Fiberly Train to Santa Fe, Morning Walks

I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with all the women on the getaway, but some of the most special times on my trip were my morning walks in town. When I'm home, I walk every morning before work so I decided to continue the practice. I'm so glad I did! The Plaza gets pretty crowded with tourists during the day, so it's interesting so see the sights when hardly anyone is around.

Technically, these pictures aren't the best quality but I hope they give you an idea of what I saw in the early morning quiet. I looked at lots of store windows...

Uli

Uli

Parts Unknown

Ortega's

Ortega's

I remember the store but not the name

Don't remember this one either

Maverick's of Santa Fe

Maverick's of Santa Fe

Cicada

Lucchese

And also saw lots of restaurants that I'd like to try sometime, as well as ideas of where we could go...

Taberna

El Meson

Osteria D'Assisi

The Palace

Ore House

Blue Corn Cafe

San Francisco Street Bar & Grill

Statues and architectural salvage:

The Burro Alley burro

On the Portal by Cicada

Seret and Sons

I will definitely keep up this habit on future visits. I did so much looking that I'm not sure if I got very much exercise, but it was a great way to explore.

Seasonal Changes

The cooling trend continues, and my little container garden actually seems to enjoy the cooler and slightly wetter weather we're having lately. There are several little tomatoes on the vine, not enough to preserve in any way but they're nice snacks. The beans are coming back slightly too. And of course, I continue to enjoy the basil and the mint. Not a particularly successful garden debut, but everyone is saying what an oddball year it has been. So I'll accept what it is and hope for better next year. Meanwhile, I have at least another month or so before there's frost, so garden goodness till then.

The seasons are also changing in the Girl Cave. I made my first fall project last weekend, another long sleeved TSW eShrug from some sweater knit I found at JoAnn's last week. Yep, a quick turnaround project. I'll put up pictures soon, I promise.

And tonight, I cut out a pair of TSW Mimosa Pants. These are pretty conservative for Sewing Workshop, but I think they'll be great for the workplace, with their faced waist and invisible side zip. I'm making them from a 50/50 blend of tencel and rayon that's been in the stash for a very long time. So here's hoping they'll go together quickly and well so I can share those too.

I've also been doing some reorganizing of my space. Nothing major, but it's time to put away the summer patterns and put the cool weather patterns front and center. There will be jackets, and soon.

Stashing the Extras

Carolyn at Diary of a Sewing Fanatic recently posed some questions about notions and buttons stashing on her blog:

I'm pretty sure that if you are a stasher/collector of fabric, you probably stash the extra stuff too...and that if you purchase a piece or two at a time that you probably purchase all of your extra stuff that way too.  Now I'm wondering which way is more effective...

Which caused me to ponder on whether or not having such a large collection of buttons and trims helps or hinders my projects? 

Of course I responded, but it also got me to thinking that this was a pretty good topic for my own blog post. So I'm going to expand on my responses. Should be interesting, at least to me!

So the question of the day is, Do you collect/stash the extra stuff?  If you do, why do you?

I stash the extra stuff too! Here are my reasons why:

• My local resources are limited, so I can't get whatever I want when I want it.
• I'll buy for a specific project, and the project morphs. The items I bought at the beginning of the project then get stashed away. While I don't mind modifying projects as I go, it does result in a lot of extra stuff. 
• I've acquired a lot of my stuff through other ASG members purging their sewing rooms, so I've gotten things like zippers, buttons, and fabrics at very low prices or sometimes even free.
• Our chapter built a relationship with a couple of sewing factories several years ago, so I got bunches of stuff from them as well. That's where a lot of the buttons came from for my Holiday Giveaway. Sadly, those resources are mostly gone now since production has moved to Asia.
• Other people know I sew and they give me things. For example, my sister bought a large ziploc baggie of vintage buttons when she was travelling in Kentucky that I later got as a Christmas gift. Great present!!
• I also recycle interesting buttons from old garments. I'm talking about you, J. Jill!
• Shows. I've been to a few ASG Conferences, and Albuquerque has its Fiber Arts Fiesta every other year. Both have had vendor booths with unusual things, so interesting buttons, trims, and notions always find their way home with me.

Does it help or speed along the sewing process?  Or does it hinder the process?

Like so much in sewing, the answer is "Sometimes." I have some great buttons and trims stashed--many of them are "go to" whenever I need something of that style. Others I haven't used yet but they'll be there for the right project.

