November!

Oh my gosh, you guys, it has been an insane month.  I had work trips to Chicago, Alliston, London (Ontario), Smith’s Falls, Ottawa (and another 500 km route around the area in one day), then Kitchener.  I think I slept more in a hotel room than in my own house!  I am so happy to be done with the Fall Tradeshow season, and really focus on a few things within the office, as well as my home.  As a result, I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked for my own personal goals.  Don't get me wrong - I’m not disappointed with myself - I’m getting better with being realistic and self-care! (Also maybe because I’m too tired, haha).

Without further ado, here’s a wrap-up of my October goals:

Knitting

1.  Finish the heels in at least two pairs of socks.  Christmas is coming and these would make perfect gifts.  BOOM, nailed this one!  I finished heels in FIVE, count’em, FIVE pairs of socks.  It feels so good to get them off my WIP list!!  

2.  Finish the Armande cardigan sweater I'm currently working.  It goes really well with my Chicago wardrobe mentioned above.  And who can resist being wrapped in Malabrigo Rios?! I haven’t even picked this up.  I got started on my Christmas knitting so this took a back seat.  I think I'll put this one over until all my Christmas crafting has been finished.
3.  Make a list of Christmas gifts and start working on them. How's that for a specific goal? LOL  This will consist of slippers, socks, hats and mittens, but I have to figure out which patterns, which yarn and which recipients.  I’m well entrenched into my Christmas knitting - and loving it!  I have so much fun planning and making things for my loved ones!
4. This is a spinning goal, but I'll include it here as it is yarn related.  I have two braids that I've spun for two separate coordinating two ply yarns that I'd like to finish plying.  These won't likely see any knitting action until the new year when all my Christmas knitting has been finished, but I've been using my spinning time as my meditation in the mornings lately.  Well, this hasn’t gotten much love either - I’ve been spinning for a few minutes here and there when I need a break from my knitting :)

Sewing/Wardrobe

1. Update my casual wardrobe for fall/winter

• go through my closet and toss/donate old, dated/aged or unworn items
• make a list of "holes" that need to be filled
• start sewing these holes
• I already know that one of them is a jean jacket
• another is casual pants
• and a hooded vest

Well, I’ll be honest with you - my sewing has taken a back seat this month.  I miss it, and will hopefully be getting back into it in November!  Knitting is a lot easier to take with you to a hotel room!  I'll also be honest with myself in that I'm going to have to put this off until my Christmas crafting is done.
2.  Decide on a winter coat pattern and pull fabric and notions from the stash nope, same reason I haven’t gone through my casual wardrobe.  I am holding off on this one as well until my Christmas crafting is done as well.
3.  Make a dress for work/office wear, wool crepe I started this, and made my usual adjustments.  The front of the dress looks amazing, but the back, despite pinching out 3/4" for my swayback adjustment, still needs about another 1-1/2" pinched out.  I will rip out the zipper, and put in a "faux seam" at the back (basically sewing in a horizontal dart) and re-insert the zipper. Since this is a sleeveless dress and since my plate is a bit full with Christmas sewing, this will wait until my Christmas sewing is done.
4.  Make a pair of trousers for work/office wear, wool suiting yes!  I made a pair of a navy blue tropical wool trousers.  More details to follow in another post.

I didn't write this goal down, but I had it in the back of my mind as Halloween approached.  I made a costume for my grandson - I didn't make any promises as I wasn't sure how things would go, but when I was in the Fabricland in Ottawa, I formulated a plan and got the things I needed to make this:

What does the fox say?
Happy Halloween!

Cutest fox EVAH!!

Reading

1. Finish reading The Highland Witch by Susan Fletcher. This is a historical fiction novel about a woman in Scotland in the late 1600s.  It is completely opposite of the saccharine book I read last month.  I'm finding it well written, very engaging and I'm totally absorbed into the story.  I highly recommend it so far!  You can find it here: The Highland Witch at Amazon.ca. 
You guys!!! I LOVED this book.  I was sad when I finished it, in part due to the story/plot line but mostly because I wanted to keep reading it!
2.  Finish reading Knight's Cross by Christine Kling, the third book in The Shipwreck Adventures trilogy I've enjoyed this series as well, easy to read yet enough believable plot twists to keep me interested I haven't finished reading this one yet, but I have picked it up again.
3.  Chose the next fiction book to read. I am reading Darkness Falls by Frank Tallis - the 5th (?) in a series of murder mysteries set in the early 1900s in Austria.  This is a great series, and an easy and intriguing read - I've been reading this before bed each night.

