Me Musing . . January 19, 2007

Is it just me, or have you noticed lately that it feels like in just one week's time, we have lived two weeks or even a month???????

I seem to have lost a week or so since last 'musing'on January 4th. I can't seem to keep up with the calendar date lately!
For us, having lost about 10 people in the past two months *, we seem to be living in the present, past and future all at once. (Which for those who subscribe to the 'we are All One' theory, it should be a 'normal' state of being . . . however, it seems lately that our 24-hour day has been shortened to about 15!)

*I feel a whole 'musing' in the works about THAT subject, so stay tuned as THAT wasn't were I was heading today!

I realized in going through my closet for 'solemn occasion' clothing that I didn't have much there to choose from. When I retired from the business world in 1988, I got rid of all my suits and business-like/solemn clothes. And . . . yikes, the few dressier things I do have, I bought in the late 80's!!!!!!!!

Sooooooooooo I looked in the fabric stash and found fabrics that I had forgotten all about!

At a young age, I learned from watching Mother shop, that one never knows when they will come across a good fabric sale . . . so buy plenty as you probably don't know at the time what it will be made-up into! (Or . . . how many years it may sit in the closet, waiting for just the right time and occasion!)

I don't 'do' black.

Having had 'my colours done' in the late 70's, I was advised NOT to wear black or white as it wasn't becoming with my eye/hair/skin colouring. I have pretty much adhered to that rule for almost 30 years now!

Deep-dark browns and dark olives are a much better 'neutral' for me, plus they enhance my eye colour. (And I certainly think that as we 'mature', we need to work with the enhancing process, instead of against it!)

Wellllllllll . . . in the 'stash' were LOTS of dark olives and browns so I had plenty to choose from.

I also found an unopened old 'Stretch and Sew' pattern that I must have bought in 1970 when I lived in 'the East Bay' (as we called that area across from San Francisco). I always thought it was a neat looking jacket as the shawl-type collar comes all the way down the front, turning into pockets!

The fabric was from my 'not very expensive batch', so I figured it was worth a trial run and I love the feel and weight and look of the fabric . . . is some kind of polyester (which I said years ago I would NEVER wear again . . . there's that 'never say never' again!!!!!!) which they magically made to feel and look like suede. Some of the yardage was plain 'suede-like' and the other looked like pieces of suede zigzagged together.

No, it's not your eyes . . .
Sorry, this batch of photos came out a little blurry . . .
just think of it as a 'sueded effect'!

I did the same pattern alterations on the jacket as I have had to do on the tops I recently made. And decided while cutting it out that I would do the shawl-collar/pocket and the cuffs in the plain fabric and the rest of jacket in the stitched-look fabric.

This pattern is fairly easy since it has no interfacing and no lining (it's hanging over a velvety top I made last year that just happens to match it perfectly!) and I just serged the edges for a cleaner finish.

I was so pleased with the way it turned out that I turned the 6-gore skirt pattern I used for a skirt to go with the velvety French-language top (here we go to France . . . again!) into a 4-gore (what we used to call an 'A-line) skirt. I made it out of the stitched-look fabric and cut it longer so I could wear my western boots with it.

I had enough of the plain fabric that I could make a pair of soft and comfy pants . . . Voilà ! . . . a whole outfit made in very little time!

This has been my solution to using my allotted 15 hours . . . so I can live in the past, present and future wearing just one outfit!

Have another jacket cut out which I am just beginning . . . am sure
it too will have a story!

P.S. . . I just realized when I hung all these back in the closet that they also have one more piece . . . a Japanese-style vest that I made last year out of that same plain suede-like fabric that needs some pizazzzzzzzzzing up.

Think I'll leave it hanging out for awhile and see what ideas come to mind.

Until soon,

Che'usa

(Click arrow for next entry!)

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Return to Index Page for List of Dated Entries

Visit my Studio Website

email Che'usa

All original artwork on website © Copyright 2006