It Was a Dark and Smokey Night...

I have just been outside to do my evening chores, and even though it would normally not be dusk for about another hour, the thick haze of smoke filling the air makes it feel like one is walking through the pages of a ghost story, or maybe "the mists of time." I was amazed by photos of Edmonton (5 hours south-east of here) this week, with smoke so thick that public health officials are warning people with respiratory conditions to stay indoors. I have not yet seen photos of the fires in British Columbia, but if it is this bad here, the source must be completely devastated.

I have actually been wondering if that is part of the cause of the very cool, fallish-feeling weather we have had here this week. Despite the contents of my last post (the photos from which were actually taken in July), every day this week has felt like "pants weather," and it has made me start thinking of digging out my fall wardrobe. Or making a new one. Either way.

I have had the sewing bug pretty bad, lately, but I am currently still working on a rather summery design. For some reason, it feels a little inappropriate at the moment!

Part of the reason my current piece is taking so long (over two weeks, now), other than that I am making it "from scratch" (drafting the pattern myself), is that I got several new books from Amazon.com this week, one of which was Claire Schaeffer's Couture Sewing Techniques.Have you ever wondered how haute couture pieces could be valued at such crazy prices as $10,000 for a day dress, or $20,000 for an evening gown--or more? I have. Now I know. Besides the fabulous fabrics they use in high fashion, almost all the sewing is done by hand!!

Not only is it done by hand, the garment is draped, and basted, and ripped apart, and fitted (often on a custom dress form padded just to your measurements) over and over again during the process of making it. That is the secret of those beautiful clothes that fit so amazingly. So, now I know why they are worth so much—but I am still a little amazed that there are people who choose to pay it!

Anyway, I do not intend to start constructing everything I make by hand, but I have found the techniques in the book to be helpful, and I will definitely use them judiciously to construct better clothes. And since the dress I am currently working on is meant to be a "practice piece", I have been using several of the hand-sewing techniques I have just learned on it. Needless to say, this has slowed down the construction process quite a bit.

It occurred to me today that Jabin will be having his orientation day for kindergarten in only nine more days. When I told him that, Jabin was thrilled. "Yessss!!" he shouted, making a fist and drawing his elbow back in the commonly-used gesture of excitement that looks like you are pulling the bus bell. (Where did that come from, anyway?)

Mommy is a little less excited. This is my last "baby", off to school, after all. *pouty face*

The kids have been begging to go mini-golfing almost every day this summer, so today we finally took them. The winners fell in the same placement by score as by age--Jason creamed us all with a 60 (on a par 54), and Jabin took home the "booby prize" at 122. The rest of us fell in line between there. (Okay, there wasn't really a prize. I made that part up.)

Well, that's enough rambling for one night. Back to my needle and thread...