Claire's Summer Fun Dress! in December

Yay for summer dresses in December! It really gives you something to hope for, since I've had summer on my brain in an incapacitating way for the past month. How is it in the 20s at night? How is that POSSIBLE?! Anyhow, Claire has long been talking about dresses of mine that she likes, specifically my 50s party dress. My goal had been to make her a version of that dress until I realized that I didn't have the pattern in her size. Dangs. The plan shifted into making a version of Burda Style 108 (March 2011), with the seam allowances included, unlike my last duel with this pattern.

more pictures from my porch, such class!

This fabric was a gift from Michelle as a thank you for sewing her a number of things. Can you picture it as something other than a spring-in-your-step dress? I can't. The original dress pattern called for a bubble skirt, but that seems a little silly on a grown woman. Instead, I cut the pattern pieces in the recommended length (a rather short and kicky 21 inches, ee!), gathered the tops and sewed it to the bodice. The hem is basic, as in without horsehair braid because I felt it would give too much lift to an already short skirt. Without the horsehair braid, the skirt falls about four inches above Claire's knees. 

Gathering skirts is something I should put on my resume...

The dress fits her pretty well (no photographic proof, just trust me), gives her hips and everything! Now if only it would warm up a solid 60 degrees. 

These photos were taken at the 11th hour, aka right before I wrapped this gift on December 24th. 

Rainbow Collection: Bethie's White Eyelet top

This may be a first for me--Bethie seemed to like her Christmas gift. WHAT?!

This eyelet top has been in my brain for a while. The fabric was picked up at a sale in a storage unit in Davis from when Riki was...selling fabric, I don't remember the line of reasoning behind it. This was probably the most usable piece of fabric I bought that day (what am I going to do with that army green wave design?) in spite of it being a smaller piece; I originally planned on making a dress for Stella, thinking that Beth would be crazy about it. I kept not making the dress and eventually adjusted my goal to make a top for Beth, which I imagined would pair perfectly with a dark grey cardigan (neutral colors to achieve her goal of looking French). I'd made the Sorbetto earlier this summer for a hangouts top and had originally planned to make the eyelet into a tank top, but it seemed like the right thing to do to slap some sleeves on it and make a delicate yet casual short-sleeved shirt. Claire of Sew, Incidentally drafted a pattern for sleeves for the Sorbetto and shared it on the Sew Weekly, so I was set.

I paired the eyelet with some tannish-gold liner fabric to provide much-needed modesty while giving the illusion of showing bare skin. Construction was not too complicated, but the lining caused some strife. The Sorbetto is not usually lined and I improvised on using the lining as facing, so there were some imbalances when I tried to affix the lining around the armholes to the shell fabric and sleeves. Specifically, the sleevehole lining came up higher than the sleevehole shell fabric, which was ugly and led me to curse and seam rip and curse some more. The only way I knew to solve the issues that rose out of using the lining as facing was to topstitch the hell out of everything--the neck opening and sleeves are topstitched into oblivion. Note to others: consider how fabric shifts when you're using lining as facing!

You've been topstitched!

I hereby declare that this top fulfills my Rainbow Collection: White requirement! I wonder if I have enough of this eyelet to make another Sorbetto...

Christmas is over, thank heavens...

It is a tremendous relief to have Christmas behind me--all of December was lost to sewing, worrying about sewing, preparing to sew, and breaking needles. I break the most needles at Christmas. Especially on Michelle's gift, which took out a pack of needles.

I made lavender sachets to accompany most of my gifts (homemade and bought) this year, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. The sachets are a great scrap-busting project! I have leftover lavender if anyone wants another (or a first) sachet to put in your drawers or with your laundry as it dries, drop me a line if you would like one.

I'll post pictures of some of the things I made over the next couple of days, though I sadly did not get a picture of Cate's Janet-Leigh-in-Bye-Bye-Birdie-inspired nightie (from Simplicity 2749),

I used the 3rd version, naturally.

paired with the mini-Madeleine bloomers, nor of Chris's ranch bed pocket from Simple Sewing (now with more pockets than ever!); aside from those omissions, I think I got photos of all the handmade items. Better than all of that, I only used fabric in my stash as part of the big fabric destashing effort. Huzzah!

Totally Premature Rejoicing!

Yes! I finished one Christmas gift already and I'm almost through another one. To make sure I took care of the most important things first, I made a gift for a very demanding recipient who would surely give me hell if I did not give them something wonderful and amazing for Christmas.

I played a dangerous game, placing a skirt so close to Olive's back end...quite a gamble.

Yes, I made a skirt for lil' nine-year old Stella, who doesn't seem to really know when I gave her something and when I ducked out of a gift-giving situation and just showed up for cake. Anyhow, I figured it was safe to post this because Stella doesn't seem to do much on the internet, and even if she did, she'd probably forget about her gift before Christmas.

This skirt was based off the tutorial on Sew Delicious for a little version of a skirt seen on Peggy from "Mad Men", which should also apply to making grown-up sized skirts if you're so inclined. The denim is from an old pair of jeans that I wore through (finally, something to do with those other than denim-bottomed bags!), and the fabric is something that Eschy bought a couple of years back at Bolt for me to use on an Anna Tunic for her. The buttons...

The buttons are from the Ephemeral Mailbox Museum from a time before I really knew how to buy notions. They're adorable and and I love them, but since I'm not as whimsical with my clothing as I originally thought, I've had a hell of a time figuring out how to use glittered cupcake buttons. Don't even get me started on how I'm supposed to use the glittered scissor buttons in the same fashion...

So, not a bad start to the season, right? Right. Hopefully I don't go on a sewing strike until December 15th just to bring myself to the appropriate stress level. I hate my subconscious balancing acts.

