The Start of A Quiet Week

Though the sun has been shining, the wind has made it feel cold when outside. No frost at night but it is forecasted for tonight. 

Lifestyle

Our flooring arrives at the store today and will be installed next Tuesday. A week of quiet here before the last part of the work is done. 
After a morning out, the Spousal Unit set up his new shop vac and I washed the basement windows. Now that the mud dust has settled, I will start to clean the house from the bottom up. I did do some cleaning only to have a layer of dust on it a couple of hours later. At that point, I gave up. 

Health

My body has rebelled and won't drop this week. I'm hungry but still eating points only. I'm not worrying about it too much. At least I'm not eating everything in site. My back has also been quite sore which could be weather related. 

Sewing

I found the doll's fabric and dug out a piece of cotton to make a dress for the AG doll. 

I have a pattern in mind when I find the pattern tub. I may snoop for it out in the garage this week. It will be a simple dress as I have a limited amount of fabric. The hair band or barrettes will go with the outfit. I hope to make white panties for the dress. 

Knitting

The capelet is done to putting buttons on it. I worked out how many stitches I needed to knit for the collar and went to work on it. 

Elliott never looks or sniffs or touches the dolls. While doing the photos of the capelet, he came over and sniffed. He approved. 

I started the next test pattern and am restarting it. Was short 2 stitches when I cast on. That was my mistake. I'm also going to change colors to a dusty mauve and grey. I can build around it when making an outfit. 

Today

I am hoping to clean up the downstairs bathroom ready for the vanity to be put in. If there is stuff to be removed for the installers of the floor, I will work on getting it put away. I will be knitting up a storm also. I need to get the test pattern started and a bunch done. 
Until the next time.......................

Moving Forward -Flooring is Next

Saturday was another very wet day with an inch of rain falling during the day. In actual fact, 1/4" fell in 10 minutes. There was thunder and lightening both in the early morning and around dinner time. 

Lifestyle

The basement is completely painted. I finished up the doors yesterday afternoon. The contractor did the front entrance and it is light and airy. We now wait for flooring to be installed. 
We were out on Saturday and the basement stayed dry. It was a huge relief to come home to a dry basement. Especially since it was nearly ready for flooring. 
We are at the point where I can start cleaning the house. At least what I can reach. I will be starting in the basement and moving upstairs. The floors down there need a good vacuuming, the bathroom floor needs to be scrubbed, windows washed and then I can start up the stairs to the main floor. I am tired of the dust. It is everywhere. 

Health

My body and I are fighting right now. I'm trying to eat carefully but am hungry most of the time. I can't tell if it's stress or real hunger. Or if I am at a plateau as I lost 4.8 lbs this month. I've really struggled so am hoping to maintain this week. 

Sewing

I have been deciding on how I am going to deal with my stash. The past few days it has been preying on my mind. To the point that I had to really think seriously about it. I'm thinking about putting one doll, one garment, and one craft fabric on the sewing table and sew it up. Repeat. 

1. Doll Clothes -- use a pattern I like and sew it up. If a dress, try to add panties to the outfit. 
2. Garment - pull out one piece of fabric and pattern and sew it up. If too small, hang in our extra closet and wear it when I get to that size. I'm not thinking real small but smaller. 
3. Craft - pull out one piece of fabric and sew it up. It could be just Christmas napkins. Store in a tub for future reference. 

I really need to work on the stash and get it sewn down so I don't need to buy a unit for storage. All I want is a dresser to put fabric into. Enough for one or two projects. 

Knitting

I finished up the lavender dress by knitting the belt and putting beads on the fringe. 

I love the collar and will be enlarging it to finish another project. 

I will sew panties for this dress and sell it. 

I also finished up the sweater set I tested. It is a cute test and will be in the rotation next winter. 

It too will be sold with a pair of leggings.

I knit another capelet this time for the AG doll. The neck and bottom are in white and the body is lavender. This capelet fits a bit big around the neck of the doll so I am going to knit the collar from the lavender dress to go around the neckline. I will sew it on. I will buy the lavender buttons for the front to keep it simple. 

First Doll Outfit In the Sewing Room

As I was wanting to use up the lavender yarn I built an outfit around it in my mind. 

