Happy New Year

It is hard to believe that a new year is almost here. Especially more so when you go out for a walk on Christmas day and see dandelions blooming. After all this is northern Illinois and usually we have snow on the ground this time of year.

After spending the weekend before Christmas with several celebrations, Christmas weekend itself was a quiet time for my hubby and me. We spent some time on Christmas Eve at a neighbor's house celebrating with friends. Then it was midnight Mass at St Paul the Apostle Church. Once again beautiful music and surroundings to celebrate such a holy day. After sleeping in on Christmas morning we took a walk where we saw the dandelions blooming. Such a strange sight. Then we just relaxed and made some homemade pizza and watched my Packers beat his Bears. One of us was happy anyway.

I have been working on the panels with attached valances. The fabric has a trim stitched in a loop pattern. It has been a challenge matching the loops for the seams but I think it is coming along nicely. Note to self, check out fabric before quoting a price next time.

Fabric is all ordered for next client and her panels. I can't wait for it to show up. This afternoon I am meeting with a client/friend to discuss making a wedding dress for her daughter. This will be the first time making a wedding dress for a client although I have made them for my sisters, my daughter's best friend and my daughter.

I am planning the summer sewing camps and looking forward to starting back up with the after school classes. We will have two new students so that should be fun also.

Merry Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with my side of the family on Saturday. It was great fun. We were able to skype with my sister and her family in Arizona while opening presents. Enjoyed lots of great food, fun and played some games. Many thanks to my hubby who helped pull it all together while I was busy working. I did make grandma's rum cheesecake, which he has been doing for the past 15+ years. Of course I used the wrong pan and it took hours to bake but everyone that had some said it tasted just fine.

Finished the kitchen valance. Had some questions regarding the final construction but with help from the CHF forum I got it all done. I think it turned out great and someone is going to have a nice addition to their kitchen window for the holidays.

Also finished the round tablecloth and now onto the panels with attached valance. Meeting with a client tomorrow to finalize fabric selection. Then it is time for some dress alterations and other projects.

Just came from another great session with our Action Coach group. Learning so much but it is a lot of hard work/home work also. Going to keep this short so I can get back to work. Happy Holidays everyone.

Working Furiously

This is an ottoman a client rescued from the trash. The colors were certainly not her style but she saw great potential in it. We discussed a slipcover versus reupholstering. After some discussion in with she stated she has two little ones we decided a washable slipcover would be much more practical. She found some great linen like fabric and washed a sample of it. She liked how it looked after washing it so then it was time to start the fabrication process.

I washed the fabrics and then using the circular template I had just bought from Rowley I made a pattern for the top. I cut a base circle from lining and then quarter circles of the fabric, matching the print on each one. This formed a neat kaleidoscope effect on the top. The skirt was also cut into quarters and an invisible zipper added for ease in taking on and off.

I removed the old fringe and staples and pounded in those that wouldn't come out so no little fingers could get hurt. Lastly I replaced the bottom cambric and the client has a 'new' ottoman that is just her style.

Now on to the rest of my projects. I have a kitchen valance, a round table cloth and some panels to make. Need to keep working.

My hubby and I just finished a ten week weight loss program. He lost 14 lbs and 5.5% body fat. I lost 12.5 lbs and 5.5% body fat. We both want to lose a few more pounds before we start training hard again in January. He is looking to run his first half marathon in the spring. This is from a guy who a few years ago complained that running more than a mile was too hard. I'm so proud of all he has accomplished. I plan on running my first marathon in the fall and we are both going to do a series of duathlons this year for the first time. He is also going to learn to swim and attempt a triathlon. We have a busy 2012 coming up.

Saturday we are going to celebrate Christmas with my side of the family so we have lots of preparations to get done by then. I have to wrap presents and bake another couple of batches of cookies. Need to finish cleaning the basement and bake a cheesecake and coffeecake.

Holidays Fast Approaching

Izzy finished her sewing bag. She is looking forward to making a belt and starting her first clothing project from the Kids Can Sew book in January. Anna is almost finished with her sports blouse, Meghan is getting closer to finishing her banded top and Katie has just the hems on her mom's night shirt. The girls and I are taking a break from lessons until January.

The duvet cover if finished.

The mitered corners at first gave me a bit of a challenge mentally but they turned out great.

Now on to a slipcover for an ottoman, drapery panels and tablecloth.

