2015 is Almost Here!

And my blogging efforts in 2014 were dismal at best! My life has changed since the days I blogged most every day. I know it will inevitably change again, so not to worry. I have been sewing (and aquiring fabric). I'm saving up for retirement when spontaneous fabric shopping will have to stop slow down (who am I kidding?) There has been sewing this year, but mostly basics and special requests. I have perfected my leggings pattern and have made a ton of them. I made a long underwear set out of some lovely wicking fabric that is sure to keep me toasty under my snow suit! Speaking of snow, we had our first ride on Saturday. Here is a picture of our friend Becky. You can see Tom and I in the background.

And the other wonderful thing that happened in 2014 was the birth of Jack Fitzgerald McCall!

And let's not forget big brother Colt who seems to have obtained both of the candy canes from Santa!

Ramblings

This is my version of Barb's Flypaper Thoughts...years of schooling has taught me to fear plagiarizing!

* I have shelves in the studio now and part of my stash is on display
* Yes, I have more fabric than the shelves can hold
* I have a new love
* His name is Jack and he is perfect!
* Jack lives in Texas with his brother Colt
* We took an epic trip to Texas
* It took 2 1/2 days to get there
* We took a little longer to get home
* I don't care for New Mexico
* I love Colorado
* Jackson Wyoming is a special place
* Work has been intense
* I love my job
* I really do...I'm not being sarcastic
* I have miles to go before I sleep
* Listening to Tim McGraw
* He still floats my boat
* Now Luke Bryan is singing
* Oh yeah...
* Can't wait for winter
* Love my sled
* Tom will probably want an upgrade and then I'll love his sled
* Oops, I meant Colt's sled
* I ride Jack's
* The kids are planning to come to Oregon for Christmas
* I miss Gaylen...what you been up to girl?
* Finally found some time to watch the second season of OITNB
* I miss prison
* Don't freak out...I worked there
* Retirement looks fun
* Wish I was at the ranch with Tom
* Someday
* I only bought one pattern today
* Maggy London is my krypytonite
* Found an immaculate pair of white Danskos in my size at Goodwill today
* Scored on scrubs too
* Sorry my Rachels
* Tomorrow I sew

This has been a fun exercise. I leave you with a picture from Jackson...the town I would adopt had I not fell in love with La Pine

FabricMart=Love

The dogs got me up at 5:45 am. On my day off. FabricMart is having a sale. Free 6 yard bundle with $50.00 purchase. Once again...I'm blaming it on the dogs! Enablers! Now I'm off to the studio to sew down the stash!

Oops I did it Again...

It was a long day at work today. In at 7:00 am...home by 8:00 pm. I was excited to watch the Voice finale (called it! Way to go Josh Kaufman!) I also was excited to spend some time in my studio. I cranked out a simple striped knit skirt that will be fun to wear this summer. It feels good to be working in my room and using up the stash...especially since the fabric fairy will being making a drop this week!

Create Something Every Day...

Or so says the sign in my studio. Today I created something. I holed up in my room and sewed while watching Silhouette Pattern webcasts until my dress was done...completely. Granted it was a simple knit dress...McCall's 6612 view B. I had a simple striped knit. From layout and cutting to finished hem, it probably took me 3 hours, including a quick break to make lunch and a potty stop for the dogs. It is still quite chilly here in the high desert, so long sleeves are still appropriate. Here it is modeled by Valentine.

The Chief is the best studio buddy ever. I will miss her when she moves to Texas!

Hello to a Friend...

I'm home after a long day at work, enjoying a glass of wine while checking on my blog roll and listening to the news. There was a post from Laura, of Sew at Sea, who we haven't heard from in quite some time. It brought me such joy to hear from her and get a brief update! Plus a great selfie of Wilbur, her beloved pit bull. It got me thinking about the friendships I've made through blogging and how we pass in and out of each other's lives. I used to blog all the time. Now if I get a post off once a month I feel like I've accomplished something. Some day I may have the time to blog more regularly, but until that time I appreciate a quick drive by from the people I have met through our mutual interests. I wish you all well in your journey, and may our paths cross again soon.

Farewell to a Friend...

