I am so happy!

Astrid from Connecting the dots... gave me the E for Excellent Blog award. Let's just say she made my day. I was so thrilled to receive it from her because I enjoy her blog immensely.

So now I will pass it on to a few blogs that I love, and look forward to each new post.

To Jeanne at Nantucket Mermaid. Jeanne and I have shared some pretty exciting times together. She is an amazing artist, and also has very talented sons. You are very lucky if you get to spend some time with Jeanne because she will have you laughing nonstop.

To Lisa and Sarah at A Spoonful of Sugar. How can I not love reading about a mother and daughter sewing team. They have excellent organization tips and tutorials. I can't wait to see what projects they do together in the summer.

To Jessica at Turkey Cookies. I feel that Jessica and I are on the same mission, to enjoy this summer to the fullest. I love reading about her summer days, and her commitment to local food.

Enjoy ladies, and thank you for making my day brighter!

Got to love orange buttons.

I visited a new to me thrift store and was met with with a wonderful surprise. Patterns! I am never lucky at the thrift store, but it was my day. I found the sweetest size two patterns and they have never been used. Most of them are from the 70's which just excites me to no end. I also found a group of patterns from the 80's for me.




This is the new shirt I made for myself using one of the found patterns. It is from '82. I really like how it turned out. The fabric is an old sheet which I also found at the thrift store. I wanted to try out the pattern first before I used new fabric because I had to make size adjustments. I actually like this sheet shirt. Does it scream hello, I used to be a sheet? I also love how I got to use my vintage orange buttons. Really how many opportunities do you have to use orange buttons. I think I am going to take my sheet out for a spin today.

Let the sun shine!

There is reason to celebrate in our home. My husband has graduated from a solar installation/maintenance program. For years he worked in Logistics and IT and was not happy. When I had Saga he became a stay at home dad, and loved every minute of it. He has always been interested in alternative energy, and vows one day we will live off the grid. I am so thankful that he was offered this training through a Federal grant. Now he can do what he is passionate about, and that is cause for celebration.

Last of the summer dresses.

I think this will be the last summer dress. Saga has several now, and luckily it will stay warm here until mid-October. I just cut this out with kimono sleeves and hoped for the best. I added a front center seam which I really like. I also like the combination of the two fabrics together. I am so happy with how this dress turned out. Yeah success! It is a simple little dress, but suits Saga well.

Mission Santa Cruz

I love history. My husband and I have always spent our vacations like this: fly into an airport with loads of camping gear, rent a car, drive around for two weeks stopping at every historical marker.Well living in California we are a bit historically deprived. I grew up in a town where an old house meant it was built in the 1940's. But we do have our Mission's all 21 of them. I see the missions as Mexican and Californian history, known as the history of Greater Mexico. So we started this weekend by visiting Mission Santa Cruz for the first time. It is one of the few missions that has the original adobe apartments used by the converted Native Americans. They are beautiful in their simplicity. My husband lived in an adobe home just like them as a child in rural Mexico. Visiting Mission Santa Cruz reminded me how each mission has its own history and "personality". I look forward to sharing California with Saga and showing her how many became one which is what California is really about.

We have a zipper.

So I faced my fear of my zipper, actually it was the fear of the zipper foot. Just figuring how to get that thing on the machine was half the battle. (I have a old school machine, but it has never let me down.) I started with Michelle's glue stick zipper tutorial which is great, and guess what, it was easy, easy! I did start my zipper down too far and had to add a hook and an eye at the end. I can't tell you how many times I pass on a pattern because it has a zipper, but those days are over. Yeah! I haven't put in a zipper for 15 years, and all I've got to say is what's next.

I think you can see why Saga loves breakfast at IKEA. I do too, $5.15 gets you breakfast for three.

My Old Friend

Okay this is my good friend. I am embarrassed to say it, but it is my 5th BBW top. This is my favorite type of top to wear when it is 90 degress and your classroon has no air conditioning. I know I need to take risks in sewing if I want to improve. But I need to take baby steps. Years and years ago I made most of my clothes. I was always trying new techniques, and often becoming frustrated. Eventually I became focused on what I could not do and not the progress I was making. I just gave it up, didn't sew clothes again for years. I can't help myself from thinking what I would be able to do now if I never walked away. I am making some sewing goals for myself. One of the wonderful things about sewing is there is so much to learn. (That is also what I love about teaching.) So here I go on my way to goal number one. Zipper.

ps. Can anyone share how to take a picture of gingham without it getting "wavy"?