tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12141589199379242102024-02-19T01:47:37.072-08:00Laurel's Quillwriting about stuff I like to do...Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.comBlogger322125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-13923547833102651582021-04-24T15:57:00.000-07:002021-04-24T15:57:09.527-07:00Let’s start this again...<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I love “aha” moments. I spent an afternoon at the kitchen table with a friend, sipping on an espresso, sharing life stories. I was more interested in her back stories than recounting my own tales of wanna be hippie-dom, divorces, corporate life, etc. She is a lovely and brilliant African American woman whose life is nothing short of an amazing, gut-wrenching, and joyously rich collection of life experiences. We laughed, shook our heads, dropped the F-Bomb and discussed the commonalities that as women, we all share.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeQunOh3binei2g2aZc5_mTWsPyUxU1ooBWNZ31FRIkOZRP9E1Z3gZj1-LcEJGzye49gsOZe7-HwJUerUq3yzErly6TMZjIZlzlypk-6goRy5J_lf2msPI6j45aU_x_LsHBQljetOxLNT/s2048/1D8F8323-8CF8-4AD8-A402-181032E30A6F_1_201_a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1705" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeQunOh3binei2g2aZc5_mTWsPyUxU1ooBWNZ31FRIkOZRP9E1Z3gZj1-LcEJGzye49gsOZe7-HwJUerUq3yzErly6TMZjIZlzlypk-6goRy5J_lf2msPI6j45aU_x_LsHBQljetOxLNT/s320/1D8F8323-8CF8-4AD8-A402-181032E30A6F_1_201_a.jpg" /></a></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">She wants to write a book. And though we have that in common, I have to admit that she has an entire span of human experiences from which to draw that I have never even imagined. It’s not a cultural thing, it’s not a political thing. It’s just about being a woman, being a mother or a sister; cultivating that compassion that we feel for struggle, while living in this upside down, media saturated, challenging thing we call LIFE...and surviving.</span><div><br style="font-family: Helvetica;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">It made me think of why I started this blog years ago - I wanted to write. I read over some of my past blog posts and I was reminded how much I love humor and at the same time, I love sharing my passion for the beliefs that I hold dear. I’ve journaled over the years, but most of those scribbles were a little dark, intensely personal, and a precursor to Zoloft. I did not re-read them nor did I keep them, tearing out the pages and gifting them to Red Dog Shred. But even then, I wrote with conviction and good penmanship, choosing my words carefully, as if someone might actually read the entries. God forbid.</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7B9J7sneXSqWClR96uXNBRQ9GExwm2YeLgodJCEKnvdqxIvuiwgUbUoIMUAeSEwgy8yO8OYHtcw2qRoYE7ulTw5tlbvG6_PjalU3FoTwyZYI7lsmbM8h3u9RV8bSnHo1bFECX9Ke9cp-/s2048/1C921905-874A-492E-80F6-8152C7FC1050.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2029" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7B9J7sneXSqWClR96uXNBRQ9GExwm2YeLgodJCEKnvdqxIvuiwgUbUoIMUAeSEwgy8yO8OYHtcw2qRoYE7ulTw5tlbvG6_PjalU3FoTwyZYI7lsmbM8h3u9RV8bSnHo1bFECX9Ke9cp-/s320/1C921905-874A-492E-80F6-8152C7FC1050.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></div>So here I am, fighting my computer, yet the desire to write is still within me. I'm not even a reader myself, so does it matter that no one else will read it either? Be honest, Laurel - of course you want to share it - that’s the whole idea. I’ve given up FaceBook in this CYOOL (Covid Year of Our Lord). I rarely “write” much on Instagram and have truly stopped obsessing about the whole Follower thing. I'm older now. (Queue laughing)</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica;" /><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" /><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>I just need/want/plan to write. Follow me or not. That’s it. Period.</i></span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" /><p></p><i><br /></i><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana;"><i>Laurel...no Hemmingway, but...</i></span></div></div>Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-54156112055383699062019-07-31T09:33:00.000-07:002019-07-31T09:33:17.064-07:00It's about a horse<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinz8R2Oo_4KGWjZd8etw3feYIbBo3rU6R3c8ps49GZ0snoobb0riJIFr4uKZ2CB15vkbFIBu8GBHD0fBPyWoQZ6Vw6K7qBRU8qF-qaCf5clU9U2HN27YrnuByt1WeJHeaQfqIXGLkqBAYl/s1600/fullsizeoutput_9ef.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinz8R2Oo_4KGWjZd8etw3feYIbBo3rU6R3c8ps49GZ0snoobb0riJIFr4uKZ2CB15vkbFIBu8GBHD0fBPyWoQZ6Vw6K7qBRU8qF-qaCf5clU9U2HN27YrnuByt1WeJHeaQfqIXGLkqBAYl/s640/fullsizeoutput_9ef.jpeg" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Alex, Doris and Karen</td></tr>
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While I was on vacation this summer I spent several days at a beautiful ranch in Oklahoma. Besides having a great time with these lovely ladies, I rather fell in love with the idea of owning a horse. Even though it was a pipe dream, I rather thought that even despite my life-long fear of horses I might be able to overcome some of that and at least I might learn how to "show" them. Fancy that...me a Horsewoman. I laughed at myself at the time, but the ever so slight remains of my pipe dream must still linger...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sometime last night...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"It's about a horse...I can't figure out how to work the whipping thingie...I take it out of its fancy foam lined case and it looks like a fly rod with an electric knife handle that releases the whipping thingie string... I can't find my horse in the vast barn and they point me to the quarter horse section and when I do, she's being mounted by a stallion...and I am frantically trying to figure out how I am ever going to learn how to "show" my horse in just a few hours...I've obviously given her too many chunks of raw potato because they are telling me she has a belly ache (she's on the ground)...I'm barefoot walking through the barn which has a nice squishy red mud floor, I'm not dressed properly...all the other ladies have perfectly coiffed hair, colorful cowgirl shirts and bright red lipstick and look like Patsy Cline...and it's late and almost showtime...and I see that my young horse doesn't have regular hooves, just weird abalone shaped feet with suction cups. I'm wondering if they require shoes.. Meanwhile, I have somehow tangled up my whipping thingie in a cleaning bag and my Horsewoman mentor is already adeptly casting her whipping thingie with great accuracy into a tiny square on the ground, and I notice that my whipping thingie must be defective as it doesn't have the giant hooks and shiny lures that her has...and I can't even get it untangled from the cleaning bag...all of a sudden I realize that I don't even know how to halter the horse and perhaps I'll have to have someone else "show" her..."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wake defeated...not a Horsewoman at all...and reality check: perhaps there's more to it that I thought and I am 71. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters and Horsewomen, for sure...Karen Torrice and Alex Strom, with Steve.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I guess I'll stick with chickens...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Laurel. Egg Fryer.</i></span></div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-87106232258988360082018-10-07T10:48:00.002-07:002018-10-07T10:48:37.955-07:00Sewing with LipstickI never considered myself to be "OCD" when I was growing up, and doubtless that I even knew what it meant. I didn't wash my hands a hundred times or lock the door repeatedly. In fact I rarely cleaned my room, seeming to prefer wading through mountains of discarded clothes, scraps of paper that missed the wastebasket and shoes that were caked with country mud, rather than be tidy. I had a friend who's room was always immaculate...<i>her mother cleaned it.</i><br />
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In fact, left alone to my own devices, I can still contemplate a pile of clean clothes precariously perched on top of my dresser for at least three days before finally putting them in the drawers below. I have acquired a modicum of neatness from my 34 year marriage to a man who likes everything in its place, so I tend to pick up after myself a little better than my natural proclivities toward slobdom would allow.<br />
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There are even areas in my life that have begun to border on obsessive behavior, if you want to use that term. I rather feel compelled to sit in my nest (aka overstuffed easy chair) for at least an hour or so in the morning. I need that "me" time to collect my thoughts, plan my day, journal and otherwise analyze what's going on in my life at the time (aka obsessing). I've also noticed that my frequent list-making has also taken a turn toward "if I don't write it down, I'll forget it" behavior. I'm not sure if it's advancing age or just a desire to control everything around me - either way, it's kind of annoying, even to me.<br />
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I sew a lot. <i>A lot</i>. There is always a pile of unfinished projects waiting to be finished, fabrics to be paired with patterns and actual dressmaking to be done. Most of the time, my studio is in a state of disarray as I am sewing, but before I actually sit down to sew on any given day, there is an OCDness about my preparation. I can't just sit down and start up the machine, or mark a hem or cut out a pattern without first going through a litany of little things that have NOTHING to do with sewing.<br />
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1) There can be no dishes languishing in the sink. The counters need to be washed and clear. This has nothing to do with sewing, unless I need to use my kitchen table for cutting out a pattern. Still, I can't concentrate on french seams knowing they are out there smelling up my kitchen.<br />
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2) The pillows on all the chairs and couches must be straightened and my nighttime furry throws must be folded neatly on the ottomans. This one is huge - I hate to walk into a room a see what appears to be the bed of my childhood in my living room... makes me twitchy.<br />
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3) I can't sew unless I first take a shower. That one sounds really lame, but there's something about a clean body and fresh clothes that makes me feel like I've already accomplished something...even though I haven't even started. Maybe it's because I'm a morning person anyway, and I would probably shower whether or not I sewed a stitch.<br />
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4) I must wear lipstick. <i>Must</i>. I know there's a whole "I'm who I am and I don't need to wear makeup just to please the world" thing going on these days, but I am not on that train. Maybe it's my mother's voice in my head or walking by a mirror scaring myself ("who is that old lady in my house?"), but I need lipstick. <i>Need it.</i> I can listen to my sweet husband tell me how beautiful I am early in the morning, with my hair all nappy and yesterday's mascara smeared on my face, but I don't believe him until I put on my lipstick.<br />
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I went to one of those medical spas once, where they pump your face up with fillers to make your lips full and youthful. I spent almost...well let's just say it's a very expensive process. The results were lovely - youthful lips, smooth and ready for "Your Majesty" red lipstick. It lasted for about a 6 weeks, then back to my normal self, feeling more wrinkled than ever, and poorer yet. Let me say. it's not the answer when you're in your seventies...all you really need is a little "barn painting".<br />
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If I have my Bobbie Brown's on, I'm good. I can think clearly and sew up a storm. Weird? Probably. OCD? Maybe. But the make-up artist herself said it best:<br />
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<b><i> "If I had to teach someone just one thing about
lip color, it would be this: Find a lipstick that looks good on your
face when you are wearing absolutely no makeup."</i></b><span></span></div>
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And that's it in a nutshell. I may add some blush, but the lipstick is really all I need.</div>
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Ready, set, sew!</div>
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<i><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Laurel. I am<u><b> not</b></u> OCD.</span></span></i></div>
<br />Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-14537963079606112142018-08-23T07:14:00.000-07:002018-08-23T07:14:47.458-07:00Five years, baby.My poor little blog has suffered from neglect. Let's face it, keeping up with social media is work. Blogs require attention and by their very definition, posting is a non-negotiable. I wanted Laurel's Quill to be a place where I can write and share my life, but these days I think I'm too busy living it to sit down to document it.<br />
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And then I think who reads this stuff anyway? I know I don't take the time to read blogs anymore, and I have read many that are definitely worth repeat visits. But...do I?<br />
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I do spend a lot of effort posting on Instagram these days, and following my sewing community. IG is an easy and quick read, but even if you follow hundreds of cool sewists, friends and family, you can spend hours just catching up everyday. And somebody has to clean those toilets and make the bed, right?<br />
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I do write these days...I picked up journaling again, but most of the brain dumps that I do on paper are not really fodder for cyberspace (definitely TMI). Besides my IG posts, I also am a contributor to Fabriclady's blog, encompassing a 5-year collaboration that has fed my creative spirit - it details our sewing adventures and mutual love of all things fabric. Our collaboration is the best of both worlds for me - I write and sew for her and she keeps me involved in the fashion industry, which has also been a dream for me. I can live vicariously through her and her awesome store without really having any responsibility! LOL!<br />
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At any rate, I thought you might like to see what we do together - I co-wrote this latest blog about our monthly get-togethers in Berkeley. In Zan speak, she would say "How the Magic Happens!"<br />
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<a href="https://fabriclady3.blogspot.com/2018/08/fit-and-fun-days_21.html">Fit and Fun Days</a></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Laurel. Five Years, Baby!</span></i></span></span></div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-65800497742567123222018-01-15T17:03:00.000-08:002018-01-15T17:03:03.683-08:00We all need to get "Schooled" once in a while...I hope that I'm never too old learn. I'm 70, and even though I got my BA when I was 47, I still have daydreams about going back to school. God knows, it would be a challenge the way my brain is working these days. I've been sewing for 60 some years and you would think that I know just about all there is to know about sewing, designing and making wardrobes. You would be wrong.<br />
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Today I saw the cutest top on Instagram made by a gifted designer and I was immediately smitten. It was made using a technique that many sewists have employed - patchwork. You take all your scraps and sew them together and make a unique design. Over the years I've seen jackets, tops and dresses using this particular technique...always thought that my Ikat scraps would make a cool garment. And it's Sunday and I have nothing else better to do.<br />
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So in my haste to let inspiration run away with me, I asked if I might "copy" it - the designer (thinking that I was smarter than I am) said yes. And so off I ran. However, somewhere in the midst of posting a picture of what I intended to do, we both realized that my drawing looked very similar to the design I saw. I was never intending to copy the exact piece, but it was a little too close for comfort for both of us. <br />
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Dang. Lesson learned. <i>Read the IG background profile, Laurel.</i> If I had done this FIRST, I would have realized that the sewist was actually a designer and sold the garments under their own label...thus, I probably never would have even asked, or at least made it clear I had no intention to copy it exactly. The "yes" was a qualified yes - be inspired by all means but please don't actually copy. As sewists, we imitate other designs and ready-to-wear all the time. We buy the same patterns, the same fabrics and try to make them uniquely "ours". A case in point, Chanel is very protective of their jacket stylings, but we all copy them, and call them "Little French Jackets". <br />
