I've been slaving away on my sequin chevron dress, spending hours methodically removing sequins from all my seam lines. The wedding I am wearing it to is in 2 weeks time. So happy I started it early or there would be no way it would be ready in time. If it's not fabulous, expect tears.
I've made a few things since I got back from New York, and first on the list was a cream midi skirt inspired by this image on Pinterest. I've never subscribed to the no-white after Labour day policy - there is something so refreshing to me about a flash of white against the changing autumn leaves.
I picked up this stable cream knit for around $5 a yard, and deliberated about how full to make the skirt. I was worried a true circle skirt would be "too" full and went with a vintage pattern I had in my stash. I think it's a 1/4 circle skirt but I'm still not sure about the terminology. The pattern was quite small so I used it as a guideline and drafted a wide waist band and changed the zipper to a side placement. Unfortunately the waist is at least an inch and a half too big. The last few skirts I've made were a little too lacking in the ease department and I overcompensated. It can really only be worn with a cinched belt and it doesn't lie flat. I would probably take it in but the cheapness of the fabric is showing itself - it's already started pilling after a few wears. I doubt this skirt will be in rotation for too much longer unfortunately, but I hope to make a similar one in the spring out of a more lightweight material.
I'm also wearing my first t-shirt! I did a ruboff of my favourite T, and I've been wearing it non stop. It's SO hard to find the right one and now I can knock off as many as I like. I bought the jersey in SF (it's a slightly burned out striped knit) but it is showing it's quality as well as it's pilled quite a bit. I'm wondering if there is some method to test for this before buying fabric...
To be honest, I'm getting a bit of the fall blues. The winters here are so harsh and long, it is a struggle to face the impending 5-6 months of housebound hibernation with any degree of cheer. I've been planning lots of dinners with friends (tonight I am planning on making this recipe for some loved ones, a dish I ate in San Francisco in the spring and cannot stop thinking about).
Additionally, I've decided to start a 30 day meditation challenge. Like most thinky, slightly neurotic types, I have a propensity to over-analyse and over-process and get stuck in negative mental patterns which don't accomplish anything other than anxiety. I've been hearing so many great thing about meditation as a remedy to this behaviour so I'll be trying to integrate 1 or 2 short sessions a day into my daily routine. I'm trying the Transcendental method to start (although there are many schools of thought on this) because I find repeated mantras to be an excellent way of quieting your thoughts and refocusing your energy. TM is quite controversial because the courses are very expensive but I found a list of their mantras here. I'm often very sceptical of anything with a whiff of the new age, but so many surprising people I admire and respect are devoted meditation practitioners and claim it gives increased energy, creativity and inner calm (Seinfeld and David Lynch are devoted Transcendentalists). Has anyone else experimented with mediation? I remember my trip to San Diego last year when I was guided around by the sweetest, most thoughtful man. We went to go check out an architectural landmark and he left the group to go and meditate for a half hour by the ocean. His centred, peaceful energy totally made sense after that. Something to strive for.
