting.

what I started with

what I ended up with

The Shepherdess in Winter

No matter the weather, the Shepherdess is on duty.  Might as well make it fashionable! 

farmpunk haute couture

 

The House of Alexander McQueen has wowed us over the years, but the current 2013 Spring collection has been seeping into my thoughts ever since it was released.  For the past many months, while I'm sewing winter necessities, Easter dresses and Steampunk pirates, my mind's eye continually wandered back to the golden, sticky, sweet fantasy that is McQueen.  It's a fusion of the Christian Dior's New Look silhouette and farmpunk.  How could I not sew this into my closet?!

Jetpack Test Flight #1 : Success!

You read that right.  I said jetpack.

A couple of summers ago, Mr. Hank Schimstock (shown above) stumbled across a three-fer deal of Electrolux vacuum cleaners at a rummage sale.  One he generously polished up, and I use it for my housework.  The other two went in the barn and proceeded to get lost in amongst the thrifted furniture and swapmeet car parts.  He joked that they would be perfect for a jetpack.  I rolled my eyes and forgot about the whole thing.

Fast forward to last month when the Oshkosh Public Museum put out a facebook call for any and all ray guns in the Greater Wisconsin area.  Ray guns?  This warranted more investigation.  Come to find out that they are busily working away on a Steampunk Exhibit scheduled to open this summer.  They were asking for masterfully crafted guns to be submitted for consideration.  I forwarded it on to Hank as a 'here might be fun project' idea.  Well, let me tell you, the whole thing has exploded.

Hausfrau

These are the hands...

...of a Hausfrau.

Most people think we spend the day dreaming, napping and sipping coffee.  Well, believe me, I've tried to do just that.  But then the sheep need hay, the cows need corn, the chickens need water, the laundry piles up, the dishes pile up, the children run amuck and the Husband wonders what in the hell happened.

Feed Sack Tote Bags

Here at the Homestead, we go through a lot of feed bags - chicken feed, sheep mineral, whole corn, rolled corn, oats, alfalfa pellets, dog food, cat food - but none of them are as cool as this one.  I found this plastic woven Honey Bee Alfalfa bag at a local antique shop for $5.  It's still in very good shape considering the abuse it most likely went through.  No holes or tears.  And so I repurposed it into shopping bags.  Just another quirky farmpunk project...

This is the no-fuss, tote bag pattern that is pretty common now.  I purchased double-fold quilt binding for the trim and handles which made this a really quick project.  It seems almost every store is selling reusable bags (which is good), but you know me, I have to make it myself. 

farmpunk : : my turn

Hank and I thought ourselves quite witty the day we coined the term "farmpunk."  Ours eyes widened and our conversation accelerated as we rushed to define it.  It all started with a mild mannered discussion regarding Steampunk, but what if the punk was taken out of the Victorian Era and placed elsewhere?  Somewhere more accessible to us, personally, on a daily basis; like on a farm?

But how exactly do you punk a farm?  Google searches lead to an interesting, albeit short, list of what was already labeled farmpunk.  To our dismay, we had not coined the phrase, but the movement appears to be in its infancy.

Let's begin with a general definition of "punk" as set forth by the Urban Dictionary:

"Punk is:

1. the personal expression of uniqueness that comes from the experiences of growing up in touch with our human ability to reason and ask questions.
2. a process of questioning and a commitment to understanding that results in self-progress, and by extrapolation, could lead to social progress.
3. a belief that this world is what we make of it; truth comes from our understanding of the way things are, not from the blind adherence to prescriptions about the way things should be.
4. [and my favorite] everyone has the potential to be punk."