At least, not in the way of sewing. I've done a few clothing fixes, and I'm very slowly working on a new paper piecing pattern, but otherwise I haven't touched my sewing machine in over a week. What have I been doing instead?
- My girls are on summer vacation. They're staying up at least half an hour later every night, and since I still need to go to bed at the same time, that's 30+ minutes less of me time.
- I've been reading. My husband got William Shakespeare's Star Wars. Its such a fun read. I would pay money to see this play. I'm also re-reading the volumes of Fruits Basket that I own, so I can continue the story with volumes I got from the library.
- I've been reading to my girls. They signed up for the Summer Reading Club at the library, which is 15 minutes a day of reading. We read The Legend of the Golden Snail a few days ago, and I enjoyed the story as much as they did. Then at the end, you can go to the author's website and play a game with the book, which took up another half hour of our day. Yes, we've been reading other books too.
- I made marshmallows. I used Alton Brown's recipe, but used golden syrup instead of corn syrup because I made them as a birthday gift for my daughter's friend who is allergic to corn. I also used corn-free icing sugar and tapioca starch. They turned out awesome, if quite a bit gooier than store-bought marshmallows. But since this friend hasn't had marshmallows in over a year, he thought they were amazing! The only thing I would do differently next time is to add more vanilla extract to cover up the odd aftertaste of the golden syrup.
- We've gone on day trips. We went to the Richmond Night Market last night (the food is SO tasty). We went to Anime Evolution last weekend. I've taken the girls to the pool, the library, the park, friend's houses, a farm, shopping.
I'm sure I've done other things, but I'm also trying to take it slow and enjoy summer. And that means sewing has taken a back seat, and I'm okay with that. Next week we're headed to Trail (an 8 hour drive, plus stops) for my best friend's birthday, and then after that I'll be starting work on Halloween costumes. Chloe and Kara love Teen Titans right now, so Chloe is going to be Raven, and Kara is going to be Terra. After those are done, if I have time, I will make a white mage costume for Jane, and then (hopefully) a Final Fantasy Tactics ninja costume for me.
And that's my life right now. So really, there's a lot going on.
Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Tote Bag - Mission Complete!
I have finished! The first 3/4 was a breeze, and then frustration and mishaps and other bad things set in. However, I am done, and I am happy. The tote will be in the mail to its recipient tomorrow afternoon, after I pick up a few only-in-Canada treats to send along, since she lives in a different country. Here it is, photographed on the chair-and-a-half in my living room:
Side A - I was given the gorgeous "Forest" print from Hokkoh by a friend of mine, and really wanted to showcase it. I cut out the central tree, and then just built around it.
Side B - I am in love with Arabesque from Amy Butler's Love line, and wanted to cut out a full design to applique on, but I needed to make the background a bit interesting.
Inside - A pocket with part of Arabesque appliqued on, because I like it so much!
Also, forgive the blurry bits, it seems little fingers have been touching the camera lens :P
Linking up:
Side A - I was given the gorgeous "Forest" print from Hokkoh by a friend of mine, and really wanted to showcase it. I cut out the central tree, and then just built around it.
Side B - I am in love with Arabesque from Amy Butler's Love line, and wanted to cut out a full design to applique on, but I needed to make the background a bit interesting.
Inside - A pocket with part of Arabesque appliqued on, because I like it so much!
Also, forgive the blurry bits, it seems little fingers have been touching the camera lens :P
Linking up:
Thursday, June 6, 2013
On sewing, and sun
I've been hard at work on my partner's tote bag, and having lots of fun doing it too. I get in bits of sewing here and there, but somehow its all working out fine. Here's a WIP shot:
Also, its been sunny the last few days, and my girls have gotten too much sun. I had to dose their skin with aloe vera (straight from the plant) liberally before bed, and I've said that they're going to have to stay inside for a few days to let their sunburn heal. One upside of the sun, however, is this picture I took at mid-day today:
My 4 year old was outside playing in the wading pool, and calls me to tell me that there is something weird in the sky and that I have to come see! I come out, look up, and see an amazing sun halo! The edge of our roof just blocked out the sun, so while it was bright to look at, I still could look at it. I haven't seen very many sun halos in my life (though moon halos abound), and I had to explain to my daughter what it was because she had never seen one. I also had to take a picture, it was so neat! Though according to Wikipedia, halos often signal incoming rain; boo.
Also, its been sunny the last few days, and my girls have gotten too much sun. I had to dose their skin with aloe vera (straight from the plant) liberally before bed, and I've said that they're going to have to stay inside for a few days to let their sunburn heal. One upside of the sun, however, is this picture I took at mid-day today:
My 4 year old was outside playing in the wading pool, and calls me to tell me that there is something weird in the sky and that I have to come see! I come out, look up, and see an amazing sun halo! The edge of our roof just blocked out the sun, so while it was bright to look at, I still could look at it. I haven't seen very many sun halos in my life (though moon halos abound), and I had to explain to my daughter what it was because she had never seen one. I also had to take a picture, it was so neat! Though according to Wikipedia, halos often signal incoming rain; boo.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
On love, and slowly sewing
I shall start my post with my picture:
That is my dining room table this morning (it doubles as my sewing space). Those roses? My husband bought them for me yesterday, it was our anniversary! We've been married for 8 years. I said at some point last night "and here's to 8 more", to which he said "Only 8? How about 70?" Since we are both currently 30, that would take us to 100 - I like that plan! These 8 years have been filled with amazing (3 daughters, lots of laughs) and some hardships (my father's death, Mark getting and still dealing with pneumonia), but I am still so happy they have happened.
