Cafe Solórzano...made with love.

I'd like to introduce you to some amazing coffee.  I would really like to be able to tell you where to buy it, but this coffee is so exclusive, so hand-crafted, so artisanal, that I'm afraid it wouldn't be in your budget.  But, you can dream, right?

We made five cups of coffee from the beans off of one tree that my father's uncle Octavio had given him before he passed away.  It was good to the last drop!

My Life as a Luchadora

My Life as a Turkey,  I never thought I'd be so engrossed by the shenanigans of wild turkeys.  The documentary, which I stumbled upon on Channel 11 will suck you in.  It may make you do strange things--like put on a lucha libre mask.  Check it out.

Enter Lucha Libre mask designs on Spoonflower.  I saw these and couldn't resist.  So I ordered some for Thanksgiving. 

Because don't these masks just scream about gratitude?  Don't you think?  No?

Anyway, I thought they'd be fun.

So I ordered 4 designs.  I wasn't so good at paying attention to the detailed descriptions of the fabric.  As a result the Lucha Libre Mask of All Time is a bit small. 

I don't regret ordering it though, because it has little spikes for the headpiece--and that's just too cool.  The mask just barely fits on my head without any lacing up the back.  But as I said, that doesn't matter, because it's way cool.

Josephina felt so thankful about her Mariposa Magnifico mask that she wanted to go rob a bank in it.  However, this post will ruin the anonymity factor--meaning bank robbery just won't be a part of our expressions of gratitude this year. 

Anyway, the most delightful surprise so far with these masks was El Fuego Furioso which was designed for a cotton knit.  (Spoonflower folks were extremely patient and credited me since I originally ordered it on a regular quilting fat quarter and then had to reorder it on the knit.)  It was a worthy reorder.  It really works like a lucha libre mask.  You can pull it over your head.  It fits snug.  Perfect for giving thanks, for robbing the rich to give to the poor, for doing the laundry, whenever you feel you need a little extra oomph or a bit of super-strength...

Burda dress completed!

Ok, we left off long ago...
But the dress is done.
On the last day of the class...I stitched the bodice to the skirt (both the lining and the dress).  Then...the invisible zipper!!! Duh, duh, duuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh.

In all honesty, the instructor put in the zipper.  This was, on the one hand, good, because I wanted to finish the dress and wear it.  On the other hand, I don't think I know how to do it myself.  We'll see.

I'm fairly confident that I can do the whole rest of the dress by myself (except for the invisible zipper).

Anyway, the dress was not done when I left that final class, but what was left was all within my scope.

Done on my own:

1.  stitch lining to zipper tapes

2.  hem the lining  (Which I did during breaks from Shochugeiko.  Imagine me, sitting in sweaty gi pants on the couch in the dojo, hemming the skirt of the dress.)

3.  hem the skirt
4.  viola dress is done

I love it.  I love it.  I love it.  I love it.

Did I happen to mention that I love the dress?  Really really love it?

My summer has not been wasted.

First Burda Dress Continued...

So, I will confess that I picked this dress because it did not have sleeves.  I was traumatized by my first and last (so far) experience with sleeves...oh and with collars.  The dress doesn't have a collar.  It looks fairly simple, but has a nice shape.  And it's a petite-sized pattern.

But, things with Burda are not so simple.  The directions are simple.  They seem simple.  They are simple if you have lots of sewing experience and know what you are doing.  But that's ok, because I'm in a class. And my teacher, knows what she's doing.

So.  What I was trying to avoid by avoiding collars and sleeves, was working with putting together two pieces of fabric that don't exactly fit.  I find that annoying.  However, I'm beginning to understand that it is necessary when making something stylish that has more shape than a potato sack.  Curves seem to require this kind of finagling.  And I have curves, baby.

So, what I've learned so far...the beauty of stay stitching.  Yes it is a wondrous thing.  I get it now.  So, what you do is this.  The two pieces that are supposed to get stitched together, but don't look like they could possibly work, will work if you stay stitch the shorter piece 1/2 inch in from the edge.  Then, put the two pieces together, clipping into the allowance up to the stitched line as necessary.  This kind of spreads the fabric, helping it to grow and adjust itself to fit the longer curved piece.  Clip, clip, clip.  Pin, pin, pin, and if you are lucky, you will only have to stitch once.  Not so lucky, out comes the seam ripper.  Rip, rip, rip.  Pin, pin, pin.  But when all is said and done, you've created a magical seam.  You've made two pieces of differing lengths magically match up.  You are a sewing Goddess!

Next.  These simplistic instructions do not really explain what needs to be done so that this dress doesn't have raw, exposed edges.  There's no facing.  No bias strips.  It's all in the lining.  The lining does all the work and it's fabulous.

Sewing: My Very First Burda Dress!

