Let the Twelve Days Begin...

I haven't posted in a month and I figure it was about time I come up for air and say howdy-ho to all :)

After the (wonderful) craziness of having my parents here for turkey day, the husband and I had a quiet day of eating, drinking, and gazing wonderingly at the twinkling lights of our tree. Isn't it pretty? It is probably the smelliest tree I've ever had - the whole house is filled with Christmas tree aroma. I'm going to have make it last with some sachets. My nose is happy...
The news let us know this morning that tree recycling has begun already. That makes me so sad; am I the only one who finds it rather abrupt that the day after Christmas everything goes in the trash? In the Orthodox tradition, we also celebrate the Epiphany which concludes the Twelve Days. Now, growing up in a Greek household we'd just go to church to celebrate the day of Christ's baptism. Gifts were given on the 25th, like good little Americans. Decorations stayed up at least until mid-January and the holiday table was continually covered in tasty treats that were somehow religiously significant. My personal favorite was always vasilopita, a sweet bread that had a coin hidden within that guaranteed good luck for whoever got the lucky piece.

My husbands traditions vary slightly, even though he is Orthodox as well. As he was raised, Christmas Day marked the beginning of the celebrations, but New Years and the Epiphany are the major holidays, with gifts exchanged on the latter.

What are your traditions? Does anyone have any which vary from American style Christmas? Let me know as I'm really interested...

I've done some sewing over the past month and I do plan on catching up on my reviews, but I have to find my sewing mojo first. It seems have to disappeared in the past two months and I am having a hard time getting excited about sewing. Perhaps a little reorganization is called for, a la Hungry Zombie Sharon, to get me back into my sewing room?

In the mean while, I hope everyone is having a happy and healthy holiday season.

Empty nesters...

I know I'm late, but still: Happy Thanksgiving! I am very, very thankful that I was able to spend the holiday with my family!! I had my parents and aunt (my namesake) out from Boston for two weeks. It was too short and tears were shed as I left them at the airport.

It was the first time the 'rents had been here and I think they were equally impressed and disappointed. The landscape seemed to wow them and leave them flat simultaneously, which I thought really funny. I suppose that works as Arizona is a land of extremes. The first few days, my father kept asking where all the people were and that we have many walls. He commented that this was the first and last time he would visit since he didn't really care for the surroundings. Now, I was not offended by this as it echoed my sentiments about Phoenix pretty much too a T. However, we did make the trek to the Grand Canyon and Sedona and somewhere along the road into Oak Canyon along route 89A (one of the most scenic roads in the US) he changed his tune. My mom and aunt were all oohs and aahs from the backseat and my father (not a religious man by any stretch) started talking about "God's hands" all around us.

Now that they are gone, I feel something like and empty nester... Still, it was awesome to have Mom and Dad here and to show them what my life is like here in Arizona. My parents have such a positive outlook that I see life through fresh eyes whenever they are around. Even though I am wife now, I love being my parents daughter :)

I could make that! Episode 1

Maybe you've seen them adorning the underarms of various celeb fashionistas; I give you the Poppie Couture Fold Over clutch. It seems to be your basic trapezoid of fabric with a wire frame closure. What makes them distinctive is the funky fabric choices and their $350-600 price tag.

This bag really isn't that different in concept than the LaRue Bag from Hot Patterns. This one is designed specifically as a clutch, however, and has a 4" wide base.
















Act 1: FABRIC CHOICE
So, how would I chose to replicate such a bag? Well, first I would find myself some really awesome pleather, or even genuine patent leather on pig skin. Fabric Mart has five of these left for just $25 and the one skin would be enough to make at least one clutch, with enough left over should you want to make a two-toned version. Heck, Fabric Mart even has the metallic/pearlized leather in two versions should you like to jump on the the gold/silver bandwagon that's so hot right now.

Act 2: PATTERN SELECTION/CREATION
The website gives the measurements of this bag upright as 11x12x4 and folded as 11x6x4. I've looked for patterns and, well, they are slim pickings when it comes to clutches with this shape. However, all is not lost as the solid colors are just two pattern pieces (symmetrical sides and the bottom. We can determine through the bag descriptions that it is 12" tall and 11" wide. These are generous dimensions and should comfortably hold what you need. Grab your ruler, pencil and a couple of sheets of tracing paper and get crackin'!