November Goals

My goals for November are primary Christmas focused.  I think it is so special to give something that has been hand-crafted specifically with the recipient in mind.

Knitting
1.  Finish Christmas socks for Steve & Sara

2.  Start and finish a Christmas sweater for Deklan (my cutie patootie grandson who will be celebrating his first Christmas this year)

3.  Finish heels in the remaining three pairs of socks

Sewing
1.  Order fabric for the family Christmas flannel pants (I'm cheating a bit on this one, because I actually did this yesterday).  Did you know you can order online from Fabricland (my local chain fabric store)?  It's actually their head office in Quebec, but shipping is super cheap and no worries about exchange rates or customs fees for us Canadians!  I can justify ordering online because not many places have 15 meters of the same flannelette available!

2.  Sew said family Christmas flannel pants (I have five adults and one baby to sew these for).  I usually use a production line style of sewing for these so it doesn't take more than an evening for one or two pairs.

3.  Choose dress pattern for Christmas work party dress, and pull fabric from the stash.  

4.  Make a list of Christmas events that I will be attending, and figure out what I'm wearing (note to self:  be realistic here with what you can actually sew for these events!)

5.  Make one Blackwood cardigan

6.  Make one Toaster sweater I'm justifying to myself that I need these last two to stay warm in this weather and I'm missing a few colours to go with my current wardrobe.  Also, I've just watched a pile of YouTube videos this morning where people have made Toaster sweaters and they look so warm and cozy!

And, in the interest of being completely honest, I bought a pile of fabric at the Ottawa Fabricland (despite being a chain store, each Fabricland seems to have slightly different stock, so I always make a point of checking out the stores when I travel if I have time) that I really want to incorporate into my fall/winter wardrobe.  I have pre-treated some sweater knits, and I have a gorgeous faux textured suede fabric in burgundy that is waiting to be turned into a jacket.  Maybe while I'm waiting for the flannelette to arrive??  this is more of a dream than a goal, but I figured I'd put it in here anyways :)

Reading

1.  Finish Darkness Falls by Frank Tallis

2.  Finish Knight's Crossing by Christine Kling

3.  Choose next fiction book (probably the next Louise Penny book in her series I've been reading - I bought the Kindle version of this a while ago and really want to get back into this series)

4.  Continue reading Crucial Conversations 

Well, it's a dark, dreary, damp and drizzly Sunday morning here, but after taking a full rest day yesterday, I'm ready to go - energized (sort of) and dreaming of sewing projects, so I'm heading down to L'atelier Tonia for some sewing!!

What are you sewing/crafting for Christmas?

September Goals Check-In & October Goals

Alternatively titled "Reality Check - Living on the Edge"

This week has been crap.  I can say I'm lucky that nobody died, or that I've experienced any serious life threatening issues, I'm still healthy, yada yada yada, but it's still been crap.  My AC in the house broke down in the midst of our extremely crazy heat wave (near 100F with the humidity, which is NOT normal for us here in Ontario at any time of year, especially when its technically Fall), the brakes needed to be done on my car ($$$), I had a rock almost come through the windshield of the car I was borrowing while said brakes were being done (it was my son-in-law's car, and I've offered to pay to get it fixed - it's not technically my fault, but one of those shitty things that happen and I don't want him to have to foot the bill for my bad luck), this is an extra mortgage payment month (I get paid monthly, and have accelerated bi-weekly payments and while I plan for this, it's still not easy to make it all work), and I've had to pay my annual house insurance this month as well.  Oh, and I broke my baby toe while cleaning up the yarn room earlier this week.  Yes, an actual yarn related injury.  I can almost wear regular shoes again.  No pointy toe heels for a while though. 

And that was all this past week!

Anyways, you didn't come here to listen to me whine.

For the observant of you who are avidly awaiting my posts, particularly those where I list out my goals for public consumption, you will notice that I've actually skipped a month of goals and checking in. I'm not sure how that happened, because I must have thought about this blog post a million times over the past two months.  Well, now that I've listed everything out above, I can actually see a pattern as to why I didn't get around to blogging.  In any event, for my many, many faithful followers (haha) out there who haven't noticed, ignore my previous sentence and without further ado, here's my monthly goal check-in post!

