My Covid-19 and later projects

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,306
3,089
67
Pembrokeshire
Project 19
Notebook
More a "proof of concept" that a finished item - though hopefully it will last well!
The paper is just photo copy paper folded and trimmed and it is sewn into the notebook with thread made from palm fiber.
The leather is recycled clothing and the stiffeners cardboard from Amazon packaging.
The fun bit is that the boards are stuck into the leather using glue made from Bluebell root-bulbs :)
My wife was doing the Covid-19 gardening and was disposing of some of the invasive Spanish Bluebells from the fruit and veg patches ... so I claimed them:D
I mashed the roots to a paste with some spit and - TAH-DAH - a glue was born!
I threw the notebook together and did not line the inside - so I can see what is happening with the glueing as time passes.
I think that I need to find a system for getting more of the lumps out of the glue but it has a decent "grab" and so far is quite strong ... but time will tell..
If all is well I will try the glue on other materials - next time I have legal access to Bluebell bulbs!
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John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,306
3,089
67
Pembrokeshire
Project 20
Camo net
I do a fair bit of birdwatching so thought I would make a "hide net".
Garden twine net embellished with off cuts and trimmings from my clothing projects and odds and ends - all natural fabrics!
The whole thing took much more in the way of materials than I anticipated and the weight of the embellishment drags the net in to the center unless it is tied out - luckily I incorporated longer bits of rag at the sides to act as tie down points :)
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That is my wife modelling the look - suits her! :)
 

Dougster

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 13, 2005
5,254
238
The banks of the Deveron.
Ah - you have not seen me for a while...
I was told I needed new knees and hips - lost weight and rebuilt muscle instead.
Now there is only two thirds the amount of me left ... but it is not in pain anymore :)

Glad to hear that about the pain, I got healthy after I was diagnosed with arthritis in the knee, dating back to my climbing fall. I understand why you did it. Bravo. And nice making skills too. I have been talking to mates in Wales and hope to be down at some point, if not this summer then when I am able to visit my family there.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,306
3,089
67
Pembrokeshire
Project 21
Bimble bag/ forage bag/ stuff sack
I am now running seriously short of materials to make stuff!
This glorified stuff sack uses all recycled materials - even the cord was originally cut for something else - except the eyelets which were new but just a couple left over from another project...
It is designed to carry minimum amounts of gear such as 1st Aid kit and water for a 2 hour bimble in the woods near home ("Carry a blade - carry 1st Aid") or for gathering foraged materials ... or whatever!
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John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,306
3,089
67
Pembrokeshire
Project 22
Getting fitter
As I am running out of materials and the Lockdown restrictions have been relaxed a bit I have decided to try and get fitter during the C-19 Crisis...
Since restrictions on Outdoor Exercise were relaxed fro 1 hour per day I have been doing a bit more - as much as my knees allow!
After my morning hour of physio and weights exercise I am now doing a 1 mile tour of our village (visiting my local woods and watching the Great Spotted Woodpecker nest for at least 2 feeds of the chicks), then having breakfast. After breakfast - or if the weather dictates, after lunch - I go for an hours walk or cycle ride around the lanes from home. Once a week I push a bit harder and do a one and a half hour walk, visiting my local beauty spot (luckily this is within walking distance of home :) ) and this is what I managed today. If I have walked the bigger walk in the morning I try to fit in another 1 miler in the afternoon. Any time I am watching TV I fit in up to 6 more sets of leg extension and 5kg dumbell curls instead of just vegging :)
The walking takes my knees to the edge of pain - and it is to get out of pain and avoid knee surgery that I started losing weight and rebuilding muscle in the first place!
The longer walk is quite pleasant and today I saw young Woodpeckers almost ready to fly (not my normal nest to watch)Badger, Fox and Rabbit sign, lots of birds, a gateway to Anwn (the waterfall) wild flowers galore and some of the views that first attracted me to the area.
I attach some photos taken on today's walk - there are quite a few....P5240006.JPGP5240007.JPGP5240010.JPGP5240011.JPGP5240013.JPGP5240018.JPGP5240019.JPGP5240020.JPGP5240023.JPG
 
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John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,306
3,089
67
Pembrokeshire
And some more...
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That is the full circuit - about 4 miles and it took one and a half hours including photography, birdwatching etc.
When I started my journey of weight loss I was almost 17stone and my knees so bad I could barely walk 1 mile.
When Lockdown started I was 14st 6.5lb, this morning I have walked 5 miles and weighed in at 10st 2.75lb.
The walk was done using the camo trousers, camera and bino cases drop pouch and bimble bag made during Lockdown :)
 

Mesquite

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
28,216
3,196
63
~Hemel Hempstead~
You've some lovely countryside to explore John and well done on the weight loss.

Sounds like you'll have to make a whole new wardrobe again :)
 

mic201m

Member
Oct 28, 2004
42
17
Hertfordshire
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another linocut for the virus
 
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