On
January 29, 2019, USA Today said “Yes, Chicago will be colder than Antarctica,
Alaska and the North Pole on Wednesday”. My son, in Lake Forest, verified that
it was indeed minus 24 degrees for two night. His car would not start. I hope
you all were warm and comfy wherever you are.
(Unique Cold Weather Tips are at the end of this blog.)
Well,
while it is not as cold here in Arizona, it still can be a bit on the chilly
side. This year, winter in San Diego is a little warmer than the
metropolitan Phoenix area. To keep warm, I decided to find some new sweatshirts.
That
was easier said than done. Everything I found just did not work for me. But the best idea I saw was the ones that look as if they are inside
out. Enter light bulb just above my head. . .
My
old shirts were not in great shape, but they were favorites of mine that I did
not want to part with. They had been purchased at special locations and
occasions and I did not want to lose the memories that were attached.
Additionally, some of the fleece that is the hallmark of sweatshirts may be
matted and that makes them scratchy.
I turned my shirts inside out but then the front had a background of stitching
and stabilizer from the original design. You will immediately note that the
stabilizer, still attached, is a cut away that will stand up to washing and
wearing for years. In order to keep the original design, I decided, for my
first attempt, to use denim for the inner cover up and cut away
stabilizer.
fish out of water outline 4x4 5k 4 colors The Avid Embroiderer.zip (105.6KB)
While
my design is a 4x4" (100mm x 100mm) size, I made the denim a 10 x 10"
(25cm x 25cm) because the original design is 7 x 8" (17.5cm x 20cm).
That 10 x 10 will allow for trimming or cutting a pattern. Once sewn, I did make 1"
(25mm) cuts around the denim to facilitate the fabric raveling. You can make this with or without the edge around the fish.
When I was happy with the placement, I used my glue gun to attach the embellishment.
Sorry
I forgot to take a photo of the denim sew out. But here it is on the sweatshirt
after it was washed. Now you have the original sweatshirt along with the reversible side. I hope you like the freebie, but you may have just the favorite design in your personal stash. After completion, I saw that I should have used a more 'filled' design for greater 'pop.'
Cold weather tips –
Cellphones?? Extreme
cold can also affect cellphones. (You may need it to call for help.) Most
manufacturers recommend using cellphones in temperatures ranging from 32 to 95.
The battery’s ability to power the device is compromised at extreme
temperatures, it may shut down. Keeping the phone close to your body, say in a
pants pocket, should keep it warm if you’re outside. And it should work fine
once it’s back in normal temperatures.
Frost Bite Tips.
The body’s first reaction to extreme cold is to restrict blood and oxygen flow
from its extremities, in order to preserve major organs. Your fingers, toes,
ears, nose and exposed skin are very susceptible to frost bite in as little as
five minutes.
Rubber gloves, like those that medical
professionals use can be very helpful. Remember how they sweat when wearing
them for a task? Well, that is heat being trapped in those thin gloves. Cover
that with two pair of winter glove and you have warmer hands and toes (they fit
there as well). Fingers, toes and the face are most often affected by the
harshest cold.
Layering
of multiple items on your body is very efficient. Wearing two or three long
sleeved shirts create a barrier that is very beneficial. Here in the Southwest,
a lot of homes have double pane windows. That doubling of glass helps trap both
heat and cold. Layer hands, layer head, layer chest and legs.
Thank you for joining me again. I enjoy writing this blog and hope you get some enjoyment from it as well. Pat