No Sewing

I don't know that I've got anything exciting to tell. I haven't been sewing. I did manage to unpick the heavily topstitched and edgestitches (read - triple straight stitch with heavy cotton thread) seams on the denim skirt. Since that time I haven't had a chance to press the seams or re-sew them. Maybe tonight. My new furniture was delivered. I love the look of all the pieces, but the room feels crowded. That could just be because we've never had furniture in that room since we bought the house and it could just be because the scale is the tiniest bit off. I promise to learn to work the digital camera. Last weekend I attended the Neighborhood Group Leaders Meeting of my local ASG Chapter. Because, well I happen to be a group leader. Anyway there were some great ideas for meeting topics. Lots of information shared, productive morning. After the meeting I headed over the JoAnns to see if the maybe, just maybe, they had some decent cotton knits for the ASG National charity sewing project. I was able to pick up 4 yards of white stretch terry with a 40% off coupon, a really cute blue jersey with cars, planes and trains outlined in black and a pink ribbed knit. I then headed over the Hancocks where McCalls patterns were 99 cents. Of course I had to look around. There I picked up 2 yards each of a pink and a blue cotton interlock. These knits will be made into the gowns, t-shirts and diaper covers and dresses from this pattern:

Does anyone have opinions on what sizes are most beneficial? The layette items will be donated to the women's shelters in the Washington DC area. And are the bunting type gowns still being used?

Hope to have actual sewing content with photos to post soon :) In the meantime I'll leave you with a very funny picture of Abigail trying to get anyone to rub her tummy. She's laying on my new kitchen floor. Isn't it pretty?

Completely Un-fiber Related

Sunday my new furniture is being delivered. This is the furniture for the new 'great' room. Our house was originally built with 3 'sitting' rooms. I mean really! There is the formal living and dining rooms, then there was a tiny kitchen with an equally tiny eating area right next to it and another living room with a wood stove in a fabulous red-brick arched alcove. Over the last several months we have removed walls and doors, moved windows relocated the pantry, bought and installed new appliances, sinks, faucets, countertops, cupboards and flooring. The last element to the room is the furniture and it's coming on Sunday! Happy Dance, happy dance, happy dance.

Hmmmm

Still struggling with the numbers on the scale. They have crept up a little bit and the tummy appears to be sticking out a little bit - to me. Of course, I am aware that I am my own worse enemy, but still. Time to get back into control before 4# becomes 10# or more. I haven't been feeling well. I woke up Friday morning with a sore throat, which managed to linger all day and just make me basically feel blah. Consequently, I did something on Saturday I haven't done in so long I don't even remember the last time. I stayed in my pj's until 11 a.m.!! Yep, I sat on the couch reading and drinking coffee with PBS's sewing shows playing the background. I had a nice, relaxing morning. I didn't work out, I didn't rush, I didn't walk dogs in the rain - just took a little tiny bit of care of me. Then last night I fixed dinner and sewed. I'm currently working on Kwik Sew 3098, view D. I've previously made this skirt out of a stone stretch twill. Currently, I'm working on View D, out of a medium colored, but light weight denim. The fabric came from JoAnns. This time I want to keep the center front seam open just a little bit at the bottom. I'm also doing all the topstitching with Sulky 12 wt. thread in a nice pinkish brown tone. I'm doing all the topstitching with a triple-stitch and a slightly longer stitch length - just because the thread is heavy. Finally, using the wonderful handout that ER prepared for our last ASG Meeting, I'm trying and using new techniques. To have topstitching show on both the top layer and the bottom layer that shows when walking, because I have left a little slit at the center front - I put the front pieces together with a lapped seam. I sewed the topstitching on the bottom piece first, then sewed the bottom of the piece being lapped on top and finally sewed both pieces together, using double stick tape to hold them. I think this should work. Oh, also, I think I finally fixed the comments bits. You don't have to be registered to leave a comment. Although truly the reason why I started blogging - was because I had to start an account to leave a message on somebody else's blog. How lame is that? The byproducts of blogging - I don't feel so all alone any longer in what is mainly a very solitary craft. I'm learning, getting better and feel just that little bit more secure about what I'm doing - daily. Thank you.

The numbers on the scale.

