July 24, 2010

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER...AND A BOOK REVIEW...

...the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere.
In the middle Georgia or (The Heart of Georgia), we have started using our "Dog Day" vocabulary: heat advisory (stay in the house); he
at index (the temperature is this, but it really feels like this).

Well, yesterday the heat index in Warner Robins was a sniffling 117 degrees! Can you imagine that! I really, really can't remember it EVER being as hot as it was yesterday. Wet hair, wet clothing, and forget trying to have a hairdo! Well, that's
what happens during the dog days of our summer ya'll.
My summer traveling is all finished except one out of town- one day meeting on Monday; and the one day I've set aside to attend the Bronner Brothers
Hair Show in Atlanta in August. Yesterday I started setting up my BRAND SPANKING NEW (totally renovated and expanded) high school classroom. Our entire school has been renovated; talk about BEAUTIFUL!!! I had to physically move my entire classroom twice before the end of the school year in order to facilitate the renovation. Needless to say stuff is all over the place and I can't find anything. It will probably take a week and a half to get it looking like a class room. But this is so exciting! Pre-planning is the first week of August with school starting on the 9th.
I still can't believe that it's been a full month since I've touc
hed my baby:
I have not worried the least about my little sewing hiatus. I've had so much going on since the beginning of June that I just went with the flow as far as sewing was concerned. I was starting to think I needed a little something to jump start my enthusiasm when I read about this virtual sew-in.
I planned on choosing a pattern to get something started for this, but decided instead to refashion two to of my Lilly Pulitzer knock-off skirts that I made two years ago. Dropping 10 pounds and 7 inches seems like such a little accomplishment, but it has really made a difference in the way some of my clothes are fitting. These two skirts were a little too big in the waist, and a little too a-lineish and long for my taste right no
w, so I decided to make some changes.


I hope that refashioning these two skirts count for this Sew
In. After all during Dog Days I still need to wear things that scream summer - like these prints (LOVE THEM). Let's see what else I can come up with today.....
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Lastly, but certainly not least, I have a new book! The author is someone that many of us are already very familiar with - Deepika Prakash, founder of Patter
n Review.com.

I became interested in sewing again after a 13 year hiatus, and to me sewing was not "like riding a bicycle". I had lost or forgotten many of the useful techniques that I had once used on a regular basis. I was like a fish out of water floundering
around trying to make garments that not only looked decent, but also fit well. That is when I started my Internet search for sewing information and help. It wasn't very long before I found Pattern Review.com with it's wealth of resources. The founder has now compiled "1000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts & Tips" from hundreds of the site's members under one convenient umbrella - this book.
What a neat, "I wish I had thought of doing that" idea. I really love reading books like this, and have often found many little nifty techniques that make my sewing easier. Why work hard when you can work easier? The book's nine chapters are neatly categorized so that sewing information is easy to find.
It includes chapters on:

  • Sewing Gear
  • Setting up Your Sewing Room
  • Design & Pattern Prep
  • Fabric, Thread & Notions
  • Layout, Cutting & Marking
  • Fitting
  • Sewing
  • Finishing, &
  • Embellishments
In addition, some very well known masters teachers, such as: Sarah Veblen, Susan Khalje, Kenneth King, Shannon Gifford, and Ana Mazur have made valuable contributions to the book. One of the best things about this is that the author has donated all royalties from the book to breast cancer research. How amazing is that?

I even recognize many of the members who contributed to the book, many are fellow bloggers. The book has not actually been released yet, but can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com. I am happy to add
"1000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts & Tips" to my sewing resource library.

15 comments:

  1. 117 degrees - wow that is HOT. I have just returned from New York and it reached 103 on a couple of days - I thought that was hot enough, thank you very much. Hope you are managing to keep cool somehow! Can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the PR book.

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  2. You're correct, it would be a great "sew day" when it's that hot! Your skirts are really really cute! I would definitely redo them too, so I could get more mileage out of them! Congratulations on your 10 lb weight loss! That's a huge accomplishment! and thanks for the tip on the book, I'm going to add this one to my library as well!

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  3. as the kids say: ZOMG!

    I can't imagine 117 degrees. It's gotten up to 104 degrees in Boston this summer and I was whining like a baby then... I can't imagine 13 more degrees of heat.

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  4. Oh my goodness, that heat sounds horrible. Congratulations with your new classroom. We are just starting renovations on my campus....I am NOT looking forward to it!

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  5. oh wow, that's too hot for me. Our temps are back down to normal...80s mostly. The renovation at your school sounds exciting for you.

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  6. And I thought 101 was hot! Jeez, that is really hot. Maybe you can stay in and sew soon!

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  7. I'm glad you found us in time to join!! That book sounds wonderful. I'm going to go check it out right now!

    And congrats on the weightloss.. every pound counts!

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  8. Your skirts are very pretty. Love the colors. Congrats on the weight loss. So do tell....how'd you lose your inches/pounds?

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  9. Anonymous7/26/2010

    Your two refashioned skirts look great. Perfect for hot summer weather although the temps you mentioned are way too hot!

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  10. I love books. Thanks for posting about this one.

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  11. The refashioned skirts are so pretty and are perfect for these dog days of summer. Congrats on your new class room and also Congrats on your weight loss.

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  12. You know what to say. It's HOT in Chicago too. Great sew in project. I love the briht skirts. Well, stay cool creative lady.

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  13. i love the patterns on those skirts. You lost 7"! that's amazing! I'd like to grab a copy of that book; off to pre-order at Amazon!

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  14. I hope you have the best school year ever in your "new" room. The beginning of the year is always so full of expectations and excitement. Your weight loss is wonderful!!!! Your skirts look fantastic!!!

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  15. Dang - 117 degrees is BRUTAL!! :/

    How exciting to be in a brand-spanking new classroom this year. Have fun breaking it in! And yeah, 10lbs can make a huge difference in the way your clothes fit. I hope the refashion is a successful one. :)

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THANKS FOR LOOKING IN. YOUR COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED!!!

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