Here I Am Again!

Well, what a year it is turning out to be! I was away from home form 33 of the first 64 days of 2009. I have little time to do anything! I did make this pincushion for my friend Eileen. Isn't it adorable?

I'm very interested in paper at the moment. So much interesting work being done. My new Pazzles Inspiration cutter is not being utilized, but hopefully, there will be time in the future.

Along the lines of paper, here's a link to a very interesting site: http://countdown.tentwostudios.com/ There's a new download every day up to St. Patrick's Day---I'm downloading lots of these digital files lately, but I must admit I haven't printed anything yet!

More later....

June Capsule Contest Finished!

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I did it! I completed the capsule. And oh, what a struggle it was at times. The closeup is of the jacket and the necklace. I bought the necklace in Paris a couple of years ago with the intention of taking it apart and using it on a sweater. But it does look good with these outfits. I think I've reached the stage where I need more accessories.
And the fit is so difficult! Oh, my. I've changed. We need to remove the excess weight, and get back into shape. Then it will be more fun to sew!

I'm buying a dress form to help, too. As soon as we are back from the Cape next week.

More about the trials and tribulations of the contest later.

Way too hot here!

I am so blessed. The Threadmill is the entire third floor of our city townhouse---city because it is in the city, not because we have a country house, too!---and normally it is just heavenly up there. But the last couple of days it is just too hot. The A/C doesn't do that good a job unless we really crank it down and run it all the time. So no sewing for the last couple of days. I've done patterns though, and pre-washed fabrics. And shopped on the Internet!

Hopefully, it might be cool enough to sew early tomorrow as I am not working.

Just to keep us inspired---isn't this the most beautiful scarf? It is shibori and it just occurred to me that it might be my purchased item for the JCC, if I use the taupe printed linen. I'll check tomorrow.

June Capsule Contest

Spent the day working in the yard---doing chores that should have been done earlier in the spring when we were in Paris. But it looks better---I'll pick up some flowers my father has been keeping for me when I go there on Father's Day weekend. So with some more effort---and lots of plants---my little garden will again look like this. (Photo is from last September.)

I decided on my fabric and basic pieces for the June Capsule Contest: the white silk denim. A great fabric---although it doesn't photograph well---and works well with so much else. I'm doing pants, jacket (the Lutterloh stand up collar that I like) a shell, and if I am brave, and have enough fabric, a skirt. I liked the one made from Simplicity 4188 Claire posted on her blog today. I haven't made (or worn) a casual skirt in far too long! I see so many cute ones, and I'm feeling left out.

More tomorrow, as I already up too late and have work tomorrow!

Another Finished Sweater

I sent this sweater off to Mary Ann this morning. Hopefully, she will like it well enough to publish. Writing the patterns is difficult for me! I'd much rather just do it! Although I can imagine the thrill it would be to see someone wearing one of my garments! I get a big kick out of wearing them myself.

This sweater was inspired---very vaguely---by one in Interweave Knits this year. Personally, I like mine better. And the yarn---my favorite woolray---looks sooooo good in this style. Oh, how I love lace! I'm thinking of writing a book or an article on all the different ways to use lace to kick up a classic, simple sweater.

I also hemmed a pair of pants, and thought more about the June Capsule Contest. I'm going to make a jacket and pants of white silk denim, and a couple of tops. If the white woolray I have is a good shade with the denim, I'll make a lacey cardigan, too. I love knitting by machine! It opens so many possibilities!

Back to the Blog

Well, after over a year of no posts to The Threadmill, I'm committing to posting regularly. Since that post, I've had my first knitting pattern published and completely renovated/improved our home! And we've spent two months in Paris. This is the official picture of my sweater on a model from www.knitwords.com!

I'm committed to the Great Coat Sew Along starting this summer, and I have several candidate fabrics I might use. There's some alpaca, some cashmere and perhaps some other coating fabrics I've forgotten. And of course, there is also the possibility of some new fabric!

In addition to the coat, I'm a member of the June Capsule Contest. Starting in June (obviously) and four garments need to be made---although one can be purchase. Also an accessory of some sort, and nothing black! Great incentive for some summer clothes---we have a trip to Cape Cod planned in late June, so I definitely need something. My ideas are not quite fixed yet.

Anyway, stayed tuned and wish me luck! I'm very happy to have some sewing/knitting goals in the immediate future.

Not Yet Back in the Swing of Things!

Thank goodness, it is Friday. The week has been extra long---OK, it just seemed that way. I've been to the gym every day. I've been to work everyday. I've done the laundry. I've fixed dinner everyday. But I still haven't completely adjusted. Must be my age.

The candle was lit for Michael in Notre Dame de Paris. The picture was taken with my PDA but I couldn't email the pictures to myself until I returned to the States.

Last night, I did make it upstairs to The Threadmill. For those of you who don't know, The Threadmill is the two large bedrooms on the 3rd floor of our Baltimore townhouse. I'm truly blessed to have these two rooms pretty much exclusively for my fiber arts pursuits. When we do have guests (rarely), I put away as much as possible and my ironing room becomes the guest room. The front room also has a sofa bed that I can make available if necessary. The front room is home to my Brother 970 knitting machine, my Babylock Esante sewing machine, and my Bernina serger. Each of the rooms is about 20 x 20 so I am really lucky. A large walk-in closet in the front room is filled with yarn. (And there is yarn elsewhere in the house, too!) Yes, I should do some organizing but the creative part of me, just wants to do it! I refuse to apologize for something that gives me so much pleasure.

Last night, I just kinda futzed around. Jeff was to be out a networking event until 8:00 or 8:30, but he came home around 7:00! He's been really tired as well. We are going to New Jersey for Jane's 60th birthday party---she's the mother of Jeff's two children---and for Dahlia's first birthday! We're staying over Saturday night, so I have one more night away.

So officially, the new year is going to start on Monday! I resolve to:

1. go to the gym everyday


2. sew or knit everyday


3. do one small chore everyday---not normal chores like laundry, but something that needs to be done, and hasn't been done yet. For example, I replaced a couple of light bulbs on Tuesday evening. Not a big deal, but it required bringing the ladder up from the basement. In actuality, ten minutes and I was done. Why did it take me so long to do??


4. throw something away


5. eat fruit---with clementines in season, this is easy!


6. bar Ben and Jerry from the door.

Luckily, some of these are already habits. But they still count. Perhaps next week we have some finished objects to post. I'm dreaming about the AbFab afghan and can't wait to begin!