sweet lucille

Hey there friends.  This is a sad post to write, but I wanted to share a little of what's been going on behind the scenes the past few weeks.  As much as I like to try to keep this blog about my creative pursuits and focus on the good things in life, I also feel like I can't really get back to those posts until I talk about this first.

Nick and I had to say goodbye to our dog, Lucille, a few weeks ago.  I know many of you have shared when your pets have passed away and so I'm sure you can understand the heartache we've been feeling.  Lucille was 10 years old, but her death was sudden and unexpected.  She was her usual happy self when both of us came home from work, but began acting funny around 8 or 9 pm - not eating dinner, breathing heavy. She continued to decline throughout the night and by 5am she was gone.  There was nothing we could do.  The only bright side is that we were both there with her in the end, and though she was in pain and scared, it wasn't prolonged.  And I think we both feel somewhat grateful that we didn't have to make any hard decisions about putting her down.

Lucille was 2 years old when I met Nick.  He got her as a puppy while living in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.  She was a mutt and the runt of the litter, and she stole his heart by constantly untying his shoes.  She was no bigger than a loaf of bread.  When I met Lucille for the first time I remember thinking "wow, that is a good dog."  I've always loved dogs, but Lucille was the first dog I ever met who was truly a good dog.  She was amazingly sweet tempered with everyone and everything - even when we brought our shitty cat, Mister Muscles, into the house (Muscles looooved Lucille, by the way).  She was also incredibly smart and well behaved.  She was just easy. And she had nothing to give but love. I always joked that Lucille resented me showing up in Nick's life - that she was Nick's #1 girl, but that couldn't have been further from the truth.  She was my #1 girl, too. 

I've never thought of myself as the type of person who considers my pets "my children" or "my furbabies".  But Lucille was my family.  It's amazing how much she was a part of the fabric of our lives - in ways I've never thought about until she's gone.  I miss the sound of her nails click clicking on the hardwood floors.  I miss her heavy sighs, and her snores.  I miss the weight of her head in my lap and the constant presence of her at my feet.  I miss her velvety ears and soulful eyes. I miss having an excuse to go for walks. I miss that there is no fanfare - no one visibly excited - when I open the drawer to get the 'poo bags'. I miss her toys and her food bowl and I even miss her shedding. Thunderstorms take me by surprise (Lucille hated thunderstorms and would begin panting and shaking well before we were aware that it was even going to rain).  I still pause every time I open the front door, thinking she's about to run out to me.  

I feel a bit like a crazy person that my feelings of grief and loss are so shockingly profound, but I know those of you that have loved and lost an amazing animal will understand.  I wish there was more decorum allowed for the loss of a pet.  Lucille deserves better than a blog post, but sadly, that's all I have to give.

Thank you for letting me share my little heartache with you all.  I'm hoping that in sharing this sadness I can get back to posting about what I love and what makes me happy without feeling like a fraud. I just didn't feel like I could gloss over this like it never happened.

I miss you, Sweet Lucille.

xx

reflections of...

Here it is you guys! The good ol' year in review post! More than a little bit fashionably late, but what are you gonna do? That's just my style...

I haven't done one of these posts in a few years because it just didn't feel right (read: I procrastinated writing it for so long that it felt a bit odd to post it in... say... March). But I always sort of regret it. I think writing out your thoughts on past achievements and stating your goals for the future is a really great thing to do every now and again.  And the start of a new year seems as good of a time to do it as any. So without further ado, let's get this rambling post started!

Warning: I didn't really organize my thoughts too much before writing this, so be prepared for a whole mish mash of thoughts on the personal and practical, sewing and 'real life', and everything in between.