• Lavender capelet with white trim and white lacy collar sewn onto it. 
• Lavender and white polka print dress. It will be sleeveless with a full skirt. 
• Underwear in white which is in the stash somewhere. 

This I will sell as I know it will be quite cute. I will be putting it into my sell tub when done. Emilia's might be sold also. 

Emilia's outfit. The fabric will be the left over piece for the AG dress. 

Today

We are doing some shopping locally and then I need to do laundry and start washing the basement windows. Moving forward to cleaning up the basement in preparation to cleaning upstairs. 

Until the next time...........................

Family Room Painted

We didn't have rain yesterday but it sure got cold in the afternoon. The temperature dipped down and by morning it was 1C. It is suppose to warm up this morning. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday was spent in the basement. I swept down walls for priming and then scraped and swept the floors. After that I went on to paint the doors and windows in the sewing room. The contractor painted the family room and bathroom two coats. 

The family room is light and airy feeling. The grey is perfect in there. 

This is the area I take pictures of the dolls in. It may be too bright now. The brown shows at the top as we are putting crown moulding up. 
The Spousal Unit and I also did some tidying up in the garage and got the door handles and plugs out for the basement. I have to go back in and look for the mouse sander. It is not where we usually keep it. 
By the end of the day, I was tired and sore. I did about 5 hours of work down stairs. 

Health

Yesterday was flex day for eating. I eat most of my points and that I did while working out in the basement. I was hungry. Today I eat less points as I move back to eating for weight loss. 

Sewing

As I painted doors and windows in the sewing room, I did think a bit about what I want to do in that room. A lot is going through my mind at this time. Ideas like set up, storage, and areas are keeping my mind busy. 
I'm also thinking about how to sell my doll outfits. I have had a plan in place for quite a while and I still like it. I love to combine knitting and sewing and will continue to do that. A few other things I'm looking at doing is 

• Adding panties to some of the outfits. 
• Making shoes for some outfits. 
• Make both AG and Gotz outfits

I really want to try out most of the patterns I bought. I also got Pixie Faire's Sewing With Cinnamon course on sewing a denim jacket. I also bought the pattern so will have fun creating some cute outfits with jean jackets. And I still want to draft some patterns for the Gotz dolls. I look forward to working on the slopers when the sewing room is back to normal. 

Knitting

I am almost half done the second sleeve on the sweater and then will need to steam it and take pictures. It is a cute pattern and I hope it fits like the designer's does. 

I will start on grandson's socks while I wait for another pattern to test. I need to look in the yarn stash for two colors of fine yarn. Both have to be solid to show off the pattern. 

Today

I have to go and get foam rollers and then start painting doors and windows in the family room. Another day of painting. I will have one or two more days before I am finished. 

Until the next time............................

One of April's Goals Met

Yesterday was dry until dinner time and we had one good shower. It was a good one. We may have had a shower over night and could have one or two today.

Lifestyle

The first daffodils showed up on Tuesday. I got pictures of them yesterday. The first sign of spring. Daughter-in-law's forsythia is almost in bloom. So happy to see some color. 
After doing some housework, I laid down and had a nap. I hadn't slept well the night before as my mind was racing and wouldn't shut off. It was a quiet day for me so I would sleep well last night. 
The flooring was ordered and we paid the difference to get what we wanted. The insurance pays the biggest amount as the original flooring was a good quality. 

Health

I lost 1.4 lbs at weigh in last night for a total of 26 lbs. Met and exceeded April's goals. I am ready to set May's goals. Focusing on my goals has been very successful for me as it helps we think about the small bits rather than the big picture which is a long ways off. 

I am getting to the stage where I need to go shopping for new clothes. My wardrobe is limited and I need new tops for summer. My tops are mainly for winter. I do have capris to wear this summer. And one pair of jeans. 

Sewing

Yesterday I got a $19.00 course for $.99. It is on sewing a jeans jacket for dolls. I also bought the pattern. I will be making the jacket following the class so I can learn more about the process and techniques used. 
I haven't printed off any more patterns. As I am painting for the next few days, I will refrain from patterns. Once done, I will print off a few more for future reference. 

Knitting

I started the first sleeve on the sweater and hope to have the sweater done by tomorrow night. The sleeves are a bit large for my liking but I'm sure they will be fine. At least you can put a shirt on the doll under it where most sweaters only allow for sleeveless tops. 
One thing I am learning about my knitting is I knit tighter in the round than I do back and forth. I upped the needles by one size for the sleeves of the sweater and there is no change in gauge. 

