bodner066

Hard to believe that during all these years blogging, I've never done a recap (it's true!) . But because I've been enjoying everyone else's 2013 recaps popping up this week, I decided to spend way too much time gathering photos jump on Gillian's Top 5 bandwagaon too. Thanks Gillian and my sewing blogger friends for giving me the needed kick in the @ss push. If you've got a few hours you want to kill, click the link to Gillian's blog because it's the page where all the recappers have been posting links to their lists. I've already found a few new-to-me blogs. Fun! So, first up is a composite of I think everything I've made this year. I've had some ups and downs during 2013 which definitely directly affected the mojo, but after seeing it all and counting around 40-ish pieces, I was pleasantly surprised. Of course there were many, MANY more projects in my mind that haven't yet become reality, but that's what 2014 is for, right? (That...

After 5 days off, I sure didn't want to get up when the alarm went off this morning but it was a little bit easier throwing off the covers knowing I had a new outfit to wear. Plus, I had to pee. TMI? Hahahaha ... sorry in advance for any young women reading, but the truth is once you're past a certain age, your bladder just doesn't let you sleep in. Isn't getting older grand? OK, not exactly how I planned to start this post, but once the thought came, it just wouldn't go away. So here's the OOTD. I really (as in REALLY! ) like this top. So much so that I just might be popping out another one come Wednesday. The fit is perfect, with minimal alteration. The neckline is just right, both in shape and depth. The ties are adorable yet not too cutesy for a woman of my age (cough:29:cough) . It's an easy sew. And the instant gratification PDF is very reasonably priced at $10. Here's the lowdown on the minimal alterations, besides the 1-1/2" I added at the h...

I sewed 4 items during my mini sewcation ... a SBCC Tonic tee, a pretty well sewn (vs. down and dirty since I was also testing construction) muslin for the SBCC Mimosa top, the final Mimosa, and a slightly modified Magic Pencil to wear with the Mimosa. My sewing plans are always grander than reality, but I'm good with 4 items over 5 days, especially considering I didn't spend every waking hour in the sewing room. The mojo is still whispering to me, so maybe I can pick back up mid-week when I'm off from work again for New Year's Day. Here's the final Mimosa with the Magic Pencil. The Mimosa is from a black/taupe crepe print from deep in the stash, which I thought was synthetic but after pressing the heck out of it without any heat damage, I'm reconsidering and may do a burn test on scraps just to quiet my curiosity. The Magic Pencil is from a putty colored doubleknit purchased from Lucy's Fabrics years ago. I miss that shop. (I added a bottom band instead of...

I have been sewing, just not as fast and constant as I want. I'm blaming Christmas dinner hangover. Ugh. I feel like I've gained 20 lbs this month. I haven't, but I haven't been very good either. I *know* what my New Year's resolution will be, and I don't even usually make resolutions. But I want to fit into ALL of my clothes again and now that I'm settled into my job, the pity party ( read: food medication) is over. Wednesday night, Alex was whining (not really) that his purchased key lanyard had met its demise. I'm not sure exactly when he started wearing his keys around his neck, but whenever it was (probably at least as long as he's been driving) , he's been doing it ever since. Having to put his keys in his pocket Thursday morning threw off his entire workday zen/balance. Overly dramatic much? Hahaha. So, sewing mom and stash to the rescue of course! Grosgrain ribbon? Check. Key fob hardware? Check. (Yes, really ... and I even have more.) ...

This is my Christmas outfit. And my little photobomber. We were quite casual around here today. Hello wrinkled shorts. :-) What's all that green stuff, I hear you northerners asking. Why, that's grass and tropical plants. Hee hee. No White Christmas here. But then I'm guessing you also weren't dripping sweat as you pulled the Christmas ham from the oven. ;-) This is the fit of the Tonic, pretty much out of the "envelope" ... (pssst ... there's not really an envelope since it's a downloadable PDF). After deciding on size (more on that below) , the only change that I made, and kept, was my square shoulder adjustment which I made before cutting the pattern. I also added 2 inches to the bottom length and 1 inch to the sleeve hem on paper, and then ended up cutting both off in the fabric after sewing the sideseams and trying on the tee. So, while at 5'5" I'm not technically a true petite, I am a petite in the chest, shoulders, and armholes. So...

... is 5 days off from work to sew. Ba-da-BING! Wish granted. :-) Yep, our office is officially closed until Monday. Can I get a woohoooooo? Our "deal" was that instead of leaving early on Christmas Eve (today) , we'd have the Thursday and Friday afterward off. (Personally, I love that deal!) But someone must've dipped into the Elf Juice early because at 10:00 a.m., word came around that the office was now closed and we could go home until Monday. Can I get another woohoooooo? So, what's a sewing girl with some extra Christmas bonus cash to do? Well, I thought about stopping in at Joann's ... I do need those buttons to cover to finish Ms. Moneypenny ... but I quickly put that store out of my mind since it's right across the street from the Mall ... a place I strive to avoid most of the time anyway, but especially in December, and ALWAYS on December 24. Ms. Moneypenny will have to wait a little longer. And then I remembered a free pattern download I wante...

  What a difference a week makes in temperature. We Floridians have had to bundle up all week. Brrrr. Seriously, it was 39 this morning. (Do you think I can convince Peter to put ME on his Coatmas list??) The good thing (if there is a good thing about 39 degrees in Florida) is that it quickly warms up to the 70s/80s during the day. It will warm up again by next week but we'll still have a few weeks of cold coming in January/February. That's about all I can take of "winter" anymore. Twenty-five years in the Sunshine State has me spoiled. I remembered to check my camera this time and it looks like I'm in focus again.Yay! Even I was getting tired of that blurry pic from the last post being what I saw here. It was just a silly dial that I must've nudged inadvertently which threw off the camera's focus setting. Silly, maybe, but oh-so-important. I'm finally wearing the turquoise Sophia knit skirt I made last month, using ol' standby KS3287. Love this ...