Sewing

One of the biggest changes for me in the past year, and really since I began sewing and blogging (a little over 4 years ago if you can believe that!) was becoming part of the Mood Sewing Network this past year.  Having Mood sponsor my blog has been a huge deal for me, in a very real, practical way. On a highly personal note, making money is not something that my husband and I excel at. We live very very frugally and as many of you know, sewing is not a cheap hobby (although I do believe it is a much more economical solution to clothing consumption than my previous shopping habits, but that is a conversation for another day). That being said, there have been many times throughout the past year that I've been immensely grateful for that monthly Mood fabric allowance.  Without it, I'm not sure I'd have been able to continue sewing. Or at least not with any sort of frequency.  And without sewing, I'd have no creative outlet. And without a creative outlet... I implode. And besides that, I have loved getting to try out fabrics that I would normally shy away from.  There have been so many truly kooky fabrics that have crossed my path this year, and it's made sewing a real joy.

A few makes I am still extremely proud of are my wool and leather coat, and Nick's selvedge denim jeans. I'm still shocked by how much use I've gotten out of the Nettie bodysuit pattern (see here, here, here AND here!) and wearing this dress makes me endlessly happy.

Going forward, I'd really like to aim for two makes a month. This was my goal last year and I almost made it (22 makes total)! But I'd like to keep my sewing directed as well. It's so important to me that what I make gets worn on a weekly basis. The whole point of all of this is to make getting dressed as effortless as possible. So with that in mind, a few holes I've discovered in my wardrobe are loungewear, workout clothes, and weekend wear. Basically the boring stuff! So keep an eye on THIS space (she says sarcastically).

Blogging

Oh blogging. First, let me say that I love my blog, and I love to blog. BUT! I always feel like a terrible blogger.  2014 was no exception.  Even though the Mood Sewing Network kept me blogging regularly at least once a month, I still always felt like I should be doing more.  It can get a bit difficult to be a part of a blogging community, even one as kind and compassionate as the sewing blogging community, and not fall into the trap of comparing yourself to everyone around you. It's something I feel like I have to be very mindful of.  Does anyone else feel like this? Please share if you do, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

This upcoming year I'm going to work on going easier on myself. Thankfully (and luckily for ya'll) most of my 'bad blogger' berating goes on behind the scenes, but I still catch myself apologizing for prolonged absences and making self-deprecating jokes about what a bad blogger I am, and I think it's time for this to stop. I think we can all agree that blogging should be enjoyable, no matter which way you choose to do it, and not yet another source of bad feelings for not measuring up in our lives! And since I'm fairly certain that these 'bad blogger' feelings are totally self derived, than it's really up to me to change my attitude. I want to have a long, healthy relationship with my blog, after all.



This past year I gave my blog a little facelift. Actually, "facelift" is still probably too dramatic of a word for what I did... Really I sent my blog to the salon for a fresh cut and color and maybe a little makeup demo.  This was perhaps not the total site overhaul I would love to do one day, but it did make the space feel a little fresher and tidier.

In terms of content, I would love some feedback on what you guys would like to see more of here? Are you interested in more process or 'behind the scenes' posts? Life updates? I've gotten the odd request for a hair tutorial or makeup question, and while that's a bit of new territory for me, I'm happy to oblige... Let me know... should I branch out, or just keep on keeping on??

Knitting

Oh man! This is something I'm insanely proud of! Learning to knit has been a 'bucket list' goal of mine for awhile now, and this past year, with the help of my supremely talented sister, I added it to my repertoire.  In 2014 I made two hats, one sweater (never blogged) and started another sweater. The only bad thing about knitting, as far as I'm concerned, is that it turns me into an insanely obsessive couch creature. Seriously.  I find knitting to be about 1000 x's more addicting than sewing, to the point that it's kind of dangerous. Like, if I'm not careful it might destroy all my personal relationships and land me in some kind of crafter's rehab (that exists, right? It should...)



I'm itching to finish the sweater I started last fall  - hopefully before spring arrives so I get a chance to wear it! Although I might have already got distracted and started knitting another hat in the meantime. This is something I pretty much never do. I'm actually really hard core about finishing what I've started because I hate having half-finished things lurking about, giving me side-eye. But it felt like the right move this time. Like if I didn't take a break from the sweater than I was going to get officially burnt out, but this still keeps my mind in the knitting world... or something like that... Yeah okay, it wasn't really sound logic... and maybe I was just really excited about the yarn I got for my hat...



