Out of Pan Into The Fire!

Aah yes, spend a week on the Outer Banks, NC with perfect weather and return to New Jersey just in time for what is building up to be the worst storm we have every had!! The intensity of the air is amazing. Took a drive down to the bay at Laurence Harbor last evening and and was mesmerized by waves bigger then are normal in the ocean on a calm day!! wish it wasn't dark I would have gotten some great photos. Now all tucked in nicely at home and don't plan on leaving for a spell! Besides filling every available container with water, digging out every candle around, flipping food stuff from freezer to freezer depending on use value, clearing all from the outdoors, and anything else I could think of to prepare for this monstrosity I did want any good little crafter would do, I made sure all my new fabric was washed and ready to play with!! Figure if we lose power I  can cut out patterns and material and there's always sorting to do. 
  Can only hope this isn't as bad as it is projected to be but the feeeling in that air says otherwise. I truly hate that Sara and the boys are so so far away and also dealing with this storm, Kevin is at sea but she has great friends nearby. I know they will look out for each other.

I wish us all well, Let's all be safe and be smart!!!

 Back and settled in from a great week on Duck Island, Outer Banks, NC. What fun! Paul and I where able to secure two three bedroom units and invited all in the family who could make it. We got there on Sat. Oct 20, followed by Karen and Ralph as well as Jeff, Amanda and Anderson. They stayed until Tuesday. Got to have three great dinners with them as we thought to let them have the time to themselves doing whatever they wished. We climbed a lighthouse (naturally) on Sunday.The Currituck Lighthouse on the northern end of the Outer Banks. What a view! Spending time with our grandchildren, children, sister and brother, Wild Horse Tour, playing on the beach, Miniature Golf, playing in the pool and many a yummy meal! Now that's a good life! Can only hope someday we can do it all again.

Received my first order from Fabric Fashion Cub. Very pleased all but
one should be perfect for what I planned with it. The one not sure is Black with autumnal colored leaves, very pretty and thought I'd use it to make a blouse but the fabric is stiffer than I thought it would be. It's 100% cotton but more like a Quilting cotton even though the description said Apparel. Going to wash it and see, it may become placemats instead!  

Now I need to figure out the best way to get organized, keep track of my stash and what each fabric is and how to care for it.

Looking forward making a blouse with this one.
  also picked up a Olive Green Gabardine to make Trousers. That should be an adventure. Taking that pant fitting class at Cratsy's, hopefully it will transfer to reality!

Also bought some Cotton Broadcloth in Wine for a blouse and some samples to check out for more trousers!


Oh and this beautiful piece that is bigger than I realized
(didn't notice it was 60 width!).
Think it will be a boxy style Blouse/Jacket and maybe a skirt.  Hmm this photo doesn't do it justice May have to take one myself.



Fun Fun Fun when I come from Vacation I can start playing!!!

Funny what one finds when doing a bit of tidying! I had forgotten about a vest I cut out last winter just before life got crazy. So there I am cleaning out some cubbies and low and behold just sitting there awaiting. It' s nice to have well trained fabric, LOL So I spent a part of Saturday and Sunday sewing it up. I am so glad I found it. I love the way it came out. It's a lined vest, McCall's M593, which has since been discontinued. I used a brown microsuede with a cool thread design and brown sequins. Easy going together just two pattern pieces, front and back! I didn't add any embellishments, the fabric says it all!

(need to give my photographer a few lessons! LOL)

My only complaint was the hand sewing which is not my forte'. Guess I just have to practice more.  The good thing is I have enough fabric leftover I think I will make a purse and maybe even a little coin purse.

I should tidy that area a little more often me thinks!! Who knows what treasures lie within! LOL




May be buying a new a new machine soon. Starting looking and think I know the one I want. After vacation is soon enough to plan.

