Guess what day it is?

HUMP DAY!

I want to show off my new vintage patterns!

 

I got this 1940s dress pattern with 2 bodice variations from Advance.  No lines on this pattern.  It's all punches.  It will be interesting working with this pattern, but it will be loads of fun too.

 

I also got this mail order pattern.  It doesn't look like J.D. Blackburn for Jefferson, TX ever made this dress.  She has a rural free delivery address, so I can't google map it to see what the place looks like now.  Son, I am disappoint.  I can't be the only crazy who looks up old addresses to see what became of them, right?  My great-great-great grandparent's place in Germany is now the home of a REALLY big commercial building.  Probably a good location for industry because it is on one of those rivers over there.  That marble in my it's-almost-midnight brain is smacking around like my head is a pinball machine.

 

I LOVE this pattern.  It's the vintage version of a wardrober pattern. (Yes, I know a wardrober is an obsolete term for the person in charge of the clothes for their employer.  I'm using it anyway.)  This pattern has a gusset, which makes me incredibly happy.  I want to try gussets more because of my giant for-my-size biceps.  Gussets might help make a great fitting sleeve without making the armscye crazy-big.

 

One thing that caught my eye on the pattern itself is that it says it uses the Bishop Method.  My limited research says this method focuses on fitting everything on the grain and constructing garments one "unit" at a time--the bodice unit contains front/back/facings, skirt unit, sleeve unit, etc.  The sleeves are on their own until they get attached to the bodice, in which case, they get deemed part of the bodice unit.  Clear as mud?  There are a few books out there about the Bishop Method and I think I'll try to get my hands on one to explore this concept further.  It makes sense to me though.

 

Not a vintage pattern, but I managed to score this one too.  I love View A--that red dress in the middle.  It seems like a great pattern for dressing up and dressing down. 

I've also been working on New Look 6020 over the last week or so.  This pattern was my choice for many fashion plates recently.  It's definitely one I need to make since I seem to choose it so often.  The biggest hangup I found with the pattern was the lack of pockets.  Adding side seam pockets would be easy enough except the pattern has a side zipper.  ugh.  I have a workaround and I am going to work on a tutorial for drafting your own pockets.  I'm a chronic over-explainer and I need to make sure my language is clear and the pictures follow along.  Tutorials are hard!

 

 

SOON. 

Not quite as soon for me. . . 

 

I'm going here in August!  I'm trying to decide which Cirque du Soleil show to see, which campground to stay at when I go to the Grand Canyon, what other side trips I want to take, if it's safe to walk to the hotel from the airport, whether I can pack my camping gear or if I have to rent :( and on and on and on. So many things to think about in so little time.  At least I have my flight booked!  Have to start somewhere.

 

I found this when I GIS random salad.  LOLWUT?

Random Wednesday Happenings

Have any of you heard of Graze?  I've been a subscriber for several months now and I really like it.  Graze is yet another subscription service, but instead of makeup, yarn, accessories, or dog treats, you get healthy snacks.  I tend to be a grazer (heh) throughout the day.  I don't eat a lot of food, but I still love my snacks--salty, sweet, savory--Graze has it all.  Here's my latest box:

 

 Every 2 weeks, Graze automatically sends me a box of 4 snacks.  There is a rating system on the site to narrow down your snacking preferences. 

Trash:  Never send me that item.  I trashed Mango stuff and anything with white chocolate right away and a couple other snacks I tried and didn't like.

Try:  Snacks that you haven't previously rated otherwise.

Like:  Send me occasionally.

Love:  Send me frequently.

All the snacks Graze sends have some sort of benefit.  They may be a serving of fruit, a good source of whole grains, a source of protein, etc.  Graze also gives you the nutrition info in the box.  I have my Graze boxes delivered to my office.  It's a great mid-week pick-me-up.  I think Graze snacks would be great to send to school with your kids too.  It's built-in portion control and is better for you than Doritos and cookies.

