December is here!

Oh my! the time has passed rather quickly this fall. I went from September making a skirt for my daughter to take back to England, to being gone on Thanksgiving vacation for a week.  Where or where did the time go?

I'm back and energized from a much needed vacation.  And December is here, so all I can say is bring it on! Mistletoe, cocoa, decorations, trees and icy sidewalks and car windows arise!

Of course like everyone else, we are in the deep cold that is freezing across the Northwest and heading east.
Its bitterly cold, I'd really forgotten how cold it can get. Its hard to get out and exercise for sure so I'm spending more time in the gym.

All of a sudden the end of the year looms and I feel there is so much to do.  Do you experience the end of the year rush?  Its not Christmas or holiday outings, but its the need to clean, and dispose of extra items. To divest one's self of all the excess. Prior to Thanksgiving I was able to clean out my closet, the  linen closet and my pantry.  I even emptied several boxes from our move last year.  I still have a lot of boxes to hit in the garage, but so far I'm still hitting the inside up.

I have lost 20 pounds recently and will be losing at least 20 more for a surgery that is coming up in February.  So most of my clothes are too big.  I hate wearing clothes that are like bags.  My pants get baggy about 15 minutes of wearing. Between exercise and weight loss,  I was able to go down 3 sizes so far, only a few of the things I own now do I want to spend time altering. Everything else is out the door.  7 bags so far donated, not including what went into the trash.  There are still  things I'm having a hard time letting go, but go they must.

graduating daughter 2014

 Then I have to attack my sewing room.  I'm a sewer and a crafter.  I have a ton of supplies for those different crafts. I'm trying hard to pare them down. I keep changing my mind how I want my sewing room to look.  I started with open shelving to get things unpacked, but I find that I would really like to have cabinetry along a wall and top it with my custom cutting counter.  Also I would like cabinetry  above that as well.  It would confine more of the items, and look less messy, even though I box a lot of it in matching boxes, over time there are many different styles, so behind closed doors would be more appropriate.  In the meantime, downsizing as much as possible would help. We have many adventures planned in the upcoming year and I really want to get to work on making a new wardrobe.  Not only out of need, but my daughter is graduating from college in July.   We will be traveling overseas for her graduation and then staying on for a vacation somewhere in the UK most likely, our treat to her.  I want to have one of those 12 piece wardrobes that I can mix around with a few accessories and look brilliant the whole time. Ideally I would love two travel wardrobes-one for summer and one for winter.

 We love going to the UK, I would like to live there for a few years to really get a more detailed experience.  My husband used to work quite a bit in London for several years. He was able to go earlier in November this year and check our daughters digs out.

 One of my dear friends moved to Ireland a few years ago, and I still haven't had a time to see her there. But it is on my list of things to do.

Time is so rapid at times. The more you want to do, the more you desire to do, the less time it seems available. When you have no plans, it seems that time lags. Like kids over summer, the can't wait for summer vacation, but soon get bored if we don't plan enough for them.  I have a tendency to get over extended. Which creates an incredible amount of stress which in turn  usually evolves into a physical issue of some sort.  I'm trying to not let that happen, but sometimes I don't know how to say "NO". Its like getting job offers, that sound great, but in reality would be more stressful and I want to say no when i give my self time to reflect on it.  I teach fitness classes so people want you to travel, but I want to be one place, I'll teach all day but just one place is all I want to worry about.

Miss Kitty exhausted  from the activity

Well, my Christmas tree is up but not decorated.  Its waiting patiently, since its artificial, it can wait a few more days.  It all happens at one time, the tree, the decorations throughout the house, then the front porch.  So I'll get there. Then I'm going to make a plan for next year, like actually putting on a calendar when things should be done.  Decorating, maintenance etc.  I need keep track better, and perhaps life will be less stressed. I suspect that February will give me plenty of time to do this, because, I will be out of commission for a month- no driving for two weeks, no work, limited upper body movement,. oh yeah that sounds fun uh? not really, but its long awaited fix, for my body to get a chance to heal.