Pattern piece one: Bag front and back
This piece is going to be kind of trapezoidal, since by examining the sides, you can see that the front and back are sewn together without a side panel piece between. We want our finished width to be 11" at the top and bottom, but we have to account for the slight triangular nature in the lower half of the bag. Also, we're going to do this a la Burda and add seam allowances later.

1. Draw an 11" line representing the top of the bag. Measure down 12" from each end and mark your paper. Draw the vertical lines on each side the horizontal line on the bottom. You should now have an 11" by 12" rectangle in front of you.
2. We can see that the triangular shape of the bag begins at roughtly the half-way point, so on the long sides, measure down 6" and mark.
3. We know the bottom piece is 4" wide and we want a center seam. Therefore, we want to extend the bottom of the panel by 2" on each side, since once sewn, the bottom will be 4" wide. Measure out 2" on each side from the bottom corner and mark.
4. Now draw a line connecting your vertical mid-point (6" on the side) and the new bottom corner.

You should have a pattern piece that looks like a rectangle on top of a trapezoid.

Pattern piece 2: Bag bottom
1. Draw a 4" x 11" rectangle. Easy enough right?

Please note my line drawing, courtesy of MS Paint, is not to scale. However, the numbers are correct.

Add seam allowances to your pattern pieces, probably no more than 0.5" to avoid bulk.

Act 3: EVALUATION
Materials:
1. Roughly 1/2 yard of fashion fabric and 1/2 yard of lining. More if you want to add a pocket or something.
2. The same amount of interfacing, depending on your choice of fabrics. I would imagine skins will need less than lighter weight fabrics. One interesting feature about this bag is that it is advertised as being able to be flattened completely.
3. You would need an internal flex frame of some sort. I found a 12" one at u-handbag.com, which would require extending the width of the bag by an inch. Entirely do-able, I think.
4. A bag bottom, probably card board or hair canvas if you can find it. Since the designer bag is collapsible, I imagine it shouldn't be too stiff.

Act 4: EXECUTION

Since I'm not sure I actually want this bag, I decided I would only make a prototype out of paper, and at half scale, no less ;-) After playing with it for a bit, I think the proportions are correct since it looked pretty good folded over. The thinness of the paper makes it look a little funky when upright.


What do you think? I think I could make it!

Confessions...

I have what I call sewing ADD. It's a problem really because I start many wonderful projects and just don't finish them.

Exhibit A: The Living Room Drapes...
Started well over a year ago, I still have three panels left to do. I even have all the material cut out and ready to go and yet I can't seem to "find" the time to complete the last panels.

Exhibit B: Simplicity 4146...
My first notched panel jacket that I constructed as part of a Joann's class. Now, it was my first experience with easing jacket sleeves and elbows. I wasn't happy with the resulting notches (they were asymmetrical and resembled lobster claws just a bit too much) and so it remains unsewn at the the sleeves and hem. On second thought, this was just a wadder, so maybe its not an exhibit after all. Did this prevent me from reviewing it? Click here to find out!

Exhibit C: Kwik Sew 3151
You know, I gave this pattern a good review. However, it too hangs unworn and unhemmed and unaltered in my closet. The dress is a modified sheath/a-line and it needs, desperately needs, a sway back adjustment. Or maybe I just need to lose 10 pounds.

Exhibit D: Burda 124b
A lovely blouse, potentially, cut from a pretty georgette. That's right, I cut it. But sadly, that's all I've done. 3 months later, it looks at me every time I open the closet.

I could go on and mention McCall 5189, the pants from Simplicity 4146, or even Simplicity 3884,
but that seems gratuitous. So I have this problem where I start projects and then get distracted or bored and just put them aside. So, how many UFOs do I have? They stare at me each time I open my fabric closet, and they take up a fair amount of space. Uggh!

So, any suggestions on how to help with this problem? I always start with the best of intentions and then, well, I just fizzle out somehow. Or maybe, I get really bored and want to move on. But then, why the guilt?

Home sweet home

It's so good to be home! Truly, I never thought I would say that about Phoenix, but it's really, really great to be home. We spent a wonderful weekend with my sister and her husband in San Diego. They were there for my brother-in-law's company annual meeting so we figured they would be too close not to visit. My suggestion was to rent bicycles to ride around Coronado, which was a blast!