 

I get my boxes on Wednesdays normally (this one was late!), so I only had a chance to try one last week.  I tried the twist of black pepper popcorn.  I wasn't sure what I would think of it.  At first I couldn't taste the pepper at all.  After a few handfuls, the pepper was in force!  It was a nice change from the typical salty popcorn I normally eat and I really loved it.  My co-worker thought it was great too.  The snacks normally aren't big enough for real sharing, but popcorn from Graze is about 2/3 the size of a standard popcorn bag I think.  Plenty big for sharing.

Graze used to be invitation-only.  I'm not sure that's the case anymore, but if you use my referral subscription code, you get your first and fifth box free.  (And I get $1 off my next box, full disclosure.)  People see me with my Graze snacks and always think it's worth it.  Oh yes, the money part.  Graze costs $6 per box including shipping.

These chili and honey almonds were my favorite Graze snack so far.  They NEED to send me more of them!

I walked around my yard on Sunday to see what was going on.  Well, I actually saw this butterfly and chased it around my yard, bumping into other things along the way.

  Here's what's "growing" on around the yard.

 

SO MANY PEARS.  These need another 45-60 days on the trees.

 

A couple apples.  This tree has never been a big producer.  It flowers early in the year before the bees really come out.

 

Blackberries.  I have to get them before the birds do.  The birds are usually faster.  I tend to get enough for a smoothie each year. 

That's it for today.  How does your garden grow?

America's First Settlement: Pensacola

I had a class in Pensacola yesterday.  I always manage to squeeze in something fun, even if I am supposed to be working. ;)  Pensacola claims to be America's first settlement.  I know there are lots of cities that claim that title, but I think P'cola has the most legit bid.  It was settled in 1559, 50 years before Jamestown.  There's some really cool historical stuff in Pensacola.  Obviously, it's a big Naval hub.  The city was protected by 4 forts in it's history:  Barrancas, Pickens, McRee, and Redoubt (or Advanced Redoubt).  Pensacola is often called the city of five flags because it was ruled by five different countries throughout it's history.  Those countries include Spain (three times), France, Great Britain, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America (twice).  The settlement was called a few different names over it's history, the last of which was Panzacola by order of Spanish King Ferdinand VI in 1757.  Pretty much my favorite place in Pensacola is the Plaza Ferdinand VII at Palafox and Government Streets.  There is a bust of Andrew Jackson at the place where he was inaugurated as the first territorial governor of the Florida Territory after the territory was ceded to the US by Spain.  How cool is that?  It's become a bit of a tradition for me to take my picture with Andrew (who I call my homeboy or Andrew.  My friends just take Andrew to mean Andrew Jackson any time he's mentioned in the same breath as Pensacola.)  It's hard to take selfies, but here's the one I got today. Soooo bad.

  

Andrew insisted I get his good side.

 

There are always squirrels running around and under your feet in the Plaza.  I like to think this squirrel was saying, "Please take my picture.  Please take my picture!!"
 

There is a fountain at one end of the plaza, Andrew at the other end, and a big obelisk in the center.

 

City Hall (I think?  Gah.  I should know that!!) at the corner of Government & Palafox as viewed from Plaza de Ferdinand VII.

 

OHAI!  Is there a party?  Why. . . 

 

YES!!  Yes, there is a party on Palafox!

 

Not a chalk party. Or a music party.  Or even a drinking party.  (Though there was lots and lots of all those things.)

 

It's a party to celebrate Palafox's greatness.  Seriously.  The American Planning Association recently designated Palafox Street as one of the 10 best streets of 2013.  So what else is a town to do if not throw a party to celebrate the greatness of one of it's streets?  Yeah.  I got nothing.

I wish I had more cool pictures to show you of that, but I was pretty tired after the class and I only stuck around the Greatness Party for about 45 minutes.  Here are some photos I took at the Pensacola Crowne Plaza Hotel, which is actually built around the L&N Passenger Depot & Express Office (train station).  The lobby of the hotel is the old train station.  I took some photos of photos of old P'Cola and I'll try to elaborate on the photos as best I can.

