textileowl

We had a massive out of nowhere windstorm today. Power poles, light poles, trees down everywhere. 70 mile per hour winds. So crazy!

I didn't feel like working on the gala dress today, but I just cast on the second sleeve on the Vista sweater I started two and a half years ago.

We went to Hoover Dam today. It was hot, but we had a great time! I want to go back in 30s. I didn't realize the original 30s tour was still there--tunnel, marble floors. But! In the winter!

Medha and I walked too far along the Strip, had dinner, and talked. It was so nice to see her!

I think the pattern is done? I spent a few minutes on it this morning. I have to trim the neckline shape and the shoulder a bit.

All I did was make a standard bodice pattern one shouldered, so not actually a lot of work, I just did very little at a time!

I worked on my gala dress mockup. I think I have the front neckline right, and I'm pretty sure the back, but I haven't trimmed it yet. The armscye was the weirdest part, I thought it needed to be trimmed, but then I realized it needed to be straightened to look good with the neckline.

I hate bias edges, which the neckline of course is. In the pinned mockup, it doesn't feel secure enough, but that's not surprising. And I'm going to finish it with rayon seam binding, which will keep it from stretching.

Hopefully I'll finalize the pattern tomorrow and find the fabrics.

Home!

The Birch Aquarium started the behind the scenes penguin tours today--they had been paused for renovations. Since I'm only an hour away, of course I went!

In front, we learned some of them love shiny things, like keys. Of course I shook mine at them after the tour.

There were five penguins hanging out in the air conditioned back room. It's the room where they get taken care of. Four were molting, and Percy just likes it there. They can go to their pool whenever they want. They didn't want to. Percy thought about, then decided against it.

I don't want to complain about traffic because PENGUINS, but on the way back, I missed an exit, took the wrong exit on a roundabout, GPS couldn't tell, and I somehow ended up driving around the San Juan Capistrano school district offices. It was really bizarre...

But it was totally worth it. Even if my vacation goal was do nothing! So worth breaking the goal for!