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It's a lot different for fledgling businesses, as I am well aware. The designer was very kind in the "schooling" process, but I felt horrible. (At least I DID ask, so I thought I was cool.) I used to make one-of-a-kind jewelry, and when Charming Charlie came to town, they were making "my stuff" as far as I was concerned, albeit cheaper, and my little cottage industry closed shop. They were not copying my designs, as they didn't know me from a hole in the ground, but I was pretty sure my customers would think I was copying them.<br />
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Hence, to complete my Sunday project, I was sent back to the drawing table post haste, confident that my garment would not resemble the designer's...just perhaps capture the spirit of the patchwork/piecing idea. I chose a pattern that I have used twice before - The Sointu Kimono Tee by Named Clothing.<br />
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Oh, and yes, sewists do pattern hacks all the time...I changed the neckline to a "boat neck".</div>
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When I say "hack", I mean it. I chopped my pattern into little squares and strips. </div>
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I picked fabrics out of my scrap stash. I even used a fabric that was already cut out in a skirt pattern. The polka dots were never going to be cute as a skirt - what was I thinking?</div>
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So even after the pattern hacking, my design changed several times (more hacking my own design) </div>
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as I switched around the fabrics.</div>
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By the time I finished, my sewing studio looked like a cyclone touched down. Did I mention that I still love my new wood floors - perfect for cutting.</div>
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In the end, it was a great project for the holiday today. I think it says me. It actually reminds me of a dress that I made back in the 80's using this piecing technique. I wish I had a photo of it, as I loved wearing it.</div>
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Put a turtleneck under this puppy and some leggings and call it a day.</div>
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Now all that remains is to clean up the mess.</div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Laurel. Considering myself Schooled.</span></span></span></i></div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-21611370034569754202018-01-07T15:46:00.000-08:002018-01-08T07:33:13.628-08:00The Godfather's Lament...or mine?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for godfather 3 quotes just when i thought i was out" border="0" class="rg_ic rg_i" data-sz="f" name="ZG0XeL7BDD3A6M:" 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GJbJ1vcStgF3YehZiNvUE4q4cINvLGUkU6xgjLPjbpgZwMVULIYUt6GptrOdQI2OQPma581+DqwpJdou0PC48+JQwII8ZL7Hr7xOOgpZs7NGGplJG4DeIKR6BicUE4neumFJwcfWhNumonO/n8a5Yxk/J0tR9Iut3JDIpCssgOxBA/SKqnGmRCoC7A9CSQPTAJwKZRQjBkY/EedP8Xh1pqHlv9KILjLYT+0dACSc51DII8wSD9oqI8hJJJJJ6kkkn6mnWjOdIBJPlRO44J3cWp3UP17sddPxNd3JLo4ODZEikYqFLOQMeEsxUY6eHONqVCDqOPSmrZguCRXrXQDEgda2ibQloy5NRnXFPLc4OaakfJpoyNp1okkwPvelDU61NRRjrQ0M9tGw2R5Gik9znY1AjUeRpMz1irGSIz41z61KvDo70g7YX9JoWJtx8KlXc+pJP7H66VDTB5k3zVh5ZlLNv5VWVqw8qHxGtT0KOy3ZFdSM11cpaiucFjKliRjapGN6kPTK9azdliTHS66OlUzI3INqHeZom/Q0N8z861EnMYbrSLnpTmKbuxtVSR5Ztsa4CmrKncdaBoD8YGH+lD6I8Z94f0RQ41aOjMg5wSIMjL552q8ck8vRmTvJMEJuAfyqo/L74zVy4Xx1Y4dOcdcn51x5bUmd2GnEf5w4SHcyRnLHqvwqmGwcHPiBq0XfE48KYizPnLZGxqTDdo4BIGa5+conQ4qQBtOFOfEc1MvY1jhPTpUy4mPTO1C+KHK4pJ8pA40gPw2JiWcD3fOl8YYrGC3Vid6I8Mwq5YeDqfQ/Og3G+Id+wAACLkKBXVFOUjmk1CLEcLAfY0xfKA5Ar2ycofSo00uWJrqRxN2I7vJptlwaeRt9qTcVpCGaeWmxUiNaGA/Cu1eXFP2yZ2pt92xWFsbZGVqfR/vcv9j9dN4wadVPvcn9j9dMSIIo/wAsHc0AIo7yx+NRN/Ucdln111NZrq5Stkd5l9aQpz0qGXi8s0R4cgwawlRZsfi6Uo16Fr3RQIafoaHNRSRNqGMOtbiTmMCmro7U+KZul2qpMYsxUlhTFiOtPmgAJxjqp9VofRTiURZlA/J/51HSy9aqpJIaxykTOCAaX+lS4IwxqJYKEJHrRO2Veh865sj7s6sUfrQ6G0Dp8KXZz56GpkdvEAT4SfKooiw2oVzNplqaJOr40O4hLgV7dXWmhsk2o5qmOFdmXO+iRwdWmuI4c5VzpK+WPOoXErFoJHTrpYr9hrRuz7k6VP4ZMuNQIjU9cHq1NdoXCEjaOZVx3uVf0Mg3z9ldS6VnPx5OjN3kbHTNRBuasZtwOm1CLuyYHI3Bpxypin8eUVZAJ32rs16y4pIqyOXydmpCMRUcVJWOkxk6xfUwFK4hHpbNQkGnen7i41CsiG3G+alwr/B5W/nIBUESZFEH2s8/lSD9AoY4gWj/AC10agWmjvLnRqU9DWw5mupNdXPRsjxW1Eo0wMU3ClP4qZc6lLXmmlAUAIl6UKYUXlG1Cm61uJOY0KZuRtUgCoc02Tjyrd0KGNyG7V8ZpUk1INJasOTOuOFR7EO29NlqUxpmU1qPYS6JnALbvZW89Kk/XyqYuNRD+VM8mTgXGk/jgr9etWXivB1YlumPOjJFEYTpkeyhgAyzfQmhvFuLR7rH8qAcS1gnGSucavI1EhmHRgCD9oPrWYYE+xzzsnrqkYAb5qwQrFbjLbkbkn1+Aqt2Ny6+GL332B8wPhR3h/Kk0pzM23n1J+VV4Eub8Fk5F7QpEm7mbLWrHAJ6xE9Dn0+FXvtN4Sr8NaSPfu3SVT1yp2bHwwapttwqONdIUY+VEuH81qLS94dO3uws8JPmp/zfxIO4o5dUCTUk0Z0DShSYxtXua5D0xiewRvLBoVc8NK9NxR0V6arHK0SngjIqukipLAii1zYq24GDUK6Qg7+ldEcikcOTA4EFmrg1c4pFUOc9FF+InTawL6lmoSozRbmDZYF9I6TNRBAajvLnRqBYo9y4NmoloEGa6urqjRolAU/Y2c9xMtvboHlZXcBnCDSmMnUR/OFN6aVb3M0Egnt5DHKiOobSreFsagQwx+KKjGr7Lyuug6vIfF/9Wi/+4X/w1Cg5c4i9xJarbx99EiSODOukJJkLhsbnY1rFzxiYcEN2G+/ewifXgfxvcB9Wnp18qqHZDfzz393LcSGSRre3yxVV21PgYUYq/CPohzkVeLlniLzyWy28fexJG7jv10hJdWjDY3PhNC05evWvWsRCntKp3hXvV0d3gHOvHXxDatv4XZSLxa8lKMI3gtVVyPCzIZdQB+GofbVTs/wsm/Mx+zFT4ITk2UjiHZ5xZI3doIgqKzsROpOlQWO2PQUJueTr6Oz9uaNDb6Fl1LIGbu3xg6cfEVqHbFf8UjKrZiT2ZoJO/KRq4A3B1MR4fDmmezZ/b+Az2ecuizW49cMpeE/3x9lHFM3HJOKtMzWfk6+Sz9uaJBb92suTKuru3xp8GM5ORtQ/gvCZruZbe3UNIwZgGYIMIMnc1rHbdeCCxtbJMDvGXIH+ht1B+zVo+yqZ2O/yvD/up/2RU3FckiyyzeNyYiXsq4vjPcRn4CdM/pqucL5TvLq5ktI4tM8SlpEkYIVAKjr0Pvr08jX0ZxK4uRxS0RNfs7Q3JlwMprXR3ZY42OScfWgNgoHM9xj/AFBPt7yOqKKRB5ZMyTh3Z5xNL0QrHGZokS4K96unu2dkHi9cqwo5xGwv3u14f7OizmMzFO+Uq0eTvrx8DtitUtv5em/q+D/ES0Bn/CqP8xP7T02rMqTKbdcMmtpFhu4ERmjeRdLrICqFVbOAMHxCoXFuTbu4sfaI7KGOIxi4WQSrr7kr3m6Y6kHpmrx2pITf2+P9UuT/APkio9Zfg6n9Wr/hRSSpjcm0YL2d8M7+ct+Qv2Z2BrTuE2V7PCHtrNGjLSKHedEYmORo2OnTt4kNVTsJC9/cKfeMKsB8A3iP6RWw9mrAcOUnYCa9J+AF5PmttCbZmsEN5NczWkVqpngAMqtMoRQwUrh8eLIb9FVPnHle+tJFnu40UTv3aBZFfx4yBsNvnW98N4Z3XEr25Oyyw2u/xTvQx/uj9FU77oH+Jsfzofsms8UNZJLRUV7MuLf6CL/66/8ASq1f2EkE0kEyhZYiFYBgwyVVxhh12YV9D8/T3cdhI1iGNwDFoCKHbBkQPhTsfDqr534lPPJPK91r78sO9DqEYOEUAFRsPCFqOSEUukdeDLOUu2GuD8i8RuoUnghjMcg1KWmVSRkjcY26VH47yjf2Sd7c2+IwQDIjrIq52GrG4G/XGK2js2z/AJFttOdXcNjHXVl8Y+tR5Z3XgLniRxIbWQSd5gMXKsFBA/GPh2rf4o0S/wCnInsxrl/ly7vmkFrGr90FLlnCAa86QM9fdNec2cn3tnEsl1Cio7iMMkgc6yrMMgDphTvWk/c/wYtbmU9WmVPpFEv/ADdvsoh2oP7XwMXAA/8Ah7j5AuucfRjRGCSsJ55ydX0YvynyPecS1G3RRGp0mWRtKahjKjAJY7+QqbzR2WcRsommdY5Y13YwsSUXzZlYA4+IzWzdmCd3wOJk2PdTSZ/nlnbP21D7NeYYJODwrdXUZkZJ1cTSrrIMsgAbUcnw46+VVtnM9mL8r9n9/wAQhM1skZjDFMtIFOpcE7H5iidtyPxDiGvuYU/gztbOWkUDvozh9O3iA23+Naf9z1/JjfnEn7KVY5gOF8Pu5j1DXdyem8ksrug/vIKGws+WbmAxyPE+NUbMjYORqUlTg+YyOtGeAAaTVbJJySck7k+pPWrHy0PAfnRPQ1sLV1e6a6ojoJ6aROPC39E/qqRikSxkqQPMEfoqCOo1K8/Bs/1YP8MKrPYt/wC+XP5tb/tyUxPzyrcK9g9kue89kFtrxH3evuRHnOvOnPwobyTzAOHXEskkMsqyQxRjutBIZGYnOpht4hXS5K9nNxdGuWPGXfiFzalV0QxW8isM6iZS+oHywNAqk2f4WTfmg/ZiqFYc/KnELm69juik8VvGqgRaw0Rk1ZGvGPGMUPHMnd8YfijWtwInhEQjxH3oIVBqI14xlT50+cfYKEn4DfbTztNZFbWNIylzBIGZ9WoZJTw4OOhoB9z/AHhW6uIRujwJJ/bjbSD9Q/6KMcV7XOHup72ynJKsoLxwtjIPnrOKzvsu5qj4dcNNLHJIph7rEeksG1q2TqI22otbs0oummg7213bPxQofdhgjVR8ZCzsfmdh/ZFR+x3+V4f91P8AsihXO/Hkv72S5jR0RkiULJgNlFIPQkV3JPHksL6O5kR3RUkUrHgtlwADuQMbVPkuZ0cX+CqNb7VOernhskCW6RN3qSMTIGOChUDAUjPvVUex7i011xm4nuH1SSWrZwMKAJYgFUeQAxQLtM5wi4nLA8McsYiSRT3gUEl2QjGkn8k0G5O5jfh12tyiaxpaORM4LRMQTpPkwKqR8q259kli+l12b1bfy7N/V8H+IloBK4PNafCxwfnlj/zFI/8ASzwgO1yIp+/MYjI7rxlFJZU1atOMsfPzqgcL5/xxhuJ3ET6WRo1ij0syJpVUGTgHoSfia1aIqEn4L32rXCJfW5d1QG0uQCxAy2uI6RnzODVgsvweT+rV/wAKKAc0c+wz2khbh1x98hkWOR0gIGtCA2dZIGSDtQzl7tfs7ezt7aS2uGaKCKJsLGVYpGqtjLbjY9aBUzLeSOM+yXkE2fCpCvj/AEbDDf8A98K33leXHA5nX04kwPw9ouSDWNc+8Vgvrrv4IWhTukjCFUUl1ZyWwhxjDCrnyXzdp4ObJbW4kcR3ERkXuu7DzNIyklnBxhxnb1rTY2maXzJxPTYCXP8AGezKD699JGuPqGNUv7oL+JsvzofsmgfH+bZI+G2NpLazo6G1ZnbuysiWzKXKEPkklB1AqB2m88xcTjt1hhmQwzd63eBBlQpGFwx3rDkhqEnpGvdoHH5LCwkuYlRnQxAB86fHKiHON+jGvnW/4o11PLcPo1zPrYR50g6QuBnf8Wtbm7ZLFl0vZ3LDbZkhYHHwL1mfM/EEvLySe3haONxGqxlVU5VcHwpkbmp5Gmtl/jxan2jbuzaQrwW2YdRAxHzBcimrMLxbgqPdojNLA7nbAWUBgrp+SRjORQLlPmp7Kwht5uH3bGJCrMoiKHcnbMmcYPpUbjnaWqWjw23D54sxtEneLHHEmpSM4VjsOuBVOcfZFwlegz2L2rDgyHbVKZ3GdskuyjJ/s1Km4BKnL72cukypaSIdJyutFJTB8+i1SeXe1G2tuHR2awXHexwGPUoj098VOWB15xqOaVyt2qR29ilvex3MsoDq0o0OGDM2PEz5OxHWjkvYuEvRc+zlgeAw4/1eUfUa6znkXsltb7h0V5JPMjyCUlU0aR3cjoMZXPRBS+zHtKisrY2l1E5hVnMciAOQjsSUkT5k7jPXHlRDmDtVsoLI2nC4ZBlGRSyFI4lfOphk5ZvESPjWl/DLTWywfc9/yY35xJ+ylW/isa39jcxjpItxDtvh0Z4/t1LWM9l/aXbcMszbzRTsxlZ8xhCuGCgDdhv4TRfl3tXgsRPFcwT5e5nuIwojOmGeQyKreL3ss3T1oEYkFxseo/WOtWPlgeFvnQnjdxHJcTSRArG8juisACFdiwBA22zii/LPuH50T0aiGsV1diuqJQIlq7Wa8Ar3FQLDkZzXrCuipm9m0gHHnikxrtjsfEAh+ING7e9jnxrxjpVJAJJPrXhuiPOoPtnVFJIMcycupMwSD3j6elUuThc0EhR0OR1xuKuPBuIGAGQnxNsPgKm2XMUWJJZQudkGR19T+mqQm0qMySuyhmvKdvbhXlcqMKWOPlSKr/o7sQ1INOPTdBljbUoV7ilMtasRbrfigk4Y6MRqgOBk9Ufpt8DVPjIJrRuxXlu0vWu/aoFl0CHRrztq15xg+eP0UX4NyfYPx+8tmtozBHbxukZzpVz3WWG/XxH7avFdHFkl9mZS7EEHyqxckNdtJcJbaWxGsjRN+OoODp9Gq9f9gbROOiFrdTaS2rypEc6FmRkR8b/I/wBo1Xr9oeGcflWBFjhEONAyFy0Qbz/nU2qQRlboH8/Xeu5CqCFjjRQD64y2PqTVazSbi9aRmZjliST8ic4HwFMNJXJJWzvi0kPuau/IstvsHwGHWgvJqRhhLPGWUHCfklvPPxo5zQ8SuksCBVbZwPL0qc5LRuy08w8S7tO9ibUo2I8x8h50Iv8AjCzxaGVcEb/WgyXWVK9QRj7aj20LBRny2qTkMrE9t3TMPME/Z5GorxMx+FWPmPh+kq+dnG/zFCEarxlasTSYmGEKR6edEbiyhdGwCCBnp1xULNGbW7Ux6ANz1PwrowW5Ucny4pRsAR8PYxe7+iinFuWpJ5BIpwNCDf4CrJanwYoVem5J+9YI2GC2K9H5EOMU0edhk5OgB/2Sk8zip/D+GmEFSc1P4hfSwwhZvfO4IOQR6ZqPbzl1B9a4W2dKSF11divKwOmEe9FeiQUIWM53zSpD6GpFgsJKauiCjZ8gT9goZ3zetIluyFYsRjB/VTqw0QOHcVBBBO9TbdlPpVJGQetS4L1h54rUvj32hxz+GXFoA53PSoHHQpRUXGFyfKgg4m46NUd7tmO5ohhafY3lT0KhkINEIztQlwetTrabNbyRFinTol4pp1p0UhhUDoEAU8ozTJoxy3w4zSO+QEgiedyemlOi/MnFMNGndhgAmvEH4iWyH+kBIW/STRLl/wDCbiH5rF/3NA/ufZNUl835Xcn7e8NHOX/wm4h+axf9zXVDR5uT92X6SyR5o5ttcQkQEekmnWp+qKfpXzv2vbcZuD/Mh/dCtk5V4xq4lxO0Y7xyQzIP5kkKKwHyKA/2qxrtkP8A63uP6MH7sUT0aw/uimh9zivCaREN/mQPtNO3EJVipGCpwR8ajR12WrgN3rtjDtlW1CpljKXGGHTyNVfhFx3bgnpVkmvETDKRvXJki7LRfXZOhjVX36Z6UvjF6kYGDufKq/ecaB6daCXd+W6miOCTfYpZEifxbipkAUdB0+dC0Zs1F7/xUSQg9K6uHBUYjPkxKSnzoxwjGc0MdRTtpIwOF6mtYZ8Zpmc8HKDRbrRhTV7eJCdb9DttUCG1uvJTT8qsmDcrlc9K9bJkjkxnjwhLHMH8zXsc6IYiSB6jzpfD1xGo+FE0lsvTH0qUl5Z9M4+leZfg7Xb7A1dR32qz/LH2V1LoKBMUpLamCgHoK7iByQEUYxkmpi2CsxU5wDTFxw/T7prllOjq/HY2TGsZIUFsbD41V+OXDY0kAZ3q0R2mkb1UuZj9929BW8U+UqCcHGNgQ15muNeCu1HGeg16rV5XmaBD5bIpNu+DTYNeZooak0G4H2p4ChNnNvRWNtq5ZxpnfimpI4ijvB+KrDZ3kPdkvcIqKw6qAdwR6GgmKYM7KQVJBB6isI3LQ/w28lhz3UssROA3du8ecdM6SM+dSI72cSGVbiYSMNLSCVw7KMYBbOSNh9lOpx6VhplSKQeroNf/ABDBqLd3o/FjVfkSf107kZShtoal4nPHIZVnmErjDSCVw7DbAZs5I2HWo8s7ysXkdndsZd2LMcDAyTvXtzKhX3cPtuTnbz+VGra8sNA1W8urzKybZ+RG1UbaRLiuXSAGmi/FoCHViQxdEZiN/FjHX6ClSXtkvuW7Mf8AaSNpz8QOtQFY9T6nbyA8gPhSs2l2KKZFDnmKncmp0kmBQiV8k1rGvZjM+h5rj0pgsTT/AA+ykncRxLqdgxAyq7Ipdt2IAwqk/SiEnK94GCGHchj/ABkRAC6CdTatK/xkZ3IzrXHWrpI5OTBCVPt5sVMh5TvWAIgO/kXiDZ1OmNBbUDqjdQMbldqTb8v3TBGEXhddQYtGAF0q+XJbwZVlI1YyGGKUlZuMqFrJkUpCAQRUhOXbvOkQknvO6xqjz3gcxke901grq93O2a8fg1yAx7o+FVfIZCCjIZAUIbx+FWbC5OAfSoOB1rKiw8N4rKcYJ8qm80za1jJ9aGcLsLlNaFFzFjX44yU6e9hviCfQHfFGeJ8LmYBMKzLIynSyHJVwjFd9wGZQT5E74q2HG4xbbOf5GSM6SQISBfQVzWqfkiisHCJGLKoUlCFbxpgOWCBdWrBOpguAeu1PW3A5XKjCjV5syjA0s2W32yEfHrpNcvY+gH7Kn5Irqka0/KX/AIk/611FSH0Jj4i/w3PpTouCdyB+murqmythKRAYgSPSs85wUCfYYyB0r2uquJfYlkbK/ivFrq6uw5j2kmva6kB4K9G9dXUIQ4pojayHFdXVPNovg2TC21RerV7XVCJ2T0L1UiZtq9rqFsTEiIFhmpNdXUCiR5V6U8K6up+BrYxcHahqjrXtdVsejmzD/D+IPbyCWPGoB18QyMSRtG23yc0Wh55ukbUO73zkAMMgpChGVYEDFvGdiNwfI4rq6qHMxEPO10uk4jJUoclSSSkskwzv+VK30xVg5H45LeXCW0+GiWB0I8XiVURV1AkgYCL7oHTJzk11dQIHcQ52uop3RdGIrmWVQQ2Ae/aXSV1YK6yT0z8agpzjdCPugVCFEh21DCxxmJW2bdtLHOcjocV1dWTRZ+VONyzpcGQL99dmbAIwXVVbG/oo65xv6mjUfFpGePZQWklJIG4AlErKMk4VnUE/XGK6uqyX0MvaH4+IOukDTuUkOwyWWYTDJ9NSD6U5DxB/veTnu4ywB6HKMuCOgGHYbYO/Wurq4ro6KAnffAfp/wCtdXV1K2FI/9k=" style="cursor: move; height: 190px; margin-top: 0px; width: 249px;" /></a>"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in"... Of course Michael was talking about getting out of organized crime and finally operating only legitimate businesses, so though my 2018 lament is hardly comparable to killing and mayhem, I am regrettably and forever tied to social media. <br />
<br />
Last year in a heroic effort to cut myself off from all the political mudslinging, the never-ending barrage of memes and the bazillion Tasty food posts, I drastically cut back my Facebook involvement, opting to only follow family members. I rarely posted myself and I was marginally successful in curtailing my two dozen or so daily peaks into the app, limiting myself to one or two peaks a day.<br />
<br />
But social media is an insidious parasite, feeding upon your starved ego and regularly clamoring for your attention. So as much as I would love to say I'm "over it", I'd be lying. It seems that all I really did was substitute one habit (Facebook) for another (Instagram). And it really doesn't matter how you try to rationalize that Instagram is "so much better" than FB, it still hooks you.<br />
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As I began evaluating my life (as one always pretends to do on January 1 of any year) I realized the things that I wanted to change and or continue doing are tied to social media. Perhaps I am being to hard on myself (as is my custom) as we are in the tech age and it's not going away. I'll never be tweeting like the Donald, but Facebook and Instagram are powerful tools that I can use to further my personal goals. It's not like my brain will atrophy if I'm on my "devices" a few hours a day...or that I won't pay attention to my hubby or forget to cook dinner or even bathe. Besides, there are some very positive things happening in my little corner of the cyberspace.<br />
<br />
For instance, I am halfway through my fourth year of collaborating with Suzan Steinberg, owner of <a href="http://stonemountainfabric.com/">Stonemountain</a>- this week I will be making our 200th garment. Our hard work that we have invested in the <a href="http://fabriclady3.blogspot.com/">Fabric Lady</a> blog is really paying off - women are coming back to sewing their own clothes, all because we have made sewing a wardrobe popular. I'm always amazed that people recognize me in the store and talk about how we have inspired them to sew again. We rely on our social media connections to inspire, communicate and teach.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffmwp8IqOUut6LPmBRzPz9sDdfzPuO03l9OCD7gGVH9DC1ASo1dovy3pqrPIVgi-Defma41L7fDvBWHtxmxzKynkkhFDzF2wFV6qL0Tu0bJibGjUQucAbh-taTlUGZog0H2VVOf_isRg0/s1600/IMG_1288.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="360" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffmwp8IqOUut6LPmBRzPz9sDdfzPuO03l9OCD7gGVH9DC1ASo1dovy3pqrPIVgi-Defma41L7fDvBWHtxmxzKynkkhFDzF2wFV6qL0Tu0bJibGjUQucAbh-taTlUGZog0H2VVOf_isRg0/s640/IMG_1288.PNG" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabriclady: http:fabriclady3.blogspot.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In January I joined an Instagram challenge sponsored by Sarah Gunn to refrain from buying any ready to wear clothing in 2018. Sounds like a tall order, since I love me some Nordstrom's. But I am an impulse buyer anyway and granted, I do make most of my clothes, so I thought I'd give it a go. One whole year! There are over 1,000 women participating in this challenge and we can track each others successes within a private Facebook group. (I should mention that there are regular prizes and giveaways during the year and if I hadn't been on FB I would never have WON the first giveaway of the year!!! A $100 gift certificate to Mood Fabrics in New York City!!<br />
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I feel like I'm cheating on Stonemountain, but I have always wanted to go to Mood, ever since I started watching Project Runway. So for my gift card I will have to settle for online shopping.<br />
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I also track some five or six hundred women on Instagram. It's sound excessive, but most of them are sewists and designers. IG is a wonderful way to see what other people are working on and to see their completed projects. Another plus is that they have a "live" element that you can just scroll through and not not have to "click" on anything. No hands peeping.<br />
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I also joined a group of sewists on Instagram who sponsored a "secret Santa" kind of thing in December, where we would make a particular pattern and send it to another sewist as a Christmas gift. It was an international group, so I made this Linden Sweatshirt (that was the pattern we were all to use) by Grainline Studios and sent it off to the UK to <a href="https://englishgirlathome.com/">Charlotte (aka the English Girl at Home)</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXV9b3t-LUl5ZpTqP4kv6Lq1EGL3rv4l5_i7ASoAy3IEXoI3DCKwCl9BPXEam6-qgRGzJ-uVvIXpvz83oHG7PwzX0IKxYVxBHjtRo_taHCsfcYbBKf04cbRTR27IwsLu04Bpl7keeUfYzh/s1600/IMG_3273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXV9b3t-LUl5ZpTqP4kv6Lq1EGL3rv4l5_i7ASoAy3IEXoI3DCKwCl9BPXEam6-qgRGzJ-uVvIXpvz83oHG7PwzX0IKxYVxBHjtRo_taHCsfcYbBKf04cbRTR27IwsLu04Bpl7keeUfYzh/s640/IMG_3273.JPG" width="480" /> </a></div>