Roses! :D
Also on my table is my current WIP. Here I was all set (for the first time) to link up for WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced, and she's not doing it this week! Oh well, I'm still going to post this. About a month an a half ago, I had an idea. All the fruit trees around here were in bloom, and I wanted to capture that, but also use up some of the scraps/squares I inherited from my Grandma when she passed away 5 years ago. The concept for what it should look like popped into my head almost fully formed, and I just ran with it. It is taking a lot longer than I had hoped, because apparently I am very bad at finding/making time for sewing. There's all the house work, my 3 girls, playing video games with my husband, reading, etc; together it leaves little time for sewing. I am steadily plugging away at it though, and hope to finish it soon!
But now the sun is shining, my girls are calling, and so are the dishes. Have a great Wednesday everyone!
That is my dining room table this morning (it doubles as my sewing space). Those roses? My husband bought them for me yesterday, it was our anniversary! We've been married for 8 years. I said at some point last night "and here's to 8 more", to which he said "Only 8? How about 70?" Since we are both currently 30, that would take us to 100 - I like that plan! These 8 years have been filled with amazing (3 daughters, lots of laughs) and some hardships (my father's death, Mark getting and still dealing with pneumonia), but I am still so happy they have happened.
Roses! :D
Also on my table is my current WIP. Here I was all set (for the first time) to link up for WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced, and she's not doing it this week! Oh well, I'm still going to post this. About a month an a half ago, I had an idea. All the fruit trees around here were in bloom, and I wanted to capture that, but also use up some of the scraps/squares I inherited from my Grandma when she passed away 5 years ago. The concept for what it should look like popped into my head almost fully formed, and I just ran with it. It is taking a lot longer than I had hoped, because apparently I am very bad at finding/making time for sewing. There's all the house work, my 3 girls, playing video games with my husband, reading, etc; together it leaves little time for sewing. I am steadily plugging away at it though, and hope to finish it soon!
But now the sun is shining, my girls are calling, and so are the dishes. Have a great Wednesday everyone!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Making peace with me
Welcome! This is my blog focusing on sewing and sometimes design. I'm going to start with my thoughts on dressing me, and how I sew for me too.
As part of my weekly blog reading, I visit Coletterie. Last week, Sarai asked her readers "How do you deal with weight fluctuations?" A commenter named Milena wrote about making peace with her body, and many other commenters agreed. It got me thinking that there is so much (too much?) focus on being happy with your body, and not enough about being happy that you have your body, and making peace with it.
Some days I am NOT happy with my body. On those days I want to look good, because it helps me to feel better. And its okay, because I have made peace within myself about the body I've been given, and I have wonderful wardrobe pieces that fit my body. So even when I'm not happy with my body, I can put on clothes that look great on my body, and they make me feel good. I've also taken the time to figure out which styles look best on me, so that I find it easy to dress myself in the morning.
How did I figure out what looks good on me? Mostly trial and error, and knowing what shape my body is. I can't pull off super low waists, on pants or on dresses. I need something that barely nips in at my natural waist, as I really do have a square torso and hips (my current measurements show a mere two inches between my waist and hips). No low rise jeans, no drop waist dresses; full skirts or loose legs on pants. I can't really pull of knit dresses either. My body favors firmer fabrics, like cotton, linen, or polyester in dense weaves.
For style, I like the 50's and early 60's, though I can't honestly pull all of it off. Then again, few people can successfully pull off all styles. Its all about finding things that fit well, are comfortable and make you feel good.
So how do I sew for me? (Besides not very often...) I choose patterns that use the fabrics and styles I like, and then change their shape a bit to fit my measurements if necessary. My next three projects are going to be a cute top in a floral cotton and two dresses in stiff solid fabrics. They are:
- the Jasmine by Colette
- the Turtleneck Dress from BurdaStyle
- a 1960's McCall's pattern I bought off Etsy
And since I know they will look good and I have made peace with my body, I can be happy to have what I was given - a body that lets me do all this sewing that I love!
As part of my weekly blog reading, I visit Coletterie. Last week, Sarai asked her readers "How do you deal with weight fluctuations?" A commenter named Milena wrote about making peace with her body, and many other commenters agreed. It got me thinking that there is so much (too much?) focus on being happy with your body, and not enough about being happy that you have your body, and making peace with it.
Some days I am NOT happy with my body. On those days I want to look good, because it helps me to feel better. And its okay, because I have made peace within myself about the body I've been given, and I have wonderful wardrobe pieces that fit my body. So even when I'm not happy with my body, I can put on clothes that look great on my body, and they make me feel good. I've also taken the time to figure out which styles look best on me, so that I find it easy to dress myself in the morning.
How did I figure out what looks good on me? Mostly trial and error, and knowing what shape my body is. I can't pull off super low waists, on pants or on dresses. I need something that barely nips in at my natural waist, as I really do have a square torso and hips (my current measurements show a mere two inches between my waist and hips). No low rise jeans, no drop waist dresses; full skirts or loose legs on pants. I can't really pull of knit dresses either. My body favors firmer fabrics, like cotton, linen, or polyester in dense weaves.
For style, I like the 50's and early 60's, though I can't honestly pull all of it off. Then again, few people can successfully pull off all styles. Its all about finding things that fit well, are comfortable and make you feel good.
So how do I sew for me? (Besides not very often...) I choose patterns that use the fabrics and styles I like, and then change their shape a bit to fit my measurements if necessary. My next three projects are going to be a cute top in a floral cotton and two dresses in stiff solid fabrics. They are:
- the Jasmine by Colette
- the Turtleneck Dress from BurdaStyle
- a 1960's McCall's pattern I bought off Etsy
And since I know they will look good and I have made peace with my body, I can be happy to have what I was given - a body that lets me do all this sewing that I love!
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