We said goodbye to a friend this weekend. Two, if you count Peanut, but we may see him again, or at least one of his buddies.  We went to a memorial service yesterday for Kyle Thomas, a young man we came to know through our snowmobile club. Sadly he was caught in an avalanch last Sunday on Paulina peak. He was a live out loud kind of guy, with an infectious smile and a no fear attitude. And one helluva snowmobile rider. He also was an amazing single father to a little girl. He will be missed by a lot of people.
I mentioned Peanut. A couple months ago Tom rescued a little nuthatch who couldn't fly. He lived for a week in a box in the bathroom, and since he made it that long, we decided to get him a cage to rehabilitate him. Today we set him free, and it was heartwarming to see the other nuthatches stay with him as he looked for food. Last we saw him, he was up a tree. Here's Peanut a few weeks ago:

The sun came out to play, so we took a little ride on the quads out back. I am still learning, but my
time on the snowmobile helped and I am a little more comfortable riding than I was before. I also
spent some quality time in the studio this weekend, finishing Simplicity 0229, a vintage peplum top
that I cut out last summer:

Lastly, here is a picture that completes my studio...Iron man/Bob the Builder graces my wall over the ironing board 

Back in Business

The sewing studio is coming together nicely! The work tables are in, the machines are in place and Tom mounted my birthday present today... A new TV to keep me entertained while I create.

I did a lot of organizing, dancing and even sewed a bit on a skirt I cut out last summer. Tomorrow is a serious day of sewing before the work week begins again.

So how's your weekend been?

Drive by

Just a quick drive by. Life has been incredibly hectic, but busy is good! The sewing studio is under renovation right now. Tom has ripped out the carpet and will lay the laminate flooring once we get some more paint to finish where the molding will drop down. (The carpet sat higher than the laminate will) I have several projects in line, but since I haven't had time to sew, I've been feverishly knitting scarves for our Relay for Life and ALS walk fundraisers. The girls just sold out of the Duck and Beaver stockpile I gave them, so the needles are flying again! (It's an Oregon thing!)  We have a big snowmobile ride tomorrow and Sunday is the sportsmen's show (AKA the best date ever!) Work is super busy with some exciting new projects happening. And the most exciting news of all? A new grandson will be arriving this summer and we're going to Texas to meet him! I really miss the kids and especially Colt-Colt! I suppose we will have to drop it to one Colt eventually, but for now, that's what he calls himself...or Ironman! Well, better go hop in the shower...almost time to go make the doughnuts! TGIF!

I Sewed!

I finished 3 McCall's 6844 view B cardigans this weekend. If I weren't so comfortable sitting on the couch watching curling, I might get up and take a picture. Nah, not happening! It's amazing how different you can make the same pattern with different fabrics! The cardi I'm currently wearing is a rich plum rib knit. Very stretchy...I had to adjust the differential feed on the serger to keep it from stretching. The other two were made with nice pontes that were part of a Fabric Mart mystery box. I love those! The stability of the ponte make them more jacket-like.  One is a beautiful textured coral, which matches a scrub top I seldom wear, so I may wear it more, and it will be nice come Spring. The other is a zebra like print and will look fabulous with a black pair of pants. Already 4 makes from this pattern...I'd call that a winner!

Rain!

It's been raining hard all night! Sheesh! I feel like I'm back in Portland! Rain + Snow = Big sloppy mess! Oh well! Long day at work today and then fun with friends from out of town! Better get to it!
P.S. No sewing on the cardis yet, but I've been knitting ruffle scarves at breakneck speed!

Snow Day

This week we got an impressive snow dump! That made for an absolute fantastic ride today! (We worked to clear snow around the house yesterday) I am gaining more confidence and didn't get stuck once! We stopped for lunch at Paulina lodge and I received a text from our daughter asking where we were. I took a picture for her, as Paulina is where we drug her every year on vacation. (Not a favorite for our world traveler).

I did manage to get some sewing time yesterday after shoveling snow. I cut out 3 McCall's 6844 cardigans. I think they will go together quickly when I get some machine time...maybe next weekend. We have a night ride, so maybe in the morning. Now to watch some Olympics and knitting. How was your weekend?

