Pick a Decade

 For me, a child born in the late 50's it's the 1960's, early or late. Motown, big cars with lots of chrome and metal, Alfred Hitchcock Hour and The Twist. It started out with Breakfast at Tiffany's and Please Mr. Postman and ended with 2001: A Space Odyssey and Woodstock. So it's no surprise that my fabric and pattern choices remind me of another time. In fashion, I don't think anything is really new, just "updated".  Earlier in the week, I was honored to be able to be able to do some massage work on a friends senior horse. He was a love and a joy to work with and I'm looking forward to another session with him. Afterwards though, we both did a little shopping. The JoAnn's in her area is moving to bigger, newer digs and everything in the old location is on sale. EVERYTHING. All patterns were $1.99. Didn't matter the brand.



Other than one pattern, (that pesky Burda 7700), I found all my selections. Looking at some of them I sure can see retro styling. What's old is new again!

On the actual sewing front, the second version of the Amy Butler Anna tunic is done but for the snaps at the back neck.



 I added pockets to this one. Loved working with this heavy weight cotton oxford type cloth. Wish I could find more of it in some other colors as  it should wear very well. Good thing too, the piece is pretty versatile.  I spent yesterday hemming the living room curtains ( only took 4 years), and at the cutting table.

This week really didn't include a lot of inside time. Cooper got out for a good long ride one day and another we worked on trailer loading. He walked right in, he stayed in, he relaxed and he had to be coaxed out. He may be stubborn about some things, but when he decides he's over something, he is. Today, tomorrow and into the future. I love that about him. You know just where stuff stands with him. Gene made a little progress on the footings. There are eight of them. It has not been lost on either of us that that is the exact number of dogs we have. Hmm. I have heard him muttering about little cement shoes....

The mailman delivered a pretty cool little 60's lunch set I bought on Etsy.



 I've looked for something like this for at least a year. Non breakable with soup/chili bowls (instead of cups) for Sunday football snacking. And how avocado green! Speaking of football, finally, the official start of the season is Sunday. Go Pats!!

Parting shot: Temptation.

Treme

 Lately television has been taken over by "reality" shows, few good, many bad and some bordering on the absolute ridiculous. Often posts recommend a more literary list, but hey, I grew up watching TV and I still do and I'd be a bald faced liar if I said it was just for the news! Since  interesting and well produced dramas are an endangered species on TV, here's a good one for you. "Treme", which is set in post Katrina New Orleans. It's co-produced by David Simon, who also produced "The Wire" (and if you haven't seen that 5 year series, you're missing something really special!). This is an HBO production, so if you don't have HBO, you'll have to rent the DVD's. I use Netflix but since they are trying to make the world sign up for video streaming and such, the quality of their DVD by mail rentals has been steadily declining. The cast is an assemblage of character actors and New Orleans locals and if you like music, mostly jazz and blues, you'll get your fix of the some of the finest. This is not fantasy television, this is gritty, true to life and for gosh sakes don't watch it with the kids. This is not Disney does New Orleans.

So when I wasn't spending the weekend sacked out in the comfy chair with a quorum of my favorite furry friends watching season 2 of Treme, I was busy outside. Horses got ridden, donkeys got brushed



 and finally Gene and I hauled the two stray round pen panels up to expand the existing pen. We had been using these panels for years to make a hardship stall where Bob the tractor is usually parked. With the addition of the stalled shelter last fall it meant I didn't need to keep those two panels stacked in the barn, so we loaded them into the newly cleaned and scrubbed horse trailer and hauled them up to the round pen. It took a fair amount of tugging and pulling to open the pen up for accepting them but they're in and it's made it a lot bigger. The panels are 12 or 14 feet long. Plus we left an opening and backed the horse trailer up to it. It means I have a nice set-up for working on trailer loading and boy, do my guys need it! I'm hoping to have some wonderful pictures of horses standing calmly in said trailer soon! ;)

In sewing and weaving news, not much going on. I worked on a Tina Given Mia Dress pattern. I really did do it up in plain muslin.



 It's not finished yet, but I will be giving a full review of the pattern soon.  I did some curtain sewing..UGH! The warp is ready to go on the Murphy loom.