I will be trying to post more frequently and smaller reads for sure, but time required a catch up.Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Skater skirt

My daughter kept talking about skater skirts being in fashion. After making several of these for ballet over the years I told her they are very easy to make. After all they really are just circle skirts.

 We had seen a lace one with black satin waistband. We made our own version using a lovely knit cotton spandex for the underlining,  and a cotton stretch lace for the top. We used a blush satin for the waist band.  I didn't hem the skirt layers. I never thought I would do this, but after looking at some very pricey Vince Camuto, wear and several other better designer wear, this seems to be the current trend. It seems kind of lazy and unfinished, but hey try anything once and see how it goes. I wanted to use a zipper for the closure but she really didn't want one, so hook and eyes it is. I did make a 2 inch flap inside for modesty. Its simple add on.
She's off to school back in London today. She has her own style kind , a little Northwest, mixed with San Francisco & London.

mini vacation to Victoria, B.C.

Suddenly we realized my daughter's vacation time was coming to and end. So we quickly drove up to Vancouver, BC and grabbed a ferry to Victoria. We stayed in an Edwardian hotel in James Bay, where both a pub and restaurant were attached. The pub was nothing special but the restaurant had a delicious selection of eggs benedict as well other items.  We shopped Government St. and walked down to Chinatown, accessing it through the tiny 3 ft. alley way used in several movies. We shopped in a hat shop where Em found a slouchy hat. We bought leather wings for a friend graduating from flight school this  year. Later we went to the Irish shop and found a traditional ivy cap for Mr. G. He looks pretty snazzy in it. He thinks we are joking :-\ , were not. Lunched in the Scottish pub, which was originally a bank. Took a tour on the hippo (amphibious vehicle) that goes to high spots of Victoria on the streets and in the harbor. It was pretty fun!  A few pics from our stay.

On the hippo

Guilty of rambling and being a loving a parent

I am guilty of being a mother who cares too much and would like to be  involved more in my daughters daily decisions. Fortunately for her, she lives out of the country, which is probably one of the reasons that I wish I could be more involved in her daily life.  I'm glad she's travelling, I'm glad she's experiencing school far away.  I worry that I'm unable to come to her when she needs comfort, or feels homesick. The times between coming home are few and far between.  I don't think any parent is ready to be apart from their child when they begin to grow into adults.  Life doesn't prepare us fast enough for that but seems to encourage them to leave the nest faster, and without looking back.  I worry about challenges that seem to hard, and failure. I worry that she might give up on herself. I worry that her dreams aren't enough. 

I make my daughter mad, when we have type written discussions sometimes.  Wording is not perfect, going across the internet, it misses some part of the inflection and meaning. I hurt for the challenges she meets with. I want to pick her up like a 2 year old dust her off and say tomorrow will be better and the in the next 5 or 10 minutes you will forget about that which caused you pain, or being uncomfortable or whatever. Obviously the distance can be a good thing foregoing the interference I would want to do. As proud as I am of my daughter as she schools outside her home country, I always wish she was here. In a place where she could visit, come over for dinner, share the day.  Where we could see her succeed just a little closer to home. 

Stymied by moving

OK, I know it doesn't make a bit of sense but I'm still searching for things since I've moved.  Simple things like my sewing box that I took everywhere with me, and kept all  my goodies in. You know the things you constantly are grabbing while sewing, the seam ripper, certain tools, etc, Oh How I wish i could find what box this went into. Just little things but it can be such a B---ch to not have them.