Knitting

1.  Do the heels on the Tulip Socks and one other pair that are WIPs negatory good buddy, this didn't happen.  I did however finish another two pairs of heel-less socks.  One of these day soon, I'll have to sit down with a glass of wine and just work on heel after heel after heel.  Granted, it will feel good to have a new pile of socks to wear!  
2.  Finish Shapely Boyfriend cardigan Done.  I'm actually wearing this as I type.  Complete with buttons sewn on and ends woven in!  This is a great basic pattern for a classic sweater, btw.  I highly recommend it.  I'll have to post a review at some point and show off my FO.
3.  Start the sleeves of M'Agitha sweater for Melissa   I finished one sleeve, so I guess I've technically completed this goal.  The sweater is currently hanging on my dress form in my yarn room, as a reminder to NOT start another sweater and finish this one instead. One factor that is holding me up on finishing this is that Melissa doesn't think she wants this sweater anymore - the cropped nature of it is...well...too cropped for her taste.  It's an alpaca blend, so it will stretch out particularly in length quite a bit.  I will wear it (great colour, great pattern, goes nicely with my sense of style and current wardrobe choices) but I'm currently working on another sweater that has more interest for me, so it's taken a bit of a back seat.
4.  Pick next socks project Done.  In fact, I've finished two pairs this past month, and I have another ball of yarn with me at work today to start my next sock project.

Sewing

1.  Finish Sew Over It Penny Dress  this is still hanging in my sewing room.  It needs buttons.  C'est tout (that is all).
2.  Sew a Jean Jacket Nope.  Haven't done this either, though I've been eyeing all the jean jacket patterns out there...
3.  Sew Chicago travel wardrobe I've made a ton of progress on this - which is good because I leave on early Sunday morning for this trip.

• jacket - shrunken boyfriend style, with faux suede collar and pocket flaps - the fabric for this one is constantly evolving since I've discovered that I don't have enough of the fabric for the coordinating narrow trousers.  I'm hoping for a herringbone wool of some type - it must coordinate with all my trousers and skirts. Done! I chose a brown and cream silk & wool suiting, with a brown faux suede collar.  I'll have to do a review - I used a Vogue Tamotsu designer pattern from the early 2000s that I slightly modified. Read more about Tamotsu here Actually, I finished two jackets, both of which would work with this wardrobe and my travel.
• drapey cardigan - mustard yellow crepe knit I haven't done this one yet, but know it will work really well with the wardrobe garments I have finished, so it's still on the list to complete.
• wide leg trousers - brown pinstripe wool Done!  I used a Burda magazine pattern (so many less fitting issues for me), and they're lovely.
• narrow legged trousers - navy ?? I've done a trial version of these in a poly/rayon blend gab and they turned out lovely! I made two pairs from another Burda magazine pattern - a lovely aubergine/eggplant version and a tiny houndtooth version in a beige and brown.  I'm still thinking I need a pair in navy and another one  grey for fall/winter.  Oh, I also have a great olive green that would work...
• pencil skirt - brown pinstripe wool I didn't finish this one, but I did finish two skirts, one that matches one of the aforementioned jackets, and another one in lightweight brown wool suiting that coordinates with both jackets.
• 6 gore skirt - brown Prince of Wales suiting I haven't gotten to this one yet, but still want to because the finished object I can see in my mind is amazing.
• Tilly and the Buttons Agnes tops
• mustard yellow crepe knit (long sleeves, ruching at centre front) finished in July 
• burgundy heathered jersey (puffed sleeve version) Finished in July 
• leopard print mesh knit with blue and cream (long sleeves, scoop neck) Finished in July 
• textured cream lightweight sweater knit (short sleeves, scoop neck) Finished in July 
• shirts 
• self drafted mustard yellow georgette Done!  This was a bear - it was going along swimmingly until I decided to trim some seams and hacked a giant hole in the middle of the outside back yoke right above the pleat.  I didn't have enough to recut the yoke either. Le Sigh.  I fudged it a bit, and managed to make it work.  It is a great working piece in this wardrobe.
• Sew Over It Alex in navy with white polka dots (previously sewn)
• self drafted black rayon challis with small floral print in barn red and mustard yellow Done - this is gorgeous.  The fabric is so fluid and goes so well with all sorts of existing clothes.  This was deep, deep stash.  Maybe 20 years old??  One of those pieces of fabric I just didn't want to cut into for fear of ruining it.  It turned out perfectly!
• self drafted snake skin print in shades of brown and cream Done, this has already become a staple for me, I've worn it a number of times in a number of different outfits!
• knit wrap dress - burgundy heathered jersey Done, in a morning I might add!  

