Developing New Habits

I think it is easier to develop new habits than change old ones, at least in my experience. In any case Spinzilla helped me to set a new good habit and that was to pull out my lovely spinning wheel and use and enjoy it every single day.



I started practicing a week or two before Spinzilla and now have continued a little daily spin time afterwards. I'm certainly more comfortable with my wheel and my spinning has improved too. Win win! I didn't spin as much as most of my fellow Team Web-ster'ers but I certainly met a personal best goal and I had a lot of fun with the two art batts I tried. Team totals come out next Monday when they announce the winners.

Tuesday night I took a class with Kris at the Websters too learn the magic loop method of knitting small stuff in the round. Much easier than all those double points to do socks and mitts and hats.
Magic!



In the sewing salon a couple of pretty and feminine makes are done. This is the second go at the Folkwear Middy Blouse pattern and it awaits closures and hemming.



The fabrics are all linen. The collar is a vintage linen bridge cloth I found at the huge Rogue Valley Manor annual flea market sale.



I think it was $2.00 and in pristine condition.



When I saw this white and gold linen fabric at Fabric of Vision, I knew I had to pair them together. The Middy blouse was the perfect choice.

Second up is a simple modified Mississippi Ave top.



 Both fabrics were leftovers saved from other projects and fine woven linen (blue) is such a perfect fabric for under garments.  It was a fast sew and almost too pretty to hide.

Lastly, I used this heavier rustic linen for a Sewing Workshop Liberty shirt.



This is a TNT pattern for me and I find I make at least one of them a year. I used up the last of some favorite ribbon on this too.



It will see a lot of wear; good color and good weight for colder weather.

A trio of books has made it up into the knitting/spinning book library.



It's been a while since I've added to it! And we couldn't leave the Web-sters without some Unicorn Tails!



I want to point EVERY dog owner who reads this blog to check out this article on Peanut Butter and xylitol. I use peanut butter every day as a vehicle for dog medications. This is showing up more and more in products so please, check your labels especially on human foods that might find their way into your best friends tummy!

Parting shot: Watching me watching you.

Hazel Rose and Charlotte

Forbidden Fruit

Not literally, but figuratively, white, in this household has forbidden fruit status. And I love white! There is practically no one from age 4 to 94 that doesn't look great turned out in something clean and white. Nothing replaces a crisp white shirt under a suit, a bright white T elevates a simple pair of Levi's and who doesn't feel the excitement of future adventures like a pair of new white canvas sneakers cause? White in my book has it all over black. Sadly, white is not practical here, land of red clay dirt, slobbering horses and multiple paws of mud. This year I vowed, more white, more lighter, brighter colors and be damned with practicality! I sew, I'm getting better with my growing skill set and I can always make another, or something better. Bring on those whites and lights!

So I broke out that white linen cotton blend I had been saving. Saving for what I don't know, but it hit the cutting table last week for a Sewing Workshop Liberty Shirt.

 

 The fabric is stiff and crisp and wrinkles easily. I wanted more of a tunic and I had an idea to use the way it shows things underneath through it's not quite opaque surface. I lengthened the body by an inch, I practiced my miters and I made a minor adjustment to the collar.



 I don't like the stand up-ness of it, I wanted my collar to be tame and lie where an obedient collar should! The snap is for detail only. And then I went to work on my little design feature. I had bought a yard of a Dala Horse print I saw on line. Maybe pillows or napkins or ?. Anyway, there they were, those white and charcoal horses, just waiting for something wonderful. I fused them to the wrong side of the fronts, then faced as the pattern calls for. I like my little ghost horses.



I even used the selvage in the crease of the right cuff.



If you have been following for any length of time, you know I love to use any particularly pretty selvage end as a design feature somewhere on the garment. I've paired the top here with the light lavender linen pants. Can you feel warm spring breezes?

Okay, back to reality.... In other news, the dental double whammy hits on Friday when Peter has his turn on the table. We tried keeping some dental issues in check with antibiotics but it just ain't happening. A few have got to go, and the last remaining top front canine is the catalyst. Who would have thought the little bugger would have kept that one so long?  It has made it through a number of dental procedures over the years. With luck though, Peter will hang onto those back molars for the rest of his life. Fingers crossed for the little guy as it is always a bit trickier with his heart condition. But quality of life is just as important and when your mouth hurts, there is very little joy in the world.

My cold is waning. Sunday was a lost day. I felt like death and other than staggering out of bed for a drink or to feed something, I slept over 19 hours into Monday. I had plenty of company. Nurses Stella, Robin, Charlotte and Jack stayed for the duration.
Rodger was head purrrer and Bea kept the monsters in check under the bed. Smoochie played nurse to Peter. Smoochie, you are simply the kindest dog I've ever know.

That about covers the goings on here for today!

Parting shot: What friends are for.