On the other hand, sometimes I don't have exactly what I want--I've run into that problem several times lately. For instance, both of the Marcy Tilton jackets I made this month, and the Now Shirt I made in December. Obviously I need to stock up on matte black buttons! However, going shopping is no guarantee that I'll find what I want. And I'm not a bargain shopper, but have you priced buttons lately? Even I pause when I see a single (plastic) button priced at over $4!

I may be delusional but I do think a lot of the "other" stash will get used. I regularly pull items out when planning a project, so I do generally know what I have on hand. Eventually, those great items will make the cut, and provide just the right accent for a project.

I also gift supplies to other sewists and provide stuff for ASG door prizes and such. After all, how much faux suede fringe does one person need, even in New Mexico? It's fun to see what happens after those things have gone to somebody else.

Virtual Studio Tour

Cloth Paper Scissors is sponsoring a Spooky Studios Virtual Tour October 15-17. Since I haven't posted any studio pictures in a while and the Blue Gardenia hasn't contacted me (yet), I thought I'd participate with this post.

What I do: I've been sewing since I was in 7th grade and have tried a lot of different types of projects over the years. However, I keep coming back to garment sewing. Mostly I sew for myself.

Why I chose this space: My studio (aka the Sewing Cave) is located in one of the extra bedrooms in my 3 bedroom home. I had a sewing room set up in my last house too, and it got relocated here when I moved in the fall of 2004. It's right next to the master bedroom, which I felt was a little too close for a guest room. Interestingly, the previous owner also used this space as his studio.

You can see a sliver of the master bedroom from the Cave door in the next photo:


This space allows me to contain my equipment, tools, books and materials in one place. In theory, I can also close the door and hide all the clutter away, although that never happens. I used to use the third bedroom as overflow storage for fabric, but I was forced to consolidate it all in one room when my husband moved in last summer and wanted a room of his own for this things. So the third bedroom became his Man Cave and the fabrics moved into the Sewing Cave. Actually, that's been a good thing for me, as I became more organized in my storage and purchasing habits. Without getting rid of all that much, I now have it all in one room.

I have many, many portable plastic drawers that hold much of my fabric collection. This photo shows the Wall of Sterlite as I call it:


Of course, the closet is packed to the gills, but that's part of the challenge we all have, isn't it? More plastic in there:


Why it works for me: It's great to have a space where I can work on a project without having to put it away. I can be a lot more productive when I don't have to worry about setting up and taking down. No space is perfect, and my "someday" room includes a lounging area, more storage, and a larger cutting table.

Some of my favorite things in it or about it: I like having my machines set up so that I can look out the window.



This corner features a metal file cabinet that's used for storage of articles on sewing techniques, vintage patterns, and binders used to organize my pattern collection. A mini stereo sits on top. I keep my iPod docked there and listen to Pandora while I sew.


I like having the large bookcase for my reference materials--I enjoy having my books, patterns and magazines within easy reach. I'm gradually moving fabrics out of the bookcase. Because it's located directly across from the windows, there is a potential of fading. Eventually, I'd like almost everything to fit into the closet.


Most patterns are stored in the light blue boxes. The pink zebra striped bins are recent acquisitions from Hancock Fabrics that I use to store pattern overflow and other supplies.


The ones on top of the Wall of Sterlite are used for work in process. There's a separate project in each bin. The cutting table has leaves, one I leave up all the time for a work space. The other side comes up when cutting out projects, giving more than 5 running feet to work with.


A lot in a small space! My room is something like 10x11. I'm looking forward to transforming the raw elements into clothing that I'll enjoy wearing.

90% Off Sale

No, I don't need more fabric and I should be saving my pennies. But it's still hard to resist a 90% sale, even if it's at JoAnn's. I picked up the first 3 the day before I lost my job and the tweed a couple of days later. In all, I spent $14.90 on 13.5 yards of fabric. That's $1.10 per yard!

4 pieces, clockwise from lower left: chiffon print, black eyelet, turquoise tweed, and heavy rayon twill print.


One week out and I'm still a bit discombobulated. I haven't really done any sewing yet, but I've been doing a lot of sewing organization. I've gathered a couple of bags and a box of patterns, fabric, and old magazines to take to the next ASG meeting. I also found some more cotton remnants that I ripped into napkin squares.

