My family and I are really lucky. Just a short trip from our home, we can see Dahl’s porpoises, orca whales, foxes, bald eagles…and a whole host of incredible wildlife. The scenery isn’t half bad either.

I’m taking a little time off from the blog to enjoy some rest & relaxation (still recuperating from a horrible migraine) and to spend time with family visiting from out-of-state. I’ll post again next week!

Thank you for all of the suggestions about how to finish my tunic top. I have a confession to make: I wore the partly finished tunic around yesterday evening and came to the conclusion that it SUCKS. It’s a big fat wadder. The problem was in my fabric choice. I can see Burda models lounging around in transparent tunics, but that look doesn’t work for me. I was going to wear a tank top as the base layer, but the tunic clings unattractively to everything. It doesn’t drape. It doesn’t magically float. It just looks like I forgot to use a dryer sheet and then had a swarm of cats rub against me until a gigantic field of static electricity was built up and…

Do I really need to finish that analogy?

Anyway, I’m going to save the ribbon and use the fabric as a dust cloth.

I’m chomping at the bit to start new projects. I want to get started on easy, comfortable, brightly-colored clothing. While day-dreaming about all the things I want to make, I asked my son if it was OK to start something new…just making conversation, you know? I had to hear all about his model airplane, so I figured he owed me a little sewing talk time. Poor decision on my part. He told me I should finish what I started.

Who’s the adult in this relationship? Seriously!

I looked over at Headless Hannah who also looked fairly put out at having to wear my current projects: the Victorian school marm’s outfit:

What am I sewing these things for? A funeral? Time at the convent?

All modesty aside for the moment, I’ll come out and say that they’re shaping up to be really nice garments. If I could manage to take focused close-ups of the skirt, I’d love to show you how precisely I made those pleats. I’m taking my time to make them as best as I can; however, I keep asking myself “why?” Why do I keep sewing clothes I would have worn in the fairly conservative environment of my old law firm? Clothes I really wouldn’t wear all that much right now, considering I spend more time cleaning up spilled bubble solution and over-seeing funerals of dearly departed pet fish.

Somehow, sewing casual clothes can seem like a cop-out, just like wearing them instead of nicer clothes. It shouldn’t be that way–I should be able to sew casual clothes and become a better sewist. Perhaps I just need to keep adding new skills/techniques, but choose more light-hearted fabrics?

Some of the participants in Me-Made June have been discussing what they have learned from the project. Several have mentioned that they need to sew more basics in plain fabrics. I think I’m the opposite. I spend a lot of time sewing basics and very little time sewing just-for-fun things.

When I finish the very nice black skirt, I will do something very simple, but fun. T-shirts? Draw string skirt or pants? Here I come!