biking

Celebrating Six Months of Newness

We have officially now lived in Rhode Island six months! I can’t believe it’s been six months, and I can’t believe it’s *only* been six months. It’s hard to remember what our lives were like prior to living in southern New England (or before coronavirus, for that matter). I guess that means we feel really comfortable here.

Yep, it’s winter in Southern New England!

I had all these blog posts planned, to share our experiences in this new city of Providence. But now I am going to attempt to squeeze in some highlights, and hopefully get back to blogging a bit more regularly.

I was commuting to the office twice a week for a while in September – November, although now we are back to WFH 100% of the time. I was enjoying my short bike rides to and from the train station, especially after we put reflective bar tape on my bike! I also finally bought Bar Mitts, and just in time for some chilly commuting mornings!

A farmers’ market, Farm Fresh RI, opened walking distance to our apartment, so we went every weekend until the holidays. Many Rhode Island gifts were purchased there, and at the Providence Flea, which is in the same warehouse on Sunday. Across the street is The Industrious Spirit Co., which makes vodka and a lovely gin. On Saturdays, they hosted local food truck The Burgundians Coffee & Waffles . There’s no better way to start a weekend than waffles and a hot apple cider and gin drink, trust me!

A glass blowing studio, Gather Glass, is also walking distance to our apartment! I’ve always loved blown glass, and jumped at the opportunity to take classes. So far I have made two glasses, but have plans for more….

The ocean is SOOOOO close! Forty-five minutes to an hour, whaaat?! So we’ve gone to the ocean a few times, but there are dozens of other places for us to explore in 2021 – state parks, nature reserves, historic landmarks, botanical gardens, and and and….

I got a haircut! Okay, technically I got two, but the first one was a trim at a local salon. The second one cut off all the length and bulk that’s accumulated since lockdown. So happy to get rid of that!

Here’s a sample of some of my sewing this fall:

And here’s my official sewing plans for 2021. Don’t worry, there’s plenty more where this comes from. I made about 30 garments (and 100 cloth face masks) in 2020, so nine goals is only a third of what I expect I’ll do this year.

While we have said good-bye to 2020, a year that I think was a struggle for everyone, and we look ahead to 2021, I think we can all agree that maybe we should temper our expectations of this year. Nonetheless, living in Rhode Island has a lot of blessings, and I hope to share them more regularly with you. Is there anything you are especially interested in? Bike infrastructure in Providence (that’s on my list for spring)? Ocean anything?! The food scene here in Providence? An update on all my sewing? Let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

Sewing June 2019: N + 1

In the bicycling world, there is a long-standing joke about N+1 when it comes to bicycles – once you have one, you need another, and then another, and then another. Look at The Mechanic and I – we have six bikes between the two of us! (One may or may not be in the bedroom, although neither of us are bothered by that. I know some spouses might be.) I suppose it is the same for any hobby. When I got my first tattoo I was told it’s addictive, and it kinda is – I do want another one…

My camera can’t capture the gorgeousness of this Iced Peach Floral Japanese Lyocell Cotton from Marcy Tilton so check out the website for better photos –> https://marcytilton.com/collections/woven/products/iced-peach-floral-japanese-lyocell-woven

But I hadn’t really put sewing into that perspective until this past weekend, when I shared photos on Instagram of some fabric I spontaneously ordered. It’s *gorgeous* fabric, but in a colorway I don’t really have any other clothing in. The fabric is intended for a blouse, so I’ll need either pants or a skirt to go with it. Or both. And then I need to see if any of the pants or skirt patterns I already own works with the fabric I need to get, the style of the blouse I plan to make, and anything else that might happen to go with this gorgeous fabric. So it totally made sense when one of my IG sewing friends commented “If you give a sewist some fabric, she’ll have to make some pants to go with it,” referencing the popular children’s’ book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. And then I realized – N+1. Fabric = more patterns = more fabric = more patterns, etc.

I’ve been trying really hard not to acquire more fabric and patterns, because I’m really anxious to make the fabric and patterns I have. But I feel like it’s too late to finish my summer sewing, and maybe I should move onto fall plans. Of course, I know that it will stay warm well into October, so there is plenty of time to get my warm weather garments made! But cold weather clothes take longer, so I feel like I need to get started now! Now, now now!!! N + 1 = more fabric and more patterns.