Caution - the following contains absolutely no sewing content, whatsoever. Proceed with caution. What exactly is it about the numbers on the scale? 3 1/2 years ago I joined Weight Watchers for what would be the last time. In August 2005, I decided it was time to get serious again and reach goal. I started weighing myself daily. At that time the numbers on the scale were definately motivation. I reached goal in October and Lifetime on November 10, 2005. My goal weight was set at the very highest end of my height so that I could acheive it. Since that time I have continued to lose poundage and am closer to my personal goals. I have continued to weigh myself daily, every morning. There are days, like today, where that number isn't the motivator it could be. Today it's saying to me, "You've already messed up, go ahead and eat that candy - you know you want it." Other days it's exactly what I need to help me take care of myself, you know the silly little things that I often forget - like drinking my water and eating veggies. I just don't understand why the difference. On the weight issue, how do you decide when enough is enough? Part of me says that I am happy with the number I'm seeing on the scale and another little part of my brain says, 'no, you could be lower.' Sometimes I will catch of glimpse of myself in a window or a mirror when I'm not expecting it and think - Wow, I look really thin, almost too thin. I have a longish face and the thinner I get - well you can just imagine. My collar bones stick out so far - in certain tops I look like I'm ill. But other times, I can't get past the tummy bulge. It's an interesting concept. Hope I find the answers soon. Meanwhile, I'm going to continue to do what I have been doing - eating well, exercise, walking the dogs, and weighing myself daily.

Tonight My Husband

is hosting his monthly poker group. I got the privilege of making a green felt fitted sheet to cover the dining room table. So some sewing was accomplished. This is a group of friends that I don't particularly care for. But I tolerate them. Poker hasn't happened at our house since last September because we have been living in a construction zone - while remodeling our kitchen. So tonight, I got to hear from each person who arrived, how they would have done it differently. I'm so glad they like my improvements! You can't imagine how much it means to me to know that these friends approve of my paint color choices! Okay - enough snideness. We had a fabulous presentation on seam techniques at the ASG meeting today. ER did a great presentation which included step-by-step samples, actual garments she had made using various techniques presented as well as a 24 page handout. Fabulous! I have been studying the handout. There are great things in there. I can't wait to try a few. The group consensus on the altered OOP McCalls pattern is that I should have used the fusible bias on the neckline, even though it was faced. The opinion on the Chardonnay Skirt was varied. Half the group thought I should add some heavy topstitching on the drape and gently guide where the drape was draping. Go ahead and hem it, but much shorter, approximately mid-calf. Currently it is tea length. (Man, I have to learn to take photos of myself!). The other half said to recycle fabric into something else. Which may ultimately be what I end up doing. When I finished it Wednesday night except for the hem, I showed JB and he asked why I was wearing a potato sack. I attributed that to the color and weave of the fabric. Oh well - I'm going to hang it up in the sewing room for awhile and just live with it hanging around. My gut reaction is that I really like the pattern, but it was a bad fabric match and to recycle the fabric into a lined straight skirt. So, that's what most likely will happen. Okay -heading back to the other side of the room and the tan tencel strudel skirt. Need to rethread the serger before progressing any further on that project.

Just another Quck Post

Well here we go again - lots to do and not enough time. The Musical One helped with the blog layout yesterday. Changes have finally shown up - unfortunately, she lost the Creative Fashion Sewing Ring Code - so I'll need to find that again. For some reason my email account is being not nice - so hopefully I still have the code at work. Plan to actually get some sewing done today. JB has his friends over for poker tonight so I can hide in the sewing room. Of course there are a few rude souls among his friends who will wander in to see what I'm doing and try to visit. Oh well, I usually pretend that I can't hear over the sewing machine! Okay - time to feed the hounds before they start baying - the rest of the house is sleeping and they wouldn't appreciate that!

This is what my weekend looked like

A little town near where we live has a birthday party and parade every year. The town is Woodinville, Washington and the parade features Basset Hounds - and lots of them. Unfortunately, we didn't get a photo of the front of the parade, but photos of several beautifully dressed dogs. This guy was being forced to do a trick to get a tiny little treat being held in a hand just out of view of the camera.

This guy was having a rooting tooting good time:

This poor guy was just trying to stay dry. Beacause in Washington what's a parade without a little rain?

Finally, for those who were wondering - here's what my crew looks like. From the left, Abigail Jane, basset - 6YO; Beauregard James, bloodhound - 2YO; Dudley, basset - 7YO; Lucy Lou, bloodhound - 2YO, our friend Madeline, basset - 2YO:

And here's the Beau Man playing moose!

Next year we'll try to get photos from the front of the parade :)