My goal going forward with knitting is to average about one or two sweaters a year, depending on the size of the project, and one or two accessories like hats, mittens, or socks.  I think this should be doable... but I also have to stay mindful that I keep balance, or else come spring I might find myself melded to the couch... Another goal is to tackle some color work in the upcoming year! I think this would be a great project for some mittens (maybe these or these would be fun!)

Life and other stuff

One thing that has become a bigger part of my life in the past year is fitness. As someone who has gone out of her way to find ways to not move (surely I'm not the only person who is a champ at picking things up with my toes so I don't have to bend over? And chairs with wheels are heaven sent...Want me to come over there?? Hang on a second... *weeeeeee*!!) this is kind of a big deal.

I was actually pretty okay not being a very active person. I ride my bike at a snails pace the two miles of very flat road to and from work daily, I mean... what do you want from me? But this coming year I'm turning 30. Which is also okay by me. What wasn't okay was the fact that I was starting to feel like I was turning 50. Oy vey! My hip! My knees! My hip and my knees! Couple that with my propensity for shuffling around in my bathrobe and slippers and my fondness for knitting while watching British murder mysteries on Netflix and I felt like my family might start sitting me down for conversations about how they think I might be 'more comfortable' in a retirement home.

My picture game has seriously devolved in this post... 

 So around the end of last summer I began to try to incorporate more movement into my day beyond my half-hearted attempts at yoga, which usually resulted in me laying around in savasana more than actually saluting any suns... I decided I wanted to try, like really try, no excuses, to make fitness a part of my life. I always felt like any attempts at exercise I made previously were always done in the spirit of punishment - like "Holy Cow! You ate all the candy corn again?!?!?! To the treadmill with you!!" So I decided that was the first thing that had to go. I wasn't going to exercise because I felt a little bloated. I was just going to exercise. Every day. No matter what I did or didn't eat, or how my clothes fit. It was just going to be something I do. Like brushing my teeth. Which I know sounds really simple, but it was actually a huge mental shift for me.

I always hesitate writing about any of this on the blog because I don't want to come across as though I've 'figured it all out'. That's not the case. I just felt like I wanted to write it out so I don't forget. And because it's become a part of my life and I like talking about it. So if you're interested in hearing more, I'd be happy to write more, but otherwise - Note to self: Keep working out. You like it. It makes you feel good. It also makes you a much nicer person to be around.

Phew! Long post you guys! The crazy thing is, I could write so much more! But I think I touched on all the highlights.

I hope this didn't bore everyone to tears! Is it too late to wish everyone a Happy New Year? Probably, right? Well whatever....

H
 A
  P
   P
    Y
2
 0
  1
   5
    !

Oh! And I wanted to leave you with this, because... reflections. And Diana. Duh.


xx

1 for you, 50 for me...

Here in the U.S., tomorrow is our Thanksgiving holiday (as I write this, at least) - the holiday that really starts off the whole holiday season with a bang (or at least with turkey and naps).  I always feel like this time of year we're supposed to reflect on all the things we're grateful for - sort of like a period of meditation before the expected New Years Resolution phase begins.  Honestly I always felt like the whole thing was a bit too... I don't know... Hallmark-y for me. But I do believe, wholeheartedly, in gratitude.  And there is not one thing, and not one soul on this earth that I am more grateful for than this guy right here.

I could ramble on about all the things I love about my husband (actually, I couldn't, because when it comes to matters of the heart I get a tad bit... what's the word... verklempt) but really, it goes without saying.  So instead I'm just going to skate over that bit, and get right to brass tacks.