The irony is, The Mechanic and I are both not only pretty happy with the bikes we have, we are considering getting rid of some. I mean, it’s been a few years since I’ve dusted off my mountain bike – is there any point in keeping it?! We are planning a West Virginia road trip in October, though, so I guess I will decide after that. But is it worth keeping a bike for a maybe once a year opportunity? I don’t know, is it worth buying fabric that I may or may not every have time to sew up?

I have been sewing up a storm this month, unlike my bike habits. I’m especially proud of the New Look 6262 dress I made from an IKEA duvet cover, and the Vogue 9302 pants, made from IKEA curtains. The dress doesn’t fit great but it feels lovely, the cotton/lyocell fabric is silky and lightweight, and perfect for the upcoming hot weather. The pants are a wearable muslin for wide leg pants that I want to make for the colder months, something I can line with flannel, and/or fit thermal underwear underneath. And hey, tropical print pants! The shift dress is a nice basic, and the infinity scarf will be so great with many things.

Shift Dress, New Look 6095

New Look 6262, made from an IKEA duvet cover

Vogue 9302, made from IKEA curtains

Infinity scarf, made double gauze

Double gauze infinity scarf

I also ordered new sewing labels, yay! I have 100 – how long do you think they will last? I can’t believe I’ve already used 100 labels, frankly, so we’ll see what happens with these! Oh dear – do 100 labels mean N = 100??!

A Weekend Five Years in the Making

The Mechanic and I just celebrated our five year wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe we’ve been married that long, and yet it seems like we’ve always been together. Is that how marriage works?!

We haven’t done much to celebrate in the last few years since they’ve seemed a bit anti-climatic. I was in New York last year with a friend, if that is any indication of our attentiveness. But five years seemed like a big deal so we made some plans.

First up, we splurged on a fancy dinner at Elizabeth’s Gone Raw, a plant-based restaurant in Washington, DC. It’s been on my list for a while but due to it price and exclusivity (Friday and Saturday night seatings only, wine pairings an extra $60 per person), we hadn’t been. But it turned out to be the perfect anniversary dinner.

Violet Moon cocktail and an empty first course dish – as the dining excitement begins!

Although we passed on the wine pairing, we did order cocktails. My Violet Moon appeared more gray than violet, but the vodka, kombucha, creme de Violette, and Freixenet Blanc de Blanc combo could possibly be my most favorite cocktail ever. I had two – just to test the consistency, of course! I can’t even begin to describe the food, it was so amazing. So many wild and different flavors in one mouthful! The Mechanic and I, not being foodies, credited our years of vegan Green Chef meals with introducing us to the possibilities of flavorful, exotic, and adventurous dining – if it hadn’t, this meal might have been a great shock! I didn’t take pictures of all seven courses but I did take a few of the more picturesque ones.

One of seven delicious courses at Elizabeth’s Gone Raw

Also, I wore my new Vogue 9091 linen culottes and the Named Clothing Inari Tee Dress, which I cropped into a top. I love this combination so much!!! Expect to see me in it alot – and sorry for the bathroom photo….

We balanced the fancy experience at Elizabeth’s Gone Raw the following day with a road trip to Shepherdstown, WV, where we had gotten married five year previously. We rented a (ginormous) pick up, and The Mechanic managed to nicely arrange our bicycles in the back so we could take them with us. Once in Shepherdstown, we started with a casual lunch at our favorite place, the Blue Moon Cafe. The food is always good, with plenty of vegetarian options, but the highlight is the outdoor seating with a small stream rushing through it. We love this place so much that we made it part of our unofficial wedding reception (we had a lunchtime wedding and reception, so everyone who stayed joined us at the Blue Moon for dinner that evening). We continued our wedding anniversary tour with a stop at the Shepherdstown Sweet Shop Bakery, where we had ordered our wedding cake. We purchased a slice of cake that was almost identical to ours – this was almond cake (instead of the lemon we had five years ago), with a raspberry filling and buttercream frosting. Just as delicious as we remembered!

