What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Going for Approachable

Dress:  Emmelle
Turtleneck:  Three Dots
Tights:  Wolford
Boots (not on, not seen, but familiar):  La Canadienne

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Standing Tall

Taller than the bookshelf!

Turtleneck:  Uniqlo
Pants:  Betsey Ross pattern sewn by me (fabric from Britex)
Socks:   Unknown
Shoes:  Cole Haan

Late, But Never Too Late

I stumbled onto the Uniform Project after being sucked into a Pinterest-hole (you know, when you keep clicking, finding more pages, and ending up with forty tabs open).  I should be embarrassed that it took me so long to find this, but instead, I'm inspired and amazed.  Check this out; not only is it incredible how many different looks she came up with, but she also raised over $100,000 to send kids to school in India.

Imagine How Productive I Could Be

if only this were true.

Pattern by Cross-Stitch Ninja

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Let's Think On It

 Dress:  Yohji Yamamoto (mom-me-down)
Turtleneck:  Cadeau (thrifted)
Tights:  Wolford
Hat: Christine Bec
Shoes (not on):  La Canadienne

An Excellent & Worthy Endeavour

Last night's black bean, sweet potato, and quinoa chili - dressed up!

This past weekend I took a t-shirt making workshop (for which I will get an earful from my hockey team, which only had one sub), and I ran into someone who'd been in a previous workshop with me (the embroidery one).  She and I clicked, and before we knew it, we'd made a year-long challenge pact.  It's a little complicated, but I'll put it in bullet points for easier comprehension.

1. We've each picked a number of items we'd like to make this year.  My number is 24 because when we first started talking about this it was, "Knit one item and sew one item per month."  I like that idea.  My partner in crime (PiC) has chosen 12.  I don't have to make two items a month; just at least one.  I could make two or three one month and then only one the next.  We're crazy but trying not to make this impossible (like the show Cutthroat Kitchen, but that's another post).
2. In order for an item to count toward our total, it has to use materials we already own.  Yes, we're whittling down our respective stashes!  I have a caveat that I can trade stash items- still reducing stash but perhaps ending up with a more appropriate yarn or fabric.
3. PiC wants to include a new recipe a month.  I hate to say it, but that's pretty easy for me (see above photo).  Yay!
4. One cannot make the same thing twice and have it count.  For example, I can't make twelve zippered pouches that are the same size.  To make it count, I have to modify it in some way or another.  Oh yeah, and we don't have to just make wearable items.
5. At the end of each month we'll document our finished objects on an Instagram page (which means I have to upgrade to a smart phone).

Crazy, but inspiring - at least in January, at least for me.

Refinement in the New Year

The holidays came fast and hard, and quite honestly, I can't say that I was able to really sink into the season, which is a shame because I've always loved the holidays.  However, I think there's been some clarity achieved about both the costs and the benefits of traveling during the holiday season.  Right now, many in my family are opting for a no-travel plan.  I'll explore the implications of that later.

In the meantime, refining is a theme for me in this new year.  I'm thinking about who I am and how I want my life to be; a constant project, I know, but one that I'm more conscious of right now.  As part of this I am continuing to make, mend, thrift, or - buy?! - do without?!...we'll see.  First, there's plenty of making to be done.

I've signed up to participate in Ysolde Teague's Mystery Knitalong.  I'll be making a shawl using clues and options that are delivered throughout the next month.  I haven't been a bit shawl knitter, but this feels like a great option for me.  A bit of a "make your own adventure" kind of knitting.

I'm also going to try to participate in Deer & Doe's Plaintain challenge; they have a free t-shirt pattern that they're challenging people to customize and finish by the end of the month.  I'm taking the T-Shirt making workshop at the workroom on Sunday, so I feel like I might get the chops to do this.

I've already sewn a top (started it on the 1st, finished it on the 2nd - yay!), and I have the fabric to make a skirt to go with it.  I'll blog about that, with photos, soon.

Anyone else challenging themselves to handmake more items this year?

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: What Happened to My Holiday?

Dress:  Alaia
Stockings:  unknown, but wool
Shoes (not seen): Aquaitalia