Today

I am going to be cleaning up the basement and start painting the doors and windows in the sewing room. I will be knitting in the evening. 
Until the next time.............................

Ready to Paint

We have had some wet weather the past three of days. It isn't raining yet today but there could be showers for the next 24 hours. 

Lifestyle

The walls in the basement are ready for paint. We are quite excited to be at this stage of the game. It means I have to paint the doors and window casings. I'm ready for that. 
We are both ready to claim our house back. The company said 4 weeks but we know it will be 6+ weeks before they will come and reload the basement. We are very tired of living in the mess and trying to function normally. I do try to keep areas of the house clean but it is hard to keep the whole upstairs neat and tidy. 
With limited access to our belongings, I worked on the family tree. The research has been productive. Many of my 3x great grandfather, David Stillman, siblings lived in our area during their adult lives. My goal is to do a bit more research and put together names and communities so we can visit those communities and cemeteries.

Health

Though our lives are in chaos, I've managed to eat well and track everything that goes into my mouth. I'm hoping that walking away from food when I'm stressed will show up on the scales tonight. 

Sewing

I haven't got any more patterns printed out as I've been busy with other things. I want to trace out a pattern called Carrots (after Anne of Green Gables) and sew it in a homespun. After that, I will look at other patterns and prepare them for sewing. I need to get something so I can store the patterns in file folders. 
When I have had some quiet time, I have been thinking about the fabric stash. I really want to sew it down so I don't have to put in cubbies/cabinets to store what I have. I really want a white dresser to store some bits and pieces. I need to make a plan and follow through with it. Attainable goals so I see progress. I need to go back to fabric fasting though I have one gift certificate left to use. I'll save it for later in the summer.  

Knitting

I finished the test dress and collar. It is really a cute outfit. 

I have a belt to knit for it. I'll put the outfit up for sale in the fall. I need to part with some of the outfits I've made. I'm going to knit a capelet from the remaining yarn. 
The sweater I'm pattern testing was ripped out and reknit yesterday. I'm almost done the body. I had a mistake and couldn't live with it hence why I ripped it out. It is an easy pattern to knit. 
As I can reach my yarn stash, I have been working on a plan to knit it down. I hope that I don't have to buy much yarn for the next bit. At the moment my plan is to 

• finish up the red sweater
• do the belt for the lavender dress and knit the remaining yarn into a capelet. It may not go with the dress but I have cotton in the same color that I could sew a dress to go with the capelet. 
• finish grandson's socks
• finish my beaded scarf

After these are done, I will plan new projects. More like two at a time.

Today

It will be a quiet day with the possibility of a nap. I didn't sleep well last night. My mind raced until midnight when I got up and sat for a bit so I could relax and sleep. Hence, I am tired today. In reality, it means some housework, groceries, and laundry. I also need to okay the flooring and order a counter top for the downstairs bathroom. 
Until the next time................................

Happy Easter

Though it has rained, the temperature was 19C yesterday and dropped to 17C overnight. We are to have it warm and wet again today. 

Lifestyle

With it raining for part of the day yesterday, we settled down and had an inside day. We had no one working in the house so enjoyed the quietness of the day. 
The Spousal Unit put spray foam under the stairs where there was air coming in and I did a bit of housework. 
We had Easter with family and played Scrabble last night. It was a nice evening. 

Health

We had a lovely Easter dinner with family and I ate within my points. My weight is coming off and I hope that I can get the .4 lb off this week. I'm working on getting the first 25 lbs gone. 

Sewing

I didn't print a pattern yesterday like I had hoped. I couldn't decide on a pattern. Today I am leaning towards a coat or garment bags. One way or the other, I will do one pattern today. 

Knitting

I am still fighting with the hat pattern. I have knit a hat using Astra yarn with 4.0mm needles and am knitting another one using 4.5 needles. I get gauge at 4.0 going across and loose gauge when knitting in the round. I knit tighter than I purl. I keep learning lots about my knitting.

The hat using 4.0mm needles. I'm not a fan of the red as I like a red that has more blue or black in it. The hat and coat will go well with a skirt I made. 

