My Xmas vacation

My Xmas Vacation - Mountain photos!

I wanted to respond to Winnie's post about her lovely mountain vacation.  Problem was that the mountains were mostly covered with clouds when we were in Albuquerque...

So, I asked my brother-in-law, George, who is quite the expert photographer, and has great access to this view, to send a few of his favorites of the Sandia mountain range, which is just to the east of my parents house.

Nothing about textiles or sewing or knitting...sorry.  Just pretty views!

This is what they mostly looked like at xmastime...

New Quilted Cover for My Tablet

I've mentioned before that I'm trying to use up fat quarters, since I really don't quilt anymore.  I have a ton of Japanese-inspired prints (and some Chinese, too), and decided I needed a new quilted cover for my Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet...mostly so I could wash the old one! Both the outside & the inside green are crane-heavy fabrics (the bird, not the construction equipment) because I got it in Nebraska at the International Quilting Museum during Sandhill Crane season. (Roommate & I were there visiting cranes, friends & family.)  

Simplicity 3994 Update

You can see the lovely pattern, from 1941, for a coat-dress here.  You can also see the fabric.  And you might be able to figure out why I didn't get it cut out today, after all.  Actually, I can't blame it all on the perfect kitty cat...I tried on the muslin again this morning & realized that I really needed to move the bust down (similar adjustment I had to make to the princess seam on the Starlet Suit). So I spent a long time making a duplicate on tracing paper, and then adjusting it and then attaching it to the original pattern (which I didn't want to modify, since it is from 1941 & in great shape).  In the middle of that I also made a holly spray & homemade ribbon for our front door...because I needed to stop thinking about patterns for a bit.    

I did take Allison's advice & iron interfacing to all the yardage of the fabric.  It's woven & rather light.  She thought it would be easier to cut out & work w/ if I put on the interfacing to give it a bit of body.  Fortunately I bought some stretchy interfacing (without even trying).  I also bought a package of 10 open studio classes @ Bits of Thread, and used the first one trying to get the pattern modified.  Then spent a few hours on it before we left for xmas.  The pattern modification is getting there...meaning I haven't cut out the fabric yet!  

I am tired now, though, of this pattern, so will find another small project (maybe another cover for my tablet?) where I don't have to read instructions and it will be finished quickly...instant gratification, anyone? 

Music?  How about a song for i partigiani, Bella Ciao?