It's About Time: A Body Block

I have had this book for about a year now, and I haven't had a chance (or made time) for making a body block, or a sloper of myself (those are the same things, right?). This part of the book is essential for completing any of the patterns included, hence why no progress has been made.

Rome: the last few days...

My first stint in Rome is slowly coming to a close. I have two days left in this lovely city, then back to the frigid Northeast. After a two month stay back at home, I will be back her in January and will stay until June.

McCalls 5591: Finished!

Remember this skirt? I finally finished it! I had brought all the pieces cut to Rome, but lacked a zipper and interfacing. After a helpful care package from the States, I was ready to finish the task. It has been done for a couple days but lacked a photo. I know this isn't great, but since it is taken with my laptop, I don't think it is so bad. It was either this or nothing :)

Blind Hem Domination

I spent most of yesterday afternoon working on making a blind hem. Maybe this is an old trick for most of you, but for me it is new. It has always been one of those intimidating aspects of sewing I thought I would never learn. The instructions might has well have been in Italian at home since reading them always produced a scratching of the head and decision to hem by hand. Now I can share my knowledge with you all, so you don't have to spend two and a half hours figuring it out :)

In The Kitchen: This Little Piggy...

*** Disclaimer: pictures of uncooked pig and other pig parts are present in the post. If you are vegetarian or have a weak constitution, I would recommend not reading the following post. Or at least wait until 30 minutes after you have eaten :) *****

My husband loves barbecue. He is from Virginia, and whether or not they are known for barbecue, my husband really likes to dabble in it at home. As most of you know, we are living in Rome right now, which is *not* the home of barbecue. It is home to many other wonderful things, but barbecue is not one of them. We are more than half-way through the semester and my husband (and the rest of the faculty) wanted to give the students a little taste of home. We tossed around making Mexican, but southern barbecue was the final winner.

Paris: Strikes, Tarts and One Amazing Lunch

So I am back from my trip to Paris (and also Portugal which is why so long between posts) and I wanted to share with you the highlights of the trip I had. I was a great trip, it certainly tested my skills of "okay, if this won't work, let's try this" way of thinking.

Paris? Oui, s'il vous plait!

So I have to opportunity to go to Paris for a few days...and I have decided that it was a good idea. I leave today. Honestly, is Paris ever a bad idea? I did hear that there are some terrorists threats and they evacuated the Eiffel tower a few times, and that the whole city may still be on a transportation strike, but it is Paris. Paris!

Yay for Moms!

And for the USPS. It may have taken a little time, but my zipper for my skirt arrived. With the interfacing as well. Not that they don't sell zippers here in Italy, but I had already picked out the right color and size, and my mom was sending a package anyway....it all just seemed to work out.

Thanks Mom!

So, now nothing should keep me away from finishing this project. Onward!