The sun was deceiving in it’s promise of warmth as it shone through the windows this morning but I enjoyed waking and my quick walk to see what was popping up from the earth.

“It is the hour to be drunken! To escape being the martyred slaves of time, be
ceaselessly drunk. On wine, on poetry, or on virtue, as you wish.”
Charles Baudelaire

It’s hard to beat two days of surrounding yourself with words, notebooks full of potential, beautiful movies, and a warm kitty snuggled against your legs. I’ll miss my nest tomorrow.

So I finished my first dress, and I had so much fun sewing that I’m kind of sad that I didn’t learn how sooner. I think I could get obsessed. I finished it in an afternoon and a morning and the only thing that was awkward was gathering what felt like a bazillion yards of fabric for the waist. That bit was not so fun, but it turned out okay. I used the 1950’s Vogue pattern #5723, but decided not to make the belt that was part of the pattern and made a nice sash instead. Although it’s not crazy stylish vintage and is just nice dependable vintage, I love it anyway.

I joined a sewing group dedicated to making vintage and retro style clothing called Sew Retro. I’m excited and a bit intimidated because my sewing skills are fairly basic. Much of what I do know about using my machine comes from what little sewing I did when I was young, or from what I’ve learned from Jason who seems to be able to do just about anything. All he has to do is stare at something for five minutes and then he’s an expert. I’d like to be independent of the clothing industry for a variety of reasons. It also goes along with my decision to be less of a consumer.

I just received this dress pattern from Rusty Zipper on Wednesday.  I’d like to make some flower pins to go with it for a little extra floof. A lot of people could whip this puppy up in no time, but I’ll be happy if it’s finished by Monday morning.

Just a couple of announcements.

1. This weekend is the Art Prowl and I’m going to be set up in Merilee’s studio at 119 West Broad and would love some company. She is going to build pots all day and I’m going to stand around and smile. The Prowl will be going Saturday from 10-5 and I’ll also be there Sunday from 12-4ish, and it’s going to rock!

2. Tomorrow night is the first performance of Red Rode Yer Mama, a conceptual group with punk activist undertones consisting of Liz K., Mary P., and myself.

UPDATE: RRYM performance cancelled. Sorry.

Sat in the front window of my favorite coffee shop today watching the rain and trying to come up with a concrete idea that will absorb all of these butterfly rumblings in my head. I’m starting on two paintings today. One not too big and one not too small. I was looking over my sketchbooks for a jumping point and came across an entry from spring of last year that I wrote on a day much like today while sitting in this same spot. I did a sketch of Broad and people were rushing around to avoid the weather. One person I remember clearly was a mammoth of a man under a child sized Mickey Mouse umbrella running across the street to wait under an awning. Strange.