What if?

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What if I told you that it has been nearly a year since I decided to pick this blog back up?

Would you be surprised? I was. I wasn’t. I was hopeful that I could have fun with a silly little blog to talk about the things that I enjoy.

I thought about it. I thought about the things I could write. Especially as I did so much sewing this past year, working on fun projects, learning new skills, abandoning projects. – constantly thinking this might be interesting to someone.

So, here I am starting again. Having fun musing, maybe if I remember.

Completed projects:

I made a green velvet circle skirt to my work’s Christmas party. Honestly it was a little big and ideally I should go back and adjust the waist band on it but realistically it is cute and still wearable and I won’t go do that unless it really bothers me.

I made a 13th century style tunic out of some rugged looking fabric that I picked up from a local second hand craft store. It was the first time that I drafted a pattern from the book (Medieval Tailors Assistant) and made a wearable garment. I made it to go with the doublet set I am currently working on but the fabrics don’t look great together – the tunic is more peasanty and the doublet needs something nicer but at least I have some experience and maybe the neckline won’t look so wonky.

For my husband, I took a crustle and made it into a bag with a zipper. It isn’t that convenient but he likes it and it makes the kids happy when he brings it with him.

In progress projects:

For having fun dressing up to ren faires and learning new skills, I have a few in flight projects.

I have a side laced kirtle that is based on a pattern from the Medieval Tailors book but I used an existing paper pattern and modified it. I fully lined the bodice and I still need to hem the skirt and add grommets so it can be laced up on the sides. I am thinking about sewing over the grommets because I haven’t had super great experience with those holding up over time but I’m not great at hand-sewing so we will see. The dress was made with some fabric I bought several years ago for a Halloween costume that I never made because I went a completely different direction.

For the aforementioned doublet, I took an ugly green curtain and used it to make a double and a matching pair of paints. Unfortunately for me, the pants were too small so I grabbed some leftover floral patterned fabric from another project I did last year and used it to make side panels in the pants so I could wear them. It looks a little silly but as I am making these inspired by my DnD character I think it is okay. I am also using a bunch of pink lace trim to fancy it up.

I have a jacket or possibly overdress project that has been in progress for over a year. I used an existing pattern and tried to change it from a dress to a fully lined garment that will close at the front. It was made from an old set of granny curtains and I am not 100% in love with it so I haven’t finished it. It has been 75% completed for forever. I might eventually finish it once I get some of these other projects completed that might complement it.

I made a knitted top this past week as I tried to shift my scrolling habits on my phone to doing something else with my hands while I hang out on the couch. Watching tv with my kids doesn’t feel so bad when I’m not doom scrolling. I haven’t decided if I am going to add sleeves or not, it looks really cut as a tank. Either way, it needs to be blocked and then it will be ready to wear.

A couple weeks ago, I decided to take some yarn and make a skirt with it. I do not love what I’ve done so far, so I may abandon this project and use the yarn for a different project. It is cranberry colored.

Last year I made a vest and have almost completed the matching skirt. I wanted to do buttons for the closure but my sewing machine kept messing up and I am still considering my options. I did wear the vest to work with some jeans. It is a very whimsical fabric choice and very comfy so here’s hoping I finally finish the skirt before it gets too hot to wear such a fall outfit.

Projects in my mind:

  • New underdress/shift/kirtle in a yellow cotton that will be fun and complementary of some existing pieces
  • Some peasant head wear out of my pattern book
  • Update my pink wizard hat because my dogs chewed it up
  • An apron or housecoat or something to wear while I work around the house with pockets
  • More knitted tanks (bought more yarn and smaller needles)
  • A baby blanket for my coworker
  • A wrap dress made with a sheer floral fabric made to layer with other pieces. I think I am going to make this to wear to my friends vow renewal.
  • Some basics – have three pretty fabrics that I’m thinking of making into slip dresses. (Green, Gold and Brown)
  • A dress out of this beautiful Italian patterned silk that I bought on vacation and haven’t done anything with in nearly 3 years

I have also been helping my sister with some dress projects she is working on and having fun sending her back notes on her sketches. I am learning how to use the pile of pattern books I was given last year. I got a book on card weaving and I thought it would be fun to make trims and belts for some of my ren faire outfits; maybe something for my wizard hat; I’ve even thought about making suspenders for my husband. So many things that I want to do – and for the most part with upcycled fabric or fabric that I already have in my stash.

Anyways, here’s to hoping that I post more often than once a year and next time I will add some pictures to my project updates.

