But Not For Me

Three tests gone bad very good for someone else, not me. Test #1: A new-to-me designer and indie pattern maker, MariaDenmark. Open the website, sign up for her newsletter, and you receive a free downloadable pattern for her Kirsten Kimono Tee. Maria’s tagline is “for clothes you wear every day.” A downloadable pattern, if you’ve never used one, is a PDF file you download, print on regular 8.5″x11″ copy paper, then tape together along printed lines. Some have only one or two sizes; some have all sizes. I grabbed a remnant of the Gorgeous poly/rayon/lycra knit that I used for … Continue reading

Racing the Clock

My almost-39yo son’s first-ever vocal recital (with me as his accompanist!) mandated I make a new dress. I saw and purchased Butterick 5523 about nine months ago—when I noticed the pattern, it struck me as a classic style that would be flattering to my figure. As I posted recently, I had a very stressful week leading up to this weekend of performances. I grabbed bits of time wherever possible, and then ran up against a brick wall when I realized I had basted one set of pleats in backwards and sewed the wrong side of one skirt piece to the … Continue reading

The ultimate in creativity

An extremely rare photo of me with my two sons. On your left/my right is the one we call Scott (his friends call him T.J.; his work colleagues call him Terry), who was born in 1973. On your right/my left is Tyler (also known as Tyger, Ty-Bye, and Daddy), who was born in 1975. Tyler and I gave a recital yesterday at Christ Church Episcopal in Warren, OH. The title was “Showtunes and Hymntunes.” We had a great time, and the performance was warmly received by the audience. Scott came from Dallas for the performance. I only see him once … Continue reading

Really?

About two months ago my son suggested we do a recital together. He is a “mercenary Episcopalian,” the paid singer/soloist at a nearby Episcopal church. He agreed to do this recital as part of their Sunday afternoon concert series, and the offering to be taken would benefit the church’s music program. Unfortunately, the only date open coincided with the final performance in the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus’s four-concert series of the Mozart Requiem. (It also ended up coinciding with the launch of a new website for Kent State, for which Tyler had much responsibility. Can you say “stress”?) Concert week … Continue reading