Just My Imagination

For some reason I got up this morning and thought I heard on the radio that this was Sophia Loren's 70th birthday. I have been thinking about this all day. That makes her 9 years older than me. How could that possibly be? I just now remembered to look it up. She was born in 1934 making her 15 years older than me. Well, that is better. .... Still, when you think about it, 15 years. The older you get, the shorter a span of years seems to be. Am I right?

I am sitting here in my chair soaking my feet in a beautiful lavender soap water. It has been a very very busy few days. I made 11 noren curtains for the sushi restaurants. This project had to get done. I have had it a month.

Then last week, Julie presented me with her latest project. Only this one was not for the store. It was for her husband who is a drummer in Las Vegas. He landed a really prestigious part as Ringo Star in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. his outfit is very specific. All four of their outfits were very specific and individualized to their personalities. What we had seen in the internet was very "constume-y", cheap. He was looking for the real thing. She asked me for my help because of my experience. So, we began. She networked across the country to bring in just the perfect pink satin, the perfect trims, everything. What we couldn't get in the store, we depended on the vast collection of vendors that she had connections with. Everyone pulled through for her. What it says is that she is such a lovely person, that people are willing to bend over backwards to help her.

Hey, Monday and Tuesday I got up at 9:30 in the morning to get to the store to work on this project. That really says a lot about her. She created the shell. All the gold work. I created all the inner mechanics of the outfit. I made the pants, that is the only satin I touched other than installing the sleeves which she was more comfortable with my doing. OK.

The linings had to be detachable for cleaning. We chose bamboo fabric for this because it wicks moisture away from the body and it cools the body too. A good fabric and easy to work with. Snaps and hooks and buttons everywhere. This was all my installation. Underarm shields. I designed those specific. Lots of them, adding colored stitching to indicate front and back. Same with the boxer shorts that went into the pants.

Trims applied and removed because they didn't work. Julie did all of this. Waiting for the perfect one to come to the front.

At 4 o'clock, when it was done, it was absolutely perfect. Of course, no time to take pictures. Wrap it up and off to the airport. Pictures will come. It was fabulous.

While applying the last details, we were able to talk a bit about how wonderful it was to get to work together. We do that well. We supported each other, carried each other, understood what each other thought. We work very very well together. It was a total pleasure. As I was packing up to come home, I found a little card she left me, telling me how happy she was to know me. I know what she meant. I feel the same with her.

It was a great experience.

I go back into work today, Wednesday facing another deadline. I have just today to finish a shirt/coat for one of our vendors who will be attending "Quilt Market" this weekend. And because of my surgery, I have only today to finish it. Again, no pressure there.

This I can photo. The fabric is Robert Kaufman and has not been released yet. And it is going to be cute. You know, I could wear such a thing. I should just be daring. But I'm not. I am locked into what I wear and that is it.

Denise gave me a shirt she didn't want anymore becuase it was old and I opened the side seams a bit. But the shirt fits really well. I am just so used to wearing everything so baggy.

I am thinking of making changes this winter. I am getting a new mouth. So why not a new body!!

Falling Stars

I don't know what it means, but in the past two weeks I have seen six falling stars. Or are they called shooting stars. No matter. There they have been. How I love this time of year when the cool air sets in and I take out my sweaters and coats. I wrap myself in my shawl at night. I have turned on my heat finally but only for a short while, just to take the chill out of the air.

The leaves are beginning to fall. There is not the change of colors like in New England. But I think that is only because I am not surrounded by trees like I was back there.

I have created a new blanket edge for fleece which I will present to the store tomorrow for a demonstration and display. I'll have to write directions for a free hand out for the customers. It has a braided edge. It is just a tiny sample and I'll post pictures of a full size blanket if they approve of it. I might make a couple for Christmas presents this year. It is quite stunning. Much nicer than a fringed edge. Of course there is nothing like a blanket stitched edge. It is just different.