That about wraps up my weekend. The latest read on the Kindle is "Queen of the Conqueror: The Life of Matilda, Wife of William I". It's a bit dry, but well researched.
If you like this period in time, it's a must read. It goes into depth the significance of the Bayeux Tapestry.  French legend believes it was commissioned by Matilda, which of course, is subject to differing theories of exactly who (and why), commissioned it. Matilda herself was an amazing women in her time and that alone makes the read worthwhile.

Parting shot: Cooper showing off the latest in face wear .

My Verona

And it's way over due to be starting in on the Sewing Workshop Verona coat pattern.

The pieces of both coat and lining have been cut out and hanging for weeks on pant hangers in my closet, taunting me. I'm wondering why I waited so long?

The coat itself has gone together beautifully. This is how I spent most of my sewing time this past weekend. As always the SW patterns are excellent to work with. You may not like a style, but you can be assured they are well drafted, all the register marks and dots match up perfectly and the directions will walk you through what looks like a difficult construction.

The two piece sleeve went in like a charm. Something I worried about with this heavy coat fabric. In fact I don't think I've had a sleeve set as nicely as these did ever. And it's a nice roomy sleeve, one that won't bunch up a sweater in it like a lot of ready to wear coats. I couldn't be happier at this pre-lining point!

My only headache with this so far has been, of all things, the pockets. The wool is thick.

It's double woven with a smooth lighter side and a darker boucle side. The boucle is meant to be the "right" side but either could be used. I'm doing this in the boucle side. After doing the pocket and seeing in person the effect that was called for, I realized I could have done it differently and cut down substantially on the bulk and lined those suckers too. Lesson learned for the next one. The Ambiance lining is the next challenge and I am hoping it's as clear and easy as the coat itself was. Fingers crossed.

And since we were going for contrasts, this shirt was finished off Friday for spring and summer.

It's a whisper light voile in classic grey/white mini stripes. This is the second view from Burda 7220. I am so glad I tried this pattern. It is quickly becoming a favorite.

The blouse will be part of my wardrobe for the New England trip this spring. Since I loved the fabric and it's casual, I decided to use some of my last bits of tractor ribbon. It was only fitting that a red Bob like tractor be on the front. :)

Lastly before we head out of the sewing room, I must mention the batting is here for the little Stella fabric quilt. Who knew they had batting that has some stick and tack to it? I certainly didn't but here it is. an 80% cotton, 20 % poly. Not my favorite but not having to use safety pins or other means to hold the layers together made it more desirable for sure. Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Fusible Cotton Blend. Well priced at about

$25.00 for a queen sized bat and heck, American made. They grow a lot of cotton in Texas.

In other news, I spent my weaving time riding. No apologies on that.. We had a beautiful sunny warm weekend and Cooper and I both were just itching to get out and enjoy a little change of scenery. And that we did. It was a slow careful ride in spots, but oh so good for the souls. Where there was still snow, I stopped and looked for tracks, old and new. Lots of rabbit and squirrels, fox, weasel in the deep woods around Tub Springs, possible coyote tracks, which isn't a stretch since I've heard them. No deer, no bear and no big cat. All good. Coop, always the gentleman, was the watchful patient one as I stopped him numerous times to hang over his side and peer down. He's smart too. He can tell from my weight and upper body position just were I'm looking (as most horses can), and skirts what I've targeted so the tracks don't get muddled with hoof prints. He never would have made an arena horse and when I got him as youngster someone made such a nasty comment to just that fact I've remembered it to this day. There was truth in it, I'll grant you that but it was the way it was couched. There is nothing so undervalued in the horse world than a trail horse or a lesson horse. Both do the grunt work and good ones do it with a certain kindness, always judging what their rider needs and wants, all the while keeping them both safe. Nope he's not show material, he's not a fancy horse, but when your butt is on the line, alone and miles from home out in a real wilderness, you can't go wrong with such a sensible, smart, sound and kind hearted animal.

Sunday night our spring weather ended with a storm that moved in and dumped about 12 inches by the end of yesterday. It always happens! Just when I'm starting to accept and look forward to spring, winter pops up again. I hope our storm has headed east on to Judy.