I've also added a few other pieces to this wardrobe, including:

• shirt in olive green cotton shirting 
• shirt in barn red, mustard yellow, olive green print on cream background in cotton
• short sleeve blouse in brown silky with white circle print
• faux wrap dress in geometric print (navy, coral, olive) knit 
• cropped trousers in lightweight brown wool suiting 
• pleated front cropped trousers with pockets in brown and cream stripe
• sleeveless blouse in mustard yellow 
• sleeveless blouse in navy blue silk
• sleeveless sheath dress in navy blue lightweight wool suiting
• wide legged trousers in navy blue lightweight wool suiting

Wow!  Apparently, I've actually been really busy and productive with my sewing in August and September!  It's funny that I had to write out the list to see how productive I've been!

Reading

1.  Finish Dragon's Triangle by Christine Kling Done.  Good light-ish kind of read that's easy to read at the end of the day.  I've already started reading the third book in this trilogy.
2.  Finish People over Profit Bwahahaha.  I'm working my way through this.  It's not hard to read, but I only read it if I get to the office early, which hasn't been happening lately!
3.  Finish Inspired Destiny by Dr. John Demartini I'm working my way through this one too, but I really want to do the exercises to make it really effective, so that's making it take some time to get through. 
4.  Start Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason started and finished.  This book was so saccharine, and everything that could go wrong went wrong in such "it's going to be ok" way.  Blech.  Not believable and I don't recommend it.  Give me murder and mayhem any day...

Alright-y, October is going to be a super busy month at work with a number of trips in my future (locally in Ontario, but still away from home), so I'll try to be realistic about what I can accomplish.

Knitting

1.  Finish the heels in at least two pairs of socks.  Christmas is coming and these would make perfect gifts.
2.  Finish the Armande cardigan sweater I'm currently working.  It goes really well with my Chicago wardrobe mentioned above.  And who can resist being wrapped in Malabrigo Rios?!
3.  Make a list of Christmas gifts and start working on them. How's that for a specific goal? LOL  This will consist of slippers, socks, hats and mittens, but I have to figure out which patterns, which yarn and which recipients.
4. This is a spinning goal, but I'll include it here as it is yarn related.  I have two braids that I've spun for two separate coordinating two ply yarns that I'd like to finish plying.  These won't likely see any knitting action until the new year when all my Christmas knitting has been finished, but I've been using my spinning time as my meditation in the mornings lately.

Sewing/Wardrobe

1. Update my casual wardrobe for fall/winter

• go through my closet and toss/donate old, dated/aged or unworn items
• make a list of "holes" that need to be filled
• start sewing these holes
• I already know that one of them is a jean jacket
• another is casual pants
• and a hooded vest

2.  Decide on a winter coat pattern and pull fabric and notions from the stash
3.  Make a dress for work/office wear, wool crepe
4.  Make a pair of trousers for work/office wear, wool suiting

Reading

1. Finish reading The Highland Witch by Susan Fletcher. This is a historical fiction novel about a woman in Scotland in the late 1600s.  It is completely opposite of the saccharine book I read last month.  I'm finding it well written, very engaging and I'm totally absorbed into the story.  I highly recommend it so far!  You can find it here: The Highland Witch at Amazon.ca
2.  Finish reading Knight's Cross by Christine Kling, the third book in The Shipwreck Adventures trilogy I've enjoyed this series as well, easy to read yet enough believable plot twists to keep me interested
3.  Chose the next fiction book to read. 

There you have it.  I'd really like to catch you up on some of my finished objects mentioned above, but I've been spending my spare moments actually knitting and sewing instead of photographing and blogging.  I have a few cell phone photos that could work - I'll take a look over the next few weeks to see what I can do.  I also blog through my laptop, but have finally downloaded the app onto my iPad, so hopefully this will make it easier to post as well.  I really love reading what others are up to, and only hope I can provide similar inspiration.

How to Plan a Personal Sewing Retreat Weekend

Or otherwise titled:  How to Get a Lot of Sewing Done in One Weekend!

I have a personal sewing retreat weekend scheduled for myself this coming weekend.  I try to do these at least every few months.  I've done this a few times now, and have honed my technique on how to get a lot of sewing done in one weekend.  Here are a few tips, in no particular order.

1.  Start with a plan.  

This is a big one.  When I'm looking forward to a sewing retreat weekend, I always plan what items I want to sew, and make a list!  I am a list maker at heart, but writing it down is SO important.  I have so many ideas floating around in my brain that I can get sidetracked or even overwhelmed with "analysis paralysis."  If I make a list, I can ensure that I have a well coordinated wardrobe that works together with the most effective use of my sewing time.  I use www.trello.com for to make my list.