Easy like Sunday Morning

I love Sunday mornings now. When I worked at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Sunday was like...Thursday. I worked the weekends. Now that I have a traditional "weekend", I love Sundays, especially early Sunday morning. I have a kitty snuggled on my left and a Pom on my right, a nice cup of coffee and the day open with opportunity.
Saturday is a pretty good day too. We loaded up the snowmobiles and spent the day out riding with friends. This was my maiden voyage sledding somewhere other than our property, so I was a bit nervous riding out in public. The good news is I didn't hit a tree or run into anyone. I followed the group through a pretty tricky area down into a play area (the path was downhill, narrow and in some places only as wide as the skis) I needed help getting up the hill (got stuck), but at the end of the day I did pretty good. We took trail 4 up to the lodge and stopped at a landing over looking Paulina lake.

This was the view from the trail...Paulina is still one of my favorite places on earth and now I can get there in the wintertime when the road is closed to motor vehicles!

So back to Sunday...paper has been read, coffee has been drank...think I'll make brunch for Tom when he gets up and ease on in to the day. Sewing is on the agenda as well as knitting. I have a second sock on the needles with the heel turn started. I can't even remember when I started them, so it's time to get them done! Should be doable during the Seahawks game this afternoon. I hope your Sunday is easy too!

Shopping the Stash

Tom asked me about bringing over an old steamer trunk from the shop that he had refurbished for Sara as a hope chest back in the day. She never really was into it, but I said "Yes, please!" The trunk is lined in cedar and smells wonderful. Guess what I used it for? Fabric storage of course! Much of my fabric has been stored in bins in the garage since my sewing studio is still in the planning stages. I was able to bring in a ton this past weekend, and it was like visiting old friends! I have plans for Spring and Summer dresses, skirts and of course more long sleeve tees for under my scrubs! I have 2 dressers in the guest room that are also getting filled with fabric (sorry...if you come to visit there will be no room in the dressers for your stuff...LOL!) during the week it is difficult to get much sewing in, but weekends...it's on! Except if we get some snow to go snowmobiling! It has been so unseasonably warm here, it's ridiculous! Almost 60 during the day! It was 14 this morning when I took the dogs out. Jo got me up before 5:00...guess I can do some quiet sewing activities in the morning if this becomes a habit! Well better stop drinking coffee and head to the shower to get ready for work. Happy Hump day!

Back in the Saddle

Sewing has been done! I finished a wearable muslin of McCalls 6844 cardi last weekend. Great pattern and see many more in my future. A nice cardi over my scrubs is required this time of year! I also finished 6 Jalie long sleeve Tees to wear under my scrubs...it's cold in the high desert this time of year! We finally got some more snow this afternoon and took the boys for a long walk after the Seahawks clinched the game. Now just hanging out, watching the Patriot/Colt game and someone is playing Candy Crush (and someone timed out). I consider that my reminder that I need to get up and do something else! I am getting ready to start a new dress for the Union banquet where Tom will get his retirement axe. I really need more dresses! What a dilemma! Thank you all for your kind thoughts regarding Kodi. It still hurts, but he gave me so much...he will always be in my heart!

Kodiak 1999-2014

RIP my sweet boy...you made my life richer with your unconditional love! Hope you find all the bones you buried on the other side of the rainbow bridge. Miss you...

Top 5

I have been catching up with many of my favorite blogs and have enjoyed seeing everyone's top 5 makes of 2013. It got me thinking about my top 5...wait...did I make 5 things this year? I know I sewed. I did a lot of sewing jobs this year, but what about selfish, all about me sewing? Not much this year. My pitiful wardrobe can attest to that! But what about my top 5? I think the highlight was having our kids at home from England for 3 months! It takes a village of adults to wrangle a precocious 2 &1/2 year old, so minimal sewing during those months. We finished the renovations on the retirement home...that took some time. There was some great home dec sewing that went with that. Oh yeah, I polished my resume and secured a new job in our retirement city. That was a little time consuming. Then there was selling the house, that took about 3 days and then packing up over 10 years of accumulated stuff and moving it across the mountain. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself. 2014 should be a better sewing year. Especially since I have a new grand baby on the way to sew for! Here are some highlights of 2013: