Happy New Year!

Another year drawn to a close.  My resolution to be healthy, happy, not smoke and to keep running was successful.  I did not make my goal of 800 miles, but 681 is good and I feel ready for the Marathon in 3 weeks.  I have been absent from blogging for awhile.  Life has been extremely busy lately. First with the wedding, then Thanksgiving, then my BIL (a DPS officer) was hit by a semi while at the scene of a rollover on 11/29.  He was taken out of Critical Care yesterday. MIL has been staying with us off and on to be here for him.  He has begun to make good progess and his brain function seems good which was the biggest worry.  There has been no sewing.  I go crazy without a creative outlet so I have begun to crochet.  I am self taught and not very good, but have made a few scarves and am now making washcloths.  I love handmade washcloths. My children are all healthy and happy as are my DH and I.  I have SO much to be thankful for.  My resolution for next year.... Continue to run, and continue to sew.  They lead to a healthy mind and healthy body. Love and enjoy my family.  I wish anyone who happens to stop by a blessed and wonderful New Year.

Run when you can

Walk when you need

Crawl if you must

Just never give up!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

The Bride and Groom

Mr and Mrs

A new beginning...

Now I have four girls.

 

Aren't they adorable?

My baby....

My DH

And then there were 5

Bride's cake

Groom's cake

Now I need a vacation.

I need a mommymoon.  They can have Maui, I could stay on Kauai.....

Do the Bustle!

Who knew I could bustle?  Not me!  My soon to be daughter-in-law needed her wedding dress bustled for after the ceremony as it has a good sized train.  Her first fitting of the bustle did not go so well.  It was very warm in my house (fireplace going) and the dress is very heavy and many layers ....  After about 20 minutes of pinning, she started to sway.  We quickly spread sheets on the couch as she flopped down.  (-;  Since by that time we had the length needed, we extricated her from the dress and KellyGirl 2 came to the rescue and the remainder of the pinning, and then attaching of loops and ribbons was done on her.  I finished today.

Here she is...

I think it looks gorgeous.  More importantly, so does DIL to be!

I also finished my dress today

Phew.... Now I am going to go take a break!

My Son

Today I had the pleasure of running with my son.  He is leaving for the Marines in February and is trying to get a jump start on improving his fitness.  He had done a fun run with me when he was much younger, but this is the first time we have actually just run together.  I truly enjoyed it.  I will miss him so when he leaves.  Makes my heart cry just thinking about it.

Tomorrow is my long run.  First long one since I strained my calf.  18 miles.  Wish me luck. 

Mother of the Groom Wedding Dress progress.....  It has been hanging on my body double since last week, and I think that it actually looks better after all that hanging. The poofs are less.. poofy.  I finished the bolero to cover my shoulders and I began attaching the neck pieces to the bodice today and pinned in the invisible zip to try it on...  I think it is going to be all right.  (-: 

Run when you can

Walk when you need

Crawl if you must

Just never give up!

Later!

Help!

Ok, I need some advice.  This dress is not finished.  The collar is pinned on.  There is no zipper yet, I pinned it down the back (by myself!) and it is not hemmed.

BUT..

I keep looking in the mirror and thinking I look like a tree trunk.  I thick tree trunk.  The skirt gathers and poofs out... right where I poof out.  It just draws my eyes to it and that is all I can see.    I am tempted to rip the skirt of and make the fitted one.... (part of my brain says, the fitted one will magnify my waist issues, where this poofy one, well, hides them)

Opinions?

Shop to Sew!

Well I had to shop, so I could sew.  (-: 

I finished fitting my muslin bodice of New Look 6799, I am pretty sure I have decided on B....but bought extra fabric incase the skirt is not me, then I will go with C.

For the dress.... a chocolate Shantung.  Feels like raw silk.  Love it.

For the lining...

Goldenrod Taffeta

for either a wrap or a light jacket...

Goldenrod embroidered taffeta

Have cut it all out, and started the bodice lining..... but trick or treaters have started, so time for a break!

To sew or to shop..... That is the question.

What to do about a dress for my son's wedding.  Shop or Sew?  I am leaning towards sew.
I really like the vintage look of New Look 6799.  I like both B and C.  I have traced and fitted the bodice portion to my KG2 (duct tape body double).  Cut out a muslin.  Now to just sew the bodice muslin together.  I think I will do a muslin of both skirt bottoms, just so I can figure out which one I prefer. 

Not sure what fabric.... it will depend on the skirt I decide to go with...

The bride's colors are fall colors, deep purple, browns, oranges and yellows.  I am thinking either a deep chocolate brown swishy fabric with the wider skirt or a mixture of these colors in a brocade perhaps for the slim skirt?  who knows, I will have to go stare at the fabric available..

Later!

Boo!

Hers

His

Gap 1969 RTW copy #2

I finally got around to sewing the jeans I cut out in July!  These are my second copy of a pair of GAP 1969 jeans.  I loved the originals, but alas, they could no longer contain me.

This is a stretch denim that I bought at FABRIC.COM.  I liked the color when I cut it out... now I am thinking it is awful blue.... looks like the 70's.

I have not yet hemmed them.  Even though I preshunk the fabric a few times, I will wash and dry them a couple times before I hem them.

The waistband I cut in two sections, right and left and then sewed them together at a slant.  Before I attached the waistband, it was a slight V shape.  This helps get rid of the gaping at the back.  I used some quilting cotton for the pockets, inside waistband and fly extension. (like a cute little secret hiding inside, just for me)  Debbie Cook's fly tutorial once again ended with a perfect zipper installation.  