See... Nick asked me to make him pants. Now if your husband asks you to make him pants, what do you do? You might look him straight in the eye, smile, and say, "Of course, Peaches! Just as soon as I finish whatever it is I'm doing right now" And then once you actually finish whatever you're doing right then, you put your selfish-sewing queue on hold and make your husband/wife/gf/bf/partner/whatever a damn pair of pants!! If this scenario describes you, then I say shove it well done you! Now why don't you go over there where I can't see you, mmmkay??

When Nick asked me to make him pants the first 5 times I pretended I didn't hear him. Then the next 15 times I promised he'd have them for his birthday. In June. Once his birthday came and went, and he was still asking, I just put it out there in some nebulous place of "yeaahhhh, I'll do that.... someday." Finally, it took him becoming quite distraught about the fact that his pants wardrobe is slowly dwindling and I promised to make him pants and do I want him to keep wearing the same pair of green shorts for the rest of his life? for me to hold up my end of the bargain. So almost a year later, I looked him straight in the eye, smiled, and said "Of course, Peaches! Just as soon as I finish whatever I'm doing right now." And once I finished whatever I was doing right then, I actually made him pants. Just kidding. I don't call Nick "Peaches"...

Part of the hold up is to be blamed on the utterly dismal state of men's sewing patterns. I mean... gross you guys.  And because of this, Nick really wanted me to copy a pair of existing Banana Republic trousers that he owns, and, well... that just sounded hard. Not impossible, but like more work, time, and money than I was willing to put into something I wasn't even sure if he would like. Well thank goodness that in the yawning stretch of time from when he first started asking until now I became introduced to Thread Theory via the blog world.  I think all of us ladies who occasionally sew for men (and I'm sure some real live men, too) were rejoicing once we came upon these patterns.  Thank the heavens! Men's sewing patterns that look contemporary, yet classic, and aren't pajama pants! 

Please excuse the ridiculous amount of dog hair on these... this fabric is seriously like a magnet!

So I decided to make the Jedediah Pants for Nick, which are an interesting design - somewhere between a classic trouser, with the side-slash pockets and waistband finishing - and a jean, with their patch pockets, back yoke, and flat-felled seams.  This made them a perfect pattern to start with, because they will be easy to adapt to a more traditional trouser (just add back welt pockets and convert the yoke to darts) or a jean (just add a curved front pocket).

Nick wasn't sure, from the pictures, if the cut of the pants would suit him, so we decided to have this first pair be more like a 'wearable muslin'.  I made them in a size 38 (my husband is a big man) out of some cheap khaki twill I bought from JoAnne's, which wrinkles like mad and collects animal hair like it's its job.  

Now, those of you that have been hanging around here for awhile know that this is not my first time at the pants-sewing-rodeo.  But even though I'm pretty familiar with pants construction at this point, any time I work with a new pattern I like to follow their instructions.  The instructions for these pants were a little different than what I was used to, but overall nothing major.  They tell you to do things in a certain order that I found a bit awkward, and I'll probably do it the way I'm comfortable with in the future.  The only place I really hit a roadblock was with the fly.  No matter how many times I sew a zip fly I still need to follow instructions, and I have to say, the instructions for sewing the zip fly on the Jedediah Pants made no sense. Perhaps this was user error (or incompetence), but nevertheless I fussed and fought and couldn't make it work.  In the end I resorted to Grainline's zip-fly tutorial which I've used in the past and I feel like it gives a great result. Actually, I think from here on out I'm just going to stop second guessing and always use Grainline's method, because I just know it's going to work.

As for the finished product? Well, aside from the fabric, I think we both feel like it's not too bad. It's a little bit big in the waist (my fault, I was being overly cautious and gave an extra half inch at the CB seam. you can see how they're bunching up underneath his belt in these pictures) and Nick feels like the rise is a bit lower than what he's used to.  We also think that the back yoke is a little large, and it makes the back patch pockets sit a little awkwardly low (on him).  I still think I'll use this pattern again to make him another pair of pants, making a few of these minor adjustments along the way. If he's lucky, he just might get a pair of jeans sooner rather than later (I mean... while I'm on a roll here...)