Parting shot: Snow Day the series. Peter, plain and simple.

That's Just Snappy!

Please raise your hand if you dislike sewing on buttons? It is the one thing I positively drag a part of my anatomy getting around to (Chinois Coat still awaiting that final touch), so imagine my delight when the gals at Fabric of Vision mentioned a snap setting tool. My ears perked up for sure. I like snaps! They make a satisfying sound, they have those pretty pearly tops, I don't have to hand sew them and best of all, they are available right in Ashland.

Sometimes it takes weeks for me to get over to Medford for buttons and often the selection is just so-so and dollars to donuts there is never enough of the one I like.

So, I went to town with my little setter and finished up this new pattern test run blouse. Meet Vogue 1274.

The shirt turned out well for the first run through. Certainly a wearable muslin and good thing since I used a good quality tightly woven shirting on it. The sizing is accurate considering problems I've had with Vogue patterns in the past.

The directions were pretty good although there are some things I need to change. They want all seams French seams. In my mind, unless you are working with silk or some other fine fiber that ravels heavily it's a big waste of time and makes some of the seaming extra difficult as far as getting a good clean match. If you like french seams and it makes you feel better, do them, but if you are like me and just want a good sturdy garment, serviceable and neat on the inside, just seam and serge or finish as you normally do. There is no Sewing Police. The neck facing is a poor fit and needs work/adjustments on the next version. I love the looks of this pattern but don't know how that back will behave wearing it. I can see the gathered back portion riding up under the snapped side panels.

In all fairness, a heavier fabric with more body and crispness would be better suited. I don't need a lot of asymmetrical closing shirts, but I will do this at least one more time and maybe more. I like it.

I would love to tell you I've been weaving, but I haven't. Cooper's little explosion last week while trying to get the blanket on him wrenched my shoulder and aggravated a nerve and muscle that lies under a shoulder blade. Why I just didn't let go of the lead rope is an easy to answer question. As beginners ( and I started riding when I was 4. Thanks Mom, you gifted me with that opportunity) you are taught to hold the reins no matter what and I have sailed over and off many a horse, reins still in hand even though my lungs had no air or a body part was screaming injury. I kept a hold of my horse. The same goes with holding a lead rope, although newer (and kinder/safer), techniques are out there. And I know them too. Shame on me.

So Cooper and I headed up to the round pen on Tuesday. It's been a long time since we had to do any remedial work of that kind, but it was good for both of us. I had my clicker in hand and started working on targeting, the blanket thrown over the rail blowing in the breeze was our starting point. 45 minutes later, I had a happy relaxed horse, wearing his blanket and not fussing as it went on and off over his head, over his rump, over his sides etc. We'll do this a few more times just to make sure any unexpected late night blanketing emergency goes off without a hitch. With him it's not so much the blanket itself but the noise the waterproof fabric makes.

Parting shots: Bedtime Biscuits & Little Beggars.....;)

Does This Blanket Make My Butt Look Big?

It was such a nice spring day I trotted (literally) one of the male models (Cooper) out for a ride.

 We did our training trail, which is a long winding up hill climb for the first half and then a fairly steep set of trails down on the going home leg. Not a lot of wildlife visible but then again, the middle of the day with bells jingling and hooves clip-clopping along usually clears just about everyone out of the path long before we see them.

 Early mornings are best for wildlife viewing. Mid afternoons in summer prove to be wildlife loafing times.  We did have a grand time at the beginning of the ride by startling Puck out of his hiding place, Cooper was game for a little sprint but we lost him quickly as we stayed on the trail.

I did remember the camera and while pics aren't great you get an hint of the beautiful wild places we get to travel.

 The snowy ridge in the background of some of the pics is still monument area in fact along one of those ridges runs the Pacific Crest Trail. We've been poking around places below there regularly, but it is early in the riding season, neither one of us in shape for those climbs and honestly, it's really really wilderness out there and I prefer to let the baby bears get bigger, and everyone get a little more meat on them from the long winter.  That way a chubby horse and rider won't look so tempting!