Last night we decorated the tree in the living room and I also mixed cookies. A lot of the gifts have been ordered so now is the time for wrapping, baking and the final cleaning and decorating of the basement.

Need to sign off to get some work done.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Hoping everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Now on to Christmas. Started decorating the house for Christmas on Friday. I decorate almost every room of the house with the exception of the laundry room. We have 4 full size fake trees and get 1 real one each year for the living room. Most rooms have at least a small tree and creche in them as seen in the photo from our bedroom. Next up is the baking and gift buying.

We kicked off our holiday season by attending the tree lighting ceremony in downtown Grayslake. It's always fun to watch the kids' reactions to seeing Santa pull up on the fire truck and then light the tree. We follow that with shopping in the stores and having dinner. This year we decided to eat at Something's Brewing. We enjoyed their Buffalo chicken salads followed by samples of the delicious toffee from Uniquely Sweet.

This will be our last week of class. As the holidays approach, the girls just get too busy. Julia made great progress on her round neck blouse and Lauren is nearly finished with her robe.

Anna is almost done with her sport blouse, Izzy was absent due to going to visit family, Meghan is getting so close to finishing her banded top and Katie is working really hard on the nightshirt for her mom.

I am working an a duvet cover being fashioned from a quilt that a client made while also ordering hardware and fabric for other clients. There will be some beautiful homes this Christmas.

My hubby and I have been part of a program, Elite Body Composition, to lose weight that started in September. We have 2 more weeks left in the program and we both have managed to reach our goals even with two Thanksgiving celebrations. We both want to lose a few more pounds still but were very happy to have gotten this far. Many thanks to Matt and the coaches at TFP for pushing us all. The Sunday afternoon bike rides haven't always been the most pleasant but we survived.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We celebrated Thanksgiving this past Sunday with my husband's two sisters and a fiancee, our three children, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, three of the parent-in-laws and my mom. We started the day with the Turkey Trot in Lincolnwood where I helped my daughter-in-law finish her first 10K. She did very well.

That was followed by breakfast at iHop and then back to the house for showers and dinner prep. A few hours watching the Packers win was followed by the rest of the guests arriving and a great time was had by all. We finished the night with a few rousing games of Smart Ass.

In the sewing classes, Julia is working on her round neck blouse, already has it sewn together at the shoulders after finishing all the zigzagging. Lauren has the pockets on her robe and the back and fronts together and the facing attached.

Anna has finished her car organizer and has started on a sports blouse, Izzy is working on her sewing bag, Meghan is getting closer to finishing her banded top and Katie finished her peasant blouse and started on a nightshirt for her mom.

I finished the pillows, had a consultation with a new client and will do some shopping with her next week. Had some business coaching sessions also. Have some 'homework' that I need to do for them. Will be working hard today so I can enjoy taking off the next couple of days.

Holiday Crunch Time

The holidays are fast approaching and I have lots of projects to get finished. That is both good and bad. Just finding some time to get into the workroom has been a problem lately. Multiple meetings in a week really impacts my production time. Oh well, this is something I just need to work on. The family room pillows are almost done, then some hemming, ottoman slipcover, valances with grommets and a duvet cover. I do love what I do.

Julia finished her back slit denim skirt and has started cutting out a round neck blouse to go with it. Lauren started on sewing her robe. She started by embellishing the pockets with raw edge applique flowers cut from the capri fabric. Anna missed class last week, Izzy started her sewing bag, Meghan is working on her banded blouse and Katie is almost done with her peasant blouse.

Also had a couple of private sewing lessons this week. It is fun to see the adults as excited as the girls.

Need to start working on dinner for Sunday. We are celebrating Thanksgiving with family. There will be 15 for dinner. Should be a good time. John and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary this past weekend by staying at a B&B in Woodstock and going to see Pirates of Penzance at the Woodstock Opera house. The B&B we stayed at was the Royal Victorian which was used as the Cherry Street Inn in the movie Groundhog Day. At the time of the movie it was a private residence and just recently was made into a B&B. It is a lovely place. We had dinner at the Woodstock Public House. The loaded baked potato soup was so good!!! We might need to drive out there again.