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And finally, I am reminded of how much I love to write, just by seeing my old blog posts pop up in my FB memories. I should be writing more. Maybe even journaling...it keeps my head straight, so to speak. I hope to revive this blog in 2018 (do I say that every January?) and try to capture some of that wit and humor that I used to have on my blog and not take myself so seriously. I'm 70 afterall, and we're supposed to do and say what we want. This isn't one of those witty posts, but at least it's a start.<br />
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I look forward to seeing more creativity, seeing more beauty in the world and hearing about your me-made garments, and of course sharing my own stuff. So here's to a great Social media year - 2018!!!<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Laurel. I'm back.</i></span></span></span></div>
<br />Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-59460614681710667542017-06-22T15:42:00.000-07:002017-06-22T15:42:15.826-07:00Celeste est fini...The Secret is in the ChainThe Chanel jacket is a commonplace garment worn by the well-heeled and best dressed, but only dreamt about by the likes of middle-America people like me. If we are blessed with a gift for dressmaking, then we can copy the styling of this iconic jacket with the help of pattern makers. My goal was to make a "Little French Jacket" using the couture techniques that make the big fashion houses famous, before I turned 70.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSEY59BAJjAYY_KLyAIB248BRuMczvLoduEUE_XG2xS2lJMR0atQK6lr2HTJHfU-Mgbtm_4gsfuiE7p_smpajYa_iGbV2ttygUMEE4OkPxy0HgT46cmkQ1xP85qaDDaHrT7xqvdNNL6Wa/s1600/IMG_6129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSEY59BAJjAYY_KLyAIB248BRuMczvLoduEUE_XG2xS2lJMR0atQK6lr2HTJHfU-Mgbtm_4gsfuiE7p_smpajYa_iGbV2ttygUMEE4OkPxy0HgT46cmkQ1xP85qaDDaHrT7xqvdNNL6Wa/s400/IMG_6129.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNN30qzNbmxVHc_awf4xhdoBvGDxcoFLZFd9vZgV_lyMvQjZfQu9rVOLA1mLh66lcI7SsMgjERry6S5outQ8Bk5hszKujdjuQnttzW0JI6PfSyDfJXjQPQlLRZSqt7UwJJb7bIw0M_k6Gq/s1600/IMG_2403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNN30qzNbmxVHc_awf4xhdoBvGDxcoFLZFd9vZgV_lyMvQjZfQu9rVOLA1mLh66lcI7SsMgjERry6S5outQ8Bk5hszKujdjuQnttzW0JI6PfSyDfJXjQPQlLRZSqt7UwJJb7bIw0M_k6Gq/s320/IMG_2403.JPG" width="240" /></a>I started my jacket in March of last year and named her Celeste. Though I didn't spend a year actually working on it, it was a time consuming and challenging project. I can normally make a complex garment like jeans or a lace dress in roughly four to six hours, but couture sewing techniques take time and patience, and lots of hand sewing. I tracked my time, documenting the various stages just to see how close I would come to the 100+ hours it takes the designers to whip one up.<br />
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Start to finish, Celeste took roughly 70 hours. I think part of the reason my time is shorter is that I didn't count in any customer fittings and I did use my machine in some parts of the construction. And, as much as I tried to make hand sewn buttonholes, they looked like crap, so I opted to make machine bound buttonholes instead. That would have probably added another 10+ hours to the total, plus the cost of a bottle of bourbon.<br />
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I have already documented some of the couture stages of the jacket construction in previous posts, but I wanted to give you a picture of some of the many aspects of the making of Celeste...and her final debut. It's funny that I finished her in a record setting heat wave in California, so I'll not be wearing her any time soon. She will just have to hang on Colette in my new sewing studio.<br />
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I won't even make you wade though the construction details to wait for a picture - here she is, up front and center...<br />
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Celeste est fini...</div>
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And here below, for all the sewing junkies, are some of the construction details...I made plenty of mistakes during the process and "would do it differently next time", if I were ever going to make another jacket. I will admit as much as I loved the hand sewing, I'll not be making another. Celeste is a one of a kind, once in a lifetime adventure, thank you.<br />
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Recall that the couture method starts with rectangles big enough to fit each pattern piece, the outlines of which are thread traced onto the rectangle. You don't actually cut the seams until after you match up the thread tracings and sew the seams...very opposite to standard garment construction.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEIDrsR-7WeZrHdN0TOy__QsiL8S0X_qA9EMo1UX0VL6mT1TbVdeBxW7d2ZgggyyKXqHyU-1hDlGrGtVisIadlBjONc8Qj440UM8aeNIsqOO9QEsd9hBN5I2fkivj01IUYcPZYaw80iBF/s1600/IMG_1810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEIDrsR-7WeZrHdN0TOy__QsiL8S0X_qA9EMo1UX0VL6mT1TbVdeBxW7d2ZgggyyKXqHyU-1hDlGrGtVisIadlBjONc8Qj440UM8aeNIsqOO9QEsd9hBN5I2fkivj01IUYcPZYaw80iBF/s640/IMG_1810.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The silk lining pieces are basted to the woolen fabric along the "quilting lines"</td></tr>
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The bound buttonholes which I chose to add were made with grey organza and reinforced. Wished I had used a darker organza,</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSni8oOl_f-r_P1vLRqH2AASHeXZi7OIWPUmAi8xb9FcFNBt_04g6CG1ZVtLrXb6ALUtQpElUFz6t-NZEknTK0kptHmSS_mbxKsTfxCkvpJ2whTmRHhHhR4vfZqS1CKkh0CJEHmWv0Mehb/s1600/IMG_6450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSni8oOl_f-r_P1vLRqH2AASHeXZi7OIWPUmAi8xb9FcFNBt_04g6CG1ZVtLrXb6ALUtQpElUFz6t-NZEknTK0kptHmSS_mbxKsTfxCkvpJ2whTmRHhHhR4vfZqS1CKkh0CJEHmWv0Mehb/s320/IMG_6450.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passable, but not Chanelish.</td></tr>
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The center front edges were also stabilized with organza "tape".</div>
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After the quilting on each piece was completed, the princess and side seams were sewn together, matching the thread tracings. The lining was then hand sewn at all the seams</div>
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The hem was also stabilized with some special bias tape that JoAnn's doesn't carry, and not wishing to drive to Stonemoutain or Britex, I ordered it off the Internet. Pick stitches hold it in place.</div>
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All the trim is sewn on by hand</div>
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The three piece sleeves are sewn together using the conventional method. (I must have laid awake for three nights trying to figure out how they would be constructed...until I went back to the book and saw that they are just a normal sleeve construction. I cut a narrow strip of that fancy tape to stabilize the sleeves, then hand sewed the hemline and sleeve vent. I did cheat on the vent - no buttonholes...another Chanel faux pas. </div>
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Adding the trims...</div>
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The lining is basted in and the quilting lines are added by machine.</div>
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I love the doing the "fell" stitch...all the lining pieces are sewn together and hemmed using this stitch. The trick is to keep them tiny.</div>
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Sleeve innards...</div>
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Finished sleeve...</div>
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I have put in so many set in sleeves in my life, they are not a problem for me. And any time you are sewing with a rich woolen fabric they are that much easier, as the fabric has a lot of give. (Be sure to always use a basting line to ease the sleeve into the armhole. I just pinned the sleeves in my normal fashion and sewed them with my machine.</div>
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The hardest part of this method is that the sleeve lining is all over the place and basically in your way. Once the sleeve is sewn in, the sleeve lining is then pinned to the bodice lining and hand sewn together.</div>
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The entire lining is hand sewn to the jacket fabric...and those dang buttonholes. Not very pretty.</div>
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One of the last steps is making the pockets. Originally I was only going to have two pockets, which is not very Chanel, but I ran out of one of the trims - the selvage edge of the fabric (the fabric was purchased three years ago at Stonemountain). As it was, I had to open up the back seam and cut off that selvage to make enough trim for the sleeves and pockets. But after sewing on the two lower pockets, I knew I needed to add the two upper pockets. Otherwise it's just another boxy jacket. I had one piece of the selvage edge, but it was cut too narrow. Solution - I just cut down the width a fraction of an inch and was able to make trim for the two upper pockets.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pockets are lined and hand sewn to the jacket.</td></tr>
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When all is said and done, it's not a Chanel-styled jacket unless it has a chain at the hemline. The Chanel chain gives the jacket it's "weight", and makes it hang better on your body. Plus the weight of the jacket is one of it's endearing features when you slip it on. The silk lining caresses your body...I can understand why you see a lot of sleeveless blouses underneath one of these jackets.</div>
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Even though I have enough fabric to make slim skirt from the wool, I'm just not that into suits anymore...and I can't even imagine a time that I'd wear one. My Celeste will look fabulous with a pair of leather pants or skinny jeans, some sling back pointy toed heels and a huge string of pearls. Fall can't come soon enough!!<br />
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<i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Laurel. Check that off the Bucket List!</span></span></i></div>
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Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-69352480060790097512017-05-30T08:40:00.003-07:002017-05-30T08:41:30.963-07:0050 Hours and It's Not Done yet...Celeste - Part 3<br />
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Over a year ago, I started an adventure making my first Chanel styled jacket...I named her Celeste. I wrote about her beginnings in earlier blogs ( see <a href="http://laurelsquill.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-ultimate-sewing-pinnacle-chanel.html">Ultimate Sewing Pinnacle </a>and <a href="http://laurelsquill.blogspot.com/2016/03/celeste-jacket-part-2.html">Celeste - Part 2 ), </a>but Celeste lay dormant for some time and when Spring of this year arrived, I vowed to finish her. I will be doing a final post when she's finished, complete with photos of my version of the couture process, but I wanted to give you another sneak peak.<br />
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To date, I have logged 50 hours into my Little French Jacket and when I say I only have to set in the sleeves, sew in the lining, attach the buttons and the Chanel-style chain at the hem, it sounds like I'm almost done, huh? Not so much...right now, I'm guessing that Celeste will be almost 80% sewn by hand, and 20% by machine by the time she's ready to step out. Keep in mind that even the most complex dress might take me 6 hours at most.<br />
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I love hand sewing, and I'm in no hurry... couture sewing can't be rushed. So I'll just keep plodding along and hope to have her ready for our Breckenridge trip in July, and before my 70th birthday in August. We are stopping by my sister's home in Salt Lake and I can't wait to introduce her to Celeste. Jane is an excellent seamstress who makes the most beautiful garments. The last time I visited her, she whipped out a <u>full length</u> double breasted coat from the closet, made in stunning blue-back (HEAVY) wool, and fully lined. I was so impressed...not that I couldn't do it, but that I wouldn't! Where would I wear it in California? Rubbish!.. she can probably out-sew me tenfold. ( I always wanted to use that in a sentence...LOL!) <br />
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She will love Celeste...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sleeve Guts"</td></tr>
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Oh Celeste, I love you already...</div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Laurel. Bucket List check-off coming up.</span></span><b><br /></b></div>
<br />Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-73310172193472507482017-03-12T13:54:00.000-07:002017-03-12T13:54:02.334-07:00Graduate ScarvesI have written about making graduation scarves (<a href="http://laurelsquill.blogspot.com/2015/06/scarves-of-pride.html">Scarves of Pride )</a> for the graduates of Women's Empowerment ("WE") 8 week job readiness training. WE holds about 4 to 5 sessions a year, and I've been making their scarves for maybe two years. It's just another way to use my sewing talents for good.<br />
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This March graduating class will the the first class to hold their ceremony in the B Street Theater in downtown Sacramento. It's a great venue for such an auspicious occasion, so I thought I might make something special this time. The graduates always choose their colors, and this class chose Gold and Burgundy. I immediately thought of the USC Trojans and decided perhaps a touch of femininity might be in order, lest we look like football fans.<br />
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Serging the edges of this Poly charmeuse is the easy part...I used a beautiful shiny gold thread and set my Imagine on a narrow rolled hem setting.<br />
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The fabric is not as drapey as a silk (way too expensive), so I thought I might pleat it, so that it would lay flat around the neck. A hand made flower in burgundy fabrics will be attached.<br />
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I've made "silk" flowers before and they are not that hard, just time consuming. All you need is several sized squares and a candle. Using Polyester fabric is important as it melts. Silk would catch fire and burn.<br />
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Watch your fingers!!</div>
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I chose gold beads (6) to hold the layers (4) together.</div>
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They are sewn on to the pleated scarf, about 18 inched from the bottom of one side.</div>
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Finished!</div>
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I hope the graduates feel special. It's always a pleasure to attend the ceremony, even if it is a three-hankie event. Their stories are incredible and their accomplishment is profound. </div>
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I love being a part of this awesome organization. </div>
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Read all about it on the web at <a href="http://www.womens-empowerment.org/">http://www.womens-empowerment.org/</a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Laurel. Giving Back.</span></i></span></div>
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Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-23514982957681438902017-03-10T07:54:00.002-08:002017-03-10T07:55:28.404-08:00My first ever Trunk Show!!My favorite fabric store <a href="http://www.stonemountainfabric.com/">Stonemountain and Daughter Fabric</a> is scheduling an event featuring all the garments that I've sewn for the Suzan, aka <a href="http://fabriclady3.blogspot.com/">FabricLady</a>. We have enjoyed a 3+ year collaboration, sewing, blogging, wardrobe planning and a special friendship. Others on her team will be joining in the fun and I can't say how thrilled that I am to be a part of this special day.<br />
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If you live in the area, I hope that you will come by. Suzan's blog has a huge following and I am a contributor. Actually, it's part of the reason that I've let Laurel's Quill flounder for the past few years. My process is simple: sew, take photos, write about it. It's not a job, even though I'm busy with it at least 3 or 4 days a week on average. It's that our collaboration hits all my creative buttons, not to mention it's great to be a part of watching Stonemountain's garment fabric side flourish.<br />