Near the end of our visit, we were on the boardwalk in front of the Hotel del Coronado, I looked out over the surf and noticed a brown cloud heading our way. My first thought was smog, but by the time we made it to the ferry about 30 minutes later, it was obvious it was smoke filling the air. The Star of India, which is anchored at the Port of San Diego, was really difficult to see because of the smoke.

It's very sad what is happening right now in California. My heart goes out to all those families that are struggling right now in grief and loss. Hopefully, people will be safe...

San Diego here we come!

Just when I was getting all used to Phoenix again and being perpetually dehydrated, we are off to San Diego for the weekend! My big sister and her husband are there on business so we all agreed it would be great to get together, especially since we haven't seen them since last Thanksgiving. Living so far away from family has been a real problem for me. Because the distance is so great, no one wants to visit :( To put this in perspective, we moved about three and a half years ago and my folks are visiting for the first time this Thanksgiving.

Burda Style...Free patterns!

For those who are new to Burda or read about it a lot and want to try something from the magazine, a good intro is the sister site, Burdastyle.com. The site is called an "open-source" sewing site, meaning that they offer their patterns up for you to interpret and post about. It's also a good way to get your feet wet with the so-called Burda way of doing things, without having to trace out your pattern or worry about seam allowances. There is also a pretty fantastic how-to section, with things like how to sew a bound buttonhole, a photo tutorial on constructing a notched collar, and other tutorials on the patterns on the web site.

I'm going to work on this dress that I particularly like, Shari 7951. This technical drawing is typical of what Burda Style provides for all of their patterns, and as you can see it has lots of info regarding the details of the dress and for required notions, etc.

I have an orange silky embossed type fabric that will work really well, left over from the orange craze of last year. However, I do have some printer issues that have to be resolved first. One of the things that I dislike most about Burda World of Fashion patterns is the tracing and the lack of seam allowances. Burda Style is like the Big 4 in that the seam allowances are included. More posts to follow...

Looks who's rockin' out!

Lovely Laura, my Romanian sewing compatriot at Laura's Sewing Room, has nominated me as a Rockin' Girl Blogger! She did this a few weeks ago, but since I only just discovered it, it's like Christmas come early!

And for my five:
1. Carolyn at Sob-Sister...she knits and sews and is darkly funny, and she's from Massachusetts!
2. Melissa, a Susie Homemaker that loves to sew
3. Dawn at the Secret Pocket, a sewing professional that you should definitely start reading if you haven't already.
4. Shannon, at Hungry Zombie Couture...she always inspires me with her ideas and details
5. Claudine at Couture Details...Her technical abilities are amazing, and she loves to smock! I just hope she continues to blog

Give these ladies a read!

Sexy beast...

also known as Vogue 2980. Feast your eyes on my very first animal print in the wardrobe proper. I say this because, well, don't we all have animal print undies in a drawer somewhere? I think mine was one of the first independently purchased pair in my collection. Too much information? eh...


Pattern Description:
From the envelope: Close-fitting, pull over tops for stretch knits, have draped bolero shoulders. I made view B, with the self-lined short sleeves.

Pattern Sizing:
This is one of Sandra Betzina's Today's Fit patterns. All sizes are in one envelope, from A-J, bust sizes from 32" to 55," which is very nice, I must say. I think it is really only possible because there are just 4 pieces for both tops. 4 per pattern, with 2 sleeve options.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
I think it looks better! Actually, I was thinking this would fabulous extended to dress length. As it is, it's a sexy top in the leopard print, while still somehow being fairly conservative since there is no cleavage showing and no upper arm, etc.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
These are probably the best instruction set I've ever seen. They include 5 bullets regarding how to grade up and down in sizing, etc. She even has a sentence for the small shouldered ladies out there or if your arms have a larger circumference. I am fortunate that pretty much the only alteration I have is a sway back or maybe extending for height. She also gives a tip for cutting layout and that you should mark the pattern pieces at the pleats.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I really like the style, which is classic without being stuffy or too conservative. In general, I like to dress with a bit of a sexy edge that isn't too va-va-voom. Meaning, I like to emphasize curves without showing an excess of skin. This pattern fits right into that style. However, as other reviewers have noted before me, it is cut very close fitting. It fits roughly the same as some of my work out tops through the chest but it's not obvious because of the fabric. Also, the shoulder/collar piece is somewhat loose fitting, so it distracts from the snug bodice. Moreover, the arms are *just* right on me. I have found that nothing makes tops look too small than pinching flesh and the worst offenders are at the upper arm and at a (too short) waist. We've all seen them, but if you need a refresher, head to your local mall some Friday night and do some people watching at the food court. Thankfully, this top doesn't hit me like that and it is long enough as it drafted! Yay!