Work on my teeth is finally set. I have been to my dentist for a set of three impressions. Next Thursday he will be pulling all of the teeth out. The dentures will be finished and ready to set in. It's pretty exciting. Finally I will have my full smile back, my full expressions back. Due to medications, and a lack of saliva, my beautiful teeth have completely deteriorated. Sad. Now,my self-consciousness will disappear. It will be great. Worth the pain.

I know I have a lot of pictures to record here. Although I have been absent for months, I have been producing quite a few spectacular pieces. Summer is always difficult for me. I am not a summer person and usually isolate in these months. I hope to be back now. I just have to bring my camera to work with me.

My current project is in helping to make a Ringo Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band costume for a production in Las Vegas. Julie is making the piece for her husband who is a drummer. It is quite a serious affair. What we have seen on the internet is either quite cheap or very expensive, and so we are constructing it ourselves to make something authentic. I know at some point I will be getting pictures. I am not actually doing the work. I am advising and will probably be involved in some of the inner mechanics. We have just a week to make this. Of course. I will keep you all posted on its progress. So far, my experience has been valuable. That is nice.

I also created a new soup. I call it my

Lemon Leaf soup.

2 Tb olive oil
1 onion, chopped large
2 Med potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 C veg or chicken broth
1 Lb baby spinach leaves, cleaned
1 bunch of parsely chopped
1/2 cabbage, chopped
1 bunch kale, spines removed, cleaned and chopped
1 bok choy, cut up
1 small squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 lemons, the peel grated, and the juice extracted

Heat oil in large pot and cook onions until translucent. Begin to add all the other ingredients with the broth. Add water if needed, but not too much.

When all ingredients are cooked and squash is tender, partly blend with an emulsion blender or put part of the soup in your blender. You want part of the soup to be whole and part of it to be thick and smooth. I also added some small cubed ham to this but you don't have to.

Salt and pepper to taste.

It really is a refreshing soup with the lemon in it. And all the green leaves are so good for you.

I hope to be making more entries.

See you all soon.

Searching for the Smile

They want pictures of my teeth so they make new ones to look like what I once had. This is a strange smile, eh!!

This shows a pretty natural mouth. You can see my fingers splayed out. It is because I am apprehensive about having my picture taken. I am not every "ONE" with the camera.


OK. I am being better with the camera.


I am now seeking to fix my teeth. I used to have a really wonderful smile. At least I think it was wonderful. I met a wonderful dentist, Dr. Borbotsina, back in 1976 who diligently took care of my teeth. I had wonderful insurance and I was self conscious about my mouth. Back then, I weighed over 350 pounds, but I did take care of myself. I was on the very cusp of a life change that had me lose 180 pounds and my self image had me reeling, not having a clue what I should be doing.

Dr Jim was concerned about how my diet which completely excluded food would affect my teeth and was committed to keeping up the care of my them. Consequently I have always had a great mouth.

So here I am in Oregon having been on these medications for several years that have caused a severe case of dry mouth and my teeth are falling out one by one, cracking, chipping. I eat rice and soup, oat meal, eggs, mostly soft foods. And still they come out. One tooth feel out while I was trying to take out my mouth piece. One tooth came out while eating ice cream. Ice cream!! It is awful. I have lost my smile. I just don't want to talk to anyone.

I went to OHSU today to be examined by their dental school to see if I would be a candidate for their program at a decent price that I might afford. Well, I am a candidate, but the price is high. $3000.

My regular dentist here quoted me $3500. So there is a conflict. I would be saving only $500 by going to a school. Of course I could look at it another way. When I look at it another way, I see that my dentist discounted all of my procedures. Originally, the cost was $4904 and he discounted it $1396. Could that be because I discussed full dentures with him last year thinking this would happen as the cavities were already very visible back then? But he thought it would not be necessary and just put in partials.

All I know is, This has to be done. It will take time, it will be a bit painful, take adjustment, be ugly for awhile, but in the end it will be better.

