From the Collection: All the Way from Lhasa

The Roommate changed around some of our textiles when he was on school break last week. One of the items now decorating our bedroom is a Tibetan monastery wall hanging appliqued with a dpal be'u (eternal knot).  

You'll see some detail at the right.  And here's a picture of such hangings in action, decorating the Nechung Monastery near Lhasa.  

This amazing souvenir of our Himalayan Holiday (2003) is about 3' x 6' and doesn't really fit too well in our house--mostly because we have every possible space already covered!  Surprised?!  ;-) 

 

We had an amazing summer on top of the world...here are a few photos I hope you'll like.  The first is Kailash (གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ), the point of the trip, from across Lake Manassarovar.  

 And the second is Everest, from our plane, flying from Lhasa back to Kathmandu.

Upcoming Projects

I have been doing lots of knitting, because we finally got a couch in our sun room & it is quite wonderful to sit by the fireplace watching something from Netflix & knit the evening away.  The only thing missing is decent lighting (I'm a bit of a stickler for good task lighting).  I've ordered 2 lamps, which will hopefully be here next week. Then the room will be pretty much done, I hope.  Photos of the original room, after bedroom addition & thru to fireplace & bookcases here. 

Anyway, some upcoming projects...

This is all different types of flannel.  It was quite reduced at Hancock's so the Roommate picked out a bunch of patterns he liked & it will be up to me to turn them all into knickers.  I'll be using my tried & true One Yard Wonders pattern.

Some other irresistibly discounted fabrics: 

  The fabric on the right is a printed corduroy, which I've had my eye on at Hancock's for months...it finally went on sale & I bought 4 yards (I wanted 5, but there wasn't a piece long enough). It will eventually be another dress for me.  

The xmas lights is another flannel and yes, more knickers for the Roommate. 

And I've never seen a map print I didn't buy!  It's essentially a world map, I bought one panel, and it will probably be yet another fun shirt for the Roommate, who doesn't need one, but I do love sewing for him.  Though I was thinking place mats and napkins would be fun, too!  

As you can see, I have lots of plans.  Stay tuned to see what actually gets done!  

Happy 2014!!

Well, another year, more projects and lots of bargain fabric in my sewing room!  How did that happen?  We've been to SFO, ABQ & NYC in the last 2 weeks.  It's nice to have a day off & be home inside on a freezing-rain day, hanging out in my sewing room & by our fireplace.  

First, many old patterns from my mom.  Not sure I'll be using many of them, but I might use bits of them.  (And I left another 30+ at my mother's house for later!)  

The box these were in also included some patterns for Barbie!  Which I will probably never use, but couldn't resist.  

Additionally, I have gotten a few requests for sewing.  My mother-in-law wants napkins & a table runner from some amazing orca fabric.  She was born in Ketchikan, so this is especially appropriate...and there's even a deadline!  (March 30, just in time for a Ketchikan luncheon.)

I'll also be making a western shirt (from West African fabric, of course) for a friend who loves my Roommate's new western shirts.  I have gotten out of much of my *real* West African fabric (purchased while we were there), but probably will have to supplement it with imports from G Street Fabrics, which has a small, but pretty great, selection of these amazing prints.  Some possibilities for the contracting yoke, pockets & cuffs are in the photo to the left...

And I got a nice compliment on the Roommate's western Xmas shirt from James McCarthy of the Christmas Shirt Company. Thanks James!  

Lots more to come.  I'm looking forward to learning more (got another 10-lesson package for classes at Bits of Thread as a prezzie), doing more sewing (working thru that darned stash), doing more knitting, and exercising, keeping the house clean, working full-time and playing with Bella.  Yikes.  I do find blogging gets in the way of sewing!  Do you feel the same?