This year I have decided to make just a few resolutions – let’s see if I can keep them. Ha! Let’s see if I can remember them by February!

• Walk more.  Essentially exercise more and walking seems to be the exercise that I like to do the most.  So much so that DH bought this handy reflective vest for me to wear since my choice of hour to walk is 6 am.
  

  Reflective Vest

• To sew down my fabric stash.  No way am I providing a picture of my fabric stash closet – it is a mess.  Sure, I may need to buy a few pieces of yardage, but I really need to sew up what I have.
• To do art everyday. Okay, maybe I won’t be able to do art everyday, but I am going to try and do art every week at the minimum. I have done a few pictures in my new sketch book.
  

  1st page of my new sketch book.

Last week, I met up with a friend and we went Uptown and sketched.  It was fun. I had forgotten how great it is to be outside sketching with someone else (who likes drawing as much as I do).

Post Office

This is the Uptown Post Office. I’ve sketched this one before.  Unfortunately, this post office is scheduled to be closed.  It would be a huge lost to the Uptown community.

Originally the California Bank building

This is another old building.  At one time it was California Bank. Now, Starbucks sits in the corner and another restaurant resides on the first floor and a banquet facility is upstairs.  I really didn’t capture all the architectural elements of the building.  It was getting late and my feet were cold.

And finally, my last resolution is:

• Work on our house. Ugh! This one is going to be difficult.  There are so many things to do on our house: paint/wallpaper the kitchen/wallpaper the hallway/paint the bathroom/new windows . . .  the list goes on and on.
• And, I guess I should add: To blog more!  I have several garments that I have made (and have been wearing, too) that I haven’t even blogged about yet. 

So, that is how I am going to affect some positive change in my life.  I hope.

Happy New Year!

Silhouette Pattern #3400 Yoga Pant

 I have made three pairs of these yoga pants so far and seem to wear them as much as possible – not all three pairs at the same time!  I need to get a picture of me wearing them and then I’ll write up my review – which will be good since this is a great pattern.

This past week, I went to a funeral for a friend’s mother.  Over the years, we have drifted apart due to other obligations, work and such; however, we are very much the same in our life’s situation, out look and sense of humor.   As I walked in the church she gave me a big smile and said, ‘I haven’t seen you in so long time.’  We hugged and I told her I know how difficult it is to lose your mother, regardless if it is the holiday season or not.  Even though she told me that the service was going to be a ‘Celebration of Life’; it was difficult not to be touched by the sadness of the occasion. 

I did, however, sit and sketch during the service.  I know, you are probably are not suppose to ‘sketch’ during a church service – Geez! When we were children we were forbidden to even turn around in church, but I now sketch wherever I go whether it’s appropriate or not – with age comes the undeniable stubborn streak that I am going to do what it is I want to do!

Of course, all I could sketch is the back of people’s heads and the minister and a few of the flowers and such:

I also have been reading a lot!  I usually go through waves where I read nothing not even the newspaper – Quelle horror!  And, then suddenly I am eager to read anything I can.  In order to quench this odd behavior of mine, I visit our local library and pick a topic and read all the books I can find.  Right now, it is Paris.  I’ve been to Paris – years ago- but I do enjoy hearing other impressions of the City of Lights. Also, books about Paris inevitably have recipes in them and I am always eager to try a new recipe and so I baked this bacon and blue cheese bread which is from the book, The Sweet Life in Paris, by David Lebovitz.

I really don’t like the bread (too savory for me!), but DH loves it and has been having it with his morning coffee.  So it is sort of a success, but not a recipe I will be making again.

Also this past week, I met up with another blogger and gave her a tour of the Whittier Museum Textile Department where I volunteer.  I was recently asked why I got to be in our local Whittier Christmas Parade and the answer is simple: because no one else – like the other volunteers or even the members of the Board of Directors – wanted to do it!   And, I mean by doing it, all you have to do is sit in a car and wave to the crowd and yell Merry Christmas.  Not a tough assignment. 

But back to the textiles, my predecessor, who was responsible for the textiles, would never let anyone into the Textile Room and begrudging would allow any of the garments to go on display.  Me, on the other hand, am eager to put different garments on display.  My mantra is what good is it to preserve all these great garments if no one ever sees them.   And, my fellow blogger gave the Museum this swatch card for our collection:

Swatch Card

It was a great visit – particular for me, since I always learn so much from other sewers who are interested in vintage and antique textiles.