I tried my hand (er..machine) at embroidering on the coin pocket... not so hot, but I can live with it.  (-:

I used Coats and Clark heavy duty thread for the topstitching in camel.

I did crossed belt loops on the back.  I rarely wear a belt, but it just doesn't seem like jeans without belt loops!

I drew the design for the back pockets using my curved taylors ruler. 

I think for my next pair, I want to try some really dark denim. I have some great golden yellow topstitching thread that I think would look really sharp with dark denim.

Run when you can

Walk when you need

Crawl if you must

Just never give up!

Later!

Practice cake round 2...

This is my baby just a few years ago.... and now he is getting married.

Here is the happy couple...

On to the cake.....

This time we only made 1 double 10" tier.  This would be the center tier on the actual cake, as well as the size of the groom cake.

What did we do different this time?  After making and cooling the layers, we froze them.  Then using a dowel, made holes in bottom layer before applying the raspberry filling.  This allowed the filling to ooze down into the holes to allow more filling per bite.  yum.  Then we frosted them with buttercream and froze the cake again.  We made the fondant this time, as we were not impressed with the taste of store bought.  We made marshmallow fondant.  Boy, what a chore that was! (mostly for DDA).  The fondant was much easier to apply to the frozen buttercream.  The mm fondant was also much more forgiving than the storebought.  Applied more easily and tears were mendable.  The big test is..... What happens to the fondant as the cake defrosts?  We plan on letting the cake rest til Monday evening and see how the fondant holds up.  A successful test will allow us to make the cakes layers a few days ahead of time, and then apply the fondant up to 2 days prior to the wedding.  Assembly we will save for after the cake is delivered. 

Here are the tired but happy Wedding Cake testers.

Run when you can

Walk when you need

Crawl if you must

Just never give up!

On the running front... after last Sunday's 16 mile run, I had a nagging pain in my left calf and heel.  I think I strained it, too many hills in the 16 mile run.  I iced it all week and took lots of ibuprofen.  Have not run since.  Today I was scheduled for an 18 miler... I think I will do a few and see how it feels and 6 if all is well and then work up to doing the 18 miler next weekend.  Wish me luck!

On the sewing front.... I am finally making the second copy of GAP 1969 RTW jeans that I cut out in July!  I have to apply the waistband and then do all the topstitching and belt loops.  Wash a few times and then hem.  Will post picks when I am done.  Funny thing, when I cut them out, I liked the denim I had chosen, now I look at it and think ... very 70's looking.  Oh well. 

Practice runs, practice wedding cakes.....

Here is our first practice wedding cake.....  we ran out of fondant, so the middle tier is just buttercream.  Took us 8, eight, EIGHT, 8 hours. 

My DDA did the fondant, it was her first time and I think she did a good job.  Since then we have gotten a few more pointers and plan on another practice cake, 1 tier this time. 

We have been eating cake alllll weekend.  Giving it away to whomever happens to stop by.

Good thing I am doing long runs for the marathon training, 16 miles on Sunday.  That burnt off a few cake calories!

Run when you can

Walk when you need

Crawl if you must

Just never give up!

Later!

Just call me the bag lady....

There are so many things I want to sew.... so many patterns waiting in the wings, and my stash just continues to grow... yet ... I sew bags.  I think that there is just so much going on in my life, that in my sewing world I want instant gratification.  Bags do that for me.  (-:   

My son is getting married next month.... My DD and I are making the cake. Our first wedding cake. We will make a few practice cakes between now and then.  So far all we have done is plan and buy all the fixins. 

I have to arrange dinners to meet the two sets of parents on the brides side.... Our own little 'Meet the Fockers'  (-:  and plan the rehearsal dinner. My son  joined the Marines (smile, sniff sniff, worry worry) ... he will be shipping out in Jan or Feb....  I have 2 wonderful daughters who work and go to college and I try to find time to hang out with...oh yeah, and I work full time.  and have a darling husband I try to spend time with... and I am training for a marathon in Jan...  phew am I tired.  So what did I do?  Ran 8 miles.... and Made More Bags.

The first  is a Messenger Bag from a wonderful tutorial written by Larissa @ MMMcrafts. 

The applique is not part of the pattern, so I used hers as an inspiration.  It is from recycled material.  (retired pants and skirt)

This second one is called a Hobo Bag (not sure why) from a tutorial by jcarolyncreative.com.  I did not follow the tutorial exactly, so my body  and handle is slightly diff, and it has no tab closure. 

The outer fabric, which I love, is a recycled throw pillow cover and the interior is a linen from an retired skirt.  Pocket is lined with nubby silk.

Well now I must sleep.  So goodnight.

Run when you can

Walk when you need

Crawl if you must

Just never give up!

Later!

Carbo Load

14 mile run tomorrow.  Wish me luck. (-:

Run when you can

Walk if you need

Crawl if you must

Just never give up!

Later!

The Grand Canyon

We live 76 miles from this awe inpiring wonder.  Saturday we hiked it to Plateau Point.  Six miles down into the canyon to the point.  Six MILES back out.  The sign at Indian Gardens says... the first 6 miles are optional.  The second 6 are not.  (-:

To view the Grand Canyon from the rim is breathtaking.  To experience the canyon from within is soul touching. No matter how many people are in your group, it is a very personal experience.  Of course is is also breathtaking, literally, when you make the trek out of the canyon.  (-:

Colorado River from Plateau Point

The top of the ridge farthest behind me is where we began our hike on Bright Angel trail

Run when you can

Walk if you need

Crawl if you must

Just never give up!

Later!