Finding Time

Met with my client again last week to finalize the pillows for her family room. Here is the first one for her brown leather recliner. The four large pillows will all be the same black fabric with covered cord of this stripe. The backs are going to be sewn from her old pillows as they are the same fabric as the couch and love seat. The two smaller pillows are out of a brown print and will have covered cord from the fabric of the larger pillows. So happy we were able to come to a final decision. Now she is just looking for a rod for the kitchen valance and I can finish that.

Meeting with someone next week who is looking for window treatments for her living room and dining room. I just need to find some time to get these projects all sewn as I also have an ottoman to slipcover and another kitchen valance to make.

Having some minor surgery tomorrow so that is going to take time away from work.

Julia is just putting the finishing touches on her back slit denim skirt and will be starting a new project next week. Lauren got her robe all cut out and will be able to start sewing next week. We are discussing the possibilities for embellishment. Anna ran out of bobbin thread as she was putting in the last few stitches on her car organizer. She will finish it at home and start on something new next time. Izzy picked out the fabric for her sewing bag and will start on cutting it out today. Meghan is working on putting the facing onto her banded top and Katie is working on her peasant blouse. I will be offering a Saturday sewing session during our December break where they can make gifts for their family or friends.

Did the Hot Chocolate 15K on Saturday and was pleased with my time. It was a cool and breezy day with plenty of sunshine so it made for a great race. Next up is the 10K Lincolnwood Turkey Trot on the 20th. Not sure how well I will be able to run. Hopefully I will be helping my new daughter-in-law complete her first 10K.

Had another Action Coach group meeting this morning so I have lots of 'homework' to do, so I had better finish this up and get back to work.

Keeping Busy

Better late than never, a happy Halloween. Hope you all had a good one. We were light on trick or treaters this year so I have lots of pretzels and graham Goldfish left. Oh well they will keep until I have my summer camps when the kids will enjoy them at treat time.
Sewing classes are going well. We canceled class for Monday due to Halloween. I figured my girls would rather be out getting candy and I wouldn't have to listen to the doorbell ring while I was trying to teach. Anna is almost done with her car organizer. She still won't show it to her mom until she is all finished. Isabelle started last week. She has some experience with a sewing machine so she is moving right along. I think Meghan finally has the band on right on her blouse. She has been so frustrated with it but has kept working at it. Katie is putting the elastic in her peasant blouse and should be finished soon.
Finished some vests for Adventure Princesses and some much needed hemming for my daughter. It's funny how the family stuff keeps slipping to the bottom of the pile. Now on to some pillows and a slipcover for an ottoman. I'm thinking of putting in an invisible zipper to make it easier to take on and off for washing. The client has two little girls and it might need to be washed frequently. Here is a before photo.

I met with my trainer yesterday evening to discuss how 2010 went and plans for 2011. I am losing weight and body fat nicely with the Elite Body Composition class my husband and I are doing. I attained my goal of doing a half marathon in under two hours in Nashville in April and my hubby and I did our first duathlon in June followed by a second one in October after getting ourselves some road bikes this August. Next year I am planning to run my first marathon and do several sprint duathlons with my hubby followed by an olympic distance one in November. Sounds like it could be a challenging year but with Lauri's guidance I should be able to do it.

What a Dreary Day?

The girls are doing so well this year with their sewing. Here is Katie showing off her back slit denim skirt. She was so proud of it she had worn it to school that day. She is working on a top to go with it currently. Julia is working on her skirt and Lauren finished her tank top and is starting on a robe now. Anna is just about finished with the car organizer for her aunt and Meaghan is working on her banded blouse. She has had many challenges getting the banding around the neck but I think she has it on now. I have a new girl staring with us this afternoon, Isabelle. I'm sure the girls will warmly welcome her. I am looking forward to meeting Isabelle and her mom. Here is a photo of the button Katie chose for her skirt.

I met today with a new group led by Monty of Action Coach. I will be joining them for sessions every other week to help build my business. Look out world, here I come.


Here is a photo of a Roman shade I saw in browsing the web. I am going to use it as my inspiration to fabricate a faux Roman shade for the sewing studio.

So even though the weather has definitely taken a turn for the worse, my prospects are looking sunny and I am looking forward to all that is going to be happening.