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Meanwhile, you know how I am - got an event? Make an outfit!!! We have been concentrating on the Independent pattern designers for the last year, so I try to stick with them even in my own wardrobe.<br />
I chose three simple patterns from 100 Acts of Sewing and three coordinating fabrics to make a casual layered look.<br />
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And would ya check out those shoes?? I got them yesterday just to match my outfit! Love pointy toes!!<br />
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The tops are simple so adding pockets is a creative way to jazz them up...</div>
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You get the idea. The fabrics are soft and they will transition into Spring (even Summer) very nicely. I still have several outfits to whip up before the event, so I better get this studio cleaned up from yesterday's melee. Funny, but I sew the same way I cook: messy, messy messy. But who wants to be stifled by wiping down the counters during Beef Wellington prep or picking up scraps and pins while sewing a Dior?</div>
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Oh and about that Beef Wellington? Incredible!!</div>
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Oh MY!!!!! </div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Laurel. Sewist and Cook...sorta.</span></i></span></div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-40942081094158722602017-03-01T10:49:00.000-08:002017-03-01T10:49:07.230-08:00Catching upMy oh my, how my blog has suffered over the past year. I've been in a cocoon of sorts, just not inspired to write too much. Is that considered "writer's block"? But even as I haven't written or posted, I've certainly been busy with the usual Laurel "things" - sewing, volunteering, knitting, eating, drinking and hunkering down by the fireplace. <br />
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Writing is sometimes easy, and sometimes it's elusive. Over the past year I had fleeting thoughts of a blog post, but they left without so much as a nod. I've been on a mission in the last few months to do a little less and just "Be" a little more. In periods of quiet introspection, I wanted this, my final year in the 60's, to be one of consequence. Approaching 70 is tough. But there is a certain peace that is suppose to come at my age, an acceptance of yourself and a ceasing of dragging yourself down with negativity, etc.<br />
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I all but gave up on Facebook this year, following only a few family members. I only check it once a day usually, which is considerably less than the 20-30 times a day that became my habit. I would have ditched it all together, but for my collaboration with Suzan and my own Laurel's Quill page. Looking for approval (still?) after 70 years is a tad negative (did I really mean pathetic, LOL!) in and of itself. And I must admit the election cycle last Fall with all it's memes, negativity, bashing, etc. did me in.<br />
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These days, I am concentrating on what I love to do most...<br />
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Reading, knitting, etc. in my cozy little corner in the Hacienda...if the urge to drop off hits me, then slumber away, little grasshopper...</div>
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Creating fabulousness for me and Suzan in my She-Cave Studio...</div>
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Starting to draw and paint again...</div>
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Started knitting again...notice how I've got a theme of "relaxation" going here...</div>
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Keep the sewing machine humming along with Me-Made clothes...</div>
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Trying to be more stylish and yet be comfortable in my age.. </div>
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Finish stuff I started forever ago...</div>
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Get back to entertaining (I love to set a pretty table) once in a while...dinner guests this weekend...Beef Wellington, huh! </div>
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Find my natural hair color...it's been red for so long, people believe I am a redhead...my sweet daughter Amy the hairdresser says "you're grayer than you think, Mom". Bring it on!!</div>
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Keep eating healthier...gave up caffeine for the umpteenth time...</div>
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And yes, working out. When you have to heave yourself out of the front seat of your car, it's time...</div>
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Do more Girlfriend things...</div>
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And, most importantly, feed my soul through my collaboration with Suzan (aka <a href="http://fabriclady3.blogspot.com/">FabricLady)</a></div>
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with who I have been working with for almost 4 years. Now, she keeps up HER blog (I am a contributor), so if you really want to know what I'm doing, just go there. LOL!</div>
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I spent a couple of hours yesterday in my Corner Chair, looking at photo albums of our trips through the years and old blog posts. I used to write so much, but these days I'm a poster of my life on Instagram. I love photography and the spontaneity of it all. I've tried Medium as a vehicle for writing, but perhaps I should just give this old blog a jump start and try it back on for size.<br />
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we'll see...<br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Laurel. Age is just a number.</span></i></span></div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-62046771153711909332016-12-12T10:57:00.000-08:002016-12-12T10:57:21.965-08:00Requiem for FacebookI've been mulling over a personal change for over almost a year. I'm saying goodbye to Facebook. I know, it sounds like a drastic action for a self-admitted social media junkie for the past 10 years, but I fear my FB relationship with "me" has become toxic over the years. I will be 70 in 2017 and I am weary of the inner strife that trying to please others has brought me, and FB is just a painful daily reminder. I think it's time to grow up.<br />
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It hit me like a slap in the face in the wee hours of the morning. I woke up with my ear buds still in my ears - playing nothing, I might add (as is my Pandora habit), I turned on the little iPad on my pillow to "see what's going on" with my friends in social media. It took me almost a whole 30 seconds to scan through posts of Memes, re-posts of political satire, ads for Target, and various other non-personal diatribes. There were a few cat photos (at least that's personal!), pretty scenery and inspirational messages, but for the most part, nothing. Nothing.<br />
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You might say, perhaps a better group of friends, Laurel? The truth is that I have many FB friends, many of whom I love dearly. I have culled that list over the years, so if you are still seeing my posts, you're still there. During the election from Hell, I stopped "Following" many, as I was exhausted trying to weed through all the vitriol and BS. Though the list is short these days of friends that I follow, I am nevertheless weary of what FB has become...it's not YOU, it's just become a platform of sorts for what others think I want to read - I guess that's why they call it social media. I guess I just don't really care whether the Olsen twins have changed and "read here to find out why". <br />
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But more to the point on this, perhaps my last FB diatribe, I am even more weary of my tiresome addiction to combing through it everyday (several times a day) looking for what, I'm not sure. All it does is make me crabby. I already took it off my iPhone as it sucks your battery dry - is that not a great metaphor?<br />
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Compare this fruitless exercise to a stroll through my Instagram. I follow a lot of people (hundreds, in fact) on this social media site and I can scan through countless beautiful photos (and some bad ones too) from creative artists, sewists, and well, people like me. IG is short and sweet, with few ads and when you click on a hashtag/link you usually are not bombarded by ads or other links. Sure, those IG accounts exist, but at least I have the choice to see what I want to see. It's not necessarily more "personal" than FB, but what occurred to me this morning was that it made me happy, made me smile, made me want to create, want to learn and want to inspire others.<br />
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I think it is ironic that in the same breath that I decided to close my FB account in 2017, I was inspired this morning by reading a very personal, very touching account of a friend's personal struggles this year and her hope for a better 2017. Posts like this one are few and far between, because most of us will not risk having our lives out there for everyone to see. We hide behind memes and re-posts of others' thoughts and beliefs instead of giving others all a real piece of ourselves. I too am just as guilty, lest you not "Like" me for what and who I truly am. And isn't that the real goal of FB - to be Liked? To be accepted? Even the marketers have that as their goal, let's be real.<br />
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Yes, let's be real. Me and my "non-confrontational, can't we all just get along and love one another, did you Like my post" self is going to give it a rest. It's huge for me, so let's call it what it is...anyone who is facing 70 should finally NOT give a rip what anyone thinks. And you should not keep doing things that don't give you joy and zest for life.<br />
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But please know that I love you all for who you really are, for your caring hearts and brilliant minds, and not necessarily for your FB posts. Thankfully, I KNOW you better than that.<br />
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I haven't written on this blog for almost 6 months...I can't promise that I will start or be more regular with posts, although I started it because I love to write - I just got bogged down by whether I was "followed" and again, "Liked". See? Time to get over myself!!<br />
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So, if you want to keep up with my endless photos of sewing, good food, family, places where I go, and general thoughts on life, you can find me on IG, FabricLady's blog which I ghost write, and maybe even this blog, if I get really ambitious. And if you have a great photo to share or want to chat, then by all means, pick up the phone or drop me an email.<br />
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Life is short...eat cake, laugh with friends, hug your family. Be real...yeah and I'll probably peek to see if you liked my post, LOL!<br />
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Laurel<br />
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<a href="http://fabriclady3.blogspot.com/">FabricLady's Blog</a><br />
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My IG account @laurelsquill<br />
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Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-9356536505077764902016-06-18T11:17:00.000-07:002016-06-18T11:17:58.502-07:00The Quest continues...One year ago I started to walk in earnest. My goal was to get stronger - I didn't want to be one of those bent over old ladies who couldn't get themselves out of a chair. I wasn't in terrible shape at the time, but I felt weak in so many ways. I set out on the all weather track at the local high school and found that I loved the rhythm of the oval. I walked all summer and, much to my chagrin, they threw me off the track in late August when school started. I continued walking with my daughter at the local Mall, but it wasn't the same.<br />
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That first mile one year ago was a little tough on the legs, and to say that I was a little winded would be an understatement. I decided to document my progress by using a stopwatch. I have always been obsessed with track and field events and just timing myself made me feel like a "miler". <br />
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Far from it, little grasshopper...</div>
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Fast forward - it's June again, and school is out. The track is empty, unless of course you count the other wanna-be's out there like me. And this year I am more determined than ever to get stronger, but even more than that...I will be be 69 this August, and I want to be able to actually run a mile by my birthday. Yes, the whole mile...running.</div>
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Today on this beautiful Saturday morning, I'm back on the track. </div>
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One year later to the day, my walking time has improved...</div>
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But I said I wanted to run...so I've started to run as much as I can around the track </div>
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for four laps or one mile...It's not much running so far, but here's my second mile </div>
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and my first running attempt...</div>
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I know I'll never be a Jim Ryun, but there a lot of people even older than my 68 years who can run a lot farther than one mile. I just want to be one of them. Stronger. Healthier. </div>
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I finished this morning just in time for the arrival of some potential recruits...</div>
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Meanwhile...after the workout (also do lunges and stairs), a little nourishment by the pool...some proteins, carbs (yeah, I know) and morning caffeine (because "it doesn't cause cancer" now) and my "pills" - the tiny one for my blood pressure, the white one to keep the urinary track on track and the orange one (turmeric) just cuz it's supposed to be good for your liver and joints.</div>
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And then...let the games begin....</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarves for the Women's Empowerment grads....</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Laurel. Miler.</span></i></span></div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-8488234614764774542016-06-05T09:43:00.000-07:002016-06-05T09:43:19.163-07:00The CurseI've always wondered why such a natural process might be called a "curse". I'm referring to a woman's menses, her period. It's been given many pejorative names over the years - "ride the cotton pony", "on the rag", "leak week", and the less innocuous "my monthly friend" and "that time of the month". <br />
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In fact, I'm kind of thinking that men have coined most of the subhuman phrases to basically devalue an albeit inconvenient but vital process for procreating humanity into perpetuity. Right down to the Donald's off color, ill-conceived and some what subliminal referral to what seemed like Ms. Kelly's period during a presidential debate, men (and women too!) have have blasted, sneered at, made fun of and grumbled over a woman's menstrual cycle through out history. And here in our Western civilization especially, we women have largely ignored the jokes and ridicule partly because we have the "luxury" of handling our bodies conveniently and without great notice... and of course, with the help of a ceaseless array of products, pills, sprays and whatever else we might need. We breeze through our cycles and never miss a beat in our busy lives - we can "even ride bicycles and swim!" and we teach our daughters to do the same. We don't even know the meaning of a curse.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Wy9AC7GOYul2XZxpAtVV_cwJj_Kl1JrTYkHEPDp6QxOwKtECdaFB40VpveTWgWI0khfhla-PNS1BGv3ismMQjSCTiVduUwpcx4zyGPk7HRXLM43uNJriGpcyWjogR0bxGbDcYRotH32L/s1600/IMG_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Wy9AC7GOYul2XZxpAtVV_cwJj_Kl1JrTYkHEPDp6QxOwKtECdaFB40VpveTWgWI0khfhla-PNS1BGv3ismMQjSCTiVduUwpcx4zyGPk7HRXLM43uNJriGpcyWjogR0bxGbDcYRotH32L/s400/IMG_0045.JPG" width="300" /></a>Such is not the case in third world countries. Njeri was born in Kenya and came to the U.S. to further her education. She is a mother, grandmother and on-fire Christian today and an active advocate for changing the lives of young girls in Africa through one means:<i> <b>sustainable, reusable sanitary pads</b></i>. She knows first hand the "power of the pad" because she was there. She lived the nightmare growing up.<br />
