Before the New Year Begins

Goodbye 2012, I am ready to be done with you. This year has not been especially eventful, but it has been happy and peaceful. I feel satisfied that I took some risks and decided to be proactive with a lot of things in my life, and persist with the things I want to accomplish, even when I am tired or lose enthusiasm...I guess I developed more discipline. I usually make a few modest resolutions every year...keep house cleaner, be more organized, do yoga more, etc., but somehow the only thing I have been able to come up with this year is to finish my projects. I really love making and mending and being thrifty, so I want to polish up that corner of my life...I have 2 tubs of yarn and 2 tubs of fabric here at home. The fabric is mostly stash and the yarn is mostly leftover. I also want to spend more time on my etsy store, even if it is just for fun and sharing and expression...and providing a valuable service! I am thinking that we will begin our relocation process is about a week to two weeks. Our visa application is going in at the end of the week and then it is a matter of travel arrangements and getting our house packed up! So excited to be going to London! I have visions of jogging with the dogs in Hampstead Heath (we intend to live in Hampstead within walking distance of the Heath and Hampstead tube station). I cannot wait to get acquainted with some knitters and sewists over there as well. Who knows what the adventure will bring? Whatever it is, I feel ready. Cheers, and Happy New Year!!

Any Last Thoughts?

Yes, I do have a lot of catching up to do. I'll try and contain my post losing anxiety and get all the sewing wrapped up here. I don't have a picture of everything I have sewn but let's see what I do have. Maybe I will snap some pics of what I have done after I get this all up.

Style Pattern- I can't find them online! Too lazy to run upstairs and check the number. It is my go-to dress pattern. I have made at least three of these.

Love the concept, NOT the fabric. This needed an allover cheetah or leopard print, and the collar came out really heavy. It already went to Goodwill! Sorry.

McCall's asymetrical top for New Year's Eve. I have since accepted the need to make my size and not subject my muffin top for public viewing. Pictures are important to help me realize this.

A SUPER PINK Lisette Pattern by Simplicity in Lisette Fabric! I did a great job and I love them but where will I ever wear it? I do wear the skirt with a tank top and tights frequently.

There was my New Look muumuu, shot on the island of Hawaii, on my lanai, with a mai tai! Aren't you glad I went all that way just to get a picture of it for you?

Here is what you can see of my Rachel Comey Vogue pattern in action...this pattern was kind of a bitch. It took me at least four days to sew with lots of pleats, full lining, french seams and lots of other designer specified procedures. I am glad she made me do it in the end because it is a nice design. The only problem is the woven stripes cause uneven pulling in the bust darts/pleats.

Walkaway Dress. I will never wear this!

That Style pattern again, done in a nice Lisette sateen.

Simplicity Project Runway Pattern, done in a Lisette twill print. I love this dress!

Sheer tunic made with fabric bought with birthday gift card to Joann's!

Here I am wearing another version of the Vintage Vogue dress. I look tired!

Well, that is about all I've got. I've got to finish this sweater before the Olympics are over! Thanks for visiting!

Part 3 (Will I Ever Shut Up?)

I needed a dress for the Christmas Party so I decided on Vintage Vogue 8728

I got a nice poly shantung from Joann's. I wish it was real shantung but I wasn't up to the long drive to High Fashion Fabrics.

I did it all on the day of the Christmas party, I had another dress planned but ended up deciding it was too wiggle dress-y...not coworker appropriate.

I felt cute, not fat and that it was appropriate to the occasion! Don't you just love having the right thing to wear? This was a great pattern and I have made it two more times and counting...

Part 2

I have a morbid fear of losing posts, so I gave the first one a test run and I am ready to continue. I also don't quite get the links function, not only is it not highlighting the links to click to, I cannot give them a new title. I will be so much more fun and informative if I can figure this out. Anyway, want to see some sewing?

First there was a pillowcase I sewed for the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge at the Houston Quilt Show. I got to choose my fabric combination,

cut and sew right there on their fabulous Bernina sergers:

Then I got to hang my pillowcase with the others at the show and they all went to the Houston Children's Charity:

What a great project and everyone was having a blast...truly a great interactive time at the quilt show! I saw some other awesome things there

White glove-handled Best in Show Winners, I believe this one was in the Best Machine Quilting Category...seriously, this was stupendous. I can't believe someone was so careful and so detailed with their quilting.

Beautiful Quilts embellished with Swarovski crystals. Shiny objects, oooh oooh!

A fantastic Volkswagen Bug Quilt! That's for me! I saw some great wearable art, test drove some Kai shears, saw all of my favorite quilting fabric companies, and took home some french silk pins and tweezers for ripped up seams...I love them and I don't know how I did without them for all of these years. This all happened months and months ago but it really was fun and I had a great time taking all the pictures.

