I guess I do sew a lot

The film canister I use for old* needles is quite full and my bobbin holder displays a rainbow of thread colors from past projects. I guess I do sew a lot.

Right now I'm working on Jalie polo shirt #2 in the pink rayon. Laying out the fabric for cutting was a real annoyance. The fabric is stretchy and I don't have the benefit of a print to help me lay it out straight. The knit on this fabric is very tiny but eventually I was able to use my fingers to find a fold along the straight of grain. I was dismayed to see that it was cut off grain and feared that I wouldn't have enough fabric for the 3/4 length sleeves. However I managed to squeeze them in. I have all the pieces cut, the collar and placket pieces are interfaced and I've begun work on the stitching the front placket. Yeah, progress!

But no more work on the shirt until after Labor Day weekend. Tonight I need to can the pears we picked off our tree before they all go bad and tomorrow night I need to pack and tidy up the house in preparation for our mini-vacation. We're headed to a B&B in Mendocino this weekend. Ahhhhh. Relaxation. I'll be sure to bring some knitting to enjoy on the porch with a view of the ocean.

*You're supposed to change the needle with every project or after so many hours (10-12 I think) of sewing, but I cheat a little and stretch the use to sometimes 2-3 projects, depending on the type of needle and the project. This idea of changing the needle is relatively new I think and probably encouraged by Schmetz, a major needle manufacturer. There are plenty of sewers who keep the same needle in the machine for years, and I'm sure they don't realize that it's probably dull and causing skipped stitches. It's probably a bit overkill to change it so often but needles are relatively cheap, especially when you take advantage of the periodic 50% off notion sales at the chain fabric stores.