Okay, I have been thinking about a 'Sewing Plan" and I like it. I also have read in several blogs about a wardrobe challenge that was held. You had so much time to make coordinating pieces to develop a complete wardrobe. I believe it was 6 pieces in 6 months. Well I'm certainly not ready for that challenge but... I do like the idea of a coordinated wardrobe. Mine is a bunch of bits and pieces I try to match together each morning. So I'm thinking this would be a great starting point for a Sewing Plan. I should go through my closet first and figure out just what I have, what goes together, what actually fits and what I actually like and wear!!!  I do wish I had someone to help with this. Someone "objective" enough to give honest opinions and knows me well enough to know what I like (as opposed to what they like!) I need to recruit my sister to do some measurements with me maybe that would work for this also? All I need is time!!! hahahahaha.

I think a possible plan would involve:
   2 pair of pants
   2 long sleeve blouses
   2 short sleeve or sleeveless blouses
   1 jacket
   1 vest

As I start working with knits more I will add to that list
  Nice Knit Shirts in various sleeve lengths

Then I can continue to add to this as I go along making sure everything works together!! Gad what a concept!!  

In the meantime I'm taking those two classes at Craftsy:
  Beginner Serging  and Will be starting a Pants Fitting Class that I am really looking forward to as hopefully will start me off on "My Sewing Plan"
  Will be making a pillow for my grandson to match those curtains I made him.
  Have some mending and finishing to do

I want to make a Bra! That should prove interesting!!!  Have to see if Craftsy or Pattern Review has a class on that. Found a Tutorial online from Threads Magazine so can start with that when I get to it.

And I want to make a Raincoat!!! 

Okay so that should keep me busy for the next year or so!!! LOL
 

Classes

I have such a "Kid In The Candy Store" way about me! I become involved in whatever it is that has caught my fancy and I want I want I want!!!! lol Since I have been back into sewing I have discovered so many new things, blogs, websites etc etc etc. and I want to be a part of it all. I found a wonderfully dangerous(for someone like me) site called Craftsy, (www.craftsy.com) where there are online classes you can take on so many different things: sewing, baking, knitting, quilting, heck even weaving and spinning!!!  What's a gal like me to do! Step back take a breathe and oh heck dive in. I just finished one class (it was free!!!!!!) Sewing Machine 911, good info, great instructor, and have started another, Beginner Serger, Yeah I have one of those and it's high time I learned more than the basics about it. I have signed up for Pant Fitting Techniques as I would love to be able to make trousers for me that fit properly!! I have such a hard time buying them, my body does not conformed to any size out there! and there are so so many more I can't wait to take, we won't even get into the classes I'm drooling over on Pattern Review!! SO Away I go!!!

One of the blogs I read mentions a sewing plan, I love the idea of that, will have to take some time and ponder just what I want to accomplish and make a list. Ooooh I do so love making lists, hehehe. I know I want to set a couple of goals for myself and there are a number of things I'd like to make. I mentioned somewhere or to someone, wanting to, slowly but surely, replace my wardrobe with handmade items, I figure 50% in the next couple of years sounds fair. aah the decision to decide is where to start!!

Ta!

Other year older! Happy Birthday to me!!! A lot of people complain about or ignore their birthdays and at a time so did I. Several years ago someone near and dear to me and my family passed on, he was only 54-55 From that time on I Celebrate my birthday, and the fact that I can have yet another birthday! Birthdays are blessings. Birthdays mean we continue in this life and I want to do that for many many many more years!!! So Happy Birthday to me!!!! Again and again and again!!!

I do have to say this year was especially fun and especially nice. Facebook for all it's craziness lets the world or at least my world know there is a birthday, every one of my "Friends" wished me a Happy Birthday in one form or another. Sure made me smile alot!! And because of the way I feel about birthdays I tried to thank each and every one for their good wishes. 
 My Birthday celebrations started with a lovely lunch with my dear sister. Then the day of all the good wishes, followed by a lovely dinner with my hubby and son. Next day Lunch with one of my good friends. Saturday found me on a ride on the Seastreak up the Hudson and a walk around Cold Springs NY with another wonderful friend of mine, that was followed by dinner with my hubby at Bahrs (a favorite haunt), Sunday a hike and talk around the cranberry bogs of Double Trouble State Park!  Wow now that's the way to spend a birthday!!!
 Now back to my real life!!! hehehe