Nick is incredibly camera-shy (most of the pictures I have of him are just a blur as he dashes out of frame) so getting him to pose for these pictures was a bit of a project! In the end, he was an awesomely good sport about it, even, perhaps, getting into it just a tiny bit. I like to think of the pose above as his "Jcrew-catalogue-man" pose.

Well, coming back to the theme of gratitude, I want to say thank you to all of you, dear readers, fellow sewing bloggers, friends, and (especially) family, for stopping by every now and then, for all your words of encouragement and praise, for letting me be a part of this awesome, supportive community, and for continually inspiring and teaching me, day after day, month after month, and year after year.  If you're celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope you have a lovely, holiday, and if you're not celebrating Thanksgiving, happy Thursday!

xx

disco butt

Things my husband said after seeing my newest, completed make:

"Ooooh baby, you've got disco butt..." (what does that mean..?)
"What I really like about this is that you can go right from the roller skating rink to a karate dojo without having to change your outfit!" (and I added: "And then right to BED!!!")
"This makes you look really skinny. Like Mia Farrow!" (I didn't even pay him...)



This, my friends, is a jumpsuit. And while we're on a roll here with the list making, I've been keeping a mental list of all the things that jumpsuits are awesome for:

• High kicks
• Impromptue yoga
• Looking dramatic in a breeze
• Lounging (obviously...)
• Striking poses
• Calling people "Daaahling"
• Riding bikes (but I roll up the legs, because those are some biiiig hems!!)
• Looking like you got dressed on those days when you don't want to get dressed
• Collecting cat hair (well... I can't speak for all jumpsuits on this one...)

And here's the list of things that jumpsuits are not awesome for:

• Ohmygodwhatthef**k TOILETS!!!

Here I was, thinking to myself:  "Why don't people wear jumpsuits all the time?? They are so comfy!!" And then I think I uttered an audible "oh shit" the first time I was confronted with a toilet while wearing my jumpsuit.

But how I manage to do my business in this jumpsuit is not the point of this post! I made a jumpsuit! This has been on my 'to make' list forever. I sort of "drafted" this pattern myself.  I say "drafted" because I'm not totally sure that my method of 'Just Drawing Shapes on Paper and Hoping For the Best' is really a method of pattern drafting.  If it is - than I am a master! I did test the bodice part out first in some leftover jersey I had laying around and deemed it 'good enough'.  The finished jumpsuit is made out of some black rayon modal jersey.  That stuff is just so slinky and soft! Perfect for this sort of swishy, drape-y, unstructured outfit. Also, completely forgiving of my haphazard drafting methods! 

One of the tricky things about (cough cough... ahem) drafting your own patterns, is that they don't come with any instructions! I mean, no duh, obviously, but you really have to spend a bit of time thinking through how you're going to construct your garment - how edges are going to be finished, what areas need to be interfaced, etc.  I was having a bit of trouble trying to figure out how to finish my neckline edges.  My first thought was to bind them, but no matter how careful I am, anytime I bind edges in jersey it always looks like a huge, hot, mess. Then I thought about encasing elastic - similar to how Heather instructs you to do it with the Bombshell swimsuit - but I wasn't sure I wanted all that zig-zag topstitching to be visible.  Finally, late at night (when I should be sleeping, but instead I'm thinking about sewing... come on... you do it too) I had the aha! moment of using facings! It's also a sort of 'no shit' solution, but for some reason I always underestimate the power of facings.

The other completely obvious, yet also revelatory discovery I made while making this jumpsuit is how effective a fusible knit interfacing can be on jersey (I know, I know... minds = blown I'm sure...).  The interfacing has just a teensy amount of stretch, so it works with the fabric, but it also stabilizes it, which is perfect for a 4-way stretch knit like modal.  I interfaced my facings, pocket edges and hems.  Interfacing the hem was totally revolutionary for me! No more crazy, ripple-y hems! I interfaced about an inch around the bottom, serged the raw edge, turned it up and did a double-needle topstitch.  Seriously the most gorgeous hem I've ever gotten with a knit. Of course this only works because I don't need the hems to stretch.

