Warmth

I am a desert girl that lives in the mountains.... and winter is coming on. 

I walked out the other day, a perfect day, and it must have been 70 degrees out.  It was too cold.  I can't tell you how happy it makes me feel to have the hot hot sun shining down on me.  70 degrees is great for the everyone but me, it seems.   

Well, here is my fix:-)

We are installing this Jotul stove.  Isn't it beautiful?  This is what the dream of winter is all about.  On those ski vacation promotions you don't see cold and dreary people taking that last run of the day.  You see them skiing in the sun and then you see them sipping hot drinks around a roaring fire. 

So, thanks to a school system that will teach my kids, I will get to live that dream.  Slade is in first grade this year, which means they are both in all day school.  Looks like I will get to slip out for an hour and cross country ski again.  And in the evening when it is dark here at 5:00, I can help kids with homework around a hot stove.  Doesn't that just sound perfect? 

So here is to the new stove and a cozy winter!

Plus, this means I get to do some tile work.  Here is my excuse to use this great glass and marble tile for the hearth.  I do enjoy working with tile.  It is such a permanent and non bending material.  Sooo very different from my usual medium.  I will post pictures if it turns out okay. 

Missing

Here is the set up for this one.  I have been working a lot.  I have been overwhelmed most of the time.  I have seen another summer go away.  It is fall.  I am sad.  I keep imagining that the summer will magically extend itself just by my will alone.  My will is not strong enough even though I believe it should be. 

Here is the story.

I am standing in the fabric store purchasing some Tiffany Blue embroidery floss, something I needed to complete my last dress of the busy season.  A man brings in a little boy.  He told the clerk that he saw the boy walking down State street, which is a very busy road.  The clerk called the police to report the lost boy.  She told the dispatcher that the boy is wearing blue and green P.J.'s, he's about two and a half, and he's blond.  I notice he has a cute hair cut.  She then sits him on the counter to wait.  That is when I started to cry a bit.  I was trying hard not to.... the clerk didn't seem to think anything of the situation.  I did.  I couldn't comprehend how the mother of this little one was feeling at that moment.  I did have the slight understanding, though, because I was feeling that way about my boys just then. 

Two minutes later the mother rushes into the store.  She must have already been working with the police to find her little boy.  She hugged him while saying, "you scared me to death."  This is where I start to cry out right, without control.  Even though I have spent my fair share of time in fabric stores, this crying in them was a first.  She told us that he as autism and as she was taking the garbage out, he just took off.  It makes sense now, because the boy was very confidently showing me his dinosaur and was not troubled that his mom wasn't around.  He was in control of the situation.  

This is where I left the store, climbed into my car and cried.  This is the season for mourning.  Our nation is doing it officially today.  The world is mourning in one way or another because of war, drought, financial crisis, natural disasters, etc, etc.   

In my little insignificant way, I was feeling this sadness.  I miss my little boys.  I miss all of the time that hurries by without me appreciating the family I have around me.  At least these times give us all a chance to take a look around and decide what is important. 

I do hope people find themselves in good places, with people they love.  I do.  I just now need the time to actually be with those people.  I have it now.  Phewww!  I am looking forward to being a mama and wife and a dressmaker along side. 

Good night.  M

Oh, how I hope this isn't the silliest of blog entries.  I know it might not make sense to any of you.  It is what I needed to express.  Thanks for humoring me.

Silk organza waves

Here is the dress I have been holding on to.... for a bit too long.  It is a sleek dress with a mess of waves on the bottom.  It is funny how chaos is hard to do.  It looks like you just put up the ruffles or pleats in a random way, yet it takes hours and hours of tweaking this way or that before it is finished.  I was surprised with this dress because the last fitting went so well.  I liked it just the way it was.  Very rare.  Especially for this type. 

Wishing you all the best.

Amanda and Paul

I get to show you all the photos of Amanda and Paul's wedding.  Last fall I worked on this dress with Amanda and Vienna, her mom.  Amanda flew to Utah from San Fransisco, Vienna flew from NYC.  Those women charmed us all... the dogs even liked them.  We enjoyed great discussions on religion, movies, culture, and metropolitan life verses our canyon life.  All the while figuring, fitting, and creating this gown.  Usually I am ultra sensitive about what people will think of the photos.  I don't care about this one.  The gown is just part of the story here.  It is a bigger thing that just the gown. 

I blogged earlier about how we got in the car and drove to their wedding.  We spent a few days in San Fransisco and afterwards attended their wedding.  It was a wonderful trip in so many ways, but culminated in a beautiful evening among the golden hills of California. 

I am a dressmaker because I get to meet, discuss, and enjoy the creative process with so many people.  I am lucky.  Sometimes I even get to make gowns like this one. 

