Finally!!

I have been "working" on the "Kimberly" Bay by Amy Butler for over two years. My first post about it was here. I finally finished it a few days ago. I'm pretty satisfied with it. The zipper didn't go in as well as I wanted, but I wasn't going to unpick it and re-sew it.











Nothing fancy for the lining. No pockets or anything like that. I rarely carry more than 4-5 things in my purse so I don't need anything special.



Sorry the pic is so blurry.







Today I traced off the Emmeline apron by Meg McElwee at Montessori By Hand. (I think my first post about it was the same one as the Kimberly bag) I also washed the fabric. I'm hoping next week I'll be able to start sewing the apron. I also took the time to organize a few patterns. I store the patterns and instructions in manila envelopes and the covers in page protectors in 3-ring binders. I need to get a few more binders to further categorize the patterns.


And in closing I'll give you the latest pic of Girl. She's growing into a beautiful dog.

Boo Hiss LOL

Well, the Saints let the Bucs win yesterday. Quite frankly, I AM disappointed. The Saints should have won that game. Garrett Hartley should have made that 37-yard field-goal. But no one can blame him for the lost game. You play as a team, win as a team and lose as a team.

This week I'll be:
1. knitting
2. listening to the new Adam Lambert CD (Am I the only one who is disappointed he will not be on ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve?)
3. reading The Vein of Gold: A Journey to Your Creative Heart by Julia Cameron
4. AND waiting for the apple to drop in Times Square!


I'm trying to make a few changes to my blog for the new year. Just a few sutble changes. You'll notice my signature line will be changed due to changing my name. Several of my friends call me Tesla, due to my obsession with Nikola Tesla. So I thought what better way to honor him, and all his contributions to society. (I'll elaborate on him in a later post. I recommend reading Tesla: Man Out of Time by Margaret Cheney.) I think Tesla will better suit the person I have become over the past year. I'll also change my divider to pink lips. I love these lips! LOL It's in honor of my love of make-up and beauty.

Through out the holiday season I've had music on this blog. Now, I LOVE music, as I've posted about in the past. The latest playlist was several versions of Auld Lang Syne I enjoyed. While making the changes on my blog, I would click back and forth testing and it finally just started getting my last nerve, so I just deleted the play list. I'm sure it will be less annoying to the few very nice people who read my blog. Each and every one of you is appreciated very much.

This is the time of year that most people get nostalgic. Thinking back over the past year, remembering the highlights, births, deaths, and other things in the news. I always intensely dislike when the news runs a list of everyone who has died. It's just so very sad. It also reminds me of people who we hold dear in out hearts but no longer have contact with. Co-workers we promised we would keep in touch with when we left the job. Teachers, fellow students etc......

This is also a time when we make resolutions for the new year. I think pretty much all of them are forgotten by March. I rarely make New Year resolutions. I do make goals thought. Some I meet, some I don't. I don't see myself as a failure if I don't meet them. They have nothing to do with my value as a person. I have my 101 Things that I work on a little at a time. Some are long term goals, some are short term goals. Some things are serious, and some are silly and fun. And some will definitely get carried over to my next 101 Things list in 2011. However, I've decided that I am going to make a few specific goals for 2010. They are:

00001. Sew a well fitting white shirt (I LOVE a white shirt with jeans or denim skirt.)
00002. Make a chainmail bracelet (I have several patterns to make a chainmail bracelet, now to decide which one to make.)
00003. Smock a dress for my "Big Girl" doll (I have a small collection of Sew Beautiful magazines I can choose a pattern/design from.)
00004. Make matching aprons for me, my "Big Girl" doll, and AG Molly (I already have the patterns for these, Simplicity 3746.
00005. Start and continue taking yoga classes (I am a member of two gyms. Surely I can get the schedule and attend the classes.)
00006. Find a hairstylist that can cut my hair the way I want it cut (I'll elaborate on this in a later post.)
00007. Make a wardrobe scrapbook (I've actually already started this.)

That should do it. Seven things to do in 12 months. Yeah, I might have enough time. LOL

The weekend

I spent some time today sewing. Well, not really sewing. I spent some time today cutting out the Amy Butler Kimberly bag pattern. I'm using the lime fabric shown. I'm not happy with the fusible woven interfacing I have. It's off to Joann's Fabrics tomorrow to see if they have something I like better. If I can't find anything there, I'll go to Jay's Fabric Center next week.

I was going to cut out the Emmeline apron pattern (by Montessori by Hand)but my back started hurting. I'll try to get it cut out tomorrow. I stole was inspired by the colors on this site. I'm using red, chocolate brown, and turquoise. My red fabric has tiny white dots though. I would have liked them bigger. I would also like to make an apron using chocolate brown and pink. Not sure I will use the Emmeline pattern though.

I'm wondering if this is a faux pas. It it OK to blatently copy someone else's color scheme? It's not likely that we would run into each other on the streets of St. Pete. And this person wouldn't know, except for me blogging about it and eventually posting a picture . It was because of this person, that I was drawn to and chose to make the apron. I keep "saying this person" because I haven't seen her name anywhere. However, I have seen at least 2 aprons with this color scheme. So, whoever you are, whatever your name is.....I think you have great taste and thanks for the inspiration!

There is a night wear sew-a-long happening over at Stitcher's Guild. I need a few new sleep pants and tops so I'm thinking I will unofficially participate in the sew-a-long.

I'm off to listen to some TV and knit. I'm working through the list of stitch finders, which I refer to as swatches, on Lion Brand website. I'm going to sew them together and make an afghan.

Another weekend

has come and almost gone. I didn't get much accomplished.

I finally got an IV pole to hang the water bottle on for my new iron. I used it to iron the strips for the quilt block for the Take it Forward Challenge for March. I still have to do the memorial heart for April, and the colors and concept have been given for May. I'm so far behind!

I just can't seem to get focused and get anything done. After work and on the weekends I just hang out and do a little reading and checking email and check a few of my favorite blogs. There is quite a bit of stress from work lately. I believe that has a lot to do with getting focused.

As per my usual, I have some things planned. My problem is, I just can't seem to get past the planning stage. On the ever growing, never ending list.....

I got the Emmeline apron, by Meg McElwee at Montessori By Hand. Fabric for an Amy Butler Kimberly bag. I'm going to make it in the same lime green fabric as shown on her website. Not very creative of me, I know. But....the lovely colors were what drew me to the bag! I'm just waiting for the pattern.

I've checked out the new patterns. meh....nothing calls out to me. I'll wait and see what the fashionistas make and see if I change my mind.

Aprons

I still have quite a way to go before I reach my goal weight. I'm itching to start sewing something for myself that won't need fitting. So I've decided to make an apron. I LOVE aprons and I'm happy that they are fashionable again, along with dresses. I LOVE dresses also. I enjoy wearing dresses, and heels, and even pantyhose. I'm a girly-girl. Always have been, even when I was climbing trees with my next door neighbor. LOL


I have 3-4 apron patterns. I'm thinking for my first one I'll use either Butterick 4945or Butterick 6567. I like the ones in the middle of the pictures. I like the flounce and bow on 4945 and the piping on 6567.
















New Orleans, Louisiana is still feeling the effects of hurricane Katrina. Are the levies going to protect the city if another hurricane strikes this year? What has been done to protect this city? Why are there still people who cannot return home? Why did it take the government 5 days to give them assistance and why is it taking so long to get to get this city back on it's feet? My heart aches for the people whose lives have been turned upside down. I do not live there. But I love NOLA as if it were my birth place. I feel at home there. I love it's people, I love it's music and I damn sure love it's food.