I've also been clearing the closet in preparation for a charity pickup Friday morning. It gave me a lot of joy to bundle up the logo-embellished work clothes. Some of the garments are really nice, but I don't see myself wanting to advertise my former employer anytime in the future. So off they go! There are still some pieces in the bureau--I need to make sure to add them to the bag.

More...

The responses to my last post needed more attention than a quick reply on the comment page.

First, thanks to Karen, Marji, and Duchesse for the birthday wishes. I had a lovely time even if the day was lower key than last year. The crew at work brought in a Key Lime pie for me, and my BFF at work took me to Pei-Wei for lunch--yum!

The iPod interface is a great addition to the car. Not as practical as the snow tires I got for Christmas, but a heck of a lot more enjoyable. The interface DF bought for me was a BMW one, so it's not strictly an aftermarket accessory. I'm sure they exist though. What's especially nice is that it can use the existing playlists from the iPod; some of these gizmos require the user to set up a limited number of special "car" playlists. Mine also allows podcasts and audio books to be played, a nice plus if you like the spoken word as I do. Negotiating the menus is a little confusing so I've been sitting in the garage and fooling around with it when I arrive at home. That way I'm less of a danger to other drivers!! Depending on the make and model year, there may be ones specifically manufactured for your car. That seems to be the easiest way to go since it's designed to work with the other audio that's already in place.

Duchesse, a pattern! Good for you! If you're willing to eventually pull out the sewing machine, here's what you might want to do. Get the seamstress to make a muslin of the dress first, before she sews your garment from the good fabric. Let her know you want to have the muslin as well as the actual dress. Then use that muslin as a fit guide should you later decide to make another version yourself. Depending on the style, it could even be your sloper for other projects. I agree that sewing something special after a long hiatus is not for the faint-hearted, and it can be worth hiring a professional. Even though I sew, I'm thinking about doing this for the wedding dress (no, still no firm date yet).

The Sterilite I wanted is pretty simple--they're boxes with a separate lid, no fasteners. They used to be available in all kinds of sizes, but recently disappeared from WalMart and Target. I ended up getting a similar product from Rubbermaid that has the locking mechanism. They might be better, but the size is slightly different, of course. And no, I don't want to re-buy everything so it matches. Even I am not that obsessive. Someday I'll have that serene magazine storage look, alas, not now. It should be enough that I've made a simple bedroom closet hold more than it was ever designed to, but no! it has to look "perfect" as well. Like I said, I need to let it go and just enjoy having the storage.

How Did It Get to Be June, Already?

Hi everyone, this post still needs some editing, but rather than letting it go stale, I'm going to release it now and fix it later. Still working on moving items between the Dell and the Apple.

Since the last post, I've prewashed all the Park Bench fabric except for some of the small bits, and it's ready to be sewn. Not sure what to make though, but at least it's ready. I'd really like to sew it instead of putting it away.

Speaking of which...in an attempt to control my stash, I bought some more containers. Unfortunately, the Sterilite I like has disappeared so I got some nearly equivalent Rubbermaid bins. It really bugs, though. Why do they always discontinue something when I only need a few more? Is this just the way it is? I should get over it and stop being obsessive, I know. Real Life never looks as tidy as "Real Simple." And I should sew up some of my fabric so I have more storage space. sigh...

I've begun another project, using an old favorite pattern, Butterick 4194, which appears to be OOP. I've made the cropped pants numerous times and the long skirt as well.

This time, I'm making the shorter skirt from some faux ikat cotton I bought from Louise Cutting, back when she had a bricks and mortar store in Florida. I'm not exactly sure how the designs were done; I suspect with some kind of fabric paint. They're not woven and not dyed--the designs lay on the surface and look woven at first glance. Regardless, it's nice stuff and a pleasure to work with. I expect this project to come together pretty quickly. It's just basic seaming with little or no handwork.

That's a good thing, too, because I managed to slice up my hand Saturday on a candleholder. I was cleaning it and the top edge broke off, leaving jagged edges. Stupid me, I put it in the kitchen trash to take out later, cut side up, then brushed my hand against it when throwing out something else. Fortunately it's my left hand, but I'm annoyed at being such a bonehead. I should have taken it outside to the big bin to start with.