Now, go brush you teeth!

Textile Expo

This is my latest creation. I found out about the expo a week before it was to take place in Las Vegas. That gave me four days to get this piece done. Two of the days were weekend days meaning I had to work the floor - cash registers, cutting fabrics and customer service. Giving breaks to the cashiers, and trying to be present because weekends are always busy and there are never enough employees scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays.

So really, two days to complete this beauty. The fabric is a silk and cashmere blend with, yes, that is real leather around the waist. Julie picked out the pattern which was very basic. Then she wanted details. You just had to know technique in order to accomplish these.


The collar is only an inch and a half high. So the strip of leather is really only a half inch wide. It ended up being a tiny detail that looked very elegant because it was understated.


I had several choices of wools and I chose the stripe because it would be easier to work with on such short notice. I even was able to connect points as a detail you can see in the back seam.


It had a typical button closure front which I altered so that it would have an exposed zipper. I then clipped the wool away and created, by cutting wool on the bias, a chevron front-piece to hold the zipper.


The sleeves did not even have a vent so I had to cut away the seam and create the same look here as in the front but on a smaller scale and completely enclosing it with lining.


I managed to stitch on the belt loops so that you can't see the stitching. I will avoid top stitching whenever possible.

I chose a burnt orange matte satin for the lining. Because I added the zipper to the chevron without a seam, I had to enclose the zipper tape somehow; so I enclosed it by hand stitching a strip of the lining over it as you can see to the left. So, the slightest bit that the jacket is open, you can see the orange peeking out which is a detail that everyone just loved. I was not sure if it was going to be acceptable, but they loved it. So I was pretty proud of it.

This jacket just happens to fit Julie perfectly. The mannequin does not do it justice of course. So when I got in on Wednesday at 12:30, she asks me if I might have time to make a blouse to go under it. Men's shirting, which I adore. She has a pattern with a fitted front, and wants the cuffs pleated. I had to lengthen the sleeves so that they would peek out below the jacket and lengthen the bodice so that, when the suit comes off of display, she will be able to buy it. Julie is very tall and very thin. I have just a few hours to get this together.

There are no pictures because as soon as it was done, she grabbed it and left to get home and get ready for the trip. No time to spare. So the final pictures will come when the suit is returned. I think next week. When it goes on display in the store, we will of course attach the pattern to it, but there will be a note saying that the details were created by the seamstress. MOI! Of course, my name will not be there, but everyone will know it is me. They will be talking about that one a lot. I will probably have to make a skirt or a pant to go with it. Or maybe they will display it just as it is. Who knows. There are scraps of the fabric left which I have in my scrap box in my sewing room. I might make some little Christmas things for everyone. The feel of this fabric is incredible. As much stress as there was working this project, the true joy of it was working with this cloth - so soft and intense. How many op0portunities does an ordinary person have to work with such a fabric?

I sent all of my pin cushions to a quilt show last weekend. I put them in a pretty basket and lugged them to work. One of my favorite quilters exhibits and sells quilts at shows. She has a reputation as a master quilter. This basket must have weighed 40 pounds. I have to get some sort of contraption that I can use to wheel such things because carrying them to the store is a real arm breaker. I will be seeing Nancy tomorrow and will find out how she did. I hear from another quilter who quilts with Nancy that in May there is a huge quilt show that I should send my cushions to because they will sell very well there. And Paula should know. She is another master quilter who really has an eye for things. She is one of the marketing displayers for the store. So I have some good time to apply to this. And I do love my cushions.

I was reading a needlework magazine printed in 1923 and found out that back then, they were not called pin cushions, they were called "pin pillows". Hmmmmm

It's Summer

Yes, summer comes and I just crumble. It has been like this for decades. Who said that just because I am a human being I HAVE to be a summer person?? I want to meet that person. Whenever I tell someone that summer is my worst season they are amazed like there is something wrong with me. Yet it is perfectly acceptable to say that one does not like winter.