I have done minimal sewing or crafts since we moved last august - yikes almost a year ago, because I never know where things are.  But a couple months ago, I watched a web cast done by Peggy Sagers of Silhouette patterns and I totally got enthused to do some sewing for myself.  Now I'm one of the people who usually hold out on sewing for myself, by saying when I lose that 20 lbs, or when some other event occurs. Meanwhile I don't want to shop at the store because I don't like tailoring clothes, and if I'm losing weight, or changing shape by exercise, it seems to tedious to go there, spend more than I want and not really be satisfied,  But Peggy got me inspired, so ordered a pattern, got the alterations made on the pattern I wanted  and went to town. I loved the top I made. My only complaint, I didn't serge it to begin with, which I always have better luck with on knits. I sewed, at her recommendation plain straight stitch elongated to accommodate the knit fabric, but the stitches popped where I color blocked it,when I was putting it on, so I'm like time to get that serger out.
 Cut out and ready to go is a simple swing dress. Sleeveless with white ribbing on the armholes and neckline.  I'm looking forward to having it done soon!  But I keep running into little problems.  Somehow, I misplaced the bobbin cover to my sewing machine the last time I used it. After cleaning out the entire area around  the machine searching the crevices under the table, my drawer in the sewing desk, I'm completely stymied.  No idea where I've place the blasted thing.  Went through the trash etc. So off the sewing machine dealer, to purchase another cover.  ARGH. Come home, start sewing and realize I would do better with the serger for the seams.  Take off the cover for the first time since moving, and realize the tiny special screwdriver for changing the needles is missing. All I can think is REALLY?  I mean this dress is a truly a 1/2 hour project from start to finish IF I could find my stinking tools.  I'm feeling like the straw man from Wizard of Oz -If I only had a brain.

.  I'm hoping that the screw driver is in my missing my sewing box kit, But I'm slightly discouraged because the little screwdriver has a home inside the serger, I'm worried it has escaped.  I may have another visit to the dealer's store once again in the next day or two.  Once this travesty of finding my tools is accomplished, and my cute little summer sun dress made, I plan to make a coral waterfall sweater from the Silhouette pattern 211 Nina's top seen here.

I'm totally into Coral , Navy, Turquoise, Black and White this summer and hoping to expand my wardrobe a bit.  Since I spend my work hours in athletic wear to teach I'm looking for some fun off work wear. Hopefully this weekend I will have some photos of these projects

A New Desert Wine

Mother's Day was lovely with a call from my daughter.  Then Hubs and I ran down to Apex to pick out a bottle of wine for him to take to a meeting.  Of course this involved tasting their various wines. We really liked their Sauvignon Blanc, and then found several of their Reds are quite delicious as well. 
They do complimentary tasting of the chocolate shop wines. Here things are like desert in a glass.
Their is one called Chocolate which is  chocolate cherry tasting.  Then there's a Strawberry Chocolate, which the pourer was saying he uses in french toast.  It was like Jam so sweet and the strawberry flavor was magnificent.It would be great paired with New York cheese cake.  But the ultimate was the Almond Roca Cream.  If you like Baileys Irish cream this is reminiscent of that.  I would pair it with Cheese cake, or you could mix with some whip cream and do crepes ,  or over ice, or mix with some vodka.....its delicious and definitely a desert on its own.  You want to try something new, give it try.

Then we went on down to Airfield, where we were able to taste their Lone Birch wines.  These are sold in the local markets like QFC , Safeway,  etc.  We found these to be pretty tasty, too.  

We ordered some food from Village Wines to finish our tasting up at Airfield.  My favorite pizza combo from there is called Lisa's favorite and its amazing.  Its made on lavash bread with white BBQ sauce, goat cheese, prosciutto  artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and olive tapenade.  I could eat this everyday its so delicious.  It came with a salad of mixed greens and slice strawberries with balsamic vinegar. There was so much it was our lunch and dinner.  If you're in Woodinville Wine country area, definitely make a stop, the staff are friendly and they have the cutest little pup to welcome you. 

Happy Mother's Day! A time for Nostalgia

dances with wild abandon

It's Mother's day, a time to reflect and remember.I'm always nostalgic on Mother's Day.

my grown up baby.

I know I am a mom, and I love my daughter to bits, she has been the the light of my life. However I miss my own mother and the other women in my past who have mothered me along the way. Not just family members -my grandmother and my mothers 2 sisters who selflessly helped raised me, but my friends mothers as well who have passed away.  I remember the hours spent over the years, spent with them, playing cards, or crying my eyes out about something, that seemed like the end of the world to me at the time. Each in their own way made a major impact on my life and my upbringing. How can I say Thank You when they are gone? Did they know how special they were to me? I don't know, I hope they did.

