Saturday Excursion

Yesterday I went out with my friends Rita and Jessica to the Windsor Arms* for tea. We had such a great time! Of course, it meant tearing myself away from the coat which is getting outrageously close to looking like a coat. But I was so happy, in the end, to be free of my sewga room enjoying great conversation and beautiful surroundings. (Note: I took photos and will post them soon.)

Afterward, I suggested we head into M0851, a Montreal-based store I've spoken about frequently. Lord, I love that place.

You know recently Kate has been talking about her latest "shopping consciousness" experiment. It involves "buying better", and by that I mean better quality. Somehow, every time Kate goes on a new plan, I get roped in!

Here's the thing. I don't really buy clothing anymore (I suspect you've noticed). I'm not saying I'm opposed to buying - if I need something, or want it tremendously, you know it's going to turn up in my wardrobe. I'm just having more fun spending money on stuff to make my own clothes.

As such, theoretically, that leaves me with a bit of disposable income to spend on luxury when I do buy. Enter my new wallet (with a surfeit of white space built in, apparently, which I can't be bothered to crop today...):
Secretly, it's one I've owned before. And I loved it till it gave up the ghost. See the buttery leather that is so soft it shows that ridge?? That really works for me. The website, on which you can order this, indicates it's a new item. Peeps, it's not a new item. Whatevs.

So I bought it, this Canadian-made item, from a gorgeous store, on a lovely day. It's something I needed, and wanted. I didn't wait for the sale. I decided to pay full price - something that allowed me to indulge my love of instant gratification and which makes me hope the boutique uses funds to pay its manufacturing force fairly. I can only imagine what went into making this thing. And I sure am glad it's mine.

*For such a chichi hotel that website sure does suck. Windsor Arms, join the modern era and fix that thing.

Stairways to Heaven

OMG - you must check out this site:

Couldn't you just see this in a thriller/suspense film as the unfortunate instrument of death for the gorgeous wife with a drinking problem whose wealthy (but mean) husband is looking for plausible, alimony-free way out?

How is it that, in these promo photos, the kids are the ones who get these awesome nooks with great natural lighting and reclaimed wood stairs that double as drawers?? The drawer stairs ROCK MY WORLD!

I had no idea... If only I were one of those independently wealthy, lover of innovative and chic interior client-types. I could do that role so well.

Wild Card

Really, what do you think of this bra:

Photo: Figleaves

I think I love it (not that it will look good on me, necessarily), but it sure as hell isn't modern. The Triumph Doreen, a timeless staple (war horse?), is constructed of more than 50 pieces.

Aren't you fascinated by the vertical pleat from the nipple line?

It's seriously Betty from Mad Men. Or maybe it's like something your grandmother wears??

I particularly love the long line version of this style but it doesn't seem to come in my size.

Does anyone own this? Do you think it's retro-fab? Be honest - do you loathe it? I wanna know.

Trading Off

Cooler temps (but not heads) prevail at this time of year. They make me want to bake everything I can imagine. Of course, there are only so many hours in the day, and in the absence of vacation, given the ongoing coat project, I don't think I'll be doing much baking in the next couple of weeks.

A girl can dream though... On my hit list:

• Fleur de sel caramels
• Sable
• Croissants
• Quiche
• Pots de Creme

On a side note, or maybe I've just been working up to this, I am feeling truly worse for wear (physically) for having avoided conscious movement for the last, um, two plus months. It's really not going well for me. Everything hurts.

It's a terrific irony IMO, that I am working my fingers to the bone to create a beautiful garment that will not benefit, at least initially, from the canvas of a carefully-maintained form. Don't misunderstand, I'm not suggesting that I am a hag for two months of underfunctional self-care. But I feel so removed from myself in this state. My muscles don't tone to my skeleton in the usual way. My stomach is soft. My shoulders and low back ache. I find it practically daunting to stretch.

In case you think that a life of exercise, when put on hold, buys you exemption for any length of time, then you are obviously very young!

But what am I to do? How do I build this sewing skill (a veritable passion) and still work all day and help my kid with homework and give some well-deserved attention to my husband? How do I make sure the house isn't a grimy pit (it really could use an overhaul of basics from IKEA, not that it's in the cards for the next few weeks) and that I eat food that doesn't come out of a package and yet have an hour for yoga - yoga of any sort - never mind the kick-my-ass kind that this woman of a certain age could really use.

