July Goals Update

I'm really not quite sure where July went.

• I celebrated the July long weekend by knitting and sewing as much as possible
• I also finally mowed my back lawn
• My neighbours are happy
• So am I, it made a huge difference in how I feel about the back garden!
• I enjoyed a fair amount of wine that weekend too, in the name of relaxing
• I couldn't figure out why everyone was posting Tour de Fleece photos until I suddenly came to the realization it was really the first week of July!!
• Must have been the wine
• In one week, I drove to downtown Toronto (day 1), Owen Sound, Milton (day 2), Picton and Kingston (day 3), returning home each night.  
• That was the week of one of the heatwaves and I had a rental car with cooled seats
• The cooled seats felt weird but were definitely not hot!!
• I didn't want to give the rental back, but I didn't want to drive anymore
• I've been busy with launch parties for my home based business.  Three in one weekend. Whew!!
• I spent a week at the Haliburton School of the Arts learning to do all things associated with spinning
• We washed fleece, carded fleece, dyed fleece and spun yarn, and even played with the spinning wheels.
• Summer Camp for Adults.  It was Fabulous!!
• They have a Master Spinner program.  
• I might have to take it.
• Because I have nothing else to do
• I got a henna tattoo. 
• I like it so much I may have to get it for real.

Since it's already the end of July, I guess I should really take a look at what my goals were for this month, and how I did.

July Goals Wrap Up

Knitting

1. Finish Gravel Socks.  Done!  not in time for the KAL deadline, but whatevs.
2. Finish Coffee Run Socks Finished the first sock, but I'm pretty sure that was already before July.
3. Finish The Stunning Poncho.  Haven't even touched it.
4. Finish Agatha Sweater for Melissa  Again, haven't even touched it.
5. Start baby sweaters for shower gifts.  Sorta done.  Finished one sweater, haven't decided on the second one yet.
6. Start a sweater for Sara.  Nope.  Not started 
7. Start my annual summer Featherweight Sweater knit.  Yup, I cast on a sweater similar to the Featherweight for myself, and I'm working on the second sleeve.

Sewing

1. Finish the black and white print wrap dress, currently in progress   Done!  And I LOVE this dress!  I'll have to do a post on it.
2. Finish red cocktail dress (needs a zipper before final fitting and a hem).  Nope - I keep looking at it on the dress form and should just finish it.  It's starting to haunt me.
3. Finish the coral silky top for Sara.    Well...she's announced she's expecting (YAY!!! I'm gonna be a Gramma!!!), so this top no longer fits for the time being.  It's been put on the backburner.
4. Sew black trousers (already cut out)   Done!
5. Sew beige flowy wool crepe trousers (already cut out)   Done!
6. Sew beige slim tropical wool trousers (already cut out)   Done!
7. Draft, cut and sew a tunic top with gathers at the neckline.  I keep dreaming about this one, I should just get drafting!
8. Trace, cut and sew on Burda outfit (?jumpsuit or dress?)  Again...dreaming.
9. Sew short sleeve summer top Does this count if I made one and then donated it?  It was just horrible!  Serves me right for not making a mockup.

Reading

1. Finish People over Profit by Dale Partridge - over halfway through, but didn't want to read this on vacation :)
2. Read You are a Badass by Jen Sincero  Does the audiobook count?  I actually lent out my paper copy to a friend who is recovering from surgery but managed to get a copy of the audiobook through Hoopla.  After listening to it, I really want to read the paper copy again - it was THAT good!!  I've started listening to it again as well.
3. Finish the novel on my bedside table (!)  Done!  Spoiler Alert! The world was saved from terrorists by Jake Grafton.  Again.  Who would have thunk it?!
4. Choose and start the next novel Done - currently reading The Three Sisters Bar & Hotel by Katherine Govier. Its a bit tough to get into at first, but I'm really starting to enjoy the character development.  It takes place in Banff, where I visited this past spring, and where my brother lives.  I'm planning on passing the book along to him when I'm done with it.

Goals for August

Knitting

1. Finish Coffee Run socks
2. Finish Agatha sweater for Melissa (her birthday is August 18, so I need to get on this!)
3. Finish my lightweight cardigan 
4. Start a baby sweater for Sara's baby 
5. Make my list for Christmas gift knitting and pick one project to get started on

Sewing 

1. Finish the red cocktail dress.  I'm just going to keep putting it here until it's done.  Maybe I'll be ready for the Christmas party season with it?!
2. Draft, cut and sew a tunic top with gathers at the neckline. I have amazing fabric for this that should really get me inspired to do this!
3. Sew a summer style jumpsuit (Closet Case Files Sallie maybe?!)
4. Sew a summer dress, wrap style from the same pattern as my black and white print dress?

Reading

1. Finish reading People over Profit
2. Finish reading The Three Sisters Bar & Hotel (this won't be a problem, I'm using this as a reason to go to bed early and read!)
3. Start reading Book Yourself Solid (for work and my own business)
4. Pick the next fiction book to read

At Long Last!