I've pretty much been wearing this jumpsuit non-stop, even despite the awkward bathroom moments. It's just that comfortable, and yet I also feel sort of chic in a  70's disco(butt) kind of way!

As a matter of fact, my jumpsuit was the first thing I packed when I jetted off to NYC two weekends ago! Yep... that happened!

All photos, except that last one, are from the lovely, amazing, Jennifer

Wanette, Oona, Sonja, Latrice, Devra, Jennifer, Kelli, and of course, my girl Heather.

So, forgive me for a second you guys - I'm sure this is going to sound like just another love-fest of a blogger meet-up recap - but let me put this in perspective for you: I have been sewing for a little over three years now, and blogging over two, and I have never had a real, live, in-depth chat with another sewist, let alone another sewing bogger! I was seriously over-the-moon. Getting to meet these women in real life, who's blogs I look to for inspiration, education, commiseration, to be awed and amazed, and for a good laugh, was such an incredible experience.  It re-newed my creative energy, and reminded me why I blog and make the effort to be a part of this space - because our little on-line community is made up of some of the most creative, talented, brilliant, kind, genuine, open-hearted and FUNNY women (and a few men) I have ever had the immense pleasure to come across. 

My weekend was epic. And one that I will hold close to my heart forever... at least until it happens again! And a special thank you to all you ladies up there that I had the chance to meet and talk to and get rowdy with.  Ya'll are precious.

xx

after the storm

An aptly named post (if I do say so myself) referencing both the fact that these photos were, literally, taken after an entire day of thunderstorms, and also that this is my first post after my self-imposed hiatus during the month of August - a month which was quite the emotional roller-coaster (hence the likening to a storm...) Aaaand now you know the secret behind my enigmatic blog-post-titles... I'm sure you've been waiting with bated breath for that little nugget of Sallie gold... (sarcasm).

It feels wonderful to be back in this space again after the month I've had! Not that it was all bad, it truly wasn't. For instance, my parents came to visit for a nice long weekend, which was absolutely lovely (miss you guys!!) and I discovered the joys of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple on Netflix (laugh all you want... that shit is tight). But I did have more on my plate than I'm generally used to, which usually turns me into an emotional wreck - or, as my husband so shrewdly noted - I just don't handle extra stress well. Too true, my friends. Too. True.

Early on, in the beginning of last month, I started working on this dress.  I was making excellent progress, but then I had to set it aside to work on the project for my friend I mentioned in my last post. I picked it up again last weekend and was utterly thrilled to be working on sewing clothes again.  I guess that elation was a bit premature since I ended up making a pretty major snafu on this pretty little number.  But let's not jump right into the negatives... why don't we relish the good stuff for a bit, eh?

This is Victory Patterns' Chloe dress, made out of some absolutely delightful metallic coated linen from Tessuti fabrics, and entirely lined in rayon bemberg. This is basically the same stuff I used to make my moss mini skirt (here) except in a different color-way.  The linen has a very subtle, 'natural linen' color with a pretty silver sheen.  It's probably best suited for when I have a bit of a summer 'glow', otherwise I might look like a zombie, and I promised to put my brain-eating ways behind me for good (this time). 

I really wanted to use a pattern that would just let this fabric shine (pun intended). Despite the fact that this may not be my most flattering color, I still wanted a whole garment made out of it.  I thought the Chloe dress, with it's 60's, modish look, might compliment the fabric well (even give it a slightly space-y vibe... much nicer than zombies...) And so I went with it! Plus, I really don't have anything like this in my closet, to date, and I'm always looking to diversify my stock (p.s. I had to ask my husband what that meant, that's how much I know about owning stock!) In the end, I don't know if I ended up with quite the mod/space-y look I had in my head, or more of a ladies-who-lunch type thing, but either way, I'm digging it.