One Year, and at Least 30 Garments Later

Hello! Whether or not anyone missed me, I have been feeling the need to document some of my work. Our house is coming together and it is definitely a comfortable home. I have got to say, it is CRAZY hot outside here in Texas- I do NOT go out unless I absolutely have to, as I am not a hot weather person. We have had a nice and quiet summer, no big trips or anything. I have been happy as a clam in the sewing room! I will go back as far as I can and put up the things worthy of a picture. Believe it or not, there was a TINY bit of knitting:

These are Saartje's Booties- made in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino -I made them for a neighbor's baby. I was sewing the buttons on while Rob drove me around the corner to the party. How's that for last minute?

Think of the Possiblities

Two weeks ago, my bad knee started feeling unhappy. From achy and sore one afternoon to unable to walk without pain or straighten by the next morning. A visit to the chiropractor confirmed the worst: time to go see an orthopedic surgeon. After removing the loose piece of cartilage from my knee joint, the surgeon found it appropriate to drill quite a few holes in the femur where the cartilage came off. It will require that am on crutches and do absolutely NO weight bearing activity for six weeks. No stepping or driving on that leg. Dragging myself around to do anything right now is exhausting. So, I am happy to do things that I can do sitting! I had brought my sewing projects downstairs to the dining room and I actually sewed left footed yesterday. It worked out fine and we set the ironing board up next to me super low so that I could easily turn and press my pieces; it worked so well I may incorporate this into my sewing routine forever! The Texas Renaissance Festival is coming up and I really need to get my friends' costumes completed -the last thing I want to do is stress them out. So those are going to be the first projects in the can. After that, I have a nice stack of dress fabric that I will be ready to turn into some great things. Rob and I also did a duct tape mannequin of myself so that I can fit my personal garments on that. I can't stand up straight right now, so fitting on myself is out. I have got some cute dotted swiss cotton that I am going to turn into Vintage Vogue 8728

I have seen some great versions of this dress and I am excited to give it a go! Also, I purchased some nice navy blue cotton pique, I was thinking it could turn into either Vintage Vogue 1084

or perhaps, Vintage Vogue 2902

That's a start! For this very moment I am looking forward to enjoying the gorgeous pork loin dinner that our neighbor brought over for us, while watching The Young Victoria and knitting my Good Bias Shrug by Lisa Daehlin from IK way back in 2005.

Life is great, in a way, even if I have been forced to slow down. I wouldn't be able to do it without my great family and friends to help out!

Joann Coupons...Energizing Lifeforce,or Just Comforting Ritualistic Behavior?

Today I went to Joann's. I also went yesterday, but I had to abandon everything and leave. I was on a mission of picking up every trinket on sale I thought I needed, and picking out some fabulous Red Tag clearance at half off of the regular price. Yesterday and today I looked at the wait at the cutting counter and I knew that there was no way I was even going to try it. No fabric for me this weekend, it was a mob. I am telling you, crafty ladies are crazy, y'all...we flock to that store with our coupons. And there are ALWAYS coupons. Last week I used every one that I had in my purse, my email and my phone,and all of a sudden I realized that I was going to have to wait almost an entire week to shop with a coupon and I actually felt a little bummed out. My behavior is a little obsessive, I was online plotting the ten McCall's Patterns I could select for a dollar apiece, and the ten Vogue Patterns I could get for $3.99 apiece when this Labor Day Sale begins. I always carry the mailer around in my purse so that I can look at it when I am bored and contemplate each item that I can get at a deep discount and what I can do with it. I scan the fabrics online and visualize where in the store it is located so I can find it easily when I get there. Who am I kidding, I need help. I did do pretty well for myself in the store otherwise, though. Two packs of scrapping cardstock for the boys and me, the correct Viking bobbins for sure this time, a cool pill organizer to organize my sewing machine feet, and candy for the boys who have been unbelievably cooperative and sweet this weekend! Also two dress patterns, a shirtwaist and a sheath, both McCall's. Sorry no numbers or links yet! I did feel inspired by both of them and I felt they could really work for me so I cannot wait to find out and I'll most likely show you then. Something weird that happened, I also bought a new tomato pincushion to replace my old one, it's strawberry emery was missing and it was pretty beat up, so when I unwrapped the new one I was tossing the old one and I thought, "I know there's a LOT of needles in there, I had better cut it open over the wastebasket (because I know it is full of sawdust) and get them out." I was not prepared for the number of needles I found in there. there were at least SIXTY of them, in all shapes and sizes. A lot of them were quilt betweens, very short and tiny, and ideal for disappearing. Back when I was hand quilting (before children), I would load up five or six needles at a time with thread so I could just quilt away with minimal interruptions, so it doesn't surprise me that some could disappear into the abyss of the tomato. Right now we are getting a little rain from the very edge of Tropical Storm Lee. It is very soft and calm and I am glad for it for now. The boys have two guests sleeping over and the house is nice and quiet in bed and I am just feeling lucky that it all turned out this way. I hope it stays rainy and mellow all weekend, that would make great sewing weather. My friend whom I am sewing the Renaissance costumes for is coming over tomorrow and I she is going to provide moral support while I construct. She doesn't sew but maybe she will by the time we are done! Cheers.