Today

The goal is to put in retro fit boxes for surround sound. I will do the measuring and drawing and the Spousal Unit can cut. Then it's some housework, pattern cutting, and knitting. 
Until the next time..............................

Moving At A Fast Pace

After a couple of days of cool wet weather, we are back to sunshine and warmer days. Easter weekend will see temperature up to 18C with sunshine and maybe a shower or two. 

Lifestyle

Things are moving fast here. The contractor has finished boarding the walls in the basement and the mudder will be here this weekend to do his magic. 
The Spousal Unit and I headed out about paint and the store we got the color from does not know what is going on with our formula. After some poor customer service, we got the head paint lady and she gave me a copy of the formula. We were frustrated when we left. I will be trying another store today.
Once I settled down, I remembered the sample pot in the garage. I hauled it out. Then, I took a picture of the other can of paint with the same formula on it. My biggest score was finding some drywall with the paint on it. I'm ready to try the contractor's hardware store. 
Today I will be heading out to do paint, moulding choice, return flooring samples and a bit of shopping. 

Health

I'm down 24.6 lbs total with a 1.8 lb loss this week. I'm aiming for 25 lbs next week. I have also lost 10% of my body weight which is one goal met this month. The other goal for the month was 25 lbs. If met, I will have to set my goals for May. I'm finding having small goals helps me be successful. 

Sewing

I have one pattern printed, cut out and traced onto freezer paper. I won't do another one until tomorrow at the earliest. Too busy in our house. 
I looked at fabric storage ideas for the sewing room and have decided to see if using a large cube and their fabric containers will work. It's portable which is what I want. 

Knitting

Frustration hit when doing a test pattern. The designer must knit looser than me and my choice of yarn is not a good match. Though it is a 3 weight (DK/Sport), it is not knitting to gauge. When I knit it using the recommended needles, it kind of fit Emilia. 

When I put it on to the American Girl doll, it was too small. 

It is suppose to be oversized. I have tried the yarn using the recommended needles on the yarn wrapper and I think it's still too small. Up to 5 mm needles and I'm still not sure. The yarn's twist is funny so I've put it away and using Astra. I will buy a ball of DK Joy also and decided after I've swatched both yarns. 

Today

I'm off to the city to do a bunch of things. It is going to be a long day for me as I have to go into 3 communities. 
Until the next time..............................

We Are Dry!!

Yesterday was wet. Rain storm came through during the day. The high temperature got to 13C. Today is going to be cooler and rainy. 

Lifestyle

Our house was deemed dry yesterday. We are thrilled and watched it stay dry during the rain. The contractor was out to measure up for his job and the flooring people will b out today to measure up for flooring. 
We came home and will be here until the fans are run to dry the mud. Then we will go back to family until they are turned off. 
I have done some housework and will continue to do as much as I can with everything piled up around the house. 

Health

Though I've eaten a wider variety of foods this week, the house scales say I am down. I'm hoping the loss shows on Wednesday. 
I tried on my size 12 jeans and they fit perfectly. I'm going to be looking for size 10 as my 30 lb loss reward. I'm feeling fine medication wise. I was exhausted yesterday as I came down off an adrenaline high from the house being dry and we can move forward. I didn't realize how I had been running on this high for so many days. Cause - stress of the house not drying out due to the fact the restoration crew not doing their job properly. 

Sewing

I found my tag and will be cutting out one pattern today. I will transfer it to freezer paper and get it ready to cut out and sew. It will keep me busy. 
I am going to spend some time in the sewing room deciding if I want cupboards put in to store my stash. It is a good idea but I want to sew down my stash so I can use a dresser. I'm thinking hard on this one. 
I am wanting to make myself a bodice sloper. I hope to use this and one from a Craftsy course I own. 

Knitting

I started the second test pattern - the hat first- and found a mistake on row 11. I await the correction though I will do the round to make sure the designer and my numbers are same. In the mean time I will work on the other test pattern. I'm ready to do the pattern stitch on the skirt. 

Today

The contractor and flooring person will be here so I have to be on call. Once I'm done with them, I will print out a pattern and prep it for sewing and then knit. I really should do a load of laundry. 
Until the next time.............................

Are We Dry Enough To Be Certified?

