First Make of 2025, First Studio Day and First Dinner Party

Even though I had several outside obligations in the past week, I was still able to sew up one new garment, a tunic version of one of my standards, Vogue 9330. I used a fleecy backed cotton blend knit I presume from Fabric Mart in the leopard print that was everywhere in the fall and in Europe on our Christmas trip. I'm never one to follow fashions but some how my procrastination with this fabric and current fashion trends just happened to meet up in the universe's space and time continuum. Since my other versions are far warmer, made with Polar Tec or warm wool knits, I made adjustments to keep this version cosier. I raised the neck and drafted a layered collar folding over in the front. I added a wide wrist cuff with 1 1/4 elastic inside since the original pattern sleeves are much too drafty for our current cold weather. What I love about this pattern is the side panels which extend on the side and under the arm. In my other versions I used the fabric underside for subtle contrast but the seams get lost in this print. Instead I put in side seam pockets using the excellent tutorial which Sew tessuti had just published on YouTube and IG reels. It was simpler to watch youtube in slow motion than to pull out a sewing book to tell me how to make the pocket. But I'm still clinging to my large sewing book library for comfort and inspiration. There's a band on the bottom now and I decided to gather it with some elastic and add a big bow because...well, because everything looks better with a big bow on it. So I think it also qualifies for the Janaury 2025 Make a Garment. Month challenge, Jazzy January. I was able to finish my tunic on Saturday becasue I had scheduled myself a "studio day." At least twice a month I send out an email invite and IG notice that I'll be home working in my sewing space and would love the company of any creative friends...who knit, sew, embroider, bead, whatever. And yesterday I had so much fun when long time friend, Rae Cumbie of Fit for Art patterns showed up to catch up. Rae and I hadnt'seen each other in person since before Covid but two weeks ago I went the book signing for Rae and Carrie Emerson's new book on Quilted jackets and we briefly reunited. It was held at Baltimore's Handcraft Happy Hour shop and was so impressed by another woman entrepreneuer, Jenni, creating a community of creative people. (Yes, that's her book on my sewing table) Rae just happened to come by when I had just cut out the first of several projects for my American Sewing Guild Northern Virginia winter sewing retreat in two weeks. I'm making a knit robe from her Tabula Rasa jacket pattern for our March Florida visit because I've enjoyed the rayon one I made so many years ago that it's looking tatty. And another project will be refashioning a lovely scalloped vintage mink collar to put on a sweather that will have more fabric and roving needle felting on it, another retreat project. I've learned over the decades not to bring anything too complicated so the three dozen of us can chat and laugh and enjoy each other's company without scrunching my forehaed in frustration trying to figure out complicated sewing instructions...although several of still roar with laughter at our frustration trying to follow Trudy of Hot Patterns demonstate the twisted fabric convolutions of the Grecian inspired Three Graces twist top. And why was I otherwise occupied this week? Well, every year for a few decades we have donated a dinner for my Towson Unitarian Universalist annual church auction. This year I offered "greatest hits" meaning the recipes that people wanted from me after those previous dinners. So although I knew all the recipes, it was a busy week of shopping and cooking for a four course meal and in my rush I usually forgot to take pictures. SO there are a few here and if you want the recipes let me know ans I'll post links. We have appetizers of cheese coins from Cooks Illustrated and a shrimp, mango avocado salsa served with tortilla chips, inspired by our ten years as snowbirds in FL when we offered a "Floribbean" dining experience. Then there's fish soup with garlicky rouillede on homemade bread and Belgian beer base beef carbonnade, a stew that's almost carmelized...recipes that I just had to find after we enjoyed them on a Belgium to Amsterdam boat and bike trip. The winner is always hot sticky toffee pudding for dessert from our much loved UK. But speaking of pictures, that's my biggest disappointment returning to Blogger. I can still easily download my pictures. But previously when I was writing my post I could insert pictures and wrap copy around them. Maybe because I'm an Apple gal, that ability seems to be lost. I'll get to the library computers one of these days and see if that capability exists on their PCs. So it's a big picture dump at the end, sorry for such poor formatting. And I am formatting paragraphs as I type and I see spacing but it's all one big ramble when this posts. Hmmm, maybe I'm not meant to return to blogging...or maybe I just need to revisit which platform I'm using and make a change to something like Wordpress. Low tech gal like me is annoyed but like my sewing, persistent.