American Planning Association (APA) announced the designation of Palafox Street as one of 10 Great Streets for 201

Read More at: http://www.weartv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/palafox-st-shut-down-party-celebrating-its-greatness-thursday-37371.shtml

the American Planning Association (APA) announced the designation of Palafox Street as one of 10 Great Streets for 2013

Read More at: http://www.weartv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/palafox-st-shut-down-party-celebrating-its-greatness-thursday-37371.shtml

the American Planning Association (APA) announced the designation of Palafox Street as one of 10 Great Streets for 2013

Read More at: http://www.weartv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/palafox-st-shut-down-party-celebrating-its-greatness-thursday-37371.shtml

 

Pensacola Lighthouse

 

Pensacola City Hall facing Plaza Ferdinand VII (see, I was right with the above!!), circa 1910.  The clock tower in the photo I took yesterday was moved to city hall sometime in the last 50 years or so.

 

This is Palafox north to Wright Street..  Plaza Ferdinand VII is in the bottom right corner.  Circa 1927.

 

This is the Blount Building and Hotel San Carlos at Garden and Palafox Streets, circa 1912.  I love the "drive in!"

 

Fountain and library in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza.  The fountain was just looking pretty and not actually fountaining.

 

National Geographics.  I so wanted to stick one or three in my purse.  I would love to read how we viewed the world 25 and 30 years ago.

 

Who doesn't need all the editions of the Florida Digest?

 

Or the Florida Statutes?

 

I love this chair and I want one.  You will be mine, oh yes, you will be mine.  This looks like the Edwardian style, though I'm no furniture expert.  Thanks so much Art Humanities!

 

The windows are what connect the original train station with the new hotel.  The train station is two stories.  The hotel is fifteen.  

 

(wish I'd cropped this one) This gorgeous stained glass clock sits in the lobby.  It has three clocks, which I guess is useful to show the times in different locations (New York, Pensacola, and Chicago perhaps?) It would be cool to find out if this clock was original to the train station.  It says "antique clock attached to the train station" and I would like to know more than that!!  I'll have to do some digging.

And on that note, I gotta wrap this up.  Time's zipping by!  Happy Friday and have a fabulous weekend!

Random Hump Day Happy

I added 3 new Colette Patterns to my collection:  Ceylon, Jasmine, and Iris.  Someone else was destashing them, so I got them for a really great price.  Win-Win.

 

I cut the bodice for my Lady Skater dress on Sunday and stitched most of it up last night.  It's a teal/emerald/pacific/whatever blue-green interlock I picked up at JoAnn's.  I'm basically in love with the way this t-shirt fits right now and I think I'll make up several more Lady Skaters sans skirt.

 

I could only find 3/8" clear elastic, so I just let it hang off the edge a little bit.  I'm cool with that.  I am trimming the extra as I go along.

 

I totally forgot I even had a serger when I went to sew on the neckband, but I did remember to serge the sleeves!  I'm so happy I splurged on the serger.  I'm quite happy with it.  Speaking of:  Do you know of any tried & true patterns or tutorials I can make using only my serger?  I need to learn it better and I think that's the perfect way to do it.

More fabric from JoAnn's.  This was on clearance.  It's a little more than a yard and I think it's loads of fun.  It's a bit juvenile, but I don't care!   I'm going to try to make a fun shirt with it.  I can pair it with a solid skirt and look adorable (which is exactly the look I go for some days!).

Random Hump Day Happy

I found a rainbow on my way home from work yesterday.  It was so big and so pretty.  I think all rainstorms should begin and end with a rainbow

 

I also started pulling fabric from the stash to wash it.  I hate having a great idea and then having to wash my fabric before I get started.  I have a fairly good memory of what I have and haven't washed yet, so that shouldn't be a problem when I finally do get around to making something with my fabrics.  I pulled out this paris map fabric by Dear Stella.  I'm not sure what this wants to be yet, but I'll be ready when it decides!