Biking has always been a large part of our memories of Shepherdstown – we first encountered the town when we signed up for the CASA River Ride seven years ago. We also used it as our starting point for a bike camping trip down the C & O Canal that same year. We’ve returned over and over, since it is a perfect day trip destination. Luckily the weather this year was dry enough for us to squeeze in another bike ride down the canal tow path. It was so lovely and just perfect, and we agreed we need to do more of *that* sort of biking – adventure travel biking, casual, gravel roads, nature, trees, etc.

Our last anniversary-related stop was at the Bavarian Inn, where our wedding had taken place. We were one of the first weddings held overlooking the infinity pool, and there had been some question as to whether or not it would be ready for us – but it was, and provided a lovely backdrop of just nature and the Potomac River. We visited a few times since then, but not for a few years, so we were completely surprised at the remodeling they had done when they added Bavarian Brothers Brewery to the site last year. Walls were changed, decor was modernized, fixtures were new, the bar was larger, and there was an entire new dining area where our reception patio space had been. Wow! It looks amazing! We had a flight and some fondue, then took home a growler – which I had to bike back to our rental truck, since we’d gone there on our bikes. What’s more bike-y than beer and cupcakes on a bike?!

Part of my wedding reminiscences included pulling out my wedding skirt, which I made from my wedding dress. It’s a bit too small for me now <ahem> but I would still love to have a reason to wear it somewhere. Someone, invite me to a garden party!

So many changes since 2014!

Who knows how many changes there will be in another five years!!! We have enough to keep ourselves busy until then, so check in with me in 2024!

April19: Sewing and Biking

My goodness, life has gotten overly complicated and blogging has gotten away from me! Sorry for irregular postings. I’d like to promise that I’ll get more disciplined, but I suspect that won’t happen…

Here we are, staring down the last full week of April already! I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot of sewing this month, which is great. What isn’t so great is news about a local bike advocate getting killed, and the lack of support of Vision Zero by cities that have signed onto it. I’m a bit upset about it, so if you don’t want to know more, don’t read the end of this blog post.

Sewing

I feel like I’ve been a busy little sewing bee! I have completed three projects since I last blogged about my sewing, among other things.

Visited Stitch Sew Shop in their new location, where I bought the Scout Tee pattern for my Zodiac top (among other things)
Ordered scalloped pinking shears, to try an idea (which I haven’t tried yet)
Ordered some different black reflective fabric, which I ultimately don’t really like – it’s hardly reflective!
Completed a wearable muslin of the Scout Tee in some Charley Harper cotton from my stash – it’s easy and simple, and will be perfect for the embroidered mesh Zodiac fabric
Finally made the Cotton & Steel Rifle Paper Co. Amalfi Freja print button up shirt I’ve been planning for ages, another version of my favorite Vogue 8772
Made, then remade, the Simplicity 1369 skirt out of nail print cotton – designed to fit low on the hips, I took it in 4″, shortened it a tad, and now it’s perfect! Thanks to my Instagram fellow sewists for their feedback!
Finally cut out the Burda 6678 pants pieces, from a gray chambray I purchased at Stitch Sew Shop
Discovered “A Stitch in Time” on Acorn TV – a documentary series with fashion historian (and icon!) Amber Butchart, who selects garments from several historic portraits that a costume shop led by Ninya Mikhaila recreates using historically accurate tools and techniques. It’s 100% where I wish my career could have gone – history, research, sewing… It’s so wonderful to see pieces from paintings recreated! And of course, I’m terribly envious that they were all made to fit Amber.

I love Charley Harper art so much! Yes, I have it on my walls : )

Biking

I was very proud of myself – briefly. One whole week, I biked each way! Although I biked to work one morning, then biked home the next afternoon. So not full round trip rides, but a bit every day. This actually worked out really well, given weather, my work schedule, social outings, etc. Then the following week – nothing. Sigh. I did wear some of my #memades, though, but I didn’t get photos each time. But May is National Bike Month, so I plan to do as much biking as possible then – wearing reflective #memade garments, of course! In other biking news – the Washington, DC, bike community is reeling after a beloved bike advocate, Dave Salovesh, was killed in a car crash. I didn’t know Dave but I followed him on Twitter, and even with that distance, it hits close to home. I feel for the #bikeDC people I do know who knew Dave so well – their pain and anger is completely justified. I suspect that the only reason why his killer was charged with second degree murder is because he was speeding in a stolen vehicle. If he had been speeding in his own car, I doubt it would have been the same. It’s so frustrating and upsetting that a supposed Vision Zero city seems to do so little to support the goals of eliminating traffic deaths. i am not as qualified to talk about Vision Zero as some, like Dave, are, but from what I see in the news, American cities such as DC and New York City that have pledged to these goals are doing pretty much the exact opposite. Also on Twitter over the weekend, people in NYC were reporting that cops were confiscating bikes from kids and/or ticketing them for not having bike bells. Seriously?! Bike bells? When are they going to confiscate cars from drivers who don’t use their turn signals?! Gah!