Fabric Used:
Hah! This was a 32" remnant from the 75% bin at Joann's last week. I was seriously concerned that I wouldn't have enough yardage since the envelope calls for 1.25 yards, but I figured I could wing it. It was *just* enough for the size B I cut. Literally, I couldn't have done it if I had cut a C. So, how much did this top cost me? $1.55 for the fabric + $3.99 = $5.54, plus thread, etc. I almost didn't buy the remnant because I wasn't sure what I could make with so little fabric. But then, I am an incurable stasher, so not buying the perfect animal print was impossible. This was definitely one occasion that the fabric just spoke to me. It really wanted to become Vogue 2980. Dude, it was $5.50!

I have always thought that you can usually get away with a good 1/4 to 1/2 yard shortage from what the envelope recommends.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
I can't say that I would make any alterations. It's pretty perfect as is. I don't think I even need to hem it since it looks fine as is. I probably will eventually, though. Hems are my achilles heel and are usually what keeps me from finishing projects. Gotta love those knits!!!!

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I think I will sew it again, but as an a-line dress. This would be beautiful in a matte jersey at a mid-knee length. Perhaps one could also do a contrast for the sleeves and the collar. That was one of the considerations I had, actually, given the less than ideal yardage at hand. As it was, I just had to make sure no mistakes were made, but it was so easy to put together mistakes are unlikely.

Conclusion
A fabulous top! I love, love, love it! Make it, you won't regret it. Just keep in mind that there is zero to negative ease. If you are uncomfortable with that or want it to fit like it does on the envelope, go one size up. If you want to be a sexy beast, however...

One more view, which reminds me I really need to clean the mirror in the second bathroom. Sorry! I don't really have an excuse anymore since I'm not working 60 hours any more...

Dear Diary,

This evening, my husband grabbed my laptop while I was in the middle of fixing the broken photo link. It was the first time I think he'd ever seen my blog. Interestingly, he was surprised that I chose to put photos of myself on the web, asking me if I was concerned with the "security risk." What security risk, I asked? He couldn't quite answer me but started to actually read the text and then exclaimed, "but this is so personal! It's like a diary."

The irony is that he's an engineer and we even took our laptops - yes, that was plural - on vacation. Oh, he's my photographer, too...

Long way down a holiday road...

Honey! I'm home! Did you miss me? I missed you. Kiss, kiss, hug, hug. So, I am back after a long hiatus, but it was worth it. The past month was crazy hectic in the house hold, partly due to preparation for the vacation, partly due to the complete insecurity of my job situation. The first part of this post is travel and the last is sewing related...

Where we went...
London, England: 4 days
Yes, that's me in a phone booth in front of the Victoria & Albert Museum with its current exhibition The Golden Age of Couture. Did we go inside? No. Why not? We're idiots. No other excuse. Period. Well, maybe some of the idiocy can be attributed to jet lag (I did travel from Phoenix after all) but not that much...

We stayed with my husband's cousin in his flat just outside of Wimbledon, which was lovely. Truthfully, I didn't enjoy London very much last time I was there. Now, this could be due to the fact I avoided a mugging only by making a run for it. Plus, I was still a student and had no cash to spend. Being a professional this time around helped with this some what, but London is still a very expensive place to visit and the American dollar only goes half as far as it does back home. This visit was a vast improvement, I am happy to report! We had a grand time and walked about 10 hours each day. I think I could happily live in that town. I like the way the Brits do things...It's all very organized and such.

Next stop, Thessaloniki, Greece: 3 days



We flew from London to Thessaloniki, where my Aunt Tasoula and Uncle Kosma picked us up from the airport. My father's village, well now is more like a small city, hasn't changed too much in the last five years. Neither has my family. They all are rather ageless...That's me with my aunt below in front of the harbor in Nea Mixaniona. They all commented that my Greek had improved since my last visit, which I found interesting given the only person I speak Greek with these days is my father on the phone. We don't even speak Greek that much either, it's sort of a family mix of Greek and English. However, by nightfall, I had begun to think entirely in Greek and had to translate in my head to English for my husband...

