Time at home

(This is a "real time" post - I have access to the computer for a little while).

It took me two solid days at home to actually relax to the point where I could enjoy myself and being with my family without the pervasive feeling of "There is somewhere I must be rushing off to, or there is something I must be doing." I think this semester did kind of burn me out.

But I'm feeling better and more relaxed now. I have the Oscilloscope shawl nearly finished, I've bought and cut the paper pattern for a dress, I constructed a stuffed Beemo (like I was talking about - using the TV Guy pattern from the Mochimochiland book).

I do still have to fit the dress and cut the fabric for it. I bought a larger sized pattern than what I ever take in ready-to-wear, after finding last year by purchasing a larger pattern it was much easier to fit, especially through the shoulders, which seem to be larger on me than most women of my size. I will probably need to adjust and cut down as the finished dimensions of the pattern, even allowing for the ease you have to allow for a woven fabric, would be several inches larger in the waist and hips than what I need.

I'm sort of proud of my fabric choice. I had remembered that there was a large piece of vintage-80s Gunne Sax fabric (some of you close to me in age might remember Gunne Sax) that my mom had on hand. A little searching in her fabric stash turned it up.

She's just as happy to have me use it and clear it from her stash. Also, we both remember that it was originally bought for a dress for me - probably one of those voluminous prairie-style dresses popular in the mid-80s. (Again, those of you close to me in age may remember those). It's a grey background with small lavender, white, and turquoise flowers on it - it doesn't really LOOK dated, and I think it will work nicely as the more modern dress style I have chosen. I have 6 1/2 yards, which is why I think it must have been bought for one of those "prairie" dresses. (The pattern I am using calls for 3 1/2 yards, and at that, if you're careful about planning you can often get away with using less). The extra will go for quilting, probably sashing on an eventual quilt using some of my Civil War reproduction greys and purples.

We also found a couple other large pieces...a burgundy Gunne Sax, and a dark blue floral stripe that might be, and a beige and lavender piece. I'm not sure I'm motivated enough to consider making a blouse (I think that was the original purpose of the burgundy piece), or what, or whether to just leave them here for future sewing projects.  I DO have enough of the beige and lavender piece that I could make a second dress off the pattern I am using...if the first one turns out extra-nice, and I have time and motivation, I might do it, because these are dresses that essentially are only "costing" me the pattern, a zipper, and my time. I don't know what we originally paid for the fabrics but I am sure it is less than what they cost now...and again, at that, we may have got the fabrics on a good sale or close-out; I seem to remember being disappointed at first and having to "settle" for the grey because the print I had wanted was sold out. (But I like it now).