CATCH UP, PART 2!

Here is the REST of the story...

I have sewn 3 items of clothing recently...this is the jacket that I made for, and during, the workshop that Shams led several weeks ago...

It's M6293, OOP, which Shams made, that inspired the workshop. See hers here:

I totally fell in love with this jacket and her amazing recycling job for the Fabric Mart Challenge. I used the same pattern, but changed it a little. One of the things I wanted to learn at the workshop was how to do the spiral piped sleeves.

Voila!

The fabrics I used were ones from my stash from long ago. I lined it in a silver lame rayon from Emma One Sock. I have gotten quite used to using luxurious fabrics for linings, even if no one sees them but me!

The pants I'm wearing are another Lola Pant from Style Arc. They are in a drapey rayon/Tencel gabardine and are very nice in this fabric.

I also made a little tunic in my TNT M6607 at the workshop...I needed a pop of color!

The fabric is a burn-out velvet from Harts Fabric's online store.

I'll leave you with some more photos from our Amazon trip...

One of the most beautiful parts of the trip was going down a "black water" tributary in our little skifs...the water, which is very rich in minerals, is black as can be and acts as a perfect mirror for the banks and the sky. I think I could spend a lot of quiet time there...

We enjoyed beautiful sunsets from the deck...

On a side trip into a small town, we took a "tuk-tuk" ride to see the sights, including this beautiful small market

Here is my "great jungle hunter"... looking at

giant banyan roots...

Enormous lily pads...

and amazing pendulous birds' nests...

The fruit was delicious AND beautiful...

The meals were perfection...

 and Edgar, the bartender, was ready to fulfill any request!

This is us, at dinner, the last night on the boat. Goodbye, lovely luxurious cruise!

Today is our 38th wedding anniversary, so we're off (me in my new duds) for a 

special dinner.

TTYL...

ETA: I'm back on Visible Monday this weekend...thanks to Patti for hosting it!

CATCH UP!

I'M BAAAACK!

It's been over a month since I last posted...I've been extremely busy, but I have missed connecting with all of you and it's time I brought you up to date with what has been going on...

First of all, Happy New Year to all...I have to confess, I am rather glad to see the end of 2013; I am hoping 2014 will be a happier year for all those I know and love.

So what's been happening?

• Amazon Jungle Cruise over Christmas week
• Jacket Workshop with Shams
• Several wardrobe items sewed
• Memorial for Kenny (Joan's son) yesterday

Our cruise, with Aqua Expeditions, on the upper Amazon in Peru, was fantastic! It was luxurious without being stuffy or glitzy...a wonderful experience with just 24 passengers and an outstanding crew of 22, who catered to our every need before we knew we had it!

We went out on "excursions" twice a day, in comfortable small skiffs with at least one highly trained, personable naturalist per skiff...

Roland was my favorite leader...

We saw wildlife galore...

 Village kids showing an anaconda and a sloth

 An anaconda, up close and personal

 a bat...

 A cayman

 Hen and chicks...

 A deadly poisonous frog...

Lizards...

 Bottle feeding rescued manatee babies

 Village puppies...

 Tarantulas...

 Turtles and highly colored fish...

Blue and gold macaws...

I'll show more trip pictures in a future post....

Next up...the Jacket Workshop with Shams from Communing with Fabric

I felt very privileged to be invited to participate...it was planned by a private group of highly skilled women and they graciously welcomed a "stranger" (moi)

into their midst!

They of course, got more than their money's worth...Sharon did a stellar job, and could easily have a new occupation (workshop leader) if Google ever gave her time off...

These are pictures of Sharon during her "trunk show", on Friday night. She
brought many many garments to show, to everyone's delight. I spied her
"LadyBug Lab Coat" in a familiar red dotted fabric...I tried it on and absolutely
fell in love with it...to make a long story short (you can read her telling of it on her blog), she gave it to me! 

Perfect buttons!

Lucky Me!

I will post more about her wonderful workshop in a later post...right now I have to get the pictures to her (I was the official photographer) so she can write about it too!

And at the risk of a way-too-long-post, these are the clothes I've sewn in the last month:

Another version of my TNT B5526, View C, in a cotton/lycra pinstripe cotton from my local B&M store

This was made for the Amazon trip and was worn a lot...it's a fine white stripe on a black background...a little hard to see the details here, but it has been a real workhorse in my wardrobe.

I also made a pair of StyleArc Lola Pants in a black/white check shirting fabric with a little stretch, from Marcy Tilton

I made them last minute, so I eliminated the pockets, but I like the fit and I will make them again, with pockets. Coincidentally, Marcy made travel pants in the same fabric for herself, and blogged about them.

I'm sure there is at least one more catch up post to come...I'll be back before you know it!