As much as I hope my daughter knows she means the world to me. When she was little she was amazing and funny and didn't even know it.  Now she's still amazing and funny, and I hope she does know it, and can accept that she has an amazing gift.  She's young yet, away at school in another country.  I miss the luncheons, and impromptu adventures we have done over the years, but someday, hopefully she'll be nearby and we can share those things again. Children are such a gift in life, one that if your lucky, stays with you your entire lifetime.
To the mothers in my life I salute you, to the aunts who were childless and bestowed such love and kindness on me I also salute you, you mothered in the way that was available to you.

my mom circa 1966

 Me and my daughter a few years ago.

Tutorial for Hot Flat Iron travel cover

Shhhh, this is a gift for a friend I travel with a fair amount. She loves yellow which is how I chose my color combo.
  For  those times when you travel and you have a hot iron, or curling iron you - need to pack up at the last minute here's a little case you can make. Mine is easy to make, you can cut it out and sew in and hour or less.I remember years ago ( like 20-hahah) people would take pot holders , fold them over and sew the 2 sides, it went over the curling iron problem solved.  You could still do that. I went a little further though and created this model.

 First you need to gather your supplies
outside fabric, Lining fabric, insul-bright for the heat resistant layer,trim color for pocket and iron on pellon like style 101 medium weight shape flex, a button for the closure and about 10 inches of cording to make trim. You could also use rick rack or leave this off completely. Next you will cut  4 layers 10 x 13.5 . 1 each of lining, pellon, insul-bright, and fashion fabric.
You will also cut out two strips 2" x 9" of the lining fabric for trim on the pocket, a square of 8x8" for the pocket, and lastly 15 "x 1"  piece of fashion fabric to make button loop

 Take your fashion fabric and iron the pellon to the back of it, following the directions of the pellon you use.

Next take the insul-bright and baste to the lining fabric.  I use the new clips available instead of pins to hold the layers together. I chose not to use a walking foot because its not really that thick, and find my machine handles this sewing smoothly without use of the walking foot.
Next your going to make the edge trim using the cording and the 2 strips of  of lining (2 x 9).  Use the zipper foot it makes it easy.  fold the strip in half and place the cording in the middle, the using the zipper foot sew up against the cording.  I leave the cording long, and fold the second piece about 1/2 inch down from the end of the first one.  cutting them apart after sewing.   I then sew these pieces to 2 sides of the 8" square. so the meet on one corner. I then fold the square in half to make a triangle, and sew one side closed, and the second side I leave a couple inches open to turn it inside out. (you could use rick rack or other trim here if you chose).

I then attach the  triangle to the fashion fabric on the long side centering it roughly.  To finish the pocket I sew the bottom of the triangle to the center point.  you will have one open end of the triangle towards the top side.  sorry I don't have more pictures of this part.  I then took the long strip of one inch fashion fabric, fold it in half, and both of the edges in to make a narrow strip sew down each side. Figure out where you would like the button to go on your pocket.  then take the strip you made and figure out the length you will need to make a button loop. you will place this on the back side of the top of the holder.

 I tack in place before attaching the lining.  Then sew the lining to the fashion fabric at the top only, making sure to make the button loop have access to the outside. see photo to the right.

Press as you go along.
Next fold the tube in half and sew the long edge  all the way from the lining through the fashion fabric,  and finishing the end of the tube. Trim the bulk down, on the seam with the insul- bright and lining then Turn the tube inside out through the lining end of the tube.  press.  Next fold the ends of the lining in, and sew it shut.  then push the lining down into the  fashion fabric.  I had to use a knitting needle square up the points.
Attach the button.  double checking placement with the loop, making sure to only sew through the pocket section not down to the fashion fabric.  Here you can see the loop hanging down from the seem of the lining and fashion fabric.  

 Below you can see the finished pocket empty.
to the right you can see it with the hot iron inside, and the cord wrapped and placed in the pocket, with the button loop closure.

This is a great item for traveling you no longer have to wait for the hot iron or curling iron to cool down to pack it.  Since it always seems like the last thing you do is your hair and make up before leaving, its always and afterthought to pick up that cooling hot iron.   Hope you this was helpful for you.  I don't right many tutorials.

