Sunday Reflections

Love the leopard, still all over Paris.

Here's the beast at the flea market.

Judy found the perfect scarf at the Marche Biologique

from one of our favorite scarf vendors.

The galettes were mouthwatering as always!

Looking at the garden

from Monet's bedroom window.

 Marcy and I taking pictures of each other.

A lush Fall garden.

Love the stove.

When I look at the ponds

I understand some

and imagine more

what living and painting

this beauty

changing in time and season

was.

Paris Continues...

 This store always has window displays that are a visual feast

 of color and texture and style.

Almost makes me wish 

that I had a man to buy something for.

(My grandson will just have to wait.)

Bespoke.

 A cowgirl theme is popular all over Paris this Fall.

Tres cher.

Carhartt jackets and Timberland boots,

make me feel right at home.

 One of the exquisite domes at Printemps.

The restaurant under the other dome

makes for a magical lunch.

Our playful waiter

looked a little bit like Brad Pitt.

He loved it of course

when we told him that.

 

Nespresso is now making a tea machine.

Imagine that.

Perfectly brewed tea every time.

Hmm...

Not yet available in the US.

You'll just have to wait...

Paris continues...

Blue Skies in Paris!

There have been two wonderful warm

and sunny days in Paris to enjoy!

Cooler days are predicted so we have been
appreciating this Autumn magic.

Sat in a cafe for several hours Sunday

watching the river of people

rushing through the Marais.
So happy to be quiet for a while.

Had a lovely lunch today sitting on the sidewalk with

Judith Ann, an Oregon friend and her daughter Molly,

 born down the road in Takilma, soon-to-be-delivered of her new son.

An imminent birth brings so much joy to family and friends!

Even those of us on the fringes get to share.

This man waiting for his family outside of Merci 

is the best dressed I've seen in Paris. 

His suit was perfectly tailored

and he wore it with a casual panache.

Marcy and I stopped at Merci for a dessert and tea.

Both were superb.

They make them here with great care.

Some of the tastiest Parisian food I've eaten!
Merci, Merci.

Creativity in light fixtures is a Parisian talent.

This one gives new meaning to the term 'book light'.

The moon over the Place des Vosges as night falls.

Another perfect day in Parisdise.

Oregon Weather in Paris

  Off to Paris with a few bags, ready for fun!

The koi pond at Maison Zen 

provides a small oasis in the garden 

which causes me to take a deep breath 

when I come in from the busy streets.

Even the air conditioner is zen...

 It's raining in Paris. 

They call it a 'brown' rain here and 

when the drops dry on a car you can see why. 

Doesn't bode well for what we are breathing in 

but not much one can do but continue to have fun and enjoy. 

It is not cold but just right for a raincoat and I love that.

Market Aligre was crowded this Saturday,

a feast of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and meat.

Lunch at La Fontaine was lovely

(even with an insipid wine).

Much better wine tonight,

recommended by a Frenchman 

who was tasting at the wine shop.

(We listen to the recommendations,

they are usually spot on.)

Haircuts, walking, shopping, walking, roasted chicken dinner at home...

Oui, Paris!

Autumn

The sky is the cleanest blue

that only comes between seasons

for a moment in time

feeling as clean as a baby's breath

smooth as lambskin

and crisp as a crease in Italian cotton.

The Sugar Maples' color

gives new meaning to the word

breathtaking

when it does.

The air is fresher now

as light shifts

night sneaks in sooner

logs are stacked

and out moves in.

This morning

the mist creates a stage set

in tones of black and light

layered oak stenciled near, far

and mid-ground.

The golden acorns

weigh tree and rain on the roof

and once on my head

making a lump

as big as an acorn.

Vogue 8837 Pant and Skirt

Vogue 8837 Skirt

 I love this pant and skirt pairing.

I tend to look dowdy in a skirt, except a long lean one like this. 

Chic and svelte!

(I wish I could wear the shoes.)

Vogue 8837 Pant

The pants are wonderful -- their slim shape works as a legging or a pant, flattering with or without the cuff and gathered design detail on the back. 

And...

There are two things you need to know when working with this pattern.

1. Sizes have been combined so if you are the smaller size in a grouping you will probably have to adjust the fit a bit more. I always like having some extra on the side seam for adjustments just in case anyway.

2. The elastic guide is wonky -- way too long -- so don’t use it. A lot depends on the stretch of the elastic but in this case 2/3 elastic to the length it will be stitched down should be fine. For instance if you are going to gather 15” on the pattern use 10” of elastic.

Options: 

I make many samples in order to write the sewing directions. 

By the time I send the final samples off to the pattern company I’ve imagined a few different things I could do with the pattern. 

Sometimes I actually get one done.

Stretch Woven Version

The instructions call for moderate stretch knits only. 

I just made this fabulous pair in a stretch woven. 

I eliminated the cuff and the elastic on the back of the leg so they would be more like a skinny jean.

Closeup of My Stretch Woven Version

marcytilton.com has some beautiful stretch wovens if you want to try this at home... 

They are all listed as 'stretch woven' in their description or title in the woven section.

Construction: 

When I stitch up these pants I put the fronts together first. 

Next I sew the fronts to the backs at the inseam. 

Then I connect them by stitching the rise from front to back.

I use a basting stitch to put the side seams together and then try them on. 

This simplifies making adjustments. 

