Other sewing

You guys know that I make all kinds of stuff.  Nobody bothered to tell me I couldn’t when I was younger…or if they did, I didn’t listen. 

Long time ago, I started re-upholstering and making curtains and drapes and clothes and THEN I started quilting.  Anyway, I’m quite proud of some of my work.  Other things, not so much.  But, I learned and got better and better and the fourth time I reupholstered my antique sofa was much better than the first time.  Or the third.  We don’t talk about the second.

Anyway, 14 years ago, when I moved into this house, I made a curtain for the foyer window.  It was white polyester that was woven to look like Linen.  I thought it was da’ thing in 1998.  It was a foot shorter than the window is and I don’t remember if I did that on purpose, or because I didn’t have enough fabric and wouldn’t go buy anything else.  I would show it to you, but when Sydney took it down to clean around the window before I hung the new one, my answer to her “should I wash this?” was “throw it away.”  Over the years, I had grown to really dislike that white not-quite-a-curtain.  I don’t care that the polyester fabric was still in great shape, hand not yellowed nor dry-rotted.  Get it out.

And, I made this.

Because living with a fabric I don’t like when I have 9 million yards of fabric just shows a lack of effort.  And, Rob and I could never decide what we wanted here.  Anyway, this is where my treadle sits and I sometimes come here to sew and quilt. 

I made it out of what looks like a Jenny Beyer border stripe, with an orange-red background and green and gold and goes great with the vintagey feel of the foyer.  It is two sided, so from outside, you see the same thing and it goes really well with the yellow-gold exterior house paint. 

Remember this coat?

(Okay, still not a great picture, but at least I got my face in it this time.)

I think I made this last year to wear to Minneapolis and then, didn’t wear it.  And, I’ve made Rob give me his honest opinion about it.  And, I’m glad I didn’t wear it on a business trip.  But, it does have a great place as a more casual winter coat.  Worked great in the grocery the other day…at least it fit.  This is Texas.  Everybody has a winter coat.  But how many years old is it?  I was going to write a whole post about ill-fitting woolens from the grocery on Sunday and how that’s just fine in Texas.  The last thing you’re judged for here, fashion wise, is your winter coat.  (But, I have a nice one, don’t I?  And, it’s not even my good one.)

I think I can actually hear the wool blanket and the denim lining laughing at the cold wind. 

Okay, it’s off to work.  Last day for Syd’s holiday from school.  Let’s hear it.  Awwwwww.  She and I both need structure.  Without it, we eat.  And, forget where we put things.

Lane