Well, for heavens sake, where have I been? Busy, tired, nursing, traveling, visiting, a bit of sewing. The sewing part was mostly mending. With husband hobbled by a cast on his right hand, we have chosen to keep him mostly in comfortable flannel, elasticized waistband, lounge pants.
Last year I purchased some amazing quality flannel. I had pre-washed it and the shrinkage was minimal. Long story short, the pants purchased by him and given as gifts (some of them from high priced retailers) have not held up. The fabric has gone thin and limp. In any case, they were all too long and needed hemming and a bit of torso adjustment. You all know how much I LOVE mending, but it is done and he now has an entire wardrobe of lounge wear.
And in a round about way, that leads me to knits. I am in the process of sorting out my ponte knits and choosing what I will use as the wearable muslin for some new patterns and what I will use for the final sew. As age and gravity take their toll, fitting is an important tool. One of the most important elements in sewing knits is choosing the right fabric for the pattern and evaluating the "hand" or the drape of the fabric. One does not want a heavy weight ponte for a fop with a flounce, that baby ain't gonna hang!
I think most of my education related to knit fabrics I learned from Nancy Zieman. What an amazing woman, I do miss her personality, her knowledge, and her encouragement. On her blog today, which I thought was fortuitous, her top 10 tips for sewing knits was shared. Please give it a read, if you are considering garment sewing and need some tips, find that information, HERE, from an expert.
The blog features this McCalls pattern for teaching but there are many, many similar patterns available from the big 4 and the independents. You will notice that minimal seams prevail in patterns like this and the drape, on the cardigan, is just right. Therefore, fabric choice is important.
- With the last windows update my formatting has changed, a lot. I am still trying to figure out what in the world someone was thinking when some of these changes were made. That said, some research has revealed that many "patches" to our onscreen life are required due to infiltration by bad guys. So, three patches in 2 weeks has left me spinning. I will figure it out, someday, then they will change it again. Yikes.
- I have started acupuncture treatment for this relentless pain. My doctor is a charming little Chinese practitioner who has been in the area since the 1990's. His reputation is very good. I am not sure but after two treatments in two weeks, there is a very slight different in the pain in my right leg. Very slight. I have 10 more treatments to go in this series. Inserting the needles doesn't hurt much, adding the current does for about 10 minutes. I'll check in now and then about that.
- I have exercised great control and not upgraded my embroidery machine. Husband thought it would be a good Birthday gift, from him. It was tempting, but no, I don't use the embroidery function that much. I'm good on that.
- Lola will be 5 years old tomorrow, we have a party planned with her cousins. I am making little dog-bone treats for them.
My baby Lola. We often remark that this little curly bundle changed the direction of our lives. We were so lost without a dog in the house. We have always had one or two. And for a while, three. This little girl is the most smart and sweet of all we have known. Keeping those curls under control is a major commitment. She is worth it. Happy Birthday Lola.
Are you working on wardrobe core basics? There are many stylists out there with ideas, Janice Lyn Johnson shares her list of 10 navy basics if you use that as your "dark" rather than black. Her video and style ideas, HERE. This video is sponsored by Lilysilk, a luxury brand of everything for fine bedding, clothing, cashmere. Now, be aware most items have a limited size range but the current sale is worth a look. size range 
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