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There are no menstrual products in most remote regions of the world. Even if we do-gooders shipped cases of Always and Kotex products to Africa, they have no organized means of disposing them, let alone toilets to flush them (even though we know you're not supposed to do that!). Young girls, from the first days of their period are taught how to handle their cycle but the only means available - grass, leaves, sticks, feathers, rocks and if they're lucky, mattress stuffing - <i><b>anything to stay in school. </b></i> They are shunned and shamed by boys, so as a result they stay home and miss up to eight months of schooling over a three year period. Some girls have sat in a pile of dirt for those days if they have nothing to use, adding to their shame. If they are really lucky, they have a make-shift barrier made from harsh animal skin strapped to their legs, while they stand to take tests at school. But even worse, many are forced into prostitution by men at the tender age of 11 or 12, trading sex for pads. We can't even imagine such a deplorable scenarios.<br />
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Listening to Njeri this past weekend talk about her organization's efforts to supple reusable, sustainable hygiene kits for girls in Kenya and other African countries was a real life reminder of why our sew fests have incorporated the Days for Girls ministry. Yards and yards of cotton and flannel are cut, stitched and serged into pads for girls. A kit can last a young girl up to three years - <i><b>that's three full years of education reclaimed.</b></i> These kits, as Njeri attests, can change a girls destiny. She no longer has to skip school, she is no longer susceptible to becoming fodder for the human trafficking machine and her risk of contracting HIV is significantly lessened. She maximizes her dignity and value as a woman, increases her chances of becoming a contributing member of her community through education.<br />
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It rocked my soul to listen to Njeri. Her words of encouragement to the sew fest ladies were moving. We ARE changing the life of a young girl somewhere on the other side of the world. Just like our little dresses, these hygiene kits are a small sacrifice of time in order to give a girl dignity and a fighting chance for a better life. Who knew such a life could be impacted by such a small thing?<br />
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To learn more about Njeri's non-profit organization, go to <a href="http://upendowomensfoundation.org/">Upendo Women's Foundation</a>, which she founded. Njeri uses kits similar to those we make through our <a href="http://www.daysforgirls.org/">Days for Girls.</a> Come to a Bayside sew fest and help make these life-changing kits yourself.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Laurel. The Power of the Pad.</span> </div>
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<br />Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-5266745086571151042016-06-03T21:20:00.000-07:002016-06-03T21:20:05.044-07:00Just for Me...I've been lost in the beauty of summer mornings and evenings lately, spending quiet time reflecting on my renewed efforts to live more in the moment. It's so easy for me to focus on "have to's", worries and struggles instead of doing things that bring me joy and peace.<br />
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This month marks the third anniversary of my collaboration with Suzan (aka <a href="http://fabriclady3.blogspot.com/">FabricLady</a>) and <a href="http://www.stonemountainfabric.com/">Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics</a>. Zan and I have a date on the books for later this month, but today I just felt like taking the drive to Berkeley to hang out at the shop - you know, living in the moment! Normally it's quite a frenetic bustle on our scheduled "Fit and Fun" days - I bring completed garments, we have fitting and photo sessions, we peruse the new fabrics and patterns, have lunch and I somewhere in between, I usually have a little time to shop for fabrics to add to my stash. It's fun and exciting and hectic all at the same time.<br />
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But today, I just wanted to leisurely stroll the aisles, to see what might jump out at me. I also spent some time talking with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tildenshop/">Tilden Yamamoto</a>, an Oakland designer who was doing a sewing demo in a sunny window of the shop. It was cool to watch another sewist/designer's "process".<br />
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Zan's young and hip buyers at <a href="http://www.stonemountainfabric.com/">Stonemountain</a> are bringing in the most unique fabrics these days- shelves of double gauze that had me drooling...ikats by the dozens all begging me "pick me!" I must have been thinking about the beauty of nature, as everything that caught my eye today was green.<br />
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And that's what I came home with....they are like little works of art.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy double gauze - a Scout tee? And a summer dress?</td></tr>
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I need a little shift to wear by the pool...Love this ikat!! </div>
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Think I'll use the batik to create a facing around the neck and armholes.</div>
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And let's pick up a couple of Indie patterns...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love View B...probably use that double gauze tiny print above</td></tr>
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It was a wonderful few hours in Bay...right up until the traffic on the way home. Oh well...a day at Stonemountain with Zan and the staff is worth a couple of hours of frantic Friday drivers.<br />
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Can't wait to dive into these projects!!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Laurel. Are you "Green with envy"?</span></i></span></b></div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-76962985364950291632016-05-05T08:56:00.000-07:002016-05-05T08:56:37.757-07:00Sew busy....My blog writing has suffered these past couple of months. It's times like this that I begin to question my propensity toward over-commitment....too many balls in the air? The problem is that I love everything I'm doing. We over-achievers are like that, thinking we can do it all, have it all.<br />
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Can we? You tell me.<br />
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<br />Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-86185384533523160022016-03-09T09:38:00.000-08:002016-03-09T09:38:38.861-08:00"Celeste" - The Jacket, Part 2I remember when I used to make a wedding gown, I would ponder for days, even weeks, before I would actually cut a thread of an expensive satin or lace. I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the pattern, the order of assembly, a particular technique that I would need to use. Hours of planning, mentally obsessing about the gown...and then one day I would just jump in and start cutting.<br />
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Making a couture jacket has been no different for me. It has been hard to get it out of my head these past two months, and yet I had not moved forward to take the first steps. Fear? Not really. It's just that the techniques for Claire Schaeffer's Chanel-styled jacket are polar opposite to the way that I have learned to sew. Daunting is perhaps a better word.<br />
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In every couture garment process the making of a muslin is absolutely essential. And since I have made many a muslin for myself and <a href="http://fabriclady3.blogspot.com/">FabricLady</a>, it was a breeze to use the pattern in a traditional way. And so began "Celeste" - made of humble muslin fabric, all to check the pattern for fit, BEFORE I actually cut in her wool.<br />
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I cut the pattern pieces exactly as they were designed for my "size". Patterns have changed over the years...I used to be a perfect 12, but these days, I need a Vogue 16 to fit my busty size. I then sewed it together in the traditional manner: princess seams, side and shoulder seams, then sleeves.<br />
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The jacket was still a little small around the bust. I discovered that the side panel under the sleeve was designed to be smaller than I would have normally done - the seams on the three-piece sleeves should match the seams on the jacket under the arm, and they didn't. So to alter the jacket around the bust line, I just made the side panel wider to match the sleeve seams. Voila! It fit!<br />
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I dismantled the whole muslin thinking I would use it for my final pattern pieces and there it sat for several weeks. I again lay awake nights trying to figure out how I was going to transfer all those markings to my fabrics. Muslin is not transparent (duh!). After some research on various marking techniques, I decided on tracing paper - it's a little more sturdy than pattern tissue. So finally, after weeks of brain drain I was ready to begin Celeste.<br />
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The tracing paper pattern pieces have all the 5/8" seam allowances removed, as described in Ms. Schaeffer's technique. (Don't forget that you have to get her book if you want to sew your jacket using her couture techniques, as the Vogue Pattern instructions describe the traditional assembly process.)<br />
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And something else I'm not used to doing when I start a garment - cutting ONE section at a time, rather than cutting out ALL the pieces, all the linings and interfacing in one sitting. I started with the jackets fronts...just because Ms. S. does so in her book.<br />
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I cut my large rectangles of wool and silk organza and then settled into a make shift table top in my comfy easy chair by the window, where I had envisioned myself doing all that intricate hand sewing. I used a couple of different colors of thread to do my markings. (I eventually scrapped the recommended white thread as I could barely see it.)<br />
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After thread marking of the entire parameter of the jacket front, I marked and hand stitched the organza interfacing to the wool and basted the quilting lines. I then machine sewed the quilting line, using a 4mm running stitch. (Remember that I had checked out the quilting lines in the real Chanel RTW jackets in the Nieman's Chanel salon and found they were done with a machine, rather than hand stitched) So I guess Celeste won't be considered "Haute Couture", as her fabric has been touched with a machine presser foot and needle. Oh well. <br />
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The final quilting line is hard to see, but that's the point. It's just meant to help the jacket hold it's shape better and keep the fabric from pulling away from the lining - not be a design element.<br />
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I spent a little over four hours on Celeste yesterday, largely because I thread traced on side of the jacket in the same direction as the other side - whoopsie - the two fronts should be a mirror image! At any rate, it was great to actually get in there and start sewing. I'll be finishing the two fronts, marking the button holes, adding some stay tape, and maybe even starting the hand sewn buttonholes.<br />
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Until then.<br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Laurel. Just do it. </span></i></span></span></div>
<br />Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-52308474788684029112016-03-04T07:50:00.003-08:002016-03-04T08:44:33.280-08:00The Ultimate Sewing Pinnacle - ChanelAt some point in a sewist's life of creativity, a deep yearning for a couture garment arises. Whether she acts upon that urge to create a sewn masterpiece or talks herself down from the whole scary proposition is directly proportional to the no-fear, self-confidence and inner crazy inside her.<br />
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I have sewn many a wedding gown and tailored a few coats in my lifetime, but I can't say that I've truly made a garment worthy of being called couture. I joined the American Sewing Guild several months ago, largely because they had a small neighborhood group designated as the "Couture Group". I imagined that at the very least it would be a group a women who probably sewed as well as myself and at best, I would be able to pick the brains of some incredible sewists better than myself. Either way, I would be inspired to create!<br />
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So began this journey into couture sewing and the world of Chanel. To a sewist, the classic Chanel jacket is a masterpiece of design and hand sewn Nirvana. For Mr. Lagerfeld and his haute couture team, a Chanel jacket is the culmination of over 130 hours of painstaking care in every seam and stitch. Their techniques are closely guarded and unless you fork over the $4 - 5K to buy one yourself and rip it apart, you will only get bits and pieces of his genius. To make such a garment is the height of accomplishment for any sewist. And I am no different - I have to say "I did it", before old lady impatience and bad eyesight get the best of me.<br />
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Ms. Claire Schaeffer is a Chanel addict/collector, and fortunately for us run of the mill hoi-polloi, she is a Vogue pattern designer: hence, a Chanel - styled jacket for the masses. So I will start with her and take you on a journey with "us" in my blog, making my first ever couture garment.<br />
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Vogue pattern in hand.... </div>
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Her book ordered Amazon...</div>
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Watching and re-watching the DVD...taking notes</div>
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I had several pieces of wool fabric to choose from: 1) a beautiful wool that I picked up from Britex the year that retired from SureWest and I vowed at that time to make something special. It's been in my stash ever since; and 2) a lovely soft grey tweedy wool with some metallic threads that I picked up from Stomemountain that I was going to make into a swing coat. At first I thought I would go with the Britex wool, but in the end, my shiny crow-like personality decided that a jacket with gold threads would absolutely compliment my skinny jeans (yep, that's what I plan to wear my couture jacket with!)</div>
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There is no other fabric lining choice for a couture garment than silk. I'm using a beautiful Silk Charmeuse...<span class="IPA" title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)"></span>a lightweight fabric <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabric" title="Fabric"></a> woven with a satin weave<a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satin_weave" title="Satin weave"></a>, in which the warp<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warp_%28weaving%29" title="Warp (weaving)"></a> threads cross over three or more of the backing weft
threads - technical talk that just says the front of the fabric has a smooth
finish—lustrous and reflective—whereas the back has a dull finish. Stonemoutain And Daughter Fabrics in Berkeley CA (you already know it's my favorite store!) has such a huge selection it was hard to choose, but I landed on this one - who doesn't look beautiful in peach, even if it is on the inside?<br />
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The interfacing on a Chanel jacket is also critical. Even though I own yards of fusible pellon and woven interfacing, using any version of self-sticking interfacing would be like making "a purse from a sow's ear" - suffice it to say, a ghastly faux pas in the world of couture! And thus, I spare no expense, and go right for the silk organza. Either of these amazing fabrics is not found at any Joanne's or Hancock's that I've ever been to...so get your big girl panties on and make the trip to Berkeley.<br />