I don’t post political stuff much because I don’t have the interest or energy for getting into social media spats with strangers, but these two things pushed me over the edge. We read and hear all the time about an obesity crisis, and climate change is pounding down our doors, but god forbid we actually embrace the easy and inexpensive ways to tackle both – active transportation. Some cities get it, like Vancouver seems to, but others just don’t really give a sh*t. I don’t know how long The Mechanic and I will live in the DC metro area, but I can tell you that we are making a list of cities that promote the things we value and we’ll consider them first and foremost.

National Bike Month

May is National Bike Month. I talk about it every year. But this year, I’d like everyone to think about some simple things they can do to promote the well-being of others. We really are all in this together, and we can only make it if we are careful of our actions. That means put down the cell phone and use turn signals, as well as cross at crosswalks and stop for red lights. You don’t need to bike to be careful of people on their bikes, or people walking. National Bike Month should only have to celebrate the joy of biking, not remind people that life is fragile and gone in an instant. And maybe, just maybe – try a bike ride yourself if you haven’t in a long time.

Pre-Op Update

Just a quick update to let you know that I am having surgery on Wednesday so I won’t be blogging (or sewing or biking) for a while. A health problem that has plagued me for at least twelve years will finally fixed once and for all (I hope), and I am looking forward to it.

I am also looking forward to some down time. I was told that the recovery is usually 4-6 weeks; I am taking 3.5. I don’t know how I will feel but hope I’ll be up and moving around enough to get *some* sewing done. The doctor looked a bit horrified when I said I usually bike to work so I am not allowed to do that for at least four weeks. Honestly, I haven’t biked much lately, due to weather, schedule or just plain not feeling like it. But after four weeks of not moving much, i know I’ll be anxious to get back in the saddle.

I failed in my plan to eat super healthy and do yoga every day in preparation for the surgery, so I am not going into it as strong as I’d envisioned. I guess I will focus on the recovery period to get my health mojo back. I know, I’ll pretend I am at a health spa, with a regular routine of veggies and yoga!

I will be back before you know it though! Until then, Happy Spring!

Cold Weather Biking and Sewing

Oh my goodness it has been cold!

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Temperatures in the teens and “real feel” temps in the single digits and lower – I’m sure we’ve had this weather in the years since I moved to the East Coast, but I can’t remember when. I’ve lived in New York City and the Washington DC area since I moved from Sacramento, CA at the end of 1999, but I still haven’t acclimated to these cold temperatures.

Because of this, over the years, I’ve slowly added warmer and less fashionable clothing to my collection. I’m in awe of the women who can wear cute flats and no socks or skirts with tights and boots in these temperatures, but I can’t do it. I need thermal underwear and down coats. I can’t wear wool so I have to manage in synthetics and I love the Lands End Thermaskins – no, not paid by them to say that! But no matter what I do, I still can’t keep my fingers and toes warm.

So this year I broke down and bought a pair of sheepskin-lined boots. The Mechanic talked me out of getting boots with a synthetic fur, because real sheepskin would be warmer. After much research, I finally about a pair of Ugg Niels motorcycle boots. I think it’s the most money I’ve ever spent on a pair of shoes! But I have to say, my toes have been so warm!

Okay, confession – I haven’t been biking in this extreme cold. Seriously, I can’t. Props to those who do!

I have done a bit of sewing, though. I spontaneously made a new tee shirt with some Spoonflower fabric I ordered ages ago. I had intended it to be a Breton shirt, but thought this would work out better with the yellow striped knit as the sleeves, back and neckband. I love it and can’t wait to wear it – months from now, when it’s warm again!