We have had 3 warm days with highs of 15C. Yesterday it rained but was still warm. We really are enjoying the weather. Hopefully spring is here. 

Lifestyle

We checked the basement early on Friday and found the insulation ranged from damp to soaking wet. Some of the insulation was behind the plastic barrier. We were really upset about that and made some big demands. In the end, all the insulation was removed at the 2 foot level. The basement is drying out nicely and we hope that it will be certified dry on Monday. 
Yesterday the Spousal Unit and I went look for a new belt and buckle for him. It has to be western. We headed down to Hammond's Plain to a western shop. Did not know they were selling out all but a tack. Wasted trip. We stopped in Falmouth and they had some but not what we wanted in buckles or size in belts. So we went to Coldbrook. A trip to Scotia Gold and the book store usually get us in the right mood. At Scotia Gold, we found the buckle and belts will be in after Easter. We headed to their greenhouse and was wowed by their stock. Going back there soon. I found this cute cat made out of wood and he now sits on our stairs.

I'm going back for a second one and hopefully one for a gift. Books were bought at the bookstore and we felt it turned out to be a good day.

Sewing

Though I can sew, I can certainly spend some time learning. A lady I met on the internet (Joan) did this video and it is awesome. I have the tag and the freezer paper so I am going to start getting patterns ready to cut out. If I do one a day, I could have 15+ patterns ready to sew. 
I like how Joan stores her patterns but I would love to use a filing system. I will see what I can do as I have lots of file folders that are accordion sided. I will be doing this with the patterns I drafted. 
I found the tag and the paper for the printer with minimal moving of stuff in the sewing room. 
After getting grandson's pants hemmed, I found the bees wax I use on the thread by accident. It was in a bag in our closet. I'm itching to sew so am looking for things to do. Even if just finding my stuff. 

Knitting

I finished the capelet and got the buttons for the both. Emilia was a perfect model. 

I am ready to test a dress for a designer. It is the 5th item in a collection she submitted and had broken apart. I'm looking forward to that. 
Once home, I can knit on two projects. I can get back to grandson's socks. 

Today

I have been doing some housework. I cleaned our bedroom, got the dishwasher started, the steps up to the main part cleaned, and laundry done. What's been exciting is having the back door open and letting in the lovely warm air. 
Son was over and the surround sound wire has been put in. 
Until the next time..........................

Drying Out

It has been quite the weather in our area. On Monday night, we saw it start to snow and by Tuesday morning, we had almost 4" on the ground. Yesterday, we had another inch fall and today there are a few flakes falling. 

Lifestyle

The basement has been torn out and has the fans going to finish drying it out. 

They only removed 2 feet of the gyproc to see how much damage was done. Minimal, which is great. The dehumidifiers and fans are running to finish drying out the dampness that was behind the gyproc.  
The items that got damp have been evaluated and what needs to be dealt with is gone to the warehouse. It seems as if only 2 items will need to be replaced; a desk and a piece of electronics. For that, we are grateful. 

Health

We are trying to eat healthy each day. I am monitoring portion control. Daughter-in-law is amazing with her cooking. With all that happened, I maintained this week and I am happy about that. I am proud of myself because I walked and talked myself out of binging on chocolate yesterday. I kept saying I did not need it as this was just a stress thing. 

Sewing

No sewing but the room has had all the flooring removed, the bottom 2 feet of the walls removed and is drying out. We are thinking about cabinets for storage in that room. I will have to decide as a plug in will have to be raised. 

Knitting

I did knit a dress for Emilia. There was enough yarn left over from a lilac sweater I knit for her. I still have buttons to buy for the dress and the capelet which I can start today. 

Once I finish the capelet, I need to knit grandson's socks. I'm down to one project at a time right now. It's too much packing two projects back and forth between houses. 

Today

I am going to clean more of the house while we wait for the a person to come and check the freezer later this afternoon. We are not sure when the fellow comes back to check the dampness or lack of in the basement. We have to wait and see. 
Until the next time...............................

When It Rains, It Floods

On Wednesday, April 3, we had a horrific rain storm pass over us. It rained between 2-3" in about 8 hours. Yesterday was also damp and we saw snow fall in the morning. In between, it has been sunny and cool. 