Mixaniona is now the main fishing port for Thessaloniki and much of northern Greece. The pier behind us is where all the fishing boats moor in the off season. They all starting fishing again full time Oct 1... Thessaloniki, which is the second largest city is also a university town. There are lots of things to do there and we did a one day tour, with the requisite stop at Alexander's statue in his square along the waterfront. Note the scale...Greeks are certainly proud of their history, to say the least. On to Athens and the Acropolis for 1 day...

We drove through the night with cousin Kosta, who is currently staying in Pireaus, the port town within Athens. He's the first mate on a Greek 300 meter long oil tanker and is studying to for his promotion to captain. Out of all the family, he speaks the best English by far. My husband was most comfortable with Kosta, I think, because he was able to communicate independently. I did my best to translate for him, but I think I got a little lazy. Must have been the jet lag...


So we hit the Acropolis in the morning, where it was ridiculously windy. It was so windy at times I had to hold on to avoid being swept off my feet on the slippery marble! After lunch, we were walking around towards Syntagma Square and lo and behold we find ourselves in front of the Parliamentary buildings. It was 5 o'clock and we happened upon the changing of the palace guard. Yes, they do wear skirts and those are pompoms on his feet. And yes, they are all 6'4" and gorgeous. sigh...

And from Athens, on to Italy, four days between Milan, Tuscany, and Rome...

Milan brought us to the best dressed people in Europe, I think. Being that it is the fashion capital of Italy, this is to be expected, but everybody seemed to be in top form. We were there I think just after fashion week, so there were an awful lot of tall skinny women running around. Stick figures, I tell you. The best Duomo we visited was in Milan as well. It was the most inviting and beautiful.
Tuscany brought us to a nice little hotel, which was murder to find, but that's neither here nor there. Some lovely italians on their way home from a bar helped us in the wee hours of the morning. Gratzi! Prego! Highlights of Tuscany? Michelangelo's David, Renaissance art at the Uffizi gallery, the Cinque Terre (just not the drive in; in a word: harrowing), the tower at Piza (just like all the pictures!), the prosciutto, the people, and tourists carrying Rick Steves' guide to Italy. At one point, it was embarrassing, there were so many of us running around town. It kind of made me feel like I was part of a cult or something. My husband refused to carry it past that point.

And then there was Rome! Bella Roma!

By the time we got to Rome, I think I was so physically exhausted I couldn't see straight. However, that's not really a problem there since everything is colossally big. I even managed, on the last evening possible, to find the fabric district! Right around the corner from the Pantheon, if you can imagine. It was Saturday evening just about 5pm, and we had decided we had to see the inside of the dome so we left the ruins in the center and headed off by foot. I turn the corner and lo, there they were: Textiles! I really, really wanted to go shopping - I hadn't done ANY shopping at all on our trip thus far - but my husband wanted to see the dome. So, we compromised. Find the Pantheon, spend 30-45 minutes and come back. Now, we got to the Pantheon and there was a crush of people outside, but they weren't letting anyone in, except one or two at a time. I looked at the sign and realized that the place was closed for Saturday night mass! Yes! Back to the stores I went with instructions to my husband to find the nearest book store and hang...

I did buy some fabric, about $200 worth and it is lovely:

Massimo, the salesman, was wonderful. He was young, hunky, and very knowledgable and pretty much had me at hello. The print is a gorgeous silk charmeuse from last year's collection of an Italian designer, 1 meter for 18 euros.
The next is a wool navy and white houndstooth that at first I figured would do just for a jacket with paired with white silk crepe pants. The wool was 22 euros/meter and the silk Massimo brought me was 80 euros/meter. Since the silk alone would have killed my budget entirely, I said thank you, but lets see some more woolens. I purchased 4 meters of the houndstooth. It's quite possibly the loveliest 100% wool I've ever touched on a bolt. Smooth hand with a fabulous drape and good body.
I also purchased a stretch wool in burgandy, that doesn't want to be photographed for some reason. I've tried repeatedly, but it's shy I suppose. Anyway, that too, is lovely, with a subtle sheen on the right side and more of a classic wool on the wrong, but not scratchy in the least.