This time last year, DF and I were in Vegas for my birthday. Of course that was the Big Five Oh, so a trip was in order. This year isn't such a big deal, although DF has come through with another great gift: the iPod interface for my car! It's a lot easier to use when you can change the music/podcasts through the car's controls and don't have to fumble around.

I also treated myself to some shopping yesterday--trips to TJ Maxx and Talbots. Bargains all around. Casual wear at TJ's, consisting of capris/crops/whatever they're called now. And a couple pair of sandals. Talbots started out as a simple stop to return a jacket, but they're having 40% off all sale items and well...I ended up with an olive pair of work pants and some accessories. The scarf won't be worn until fall. The 2 handbags will be used for a long time. Both are classic shapes in leather and amazing quality for what I paid.

Housekeeping

I'll be doing some housekeeping on the site over the next few days, adding more descriptive tags and such. I realize it's a little bit of a pain if you follow SewWest on a feed like Bloglines, but ultimately, it'll be better all the way around.

Musings on Stash

It's time for me to chime in on this topic. Since Marji posted her thoughts, several of us sewing bloggers have joined the discussion. Since I have a load of "stuff", I just couldn't let this one go by.

I'm in the process of getting a bit more organized with my fabric collection. Not necessarily because I want to, but because I have to. DF is in the process of moving in, and he's getting the guest bedroom for his dressing room and Man Cave. That means I need to give up the auxiliary storage space (aka the guest room closet, bureau and under the bed). It all has to fit in my sewing room now, more stuff in less space.

I've already given a good bit away, having taken several unloved pieces to the ASG Trading Post. I still have some bags of upholstery velvets, brocades, etc. underneath the ironing board. I have a friend who teaches in the theater department at UNM, so one of these days I'll give her the first right of refusal on all of that.

Once again, Sterilite to the rescue! I discovered that I could stack Sterilite covered boxes 2 deep and 6 high in the sewing room closet. Great! That gave me a lot more storage, but I can't root around like I could when I had the closet and bureau.

So I've numbered all the swatch cards (um, there are 314 of them!!!!). I plan to get some stickers, number them, and stick them onto the side of the boxes so I have some idea of what's in there.

I always think it's funny when people tell me how organized I am. I don't think so. For me, doing organizational stuff is a means to an end. I don't organize for organization's sake, but to make my life easier and simpler.

But before all of that, I'm going to rearrange things so I'm making the best use of the Wall of Sterilite and the open shelves. Like with like and consolidating what I've got so there's room for future acquisitions (I know how I am) And yes, there may be another round of purging fabric that no longer speaks to me. That's ok, life moves on, tastes change.

For the most part though, I enjoy my fabric, so let me make clear that I'm not getting rid of any of it out of guilt. Why should I feel bad about having a collection? I enjoy my fabric and the possiblities it represents. If I want to start a project in the middle of the night or on Christmas Day, well, I can.

When I read the inevitable threads on PR and Stitcher's Guild about stashes, there are always comments along the following lines:

• I feel guilty that I have a supply of fabric.
• I feel guilty if I don't use every square inch of fabric that's left over; what do I do with it?
• I feel guility that I have fabric that's "too nice" to use.
• I feel guilty that I have fabric that's "too cheap/ugly/off register/off grain" to use.
• Having fabric is a burden.
• I have to sew up x number of yards before I can buy y number of yards.

With all due respect, I can't hardly read these comments anymore! Honestly, sometimes I think sewing is the last refuge of the obsessive-compulsive. The guilt and shame really get to me. Am I at a stage where I need to divest? Yes! Do I feel guilty about it? No! It just a fact of life. Folks, let go of the guilt. Collect, don't collect. Whatever. Your hobby should reflect you and your needs. For most of us, sewing is a hobby. That means it's supposed to be enjoyable, not a burden. Don't feel bad about having a hobby you enjoy. And if you don't enjoy sewing, find another hobby. Please. Life is too short for your hobby to be yet another burden in your life.

Deja Vu All Over Again

Like many of you, I planned on writing a New Year's Resolution post. I even went back to last year's entry. Well. Let's just say that I can state the same resolutions this year. So I will. As I said last year, this is more a listing of intent. It's not that I didn't accomplish anything in 2008, it's just that I need to keep going in these areas.