There are many, many ways to come up with a cohesive wardrobe plan, so I won't go too in depth with it here, but a capsule or Suduko wardrobe concept works best for a sewing retreat weekend plan.  You can make Pinterest inspiration boards for a visual inspiration and narrow down your choices from there.  You could also flip through the magazines to see what trends are coming, and which ones you want to incorporate.  Honestly though, my plans are usually based on what is easily accessible in my stash that will work for the next season.

2.  Be realistic with what you want to accomplish during your retreat.  

While you may want to sew your entire fall wardrobe in one sitting, that is not likely do-able.  I aim to finish one labour-intensive garment, like a pair of jeans or a jacket, and then a few quick and easy ones, like simple skirts, tee shirts or knit dresses, in a weekend.

3. Read your pattern envelopes in advance.

This ties in with #1, but is something that is easy to overlook.  Sometimes patterns call for obscure notions that you don't stock in your stash.  Or you might even need six buttons instead of the five you thought you needed.  Don't forget about the correct sewing machine needles, thread, buttons and zippers.  Nothing is more annoying than having to disrupt your sew-jo when you realize you don't have any 3/8" twill tape, or you've run out of the exact shade of thread you need at 10 pm when the store isn't open.  Visit your local sewing store beforehand and make sure you have these on hand before  you retreat time begins.

4.  Make sure your machines are in good working order.

Give them a tidy (clean out the bobbin case!) and some oil (if they need it) before the retreat starts.  Put in a new needle - I usually do this for each project, but at the very least they should be changed every 8 hours of sewing time.  Have some sewing machine oil on hand - you may need to give them some through your retreat too, depending on how much sewing you're doing.  Make sure your iron has been cleaned in advance too, both the steam reservoir and the sole plate.  Have a fresh pressing cloth on hand, and make sure your scissors have been sharpened and your rotary cutter has a fresh blade.

5.  Use Tried and True (TNT) patterns.

TNT patterns mean you've already worked out all the kinks with fitting and order of construction.  In other words, you know what's going on and you're comfortable with sewing the garment together quickly.  A word of caution though, you'll still need to stop once and a while for a quick fit check, but it shouldn't need any major adjustments.

6.  Pull/buy all of your fabrics in advance of your retreat.

I review my list of planned garments and pull the fabrics, patterns and notions I'll need.  I do this usually a week or two before the retreat.  Again, because of the way my stash is organized, it makes it easy for me to pull fabrics for my plan.  This leaves me with enough time to re-vamp my plans if I have to based on yardage or what I find in my stash.  

If you're pulling yardage from your stash, go so far as to double check how much yardage you have and make sure you have enough for your planned garment!  I ran into this recently when I thought I had enough yardage for a pair of trousers that were a focal point of my wardrobe, and when I went to cut into it, I had much less yardage than I thought!  In a retreat situation, this would cause trouble - I would look for another pattern and then try to figure out if it would still works in my wardrobe, all of which leads to "analysis paralysis" and over-thinking the situation, which in turn causes a decrease in my production.  

7.  Plan your meals ahead of time.

Sustenance is important on a retreat.  You are (hopefully) working hard, and proper nutrition is important for brain function.  I try to plan all my meals in advance anyways, so this is one that is pretty easy for me to incorporate, however, for retreats I specifically plan meals that are quick and easy to prepare.  I also make a trip to the grocery store in advance of my sewing retreat so I have all the necessary food on hand as well.  I will often use my slow cookers as much as possible for meals during retreat weekends.  I can then devote as much time to sewing as possible and still enjoy a nourishing quick meal!  

8.  Ignore the housework.

On my retreat weekends, I ignore the real world as much as possible.  I will try to push myself through my household chores either before or after the retreat (usually before, then I can use sewing as my reward).  During the retreat, don't get distracted by laundry, sweeping or mowing the lawn.  This is a retreat, use it as a treat for yourself.

Depending on how productive I want to be, I may even put my phone on Do Not Disturb, and only take the most important phone calls.  Rely on technology and screen your calls if you can!  Or schedule phone calls for morning or night, or when you need to take a break, and give yourself a time limit as to how long you can talk!

I will plan my retreat weekends for times I know I don't have any other commitments.  Sounds simple, but if you have many family or work commitments or people are used to you generally being available, this may take some planning.  I block off the time in my calendar and make it very clear to both myself and others that this is a special time for me.

