ready for the weekend

How is May halfway over already? Seriously, where did the month go?

I have some finished projects to post and have been enjoying time outside the last couple weekends rather than being inside behind my machine, but this weekend I need to get back to business. I have so many projects piling up again and my sewing table is a mess from it all!

On my to-do list are a good mix of projects which could easily take over my weekend.

1. Make the May block for my quilting bee group
2. Write my tutorial for my month as "Queen Bee" (June)
3. Finish the Farmers Market bag for my mom (opps belated Mother's Day gift!)
4. Finish the baby brag books for our moms (also belated Mother's Day gifts)
5. Make some Pretty Blouses with a silky brown and white dot fabric and an off-white lace I've been holding on to
6. And possibly a Ruffle Top with the white crepe I have too

I'm still determined to work on skirts with a damask jacquard and a royal blue shantung silk from my stash so I have some more bottom peices.  And I also have a pink chiffon print that I'm trying to decide what to do with. I'd like to make a simple top with it, but I can't find a pattern I like for it. Maybe another skirt? I need to pick up some linning for it.

I just got over a cold this week so I should get some rest this weekend, but I'm also eager to stay up late and sew!  It would just be really, really nice to get these piles cleaned up and have some new peices for summer.

not exactly couture

We get to take training classes at work once a year. Unfortunately these classes often present their material in the most basic fashion possible, and unfortunately it ends up being extremely simple and boring. So I take a notebook along and sketch quilt blocks and make lists. (Side note: I love lists. I have so many notebooks with so many lists for everything. And checking things off a list - so satisfying!) The training I took this year was a little better, but there was still time for me to cover a few pages in my notebook with sketches and check boxes.

This time I made a list for clothing I need to alter or make.

1. Damask Jacquard skirt based on this tutorial
2. Royal Blue Shantung silk skirt, using same tutorial but with a fuller skirt
3. Lace shirt (using another shirt for the template)
4. White crepe skirt
5. Brown and white pin dot skirt
6. Take in brown pants
7. Take in grey and maroon shirts
8. Pink print shell top with tie (pattern)
9. Finish hem and belt for purple knit dress

I've finally started to loose more pregnancy weight and all the clothing I bought when I returned to work is now way too big! I'm not complaining; I'm so glad to be loosing the weight. But I don't want to buy new clothes now since I'm only one size away from fiting into my wardrobe again. My experience with clothing is limited and it's been several years since I've made anything major (pants!). At the very least I'm hoping I can alter some of the items I bought last November and make a couple of skirts to get me through this "transition" phase. I also need to go through my pattern collection and maybe try my hand at some basics for work. It'd be nice to not look like the kid who has to wear her older sibling's clothes and maybe be a little more put-together again.

getting what I need

After spending a weekend in Seattle, two weekends at my parents’, two weeks in New York with my cousin, and Labor Day weekend in Sacramento with my friends, I relished my first weekend home in nearly a month. And I have to say it was exactly what I needed it to be - a couple of well rounded days with little bit of sewing, food, and futbol (both kinds).

backstory

Growing up, I had five girl friends that as individuals couldn’t be more different from each other, but we came to see each as a part of ourselves. We have now been friends for over 15 years and I can’t play favorites with any of these incredible women, especially when I know how lucky I am to have had them with me nearly all my life.

a la americana

I feel like I've been procrastinating (oh again). I’ve been going through the last month saying, “This week I’ll…” and running off a mental to do list of all the various projects I have been meaning to get to. But, alas, they still remain in the same neat pile in the corner as neglected as always and waiting for the eventual Someday.