SEWING, BOOKS AND PUPPY---WHAT A TRIO!

That's how I've spent my time since the last post...

This vest is Sandra Betzina's new pattern, Vogue 1510 and the fabric, which is a wool mix with shiny dots woven in it, is one from several seasons back via Marcy Tilton.

I love this fabric...but it didn't behave very well, so I learned a new-to-me technique from a tutorial written by Bunny at La Sewista, flatlining with seam finish.

It involves sewing a layer of fabric, in this case silk organza, to each pattern piece before any sewing takes place. The resulting double fabric is treated as one piece, so the unsightly parts of the interior are masked, and the hems are
encased in Hong Kong seams. It took a lot of time, but the results were worth it!

I made another iteration of the PaperCut Rise and Fall Turtleneck, using a lightweight Ponte knit, also from Marcy Tilton. Unlike my previous attempts,
the collar on this was "upright and uptight", so I removed it and recut it.

I really like this fabric, which Marcy called "Black Marble".

And here I am with Teddy, who is growing up fast! He had his final puppy shot this week, so he is safe to go "out in the world", he got microchipped, AND
he and I are signed up for 6 weeks of puppy school. We both need it!

 Here he is in the kitchen last night, trying very hard to trip Dave and me up!

And the books...The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead...I had a little trouble getting into this, but I persevered and am glad I did. Quite an insight into slavery and the attempts to end it, and very well written.

A Man Called Ove, by Fredrick Backman. Enjoyable and quite a good character study of a difficult man.

And I just started listening to Louise Penny's new book A Great Reckoning, another chapter in the life of Three Pines and Armand Gamache. I haven't tired of this series yet.

These 3 books were on Audible, which I listen to in my studio. As far as my Kindle books go, I have discovered a new mystery series by Inger Ash Wolfe which features a 63-year-old female D.I. in Port Dundas, in a Canadian county. I'm on #2 and enjoying it.

There are 7 ½ weeks till the Tilton Paris Trip. I THINK my travel wardrobe is in
good shape, except for a pair of pants I will sew in a couple of weeks. We shall see!

Other than enjoying the amazing fruits and vegetables available right now, I haven't spent much time in the kitchen. Except for this...

I adore fresh figs, and the season is so short...these are Roasted Mission Figs with Blue Cheese and Honey. AH...so delicious!

My 5-year blogging anniversary is coming up next week...first post! And, as long as I'm looking at stats (which I don't do very often), I hit over-a-million page views a little while ago!

I'm headed over to the party at Patti's Visible Monday...come join us!

TTYL

TEDDY AND THE TURTLENECKS

Sounds like a retro rock group, doesn't it?

The "Teddy" part is, of course, our new English Cocker Spaniel puppy...we picked him up from the breeders last week in Grass Valley. He's 9 ½ weeks in this photo, and full of beans! He eats, sleeps,plays and nips...those little puppy teeth are sharp, and Dave and I have the wounds to prove it.

Isn't he a handsome boy? His coloration is "Blue Roan with Tan" and his face
portends a real character...

The "turtlenecks" part is due to trying a new pattern, Rise and Fall Turtlenecks by

Papercut Patterns. I found a black and claret striped knit on Etsy that went perfectly with my Paris wardrobe, but I wanted to try out the pattern before I cut into it.

 The first try was in a rayon/lycra knit from EmmaOneSock. This view has a dropped shoulder and is somewhat loose. I used the higher neck from the other view.

The body on number two is a little more fitted, the neck is the same. This is also a rayon/lycra knit, also from Emma One Sock.

And here is the third one in that black and claret stripe...

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Interesting to note is how different the collar is in each top...I wanted the high neck of number 1, but the different fabrics (all rayon/lycra) translated differently, 2 and 3 being more droopy.

Being a parent to a new puppy has curtailed my studio time a little...but I've done some listening...Richard Russo's Nobody's Fool and the sequel Everybody's Fool.,,very good, I do love his writing. Also now listening to The House at the Edge of Night, set in an island off Sicily during WW2. Also enjoyable. I read No Man's Nightingale by Ruth Rendell...love her Inspector Wexford novels, and gave up in the middle of Ethan Canin's A Doubter's Almanac, mainly because I didn't care for the major character and didn't want to spend any more of my time on him!  I read the latest Daniel Silva book, The Black Widow...I am hooked on his

 Gabriel Allon books!

Taking advantage of our plethora of French Plums, I made my favorite Plum Crumble

I make it exactly according to the recipe, except I double the fruit. I halved and pitted 200 French plums to freeze so we can enjoy this several times more. It's that good! Don't eliminate the candied ginger as it really adds to the flavor.

A few more puppy pics because, well, just because!

 The chairs and ottoman I reupholstered...

This dog finds the most comfortable places to sleep...

Come on over to Visible Monday and say Hello!