I cut Version 1 of this dress in a straight size 6, but then had to take it in at the underarms by about 5/8 of an inch on either side, tapering to nothing at the waist.  In retrospect, I probably could have gotten away with making a size down, but I was feeling a bit big when I measured myself for this.  Does anyone else make this mistake when you begin a project right before your period? I always end up being a bit generous with my sizing when I do that! Regardless, even if it isn't the most form-fitting (and I don't think this dress is supposed to be) I'm really happy with the overall look.  I chose to use the button placement of Version 2 to add some visual interest to what would otherwise be a very plain dress. The faux welt-pocket-button magic that's going on there is pretty clever, with a little snap hid underneath the button to keep that flap closed. 

So perhaps at this point you are wondering to yourself, "what is this snafu she mentioned..." well feast your eyes on this!!!

GAH!!! Horror of horrors! What is that THING??!?! 

That, my friends, is an exquisitely inserted invisible zipper - from the outside - and some serious gnashing of teeth on the inside! You see, since there was such a long gap of time between when I started this dress and when I finished it, I mistakenly skipped the clever instructions for machine stitching the lining to the zipper tape.  As a consequence I was forced to slip stitch the lining to the zipper. No biggee, I've done this before. The first side went in beautifully (as you can see) but the second side - egads! The zipper just wanted to eat that shit up. As you can see, chaos ensued, I had to rip out all my sweet little hand stitches and since then it's just been hanging out like that. Really, it works just fine as it is, and since the center back seam of the lining was cut on the selvedge I'm not terribly worried about fraying. I'm usually a huge subscriber to the 'beautiful inside and out' line of sewing thought... but this time... I might just let it go. At least until my rage passes...

And with that, friends, I leave you! May you all have a lovely start to your weeks!

xo

still alive

If blogland was a neighborhood, and each blog a house, then I think the neighbors might be calling the cops on me...

"Honestly sir, I haven't seen anyone go in or out of that place in weeks!! And... I don't know if I'm being crazy... but I think there's a smell.... You don't think she's dead, do you?"

I hate neglecting my blog. It makes me feel kind of yucky inside. However, sometimes you have to adjust your priorities a bit and the blog takes a back seat. That's just life. Or, at least, my life. But just because I haven't been blogging, that does not mean I haven't been sewing and fiddling around with fabric. In fact, I think I can say without a doubt, this is the first time in the life of this blog that it's actually sewing that has been taking me away from blogging!

You see, I've been taking on a bit of extra work for an artist friend of mine who has a show coming up and was in need of an extra pair of sewing hands.  The work is slow, time consuming, and requires me to be extra precise and accurate (which is wonderful practice for me, but ... sigh... a mite tedious). And it's obviously not something I can show on the blog since, well, it's not mine! 

So I thought I'd just give you all a sneak peek of what else I've got in the works, and a few things I've been thinking about (mostly completely random and non-sewing related).  I'll be back soon, and in the meantime I'm living vicariously through all of you and your beautiful creations! Keep 'em coming!!

- I loved this short, sweet interview with my all-time favorite designer, Rachel Comey.

- I'm kind of obsessed with natural cosmetics and skincare - I've been a big DIY'er in the past, but always had problems and decided I needed to up my game. I recently got a sample of Arcona products and have been loving them! So gentle, but totally active and effective. Finally.

- I think this song might be the best, beachy, summery thing I've heard... well... all summer. 

- Aaaannndd - totally out of nowhere - because this showed up in the youtube sidebar when I searched for that last song and I completely forgot what an awesomely weird video it is - here's this for your viewing pleasure.

Okay! And I'm off to listen to Thread Cult and sweatshop away on my friends project! Hope you are all well - and has anyone else picked up any random sewing jobs in order to fund the fabric monster?

xx