Elizabeth constructs a souvenir: Part 1

The chair that drew us in.  

While exploring Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix, Elizabeth and I found this interesting shop that now sits in one of its "historic" former homes, the Stevens House.

I use quotes around "historic" because Constance Stevens built the house in 1901. So while that might be ancient by the city of Phoenix standards, it's like an architectural larva compared to some of the castles and ruins we've seen in Europe. Several other buildings in heritage square were from the 1920s. Heck, Elizabeth and I have lived in houses and apartments older than that. 

Nevertheless, we were attracted by the colorful chair with bird feet hanging from the roof of the porch. (Who wouldn't be, right?) And we learned that Handcrafted Vintage Makerspace was a hands-on museum of sorts that allows patrons to try out late 1800s technology to make items, such as knitted socks from a sock-maker machine or wooden toys cut with a pedal-powered bandsaw. 

This is what she was aiming to make. 

So Elizabeth set out to make a souvenir. And considering this year is our E-5 Tour, she chose to make a baseball out of string like one that was displayed in front of the store. 

It involved hammering, lots of weaving and plenty of patience. It also required what looked like enough string to stretch from Phoenix to Tucson. 

"This is a lot tougher than it looks," Elizabeth said at least three times during the process. 

The tools of the trade. 

Hammerin' Hank has nothing on Elizabeth. 

Check back later for the second part to watch how Elizabeth put it together and find out how it turned out.