You can see why I won't be baking any pies this week :-)

So tell me: How do you manage to work sewing into your busy life? Or yoga? Or baking? Or parenting? Has your fitness routine hit the skids lately? Maybe we can comiserate...

Update: I just reread this bourgeois gumbo of a post and it makes me want to smack myself. Jesus. Is it not enough that I have the space and brains to sew? That I have the funds to make beautiful food whenever I decide to desist from one of my other fabulous personal pursuits? I mean, life is about making choices. I have chosen to ignore everything on the planet that will allow itself to be ignored in the interest of developing a skill I value.

So there. I've said it for all of us. Still, my back hurts and my stomach squishes. That's something everyone can relate to, right?

Deets

I'm off again on another little trip for work so posting may be light on the ground for the next few days.

Since the Thanksgiving sew-free week, I've been really pushing on with this coat, i.e. the only thing I spend any quality time with. I'm not usually a week-day sewer. I will work 20 hours on any given weekend, and I'll read, shop, plan etc. from Monday to Friday, but I don't generally sew mid-week.

Having said this, once I overcame the "bound buttonhole bind", I was quite a few steps behind on the sew along and I've been really working to make up the lost time. In the last 8 days I've spent 40 hours on the freakin' coat. That's in addition to my day job (dare I say, my career), my marriage and my kid. Never mind the freakin' house which is no longer meeting my standards of organization...

I'm so fixated on finishing this thing. Outrageously - almost magic-realistically - after every detailed task, there's yet another detailed task. I can't yet see the end of it but I am committed. (Scott says I should be committed.)

I'll leave you with a few random thoughts about the project:

• I have learned SO much it's insane.
• I'm trying not to feel contemptuous of this garment at it demands my each waking moment, kind of like a new baby.
• At least it doesn't cry.
  
• I'm vaguely concerned it's going to be too large. I have to figure out a way to quantify fashion fabric ease (every fabric is unique) as it differs from muslin fabric ease (which is consistent and all but non existent). I'm beginning to think I just need to make every muslin (fitting first attempt) in the fashion fabric. Oh, but what a waste of money and beautiful fabric that might be...
• Mind you, last time I was concerned a hand-made garment was too large, after a few wearings I realized that it was the perfect size...
• I have to remember that I may hate this thing at first, being so up close to all of its "flaws". With time, however, I will grow to love it. (Cue hypnosis music.)
  
• Gertie, an excellent sewist with a truly fascinating blog, is also an amazing technical writer who has managed to make a tremendously complex process knowable. The only reason I've been able to plug on (with all my lack of experience and insecurity) is because she brings forward the next step in the right order with great instruction. (I understand her next sew along will be a beginner-level one. If you have any interest in sewing - getting started or renewing your skills - sign yourself up when it starts. You will not regret it. Esp. since a beginner project could not possibly suck up all your life energy for 2 months.)
  
• This long-term shit is tiring. I'm only taking on single-weekend projects for the foreseeable future.
• My creaky, sewing body needs some yoga. Big time. I'm beginning to wonder if I have any core strength left and I'm only vaguely exaggerating.
  
• I wonder if creating a coat is like having a baby, in that one is designed to forget the pain of labour once the new creature has arrived. Note: I have never forgotten the soul-shocking, mind-altering pain of labour (home birth, no drugs, peeps) and you would need to knock me out cold slash wake me when it's over if ever I were to have another kid (which I will not). So I really hope "having a coat" produces more effective post-arrival amnesia. Just saying...
  

Subtle Elegance

Photo: Apartment Therapy

I want to live in these rooms...

(You know how I love the juxtaposition of warm and cool.)

Fall from the DVP

Sometimes, TO really is gorgeous:

Photo: Jason Allies

Though I'm rarely this far north (note: the joke is that "real Torontonians" don't venture "north of Bloor" and this is WAY past that), I just happened to be on the Don Valley Parkway last week when - no shit - it looked just like this.

Happy 40th to my friend Hilary and happy birthday to you Monkey.