Kwik Sew 4027 – the third time I’ve made this! I think it’s getting closer to perfect as I tweak it each time.

I also finally basted the muslin of the McCalls 7667 coat I’m dying to make. I made it out of a corduroy fabric I’d ordered then didn’t like once it arrived, which means I don’t like the muslin and won’t finish it as a wearable coat. I hate to share photos of it, but I actually am really happy about how it fits. A bit more length in the sleeves and it will be perfect. I can’t wait to cut this out of the real fabric! With reflective tweed collar, sleeves and back belt, I hope this will be my best winter coat. I decided to play along with Instagram’s #2018MakeNine challenge. I hope I make more than nine things this year though! I am sort of obsessed with outerwear right now, since reflective details seem to make more sense than on winter dresses and so on. So after I make the coat above, I plan to make a brocade bomber with reflective trim and then this Simplicity 8055 coat is calling to me – I think the front and back yoke is perfect for reflective fabric. I’m in love with the Nell Shirt by indie company A Verb for Keeping Warm, and everyone seems to swear by the Vogue 8772, so of course I need to try that as well. The McCalls pants remind me of my high school years in the late 80s but I somehow still want to make them. The McCalls 6742 dress has the perfect seaming for some fun reflective detail, as does the Deer and Doe Azara skirt. I should try to make all these things coordinate, if I was smart. The weather is supposed to be warming up a tad (thank goodness!) and I can’t wait to get back to biking. What are you looking forward to this year?

Bunnies, Biking and Building

It’s been a busy few weeks, from a friend’s visit to a marathon IKEA-Home Depot-Beth Bath & Beyond day to building more and more IKEA pieces. In between, I am getting used to a new bike commute and we are all still adjusting to the new rabbits. Whew! We can’t wait until the long Thanksgiving weekend when we can hopefully finish and relax.

First, the bunnies. We have begun to let them out into the living room and watching their antics as they explore is highly entertaining. Quinn is the explorer of the bunch (girl power!) and is always out hopping onto things.

Er – on the tub on the bookcase – probably not a good place to be…

Sully is less excited to explore but has his moments.

“Didn’t you put the treats over here?”

Gaston has been happy to return to having lengthy pet sessions. I am more than happy to comply. Love this little bunny! Speaking of bunny love, I stumbled upon a Kate Spade ring on the Rent the Runway site and decided I had to have it. Thankfully it was on eBay at half the original price. This is 100% what my mom and aunt call an “F&M” – as in, “a fool and his money are soon parted.” And you know what? I totally don’t care. I bought another bauble at the Coach store, a personalized embossed leather tag for my super old Coach bag. They had the embossing machine in the store so I got to watch it get made. This is also an F&M – I need to start sewing again to keep me focused!

This is the closest to sewing I get these days – I am attempting to participate in #BPsewvember on Instagram, a sewing photo a day challenge during the month of November. As my sewing space is still in piles and my machines still packed up, it’s not been an overwhelming success so far.

I am getting some baubles that are not F&Ms – I ordered progressive sunglasses. I’ve reached the point where I want to be able to read my phone, menus, labels, and anything else in a small print when I’m out and about. Its annoying to carry glasses around and put them on when I need them (maybe I’m lazy), so my regular progressives have become super useful. But maybe I’m delicate – I need some sun protection too! So with a balance in my FSA account, I visited a new eye glasses shop and picked out a swanky pair of tortiseshell frames. Can’t wait to get these babies back!

My new bike commute is almost a mile longer; that is, the route I prefer lengthens the commute about a mile. I could go another direction and it would probably be equal to what I’ve been doing. But I like going through the neighborhoods, not on the main streets, and who doesn’t need a little extra exercise?! So now I’ve got 4 miles each way, slightly uphill in the mornings. I need that too. I have been on the bus a lot, due to a variety of reasons, and now it’s *cold* in the mornings again, and I’m having a hard time adjusting. It will come, but I’m not as excited when its around freezing when I wake up.

I had a lot to carry with me this day, so those morning hills were even harder!

About the house – this should say it all:

This just happened.

So check back in with us in a week or two, and hopefully by then I’ll be SEWING!

