A Bell Shaped Blob On My Bottom

In the last few weeks, I've been thinking a lot about traditions. On one hand, they're a comforting ritual and on the other, somewhat of a prison especially when traditions lead to expectations. Just because we've always done things that way doesn't mean that we'll always do them that way and yet how do we decide which rituals to change and which to keep? It's an interesting question especially for someone like myself who likes change but not too much. To a certain extent, I think the answer develops on its own as life shifts in that way that it always does.

Because we have no extended family in town, the five of us developed house decorating, and tree decorating, and Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day traditions that we've carried over from year to year. When Jessica married, her husband joined our traditions and things continued along pretty much the same with an additional "child". This year - with no kids living at home - we are both forced into change and have the opportunity to create change. And that's okay. Things do need adjusting every once in a while.

This Christmas Eve, Howard and I plan to attend the early service at church, eat dinner out, and go to the wildlife park to see the Wild Lights - if it's warm enough - otherwise we'll drive around and look from the car - I'm not willing to freeze. This is not our typical Christmas Eve tradition and yet it is something we have done before just not without children in the past twenty-five years. In the last month, we've been developing couple things again and even as we do, I'm cautious. We're aging. One of us is not completely well. We won't always be a couple.

Although they no longer live here, the "boys" will come over later on Christmas morning and the day will look virtually as it always has with stockings and cinnamon buns and three gifts each, a movie, games, and a low stress but still special dinner except that the day will be minus our daughter and son-in-law who will arrive on the 27th. We'll miss them. This will be only the second time that Jessica hasn't been home for Christmas and it reminds me that soon the boys will have families of their own and on some Christmas Days we will visit them and on some we will be home alone - doing couple things.

We'll have turkey on the 28th, not the 25th, and that's not so strange. We never have turkey on Christmas Day. Years ago I decided that I was not spending my holiday in the kitchen. Typically, we have something that can be made ahead or thrown in the crock pot. This year, it's roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. I did such a good job a few weeks ago that we're having it again - LOL. Some years we've had a bowl of soup ! ! ! although special soup - the kids favourite.

Christmas is not about the rituals as wonderful as they are and it's not about the gifts and it's not about getting together with family and friends even though it's a fabulous opportunity to do so. Christmas for me is about my faith and what I believe. Keeping that in mind, I've been thinking about gifts. I love giving gifts. I love receiving them. I love spoiling my family with all kinds of special things however - if the day is not about the gifts than not receiving any gifts should not make the day less wonderful - and even so it would - which means thinking and talking about what's reasonable and what's ridiculous.

I'm debating what gift giving changes we should make for next year. It's a topic that I've evaluated in terms of how I spend on friends and a discussion that Howard and I have already had and made some decisions around for the two of us. Now, we need to talk it over with the others and figure out what will work for them. I remember when we used to exchange gifts with our siblings and why we quit and while I think it's a way of staying connected, I also think it needs to be meaningful in that you know something about the person you are giving the gift to and the gift fits or why bother? It's a swirling emotionally laden, touchy topic which is probably why I've been thinking about it so much. What does your family do?

Switching topics - as you know, I am weak in the face of fabric. My stash is extensive enough that I'm either incredibly in love with that piece and willing to pay full price which almost never happens or I see potential on sale and feel compelled to buy it, typically in the bargain center, typically half price, typically at $2.50 or less per meter. When I see potential, I buy lots, enough to sew duplicates of my duplicates as you can see above.

I was looking through the stash for the purple linen that I knew was there to make yet still another attempt at the Marcy Tilton Vogue 8499 skirt when I saw this fabric and thought why not use what the pattern calls for  - stretch denim. Since what I really wanted to do with the linen was to embellish it with stamping and paint and that's better done outside in the summer, using the denim worked for me and I have more than enough.

How many times have you sewn something and thought it'd be better done a different way or in a different fabric? That happens to me often but not with this skirt. Apparently the black and white version I sewed in the summer was the perfect choice and everything else since has been not nearly as nice. This version is comfortable and I'll enjoy wearing it however, it's a bell shaped blob on my bottom that could be more flattering. Definitely, it needs an interesting top, accessories, and shoes to give it more pizazz. I can do that.

Last Friday, at coffee, while I was holding a tissue wrapped gift in my hand about to open it, my friend said it's a bit over the top but then so are you. I thought that was funny and then I opened the gift and thought it wasn't over the top at all which means two things. I'm far more out there than my friend thinks and I need to be careful when I buy gifts for others since what I find not too much they may find extreme. I love how we're all the same and yet so different. It fascinates me.

It also dawned on me that my blog doesn't really represent me well since you see the individual garments which are more understated and not the final looks with the "gaudy" as my daughter says accessories. Something to think about.

I still haven't managed to figure out how Marcy wants these pockets sewn. Normally instructions make sense to me but these ones aren't clicking for some reason. Before the next time, I planned to stitch some broadcloth test versions to get it right but now have decided to alter how they're done to a way that works for me instead - probably with darts for shaping - so that the pocket piece actually fits on the skirt piece. That sounds a lot easier and would add some fun lines.

When she's reviewing a pattern, Erica B often says that she won't be sewing it again because it's too distinctive and that's probably a good choice and not the one I seem to make. I've sewn the Burda 7400 pants in grey stripes and in Guatemalan fabric and I'd sew another pair if one of my friends hadn't said that two is enough. They're really comfortable. I could wear them every day. I think I need seven pairs.

This skirt is equally comfortable. I'd like to sew a few more and I think I've found a way. As so many of us do at the turn of the year, one of my plans for 2012 is to lose weight and get into better shape. I've said it before and I'll probably say it again but hopefully this is the year when it will actually come true since I've put some weight back on recently and there's turning fifty as a motivating factor. If I shrink, I can sew the pants and the skirt again - LOL - maybe twice each!

This morning, I'm having breakfast with a friend and then I need to clean house. That's the easier kind of exercise for me - bending and twisting and lifting and leaning while you do something else.

Talk soon - Myrna


Grateful - rituals and change