I was recently asked about the Tutorial Section here on my blog, which if you have visited that section you have discovered a vast wasteland.  It is empty.  I had initially planned on putting the Toaster Method tutorial up there, but got inundated with other activities and never got around to it.  I do have the tutorial all ready to go and so I will try and post it soon, perhaps even in the next week.  Let’s keep are fingers crossed!

This meeting is where we get the end the end of the year report and meet up with all the other Citrus Ranchers and get this incredibly delicious lunch (my favorite) and they always have speaker.  Needless to say, I spend some of the time just doodling.

On Saturday, I was in our local Christmas Parade.  This is the second year that I have been in it (not counting the times I marched in it when I was a child).

The city expected over 30,000 people to view this parade – pretty good for a local event organized by a bunch of volunteers!

So Sunday, I just putz’d around the house (cleaning/laundry/organizing) and by Sunday evening I finally got to sit down and sew.  Finally.

And, today, it is raining – a lot!   A nice change from the cold, dry weather we have been having, too, hopefully it is snowing in the local mountains and the ski season will be a success this year!

Sewing Machine Feet

This is just some of my sewing machine feet.  As I was searching through the drawer I discovered I have a few more!  I just finished going through this box trying to figure out which ones I have since there are a few I think I need.  Yes, I truly need a few more: a rolling foot for slippery fabrics, bi-level topstich foot particularly for waistbands and the sew-on button foot, which I really don’t need. I sew on buttons on the sewing machine without a specialized foot but this foot would make sewing on buttons a  bit easier.    But first off, I think I need a better box to store all these sewing machine feet – maybe then I would know what I have at a glance and not have to search.
]]> http://sewforward.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/sewing-machine-feet/feed/ 1 sewforward DSC02020 http://sewforward.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/besides-sewing-i-like-to/ http://sewforward.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/besides-sewing-i-like-to/#comments Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:37:18 +0000 sewforward http://sewforward.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/besides-sewing-i-like-to/ ]]> I love to sew. I think anyone who knows me has figure that one out, but what I also love to do and have been ‘doing’ longer than sewing is drawing.  I really don’t consider myself an ‘artist’ but rather just a sketcher because I only draw in sketch books or on the back of used envelopes that are destined for the recylcling bin.  I have never had a drawing of mine framed although I did sell a drawing I did in high school – the campus cop bought it for ten bucks!

So as a treat for my birthday – which is today!  I won’t mention how old I am because you would be shocked to hear it.  I look MUCH older than I am and when I tell people my age there is always this awkward silence. 

Anyway, yesterday I went to my favorite art store, Art Supply Warehouse, and with my pocket stuffed with my birthday cash I had planned on buying lots of art supplies, however, I really didn’t get that much.  A few things I wanted they didn’t have (which means I need to go back) and well, I guess I just wasn’t in the art-supply-shopping-mood – go figure   Nonetheless, I did get a new watercolor set and some mix media pads and my very, favorite drawing pencils so I am set for awhile.

And, this morning we went to breakfast for my birthday and although the waitress did goof up the order the food was delicious – so I am another year older, maybe not any wiser, but still kicking!

And, yes, it is snowing on my blog!  eventhough it rarely ever snows in the LA basin, here in cyberspace – anything can happen.

Birthday art supplies.

55 boxes of Christmas Wreaths

 So after,

• 4 gallons of coffee
• 4 dozen donuts
• 27  slices of garlic bread
• 12 lbs of lasagna
• 72 cans of soda
• 26 sandwiches
• 50 bags of single serving potato chips
• countless bottle of water
• 5 dozen assorted bakery cookies

Voila!

We have Christmas wreaths!  This is the YMCA Service Club’s winter fundraiser. I wish I could tell you how much money they make on this, but by the time they get them all made (and, I have finished feeding them!) I am exhausted and really don’t care anymore. Yep,  my ‘charity’ only goes so far ;-0

 It will take this group probably another week to get them all delivered (presale) and sell the rest of them.

DH is much taller than I am so every photo he has ever snapped of me is looking down (I have some remarkable photos of the top of my head).  But I figure ‘beggars can’t be picky’ so I thanked him for his efforts.

This skirt is a jean style skirt but each panel is cut on the bias.  I read somewhere (don’t remember where) that this is called a maxi skirt.

It is super cute in a plaid, but I didn’t want to sew it up in a plaid because I am ‘bottom heavy’ so a plain fabric suits me better (or at least I think so).  This is stretch twill, which I purchased years ago at JoAnn’s Fabrics.  Another bit of fabric from my Fabric Closet.

Although the back shows some odd wrinkles –

(I think it is because I am not standing up straight. )  The skirt is very comfortable however, it is a tiny bit restrictive when walking up and down stairs.  This could be due my choice of fabric – even though the fabric is a stretch twill it is not that stretching on the bias.  Ultimately, I like the skirt and will probably wear it quite a bit, especially after I make a matching jacket and thus have a suit; however, I don’t think I would make the skirt again only because I do have LOTS of other patterns I would like to sew up  from the same issue of Burda.

However, next up is a Burda blouse (11-2010-106) I am almost finished with it – just few more hours and I will have another great blouse to wear.  Hopefully it won’t be so long between blog entires. . . I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

Front View of the Elegant Witch Costume

I have sort of finished one Halloween costume.  The guy (yes, a guy) who will be wearing this is scheduled to be over this afternoon for the finally fitting and he needs to show me exactly where he wants me to hand sew the roses. 

Back View

Since I finished everything on this dress earlier last night, I got out this skirt that I had started weeks ago.  I have made two other ‘jeans to skirt’ skirts and I wear them quite a lot.  So I really wanted to make another, but I was unable to find the directions.  ARGH!

My third 'jeans to skirt' skirt.

I know I had it. I know I read it.  The problem was I couldn’t find it.  I had put it away and forgot where I had put it.  Another – ARGH!  So, I stood for awhile staring at the bookcase and slowly went through several notebooks and there it was- in the notebook I have that is all about making jeans.  Eureka!

Instructions for Making Jeans into Skirts.

I am still missing two Silhouette patterns that I purchased at the ASG Conference this last August.  I know I have them somewhere – unfortunately, I just don’t know ‘where’ where is!

So on to Plan B!

I’m not sure when Halloween transformed from a children’s holiday of going door to door and collecting candy to the huge elaborate costumed extravaganza that it is today.  Needless to say I have gotten caught up in the Halloween hubabaloo – not that I dress up, but rather I am making costumes.  Of course, this goes against my mantra, “Do not sew for others!”  However, that mantra is slowly fading as I have spent the last two weeks working on costumes.

Fortunately, my brother has told me that his costume can wait until next year, of course in the interim I made him a toga for a last minute Halloween party, but another friend wants elegant witch costume, so I have been making roses.

Elegant Witch Roses

I ran out of ribbon so I need to make yet another trip to JoAnns Fabrics to get more of this ribbon since the ‘elegant witch’ which wants lots of roses. The clock is ticking on this one.

 We recently were on vacation in Yosemite. Neither of us had been to Yosemite since we were kids so it was really sort of neat to revisit a place that we had experienced with our respective families.

Yosemite after the rain and snow.

For the most part it hasn’t changed too much, but it is actually – I think – better.  They now have a bus system that runs the length of the valley floor so you don’t need to drive your car around, which was nice and they have become pro-active in preventing bear attacks, too.  I think they call it bear abatement.  I don’t think there is a HUGE bear problem in the fall – don’t bears hibernate?  Whereas in spring –  Those bears are hungry!  We stayed here at the Ahwahnee  Hotel.

We were booked in one of the 'cabins' tucked away in the forest.

We had planned several different day hikes but it rained, got cold and snowed!  So Plan A was out and we went with Plan B – a trip through the Valley floor on a tour bus.  I am always a little apprehensive of the tour bus experience, but this one was great.  While there I picked up this book and read it for the rest of the trip.  I know, it sounds morbid, but it was a fascinating book.  A great read.

After Yosemite we drove to San Francisco where I visited my two favorite spots: Britex Fabrics and Fluveog shoes.  Now, living in LA we have some really great fabric stores, but I always must stop by Britex when I am there and – buy fabric!

I bought two lengths of blouse fabric.  Not sure what pattern I am going to use yet.

Same with Fluevog.  Yes, there is a store in Santa Monica, but I like to buy shoes on vacation – I don’t fret over the price that way, because, ‘Hey I’m on vacation!’  I have wanted these since last time I was in the city by the bay.

Pilgrim by Fluevog

And, finally, we had started our trip in the Central Coast (of California) at the Sunset Savior event which is their huge, food and wine festival.  We had a wonderful time, and best of all I got to milk a goat!  Hey! Simply pleasures here!

Back to sewing!