Still Sewing – and Still Biking

Despite being fed up with biking (well, drivers, really), I ended up biking Monday-Wednesday last week, then rode the bus Thursday because of a work event. Then Friday I was a driver myself! The Mechanic and I took Gaston to the vet – we love the vet but they are not located anywhere remotely convenient to bike or bus, so Zipcar it is. I have to say, I felt much better about biking – maybe I just needed to vent? But also, I was pretty relieved to take the bus to work on Thursday, and not only because of the rain all day. I appreciate all the words of encouragement from you, thank you!

Gaston highly disapproved of the vet experience

And I plan on biking this week as well. But this week I am especially inspired, because I finished a new dress, and the weather will be warm enough to wear that AND my 3M reflective dress, woot!

A-maz-ing!!!

First up, I finished my Christine Haynes Marianne dress, in nautical blue stripes. I’m not the biggest fan of PDF patterns, partially because I never seem to get the pieces taped together properly. I had to do a bit of fixing once I was done, to get the lines to match…. And that was just the beginning! I think I redid every single seam on this dress, not to mention redrawing the seams on the side to fit better. Because of that, I wasn’t sure I would like this dress when it was completed, but I have to say, it’s much cuter than anticipated! I lengthened the sleeves significantly, and I took in the sides. I thought I had cut the neck binding too short, so I cut a longer piece, and then realized the first piece was probably fine. But I love the navy and aqua color combination, as well as the blue reflective fabric accents. I made a rookie mistake and forgot to hand baste the reflective trim in, but it didn’t slide around too much. And how cool are the reflective covered buttons?!?!

Fun, isn’t it?

You know sewing is an illness when you finish one project and jump right into another. Yes, I made a muslin of the Simplicity New Look 6434 blouse, Version D with the ruffled sleeves. This will eventually be made out of some Charley Harper print cotton, but I used an old sheet to make this up. Actually, I love the color, so I think I will try to clean it up so I can wear it. For this blouse, I widened the shoulders a half inch, and am pretty pleased with the results. I also lenghtened the sleeve, but may need to widen it a teeny bit. I used the full ruffle pattern, not cut down for my size, but I think I will do that next time – it’s a little too ruffled for my taste. But I know this sleeve is hot right now because it’s popping up on everything! McCalls Pattern Company is even doing a sewing contest with their version of this style. It will be a while until I can make the Charley Harper version, since that fabric won’t be shipped for 6-8 weeks (!!!). But maybe this will work.

This week is the last “calm” week before several weeks of just craziness, so I’m hoping to relax and enjoy biking and not sewing, well, not really doing much of anything. Just being. I need to get some sleep before the craziness. Or I could squeeze in one more sewing project….

2016 Lessons Learned

The fact that 2016 was a challenging year can’t be denied but it wasn’t all that bad either – The Mechanic and I traveled a lot and we adopted Gaston! I can’t say I’m glad the year is over, but I do like new beginnings, so I’m always happy to ring in a new year. I enjoy looking back over my year and looking ahead to the new one, and I love planning, so of course I love making new plans.

There is always something to be learned from our past, even our really recent past, and 2016 is no different. I definitely learned some lessons last year, which will help feed my plans for 2017. The lessons applicable to this blog are about biking and sewing, of course!

Biking

I biked to work just about every day this year, and our new apartment gave me an extra half-mile each way. But I feel that I’ve gotten a bit lazy…

Biking to work 3 miles each way every day really isn’t a workout. Combine lack of weekend/recreational biking along with my inability to get to the gym much this year, and I’m definitely out of shape. So I need to add “biking on the weekends” to my 2017 plans.
I still prefer bike touring in new places. I stopped biking on the weekends mainly because I’d exhausted the trails that are easily accessible. If I can see in my head every turn and stop, I’ve done it too much and find it boring and uninteresting. But between our weekend at the Fall Foliage Bike Festival and our New Years Eve (chilly and quick 12 miles) bike ride in Purcellville, I’m reminded that I prefer new places to bike. Adding “find new places to bike” to my 2017 list.