• At work, focus. In 2008, my rationale was because of a management change. The new manager has been place since February, and it's worked out very well. He really does a great job! But as we all know, the economy isn't doing so well right now. Although my company is doing pretty well, performance will be key. For another year, gotta bring the "A" game.
• Sewing, more of it. I continued to spend for RTW, stash, patterns, and sewing books. I'm not entirely disappointed in the sewing I did in 2008, but I want to continue to have this one on the list. Sewing is a good outlet for me, and since I enjoy it, I need to do it. Plus, I'm running out of space, so I have to reduce the stashes.
• Health and Fitness. I continued to maintain. However, still lackng in the fitness area. I'm moving the fitness intention into 2009.
• Financial. Doing better here, too. I'm making use of BillPay to schedule payments, etc. This year will be more about making better financial decisions instead of spending money because I'm bored or whatever.

So there you have it. 2009's intentions. Have a great New Year!

First Project from the Pile: Table Runner

All of that reorganizing put me in the mood to sew. I started it late in the evening--it was an easy project and took maybe an hour?

I used a remnant of upholstery fabric I picked up at the ASG Trading Post several months ago. Gorgeous stuff--it's a tapestry that also has chenille threads. Lots of texture. Basically, all I did was fold it, straighten the two long sides with a ruler and rotary cutter, then round off the corners. No measuring, all improv. Below, you can see my high tech corner template! That little pile of scraps was all that was left over.



I made the runner 2 layers thick. I really didn't have to, but I wanted to use it all, plus I wanted to test my still-new Bernina on something thick and heavy.

I found some olive green faux suede binding while excavating the sewing room and decided to use it. I had originally planned to use slate blue panne velvet binding, but the green was on the table and looked perfect next to the tapestry. I sewed the binding with a 3/8" seam, wrapped it to the back side, and then stitched-in-the-ditch to attach the back edge. Because the faux suede is a knit, I decided not to fold the binding edge under on the back side. I just trimmed the excess close to the stitching. It's not the tidiest finish, but it worked fine. Here's a close-up view:

The runner was a bit lumpy after being sewn, so I steamed the piece well to get it to lie flat. And here it is on the dining room table:

A couple of technicalities: the Bernina performed like a champ! No struggles, no hesitation. I used a Smetz Jeans Sharp and a 3.5 stitch length.

Downsizing and Reorganizing

DF is finally talking seriously about moving in with me. He's finally figured out that now isn't the right time to be selling my house. It's going to be a bit of a process though, as he'll gradually be moving in over the next 6 months, the term of his current lease. This is what happens when you're both older and have been on your own for years and years. We have to ease into changes.

As a result, I need to start making room for his things. While DF is a minimalist, he does have some stuff! Phase I is clearing out the closet and bureau in the guest bedroom so he'll have someplace to keep his clothes. As you all know, the guest room can easily become a haven for all kinds of "extra" storage and mine is no exception!! Among other things, my guest room is the auxiliary fabric spot. OMG!! I have so much fabric!! I mean, it's not like I didn't know all the yardage was in there, but this exercise has really forced me to face it.

So, last night, with the assistance of a glass of wine, I started pulling fabrics. So far, this is the discard pile:


I included fabrics from the main fabric room (I mean sewing room) as well, so I was able to create some extra space in the Wall of Sterilite and bookcase. However, this is what's left to be put away:


Looks like I'll need to get cracking on my sewing! Of course, that could lead to overflow in my clothes closets, but that's not such a bad thing... is it?

Honestly, I suspect that sewing will only be a part of it. I've been meaning for months to start auctioning on eBay, some items will go to the ASG Trading Post, Friends of the Library always seems to appreciate old books, and maybe I'll even do some giveaways here.

Relaxed Saturday Morning

I'm working on the annual review of my largest customer relationship this weekend, so I doubt there will be much sewing. No, instead I'll be at the office, analyzing and writing.

Maybe Sunday night, since DF will be at the Man Cave instead of my house. I hope I can find some time because I'm almost done with another Kwik Sew 2565 T-shirt. All it needs is the coverstitching at the neckline, sleeves and hem. I'll post a picture when it's done.

This morning I've been making copies of my new patterns so I can put them in my catalogs (for more on them, here's the original post on that topic). They've been sitting since the last big eBay purchase because I've been too preoccupied to buy supplies for my printer. Finally got around to it, so that's been a productive form of procrastinating before I head downtown.

Catching Up

ETA: a photo of the completed pj's and a slight modification to the accompanying paragraph, since I obviously completed both of them.