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The only thing perhaps more important than choosing quality fabrics is choosing the right trim and buttons. Chanel jackets have all manner of trim designs and materials. The jacket styles of today are now as varied as any haute couture designer's runway showing, but Coco's classic designs have withstood the test of time - they are as fashionable today as they were decades ago. The only way to truly capture the essence of their genius is to actually go look at them, up close and personal.<br />
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I would have posted pictures here, but alas, that too is a no-no. I strolled through Neiman Marcus' Chanel boutique, lifted a few hemlines, fondled a few sleeves and asked for a photo of the salon. And since I don't know Mr Lagerfeld personally to ask his permission, NO Iphone pics for me! I totally respect that. The sweet salesman did ask if I wanted to try one on...I chickened out. I have an aversion to trying on garments that I have no intention of buying - like I have an extra $4 grand in my checking account!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The salesman thought Karl might be filming the salon with hidden security cameras (joke)!</td></tr>
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Across the street from Neimans and a few steps away from a Chanel store is Britex, a five or six floor mecca of expensive fabrics, trims and all things sewing. I used to shop in it regularly...until I found Stonemountain. But they do boast a huge selection of trims, so it's worth the drive over the Bay Bridge and into the massive traffic snarl of Downtown San Fransisco.<br />
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I spent over two hours, pulling trims, ribbons and buttons. And after all that contemplation and discussion (everyone on the floor had an opinion!) I opted to pair a trim with what would be a self-made trim using the selvage edge of my wool fabric. A little chain for the hem, some trim and buttons and my purchases for this jacket are complete...maybe...<br />
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I'll probably watch that DVD again...you have to get the entire sewing "process" clear in your brain before you start cutting, mainly because Ms Schaeffer's pattern instructions detail the "traditional" assembly process that I know backwards and forward, but her couture technique is something I have never done before. It's not intuitive for an old school seamstress, but a process that I'm already starting to obsess over in the wee hours of a fitful sleep. And I haven't even cut an inch of fabric yet.<br />
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Just for the heck of it, I will track my hours and $$ spent making my jacket. I can't help but wonder if my time investment will rival that of the couture houses that do this all the time. Of course, I don't have any little sweat-shop helpers armed with needles and thimbles...just me.<br />
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So, on to my "toile" - that's a muslin to you and me - if it doesn't "FIT" right, then it's not worth making.<br />
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I shall name her Celeste. Heavenly. </div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><i> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Laurel. Channelling Chanel.</span></i></span></div>
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Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-86919229665741055112016-01-17T11:04:00.000-08:002016-01-17T11:04:46.900-08:00Sharing a Laugh...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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" 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" style="height: 168px; margin-top: 0px; width: 300px;" /></a>Real Life is not winning a Power ball Ticket. But I bought one
anyway. There’s a hefty number of shrinks who will tell us all that “it’s
gambling”, “it’s the thrill of it”, etc. that keeps us buying those little
orange tickets. I would agree with most of that over-analyzing, but I don’t
feel guilty for falling prey to the hype of winning a billion dollars.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My Mom and I sat in a Chinese restaurant last week and made
a pack to buy two tickets using our the numbers from our recently opened
fortune cookies. We would split the billion in half. We shook on it. Sounds
relatively innocuous for a lunch time topic, but what ensued after that was far
from our normal days together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We laughed. And laughed again. And again – coming up with
all the things we were going to do with our winnings. My Mom and I used to
laugh all the time over silly things, but as we have both aged, it doesn’t seem
to happen that we act like high school freshman, giggling and belly-laughing at
our own humor. Ours was an irreverent humor that we shared, laced with sarcasm and cynicism, often totally ridiculous and usually not PC.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I listed all the things she said, you would probably
yawn…it was clearly one of those moments where “ya had to be there” to laugh
now. As we were driving over the bridge to Marysville, she dead panned “I
know, I’ll buy Marysville”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you grew
up in Marysville, a town surrounded by a levy system that is stagnating because
of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it’s non-growth and old school
politics, you’d get how funny that was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At another point in the car, she told me that even if we one $4 dollars,
she wanted her half…because she needed some stamps. I was dying! I told her for
a million bucks I would manage her money for her, which sent her off into a
coughing fit. And I reminded her that when she croaked, I would still get more
money that she did, as I would inherit my "daughter's" share of her estate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP96stn9mk8uUGOxdFStKwwxuyb5bedBavYIm9gwSEhO4qp8wC_ZqjSpTQWp7gnnWa9NvgFVXs134JOm6AkeMJpfxhLShDkwt7amDjQCKMcw4DwO2CnWMaaIrDMOCuOsktRBgESIwRlZwS/s1600/IMG_3862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP96stn9mk8uUGOxdFStKwwxuyb5bedBavYIm9gwSEhO4qp8wC_ZqjSpTQWp7gnnWa9NvgFVXs134JOm6AkeMJpfxhLShDkwt7amDjQCKMcw4DwO2CnWMaaIrDMOCuOsktRBgESIwRlZwS/s320/IMG_3862.JPG" width="239" /></a>It wasn’t so much the notion that we had a snowball’s chance
in hell of winning, it’s that it was a “good” day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mom is soon to be 91 and she said that day
that she’s starting to “feel” old. We have our shopping days together every two
weeks, and usually talk about innocuous things. I bring her up to speed with
the going-on with the kids and their families, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She’s from a different era than I, lived in the country the
better part of her whole life. We have the typical mother-daughter issues
that I have spent years trying to overcome. I pretty much avoid the tricky
topics (I leave those to Dave who adores his occasional porch-side political chats
with her). I guess I hadn’t realized that we hadn’t laughed a lot together in years
like we used to...until we laughed together over Power Ball. The price of the ticket was worth it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a good day. Even if we didn’t win.</div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-83338708192090499442016-01-03T08:39:00.001-08:002016-01-03T08:39:57.982-08:00If you don't write it down...Does it still count as a resolution? Well, last year I wrote down my dreams for 2015 (<a href="http://laurelsquill.blogspot.com/2015/01/carpe-diem.html">Carpe Diem</a>) on this very day and I still didn't do very well at achieving much success, so I'm thinking "not". But it's the same day in January and I feel that a couple of thoughts might be worth noting (or not):<br />
<br />
1) Let Go. Period. Really. Maybe I should get Amy's tattoo...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbNXqLUZrLnNYTGnxABpi4dWKbc883aoB2Ny-AGUEEbMYsJ1fwNEJP9tV8YabRUMcQEXHb7sjHDUeTxbR2v9UXzSMai-7UHnyWS1z2RpQPJAlCw1jQuSSCRfOqrsg3j86lkSreY0gIuhW/s1600/IMG_5592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbNXqLUZrLnNYTGnxABpi4dWKbc883aoB2Ny-AGUEEbMYsJ1fwNEJP9tV8YabRUMcQEXHb7sjHDUeTxbR2v9UXzSMai-7UHnyWS1z2RpQPJAlCw1jQuSSCRfOqrsg3j86lkSreY0gIuhW/s640/IMG_5592.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
2) Let creativity rule.<br />
<br />
Yep, that's it. <br />
<br />
I am looking forward to more wrapping my head around sewing and creating this year and more letting go of old habits. I'm not really talking about healthy eating, less drinking, more exercising or any of those hackneyed, trite promises that we make in January (although, aren't they a given?). I just want to surrender this whole beautiful mess that I am to someone who has that power to change it, because, obviously, I don't. So I'll leave the whole body/mind/soul thing up to God and I'll focus on the good stuff that I can control:<br />
<br />
1) Continued collaboration with the team at Stonemountain and my muse, Zan. May we create more magic in fabric this year, <a href="http://fabriclady3.blogspot.com/">FabricLady</a>!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAr0VNxM4_gpfJGrDj2r8bDoIqyJveEXOsmcIbm732c2YD6n8Qpp5Snfc63llZ4Pz8xBZjd_kyhr1wjyB45TC7ISBEjw8_Phv-MrzwsMghVoH1It7SnN7HpwP-30BSiCjgw6xJQkzbW7Ov/s1600/IMG_4902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAr0VNxM4_gpfJGrDj2r8bDoIqyJveEXOsmcIbm732c2YD6n8Qpp5Snfc63llZ4Pz8xBZjd_kyhr1wjyB45TC7ISBEjw8_Phv-MrzwsMghVoH1It7SnN7HpwP-30BSiCjgw6xJQkzbW7Ov/s640/IMG_4902.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
2) Less Facebook and more Instagram!! I love all the sewists and designers and fellow creatives that I have discovered on Instagram.<br />
<br />
3) Organize and divest, organize and divest. All things simple, easy, clean, fresh, etc.<br />
<br />
4) Continued giving of my time to worthwhile stuff...<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dress-a-Girl-Around-the-World-NoCalif-681538471870275/?ref=bookmarks">Dress a Girl</a>, <a href="http://www.womens-empowerment.org/">Women's Empowerment</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bGhimLH9cR1PEsMVSjFIQCPwAGeKLRB2yNldqdBEUbETMu-nwcV_tRLXRzXEDzZJmFejPKIdqBBV46D7xj7XdH8Veck7FVyN7OjlVY1KvVbJoMpt44onbA9nxgx4KgFAiz81r5xirwvC/s1600/ny4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bGhimLH9cR1PEsMVSjFIQCPwAGeKLRB2yNldqdBEUbETMu-nwcV_tRLXRzXEDzZJmFejPKIdqBBV46D7xj7XdH8Veck7FVyN7OjlVY1KvVbJoMpt44onbA9nxgx4KgFAiz81r5xirwvC/s640/ny4.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I finally got to actually sew at yesterday's sew fest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
More of this...</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTm4MrsfZ1TPoFNpyhtun2yOP56LzsXNl1tDYsX4qUz3n7JqrwTCWuLDBZNYTN9cDXYV0yhRkUNLdlyTkVpqeV7C39hUgEsipq1hJ2tU-MBCITzde887KXMrQ901cP6Jt_Bq0EHtWilBg/s1600/12006167_10206127618367567_3412284291128196297_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTm4MrsfZ1TPoFNpyhtun2yOP56LzsXNl1tDYsX4qUz3n7JqrwTCWuLDBZNYTN9cDXYV0yhRkUNLdlyTkVpqeV7C39hUgEsipq1hJ2tU-MBCITzde887KXMrQ901cP6Jt_Bq0EHtWilBg/s640/12006167_10206127618367567_3412284291128196297_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And this..</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6OLdjCsGeOPxoI4t2c3qAfD1iQzbyQSuzT3mlNZJZS65GZ8yqeEKjxMNSK8L8NftqlRJEGOY-4TIgDnwOgbGmmrxGMtYt6p6BiYNPXy7S1U_GVBBueoxi1hmbswODWSYXNkGFZyY2DFZ/s1600/lbd5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6OLdjCsGeOPxoI4t2c3qAfD1iQzbyQSuzT3mlNZJZS65GZ8yqeEKjxMNSK8L8NftqlRJEGOY-4TIgDnwOgbGmmrxGMtYt6p6BiYNPXy7S1U_GVBBueoxi1hmbswODWSYXNkGFZyY2DFZ/s640/lbd5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Maybe less of this...</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvoGyh2e3O32Kfe3a58iJ5_M4brvaSk9O6R-tdJ26akY8RkbW7Hw2LVHc4wDFpKc0hL01dKYfVRuJ-Tk7k1Af3-nShBL6w2l4Gb-cKDZUYAZSW9SOOM-8Qx0UUipTWzaL8wAM5LbZFlSa/s1600/NY1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvoGyh2e3O32Kfe3a58iJ5_M4brvaSk9O6R-tdJ26akY8RkbW7Hw2LVHc4wDFpKc0hL01dKYfVRuJ-Tk7k1Af3-nShBL6w2l4Gb-cKDZUYAZSW9SOOM-8Qx0UUipTWzaL8wAM5LbZFlSa/s640/NY1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's not get carried away, Laurel. You know you won't do that.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A little more of this...</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zpZRw1Mkl7oFvM8uMpPdk6js9qMRbzGiN_enoyXIwzHPmiRMgm1Ca_6DMNY2NlTkdm9Mz5EVOoTB8LeNUcpN9aqwGKtBmzMTKu8u7wQMcman41ygKbwnKzJBV3wqod0rXN4ztpikij5h/s1600/NY3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zpZRw1Mkl7oFvM8uMpPdk6js9qMRbzGiN_enoyXIwzHPmiRMgm1Ca_6DMNY2NlTkdm9Mz5EVOoTB8LeNUcpN9aqwGKtBmzMTKu8u7wQMcman41ygKbwnKzJBV3wqod0rXN4ztpikij5h/s640/NY3.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Maybe more of this?</div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLkD_mWneB2toc-JySEJ2ZXrwegAv039JYqvR3gfvtu62sKH4IUt4C-MXRGp6vW1DXww80JmBvcCce6mfu-Tn_gGKxjAN_ZHfHW9PRFTPOH-Ua52q1MQNwliejA_6K3vcxmTKLqxpKTxs/s1600/NY2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLkD_mWneB2toc-JySEJ2ZXrwegAv039JYqvR3gfvtu62sKH4IUt4C-MXRGp6vW1DXww80JmBvcCce6mfu-Tn_gGKxjAN_ZHfHW9PRFTPOH-Ua52q1MQNwliejA_6K3vcxmTKLqxpKTxs/s640/NY2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, I'm not becoming a drinker...but a tiny sip of this is pretty nice.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Definitely more of this...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zEley7THD3Ik5zWfHMvGMdVV-ypbC3nBGkF8np2hR0WyH77eyN8WrzKz_tp1GN5dxZnXf78otu2MY3_8U7-NA3btAPHNlA-eExhWHY8s_B12MeE4_pT3MUXabk99k-7jZqqNjW74qPcm/s1600/rich1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zEley7THD3Ik5zWfHMvGMdVV-ypbC3nBGkF8np2hR0WyH77eyN8WrzKz_tp1GN5dxZnXf78otu2MY3_8U7-NA3btAPHNlA-eExhWHY8s_B12MeE4_pT3MUXabk99k-7jZqqNjW74qPcm/s640/rich1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking better care of me, inside and out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And this...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeNUBOsaytctqed-bC9nqS4jjHdxXpfIrWSpksa976trlviNktbRGo54U_YQH9K5xyUyEvy0t5L0xG3XT46KuLQ0AOiCnDg0dlZx6vpo4AGZ9fBqMItNEjk_HWnnTcq-DMvpbJRWjg3Op/s1600/IMG_2951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeNUBOsaytctqed-bC9nqS4jjHdxXpfIrWSpksa976trlviNktbRGo54U_YQH9K5xyUyEvy0t5L0xG3XT46KuLQ0AOiCnDg0dlZx6vpo4AGZ9fBqMItNEjk_HWnnTcq-DMvpbJRWjg3Op/s640/IMG_2951.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capturing life...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And finally, most definitely less of this...</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's going to be a great year...</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8S1rqPxxgFqwuMDjp7oltFWuP6B9mZupZjZXnZGohG1MhyphenhyphenS8qecJV7PI-OQNKPykL8ngw0nPshJvJLb5or4WoF73BynHoRUCBlYVUYd4_rgNXPoIYzVoBOjsgeQ35VYWpq1G_VKGXWIG1/s1600/ny5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8S1rqPxxgFqwuMDjp7oltFWuP6B9mZupZjZXnZGohG1MhyphenhyphenS8qecJV7PI-OQNKPykL8ngw0nPshJvJLb5or4WoF73BynHoRUCBlYVUYd4_rgNXPoIYzVoBOjsgeQ35VYWpq1G_VKGXWIG1/s640/ny5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Laurel</div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-9769909768217098902015-12-22T16:39:00.000-08:002015-12-22T16:39:00.424-08:00Living in the Short Rows<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHp2nv7d_sWTaT828oz2lkqT9Uoy68jTr-xokBJ2S-Y8RISskSkS8mzSiaGT1jpmo5pW8_3j89RTh1d6bdoESdBSnQvdqqv8RgQaZFOP8zkhv7N15NwfE4_aEpD2w4h83TlDpoUybW8jS/s1600/IMG_5690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHp2nv7d_sWTaT828oz2lkqT9Uoy68jTr-xokBJ2S-Y8RISskSkS8mzSiaGT1jpmo5pW8_3j89RTh1d6bdoESdBSnQvdqqv8RgQaZFOP8zkhv7N15NwfE4_aEpD2w4h83TlDpoUybW8jS/s320/IMG_5690.JPG" width="240" /></a>When she travels, my friend Peg always takes a knitting
project with her for the airplane trip. For her holiday travel this Christmas
season she was working on a lace project which was an especially complex
pattern that incorporated a technique called short rows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Short rows are Satan’s handiwork, designed to
confound the best of knitters and keep us humble. (Not really but it feels that
way sometimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">) </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wrap and turn, knit
back, wrap and turn, knit back…and so on and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Short rows never seem to end and you never
seem to get anywhere…but somehow you plod through them and if you don’t scrap
the whole project in total frustration, at some point sometime you finish strong,
hopefully with your sanity in tact.</span> </div>
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<br /></div>
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Sounds somewhat like life, at times? Aside from the normal ups and downs and twists and turns of
life, we all have periods of living in the “Short Rows”. Perhaps our plans took
a slight unexpected detour, onto a road filled with potholes and sharp turns.