Windows Palooza 2011

I attended Windows Palooza yesterday. It was put on by the Chicagoland chapter of WCAA. What a wonderful day. In the morning I took a drawing class with Jackie Von Tobel. Now I can't hardly draw a straight line with a ruler so this was going to be a stretch for me. Jackie was so patient with everyone. She broke down the treatments into basic elements and then using graph paper we started drawing them out. I drew a pinch pleat drapery, a goblet pleat, a gathered treatment, swags, jabots and finally a side panel with a tieback. She also explained how our renderings would actually look in fabric. I have to say that my drawings really did look like the treatment they represented.
Then on to the vendor floor. We received a punch card for the vendors to mark off and when they were full they were placed in a basket for the big door prize at the end of the evening. I talked to lots of different reps and came home with tons of samples and ideas.
There was a wonderful lunch followed by my afternoon class with Deb Barrett. She had a trunk show of lots of new ideas for window treatments plus ideas of how to fabricate them. She just amazes me with everything she comes up with. Here is another photo of some of the things I saw.

Then it was back to the vendor floor with more visits and some short demos. Prizes were being given away throughout the day and then during dinner, which was also very good, the majority of them were awarded. I won a gift certificate to one of my favorite suppliers so I was very excited.
One last photo. Isn't this Roman shade adorable? I could just see this in a kids room.

More Beautiful Fall Weather

Well the weather has been great for the past week. Let's hope it holds out until the weekend when John and I are doing our second duathlon. We went out and rode the bike course last Sunday. It has a few good hills in there. Did a trail half marathon with my daughter on Saturday. It did not go very well. Things were great the first half but by mile 10 I was ready to walk. I have done many half marathons but I just didn't have it in me for this one. I never did walk but I did send my daughter on ahead. She finished about a minute and a half before me. I have been considering doing my first marathon next year, now I'm not so sure.

I finished another jacket from the challenge to make one pattern 10 different ways. This time I combined the Capri Jacket pattern from Textile Studio with Swing Jacket from Country in the City. I copied the back with the yoke and pleat, added cuffs to the sleeves and straightened the side seams. I also eliminated the v-neck and curved the top of the front the same as the bottom. I added a contrasting 'placket' to the right front. The button on the back is actually two buttons combined. I had enough fabric left over that I made a matching shell from Great Copy 1260. And the best part is that it was all from stash again!

In class, Julia is making good progress on her back slit denim skirt and Lauren is working on her tank top. She had wanted to embroider something on it but she chose such a flimsy knit that I told her it probably wouldn't hold the stitching well. Anna missed class last week, Meghan is working on her banded blouse and Katie started on her peasant blouse. She was proudly wearing her back slit denim skirt that she had finished last week.

Finished the embroidery for 2 Hot 2 Handle Glass last week and now am working on some pillows and a kitchen valance. Just lost a project because the client didn't want to drive 30-45 minutes to get to me. Oh well I need to work on getting some more work onto the table now.

Beautiful Fall Weather

As they say about Chicago, if you don't like the weather just wait a few minutes and it will change. Last week was cold and rainy, this week has been sunny and in the 70's. I have a half marathon on Saturday so I am hoping that the weather will hold.

I have included some photos of the items the girls are making in class. Julia finally finished her nightshirt. She says she likes to take her time and enjoy the process. I like to get something done and move on to the next exciting project. To each his own I guess. Lauren got the trim on her capris and started on a tank top to match. Anna continues to work on the car organizer for her aunt while Meghan is working on a banded top and Katie is finishing her back slit denim skirt.

I have just about finished with the embroidery for 2 Hot 2 Handle Glass. One more jacket back to do. Working on some throw pillows for a client. She is coming by today with the fabric for her kitchen window. I can't wait to see what she found. She was so excited to have found something she really loved that she has pushed ahead to do it even though it was originally at the bottom of her list. I love it when clients get excited about finding just that right fabric.

My hubby and I have started a new class to lose some weight and body fat. Now that the racing season is just about over it is time to go into calorie deficit mode. There are about 12 of us in class so it should be interesting. After weigh in, body fat measurements and a short talk we hit the trails on our bikes for about a ten mile ride, slow fat burning speed. It will be a challenge as the temps drop and the days get shorter.

Here is one last photo from class, Julia and her new nightshirt.

