Hardworking, that Ryan

Thanks for being so patient. As I foreshadowed last week, I have some photos to show you of a fun project I did recently for one of our very best friends, Ryan. He asked me to make him a holster to wear at work back when he and Emily visited us in November. November was a while ago! I've been busy, as you well know.

Ryan is a server at the bustling South Philly Cantina and he wanted something to carry a check presenter, an iPhone, a pen and a pencil and his chapstick, with possibly a secret pocket thrown in for good measure and belt loops to attach to his belt. My schedule had a tiny window in it two weeks back and I headed to this year's legendary White Elephant Sale (a great source for fabric and raw material for crafting projects) on the hunt for interesting plaids and inspiration.

I decided to make him two. One for business and one for pleasure, you might say. One classic red and black plaid with brown leather accents and one crazier one, featuring vintage/awesome hand screened canvas in a neon green and yellow and purple pattern. That way, if Ryan is feeling fruitier one day and lumberjacked the next, he need not sacrifice self-expression while working.







In the end each included designated pockets for each of his aforementioned necessities, plus a few extra, with two reinforced belt loops of leather or seatbelt, two secret pockets for small things in back and a stitch-suggested pocket for chapstick.

It was so nice to be sewing again. So nice.

**John's modeling here, as Ryan lives in Philadelphia.

Treasure Trove

Miriam took me to the Oakland Museum's annual White Elephant Sale last Friday, open only to friends of the Museum for the first month. After that it opens to the public. We only made it through the sewing section before they closed. As you can see, it was pretty epic:














What's crazier is that they had several old ladies testing them all out and the condition of each was written and certified on a tag. If only I were in the market...