9. Use less pins.  

Use techniques that speed up your sewing and decrease your production time.  I use pattern weights and my rotary cutter for cutting out.   And when I'm at the sewing machines, I use less pins to pin pieces  together.  I learned this technique when doing production sewing in a former life - the faster I did things, the more I got done in a shorter time period, and the more I got paid.  I'll still use pins (or even basting) when I need to match seams, patterns, plaids, or hold finicky parts together (i.e. collar bands) but for the most part I use very few pins.

10.  Block your projects.

Plan to sew similar projects in phases.  For example, I am currently working on a wardrobe based on mustard yellow, brown and burgundy.  I plan to sew all my mustard yellow knit items, followed by the mustard yellow woven items (one needle change, no thread changes) before switching to my brown knit items and brown woven items, and then the same for the burgundy garments.  

11.  Do as much as possible by machine.

Machines were designed to make our lives easier.  I will often not focus on couture techniques during a retreat (unless you specifically want to work on a couture garment that is!), and use the machines in place of hand-stitching where I can.  I use the machine to stitch in the ditch instead of slip stitching waistbands, collars and facings in place, to hem (with the blind hemmer) and even to sew buttons on (a small drop of Fray-Chek or clear nail polish on the back holds them in place).

12.  Take regular breaks and stay hydrated.

Our bodies are not made to sit all day (or night).  I know I work more productively if I take regular breaks to move to another position.  Make sure you drink enough water.  I don't like any food or drinks in my studio, but I always have a water bottle next to my sewing machine to sip as often as possible.

13.  And finally, remember why you are doing this.

This is supposed to be a treat for yourself.  Try to be as productive as possible, but if you run into a slow-down or set-back, step away from the machine.  Go for a walk, do some yoga, make a cup of tea, flip through a magazine, play with the fabrics you've pulled.  Take a deep breath and then get back to it!  No matter how much you get done in one weekend, it will be more than what you started with.

I will sometimes invite a friend to my retreat.  We've done this a couple of times as well - we have dinner together, enjoy some wine, watch some Project Runway and then get up early, go for a hike/walk and then start into our sewing.  I love sewing with others, I learned this when I was working on my fashion/tailoring degree and really miss that camaraderie.  Sewing retreats with friends make me feel like I'm back with my tribe.

I hope this helps, both to encourage you to try out your own "sewing retreat," or to be more productive with your sewing.  If you have any tips to share about how you increase your own sewing productivity, I'd love to hear them!

August Check In

Well...it seems that I'm using this as a public posting place for my goals check in.  I just know that at some point in the *very* near future, I will getting into a more regular routine of blogging and posting photos of my makes, so please bear with me until then.

In the meantime, here's the check in with my July goals:

Knitting

1.  Finish Tulip Socks (striped socks I started on the plane home from the Netherlands) not finished, but working away on this, they just need the heels.
2.  Finish Cozy V-Neck Raglan Pullover - serious game of yarn chicken here, I'll have enough to finish the sleeve, but I'm not so sure about the neckband Finished!! The yarn won, but I came up with a coordinating yarn to make it work
3.  Finish my grandson Deklan's Sweater - all it needs is to be sewn together finished, and gifted!  He won't be able to wear this for quite some time, but it's done!
4.  Block and weave in ends on my Chuck sweater.  Done like dinner!

Spinning

It's Tour de Fleece, so I've been mostly spending time spinning when I'm not sewing, travelling or studying.  My goal for TdF2017 is to spin every day.  No pressure as to what or how much. Done!  I don't have any finished products to show you, but I did spin every day I was at home for at least 15 minutes.  

Sewing

1.  Finish Sew Over It Penny Dress still need to sew on the buttons and finish hem
2.  Finish Named Kielo Dress  Done.  Here's a little teaser - if you haven't made this dress yet, YOU NEED TO. I made mine in black rayon/lycra jersey and I feel so sophisticated and luxurious every time I wear this!
3.  Finish My Image magazine Top M1709. Done!  It's been too hot to wear the version that I made out of polyester, but I can see it being a great top to wear to a few social events I have coming up this fall.
4.  Sew a Jean Jacket (white? hot pink? tangerine?)  I am SO ready to sew this - I imagine wearing a jean jacket with all of my current outfits, and I just haven't managed to get to it yet.  Maybe for my sewing retreat weekend that I have planned for this coming weekend!
5.  Sew hot pink skinny jeans Done!  I LOVE these, and have worn them a lot since they were finished!
6.  Sew McCalls 7100 Bomber Jacket (I'm having a Sewing Retreat Day with my fellow sewing friend on Sunday where we are both going to work on this - I have to figure out what fabric to make it out of!) Done!  Again, it's too hot to wear this currently, but I know it will be a staple in my wardrobe this fall.
7.  Sew an orange knit summer dress - mostly because I have the orange cotton/lycra knit on my cutting table Nope, and I even put this fabric away before cutting anything out!
8.  Plan my travel wardrobe for the annual work conference I attend at the end of September.  This year it's in Chicago.  I'm aiming for a mustard, wine and navy wardrobe.  I also need to pull the fabrics and patterns once I've got the plans down. I've done the planning part, so I'll mark this as done.  I've also pulled the fabrics and in fact have completed a good portion of the sewing already.  BUT, that will be part of my August goals, so I'll write more about that below.