In summer people are hot and cranky. They smell. They sweat. And they complain about everything. people are just miserable in summer. And yet - they love summer. I don't get it.

When the heat hits I am undone. I lose my momentum. I get side-tracked. I don't want to move. Give me a chair and a cup of coffee and that is that.

I found out today while having a harmless argument with my sister that putting two spaces after a period is no longer done. My world is falling apart. Soon, there will no longer be two spaces between paragraphs. There will no longer be paragraphs. Words will all come one right after the other and no one will know what anyone is talking about.

Everyone is starting to complain that I have not been to my blog in a long time - over a month. It is summer. I ran into problems with my Etsy site and the frustration caused me to shut down completely. Remember - it is summer and I undo easily. I haven't even used my phone. I haven't even used my imagination. I am lucky I still have a job! Well, I am pretty good at my job. Thank god I maintain some consistency at work.

So I am trying to be back. This is my attempt to be back. I hear summer is officially over on Labor Day which is today. Yay.

A New Bill

I got a bill in the mail yesterday from a collection agency. A collection agency!!!! It was regarding and orthodontist. Now true, I did have a lot of work done last year on my teeth and need more this year. But I have been faithfully taking care of all of that. So I tried to get that out of my brain because, at ten o'clock at night, there was nothing to be done with this.

When I got up today I thought I might call my dentist first to make sure it was legitimate. What if it was a bogus bill? Why would a credit agency be sending me a bill for collection with all of these interest fees that I have never seen before? What if it was a scam? So I called my doctor's office and the accountant said that I have a zero balance and nothing should be coming through from anyone else. Oh my! So I figure I have a situation on my hands.

Then I called the credit agency and explained the situation. The very sweet woman pulled the account and asked "Alexandria?" "What?" I replied. "Alexandria. Are you Alexandria?" Then I looked down and realized that the bill was addressed to a different person. It was not my name on the bill. This person gave them my address to mail the bill to.

Oh my god~~~~

The moral to this story?

Always check to see if it is your name on the envelope.

I take too much for granted.

I am relieved and the day continues, unencumbered.

Are you all laughing now?

My New Passion

This horse was a real challenge because, although you can't see it, there are a lot of dark fabrics set on dark fabrics. This is the type of quilted piece that has perhaps 80 pieces all carefully cut and using adhesive, are then strategically placed layer upon layer to achieve the final picture. Some pieces are independent and so if you are off a little it matters not. But most pieces require precise placement. Look at the horse's eye. Is that not the most beautiful look you have ever seen? The summer before I came to Oregon, I spent a great deal of time at a stable braiding the manes of a few horses who competed in dressage. I recognize the look in this eye. Peaceful, meditative. Understanding. I love this horse. If I was into owning such things, I would want to own this piece.






This was the first piece I made like this. You can't see it, but ever single piece, every spot on this quilt is edge-stitched. No matter how small. Even the leaves that come off the sides and edge stitched, then curled over a dowel, and tacked on. The horse isn't. We wanted to show customers that they didn't necessarily have to have sewing skills to make one of these. It is really ok to just cut and iron on the pieces. There are women who blow up the images and hand applique the designs and turn them into full - sized quilts. These two pieces are small, maybe 14 X 22 - ish. Just wall hangings. I am hoping that when I go in on Monday, and I ask, they will let me do another. I really enjoy these.

I haven't made very many pieces of clothing for adults these past few months. But I am about to be hit. I was told to collect patterns for white blouses. Well, it is beginning. I love white blouses. One never has enough white blouses. If it was up to me, I would set up a display with six or eight of them and a basic collection of little skirts and wonderful pants to mix and match. It would make a fabulous display. Something we have never done before. maybe I can talk Julie into it. It is a classic look. And refreshing from all the knit crap that is out threr right now that makes everyone look so fat because they don't know how to wear it.