Hello everyone.  I'm assuming there's probably NOBODY out there anymore, but I'm feeling the urge to write a bit so here goes.

It's been quite a year!  I don't really know where to begin, so I'll just jump in.

• I've been sewing like mad, just haven't had time to blog about it
• I took many, many hours of pattern drafting and sewing courses (and had many, many, many hours of associated homework!!), wrote an 9 hour exam which I passed, and graduated last weekend with my Master Tailoring certificate from Le Grand Chic Italia School of Fashion.  
• While I'm usually pretty quiet about my health and personal life on this blog (actually, I've been just quiet in general for the past year!!), I've really struggled with some "minor-in-the-grand-scheme-of-things" health issues that have sapped my energy and really affected my life in a what feels like a majorly negative way.  I've undergone some minor procedures and medication that are hopefully making things better.  So far, so good!
• I did the test for my full motorcycle licence last summer.  And I passed!
• I finished another course for Canadian Institute of Management certificate program last fall, wrote the exam and passed that course.  I need to sign up for the next one.
• My "real job" has changed significantly in structure in the past six months and has at times been quite stressful to deal with.  I'm learning to get back to the things that help me deal with stress in a positive way - like sewing!
• I traveled to Newfoundland last fall, Banff this past winter and Chile this spring.
• I hired a house cleaner, which has helped me with time management and I have a clean house most of the time - best decision in a long time!
• I've moved things around in my house and finally with very stark recognition it has dawned on me that I have more yarn, fibre and fabric than I could ever knit, spin or sew for myself and my entire extended family in the next 10 years.  I have not committed to a "cold sheep" approach to buying anything new, but I am feeling absolutely abundant in what I have.  I am regularly "tossing the stash" in order to get my hands into the beautiful things I already own instead of feeling the urge to buy all the pretty things instead.
• I've returned to reading.  Both non-fiction and fiction, and am devouring books on a regular basis.  This may have something to do with the fact that I've finally realized that reading glasses are helpful.
• I've just started a home-based business, which builds women into a community instead of pitting people against each other.  So far it has been an amazing ride. 

Those are the some of the highlights of the past year!  I am incredibly blessed.

My goals for July are:

Knitting

1. Finish Gravel Socks
2. Finish Coffee Run Socks
3. Finish The Stunning Poncho
4. Finish Agatha Sweater for Melissa
5. Start baby sweaters for shower gifts
6. Start a sweater for Sara
7. Start my annual summer Featherweight Sweater knit

Sewing

1. Finish the black and white print wrap dress, currently in progress
2. Finish red cocktail dress (needs a zipper before final fitting and a hem)
3. Finish the coral silky top for Sara 
4. Sew black trousers (already cut out)
5. Sew beige flowy wool crepe trousers (already cut out)
6. Sew beige slim tropical wool trousers (already cut out)
7. Draft, cut and sew a tunic top with gathers at the neckline
8. Trace, cut and sew on Burda outfit (?jumpsuit or dress?)
9. Sew short sleeve summer top

Reading

1. Finish People over Profit by Dale Partridge
2. Read You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
3. Finish the novel on my bedside table (!)
4. Choose and start the next novel

It's a long weekend this weekend - Happy Canada Day, fellow Canadians!  I'll be celebrating by cleaning my car and sewing.  A lot.

Total Lack of Sewing Mojo

It would seem that I have lost interest in blogging for a long period of time.  Truth be told, I haven't felt much sewing mojo in the past number of months.  Or mojo of any kind, really.  Without getting into too many details, work has been...very stressful.  Personal relationships have been...extremely stressful. And I've been spending time focusing on getting my physical health and strength to a higher level than it was.  What little free time I have had has been spent knitting, which I find very meditative and soothing for my soul. And much easier to do when you are travelling!

I'm also overwhelmed with my fabric stash.  While a stash is certainly a blessing, I am filled with too many ideas and wonderful fabrics to choose from, and I just go into overload.  One problem I have is that I go into my local fabric store for "just a few buttons" or "only a zipper" and see all the lovelies in their magnificent display.  I need to exercise my willpower.  Maybe I should take a picture of my stash and place it in my wallet so that I can remember all the gorgeousness I have at home that is going unused!

All that being said, my sewing mojo has been stirring in the past few weeks.  I'm regaining my excitement about fashion and clothing and sewing.  I've been catching up on some of my favourite sewing blogs and fashion forecasts for fall.  I am sketching again in my Fashionary diary.  I am pulling out some fabrics and patterns to work with.

The main thing I'm thinking about right now is summer dresses.  I realize I "should" be planning ahead, thinking about the things to sew for fall so I will be prepared when the season gets here (and truth be told, it really isn't that far away when you stop to think about it), but we're in the midst of our hot weather and summer dresses in all their glorious breeziness are what I want to sew.  I've pulled out some linen from my stash, along with a tropical rayon print.  Drafting the patterns for these dresses has been on my to do list for a while now, but I'm hoping to get the drafts done this week, and then have a creative weekend this coming (long) weekend!

Hopefully the mojo will return, full force.

What do you do to get your lagging mojo flowing?