Skip to main content

I Travel AND I Sew!


I've decided not to wait any longer to share what I've been doing in the sewing room (I actually have 2: one an actual sewing room in UB and another set up in a corner of my loft here in Denver). So, even though life was pretty hectic back in UB getting ready for an annual fundraising event, etc. (oh and that little power outage thing--60 hours without in one week!), I still managed at least 15 minutes of sewing pretty much every day--a personal goal I've kept for years. Cheaper than therapy, eh?

Stay tuned for all the grandkid projects I'm feverishly trying to finish :)

Let's see...one project from a while back involved making my too-high-waisted (and OK, too tight) jeans into lower waists by removing the waist bands and using bias tape with the original closures. This helped me get another winter out of them. Next, I made some appliance covers from scraps to help ward off those wicked spring time dirt storms from the Gobi Desert. Those who know me best will be amazed that I have finally branched out from blue & white in the kitchen. Plus, I finally found a use for the lime green piping from my mother's sewing room.

Then, there are some jacket/tops that I had to modify from a Vogue pattern. Then a gold jacket for opera season in UB--yup, it's true: real Italian opera sung by real Mongolians in fancy Russian-style theatres--for about $5 an evening!

Last is a skirt I made that has a tulip hem. I stumbled upon an Indian shop in UB (!) that had a few dozen bolts of rayons in stock. The one I picked sewed this skirt of beautifully.


The sheer top was a re-do. I made this from one of those artsy-fartsy patterns about 5 years ago and the long sleeves always bugged me. So, I cut them off :) I've worn it on several beach trips and it's great as it's light, cool and wrinkle-free.




Posted by Picasa

Comments

Anonymous said…
Your sewing abilities have always amazed me. How wonderful that even through your Asian adventures you can still make time to sew! I was thinking about you yesterday when shopping because I saw a pig-shaped trivet at a store in the mall. :) Hope you are well (seems like you are!). ~Tara

Popular posts from this blog

Much Needed New Winter Robe - Vogue 9232

Last spring I chucked my 20-year-old bathrobe, giving me no choice but to replace it come winter.  Granted, I never took it to Mongolia, so it only got worn when I was home in the US.  But still.  For summer I made several light weight robes, but I knew I liked the style of my old RTW one.   When I saw reviews for Vogue 9232--on PR (all 3 of them), I knew I'd found my pattern.  Interestingly enough, the pattern is actually for a caftan-type dress; but all 3 reviews were done up as a robe.       Sham's review   in particular had great tips.   On a trip to Colorado Fabrics  in early summer I spotted a beeeuuutiful pink sweatshirt type fabric.  The outside is more like a thick knit and inside is dreamy soft.  And it's baby pink!  Which is hard to tell in the pics as we in Colorado have had lots of rain and no sunshine. And OK, I'm no photographer.  But seriously, this is like stepping into a pink cloud. ...

St. Patty's Day UB Style

I know this is a few days late, but we've been out of power for about 48 hours . Another story, another time. Anyway, holidays as we know them are a real challenge here. We did manage to go over to the Grand Khaan Irish Pub (remember, I do not make this stuff up) for a pint of Guinness (OK, it's watery Guinness out of China, but the sentiment is there as you can see :) and some Chinese stir fry. You see, their power was out, too, so the the grill was down but the wok was up. The place was packed and when the power did flash back on now and then, the Irish Rovers were a playin '. My first response to the 2nd picture was " Agghh ! I look 110 years old!" Randy reminded me that he took this on his cell phone. Hmm ... The 1st picture is of my first homemade corned beef!!! My dear friend, Beverly, shared her recipe (and her corned beef!) with my Bible study group 2 years ago. It turned out stellar! I have a handful of ladies of a Certain Age that inspire me and...

Jesus, Me, and Yoga

Almost a month ago I signed up for a 3-month membership at a local Dahn yoga center--and I have to say it has been life changing! Seeking to conquer my constant heart palpitations and gain lots more flexibility in ever creakier joints and muscles, I am constantly surprised--and delighted--to find it a profoundly spiritual experience. Not in a zen way, no Hindu gods invoked--but lots & lots of Jesus. I have found this stage of life to be an intersection where my spiritual life & emotions collided head on with my body. Things that for years I could sweep under the rug or just push through (ok, and blame others, hold grudges, lash out, etc., etc., yuk & yikes); well, my body would no longer tolerate it. Results: constant heart palpitations, sleep issues, anger/depression, etc. God used the hormonal stew of this life stage to bring me to a Ground Zero of sorts--what a journey it has been! My trip to Cambodia was the beginning of Change; it rebooted my decision-making p...