We brave the challenge with aplomb, recalling all those wise words from our
mothers who probably faced more adversity than we ever will… we steel our face
in a smile, we grab our faith and try like hell not to go backwards. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wrap and turn, knit
back…</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Perhaps the most difficult of all of life’s ups and downs is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">change</i> itself. We all want to grow
emotionally and spiritually. We call it maturity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To stay in the same groove of life is
stagnating…a broken record of sorts. But when life's changes take us places that are
unpleasant or even frightening, our steely smiles dissipates. We gird our loins, so to speak and opt for the “just
get me through this” approach.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wrap and turn, knit
back…</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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The goal in knitting short rows it to not leave “holes” in
your pattern by carefully wrapping a strand of yarn around the last stitch in
the row and turning the piece around to knit back to the beginning. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>An experienced knitter can easily spot the
short rows in a garment, even if they are expertly executed. There may be a
subtle change in the pattern or the colors of the yarn, but the rows are artfully secured with each wrap and turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No holes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRVc94IvhfA7P4BqvFbaMbietNr-bcgaPc-0cB-ib7h8JBh4o71f7ban_BjH60HDBcmumjofEWT8wbRRVPHk9syUhNos0DbbltnrTLUxe0kjsRMKEJz9S3HeAwROfSWpZ2ELhPIh80IxP/s1600/IMG_5689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRVc94IvhfA7P4BqvFbaMbietNr-bcgaPc-0cB-ib7h8JBh4o71f7ban_BjH60HDBcmumjofEWT8wbRRVPHk9syUhNos0DbbltnrTLUxe0kjsRMKEJz9S3HeAwROfSWpZ2ELhPIh80IxP/s320/IMG_5689.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We too can easily spot the beautiful
unevenness in the pattern of our own lives, knowing that the turns and twists did
not defeat us. We were made stronger just by the journey itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No holes. Life’s short rows are inevitable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that it’s how we “wrap and turn” that
determines the ultimate outcome of our daily struggles. Making the effort to view each challenge as a personal growth opportunity rather than a crisis waiting to happen is what makes us stronger in the end. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In knitting. we can choose not to do the patterns with the horrid "wrap and turn" short rows...but in life, not so much. If we could "pick" what happens to us, heck yeah, we would! But it doesn't work that way and we know it. So, with every period of growth and every painful wrap and turn, we get a little better at living. In the end, we become deliciously complex...unplanned holes and all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Laurel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-73617317805325124662015-11-28T06:55:00.000-08:002015-11-28T06:57:33.746-08:00Fixer Upper heaven...Another Shop I Adore...<br />
<br />
In this day of extreme social media and technology overload
it’s easy to develop an obsession about celebrity. We see their every move and quickly
become acquainted with their daily lives. Each and every aspect of their fame is chronicled
for our enjoyment in excruciating detail. I personally am not one to get wrapped up in celebrity (?), although I do remember
once being obsessed with Bette Midler some years ago after seeing her perform – I was sure that she and I
would be close friends in another universe and time, if she only knew me.<br />
<br />
Even though I am world away
from Waco, Texas living in California, I am pretty confident that Joanna Gaines
and I would be girlfriends if I lived nearby. From the first episode of Fixer
Upper that I watched, I sensed that she is genuine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you only have to watch a couple of
episodes with she and her soul mate Chip to wish they were your friends living
down the road.<br />
<br />
So it should have come as no surprise to my Texas native/hubby Dave that one of my coveted destinations during our recent trip was a stop at <a href="http://magnoliahomes.net/">Magnolia Market</a> in Waco.
Joanna’s new storefront at the Silos had not yet celebrated their grand
opening, but it was hosting a soft opening nevertheless, much to my delight. In
fact, the very next day, all of Texas was hit with a major storm, so our timing
for our brief visit was fortuitous.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqU9xGOKJyuNZeSmRe3-pGtQ2BU1gNrZn9YAq01W9VavHQ6mA-fV_vkDRxVE4bpWc5CfUElYqRjoDclHo2hM_1yuz89irKUf_AW9wiZvwq7w_p3Oh0xfeYldhhCBnv4b4D8gMqcNzcurh7/s1600/IMG_5390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqU9xGOKJyuNZeSmRe3-pGtQ2BU1gNrZn9YAq01W9VavHQ6mA-fV_vkDRxVE4bpWc5CfUElYqRjoDclHo2hM_1yuz89irKUf_AW9wiZvwq7w_p3Oh0xfeYldhhCBnv4b4D8gMqcNzcurh7/s640/IMG_5390.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6gUg7Yndr333svEn3rvYR7Di0MTsOaLFXu7GrgtT-ENAlIHk1It8lDyQdVHZR5mJ8CsccfF9_RTWb6W1jJIcxjm7SFDngkfomsfWY7H2hS-GQqvqSiOAlgz-bVTRMkxgFHZ4Hodn0eZu/s1600/IMG_5393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6gUg7Yndr333svEn3rvYR7Di0MTsOaLFXu7GrgtT-ENAlIHk1It8lDyQdVHZR5mJ8CsccfF9_RTWb6W1jJIcxjm7SFDngkfomsfWY7H2hS-GQqvqSiOAlgz-bVTRMkxgFHZ4Hodn0eZu/s320/IMG_5393.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Naturally I secretly hoped to meet Joanna and Chip there, but it was
not to be - get real, Laurel..they were out filming the new season episodes! Their absence didn’t hamper my
enjoyment of my shopping experience, as I could sense their love and energy
following me around the tables and shelves of beautiful and unique home decor.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoGeQ3_i0ZYFQRAGOAo8ylmZnrPLEsEHIbOqCm9q0D8gXUyqM2Lln6BGJg7mxrejSWfi1RlyF_ZJCpvEs0HnW278FcHcG2ns0jJmyr0UTrIidJrrlR2Bysm0vlaHddXdZ7DRAMDhbCIhe/s1600/IMG_5394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoGeQ3_i0ZYFQRAGOAo8ylmZnrPLEsEHIbOqCm9q0D8gXUyqM2Lln6BGJg7mxrejSWfi1RlyF_ZJCpvEs0HnW278FcHcG2ns0jJmyr0UTrIidJrrlR2Bysm0vlaHddXdZ7DRAMDhbCIhe/s640/IMG_5394.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlTgVxQDwp1M-wUhCN1PJVnwcaiSIjTeQjheaZwDWq58fonHWJTU5qVWo8110cDfV3_Od8S6sBY-9mFYRbi3YKchQAJ4wa6O2_M99YB7GkCxdp1LU2TIIDssjakD5XCk3aBLlPzA_025Y/s1600/IMG_5396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlTgVxQDwp1M-wUhCN1PJVnwcaiSIjTeQjheaZwDWq58fonHWJTU5qVWo8110cDfV3_Od8S6sBY-9mFYRbi3YKchQAJ4wa6O2_M99YB7GkCxdp1LU2TIIDssjakD5XCk3aBLlPzA_025Y/s640/IMG_5396.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFus37Sb3ZT2G9CcXO81Y1sr1bne1qThbRVnK91OMwfRd4c3xaJHt2CZ28Cyye6h0I4v-ZaAwpdZzvRppx8g7nzvx1DpJcHNiaxYJfDSa0RT4zBgdtmR77relXgjs2VuEV5pRYj0AgrGM/s1600/IMG_5397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFus37Sb3ZT2G9CcXO81Y1sr1bne1qThbRVnK91OMwfRd4c3xaJHt2CZ28Cyye6h0I4v-ZaAwpdZzvRppx8g7nzvx1DpJcHNiaxYJfDSa0RT4zBgdtmR77relXgjs2VuEV5pRYj0AgrGM/s640/IMG_5397.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPNaEBfb1mBrpAibMUZ_IdDgpZp0Jw1XZWPNAIyyfYW92yW304B61YUwZYR7NjkUVerhwZ2ysZ0JQQFLXBZ35-LplujMQgoh6z3Wp8yD3m-h4MqOTiOeVtwlUEMxXAuu7-L9xWhLKKcnA/s1600/IMG_5399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPNaEBfb1mBrpAibMUZ_IdDgpZp0Jw1XZWPNAIyyfYW92yW304B61YUwZYR7NjkUVerhwZ2ysZ0JQQFLXBZ35-LplujMQgoh6z3Wp8yD3m-h4MqOTiOeVtwlUEMxXAuu7-L9xWhLKKcnA/s640/IMG_5399.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I remember the episode where these were placed in a craft room for kids..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQK-9tfqeSLAGq4qvB7tiYWkb2qDkj_kBvSLyuVtyVTSZz35roQfGUzLjdczLY4tMaL6qU8mdVYFpVtCKqLP9huq5OLWinsjI07FoDUPFuzs0D8DozWVKrSArXYQwVyxVojD30sGcVQlVo/s1600/IMG_5400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQK-9tfqeSLAGq4qvB7tiYWkb2qDkj_kBvSLyuVtyVTSZz35roQfGUzLjdczLY4tMaL6qU8mdVYFpVtCKqLP9huq5OLWinsjI07FoDUPFuzs0D8DozWVKrSArXYQwVyxVojD30sGcVQlVo/s640/IMG_5400.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sales staff were trained well...or were they just naturally nice like their bosses?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_99lu45kTcjHlIqllaBEhUuqvUy_MwuyaUVnFXVSvz3rcZqZj80b8KLOLjsRe4OeeEvfx8hKLkXe0tJ7ssrUQuKcYhNVNQI4I0BR-nawx4TSeNlq2HSiX-LP29h7zWRalifPiUqIDulLc/s1600/IMG_5401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_99lu45kTcjHlIqllaBEhUuqvUy_MwuyaUVnFXVSvz3rcZqZj80b8KLOLjsRe4OeeEvfx8hKLkXe0tJ7ssrUQuKcYhNVNQI4I0BR-nawx4TSeNlq2HSiX-LP29h7zWRalifPiUqIDulLc/s640/IMG_5401.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These stems were my favorite item...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Although the store did not ship (you can of course order online and they will ship) I was bound and determine to bring something from the actual store home in my carry-on. I would have loved to bring home their classic magnolia wreath as a momento, but I was pretty sure the overhead bins would not be kind to it. I will have to be content to order it online.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbox2dVSH6cj5HbpXikK9mgysQ2r8o3d91BOam3B6aKLC9aLLFtVpgmnAu0X6ZDw0XRsQy8-FwvZoajnWfzMFztGWpm7EXi8HIPwvJNSNc5Edix-j65YMBjwFq8cswOlX2GmcI-ku9GvA/s1600/IMG_5402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbox2dVSH6cj5HbpXikK9mgysQ2r8o3d91BOam3B6aKLC9aLLFtVpgmnAu0X6ZDw0XRsQy8-FwvZoajnWfzMFztGWpm7EXi8HIPwvJNSNc5Edix-j65YMBjwFq8cswOlX2GmcI-ku9GvA/s640/IMG_5402.JPG" width="480" /> </a></div>
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Dave couldn't resist documenting my visit - he knew how excited I was to be there!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5Kktu0WCpOBFWcxFsPvneGmn7izt9jaSRhcN_9jgfrxyQCMQGvlPAn7oC8UJ-SRtvXkIXa3U008TIsqhetX8017uWdCte1iTVYe7FiF71DGU_xmN7uBD8AaKQySllDq_6VxorV9BkACX/s1600/IMG_2115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5Kktu0WCpOBFWcxFsPvneGmn7izt9jaSRhcN_9jgfrxyQCMQGvlPAn7oC8UJ-SRtvXkIXa3U008TIsqhetX8017uWdCte1iTVYe7FiF71DGU_xmN7uBD8AaKQySllDq_6VxorV9BkACX/s320/IMG_2115.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-HeEbFOhqwri35giz-BLcoAAob19oeYp_OXUcqtv1Ya4iiSjdtaacWg5C7_ikAiZSE_NmAxjlktew62ea-XQe8ggpPvFRzIHpInyNgPd1YhcvgoyKifpeOmtafSGE5Dk4Xp4MenU4zyw/s1600/IMG_2134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-HeEbFOhqwri35giz-BLcoAAob19oeYp_OXUcqtv1Ya4iiSjdtaacWg5C7_ikAiZSE_NmAxjlktew62ea-XQe8ggpPvFRzIHpInyNgPd1YhcvgoyKifpeOmtafSGE5Dk4Xp4MenU4zyw/s640/IMG_2134.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So what did I come home with, you ask?</div>
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Only a few more days and the new season of Fixer Upper will start. Dave and I can't wait to watch Chip and Joanne make another dream home out of nothing!</div>
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Laurel. And they make me laugh.</div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-48193590925924345592015-11-26T08:25:00.000-08:002015-11-26T08:25:48.220-08:00The Gift of Life<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I sit in front of an immense <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>pile of Black Friday ads from the newspaper,
the front page peaked out from under the stack. Under all that wasted paper, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a small photo gut-wrenched my heart right out
of the holiday hustle/bliss anticipation that I was feeling and right into the “OMG,
this time of year sucks” feeling that rears it’s ugly head. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The photo was of a hand holding a picture of a beautiful
young woman with the byline “Out of tragedy, a life is saved.” I knew
immediately what the story line was – a young woman unexpectedly died and her
family donated her organs to help save the lives of others. I have read this
story before many times…different people, same outcomes. And I have the same
reaction every time – a flood of regret.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon was a beautiful, generous young man. He had checked that
box on your driver’s license that allows for organ donation. In my shock that
fateful morning, I couldn’t figure out why they worked so hard to keep him
alive with such a fatal head trauma injury...why the Life-Flight…why all the
tubes and injections? All I could see was that my beautiful boy was gone, so “No, you
can not take any piece of him…why are you asking me that?” In my profound
grief, I did not consent to his wishes. I never gave it another thought for
years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few years ago, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>a
dear friend lost her husband because there was no spare kidney to save his
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s when it hit me. Hard.