I Need Some Sunshine

It has been gloomy and raining for the past five days. On Saturday, Jennifer and I got in our 11 mile run with only a little rain. On Sunday when hubby and I went out for a 25 mile bike ride it started to rain. We decided to keep going but then the lightning started. We didn't want to chance any problems with that so we hightailed it home. Only about 3 miles from the house but it started to come down in buckets. We took the main roads back to the house risking the traffic to get home more quickly. Of course it stopped raining by the time we got back but we were too soaked to want to go back out. I haven't been able to get to the vegetable plot for the past few days either cuz of all the rain. I'm hoping the pumpkins are doing well and maybe I will still have some good tomatoes when I do finally get a chance to get there.

We enjoyed pasta with homemade tomato sauce made with veggies from the garden on Sunday. We are trying a new thing here now with two married children. I would like to get together once a month for a family dinner. I was telling them we could celebrate birthdays, help each other with yard work, watch football or enjoy the beach. I will also let our son in Iowa know the dates so if he has a free weekend he could maybe join us. I miss seeing him more regularly. It was great to have him home for a few days for the youngest one's wedding a couple of weeks ago.
In sewing classes, Julia is almost finished with her nightshirt, Lauren is just getting ready to put the lace trim on her capris, Anna is cutting out a car organizer for her aunt, Meghan finished her ruffle skirt and will start on something new this afternoon while Katie is almost finished with her back slit denim skirt.
I am working on a valance for a laundry room and just sent off some fabric estimates to another client for treatments in their family room/eating area and dining room. Looking forward to getting started on these projects.

I finished another jacket for myself. Our challenge in my neighborhood ASG group has been to take a pattern we like and make it several different ways. For the latest one I combined the Capri Jacket pattern from Textile Studio with an old vest pattern from McCall's, 7255. The fabric and buttons are all from my stash. I am hoping to reduce my stash by another bin soon. Of course as soon as I do I will probably find more fabric I can't live without ;-)

Fall is Here

Things are starting to settle down. The wedding is over, classes are started and work is picking up. The happy couple is back from their honeymoon in Belize where they had a good time. Some interesting stories I guess that we will hear on Sunday when the family comes for dinner and football.

After school classes are back in session. I have Lauren and Julia on Mondays and Anna, Meghan and Katie on Wednesdays. We have talked about them modeling in ASG's 2012 fashion show and luncheon. They are all so excited. They are starting to figure out what they want to model. Julia is finishing up her nightshirt, Lauren is making some capris and she found some really neat trim to put on them. Anna is finishing her tank top, Meghan finished up her ruffle skirt and Katie is working on her back slit denim skirt. We are talking more about fitting and customizing patterns.
Finished sewing on all the patches for the Adventure guides/princesses vests for their big event this past weekend. I just had a customer drop off a bunch of items to get embroidered with her company's logo. Have a meeting with another client on Saturday for window treatments. Good to keep busy.

Another Wedding is Over

Here is the newest happy couple. My son and his fiancee were joined in marriage on Saturday. The weather was beautiful and so was the couple. Her uncle married them at St Gregory the Great church in the city. It is a lovely old church. The reception was held at The Onion Pub and Brewery in Barrington. The food was great but the time seemed to go much too quickly. The centerpieces were gorgeous. I have attached a photo of them also.

I did get all the sewing done that I needed to get finished. My mom's dress looked so much better with the alterations. I got my dress hemmed but I wish I had had time to add some bra keeper straps so I wouldn't have had to pin in the straps. The quilt got all finished and wrapped for the big day. Here is a photo.

I am back to work, sewing patches on vests for a couple of different groups. They start with their activities this weekend so everyone is calling to get them done. Also working on a laundry room bench cushion and then will start the valance.
Classes started back on Monday. Lauren is making a pair of capris and Julia forgot that Monday was our first day back. She should be joining us next week. The other girls start this afternoon. Looking forward to working with them again.

