My Darling Ranges Dress : : Megan Nielsen Patterns

April 24, 2017 by

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a maker. Sewing. Knitting. Painting. Macrame…..the list is long and the list goes on. With that in mind my recent go at editing my belongings has felt, at times, contradictory. Oh, there’s no doubt; in the moment, it’s euphoric. I feel lighter, brighter, and…perhaps surprisingly…more creative. And. Therein lies the rub. When I feel creative I find myself accumulating more stuff. You know…the raw materials required for the creative process. And…the obvious result of said creative process? Why more stuff. Of course. This is neither a new issue nor a big issue, but it has got me thinking. Do the raw materials I have on hand…I’m talking about you fabric stash…benefit me or hinder me? If I truly feel more creative with less…then why have…

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Cirque Dress : : Vogue Pattern 9112 : : Two Left Sides

February 13, 2017 by

Well hiya everyone.  Although the earliest days of 2017 were lazy, a few weeks in I found myself craving order and space in my surroundings. I buzzed around in major de-cluttering mode…a seasonal event that usually has G running. This time around, he not only survived, but got in on the act. We ended up with quite a haul for our local Salvation Army. I had a good go at our closets and….horrors…my fabric stash. But…surprise, surprise…it turned out the de-stashing of the fabric stash wasn’t as troubling as I thought it might be. In short order, I culled enough fabric to fill a large garbage bag. Sigh….my nemesis remained unchanged…..saying buh-bye to me-made clothing. Stuff I’ve sewn that I just don’t feel the love for. Maybe it never fit quite right, or I got…

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The Bonnie Bucket Bag : : Swoon Patterns

January 15, 2017 by
Bonnie Bucket Bag, Swoon Patterns

Well, hiya and welcome to 2017! So? New year…new you? Yeh, me neither. It’s been a very long time since I’ve jumped out of bed on the first of the New Year with guns blazing, list of resolutions in hand. I wonder if perhaps the calendar new year, January 1, is poorly timed for those of us living in the northern hemisphere? January…the month that I most strongly associate with the season of winter…feels for me; inward, contemplative and comfortingly heavy. This is the time I think, and I dream. The action….well that comes later. To a large extent, my new year’s intentions are always to feel somehow lighter…you know; less weight, less stress, less stuff…as well as equally airy* pursuits such as greater knowledge and deeper spirituality. In contrast, January is still. Quiet.…

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ITALY : : VENICE

December 7, 2016 by

Final Leg : : Venice Venezia…you took my breath away. I sensed it the moment we began making our way across the causeway….that Venice would be a pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming kind of place. It’s surreal…this city that appears to float on water.  And nowhere is the illusion greater than along Venice’s main thoroughfare, the Grand Canal.  After disembarking the train, we boarded a vaporetto, the city’s version of a public bus. Taking in the sights along the way, we traveled the full length of the canal before landing at Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. Gondolas jockey for position with vaporetti, pleasure boats, small commercial barges, and Carabinieri. Buildings, centuries old, appear to be sinking into the sea. Upon arrival in Dorsoduro, we pretty much tripped over ourselves in awe.  One of six main districts, or sestieri, Dorsoduro…

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