All I could think of was Jon’s perfect 18 year old kidneys, his strong heart,
his healthy lungs, his beautiful brown eyes…all lost. A decision I made in
agonizing grief, but in the clear light of day and 20/20 hindsight became my life’s
biggest regret.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I immediately changed my own drivers license to allow for
organ donation, but as the years click by, I’m not too sure what they will be
able to use. They can have whatever they want. Organ donation often gets a bad rap these days, especially
with all the negative press<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>over fetal
tissue donation, stem cell research, cloning, etc. My brain can’t even wrap itself around
the morality or otherwise of these issues. My personal <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>decision in 1991 was not one of politics or religion - it was one of a mother who wanted
to hang onto what was my son. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Grief is strange...I love that it often moves to laughter in time. I confess that I secretly waited for some young woman to knock on my door with a baby in her arms telling me that it was Jon's. Can you imagine? Crazy dreams of grieving..all those what ifs. But how nice it would be to know, right now, this
morning, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>that his heart was beating in
another young man with his sense of humor and zeal for life? It would be beyond nice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So go ahead.. check that box yourself. Give your consent. Give life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rMDorDzjxjg5dLNNObp54fHpWehrmIa628DS9LNppttL-7AVGVqcZJgHNgK2iMCCMMpDqGGbX9LKkGYeQnGez998tDfbjZleBknAcJ-XgT_2Gf2DhjHs19e3PsPt54ms7EgkvpOvZEaB/s1600/organ+donation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rMDorDzjxjg5dLNNObp54fHpWehrmIa628DS9LNppttL-7AVGVqcZJgHNgK2iMCCMMpDqGGbX9LKkGYeQnGez998tDfbjZleBknAcJ-XgT_2Gf2DhjHs19e3PsPt54ms7EgkvpOvZEaB/s400/organ+donation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Laurel</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-82407424945915570012015-10-12T20:21:00.002-07:002015-10-12T20:21:53.584-07:00My "LBD" - Fit for Audrey herself...I am always blasting the contestants of Project Runway ("PR")for their apparent lack of sewing skills, even though I myself have never designed a dress from the ground up. Granted, I have made a lot of patterns from other garments and certainly altered hundreds of patterns to make them my own. I totally understand garment construction after sewing for 50 years, but my mini-me Colette and I have never started from scratch - sans pattern.<br />
<br />
As Dave's 50th class reunion in Dallas Texas approached, I began to feel a little guilty about ragging on the PR guys (even though this year's crop are pretty untalented) without ever having tried to design a dress myself. For his reunion, I knew that I wanted to wear a classic "little black dress" to the event - it's not too dressy (but it can be) nor is it too casual. <br />
<br />
There's just something about a simple silhouette for evening. Trust me, I scoured the stores before I decided to go out on this limb and I saw nothing that remotely looked like a designer dress. I was looking for the ultimate Audrey Hepburn dress....simple, good lines, black.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kmT-21X7BikICYbQwn-7ec4Zk-ke9goqP1Vhp7hpGtn8aUbxH8DdE-soWyXwbXtxQA2IaO0OtkljBcNpqx626YkMVvhCb2ntH1T2xtfAJ9urRGG2fQ12kxIng4TQeaRbRySKmJITuFsX/s1600/audrey-hepburn-style-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kmT-21X7BikICYbQwn-7ec4Zk-ke9goqP1Vhp7hpGtn8aUbxH8DdE-soWyXwbXtxQA2IaO0OtkljBcNpqx626YkMVvhCb2ntH1T2xtfAJ9urRGG2fQ12kxIng4TQeaRbRySKmJITuFsX/s400/audrey-hepburn-style-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Colette: <i>"You can do this Laurel. I'll be with you all the way!"</i><br />
<br />
Me: <i>"I'm a little nervous...what if I'm a dismal failure at designing, and I'm destined to only be a seamstress. Ugh."</i><br />
<br />
I had picked up some yardage from <a href="http://www.stonemountainfabric.com/">Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics</a> a couple
of months ago in anticipation of finding the perfect LBD pattern similar to the
design I wanted to wear. (Obviously, I never found that pattern and
that's why I set about designing and draping a dress myself). So in true PR style, I set about making a sketch of the design I wanted...my Audrey vision clear.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDv3Qq4PrWKozV1YEEk2f6EM9QTHk4AQylKAg8zKKksyCr5ESNA9Dc1kHHdfhW4djcdqj9J5azXWyy1HTEcxq2XeDFUrgfFjojZkn-XMZhyF9_YdYQ5RDgz8F5_6xurgVfdOp7_gBe_iR/s1600/lbd1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDv3Qq4PrWKozV1YEEk2f6EM9QTHk4AQylKAg8zKKksyCr5ESNA9Dc1kHHdfhW4djcdqj9J5azXWyy1HTEcxq2XeDFUrgfFjojZkn-XMZhyF9_YdYQ5RDgz8F5_6xurgVfdOp7_gBe_iR/s640/lbd1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I used some cool little narrow tape to outline the design details on Colette. I wanted a short dress with a trapeze-like fullness at the hem. I wanted the back to be dramatic (translation: Low) and the front to be high at the neckline with princess seams.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_laIGGhKeQM8CubxOE8Ijm0cdY1TbkGfrEyXmH30dXaZ37m3PZvFiu6tQD64bjZKnH3bCAn8chTFSkTaIiKy3VIfZeYOlvUneO7k8M0_aU3TFIugkgKB9n0-juRqEZ34gTUlJYL7UC1AN/s1600/lbd2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_laIGGhKeQM8CubxOE8Ijm0cdY1TbkGfrEyXmH30dXaZ37m3PZvFiu6tQD64bjZKnH3bCAn8chTFSkTaIiKy3VIfZeYOlvUneO7k8M0_aU3TFIugkgKB9n0-juRqEZ34gTUlJYL7UC1AN/s640/lbd2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Once Colette was decked out in marking tape, I started creating the "pattern" pieces using inexpensive muslin fabric. <i>"So far so good. I don't know what the heck is wrong with those PR dummies...this is a snap!"</i><br />
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<i> </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNrL45Ttw2kxnxbGiOTGWSHi4BFV-GYSaFSsP-oor1RISeMSJsN2nE_ZMD1cheVU0zwL4JORlyDybqotKG3vigY8nCFr1QbBQOGIpZR9pI1QhD66a_TDuFpmdos2z20t3DFvup60rsqeY/s1600/m4h.39.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNrL45Ttw2kxnxbGiOTGWSHi4BFV-GYSaFSsP-oor1RISeMSJsN2nE_ZMD1cheVU0zwL4JORlyDybqotKG3vigY8nCFr1QbBQOGIpZR9pI1QhD66a_TDuFpmdos2z20t3DFvup60rsqeY/s640/m4h.39.jpg.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<i> </i><br />
<i>"And hey, Laurel...why not make the muslin (the test dress) out of a fabric that in case it works out, you could have two dresses?" </i>I found some bright red fabric in my stash and used the pattern pieces that I had just created to start a little red dress.<br />
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<br />
The Little Red Dress was easy to sew together, and that's just about where things starting going haywire. Though the test dress looked like it was going to be adorable, evidently either Colette went on a diet or I got fat...it looked great on her...but...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53kM5DcnlYB1lADYtgByISYT1HNG-sQSys5b3oI1mraunsfjBUh3xZuxgr_sojZrp5P11i6bMVSbwbhuUvJuEl3jCqXDndqK98pVt1CIixnfKQ_iEqcxYBD_ZOgpC3qzxsCCneQtKq-GE/s1600/lbd6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53kM5DcnlYB1lADYtgByISYT1HNG-sQSys5b3oI1mraunsfjBUh3xZuxgr_sojZrp5P11i6bMVSbwbhuUvJuEl3jCqXDndqK98pVt1CIixnfKQ_iEqcxYBD_ZOgpC3qzxsCCneQtKq-GE/s640/lbd6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Me: <i>"Colette, why didn't you tell me that I have back fat?"</i><br />
<br />
Colette: <i>"I told you not to take out that extra padding. You're going to have to change the back of this cute little red dress to hide your second set of cleavage."</i><br />
<br />
So, back to the drawing board after two sleepless nights trying to figure out what to do next. I took my original muslin pattern pieces and altered them to adjust for the sizing issues: I cut the back panel higher, made the front princess seams larger at the bust and cut the armholes a little bigger.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLZWqcC-ZXvHr7-IwqKe4ncCU-xFchSIy1qoZ2mk7VrvFfpv8zqwZuEVXhtTHrx32Um6B9k8JL-d63QWDAmi3KWjOE-R_RSs4V02pKVWxnzb9D-Qia6rYLEsUrqem7vIMMkwX8ol4AvRH/s1600/lbd7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLZWqcC-ZXvHr7-IwqKe4ncCU-xFchSIy1qoZ2mk7VrvFfpv8zqwZuEVXhtTHrx32Um6B9k8JL-d63QWDAmi3KWjOE-R_RSs4V02pKVWxnzb9D-Qia6rYLEsUrqem7vIMMkwX8ol4AvRH/s640/lbd7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
On to the final layout on my black fabric: the fabric is a very tight knit with Lycra added. It's almost crisp like taffeta or <span data-dobid="hdw">peau de soie</span> , but it stretched in one direction. Choosing which direction to lay out the pieces took a little forethought. <br />
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<br />
After sewing the red dress so quickly I was anticipating the same ease of construction with my black fabric. <i><b>Wrong!!!!!!!! </b></i>The fabric had a right and wrong side but it was barely distinguishable to the naked eye. However, when I sewed no less than three or four seems together, you could easily see the difference in the sheen of the fabric.<br />
<br />
Me and my seam ripper became friends. My eyes are not what they used to be, but sewing on black fabric is virtually impossible unless you have a 500 megawatt light bulb over your shoulder. Sew. Rip. Sew some more. Whoops...rip.<br />
<br />
<i> "WTF, Laurel!! Do you <b>NOT</b> know how to sew?"</i> Rip. <br />
<br />
Sunday came and the dress still had little construction issues that bothered me. I was so discouraged and announced to Dave I was off to Macy's to find a dress. And like all other shopping trips to Macy's, every dress was so ho-hum, so cheap looking, so ordinary. Penny's - ditto. After two hours, I sat in my car in the parking lot and lectured myself:<i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>"Just pull up your big girl panties, go home and fix the stupid thing, Laurel. You <b>KNOW</b> HOW TO SEW!"</i><br />
<br />
And that's how the LBD came into being...Me and Colette...start to finish - a one of a kind design by yours truly. Audrey would be proud...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Laurel. Ready for Project Runway.</i></span></div>
<br />Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214158919937924210.post-31958184292385121262015-09-16T13:34:00.001-07:002015-09-16T13:45:27.901-07:00Taken Aback...way back.<div class="_Jig" style="text-align: center;">
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<b>Fear: </b><i>(noun)</i>. An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.</div>
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It is amazing to me that so much of women's lives is grounded in fear. We are taught to "overcome it", "control it", and basically "just get over it". It's not that most of us live our lives looking around the corner for the boogy-man or that credible threats haunt us, but more that memories of painful experiences creep into our lives, reminding us of our vulnerability and overall fragility. Nor is it to say that we are somehow immobilized (though some women are), but more that we are subtly impacted by small fears that color our way of thinking and our actions.
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Most of us would prefer not to think of ourselves as fearful - it goes against the "strong woman" complex that we covet and try to maintain. But if we examine our reactions to certain life situations that trigger unexplainable anxiety or tension, we can probably, at the very least, acknowledge an old underlying fear, irrational as it may be.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Some things we never really overcome: divorce, abandonment, extreme poverty, death of a child. These life experiences color our lives for years later, after their last tears dried on our cheeks. Other smaller fears today are rooted in our childhood, adolescence and teen years - fears of rejection, not being liked or loved, not being enough, fears of being alone. These are the ones we try to "get over" as adults and are especially annoyed when they occasionally creep back into our lives. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">But because we are "strong women", we are usually able to squash the petty adolescent notion that we were never pretty enough, never smart enough or basically a "loser". We assure ourselves, and rightfully so, that we are none of those things any more. Today we are, after all, "ALL THAT and a bag of chips"! </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Until we dream...</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Leave it to our brains to bring out the worse in us: old anxieties and fears come back like a freight train in our dream world. Though laughable in the clear daylight, we are taken aback by the momentary unpleasant emotion we feel upon waking, Dang! Are we NOT over THAT yet...really??!!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">So, about that dream I had last night of my upcoming high school reunion...50 years is a long time to get over it, and in my conscious, rational, totally together life today, I am. Some say that there's a smidgen of truth in dreams and if that's so, then I am deluded still and could use a few more bars of <i>I am woman, hear me roar</i>. I tend to believe that dreams remind us of who we were and where we've been. So when we wake, the old emotion wakes with us, if only for a moment.</span></div>
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<i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">So I'm in line to go into the party. Dave is suited up in a tux, but he's forgotten the tickets. He leaves to go back home and I take matters into my own hands and buy another ticket at the door. I wander in and I'm immediately distressed about my lipstick (</span></i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I'm having a hard time finding a lipstick that will stay on these days</span><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">). I see some popular girls and I wander over. They disappear into thin air. I don't seem to recognize anyone there...faces look familiar, but somehow old and changed. So I keep wandering. They are having a shoe sale on the dance floor, but I can't buy any because I can't wear high heels any more. I see Joe (</span></i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">not his real name</span><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">) and he's wearing a grotesque cable knit sweater that's too small (</span></i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I knit, so I don't know what that was all about</span><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">) Some faceless guy leads me over to a group of other low-life guys that are selling drugs and I am barely able to escape without getting stoned. I meet Sally (</span></i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">not her real name</span><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">) in a tiny stairwell and she has shown up with her grand kids in tow. One of them sticks her tongue out at me as I pass. I find table and a woman takes my little flask of hooch (</span></i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Crown Royal - which makes me immensely popular at that moment</span><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">) that I've been swigging out of and she proceeds to pass it around to everyone at the table and they drink it all. I'm now sober. I wander again and see my husband (with a mohawk, no less, and sporting a football jersey) flirting with some chick. I give him the stink eye, but keep wandering around...looking...wandering. Somewhere, somehow I have lost my shoes. I spill my hooch on my bridal gown and it rots the fabric and now I have a big hole in my dress, which I try to cover up with my over sized cheap vinyl purse. I still can't find the popular table. Or my shoes. I pass by a mirror and see that my makeup is totally thrashed. I'm a mess.</span></i></div>
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I wake. Momentary fear. Relief. Then I bust up. Anyone who knows me, knows that I would never wear a bridal gown to my reunion, much less be caught dead toting a cheap plastic purse.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4JAFjXrYy8el-0u34-Lh4Ogj-HVufRFSuK4GXUZMw51gIP6ScvTNbRzy0-FBTDoVXzbhUXjK9FKyYM34TjFAXCKyl_T24s3Il6F80EJ4vcVUJETRw0iEAgjQa8Kb72Leubhwj9FzKhSE/s1600/Bride+of+Frankenstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4JAFjXrYy8el-0u34-Lh4Ogj-HVufRFSuK4GXUZMw51gIP6ScvTNbRzy0-FBTDoVXzbhUXjK9FKyYM34TjFAXCKyl_T24s3Il6F80EJ4vcVUJETRw0iEAgjQa8Kb72Leubhwj9FzKhSE/s320/Bride+of+Frankenstein.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Laurel. Where are my shoes?</span></i></span> </div>
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Dave: "Honey, let's go down to the Mall and we'll compare - I will show you how beautiful you still are."
Laurel's Quillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11992961037629400452noreply@blogger.com4