So it is summer and so I'm taking the Step Beyond Beginner sewing class at Vogue Fabric in Evanston  again.  This time, I'm making a dress and it's lined.  I'm excited because I picked the pattern out of Burda magazine.  I subscribed, even though I've never made one of their patterns, mostly because I enjoy looking at the clothes and imagining that I could make such a thing...one day...one day...

dress-with-a-line-skirt

So...the challenges for this beginning sewist.  Burda prints shloads of patterns in their various sizes onto the same massive sheet of paper, so you have to trace the pattern (in your correct size)--meaning you have to somehow find the correct line to trace amidst all the other lines that are just screaming to be traced.  Then, what I like about the class, is that the instructor adjusts the pattern so that it will fit properly.  So we adjust, then you have to add in the seam allowances (because Burda doesn't add them in like most commercial patterns do).  I'm not complaining.  It was good, in that I think I'm starting to understand how the shapes work.  I'm not so good with 3d imaginings based off of a 2d paper pattern.  But having to trace it out, and then go back and add in seam allowances and hemlines, is prepping me to see it (I think).

The Birth of a Sweater

Taking a three week class at Loopy Yarns.

The goal, to crochet a "sweater".  Now, I wouldn't normally consider this garment a "sweater".  But it is sweater-like.  It has the basic form of a sweater.  It has a neckline, has arm holes.  It is very tiny.  I guess it makes sense since the class is only three weeks long.

But the big deal here is that it is indeed a garment that can be worn.  You have to get into it, poking your arms through the arm holes.  It has "construction" to it.  Not like a scarf or a shawl.

Then the other big thing.  I've owned two of Doris Chan's books for a while now.  I love looking at the designs.  But the patterns intimidate me terribly.  I've done one.  One of the simplest patterns from her Amazing Lace book, the mobius cowl.  But didn't have the guts to do something from Everyday Crochet.  So the opportunity to try it in a class was perfect.

I'm glad I did it.  At first, the pattern was confusing.  But I'm slowly beginning to see the light.  I can't wait to make another one, so I can feel like I truly know it.

The other thing I like about Doris Chan's patterns is that they build off of one another.  So now that I've done the Mei Mei, the next challenge will be to do the Mocha Rocha which has actual sleeves, looks like a real sweater, could be worn at work to shield me against frigid air conditioning or winter temps.

Here is the progress of this tiny sweater/shrug/thingie.

More on the entryway redo...

So, I made that first trip to Ikea with John.  Good friend, John.  We bickered at Ikea over the cubby.  Was I sure I wanted the short shelf?  Didn't I want the tall shelf?  No.  How about this one over here?  No.  This one? No. No. No.

I need something that's open on both sides, because I know I'm going to throw the bag into it's spot.  It can't have doors.  It must be OPEN.

As we stumbled about Ikea, John stumbled upon a display of tall shelves.  "What do you think of this?" He asks.

"I think it looks expensive," I say.

He looks at the tag.  It's actually reasonable. Hmmmm...I say.  "Maybe for the future.  But not today.  Today, I want to get this cubby thingie, with maybe some organizers, dining room chairs, and (if there's money left a small but comfy chair for the entry way."

We look at chairs.  John finds the perfect one with a lovely faux embroidered print on it.  Yes. Yes. Yes!!!

We eat Swedish meatballs in the cafeteria.

We stumble through the light fixtures.  John looks at a lovely modern, sculptural fixture and starts egging me on.

"It would look nice in your entryway."

I wasn't planning on buying a light fixture.  But it would look nice...  "Will it work?"  I ask.

"Oh yea.  It's easy to install."

"I hope so, since you're the one who's gonna install it."  We laugh.

We come home with the cubby, four dining room chairs, the lovely chair, the light fixture and some organizers.

John is the most generous person I know. 

And I keep thinking about the tall shelves that were fairly reasonable.  About three weeks later, we return.  This time we have big plans.  Two tall shelves, a big light fixture to mimic the little one.

We are set.  We know exactly what we want.  We aren't going to spend a lot of time in Ikea.  No Swedish meatballs today.  We're going to go in and then out.  We are on a mission.  We are going to put everything together this afternoon.  I cooked in advance, so I can feed us.  I just need to heat up the food in the microwave.  I mean, I am ready.

I buy the stuff and John waits with it while  I go get the car.

First I have to start the car.

But the car won't start.

My igo car won't go.

Battery's dead.

We wait for an hour and a half for the mechanic to come.  We eat sad Ikea hotdogs from the ground floor level.  We freeze by the loading area.

The mechanic dude jumps the car.  We load it and we are off.

But now, we just want to get home and unload the car.  We have no illusions about assembling stuff.

We get all the boxes into the house.  Then go out to return the car...but it's dead, again.

Back into the house.  John decides to install the small light fixture from the first Ikea trip.  It looks lovely.  We eat dinner.  Mechanic arrives again.

Several weeks later, John comes over after work and the madness begins.  I take everything off the old bookshelves to make space, while John starts to put together the new shelves.  I pull down the fabric panels that were trying to bring color into the room.  Boxes are everywhere.  But we put together both shelves and they are up!!!

Thank you for all your help, John!!!