Sewing

Including the three garments I made last week during my Sewing Staycation, I made a whopping 29 things in 2016! Not all of it was for me, and not all of it I like and wear often, so that brings me to some lessons learned:

Take time to get the fit right. Part of the reason why I don’t wear some of the things I’ve made as much is because I don’t love the fit. It’s nice to have quick, easy projects, but if I’m not pleased with the end result, then it was sort of a waste of time. Last weeks’ Sewing Staycation aside, I don’t have much time to sew, and hate the time it takes to properly fit and alter patterns, and to make muslins, but… I know I need to do it.
Focus more on “corporate” things. I spend more time going to work than anything else, so to be wearable, I need to give it the “corporate meeting” test – would I wear this garment to a meeting with Very Important People? If yes, keep sewing. If no, think again.
Keep working on nicer fabrics and things that coordinate. I’ve got several things that I love but don’t really go with much. It’s not a huge deal to wear the same outfit over and over, but I would prefer things to be multi-functional.
Completed last Sewing Staycation project – complete with reflective ribbon tab on left hip, of course!

With these lessons in mind, I’ll have to work on some plans for 2017. I do so love planning! I’ve already got 8 sewing projects planned out – Spring things that hopefully will benefit from the above lessons learned. And The Mechanic and I are already talking about a mountain biking weekend – and planning a European bike tour for our big trip this year, yay!

Whether or not you make plans, resolutions or goals for the new year, I hope that you achieve all you want in 2017! Here’s to future success!

On the road to a successful 2017!

Too Many Hobbies and Long-Distance Friends

I think my life would be much simpler with only one (okay maybe two) hobbies! Biking, sewing, and blogging all compete with trying to get to the gym, trying to keep up on current events, trying to keep up my German language skills, occasionally reading books I’m interested in, and trying to keep up with friends. I really don’t know how parents do it.

OMG messy sewing table! Too many projects!

All that to say, I haven’t been keeping up any of these things, including and especially my blog. So here is a whirlwind tour of the last week.

Sewing

Because I don’t have enough to sew, I caved in to Instagram peer pressure and ordered the Colette Wren dress pattern. I opted for the paper pattern, but got the long sleeve download. Despite having the long sleeve option, I might wait to make this in the spring and use the short sleeve option. I’ve got too many other things to do right now than make this dress – but it will be my first indie pattern in ages, and I’m excited to make it.

Oooh exciting!

Bikes

The Mechanic and I are still hunting for a step-through frame bike option. We played around with the Raleigh and for a brief moment thought we could make it work, but then I biked around on it and realized it’s really that small. Le sigh. I just love this bike.

I feel like a giantess on this bike frame.

Friends

One of my absolute most best friends in the entire world got married this past spring and moved to Dallas to be with his husband. This past weekend was the first time I had a chance to visit them, and to see Dallas. First impressions after a 48 hour trip: it reminded me of Los Angeles; everything, and I mean everything, was decorated with pumpkins; cars cars cars; wealth wealth wealth. I was most intrigued by a gorgeous new bridge, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and it’s neighbor, the Dallas Continental Avenue Bridge that connects West Dallas and Trinity Groves to Dallas proper. Trinity Groves is a fun yet isolated development with a “restaurant concept incubator” and some retail. The new and wide pedestrian access bridge was full of families the day we walked across, and seems to be already redeveloping the neighborhood around Trinity Groves. I’ll be curious to see how that develops by my next visit.

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Friends from Germany arrived this week, friends we visited last summer during our honeymoon, and with whom I’ve been friends since 2004. It’s so lovely to have the opportunities to visit in person as often as we have been able to over the years; Skype only does so much. We spent part of Veteran’s Day at the Arlington National Cemetery on a perfect Fall day. They brought some absolutely delightful gifts from Germany, completely spoiling us! My faves are the book with sewing patterns for “statement skirts,” Biff the Sorgenfresser and Christmas books.

A pattern book, to make skirts “with Wow-Effect”! Instructions in German will help me improve my langauge skills while also sewing

This cutie is a Sorgenfresser, or “worries eater” – you write your worries on a piece of paper and put them in his mouth, then zip it closed. Voila! Your worries are gone! I love this!

A wonderful Advent calendar and some Christmas craft magazines, yay!

It is nice to get away from hobbies and spend time with friends – and in doing so, discover that you are finding new ways to build on existing hobbies. It’s a vicious circle!