The month is over half done and this is the first blog post I've done for September. Ugh!!! That's what happens when you have three major closings in three weeks after returning from vacation (was that already a month ago?). Today I had a pre-scheduled day off, so I'm home. I needed a little hiatus since I've been going to the office on weekends to try and keep up with the work load.


The plumbers should be here in a little while, we're still trying to figure out why the swamp cooler is leaking into the guest bathroom when it runs. The weather is cooler now, so I don't really need it, but we need to get this solved so the hole in the bathroom ceiling can be fixed.


This is one of many projects that need to be done around Casa Flan before I can even think about putting my house on the market. DF continues to negotiate for a move to his side of town (Far NE Heights), even though the real estate market continues to be stagnant around here. Mind you, DF is a renter so he really has no stake in the matter. It would be so much easier if he'd move in with me when his lease runs out, at least for a while. My house is nice and the neighborhood is too, even if it's not his favorite. IMO, if he loves his neighborhood so much, he should have bought a house up there, you know!?!





On the sewing front, I've done a little bit this month. This is the 3rd month in a row that I've made at least one garment for myself, in accordance with PR's garment-a-month challenge. This time I've made yet another couple of pairs of pj pants from that TNT, McCall's 2476. I do them assembly line on the serger, so both are fun prints in shades of yellow. This is where I can play with goofy fun prints that I'd never wear otherwise. I have 2 more cut out but will hold off on them for now. I've got very many pairs already made in cotton and flannel, so I'm set until some wear out.


I also bought another set of Sterilite drawers for the sewing room. I'd really like one more, but Walmart only had 4 on the shelf. I need to see if I can find another one when I'm out and about later today.


I'm not one for fabric moratoriums and such, but I really need to stop for a while. I'm running out of space and it's getting ridiculous. I don't want my sewing room to be a monument to my stash, I want it to be a work room where I can be creative and step away from my professional life for a time. With too much stuff and no place to put it, there's less room for that to happen, in both a mental and physical sense.


Oh, I also want to make sure I give some credit where it's due. A couple of blogger friends have had giveaways on their sites, and I've won stuff! First up, Materfamilias had a book giveaway and I won Simon Doonan's new fashion/style book, Eccentric Glamour. I also liked the card, a pretty abstract of koi? I'd like to hear more about the artist.





Raesha of My Love also had a giveaway, in which she shared a collection of vintage souvenir patches she scored while thrifting. I got this cool Yellowstone Park patch, complete with Old Faithful and a bear! Isn't it great? Another nice card too. Also, thanks for sending along your business card! Since we're both in ABQ, we really should meet up sometime.

Organizational Tricks Part Two

I was going through old posts looking for some information, and came across this post about organizational tools I use to maintain control over my sewing stuff. In it, I mentioned that I'd talk about patterns at a future date, but I haven't done it yet.


I've collected numerous patterns over the years, both independents and the "Bigs" (the McCall's group, Simplicity and Kwik Sew). I keep them in boxes that fit into the shelving unit in my sewing room. The boxes are repurposed beverage cases. I covered them with contact paper so they'd look nicer. The patterns in each box are sorted by number. Ideally each brand would have its own box, but some brands have to share.

I make a copy of the front and back of each pattern envelope. These are kept in binders, and are sorted by pattern type--categories include Dresses, Jackets, Loungewear, Bottoms, Tops, Knitwear, Ensembles, and Miscellaneous. Within each category, the copies are sorted by pattern company, then by number. In essence, these are my own individual pattern catalogs.

Here's a sample page from the black binder. It was the first one and still has different categories in it.




This is a system that's developed and evolved over time, but it works for me. If I know the brand I'm looking for, I can easily go to a box and look for them. Or, if I know the type of garment I want to make, I can look through the binders.


However, I'm having a space problem lately. I'm running out of room in the boxes. I only have 7 boxes, they're just about full, and I'm also running out of room to put boxes on the shelves even if I got more. I've been culling patterns from the collection, which helps some. I'm less successful at avoiding the acquisition of new patterns. Working on it though, even though eBay and the ASG Trading Post continue to call out to me.


On a tangent, I took Monday off this week and spent a couple of hours working on the yard. The cacti are starting to bloom, and this little barrel cactus was the first:




This plant is already starting to fade a bit, but others are gearing up. I'm looking forward to seeing flowers on the big cacti. The cholla has vibrant fuschia ones and the prickly pear has yellow.

