Women derive a pleasure, incomprehensible to the other sex, from the delicate toil of the needle. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
It has been a few weeks since I have checked in here, but trust me I have been busy. Ever since discovering the wonder that is 100 Acts of Sewing, I have been busy stitching up an assortment of Dress No. 2 frocks and one Dress No. 3 are completed. I am seriously in love with them, so much so I now have three tunic-style frocks from the Dress No 2 pattern, one lovely linen dress with some divine linen I got here. IN ADDITION, I have a lovely linen/cotton blend Dress No. 3. The madness has not yet stopped and I have some more ideas percolating in my brain for future projects.
I love how Dress No. 3 looks with my Vodka Limeade!!
Color block FTW!
Yummy details of the fabric differences…
I also re-purposed three pairs of yoga pants that now fit and feel fabulous and look stylish to boot.
Yoga Pants Remake Inspiration continued when I tackled two Amy Butler skirts that I had made which never fit quite right at the waist. Both skirts are now in the closet and have been worn a number of times.
Finally, I wanted to make a couple of small quilts that my daughter could use on the go with Genevieve in a “lovie” size. I finished them yesterday complete with some fun “free-form” machine quilting. Yes, I have indeed been sewing all the things.
Add to that the veritable explosion of produce happening in my garden right now AND the abundance that is at the farmers markets – I have canned 12 quarts of tomato sauce, made and froze 8 pints of plum butter, oven dried about 40 tomatoes from my garden and blanched and froze about 20 more whole tomatoes. I canned 8 pints of whole tomatoes from my garden as well. Yesterday I dried about 20 Serrano peppers and froze about 20 Wax peppers. I also dried oregano, rosemary, and sage from my herb garden. I made pesto and about 6 pounds of various herb butters that are now all ensconced safely in my freezer. I will use some of the dried sage and rosemary to make some herb honey for use later in the winter. I have blanched and frozen broccoli and corn, and have roasted and frozen Poblano peppers as well. Suffice it to say my freezer overfloweth!
My tomato plants are still kicking out tomatoes at a spectacular pace so I might make a bit of salsa before the season ends, which sadly is going to be sooner than later as we have some cooler weather slated for the upcoming week.
It feels good to have both enjoyed the bounty of the season and to have preserved so much of it. It makes eating in the winter so much nicer to know that we are still eating local from things we preserved.
There has been a bit of knitting interspersed as well, but nothing finished except a pair of socks for Genevieve. I cast on another pair, which I will knit as I travel to Michigan tomorrow to spend a few days and knitting for Genevieve will make the travel time so much more pleasant.
Next week, Spinzilla starts and so that will find me spending a good bit of time at my wheel as I spin with Team Storey. I am going to try to spin 2 miles of fiber this time – that is 3,520 yards of fiber. I am not sure I will be able to do it, but I am surely going to try!
Until next time, gentle reader, may you enjoy the changes that autumn brings.
Wow! You have produced more sewing (and preserving/freezing/drying) than I have in the past 5 years! What’s the secret of your productiveness? Amazing energy you have!
Ah, Kay – the secret is there is just so much to do! Now, please don’t ask me how clean my house is! LOL
i just made my transfer pattern on dress no 2 from 100 acts of sewing,but haven’t started yet. so many years since my sewing machine made an attempt to sew something to wear! (It does OK making project bags and aprons!!!!) Yours turned out so well…I’m inspired!!!