Upcoming Wedding

With our son's wedding on Saturday and the holiday this past weekend, not much has been going on in my business. The one thing I am doing is altering a dress for my mom for the wedding. Even though it was a petite I still had to shorten it 4 inches. Also the shoulders were way too big. The princess line of the dress fell at her shoulder line and the sleeve cap was 2-3 inches down her arm. Of course the dress is lace with a lining so I had to remove the sleeve, undo the shoulder seams and then remove two inches from the front and back at the princess line. The lace and lining are stretch fabric so they are being a pain but I think the finished dress will look so much better that it will be worth it. Next up is shortening my dress. I just need it up about a half inch, not much but just a little so it doesn't catch on my heels when I walk. Also I am putting the binding on a quilt for my son and his wife. I picked it up last week from the quilter. Donna did such a great job. She really turned my fairly basic quilt into a work of art. I will post some pictures next week after I give it to them, just in case they might see this.
Next up are several small projects for a client. First will be a cushion and valance for her laundry room. Then several pillows for her family room that will inject some much needed color. She also found some great fabric for the kitchen that is open to the family room. After looking at several different pictures of window treatments she found one she just loves. I ordered the patterns and am looking forward to getting started on the projects.
My hubby and I picked up new road bikes last week. We are now practicing on using the clips and the different gear shifting. We will be doing a duathlon in October. It will be interesting to see how it compares to the one we did in June for fun.
I will close with a photo of the label from the wedding quilt, shouldn't give too much away since the designs are from their 'Save the Date' cards.

Summer Winding Down

Well summer is winding down. I can already feel it in the cooler nights, a much welcome relief. That means that my after school sewing sessions are starting soon. I will start again the week after Labor Day. I have two girls in my Monday class and three in my Wednesday class. There is still room if anyone wants to sign up. The girls have so much fun and I look forward to their enthusiasm every week. I want to start something new with them this year. I would like them to prepare to be in a fashion show next October for our ASG group. Every year our Chicago chapter has a fashion show luncheon. We alternate between the north side and the south side of the city. In 2012 the luncheon will be up this way again so I would like to encourage my students to get ready to 'strut their stuff' next year. I think they will like having a goal of some kind.

This is Anna showing off her pajamas she made.

With that in mind I think I will also plan a camp for the summer that will involve them making an outfit with a matching purse for them to be able to model also. I am also planning a winter break camp so the girls (or boys) can make gifts for the holidays.

I finished up a set of seat cushions for a kitchen nook. The client was thrilled. They make for a great little place for her to enjoy her morning coffee. Next up are pillows for a family room to brighten up a rather dull room. I love being able to help people transform their ideas into reality and make a house a home. What can I help you do?

Doesn't this just make you want to 'sit for a spell'?

ASG Conference Reviewed

I went to the ASG National Conference in Los Angeles over the weekend. I flew in on Thursday evening but even with the plane landing early I didn't get to the hotel/conference center until after they closed registration for the day. Fortunately they still allowed me to enter the exhibit hall because I was able to show them that I was a paid attendee. Started by scoping out all the vendors and then buying a purse kit and pattern from Purses by Design. I bought The New Yorker pattern and kit for view C. A couple of days later I bought all the pieces to also make view B. Friday I bought some fabric to make the purse and the following day I bought fibers from The Fiber Goddess to weave a handle using the Diva Cord Maker. I had bought the cord maker a few years ago at another ASG conference and hadn't done much with it. This should be fun. I am hoping to get the purse made before my son's wedding on the 10th of September.
I also bought some gorgeous turquoise linen, patterns from Cutting Corners and some embroidery designs from Momo-dini Embroidery.
On Friday I took a class on using Photo-Shop Elements to organize your patterns. When I got home I asked my hubby if we have this program (I know a little after the fact). Of course we don't but he said he thinks that iPhoto has something similar so that will be my next quest. Then it was a class with Louise Cutting, Cutting to the Chase of Great Garments. After lunch it was Drafting Pants with Couture Fit with Connie Crawford. So much information my head was swimming. Friday night was the fashion show. As usual so many wonderful garments. Some of them though I wondered if they were ever worn anywhere or were they just made for the fashion show.
Saturday was an all day class with Jennifer Stern Hasemann. We turned a pair of jeans into a skirt. This was not your typical jeans to skirt look though. I have included some photos of one of her many skirts and then my skirt in progress. I will be adding embroidery as soon as I can. That will be the wonderful designs I just bought from Momo-dini. I can't wait to finish it and wear it soon. The best part of all is that the jeans don't have to fit. She shows how to add side gussets to make a small pair get larger or how to take away fabric to make them smaller. My jeans fit so I was able to just cut apart the inseam and front and back crotch seams. That did make it a little harder though to sew.
That evening I went to Santa Monica with other members from the Chicago chapter to watch the sun set over the mountains and then have dinner at a restaurant on the beach. We had a wonderful time. Then it was up early Sunday morning to pack and come home. I only stayed for two of the three days because with the upcoming wedding I didn't want to be away too long.
I am looking froward to going to Houston next year for the conference. I always learn so much.