Warning:  I just put the photos up.  I know they don't follow any order.  I just wanted to post a quick blog.  Forgive me of that.  If you would like to see them, and more, presented beautifully, check out Love Bird Photo, the wonderful photographer's site, here. 

THIS IS WRITTEN BY AMANDA (in an email a while after her wedding):

"I was thinking about you a few weeks ago.  I accompanied a co-worker who was trying on dresses.  My friend looked beautiful and she chose the dress, but all I kept thinking was how comparatively empty her experience was.  The dress was just an article of clothing.  It fit her well, but there was no story, no friendship, no history with it.   At that moment, I felt incredibly lucky to have had the unique and special experience of meeting you and the boys. 

This is my favorite shot.  It has such a classic feel, don't you think?

Amanda and Paul are into stories.  This image has so much contained in it.  Loving the High five while the ladies are looking at the gown.  It does sum up the female and male views of a wedding.  

Working from Home

The kids are still sleeping, it is quiet.  I went upstairs to start working on a gown.  When I saw the track Slade had set up yesterday while I was working, it made me smile. 

I couldn't do this with any other kids.  THANKFULLY they have the temperament of their father.  It is cute how they carefully go around the mass of silk and tulle when coming through my work area.  It is also helpful that they are the type to be glued to the T.V. when it is on.  It makes fittings peaceful.... yet those same fittings are sometimes accompanied by the theme song to "Dora the Explorer". 

I also get a kick out of their interest.  They know details of gowns, they know when one of the gowns is being cantankerous.  They especially know when it is a gown pick up day.  No matter how hard I try, they are always stressful days.  The boys don't mind, because that means they will get crepes later.  That is the tradition. 

Just thought I would let you in on a quiet moment.  I know of many women that work and maintain being a mama.  I am always curious about the tricks to making it work.  I would love to know about how you do it. 



horse hair

I just had the pleasure of using horse hair.  Not a big deal, really, I use it all of the time.  This time I brought out the really strong stuff.  I imagine Charles James used the same when creating above gown. 

I just finished a dress for Annie.  She is an artist that lives in D.C.  She came home to get married.  She came early to get a gown made.  I had a great time with this gown.  We knew the elements we would use.  We just didn't know we would be going so sculptural with it.  Thus the horse hair.  Do you see how the pictured gown goes in and out in waves.  That is thanks to horse hair.... and the genius of Charles James. 

Charles James is an interesting character.  I discovered his gowns over and over again.  They were always the ones that caught my eye when looking through fashion books.  I finally figured out that it was the same guy creating all of these works of art.  I am not good with names.  Anyway, just a brief tidbit about him.  He was designing in the 60's and creating quite structured gowns.  He was pretty sought after.  Then the free flowing, non structured frocks took hold.  I think it really set him back.  He didn't do as well then.  He had such incredible and big gowns.  There are quite a few available to see in museums because the women would donate them.  Thankfully we have so many to inspire us.   

Tragically he died in the Chelsey Hotel of pneumonia in the 80's.  I do love his story and I do love his gowns.  Funny how I can be so effected by other's work.  There is nothing like the old school way of doing things.  How I wish could learn it.  The more I make gowns the less I know.  Why is that?

The other Southern Utah

My first trip without parents was to the deserts of Southern Utah.  We were lucky enough and they were trusting enough to let us road trip in high school.  I would go with girl friends who were up for the adventure as much as I was.  We hiked big hikes in the morning, in the afternoon we hung out at our favorite swimming hole, and in the evening had dinner at the "Bit and Spur" where we would always have the "Stuffed Jalapenos".  The desert always represented freedom and creativity.  

There were many many trips down to Zion National Park, Moab, Lake Powell, and anywhere else with red rock.  I have done it with the kids as well, and for the most part, those trips were good.  The feeling of freedom was a bit hampered because of the young babies and toddlers they were.... until now.  It seems I have just inherited two really great travel companions.  If I play my cards right, I might even get to do long, hard hikes with these two in the next few years. 

So here are a few pictures of the trip.  I know it is boring for you all... but I do have family who check this blog, and they would like to see pictures of the growing boys. 

Can you see Hank in the distance?  We did this hike right after a thunderstorm moved through.  There is nothing like hot sandstone and fresh rain.  The smell is heavenly. 

Here is their first taste of slot canyons. 

I had to make them turn back so we wouldn't be hiking in the dark.  For you mama's out there, you know that is significant. 

Here is the last hike before we had to go home.

 

A plug for Capital Reef.

 

It is beautiful.

It is a higher elevation, so cooler than Zion or Moab during the hot summer months. 

It has great swimming holes. 

The nearby town of Torrey is quaint.  

It is about 3.5 hours from Provo area. 

It has great art and a wonderful bookstore in Torrey. 

It made me sad to leave.