A Project, A Phone Call, A Fright, and The Sisters

It's been a good couple of days...

Yesterday I finished my second sewing project - a knee-length straight skirt with a flounce. The fabric is black silk (thank goodness for leftover fabric from my mom!). I did a pretty impressive job if I do say so myself! I thought the zipper would be the most difficult, but it turns out the waist and the hem was more challenging. I couldn't make the lining of the waist fit with the actual skirt - so the skirt has a permanent little pucker at the waist - you'd really have to look for it to see it, so it's forgivable for my second project. Because the flounce is cut on the bias of the material, the hem was a bit wonky in that it's kind of like a cloth tube that's wrinkled. The whole project took approximately 5 hours in total, two afternoons. I did a lot of measuring & re-measuring; I pinned and re-pinned the pattern pieces to the fabric several times before cutting since the leftover fabric had lots cut out of it; I attempted the waist 3 times before it was acceptable; and I did a lot of pressing to help make the hemming easier. Next time will be faster as I will know better what to do.

So, what did I do this afternoon for 2 hours? I cut out the same pattern again! In those 2 hours, I also began the sewing - the darts, the lining for the waist, the back panels minus the zipper(which I don't have yet), and the ruffle for the bottom (because the fabric is heavy, I'm going to finish the bottom with a ruffle instead of a flounce). I think the rest will take 2 hours or less, providing all goes well with the waist. This time the fabric is a white satin with embroidered vines on it (it's leftover from my sister's, P's, wedding dress). I think this white skirt will look cute with a dark shirt & my denim jacket.

My sister, J, the second oldest, called today. We had a great chat. I told her how Gai Doi was waiting for his 2 best pals to pick him up for their outdoor brewfest weekend of drinking and beer brewing and meeting other brewers and drinking. GD was like a 6 year-old waiting for the bus to take him to camp. He was so adorable. Pick up was at 12 Noon, however, at 10AM he had his cooler packed with his supplies. "Uhm, honey, maybe we should keep the ice packs and the food in the refrigerator until just before 12 so that it will stay colder and the ice pack won't melt?" "Oh, really? Uh, ok, I guess so. But I don't want to keep the guys waiting." "Really, honey. It'll be fine. We'll have enough time." I took their photo after they force-fed GD's stuff into the back of the already full mini-van. Oh dear, unsuspecting brewers, look out!

J also had a good laugh when I told her about Yeh and his solo constitutional. I think it was on Tuesday that I asked Yeh to go outside to get his circulation going as he had been sitting & reading for 2 hours straight with no movement. He obliged and stepped outside in his slippers to, as I imagined, wander around the yard, look at the budding flowers and check the progress of the garden. Content that Yeh was moving around, I began making soup for lunch. Ten minutes later, I looked outside to see what Yeh was doing. Hmm, he's not by the garden or the grapevines. Well, I'll just look out the front...he's not there. Yikes! A dozen thoughts raced through my head - my uncle is going to kill me for losing his father, it'll be on the news that there is a missing 87 year old Chinese man, or he's been kidnapped by the neighborhood kids. I ran to the kitchen, turned off the stove, and then raced for the door. Who walks in but Yeh...all smiles, "Me walk to highway." It takes me a second to figure out what he means...I get it - he walked down the block to the next street...in his slippers? Yeh was very happy with himself and decided that every day before lunch he would go for a walk, on his own, in his slippers even. And he has, except, of course, when it's raining and I have persuaded him to wear his sandals.

GD was at home while I was talking to J on the phone & corrected me on details of the above stories. J and I ended the phone call with a "Love you." GD commented that he was impressed that we sisters (we sisters equal 4 very different and passionate women) were getting along so well. I surmised that maybe the sisters have always gotten along well, but because I was so busy with work and never around, we didn't have a chance to show it. GD chuckled...who am I kidding? This IS impressive - usually the sisters fight like cats and dogs, vying to be the one who is the smartest, the one who has the most possessions, the one with the best husband, the prettier one, the one mom likes the most. Typical sibling rivalry...but we sisters have always been there for each other and the rivalry...well, we take it with a grain of salt.