Bags, Bags, Bags!

I've been looking for months to replace the wallet on a string I carry.  I've had mine for a couple years, and what I love about it, is that it has zippers that close the main areas so there's nothing that falls out.  Its just big enough to put my necessary cards for ID,etc & my rarely used check book, a hair comb and lip gloss.
There's an outside pouch for my cell phone. The last part is the cross body strap that makes it perfect.  Its about a small clutch size.The original did not cost a fortune either!  I swear if I find another like it I will buy 2.  Its a basic black, with some leather trim.
       So after looking hopelessly it seems, I've finally decided to make one.
I was going to create a pattern, trying to duplicate the one I have. I even bought some leather pieces in the jewelry part of the craft store, and a couple fabrics that I think would be fun for the inside.  Definitely more playful than serious, but a girl has to play around sometimes right?
While cruising around the web, I stumbled on a sight called www.emmalinebags.com.  She has almost the perfect clutch wallet.  She also several other lovely bag patterns.  Stop by Janelle's blog http://emmalinebags.blogspot.ca to see some of her other designs.

I had to include this toile and leather handle bag. I don't carry a large bag like this but Love the look and combination. 

April Jottings

Well time indeed continues on, even when we think things are dragging along. 
We've recently returned from a week over at Chelan. Adding to the wine collection of course.  

This is our 2nd annual vacation with this crew.  Our best friends on the right and our long time friends met through Dance.   Here we are at Tsillan Cellars.  (pronounced Chelan)

Feb 2013

The tasting room here is beautiful but the wine not so much.  The first time we went there in February I thought it was because we had tasted so much over the week, but this time we went much earlier on, and i have to say the wine there is not to my taste.

Here we were at Icicle Ridge Winery log cabin.  My favorite winery. I love pretty much anything they produce, except one wine which is spicy and meant to be consumed with Thai food.  The log cabin in Peshastin is beautiful, took 5 years to build and originally was the family home of the wine producers. 

One cannot go to area without admiring the beautiful views.  It snowed through the pass on our way over, but the majority of the time it was beautiful and sunny.  

A little girl time at Benson winery.  I believe those are some of their grape vines above.

And of course the reason the men go is to golf.  I'm the only woman golfer in our group and I have to say, I'm torn between the game and being with the women. 

How can you not want to golf under blue skies and puffy clouds, when you live in Seattle?  I only made it out once with the guys.  It was a pretty good first game of the season for me.  My game is so-so and I get very nervous when the men watch.  go figure. But If I can stay out of sight, remember to keep my head down, and take a couple long yoga breaths, I can indeed get a good drive.  I just hate when you swing a little high and it tops the darn ball, and makes a mess of your starting play.  

Our week was full of vineyards , beautiful views, cool but sunny weather, many games of cards, lots of wine and many walks.  Kind of a perfect vacation a few hours from home. 

Treva E.

the Little Knitted skirt Churchmouse simple straight skirt

I've been waiting to do this post because I wanted to have pictures of the finished product.
During the summer I was able to go out with my family to a lovely shop called Churchmouse yarn and tea.
Its on Bainbridge Island and if you have the chance I would surely go over for and afternoon or morning to shop and lunch in the little town.

alpaca merino wool blend in a sage green

I picked up a pattern while on a trip in Oregon last spring.  But being relatively new to knitting, wanted some advice and I have trouble with some wool's making my hands dry out and hurt. As a longtime crocheter I've chosen to use many blends with natural cottons, or alpaca and merino wool blends. Bamboo is also a favorite for yarns and fabric for me.
Here are couple pics where I started, doing the waistband in one piece, dividing it between two sets of circular knitting needles. Then the panels are worked on straight needles. It was my goal to have this finished for Christmas for my daughter.  I did have the knitting  finished, but I wanted to make sure that the waistband elastic was the proper size. So I waited for my daughter to be available to have the fitting done on it. 

starting at the waistband, and the front panel

 Finished it has a little ribbing edge along the bottom and slight shaping at the hips.