The Other Half Of My Week

Since I promised the bride a picture of my dress when it was finished, I thought I would just go ahead and put it here for the world to see. I confess, I like it fine, especially on the size 10 dress form. Unfortunately, I take up a bit more of the fabric, so that the skirt doesn't pleat as nicely as it does in the picture. But then again, that dummy is at least 8" shorter than me, so I suppose I am entitled to the extra girth. Also, the glitter doesn't come out in the picture--it sparkles very nicely, without being "in your face--look at all those sequins!"

The jewelry became an issue when I put on my lovely white gold and diamond pendant, and it hung down inside the neck of the dress. What's a gal to do? I located a long, long strand of pearls, and it wraps around my neck 6 times, so staying above the cowl front. Yes, yes, if you blow up the picture and count, it goes around DD's (dress dummy's) neck seven times. She's not a REAL person with a stickie-outie belly, and a generous derriere. She also has no bust. HA! Well, see you all at the wedding--I'll be the one dressed like DD.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation--Cont'd

I've been in the sewing room for the past few days, catching up with what needs to be finished for the big wedding, coming up next weekend. All the mulling I did over cutting out my dress paid off, since it fit very nicely, and went together without all the do-overs that often plague any seamstress. The fabric is covered with glitter, and I did not think it would benefit from the extra handling that mistakes entail, and there is still enough attached so that I will be sparkly enough.

Next came the "blue fairy dress". It looks large to me, but should fit perfectly, since it was the same pattern that I used a couple of weeks ago for the flowered dress (OMG--Something Went Right For A Change!). This didn't go together as smoothly as the flowered dress, though. I had to recut the front bodice, and the skirt front, since my iron melted parts of the chiffon, and had to go buy more chiffon, since I had forgotten to add the extra inches for the deep hem. I can go buy a new iron, but to get the brain to work isn't as easy. At least they still had a piece of the fabric. How do you like it, Gracious? Is it twirly enough for the dance floor?

So, now all that is left to do is make 85 little wrapped boxes of chocolates, and 20 welcome bags for the out of town guests. And get myself to Rochester

Necessity's Ungapatchka

A while back I was intrigued by a listing on our library schedule that simply read "Dollinks". I asked the lady behind the desk what that meant, and she told me that it was a doll club that met once a month in the meeting room, and that they always seemed to be having way too much fun. Wow--I make dolls! I like fun! Sounds like I should check it out. Well, I did, and they took me in, and now I too am having way too much fun! I confess, it is a treat to be among a group of fabriholics--to be able to speak of buttons, and trims, and different brands of stuffing to someone whose eyes brighten up, rather than glaze over. The club's official name is "Long Island Cloth Dollinks". Our creations are made by hand, and from cloth. The long and short of it is that we all have way more of these ribbons and fabrics than we should, so the group started the "Ungapatchka Table" each month. (Ungapatchka is a Yiddish word that means way too much, or over the top fussy.) It is an opportunity to bring in whatever you feel you should no longer own, and let the other members have at it. I do try to be on the contributing end of this arrangement, rather than the acquiring end, but everybody knows how it goes with "holics"...

Yesterday was the August meeting, and I spied a bag of yarn coming out of the tote bag. I made my way around the table, and snagged it for myself. Or rather, for my daughter Necessity. Imagine my amazement when I read the tags, and realized it is Japanese Noro, in large enough quantities that could make something nice. The Dollink who brought it in said that somebody had given it to her--it was a too large, unfinished sweater, plus some leftovers, and that the she was never going to do anything with it. Well, Yay! Somebody's Ungapatchka is somebody else's treasure find! Here is the picture Necessity--come and get it and enjoy! And thank you Barbara N!

Where Am I--What Day Is it? Or "What I Did On My Summer Vacation"

I must confess, we squeezed every drop out of the last two plus weeks. So much so that I am a little dazed now that most of the major commitments are out of the way. We drove up to New Hampshire to visit for a couple of days, then swung on down to Cape Cod for a few more days in the sun and sand. Came home, did the laundry, repacked the trusty wheeled clothing conveyor, and set off for the airport, so that we could get to a wedding in Iowa. We stayed a few extra days, since Iowa is not a regular stop on places we frequent, and unless we have a very good reason for returning, we may never pass that way again. Shall I hum along on that one?

We got home two nights ago, and after a final check of the accommodations, made ready for the 12 ladies coming for a two day doll workshop with Barbara Willis, who was in from California to teach classes to other dollmakers from Manhattan, and Long Island. It was warm in the dining room (it's August, for heaven's sake), and they all brought their sewing machines and tote bags full of stuff to stitch. They went their way around dinner time today, and all that remains is a doll club meeting tomorrow, and playing church on Sunday morning. I guess that leaves Sunday afternoon free. Anybody want to join in this craziness?

OMG--Something Went Right For A Change!

There is a sewing book called "10-15-20 Minutes to Sew" by Nancy Ziemann. She gives you lists of things you can accomplish in these shorts amounts of time, so that you can fit sewing into your busy schedule. Every time I have a few minutes and think I'll just zip up a seam or two, things just go to the devil--the machine knots up, I sew the wrong side to the right side and have to pick out the stitches, or the thread breaks on the serger (15 minutes just to rethread right there!). Why, seems just last week I had to remake the whole top of the dress I was trying to get into my suitcase--see "Shopping in My Attic". I offered to sew a dress for my granddaughter to wear for the doctor's wedding. Fancy dresses for little girls are so much fun--who can resist? But, time is getting short, and will this baby fit? At 9 am this morning, I decided to put together a trial dress, and headed to the attic to find a piece of fabric that I know she had seen, and had liked. Of course, it wasn't up there, it was down on the bed (mound) in the sewing room. I redrew the pattern and started cutting. Nothing went wrong! Everything went together perfectly, and at 1:15--VOILA! A Dress! I hope you like it Gracious.

Taking Too Much Time

I had two weeks of free days (Mondays to Fridays) this month to accomplish the things that needed to be done before we travel again, and one of the projects was a doll that will be given to it's new owner in August. I also need to make myself a suitable "mother of the groom" outfit. I pulled the fabric out of the attic, did a little experimentation on the pattern that I purchased while up in Burlington, and decided to wait on cutting the dress for the wedding. Sometimes it is better to mull a bit, especially when the amount of fabric is limited, and a mistake would mean total ruin. So, I moved on to the doll. This little baby took waaaay too many days. I always end up doing this--redesigning the whole thing, and then having to come up with tiny patterns for clothes to fit. At least if it is too tight, the lady will never complain! Yesterday was the big finish--gluing hair to her head. Today I took pictures, since she will be moving to a new home, and the pictures will be all that I have left to remember her by.

Now it is time to pack up and go on vacation. New Hampshire and Cape Cod beckon. The Cape is always so lovely--all those picket fences and tiny paned windows, just for us to look at and enjoy. We go to so many pretty places, and each one is unique. Cape Cod has been a part of my life since I was a girl--my family wisely returned every year for our vacation, and the tradition continues, meeting up with children and grandchildren. I confess to enjoy seeing it all over again through their eyes, and I am happy that they enjoy it as much as I do.

Gettin' It Done!

There is so much to be done this month, and I confess there are times when it just doesn't seem possible to work through it all. I have found that listing out the days with specific things to be done on each day makes it manageable, and I don't get overwhelmed trying to decide what to do first on the long, long list of "How I Spent My Summer Vacation".

I have many sewing projects--to which I keep adding--I know, I know--my own fault. The FITO (fly in the ointment) is the current heat wave. The sewing room isn't bad, since there is a door that opens on to a tiny balcony on the second floor (very charming when approaching up the street from the south), as well as two big windows. When there is a breeze, and they are all open, it is very comfortable. If it is very hot though, and the iron is turned on, it warms up in there, and it is hard to concentrate. I have wrung out a t-shirt, and worn that, with great success. Little secrets of survival...

People stop by our house all the time and leave things. All of our ex-children (again, there's the need for that word which will describe your now adult, originally children) have returned to live here at one time or another, leaving behind part or all of their worldly possessions, usually in our attic, usually to be reclaimed later on. It's how we get some of our best stuff. Soooo, enter MyTreasure (unbidden, I may add) with an old air conditioner is his arms, and pops the thing into the sewing room window. Yaaay! Now there is hope for finishing the list! Thank you, MyTreasure!