I have not blogged in a bit.

I guess this might be a long picture filled post…

It was Jen Beeman from Grainline Studio who stated in her recent  blog post that “photographing yourself and blogging is a muscle that atrophies fast if not used”. I agree!  Once you fall out of the habit of blogging and  posting, even the haphazard  uneven pattern of blogging and  posting that I have, you tend not to post.  Since my last post,  I didn’t even do Instagram good. And no tweet was Twittered. Oh well…

I would add that this past  winter was just too darn long  for me!! I was  ether preoccupied with starting my post Masters degree life (besides working my regular job ,  I am now adjunct faculty a local college..) or  I was sewing just what I needed to keep myself WARM or  mildly entertained during the winter months. That means I did not do much of anything,  and I also did not do much  “pretty”  or profound with my sewing machine- just practical. And yet they are  all pretty to me!

Now that Spring seems like it has FINALLY ” sprung”, and I am thinking that I might not see anymore snow, I may take the #MeMadeMay theme and run with it.  Or at least do a slow mosey walk, with it. I can use some of the new patterns I bought online while I was  cooped up inside from the cold.

What follows is me  making my own pictorial record on my  of what I made or did during the fall/ winter months 2017-2018.  It’s purely selfish documentation of very little sewn, but me  keeping memory  that  I did SOMETHING  related to sewing during the winter besides feeling too cold for too long.

I  did not make the dress  but I made the hat pictured for Easter  Sunday 2018 thinking it would be something nice  for the  Spring- but wouldn’t ya know it, we had 4 inches of snow– day after an early April Easter in my town. Cray Cray weather!   Anyway , if you’re looking, enjoy the pictures.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

Camp Workroom Social 2017: Good friends. A time to assist w/ teaching class.   Beautiful upstate NY Fall foliage..    

Some practical sewing…

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

Snow and cold in my home town..

Hangin’ with friends at the grand opening of Gotham Quilts in Manhattan….

 

Taking inspiration from Gotham, sewing to stay warm, and a start to a Christmas tree skirt to keep entertained…

I wanted a yellow quilt, so I made one…

 

 

Attempting to clean out my stash( and stay warm..) made a simple rainbow strip quilt from various yard pieces…

 

DECEMBER 2017:

Started a Christmas tree skirt  from my own design  in December to be finished for  Christmas 2017 ( Yeah- that WAS the plan….) Actually did not complete until April 2018.  I comforted myself by thinking that  in April it’s Christmas SOMEWHERE in the world, and the tree skirt would be right on time.  For the few who might doubt my Christmas tree skirt color choices  out there… I’m a New Yorker.  Black goes with everything. And if Black and red is good enough for Santa’s boots and suit, It’s good enough for me. Merry Christmas!

 

   

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

Winter still in fill swing in Jan / Feb, but at least I have quilts keeping me warm. Visited a  fairly popular  bronze statue temporarily located in the city (named “Fearless Girl” ) and got another glimpse of  a more full exhibit of Downton Abby costumes temporarily located in Midtown.

Never wanted to live in “Downton World”! Not my thing. ALWAYS wanting to be as goodly skilled  a  tailor and dressmaker as  Downton World. ALWAYS my thing !! That’s why I always go and look…

    

MARCH  /APRIL 2018

Busy months  working and teaching for me. Had the moment to spend the day in Edison New Jersey to do charity sewing for an organization called CINDERELLA’S CLOSET. This is a national organization that has local chapters and volunteer organizers.  Businesses donate EVERYTHING a young woman might need  to wear to go to her  senior  high school prom, but could not otherwise afford it. The girls meet certain criteria set by their teachers or schools in accordance with criteria from Cinderella’s Closet organization. They come to the site by the bus load and chose gown, shoes, everything- in order to look good for their upcoming  prom.  I joined up with  sewing friends from the  New Jersey chapter of  the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals.  Once per year they volunteer to do on the spot sewing alterations for Cinderellas Closet. We set up a sewing shop ( machines sergers, iron etc..) and do simple alterations on site , but then  some of the ladies do take gowns home to complete the  more involved alterations. We had a men’s tailor onsite as well for the boys and the suits they were able to pick from. This year the event was  held in Edison High school gym. It was a busy day. We  did  the sewing ,laughing , shared sewing skills and tips, and sewing stories. Felt good to donate sewing skills to support young people.

     

AND LASTLY—For Spring ,  I enjoyed my  hand made tea cozy with tea. A simple  quick sew item  made to enjoy the simple things in life- like a hot cup of  tea on a chilly day. Really I just wanted to use another piece of fabric  and extra quilting batting  and move it out of my fabric  stash and into LIFE use.

And then there was the fresh cut flowers and white ribbon I used to create my Easter bonnet for 2018. I did this  THINKING Easter would mark REAL Spring arriving. I was wrong —4 inches snow the next day after Easter. Anyway….

  

AND NOW IT’S MAY  2018 !!! Yay !!

Weather is finally turning warmer and staying a bit more consistent with the change in season.. That is a boost to my mood and  possibly my sewing endeavors.

Will try to get my blogging/ Twitter/Instagram muscle to have more exercise.  PEACE !