Thoughts on Developing a Wardrobe

I recently posted to a thread on PR called Wardrobe from Your Closet and Stash, with discussion of the wardrobing advice that appears in various media. One of the things that bugs me about such lists is that so often, they suggest specific items that do not take into account the individual variances each person has in her life due to climate, career, etc. For example, it's all well and good to suggest that a cashmere sweater is a wardrobe "must", but what if the reader lives in Hawaii or South Florida? How can that person use the list to work for her life?

I recently discovered a nice little book on wardrobing that takes a different approach. It's called Dressing Nifty After Fifty, by Corinne Richardson.

OK, so I'm reading it a little early since I'm not quite 50 yet. But Amazon had one of those deals where you get a discount if you buy 2 related titles, and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The author's emphasis is not on having a ton of clothes but on having exactly the clothes needed and to be in style without sacrificing comfort and fit.

One of the keys to her wardrobing strategy is to list your usual activities during a typical 14 day period. All of them, even if you do them only occasionally. Don't worry if it's not perfect, it's supposed to provide a general guide to the type of activities you do. Come up with as many 14 day plans as you need--for example, if you're a teacher with summers off, you'd have a plan for the school year and a plan for the summer. Or if you live in the North but spend winters in Florida or Arizona, you'd need an acitivity list for each. You get the idea.

After doing this exercise, you can see what your lifestyle needs are and develop your wardrobe from there. The author does have an opinion about what sort of items should be in a wardrobe (they all do), but I like that she comes from the standpoint of "what do you need?" vs. "you should always wear these."

Related was the concept of "private dress code", the clothes you wear when relaxing or hanging out, and "public uniform," outfits that fit the general public's expectation of what's suitable or appropriate for a particular situation. Your wardrobe should have both, but the proportion of each is based on those 14 day activity lists. In my life, I have a lot of "public uniforms" because I work in sales and I'm representing my employer. If I were retired or a SAHM, I'd have more clothes that fit my "private dress code." However you always need a few "public" things--it's awful to have to throw a decent outfit together if you get a last minute invitation to an event or have to go to a funeral. She also considers what clothes to have that can dress up or down.

And yes, there is discussion of black. She likes it, also charcoal gray and brown. Readers, I know that some of you are opposed to black or navy or brown or gray--whatever--we all have basic colors we hate. But having basic, even bland colors in your wardrobe is helpful. They provide a base you can work from--the more fun colors are your accents that create your look. Think about it, how often can you really wear a fun colored suit? Once a month? Twice? But a basic colored suit could be worn many times in a month without getting "the eye" from your co-workers, as long as you vary the top you wear with it and the accessories. You could even break it up and wear the pieces separately.

This book is relatively small, with short chapters and large print. Not a lot of "filler" to bulk it up. It doesn't have a lot of photos like What Not to Wear and similar books, but it does have a lot of ideas. It seems like the author truly lives what she writes about, and I appreciate that.

Procrastination

It's nice to be losing weight.

In addition to all the health benefits, I look better (IMO), I have more energy,it's easier to fit patterns, and I'm rediscovering clothes that I'd to put away because they were too small. Good thing I wear a lot of classics, they can be recycled in that way.

However, it's kind of distressing to go through the alterations stack of things I haven't even worn yet and discover garments that are too big. In other words, money spent for no good reason. I realize I could take them in. But I've been to this rodeo before and know that a garment can be altered to fit, but sometimes it still won't look right. This usually happens when trying to alter it down too much. I'm now mostly fitting into RTW 10, and some of these things are RTW 14s.

So it bothers me, but I'm not going to spend the money taking those too-large items to Miss Kim the alterations queen or take the time to do it myself. No, they're going into the charity pile for someone else to enjoy. Imagine the thrill of thrift store shopping and finding nice pants with the labels still attached! Well, it's happened to me in the past, and it was a great feeling! I hope these items will find a good home.

Even after the cleanout, I realized that I still have a giant collection of RTW to work on. The stuff behind the door...

...most but not all of it. There's also this section of the sewing room closet devoted to upcoming alterations.

Did I mention I also found a bunch of items in my walk in closet this morning that could also use a little work?


Ummm, most of these items just need to be re-hemmed so I really have no excuse...time to move these goodies from the sewing room to my closet, then onto my body. These selections do not include the items that I've put away because they're still a little too small but are becoming OK.