Are you working on anything?

Here we go again

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Decided to pick up the mantle of this old blog, nearly 10 years after abandoning it. I didn’t realize it would still be out there in the wilds of the internet without any interference on my behalf — but color me surprised. My original blog was all about my two passions: bikes and sewing. Not sure if I want to keep that up or shift gears (pun intended), but I still like both.

Bikes: I don’t ride bikes much these days, but I’m looking to get back in the saddle. It might be a slow start, but I’m hoping to rediscover the joy of pedaling.

Sewing: I do a lot more of that now, but not so much for my day-to-day wardrobe or cycling hats anymore. These days, my talents are spent making clothes for Renaissance Faires — think shifts, gowns, and tunics.

TL;DR on the last 10 years: Got an office job, raced bikes, earned a master’s degree, broke my arm, survived COVID, moved to the ‘burbs, and got some dogs. Life’s been a ride, both literally and figuratively.

If you’re an old reader, welcome back! If you’re new here, buckle up. Expect stories, projects, and probably a dog photo or two. Here’s to whatever this next chapter brings!

Yes – I put my dogs in sweaters.

Strava bans?

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Strava bans?

Yes, Lance Armstrong captured lots of hearts out there. He made lots of people excited about cycling. Then he proceeded to stomp on those hearts when he admitted to an incredibly brazen doping scheme. However, to all of those people calling for his over 150 KOMs to be removed, shut up! Really, get a life. If you loose a KOM to Lance Armstrong it’s because he’s faster than you…..

Remember all those TdF victories? Yes, he was doping but so was every single one of those guys and he still kicked their asses. I’m sure even some of the spectators were jumping on the EPO bandwagon but you didn’t see them pulling on that coveted yellow jersey.

Ban Lance from Strava? You’ve got to be kidding me.

 

 

 

Girls Ride Out!

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I went on a bike ride with my friend today to visit Laumeier Sculpture Park.

It started with espresso and went, literally, uphill from there.

It was an unnecessarily hard ride that probably signals that I need to do more work on climbing hills. (Technically, since I have a short non-hilly commute and only race track I don’t really need that work…. but that is a lazy mentality that I don’t need to adopt… moving on.)

As soon as we got there it started raining so we hid out and ate trail mix in this tree tent.

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I wonder if anyone would notice if I just stayed up here all night?

After the rain subsided, we rode around in the slick grass and wet trails and looked at some art.

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Track bike meet big red steel thing

(As you can probably tell from the picture, it got a little foggy in my jersey pocket.)

The ride home was a complete blast; hill-bombing and frozen custard.

Next week I get to ride on Chicago’s Velocampus. Can’t Wait!!! More ladies on bikes!

Sincere Question: Why Aren’t Libertarians More Into Bicycles?

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My favorite line from this ,”American Libertarians are not just obsessed with their cars, but are the kind of people who drive down their driveways to the mailbox, and then idle at the mailbox, just to burn extra fuel on Earth Day”. I love my bike!

Rebecca Schuman's avatarPAN KISSES KAFKA

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New York’s highly-anticipated launch of CitiBike has brought the requisite pro– and anti-cycling freakouts from all corners of the Internet—or, rather, all American corners of the Internet, because people in Europe and Asia have been using bike-share programs for ages and nobody gives a shit.

I used CityBike in Vienna quite often—sometimes just to ride around for fun and get lost, other times to get somewhere—as did innumerable residents and tourists alike. Everyone loved CityBike—or, if they didn’t, they certainly didn’t go on borderline-incomprehensible antigovernment rants about it (despite CitiBike being 100 percent privately operated), which then devolved once again into the usual stable of anecdotally-based faux-data about cyclists: law-flouting anarchists whose superpowers emanate primarily from not having a real job and ruining the American way of life: we are Americans, and we drive everywhere, and it works out great for us (or not…check the young…

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Velo-Madness

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Last night was so much fun at the Penrose Park Velodrome. Except that there were lots of worrying about whether or not the rain would stay and if the track would dry in time. I also had the wrong gear ratio on my bike and my flying-200M time was where it was at 2 months ago.

However, watching a match sprint tournament with some of the fastest people in Saint Louis made it all okay. (Especially when you are watching your friends get smoked or race each other.)

Even when I finished pretty much last place in almost every race that night.

Except for the chariot race, a one lap race from a standing start. That is my JAM!

Well, I’m off to work to ride my old cruiser because I lost my Allen key that I need to put the brake lever on my bike and I only ride brake-less on the track.