You could pin the sides together and make all the adjustments that way before your final sewing of the side seams.

The line drawings always give a true look at the shape of the pattern.

I think you can see how simple it can be to remove the cuff and elastic. 

I used the 'foldline' on the pattern and it was the correct length for me. 

You will want to adjust for your inseam. 

Another option is to eliminate the cuff piece and lengthen the front as needed.

Valley Girls

A room with a view.

Being in the woods,

staying at the Woods'.

Beauty, abundance and creativity reigning here in Grass Valley/Nevada City

for two 'Beyond the Arty T' workshops.

Fabric shopping is always a fine way to start,

especially with the goodies I brought with me!

More art supplies to play with...

 

Jackie is just one of the amazingly talented women in the first group. She enhanced her version of Vogue 8793 with some stunning surface design.

Jo was in the second workshop of extraordinary talents, where she came up with 

quite the fashion forward version of an up-scaled sweatshirt jacket. 

She clearly has the flair! 

(sorry I couldn't resist)

Diane Boone designed her own fabric with paint and texture.

Love the Deco City Hall in Nevada City.

 Ate an exquisite dinner at New Moon. Tasty!

 

 

 

I am honored by the talent, 

courage to move beyond, 

generosity, expertise and creativity 

of the people I get to teach.

What a marvelous tribe we are!

Katherine

 

Denim Time - Vogue 8834 & 8837

Too hot for pants these days 

but soon things will chill down 

and I will be ready to wear my new Fall pants. 

I've made up Vogue 8837. 

Although it calls for knits on the pattern envelope, 

I used a woven. I can do this because

this woven has some spandex in it.

Any of the stretch wovens from marcytilton.com

should work.

To make sure that they will fit I add an extra 1/2" of seam allowance 

to all parts of the side seams front and back. 

This gives me an extra 2" to work with 

which turns out to be perfect.

Shirt is Vogue 8834.
Pants are Vogue 8837.

The shirt is a medium weight stretch denim 

that I can wear like a jacket over a light t-shirt.

Layering is always good for cooler weather.

The fabric is the same on both sides,

best for this pattern as the yoke becomes the collar

or the collar becomes the yoke (no joke).

I like to mark the 'right' side of the collar/yoke fabric

with a post it note as it helps remind me

 when I'm stitching it all together

which side is up.

Sometimes

even that doesn't help.

I love the variety of seam rippers

I have to choose from.

 

Segue to Summer Fun.

Because of the hideously hot weather

I cancelled an art show to play and wander instead.

Totally the right thing to do.

Discovered a fabulous shop in

Maiden Rock Wisconsin.

cultural cloth is on the Great River Road

one of the most beautiful drives in the world.

It's full of lovely textiles and other

fun things handmade by women artists.

Sleeping under my new

colorful Kantha cloth bedspread is quite wonderful.

Making Time

Years ago I was part of an 'Art Group'. It was an amazing time - I took the time, made time, found time, committed time, created new work, exhibited some of that work, all the while supported by and bonding with an amazing group of artists.

Last summer Marcy and I ran into Diane Ericson at the Farmer's Market. Diane introduced us to the very talented Denise Kester who happened to be in the same produce booth. I've known Denise's work for years and loved it so this was very exciting to get to meet her!

The result of this chance meeting was the decision to get together for dinner and just talk creativity. Time appeared to be an issue for all of us. So what did we do? We added something to our packed schedules - a block of time to make things together. First up was a day in Denise's studio to create and play. An amazing day!

It was so much fun to have an 'Art Group' again. (I highly recommend it) My turn next.

We are all so busy. Teaching, travel (I know Paris is tough), families, work... The date was scheduled and rescheduled. Finally they arrived for a day in my studio in June.

Studio was clean, surfaces clear. Paint and silkscreens at the ready. Fabric cut, other materials out and ready to go. The project was to make prayer flags.

I sometimes have a little 'performance anxiety' before I teach a class and this was no different, especially with 3 big-T Teachers in the room. I didn't need to worry. They took what I had, jumped in and began.

Silence reigned except for the occasional exclamation over some wonderful thing we saw happening. Hours of creative time flew by. Time actually became meaningless. I took some unexpected turns with my work very happily. Just wallowed in the creative flow loving every minute, even when the flow got stopped in an eddy.

Push off and keep going.

Marcy

Diane

Denise

Moi

"You do not have to be good. 


You do not have to walk on your knees 


for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. 


You only have to let the soft animal of your body 


love what it loves."

From the poem 'Wild Geese' by Mary Oliver.

What do you love?

Katherine

vogue 8817 - fabric combinations

some time

in the studio

playing

with

sets of three

combining

tone 

texture

pattern

paint

and fabric

all but one from 

www.marcytilton.com

(which today is

in crash mode

and that makes

things pretty quiet)

new summer tunics

and a t in

neutrals

(not such summery colors

but hey, they match the hair)

fabric are: 'bleeker street'

'harpo stripe' with 'grandma's lace' silkscreen

'glimmer'

fabrics are: 'dappled spots'

'ivory dot' with 'sauvage' overlay

'blur'

with this tunic version of the pattern

please ignore the fact 

that the notches for the front sleeve 

don't match

the pieces fit together perfectly anyway

the t combines

a taupe from paris (sorry not from marcy)

with 'maxi daisy'

 

the t fits beautifully

in front and back

skimming the torso

with a feminine curve in at the waist