Q & A Re: Organizational Tricks Part 1

Awww, you all give me too much credit. Thanks Carolyn, Laura, and Lisa Laree for commenting. But really, you all are too kind. Keep in mind that all my systems have evolved over time. I didn't wake up one day and decide that this was the way it was going to be!


In reality, a lot of the rationale for developing methods and systems had to do with a) buying the exact same item multiple times; b) losing items (you know the feeling, "I know I have this someplace!! @#$%^! it!!"); moving (see point a and b); c) evolution.


By evolution, I don't mean in the Biblical sense, but really, this stuff starts small then develops a momentum of its own. In my case, I now have:

• Several bins, 2 closets, a bureau, and a bookcase filled up with fabric,
• At least 5 boxes of patterns, which were beer bottle cases in a previous life,
• Years of classes, training, and inspiration over the years,
• Lots of sewing, fashion, and crafts books
• No chance that it will end anytime soon.

Something had to give and it wasn't going to be me (although sometimes I wonder).

Until this weekend, the sewing room had become quite a mess. While in an organizational frenzy (yesterday), I decided to tackle the sewing room as well. Lots of loose fabrics and flotsam have been put away, and I'm feeling much better now.

Laura, I'll go into more detail about the journal contents in a future organizational post. Good suggestion!

Artemesia, thanks for the kind words about my trip. I do hope to meet you in Taos someday. I look forward to seeing some posts on your blog, too.

Carolyn, thanks also for the advice on Fabric Fixx! I'll be trying to slip away and check it out! I hope that we will have the opportunity to attend one of these workshop/getaways together some time.

Organizational Tricks Part One

While preparing the Green post, I had the idea that it might be helpful to some of you if I shared some of my organizational tricks. I have a lot of sewing stuff, since I've been sewing since the early 1970's and began seriously pursuing it again since finishing grad school in the (cough!) early 1980's.

Fabric Inventory: This box is an index card file I bought at Staples. I originally started with a little recipe style card box, but obviously, that became too small a while ago.

In it are index cards with swatches of my stash fabric, well 99% of it. There are always a few pieces that slip through inventory.

Each card has:

• A small swatch of the fabric



• The date (month/year) of purchase



• Length



• Width



• Fiber content and washing instructions, if known



• Where purchased and cost, if known

I've found that index cards give me the greatest flexibility in selecting and rearranging my collection. Plus, this system has been ongoing for a while and it would be a pain to change at this point.

You've noticed by now that the cards are grouped by rings. I started by arranging the cards by colors. Remember Roy G. Biv, that mnemonic for remembering the colors of the rainbow? That's how several of the rings are set up. Then I decided to keep knits, polarfleece, flannel, and cotton prints separately because that's how I was looking for them. They're arranged by color within each ring. The set of cards in front of the box contains the fabrics that I've chosen for the Getaway so far.

I don't know how many yards I have. A lot.

Although I probably should have the location of the fabric noted on each card, I haven't done that yet. Maybe if I do a big clean up and clean out, I'll get around to it someday.

Sewing Journal: I've referred to keeping a sewing journal many times on boards and comments on other people's blogs. Here are a couple of representative samples of what the pages look like.

I'm now up to Book 10, so I've been doing this a while. I just start with spiral bound notebooks, which are relatively small, inexpensive and portable. Then as I finish each notebook, or a significant number of pages, I transfer them to a loose leaf binder. The binders have a home in my sewing room and are excellent reference materials for me.

If I were starting to do this over again, I'd probably do it a little differently. I'd probably keep the inpiration pictures separate and arrange them in themes instead of mostly randomly posting them in the notebooks.

What really makes this system work for me is the indexing. I keep a little Excel file and place it in front of each notebook in the looseleaf binder. I also have an Excel file that consolidates each file so I know what each major entry has and what notebook it's in. This photo shows the master index (somewhat out of date) and the individual notebook index:

In writing this post, I realized that I haven't talked about how patterns are organized. I'll talk about that later, as well as some other things I do to try and keep my sewing and stashing under control.

Addendum to yesterday's post: I didn't make it to Santa Fe yesterday, having gotten caught up in an organizational frenzy that started when I couldn't find my camisoles with the built-in bras. I ended up rearranging my entire bureau. I also went through all the clothes that I'm giving to charity to find the dog-gone things. Grrrr.