Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
Cramming it in.
You would think that being on holidays and all I would have lots of time for blog posts. But this is simply not the case. Since returning from Victoria we have thrown a dinner party, I finished sewing a dress, drove to Keremeos and back in order to buy 300 pounds of produce and spent two full days canning (with more to come – ack!). Oh – plus I’ve knocked two more books off my reading list for grad school (which starts in two weeks). I’m hoping to get some time to write a post tomorrow – after helping out at the labour council office with some tech problems and running around to wrap-up my holiday errands. Saturday I’m planning to go to Canada Place for the Jack Layton funeral gathering. Makes me wonder how I fit my life in when I *am* working.
Orcas.
It is really amazingly touristy in Victoria’s inner harbour in the summer. This orca topiary has at least five people in front of it taking pictures at any given time during the day.
Amusing myself.
I am at a union convention hosted at the Empress Hotel in Victoria this week. Random photos will be forthcoming.
The 1950s Cherry Halter. Finished (almost)
I cleaned out my dress closet last night in order to make room for this latest sewing project – the 1950s Cherry Halter which I have been plotting all summer long. It’s pretty much finished now except for a final mod I would like to do allowing it to be worn either as a halter *or* with straight straps. Besides this photo, this dress will not be making its true debut until a party we are hosting in September. Good thing it’s fully lined!
While I was cleaning out said closet I found a number of clothing items that I really need to put back in circulation – in fact I got rid of very few things and just made sure the rest still fit – and it’s really worth acknowledging here that I probably don’t need anymore clothes. Not only do I have a fair number of skirts and dresses, they are almost all of high quality from the days when I was single and without mortgage and therefore could do thing like spend $150 on a skirt.
On the other hand, I am just learning to sew clothes which means actually doing it, and on top of that I have a hundred ideas for new dresses, shirts and accessories that I just *have* to try even while admitting that I have plenty of nice things. Somewhere in there is a balance, and I’m pretty sure I’ll find it once grad school starts in September and my free time for hobbies is severely curtailed. In the meantime I have dreams of wool, denim and heavy cotton prints for autumn. Cotton scarves backed with wool. Needlepoint embellishments on hemlines. Culottes made of suiting material. And a new pair of tall black boots with a zip up the side to set it all off. How ridiculously “girl” of me. But fun to have a new obsession for awhile – projects to work on and show off even if I don’t have room for more of them in my closet.
Some sewing notes.
I’m in all-day training at my computer today – wired in with a headset and online meeting software. While I’m listening along – a short post about sewing projects which I am hoping to show off later this week.
First off – I am still working on this dress which I started last week. It’s looking pretty good at the moment – the main dress is complete and hemmed – but I am working on embellishments still so it’s not showable quite yet. By the end of this week my fully-lined cherry fifties halter dress will be complete. A major accomplishment for me. This is my first dress with a full lining and pockets. Additionally, I am going to make the dress wearable as both a halter and with straps (by including buttons on the straps and buttonholes on the back bodice). I’ve had to do quite a bit of pattern modification this dress in order to get the right fit, also a first. I am getting really excited about showing it off!
With B. out of town on a father-daughter trip – I had last night to myself during which I cut out two more A-line skirts that I am hoping to sew up tonight. Both of them are experiments in technique so I decided just to go for the basic skirt that I’ve already made three of this summer in order to have greater focus on the finishing work. I’m also hoping to cut another Sorbetto top this week out of a beautiful piece of voile that arrived in the mail on Friday.
And then I’m going to start on fall and winter wear! Above is a photo of five pieces of wool I picked up at an estate sale on Saturday morning – varying from one to four yards each. I also grabbed some floral cotton and a piece of upholstery fabric and then stopped myself from going any further. I ended up with fourteen yards of fabric most of which I’m plotting winter clothing with. High-quality wool is a rare find these days and at $2 per metre, I’m not as afraid to cut into it as I otherwise might be.
Although not all my fabric purchases are on the cheap – it’s extra satisfying when they are. One of the skirts I am working on right now will cost me a total of $7 by the time it is done (I’m using a $2.50 piece of remnant linen). A coat made out of the above wool might end up costing $20 with linings and buttons. I’m thinking of splurging on some silk for a Christmas dress and even that won’t cost me more than $50 to put together. Fifty dollars for a silk dress! Which is what is most exciting – being able to own clothes made out of higher-end fabrics which normally are out of my budget off the rack.
I have so many project ideas – I am really looking forward to having Mondays off in the fall. I’m a little obsessive on both the sewing and study (in prep for grad school) these days – and more time to get everything done is very much welcome!
Red Cedar 