Lifestyle

On Wednesday, we headed into the city of Halifax in the midst of the storm as the Spousal Unit had an appointment with the hematologist. His check up went well and he goes again in April 2020. He still has to have blood work done every three months and will be called if there is any change. 
We headed home as it was too wet to shop. We got home about 3:30 to discover our basement was flooded. We started to move some stuff into the dry areas and I called the insurance company to open a claim. 
Son, Daughter-in-law, grandson and the neighbor helped us move everything that wasn't damaged out into the garage, the guest room and our bedroom. We were so grateful for the extra help as we couldn't have gotten everything out of that space as quickly as they did and would have had a lot more damage. 
At the moment we are staying in our family's in-law suite and spending time with them. We are so grateful to them as we endure this hiccup in our lives. 

Health

I'm sure my blood pressure went through the roof when I surveyed the basement. I actually left and went to weigh in at Weight Watchers. I lost 1.6 lbs. I hope I maintain for the next couple of weeks. 

Sewing

My sewing room is scattered all over the house. I have found enough to fix buttons on grandson's blazer and to hem his school dress pants. 

 The desk is ruined and awaits being hauled away. 

 Nothing left in the room but the dehumidifiers and fans. We are waiting for the flooring to be removed and the walls and insulation to be removed so the wood can be inspected and dried out or replaced. The family room, bathroom, mechanical room and under the stairs has to have the same thing done to them. 

Knitting

I can get at all my knitting supplies and am knitting. I started a doll's dress with 50 grams of wool and it isn't enough. 

Hopefully I can find the color at one of two stores. If not, I start again. I have 2 balls of red Astra, two balls of a variegated yarn and I can add grey or white for the capelet. 

Today and Down the Road

I will keep you posted on how we are doing and what we have learned. We await for the basement to be opened up so we can see the damage or lack of and get this house dried out. From there we move forward with new flooring, vanity and what ever else we are getting from this insurance claim. 

Until the next time...........................

Another Project Almost Completed

After several lovely sunny days (with cool winds), we are now having rain. It is suppose to be heavy at times as the storm passes over us. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning we got our hair cut and then spent the afternoon at home. The Spousal Unit was tired but perked up after he ate dinner. I wonder if he had low blood sugar. Or if he slept poorer than he thought as the house was warm the night before. 
With all the sun shining in the house was warm last night so I opened one of the bedroom windows to cool the room down. I knew I would hear the rain if it came in earlier than forecasted. It was nice to sleep in a cool room. 

Health

I am not sure if I will weigh in tonight as we will be in Halifax this afternoon. DH has to see the hematologist at 1 p.m. My weight is holding its own even after I had one bad day. I have eaten properly 80% of the time this week. I try for 90% each week and am usually successful. I had chocolate and it is a trigger food for me. Done with chocolate for a long time now. 

Sewing

I worked on the western shirt yesterday and the first cuff went on perfectly. The second cuff didn't want to cooperate and had to be sewn on twice. They are done.

Hem, buttonholes, and buttons and I'm done. It is quite cute. 
I cut out the pattern I drafted from a piece of rayon that was given to me. I think there is about 1/3 meter of scraps. I got the shoulder seams sewn when I quit for the day. 

The fabric is a bugger to cut out but is nice to sew. I used a size 12 microtex needle in the machine. 
The lining for the bodice is cut out and ready to sew the shoulder seams. I'm doing a series of photos for a tutorial on a new way (to me) to sew a lined bodice. 

Knitting

I finished part 1 of the mystery knit along. 

It is a cute pattern but very basic. One lady finished hers and the skirt is an A-line. I wondered if I would have enough yarn but learned it will be close. I can see this dress with a lacy sweater, of which I have a pattern for. 

Today

I'm going to have to drive to Halifax before lunch and am nervous as it's my first time driving into the city alone. I have a good idea of where to go but am giving myself lots of time. At least it isn't during rush hour traffic. I want to do a bit of house work before we go. 
Until the next time..............................

Progressing Through the Projects In The Sewing Room

It is clear and cool this morning and we are to get heavy rains tomorrow. Hopefully today will be warm and sunny. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday I washed the living room windows. The insides are clean as are the bottom outsides. I can open them up and tip them in to wash the outside section. Just need to wash the tops windows when it is warmer. That requires me hanging off a ladder. 
While sewing, I watched "Call the Midwife". It is back again and I enjoy the show very much. I record it to watch during the day. 