Oh! And lest I forget, my grandmother also gave me some fabric! From her trip to Paris in 1984, no less. Now, my grandmother gave me an assortment of fabrics, content unknown but highly suspicious because of the hand. This comes back to Gorgeous Things post about polyester, and these are definitely not modern day synthetics. We shall see how they present themselves for use...

I returned to Phoenix about 11:45pm Sunday night after departing Rome at 5am, exhausted after travelling many, many hours. Under my doormat was a Fedex envelope from my employer, and that is never good news. In the envelope were three checks, one which was two weeks severance pay. I was laid off while on vacation. I was mostly grateful I didn't have to go to work the next day, if you can imagine. Jet lag, people, jet lag. At least now I'll have more time to sew.

The subprime meltdown comes home...

As I concluded in my last post, I was given the boot at work. I was employed in the mortgage industry by the nation's largest lender. Since it was all over the news in Europe I feel it is a safe assumption that you all are familiar with the current economic situation, the center of which is the US housing market and the subprime arena. Anyway, not to long ago, there was an announcement that the company was going to be reducing its workforce by roughly 25%. I managed to get through the first 4 rounds, but the last one hit home. I was one those "released," the 1st VP of Operations informed me. I'm not really all that broken up about it, truthfully. A final visit was required to pick up the remainder of my things and everybody I ran into said it was like a morgue these days. Yet another casualty of the Subprime fiasco...

So, any suggestions on what I should do with my time now that I am jobless? I was thinking a new fall wardrobe. You?

Out from under a rock...

August is over! Yay! Seriously, it was the longest and most challenging month of work ever. I work for one of the nation's largest mortgage companies and August was something of a make it or break it month for us. The entire industry is quaking and, as a leading company that the nation looks to see which way the wind blows, upper management was riding us very hard. Every day I felt like we were fighting to keep the lights on and grateful when I arrived at work the next day to see them still going. Anyway, it's past (for now) and I closed many, many loans and made many people happy (I hope). Working such long hours takes its toll and left me with little energy for anything else, and so I accomplished little by way of sewing or anything sewing related.

On the flip side, September brings VACATION!! Very exciting and I can't believe we are leaving relatively soon, the 22nd to be exact. I was hoping to have some kind of wardrobe sewn, but I don't think I'll have time between then and now.

So what have I done lately? I am almost done with the jacket of Vogue2923.
All that is left is the sleeves and I am debating on taking a cue from RTW and eliminating the ease in the sleeve head. Laura over at Laura's Sewing Room is making a copy of her favorite RTW jacket and she has some very interesting commentary...

Michael Kors ... "The Suit"

I was browsing for some inspiration now that the fall collections are upon us. Look at what I found: I must warn you, you will be tempted and you will covet:

First up...A Diane von Furstenburg keyhole dress that is both delicate and feminine with a powerful print. Does this not make your little heart beat just a little faster? This "Chiquita" can be yours at Nordstrom for just $425.


Next...two choice choices from Nanette Lapore. A suit and blouse that are so trendy and yet so classic. Puffed rouched details on the jacket are adorable but note the gathers on the sleeve end. That is the detail that sends this jacket into a whole new category.

And the blouse? It too is lovely and should be fairly easy to copy cat. A nice silk charmeuse that matches the undertones in your skin will make you glow.

Is the back detail amazing or what? Perfect to emphasize a slim waist and straight back.
And last but certainly not least. Ladies, hold onto your hearts because you just might loose them to Michael Kors after witnessing such perfection...



Double breasted dogstooth woolen jacquard. Ah-may-zing. Michael Kors has restored himself, people. I covet. My reaction upon seeing this suit is a little embarrassing. I am not so materialistic but I want. The jacket alone will set you back a clean $1500. The wide portrait collar, the gorgeous black buttons, the cut, the pencil skirt, the 3/4 length sleeve. Does it not take your breath away? This is the reason I bought a sewing machine.

A closer look...

Long time, no see...

After my two week long (has it really been that long?) silence, I am back, baby! My silence was due to a number of factors, mainly work and a crappy computer. I'm in the mortgage industry and the last week of any month means mandatory overtime; I pulled a couple of 12+ hour days. Dude. Believe me, that might have been fine at 25 but at 30 12 hours at work feels (and believe me it looks) like I've pulled an allnighter. After a week like that, it takes a bit to recover and then I had some computer craziness to deal with.

