I hope all of you that celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful holiday. We had a small group for dinner and it was a very nice day. The Wednesday prior was a snow day for the local schools so Julia’s weekend was even longer than expected. We didn’t get as much snow as was forecast but what a treat it was.
Ray, Julia, and I went up to Downieville for the rest of the long weekend. Julia brought a friend up too. On that Saturday we got a text from my middle son, Kyle. Big news! He proposed to his girfriend of five years and she accepted. They are perfect for each other and we couldn’t be happier to have Marisa join our family. The gorgeous picture at the top of the page was taken by Ian (my youngest son) on a recent vacation he had with Kyle and Marisa. In this picture they were at Niagra Falls.
With all that was going on, I didn’t have a whole lot of time to sew. Also, it was a physical impossibility. When Ian is home, he uses the sewing room as his bedroom and this happens:
To his credit, he did ask me on multiple occasions if I wanted him to clear a path to the sewing machine. There wasn’t time for it anyway so it was not a big deal.
Last night when we got home from Downieville I decided to cut into a piece of fabric I bought last week. I was at Jo-Ann Fabric and had one of their always-welcome “20% off entire purchase” coupons. Those make me a little crazy. I bought some practical items that I needed for my Etsy shop and then decided I wanted to make a new bathrobe. Prior to my current quilting obssession, I used to sew clothing fairly often. A long while back, I wrote a post about this. Like quilting, garment sewing is a fairly expensive hobby. More often than not, I can buy the ready-made garment for less than I can sew it. But again like quilting, it is more fun to make it. I found this wonderful, soft buttery yellow fabric. With my coveted coupon and the fact that it was already on sale, the expense for the fabric went from $55 to $33. Not too shabby.
It is a very pale yellow and so snuggly. The texture is perfect and there isn’t a nap to worry about when cutting the pieces
I knew I would be able to find a pattern to use in my pile of old patterns. This one was missing the pieces to the PJ pants but still had all of the pieces to the robe. It is date stamped 1989 so yep, I have had it around for a while!
Isn’t that couple just dreamy in their matching robes? Too bad I didn’t think to buy enough of the yellow fabric to make Ray a matching robe…… 😉 I got the pieces laid out and cut last night so I am ready to go. (Well, maybe I should vacuum first. I cut the pieces in my dining room because I was working with a four yard length of fabric. There is yellow fuzz floating around throughout the house now.) This bathrobe consists of a few long seams and putting two pockets on the front so it will come together quickly. I’m looking forward to working on it. Sewing from a pattern is something that I have done for so long that I don’t really have to think about it. It is mindless sewing – as compared to quilting where I have to watch myself all along the way. In fact, this will come together fast enough that I will call it my December goal for ALYOF. I didn’t set a goal at all in November and didn’t meet my goal for October so it is time to get back on track!
Happy Monday everyone!
Linking to Molli Sparkle’s Sunday Stash, ALYOF at Sew Bittersweet Designs as well as Sew Cute Tuesday over at Blossom Heart Quilts.
That is a gorgeous picture of them indeed! Enjoy your sewing and snuggling in the robe after! 🙂
Congratulations to Kyle, Marisa, and your family. 🙂 <3
The bath robe looks like it is going to be fantastic and warm.
Thank you Yvonne. We are so excited for them!
Thanks for the link-up with Mz. Sparkles! Your fabric looks like Cuddl or Minky–I have had a fuzzy sewing adventure with them recently, too.
I feel similarly to you on the garment sewing vs. quilting: so much less thinking and fussing involved. (Unless there are fit issues; but let’s not talk about that) Your robe looks to be a wonderful, easy finish. Just what is called for in this busy season!
Hi:
I suppose it is all about what you have the most experience with. I have made tons of dresses, shirts, shorts, etc and maybe two dozen quilts. Sewing comes more automatically to me. Luckily with a bathrobe, there shouldn’t be any issues with fitting. 🙂
What a beautiful couple and a gorgeous photo of them. Congratulations on your future DIL! I got very lucky with mine. 🙂
Your posts make me laugh out loud, from “this happens” in your sewing room to making Ray a matching robe to “yellow fuzz floating around”. I swear I used to have that same pattern! The fabric is so cozy looking. The pic of your pattern pinned to the fabric prompted an urge to get a pattern and sew something. I used to sew constantly, and by golly your post made me miss it! 🙂
Thanks Linda. We feel very lucky to have Marisa joining the family. I am so happy for them both.
Glad you liked the post. Maybe you need to go check out the pattern books at a fabric store and see if anything looks interesting to you!
And thank you for asking about Mom. She is doing better and it is wonderful to see her up and around. Life is getting back to normal for her. 🙂
I meant to ask you, how’s your Mom doing?
What a great picture! Congratulations on the expanding family! The bathrobe looks perfect for wearing all through December. Why wear clothes when you can be cozy? Have fun making it!
Thanks! We are happy to have the family growing and we welcome Marisa.
I totally agree on the comfort thing. I love my jammies! We are all about cozy around here.
Take care,
B.
Oh, that will be SO nice! I know you’ll finish this one, maybe even in time for Christmas!
Susan, That is the plan. Definitely want it finished for Christmas! A gift from me, to me. 🙂
Congratulation on the upcoming wedding! They are quite the dashing couple!
Oh, I’m so excited…You know the feeling well, having just had a family wedding!
I have no idea of what time frame they are thinking of. They live in Toronto so I’m guessing weather will factor in. They have to accomodate their fair-weather California relatives. 😉
Thanks Gayle!
B.
What a great project. I’m wearing my robe from Christmas… 1997, I think. Perhaps I could stand an update as well. Maybe in 2017. 😉 I too am trying to get back on track with ALYoF. In October and November life distracted me from even remembering to set ALYoF goals. I’m happy to have remembered for this month. 🙂 Congratulations to your son and his fiancé. How fun that you have a wedding to look forward to! 🙂