Back ...maybe

It's been so long since I've posted in this blog I forgot how to do it. Life got complicated, then easy, then complicated again. I moved to Florida to a retirement community and loved it. Got so busy with new activities and friends I didn't sew much. I'm not in love with the sewing clubs here, though. Nice people, but after the Atlanta crowd it can't compete with the sheer amount of knowledge available and the amount of specialized subgroups that cater to your every taste. Then I foolishly offered to set up a Facebook page for them which was a lot more work than I bargained for, but ultimately is doing fine.

I'm still struggling with how to take pictures of my makes, so I will post the last two outfits I made for my granddaughter and she took the photos so I have no responsibility for them.

She's very picky about the fabric, it must be soft. This was made around Halloween and she wanted something very quirky. It's a "Nightmare Before Christmas" print I picked up at JoAnne's and a very soft knit, so it was a hit. Then I spent Christmas at my son's, with the children, and was able to get a closer idea of her taste. Because I live where it's 80 degrees in January I have no need for wool fabric, but some of what I had was too great to let go of, so it came south with me. My granddaughter lives in a very cold part of the country, so she will benefit from all that wool, eventually. 

I loved this border print and was always going to make a dress to go dancing in. But the other complication of my life ended up being a broken leg, hip replacement, month in a rehab center and more months at home recovering with NO dancing...so it became another top for the granddaughter.

Still no pictures as my cell phone takes crap pictures and I can't find my actual camera, nine months after our move. But I have been sewing quite a lot. Our move to Florida meant lots of linen and cotton, and the area I live in calls for shorts/shirt combos no matter where you go. So I took my serger down to be serviced and have used it for several outfits. But my neighbor, a professional seamstress, broke her serger and I have loaned her mine. Since fall is "officially" here (90 degrees today) I have to assume knits will be back at some point and I don't need a serger for that.

Henry had emergency surgery over a month ago. Like almost all men, he has whined ever since as if he lost both legs. We're dancers, and a lot of my sewing is directed to clothes I can wear to dances, as there are two or three every week here. But of course we have been absolutely nowhere for the last six weeks or so except I coax him out to the grocery store occasionally. However!  There's a big dance coming up in November for which I am cutting out a floor length gown as we speak. Ironically, I gave away all my formal gowns before we left Atlanta. I was convinced that moving to such a leisurely retirement town I would have no use for such a garment. I was wrong, so that's now my focus...

Style Arc

Still working on trying to get pictures onto my computer. My son and grandkids are coming in a couple of weeks...after that I might be a little more literate with tech (maybe).

Meanwhile, I've made a couple of things using old standby Style Arc patterns and new patterns from the same source. With my usual lack of attention I ordered three new Style Arc patterns through Amazon without double checking the sizes. So I got two of them in large sizes. Too lazy to return them, I decided I know enough to grade them down. So far, not bad:

The Rosie top was mistakenly ordered in size 18-30 (I wear 10-12, lol). But I cut it at the smallest offered and then sewed HUGE seams. Next muslin will be tweaked a little and photos soon, I promise. Here's the work in progress with my poor cell phone skills.

Meanwhile, I also got my serger serviced and after years of non-use, I have promised myself I will  master it. Now that I live in Florida, I need lots of cotton and linen clothes, so serged seams are a must.  Speaking of Florida, here's a cell phone shot of a golf cart ride I took yesterday, near my home.  

Goodness, what a hiatus!  It's been almost two years and of course life has intervened in my interest in a sewing blog of any kind. I have sold my house, moved to Florida, and started a while new life -which necessitates a whole new wardrobe. Hence the startup of my old blog.

Unfortunately I don't have pictures since in the move I lost my camera, I'm sure it's around somewhere. I might try to use my phone, but don't think it will take very good pictures. That's all right since my sewing hasn't improved much either!  Mostly I'm making shorts and tops. Being a sewer, you just know that has to be more interesting than "just" a pair of shorts and top.  So far I've made a couple of outfits using Style Arc's "Daisy" tunic, shortened to wear with Bermuda length shorts.

I've also lengthened it to dress length. That one I made in polyester and quickly realized polyester is no longer part of my life here in Florida, but the practice was worth it and I'll sew it again in linen. It's a great pattern, no zippers, buttons or closures. The shoulders and bust darts are perfect for my body structure. Thanks, Chloe!

Back for just a moment...

Occasionally, just for fun, I revisit my blog just to get to the list of other sewing blogs that I love to read.  And yes, I have been sewing this past year, but somehow it was "meh" to blog about it.  My son was remarried last November, and the run up in sewing hysteria reached such a summit that I lost all interest for awhile.  The wedding turned out perfect, of course, and I was happy with most of the outfits I made for it.  I was determined to make every single outfit I wore for each of the five events that the wedding comprised...yes, it was a first time bride :).

My other obsession has been renovating my house, a long term interest which actually was a source of income for me during my single parent days.  I have to assume that creative is creative, and most sewers like to either decorate or otherwise attend to their homes.  I probably go a little (make that a lot) further than most, however, as it is my distinct pleasure to tear out walls.  My most recent wall tear-down was in the kitchen.  Here's the before:

And here's the "after".  More to come, of course. It will be under construction until it goes on the market.  Some things never change.

Thoughts for the new kitchen

A Designer Shares Her Kitchen-Remodel Wish List

The Virtue of Stash

I wear turtlenecks.  A lot.  Some sartorial decisions are set in one's teens, I guess.  I've been told I should not wear turtlenecks (thanks, Cynthia Guffey!) because I don't have a swan-like neck, but I ignore advice and continue to wear them.  Usually I buy RTW, but lately I am reluctant to spent over $50 on a basic black turtleneck shirt.  So I went stash diving and made myself not only a black, but a red turtleneck and have plans for a couple in white.  No pictures, of course, how boring is a basic turtleneck shirt?  But really all this is for a reason.  I am ducking hemming my son's white jacket.  Well, my old cat is sequestered in the sewing room and she wants up in my lap so of course her needs come first....