Anyway, since my fast, I haven't really sewn anything either. The last sewing related thing I did was pick up some fabric to follow up on my directive to make a reusable grocery bag (and to come up with the aforementioned challenge). However, after further consideration of my fabric choices I wonder what I was thinking! They are rather hideous, in fact. So bad that I'm planning on returning the fabrics back from whence they came. So, if you missed me, rest assured I was not fit company...

I mean really, look at what I bought. Would you be inspired by the coffeepots and stripes? Maybe it's just the two together that rub me the wrong way...



What have I been up to since I haven't been sewing or on the internet with my previous enthusiasm? Reading! Yes, I withdrew from the world outside my head and sought refuge in an entirely too ambitious book (for me, not the author) in some subconscious attempt to reclaim my former intellectual self. And maybe to prove that living in Phoenix hasn't fried my brain completely. Although, I haven't really read all that much given my lack of time and energy after month end. Still, so far, it's living up to all the hype of being Rand's masterpiece.

10 day update

My 10 day Master Cleanse is complete. I feel lighter, more buoyant, generally cleaner in spirit and mind. For a while there, I was so bogged down I was stuttering my way through the day. *NOT* a good way to build a rep with your new boss, let me tell you. The experience is interesting because today was the first time in a very long time that I awoke with a truly clear head. I hadn't realized just how fuzzy my thinking had become in the past year. The combined stress, lack of physical activity, and general suck-i-tude I have adopted regarding Phoenix have left their mark. Not to overstate it, but I really do feel like I took a load off and returned to my essential self. My tummy has never been so flat, either! I think I dropped about 10 pounds in total, probably half of this was water weight, 1/4 cleaning out the gunk, and 1/4 fat/muscle loss. Now the trick is to maintain!

My metabolism has slowed, I am sure, so I have to keep up the physical activity to actually stay this way or else I'm sure I'll gain it all back plus a little extra for good measure. Today was a good day, being the first day back on a somewhat regular diet. For about 6 months I have been edging my way down the vegetarian road and I am now a little bit closer.

I am still planning on a grocery bag challenge, since I think it's an easy - and fun - way to implement additional eco-friendly habits to one's lifestyle. More updates on this later. For now, I am off to kick-boxing class!

A challenge...

I'm working on day 2 of my cleanse. My mouth feels all funky, but today is definitely better than yesterday and while I definitely don't feel full, I can't say I miss the food. Okay, that's a bald-faced lie. I admit my will has been seriously tested, but not from hunger. Actually, I haven't been all that hungry considering I have been drinking just the lemonade for the past 48 hours. Yes, I have been tempted, but only because I was bored or thirsty. This is not at all different than my normal eating habits :)

Although, yesterday it was rather difficult cooking for the hubby. Grilled chicken has never smelled so yummy, I tell you. And then I made him a roma tomato, vidalia onion and Bulgarian feta cheese salad (my favorite) and I was almost undone. I have always been the resident salad maker for my family, some would even call it my specialty. Not to toot my own horn, but I can really work the raw veggies tossed in some EVOO and vinegar. Okay, enough about food! Well, maybe not so much.

I had to do a little shopping yesterday and I keep on telling myself I have to make my own shopping bags because I can't stand the number of paper bags I bring home. Lately, there are some stores, Trader Joe you know who you are, that like to double bag, which drives me NUTS. If I had to walk a mile, sure, but the 10 steps from the trunk to the kitchen??? Please. Anyway, there is a lovely blogger out of the UK who makes even lovelier bags. You must all check it out. U-Handbags

Here's a peek at U-Handbag's reusable grocery bag for inspiriation and please, check the link out for the pattern and instructions:

In fact, I would like to propose a challenge! How about a reusable shopping bag sew-off? Who's game??

Spring cleaning...

One of the things I love about sewing is that it is very holistic in nature. One must consider the whole while handling all the parts individually and the treatment of the parts overall effect the final outcome. Crappy fabric and your not likely to end up with a something you will actually wear, etc. I have found myself since moving to the Valley of the Sun seeing things in a much more holistic way than I had previously. In reaction to living in an unhealthy environment (constant sinus issues, skin problems, general lack of pep) I have found myself seeing out activities and habits that act as counterbalance to the toxicity.

