It's On...

Top-a-palooza that is...I have 5 tops cut out, ready to sew...bring it on!!!

Another One Bites the Dust!!!

Hooray for me! The scrubs project is history! I finished the last one today before work!  I would take a picture, but they are already in a box set to send to Merry ol' England, and I'm not dragging them out! I've dilly-dallied way to long due to the home renovation activities. It does feel good to get some things out of the way, but the studio is a wreck! Looks like a bomb went off in the fabric closet.  Does anyone else have that problem when they are getting creative? I get an idea and then I have to find a certain fabric and a certain pattern and then let's not even visit the notions cupboard!!! Yikes! I'll straighten it out when Tom leaves for Fire Academy...it's going to be an all day (and maybe part of the night) affair. I did get some inspiration to have a top-a-palooza sew-a-thon though.  My wardrobe is sorely lacking some good casual Tee's and tops, so I plan to cut out a bunch to assembly line.  And speaking of assembly, why do pattern companies feel it necessary to set the sleeves on a scrub pattern? Seriously? They're scrubs! It's not a couture jacket! I attached them flat and then zipped up the side seams...easy peasy! Of course, I have been looking for the easy way ever since I learned to sew.  My poor Mother and home ec teacher would cringe and ask "What are you doing???" Funny, when I went to work for Jantzen, that's the way we did things on the line and no one was raising an eyebrow!!! Anyway, in an effort to include more pictures (since I'm too lazy to take pictures of the things I make), I'll leave you with an impressive picture of the burn to learn the department had yesterday.  The good news is that no one got hurt and some good training was had by all!!!

We now resume the regular sewing...

Whew!!! After marathon painting on my days off, I am really looking forward to some time in the studio! I finished the stairwell and hall and thought I was done with the trim, but alas I have a few more pieces to do! The end is in sight and leaves me with a little time to focus on what I really want to be doing...sewing! Good thing too...I have another delivery from Fabric.com due to drop in next week, so I need to make way. I am doing pretty well on getting the new fabrics worked up, but I have been buying with specific projects in mind.  I have this darling retro border print in pink and brown coming that is destined to be a skirt for my best girl. Tom is leaving for Fire Academy next Saturday, so my only responsibilities will be to keep myself and the critters fed and clean, so sewing will be the order of the week! Yee Haw!!!

Silent, but not idle...

I have been one poor correspondent lately, but that does not mean I have not been doing anything...quite the contrary! Home improvement projects have dominated my days off and while we can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel...were not quite there yet! Kitchen and dining room are painted and the floor is almost complete.  Tom had to work today or they would be done.  Jason came this morning to help put the fridge back in place, so now it is not standing in front of the sliding glass door anymore. I took a critical eye to the stairwell and upstair hallway, so now I'm going to paint that before Tom gets the hardwoods down on the stairs.  That's the problem with home improvement...you fix up one area and then the other areas look shabby! Anyway, the camera has been lying out to document this progress and I leave you with one of my favorite pictures...Figgy slays the bear (rug)!

Keep on Trucking...

Does you ever feel like there's not enough time in the day? It seems like my life is about details...lots and lots of details that need my attention.  This morning I did prep work to help finish the flooring project.  I moved all of my books out of the sideboard so we can easily move it tomorrow and relocated my birds to the laundry room.  The birds are such loves, but a little high maintenance in the cleaning department.  I've considered finding a new home for them, but Peaches has been with me for over 10 years and they do make me smile.  They don't get out as much as they used to, thanks to the Chief, but they still are very tame and like to be handled. I did laundry, cooked dinner for the boys and even managed a short trip into the studio before work.  I hope to get some more machine time when I get home from work, but we'll see how I feel.  I've finally figured out it takes twice as long when you have to rip out what you screw up when you're tired! Only took me about 40 years to figure that out!

My Style

Ruthie just posted an entry about her style that got me thinking, "how would you describe my style?" This is really timely as I have been weeding out the things I never or rarely wear out of my closet to make way for things I love.  You know the garments, the ones you love to wear and just feel good wearing. I found there are alot of great pieces in my wardrobe that never make it off the hanger because I just haven't put them together in an outfit.  Casual days at home I have a usual uniform...athletic pants and a fleece, with either slippers, crocs or tennis shoes, depending on the day's activities.  I usually will slip jeans on if I have to go downtown Estacada to the post office or library, but truth be told I have been known just to wear the athletic pants and fleece before. (shameful admission!) Work is business casual, which for me is slacks or black jeans with a top (usually one made by me and a sweater or jacket).  I also love to wear dresses or skirts when the day's work is appropriate.  I tend to dress nicer than other people I work with, which leads them to ask if I have a job interview or a date after work.  Today I am wearing  a black Ann Taylor loft A-line skirt with pleats in the front and at the side seams with a black knit tie blouse (George from Walmart to be precise) and the awesome Coldwater Creek blue and black houndstooth swing jacket that I just received on Thursday.  I'm so glad I gave CWC another chance...the last few things I bought there have not been favorites.  I think the key is figuring out their sizing!  In sewing news, I finished a couple of stretchy bands for a certain expectant Mama I know.  She requested them as her pants are starting to fit a little snug and these make a nice little transition between your unbuttoned pants and shirts. I will have little Mama take a picture to show you all and can make a tutorial if anyone is interested in the process.  We have been busy with home renovation projects...new flooring in the living room, dining room and kitchen (they're all combined) and I need to repaint the kitchen (hopefully before Tom gets the flooring in there) Here's the new floor:

That's about it for this installment of Sewfast...as Carolyn says...more later!!!

Report Card

Some projects finished! Whoo-hoo! What a good feeling.  Two of the scrub tops are ready to send and the other two should be not far behind!  I did get sidetracked a bit this morning, but it was all important stuff. Ran on the treadmill while watching Project Runway...Spoiler alert...if you haven't watched it stop reading right now...