Reading

1.  Finish reading Circle of Bones by Christine Kling.  I'm still adjusting to reading on the iPad, though I did buy an early birthday gift of a Kindle for myself on Amazon Prime Day, which should be arriving later this week - sshhh!! I finished this one on my new Kindle :)
2.  Finish reading Fatal Lies by Frank Tallis - this is the book I'm reading as I drop off to sleep every night.  I love this series!  Easy to read, but reminds me of my time in Vienna! Finished, and really enjoyed the ending!
3.  Finish People over Profit - I just looked, and I've been in the middle of this one since last summer!  I really need to just pick it up for a few minutes every day.  It's a good read but I've been sidetracked by a lot of other things...BAH.  Seriously - just read this already!  Take 10 minutes every day...

4.  Pick the next fiction book to read Book Two of the Shipwreck Trilogy by Christine Kling, called Dragon's Triangle

AND...without further ado, here are my goals for August, albeit a little late since it's already the 14th!

Knitting

1.  Do the heels on the Tulip Socks and one other pair that are WIPs
2.  Finish Shapely Boyfriend cardigan
3.  Start the sleeves of M'Agitha sweater for Melissa
4.  Pick next socks project

Sewing

1.  Finish Sew Over It Penny Dress need to sew on the buttons and hem
2.  Sew a Jean Jacket
3.  Sew Chicago travel wardrobe

• jacket - shrunken boyfriend style, with faux suede collar and pocket flaps - the fabric for this one is constantly evolving since I've discovered that I don't have enough of the fabric for the coordinating narrow trousers.  I'm hoping for a herringbone wool of some type - it must coordinate with all my trousers and skirts.
• drapey cardigan - mustard yellow crepe knit
• wide leg trousers - brown pinstripe wool
• narrow legged trousers - navy ??
• pencil skirt - brown pinstripe wool 
• 6 gore skirt - brown Prince of Wales suiting 
• Tilly and the Buttons Agnes tops 

• mustard yellow crepe knit (long sleeves, ruching at centre front)
• burgundy heathered jersey (puffed sleeve version)
• leopard print mesh knit with blue and cream (long sleeves, scoop neck)
• textured cream lightweight sweater knit (short sleeves, scoop neck)
• shirts 
• self drafted mustard yellow georgette
• Sew Over It Alex in navy with white polka dots (previously sewn)
• self drafted black rayon challis with small floral print in barn red and mustard yellow
• self drafted snake skin print in shades of brown and cream
• knit wrap dress - burgundy heathered jersey

Reading

1.  Finish Dragon's Triangle by Christine Kling

2.  Finish People over Profit

3.  Finish Inspired Destiny by Dr. John Demartini

4.  Start Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason

Well, there you have it.  Yikes - when I look back at that list it looks super ambitious, especially the sewing goals.  I've been going home almost every day at lunch to squeeze in a couple extra minutes to sew over the lunch hour which has really been adding up.  I've also included a few easy TNT patterns (the Agnes tops, and the self drafted shirts) in my plans which don't take much time to pull together.  AND, I'm really looking forward to this coming weekend when I've planned a sewing retreat for myself.  Just me and my dog, hanging out in L'Atelier ALL weekend.  Yippee!!

Hello...it's Me!!

Life is good.  Busy, very busy, but good.  This year has blown by.  Summary so far:

• The most important and significant thing first - my oldest daughter and her significant other presented me with a gorgeous grandson at the end of January who has stolen my heart (along with most of my daughter's sleep).  I am smitten!
• I traveled to Utah in January for work, but also got a fabulous pow-day of skiing in.  
• In February, 20 of my Ski Patrol friends and I went to Bristol Mountain in Upstate New York for a few days and had amazing skiing in 20 plus degrees heat (Celsius that is!).  No pow, but awesome friendships.
• In April I traveled for a few days to Ottawa for a conference for work.  I love Ottawa and got to spend some time with my brother and his awesome girlfriend for a few days before.
• This was followed by another trip back to Utah for work, but also included an unbelievable hiking trip to see the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park near Moab in mid-May.  
• At the end of May, I visited Newfoundland - first in St. John's for my youngest daughter's second undergrad degree graduation, and then to the Bonavista area for a few days of hiking and exploring (it was AWESOME).  
• At the end of June, I traveled to the Netherlands with my parents and one of my brothers for an incredible bike and barge vacation - we biked about 50 km every day, and met up with the barge every night.  We had an amazing time as a family - I'm so very glad I had the chance to do this trip!
• I joined a women's dragon boat team for camaraderie and exercise - we competed most recently in Hamilton, ON and got a silver medal in the women's 200 m.  Among other races that day, we also did a 2 k, which initially terrified me, but at the finish was one of the most rewarding things I have done in a while.

Believe it or not, it hasn't all be peaches and sunshine though.  I somehow suffered a groin pull in February and re-injured it again in April, and am really struggling with shin issues which have put a real strain on my physical fitness routine (I was lucky though, hiking was ok as long as I was mindful about it!).  I also wrote an exam for a course I was taking just before going out to Newfoundland (I was STRESSED about this one!).  I am also dealing with some changes at work which are also causing me some stress.

After the past few years, which have held some really low points for me,  I really have been trying to let go of things that I cannot control and also focusing on gratitude for what I do have in my life.  I look back at all the things I've done, things that have happened and where I've gone this year and feel extremely blessed.


I've been spending A LOT of time in my Atelier (aka my sewing space in the basement) lately, but haven't taken too many decent pictures of my sewing accomplishments, other than a few to post a few cell phone shots on Instagram for some insta-love!  After a second of contemplation, I think it's because I have a project list a million projects long, and just can't be bothered to try to figure out how to deal with the lack of a photographer thing.  I made a good chunk of my wardrobe for my vacations both to Newfoundland and The Netherlands.  I'll have to do some posts and reviews in the near future for these items.

Can you believe that July is almost half over?   I do have a list of goals that I'd like to accomplish this month though.  The first big one is to get back in the habit of posting here.  I love reading the other blogs I follow regularly, and feel connected to the world somehow.  Maybe I can impact someone's life that way as well?

In any event, here's my list of goals:

Knitting

1.  Finish Tulip Socks (striped socks I started on the plane home from the Netherlands)
2.  Finish Cozy V-Neck Raglan Pullover - serious game of yarn chicken here, I'll have enough to finish the sleeve, but I'm not so sure about the neckband
3.  Finish my grandson Deklan's Sweater - all it needs is to be sewn together
4.  Block and weave in ends on my Chuck sweater.

Spinning

It's Tour de Fleece, so I've been mostly spending time spinning when I'm not sewing, travelling or studying.  My goal for TdF2017 is to spin every day.  No pressure as to what or how much.

Sewing

1.  Finish Sew Over It Penny Dress
2.  Finish Named Kielo Dress
3.  Finish My Image magazine Top M1709.

These are all sort of cheating since I've almost finished them already any way - they just need hems.  But since I did start both of them this week, and I make the rules, they're still allowed. :)

3.  Sew a Jean Jacket (white? hot pink? tangerine?)
5.  Sew hot pink skinny jeans
6.  Sew McCalls 7100 Bomber Jacket (I'm having a Sewing Retreat Day with my fellow sewing friend on Sunday where we are both going to work on this - I have to figure out what fabric to make it out of!)
7.  Sew an orange knit summer dress - mostly because I have the orange cotton/lycra knit on my cutting table
8.  Plan my travel wardrobe for the annual work conference I attend at the end of September.  This year it's in Chicago.  I'm aiming for a mustard, wine and navy wardrobe.  I also need to pull the fabrics and patterns once I've got the plans down.

If anyone knows where to get mustard stretch denim or twill, I'm all ears!!

Reading

1.  Finish reading Circle of Bones by Christine Kling.  I'm still adjusting to reading on the iPad, though I did buy an early birthday gift of a Kindle for myself on Amazon Prime Day, which should be arriving later this week - sshhh!!
2.  Finish reading Fatal Lies by Frank Tallis - this is the book I'm reading as I drop off to sleep every night.  I love this series!  Easy to read, but reminds me of my time in Vienna!
3.  Finish People over Profit - I just looked, and I've been in the middle of this one since last summer!  I really need to just pick it up for a few minutes every day.  It's a good read but I've been sidetracked by a lot of other things...
3.  Pick the next fiction book to read