In that vein, tonight I start a cleansing fast, also known as the Master Cleanse or the lemonade diet. It consists of a 10 day (ideally) fast of a tonic of fresh lemon juice, grade B maple syrup (like the extra virgin of maple syrups), and a dash of cayenne pepper in water. Lemon has long been known to have various health benefits, not limited to preventing scurvy but also helping in liver and kidney function. Maple syrup has high quantities of the B vitamins, calcium zinc, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Both lemon and maple sport ridiculous amounts of antioxidants, as well. The cayenne pepper has some pretty major health benefits, too, like helping heart function, digestion, blood purification and production, and pain management. I am less versed in pepper but from what I have read, it seems kind of like a miracle plant.

Since I am congested all the time, I figured that early summer was just as good as late spring and so I begin my cleaning internally. I expect to have lots more energy for sewing and creativity and I expect to be challenged. Hopefully, my sense of humor will return as well. The past month I seem to be lacking, to say the least... I'm shooting for 10 days, but we'll see how it goes.

I squeezed my lemons and added my maple in preparation for tomorrow. The tonic is really quite delish! Good enough that I would serve to guests at my house for a little something different than your typical summer lemonade, gourmet even!

I wonder if anyone else out there has tried it or any other type of detoxification. If you have, let me know :)

Summertime in the city...

It's barely July and it's already 115 degrees here in Phoenix. It's unnatural, I tell you, for people to live in the desert. Manifest destiny, the Wild Wild West, modernity, and imported palm trees be damned. 115. Degrees. Do you know what that feels like? Good for you if you don't. You cannot imagine it if you don't experience it, much like extreme cold. Although, a preheaded 400 degree oven does give a good approximation, I must say.

So what do I do when my brain is at risk of boiling in my head (note the dark hair folks) and my scalp turns pink? I turn into a good little American consumer and do my part to propel the economy forward by raising the consumer goods index. I shop. Like all other Phoenicians, I seek refuge from the scorching sun in retail. My spending is usually aided by the brain melt down one risks on a daily basis here between June and August. Interestingly, while I am often forced to use cloth barrier (much like an oven mitt kept in the car) to grip the steering wheel until the AC does its thing, there have been occasions that I have left a preferred customer card in the sun and it was never too hot to handle. You could fry an egg and still be able to charge the iced coffee at the drive-thru.

So what did I buy? FAbric, patterns, and notions, people. Joann's had the sale I have been waiting a season for and I was able to get a tailors ham for all of $5. My husband was very confused by it. Even though I showed him how it works, he still somehow didn't understand.
I also picked up a number of patterns:

M5466

M5464

Simplicity 3684

Simplicity 3744

Simplicity 3867, but I bought the wrong size :(

V8202, a snazzy pair of jeans with an awesome back pocket

Simplicity 4097

So what does this all say about me? All this heat has me fantasizing about Fall... Except that I bought summery fabrics:
















Top to bottom, from left to right:

• yellow batiste that is sort of a watercolor wash over white
  
• bottom weight (home dec maybe?) yellow with blue flowers that are shot through with gold..just enough of this in the remnant to make a swingy skirt!
• poly/cotton blend in pink, blue, yellow, and oat Liz Claiborne home, that was the best plaid I have seen in a long time, even if it is pastels and meant for drapes or your sofa. I shall wear it.
  
• Pink, oat, and sage plaid from Joann's prairie girl collection. I was sorry I had this cut almost as soon as I saw the other check but still I bought it
• fashion jersey, acetate and lycra that feels like plastic but makes a surprisingly good dress fabric as it drapes nicely. Joann's clearance rack for $1.50 a yard. Can you believe this was originally $15? No wonder it was on clearance...
• Coral gabardine in rayon/polyester from Hancock's that just drew me in with its freshness
• Maroon stretch sateen, also from Hancock's, that hopefully has enough recovery to actually wear and keep its shape.
  
• Not shown, but a clear vinyl 1.5 yd remnant I don't know what I am going to do with but was possessed to buy for $.93
  

I picked up some snaps and a little tool to install them, as well as a new seam ripper. A new deluxe seam ripper. Although, my old one was magnetized lightly, which is pretty handy when you want to remove pins from underneath your presser foot.