They grow up so fast....

[flick]

The ducklings have turned into ducks:



This is probably a good thing, as Zu Zu is losing interest in them. She's been flirting with me and looking for a spot to make her nest. At some point, I'm going to have to let her back in the garden with the others (as it is, she's had to be rescued from the drive half a dozen times over the last couple of days, although I think I've now got enough of a barricade to keep her in), and I fear it's going to be before the ducklings can have adult food so they'll have to stay on their own at least for part of the day.

This is Magrat, middle duckling, and Letice, on their way to bed. They are nearly as big as little Maggers. They are all girls, so suggestions for suitable Pratchett witch names welcome (and for the Campbells, who will probably be indistinguishable from each other; I was going to name them after the witch Tiffany trains with, who has two bodies, but it turns out that she's just "Miss Level" with no first name given, and I can't really call one of them "Miss" and the other "Level").



I admired a bag at Little Quilt Club a few months ago, and was subsequently presented with the home-written instructions for making it. They may have been the worst instructions I have ever had to follow, especially without a picture of the finished bag for reference. Now that I've made it, I do think I could make another quite easily, but actually it's turned out better than I thought it was going to, and almost all of the dodgy bits are hidden away inside. I do wish I'd realised how the handle was going to attach before I decided to make it two-colour, but there we go. Hand sewing the final binding was a bit of a nightmare: three layers of wadding and something like eleven layers of fabric to get through. Still, it is done.

Comments

[bugshaw]

Bonus dog in a bush photo :-)

[flick]

Bonus dog weeing in a bush, even! I didn't notice him there.

[bugshaw]

The ducks are much more admirable.

Miss O Level and Miss A Level, if one's more intellectually advanced?

[flick]

Ha, I like that!

[batwrangler]

If they will be indistinguishable, why not just call them both Miss Level and collectively the Misses Level?

Ps. Excellent work on the bag!

[clothsprogs]

I was going to suggest calling them collectively "The Levels", but I prefer yours.

Teddy

[batwrangler]

I also think Miss Plum(b) Level would work wonderfully...

[clothsprogs]

Oh that's good!

Teddy

[flick]

I think you might be right. It might be tricky if I ever have to take them to the vet, but that bridge can be crossed later, if necessary.

[clothsprogs]

Well done getting the bag done - I can see why you admired the one at Little Quilt Club, since I'm admiring yours.

Teddy

[flick]

If you'd like the instructions, let me know....

[clothsprogs]

At some point, I'd like to have a look through them at least - to give me an idea of whther I'd be likely to have a go at making one myself.

Looking at the picture, I think I might be able to work out the construction for myself, it's the measurements that wouild probably take some experimentation doing it that way.

Teddy

[flick]

Yeah, sure - remind me next time you're here. I found it very non-intuitive, but you've done a lot more of that kind of thing than I have.

[clothsprogs]

Thanks!

Teddy

[jennlk]

That is a very neat bag. I keep thinking I should make a bag that's just what I want for hauling music & gear, and then I get distracted by other things.

(also? yay ducks! we keep peeking at the chicks (duck, turkey, hen) at the local farm stores, but we really don't have the proper space for them.)

[flick]

It is very handy. Rigid enough without being hard-sided, and lots of nice big pockets.

You don't need much space for poultry, you know....

[clothsprogs]

"You don't need much space for poultry, you know...."

.... Just a bag with nice big pockets.

Teddy

[jennlk]

It's as much mental space as physical, although that too is fraught, what with foxes, raccoons, coyotes, and hawks. And free-ranging dogs.

We look at the chicks and say "awww, how cute", followed by "housing, fencing, feed. and how many eggs do we really eat anyway?"

[flick]

Very true: you always seem to have a huge amount on!

[bohemiancoast]

Homemade bags are so very satisfying! It's like... nobody will sell me the bag I want for any amount of money, and yet I can make it myself instead. I'd like to have a look at the instructions when I next see you.

All girls! Maybe Ratty could sex ducklings, preferred boys, and was actually providing a handy culling service.

[flick]

Ratty: quite possibly so. If the boys were more likely to be further from mum, say....