AWOL, MIA, PLAYING HOOKY...

Did you miss me? I was busy with my WWWWW#3 last weekend, and while there were lots of things accomplished getting our place ready for the wedding, 
there was no sewing and I took the week off, blog-wise.

Here are the girls...

and here are the boys...lots of heavy-duty work, from post hole digging to
lots of pruning

tools were used

handsome men were put to work

magical spaces were readied

pool breaks were taken

and over it all, Sarah ("The Boss") cracked her whip and aimed her glue gun with charming insouciance...

My job was to feed these wonderful workers...

Table set for breakfast...

Breakfast (compliments of Dave)...

Dinner one night was Salmon Steaks with Chraimeh Sauce

and another night was Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango

both from the cookbook Jerusalem, mentioned last week. Yummy!

and a French Prune Crumble to take advantage of more of our lovely harvest.

Since no sewing was done, I decided to show you two of my recent eBay scores...

This is a very interesting, very lightweight shirt/jacket from babettesf, one of my favorite designers. The fabric is "unknown", is sheer, black and white, and perfect as a topper in our warm evenings. (check out the zebra-stencilled calf- hair wedges...)

Me 'n The EUC!

The onyx and crystal beads are a collection I've amassed (mainly from eBay and Ruby Lane) over the years...

and THIS was a major score...a hand-dyed asymmetrical shibori jacket

from Doshi, wool crepe lined with silk...these jackets are WAY out of my

price range, but I found one on eBay and pounced...and got it for about

20% of the retail price.

and there's that dog again! Can you tell I'm one of the Queens of eBay?

I'm showing up for Visible Monday at Patti's Blog, Not Dead Yet Style, so come on over to see the beauteous women!

My good friend Sharon, from Communing with Fabric, and I are doing another little sewing challenge, using the same fabric which she graciously found for us at Fabrix, one of her local stores. I can't tell you how much fun it is (and what a drain on my credit card) when Sharon hits Fabrix on a good day...luckily, she has exquisite taste and knows what I like only too well...I am temporarily side-tracked as I wait for a couple of zippers...but keep checking, we'll show our goodies as soon as we can!

TTYL...

BOMBS AWAY!

According to various fashion reports, the bomber jacket is hot for this fall. I last made a bomber jacket about 25 years ago...I used the (then)"new" faux fabric in a black and white cowhide. I remember that it had shiny black snaps and a red satin lining...I loved it, although it provoked the usual "I would NEVER wear that" comments from some friends...I don't hang out with those people anymore!

So...I've made a new bomber jacket...

The pattern is Kwik Sew 3491, the fabric is from EmmaOneSock. She said it was from designer Carolina H., a heavy-weight cotton/poly twill, backed with a black poly knit. I would SWEAR it has neoprene in it...and swear I did, often and loudly. Every other pin I tried to put through bent...it made my sewing machine and serger scream for mercy, even though I was using #18 needles.
It was sort of like sewing a wetsuit (not that I've ever sewn a wetsuit!)

I made a few changes to the pattern, combining Views A&B, redrafting the collar,  substituting black satin for the ribbing called for at waist and cuffs.

The few times I tried to sew by hand (basting and sewing the buttons on) I had to use pliers to pull the needle through. Basta!

It's cute, but I think I'll stick with my beloved Moto Jacket. That fabric was also hard to sew, but the effort/result factor was higher.

Tis the season for bounteous harvests from our orchard...here are some delicious Pluots

and there are bags and bags of  French Plums (AKA prunes) that Dave dried in the dehydrator.

Back to preparing for the influx of worker bees this weekend...

TTYL...

PREP FOR WWWWW#2

I had hoped to post my new sewing project tonight, but IT DIDN'T BEHAVE and I'm not quite finished.

So...on Friday, Dave and I drove to Ventura to meet up with Bride2B and dear friend Sarah, who is IN CHARGE and whipping us all into shape. Thank god for the Sarah's in our lives, who take charge and make things happen! 

The next (pre) Wedding Weekend Workshop of Wildly Wacky Workers is set for this coming weekend...5 or 6 Wonderful people will come for the weekend to help us prepare for October 5th... I am busy trying out new recipes to feed these hungry workers...my current culinary obsessions revolve around the cookbooks of Yotam Ottolenghi, Plenty and Jerusalem; I brought back some ingredients from Iran, and I am finally getting to use them! These Middle Eastern recipes are startling in their unusual (to us) flavors and I am entranced. Dave and I had Chicken with Carmelized Onion and Cardamom Rice tonight, and it was outstanding!

For our trip to meet "the girls" in Ventura, I wore my KO black linen jacket, but worn open over a striped shell with coated denim NYDJ jeans...

and a bunch of silver and black necklaces...

The bead necklaces are vintage from eBay, and the charm necklace I made in a workshop with Nina Bagley several years ago.

I'm showing up on Patti at Not Dead Yet's Visible Monday...come visit and see some Very Visible women!

Talk to you later...

A SUMMER TUNIC

This stunning ethnic-type print caught my eye several years ago at Fabric of Vision in Ashland, Oregon...

It's a small store with a lot of great fabrics and wonderful trims and notions; definitely worth a trip if you're in the area.

I used Kwik Sew 3601...as with most older KwikSew patterns, the illustrations

look a little dowdy

but the drafting and instructions are perfect. The contrasting trim is a stretch linen which was left over from another project. I've already worn it several times; it's perfect for this climate and my lifestyle.

Here's that fashion accessory, Paddywack, again!

I'm joining up with Patti's Visible Monday again...stop by to see some very 

visible women!

I hope your week is super!

HAT ATTACK!

In support of one of the loveliest women I've "met" in bloggerland, here is my hat picture for StyleCrone Judith's new monthly feature, Hat Attack.

Judith is the Queen of Hats, and all of us who follow her love to see what wonderful hats she has chosen to wear.

I was invited to a "High Tea" this afternoon, and it seemed like a good opportunity to wear a hat. (The only gloves I could find were goatskin garden gloves, so I left them at home).

This is in the country, mind you, so no frilly frocks were required...

Hats off to you, Judith!