Sewing

I finished the spring dress and sweater yesterday morning. I'm very pleased with it. 

I love sewing this pattern done by a friend when I need a break from other sewing. The goal of this dress was to sew it from .25 meter of fabric. I also wanted to try out the new technique I learned to sew the side seams easier. Mission accomplished. The next version is to add a pleated or high-low skirt. 
I got the second sleeve in the western shirt. I sewed the collar into the sleeve and had to rip out a section. Other than that, it was fairly easy to install. 

I'm going to pinch out about 1/2" from the sleeve cap as it is a bit big for the armhole. 
Lastly, I drafted a summer top for the dolls. I will be sewing them up starting tomorrow. 

I started off with the American Girl doll size when I was doing Pattern Academy. I was learning how to do a flared skirt and thought it should work on a bodice. 

With the first one done, I thought about what I wanted to do with the Gotz doll pattern. I made the skirt longer and placed the slashes further apart. 
My next purchase is digitizing software so I can start making my patterns. After that, I will have to write the instructions. 
I have to say, I left the sewing room pleased with the day's accomplishments. And the room is still tidy. 

Knitting

I finished the sweater and I do love the pattern. It has become a go to pattern for the dolls. 

I want to find the same color in a fingering weight yarn to make a bolero for this outfit. The left over yarn will be used up as I have .75 meter of the fabric left. 

The Gotz doll thread on Ravelry is having a mystery knit along. We were told the weight of yarn and this was our choice. I got the first third of the mystery -- half of the dress. It will be knit in the pumpkin colored yarn. I will cast on tonight. 
I knit on grandson's socks and both socks are ready to knit in the round to the toe. Hopefully they will be done by the weekend. 

Today

We are out for haircuts and then home to sew. I want to try and finish the western shirt today. I will take breaks to cut out the doll's patterns. But the goal is to finish the shirt. 
Until the next time........................

Working On Projects Old and New

We finally have warm weather. Sunshine, wind, and today rain. Unfortunately, the wind still feels like the north wind going home. - cold. The high yesterday was 16C which has been our warmest day this year. 

Lifestyle

I had a lovely birthday on Saturday. Daughter sent me a bouquet of lovely flowers. 

Daughter-in-law made me a lovely dinner of chicken enchiladas and chocolate dipped strawberries. From them I got a gift card and a new watch strap. 

Health

This is keep a close watch on what I eat week due to my birthday dinner. I'm doing fine and will take a maintain at weigh in. 
As I've lost weight, the Spousal Unit wants me to buy some new clothes as a reward and a birthday gift. I found shoes but nothing else that I liked. 

Sewing

On Saturday, I cleaned up the sewing room. Three bags of garbage went out. The cutting table got cleaned up along with everything put in its right place. The floors got swept. It felt good to have the room done. 
In the afternoon, I hemmed grandson's pants, put a button on son's shirt and fixed his dress pants. 
Sunday, I decided to put in one sleeve on the western shirt. It actually went in better than I thought. 

The second sleeve is ready to have the seams serged and put in. I'm making slow progress on it but should have it done this week. 
I  decided to sew up a dress pattern so see what the skirt looked like using less gathering. I tried it on Emelia.

I still need to finish it up and hem it. Not sure if I like the ribbon on the dress or not. 
The two dresses are out of the same pattern with different skirt fullnesses. 

I do like both. 
When I sewed the blue dress, I followed the instructions for sewing the side seams. Very finicky. I learned a new way when I did the green vest and it worked beautifully on the new dress. I'll do a tutorial the next time as I am making this dress a couple of more times. I'm preparing myself for my bodice to see the difference with each skirt. 

Knitting

I cast on a lovely lilac yarn to make a sweater to go with the dress I made yesterday. I am about 4 rows from casting off and sewing it up. It is such an easy knit to go with these dresses. 
There is a new knit along for April. Take a picture of your yarn with the doll of your choice and you get the pattern sent to you in 3 parts. When you show the part finished, you get the next one. I will dig out the yarn this morning and do it. It is to be a dress and capelet. 

Today

I will be doing some housework, finishing the dress and sweater and putting in the second sleeve on the western shirt. A wet day doing things inside. 
Until the next time.............................