Yeehaw!

 I have no new sewing projects to share with you, but I will share pictures of wonderful garments sewn  by someone else for my sister.

 I just spent a week in sunny, warm Tucson, AZ.  My whole family flew out  to help my youngest sister celebrate her 50th birthday.   I am not sure she really wanted any fuss over her birthday, but it was the perfect excuse for the rest of her sibs to escape a snowy, cold, east coast winter  We all managed to fly out  between snow storms, with only small flight delays for plane de-icing.

 For her birthday party, my sister wore a dress and bolero jacket sewn by her close friend G. The dress pattern was McCall's 7085, a semi-fitted, lined dress (fitted through bust) with neckline variations and back zipper. G made view B with the short sleeves.

G added a flounce  from New look 6433 to the lower back. I think there were issues with fabric shortages or matching, but it was clever and very attractive solution.

 

and a bolero jacket from McCalls  pattern 5006. 

 

 The fabric for the dress was a cotton print of white birds on a gray background and the jacket was sewn from eyelet embroidered in a paisley motif.

 The two garments were beautifully sewn and my little sis looked wonderful in them.



M - 50th birthday. Photo taken by YB.

 The 3 sisters and SIL managed to sneak away for a quick visit  to SAS Fabrics, a fabric store that has been in Tucson for over 50 years.

The SAS stands for either Sew and Save, or Save and Sew, the staff wasn’t sure of the order. Though there is some fabric on bolts or rolls, most of the fabric is in pieces on huge tables.  It is one of those stores where you dig through a lot of junk in hopes of finding treasures. The store is not fancy and some of the stock looks like it has been around for ages.  Not the kind of store that appeals to everyone. It reminded me of the Jomar stores in Phila, PA.

  I found some light weight gray wool  and a coordinating gray and pink swirl textured fabric (it was on the minky table).  I am thinking sleeveless jumpsuit with funky shrug.

 During our visit, we stayed outdoors as much as possible to  enjoy the beautiful weather. Temperatures in the high 60’s, dry, with brilliant blue skies.  DH and I hiked in the Santa Catalina Mountains.  Steep rocky trails with a different desert view around each turn. Lots of Saguaro cactus. In fact every plant along the trail, and in my sister's yard for that matter, had spines or thorns.  I stumbled off the trail one time and had to pull pricklies out of my jeans and socks. We saw lizard and snakes on the trail,  but no wildcats or javelinas. Though my sister has seen both on her early morning en plein air painting trips.

Catalina Mountains AZ  Where's the shade?

The trail, almost to the top.

  La Fiesta de los Vaqueros - the Celebration of the Cowboys, was the week we were visiting. There are two major events that are part of the celebration. The Tucson Rodeo and Tucson Rodeo Parade. It is a big deal. Public school are closed on parade day, which we missed,  but we did go to the rodeo, part  of the annual Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit. We saw the calf roping, bull riding, and barrel racing. It was all quite exciting and very different.  I so wanted to be wearing a cowboy hat and kickin western boots like sis and  many of the locals in  the crowd.  Next time!

 

Sis’s house has a panoramic view.  Downtown Tucson on one side and different mountain ranges on all the others.  Every evening, the out of towners would run from one side of the yard to the other, trying to capture the rapidly changing colors of the mountains as the sun went down. Sis’s 4 terriers thought it was some new fun game. They were running  and jumping at our heels. We must have looked very comical to the neighbors. I leave you with my favorite pictures ( not photo shopped).