Bad weather coming your way

I finally fulfilled my dream of being a tornado for Halloween! One pack of assorted farm animals from Rite-Aid (~$6) and your existing set of black clothes and you've got yourself a gift-card winning costume! Farm animals, Chris's miniature train tracks and trees, and some of my bike pins were among the items to get swept up in the dervish known as Victoria on Halloween-Monday. Things to know if you ever make your own tornado costume: a skirt is probably a better idea because the debris on my legs kept getting tangled, and make the strings on your legs shorter so they can't get tangled! I lost some of the items just walking around the office, so don't be super attached to any of your debris. Oh, and be ready to spin ALL DAY LONG. Still dizzy.

Here it is in action:

In other news, I made Jenn a black and white houndstooth-type dress in this pattern this past month, fulfilling my new year's resolution, and a fabric destash as well.

Compliments: Butterick.McCall.com

I used the black version with the bows as the selected model. I made a huge mistake in not taking her picture when she tried it on at my house, as the louse refused to send me any pictures from the party she wore it to. I'll get her yet. For the record, the pattern calls for interfacing on the bows, but that made them waaaay too stiff and I had to hand-tack them to the dress so they wouldn't poke people's eyes out. I would not do the interfacing on the bows again. Her friend Sara had the same dress made for her in blue taffeta (Mad Men party, if you're wondering), minus the bows. Tres chic! At the very worst, I'll be able to report on my version, which is a brown/gold linen blend with a red lace overlay, no bows. I need to hem that beast and document it! I kind of want to wear it to the bazaar on Saturday, so I better get moving. Unfortunately, I'm getting sick as we speak. dangs.

September Blues

September passed with a whisper. The entire month was lost to me, a transition month that failed to take me from summer to fall. September (and summer?) are gone now, and I don't feel that I have much to show for it aside from a lot of work-related stress. Though I feel like I fell back on my destashing project, I did manage some sewing in there: I made a long-overdue tote bag for Jenn, finished Merril's bloomers from the KDVS fundraiser, tackled a thrift store project, and thoroughly muffed up a Burda-style shirt (still trying to figure that one out). Since you saw a slew of bloomers earlier this year, and Jenn's tote was a duplicate of the gift exchange tote (though her version is lined and has pockets inside!), I'll show you two other projects I have pictures of, one of them a long time coming. And they're both blue!

Of course I could teach you macrame!

I got this dress at the thrift store for a dollar. It had some unsightly stains hip-level and the length was...questionable. It had a post-prairie missionary feel to me, but check out that border print! It definitely called for the skirt to be removed, shortened, and reattached.

Success!

Back in June, I complained heartily about making Michelle's maid-of-honor dress for Clara's wedding because the netting was such a nightmare. I sewed until my fingers bled--not exaggerating, I had to wear gloves and bandaids to keep from staining my powdery blue tormentor. But it turned out really well! (and I should hope so after the muslins and fittings and general anxiety) Here are some shots from a different wedding earlier tonight...

What is Michelle's exclamation lately? You know, it is shouted at parties, texted...hrm.

This was my second round using horsehair braid on the hem. It is still wiley and less-than-cooperative, but the effect is lovely and I *think* my technique is getting better. (it gives the bottom of the skirt that rolling body)

I was reminded tonight that the original inspiration for this dress was a lacey Erdem number, which tells me that I need to look at more fashion magazines/websites so I can strive to replicate (and re-interpret) notable things. I need to constantly remind myself of that.

Extreme close-up!

And that Burda style shirt...shis. What happened there? Well, first of all there were some ill-placed buttonholes, and the fabric might be less than ideal for the pattern (left over blue fabric from this dress)...you know what, I'm going to try to fix it. I'll let you know in a month or so if that worked out. Technically, it was my September clothing item to fulfill my resolution, but it needs more work if I'm going to ever wear it without a self-loathing grimace. Like I said, I'll get back to you on that.

Happy October!

Rainbow Collection: Blue Beignet Skirt

Whee! I finally finished Rainbow Collection: Blue! (It also counts as my "August" item of clothing) We'll say that it is finished, though it is missing belt loops. I really wanted to be able to wear it for my Wednesday meetings on the 24th (after failing to meet my "wear the skirt to my meetings on the 15th. No? How about the 17th. No? How about the 23rd. No?" goals), so I set those scraps aside and called it a cake. Maybe I'll stitch them on later today if I'm not at the river.

Lunch break! Very bright! (Chris was right) 

This fabric was purchased as remnant fabric from Britex last November. Even back then I was planning to use it for this skirt pattern or something similar. There was less than a yard of the linen, so there weren't too many other options. Finally, I would have a high-waisted skirt that was meant to be high-waisted instead of a skirt that crept up until you were forced to call it high-wasted. I've got too many of those...

No real comments on the Colette Beignet. It worked out pretty well, even installing the lining (which was snaky and sneaky and slipping all over the place). The skirt seems to have some stubborn stiffness along the button placket, but that is probably because I used too-stiff of an interfacing. The coolest part about the skirt is the button selection. Check it out!

I ordered these from LiDDesigns after becoming thoroughly disappointed with the selection of U.S. shippable buttons. The products from Thailand and Korea were interesting, but how long does it take for something to ship from those parts of Asia? I have enough delays without factoring long shipping times in! Anyhow, the buttons are perfect for the skirt and make sewing a worthwhile endeavor. Has anyone else had a hell of a time finding notions that complement your awesome creations?

This statue is right by my work in an art-walk corridor. Judging by the girth of her hips, I bet this statue has to make her own clothes, too.

The skirt will be great in the winter because it is surprisingly warm (unwelcome August discovery). Next on the list, I'm going to work on a "purple" challenge. I just dug out all of my purple fabric and found that a) I don't have much yardage of purple fabric, in spite of it being "my" color, and b) most of the fabric I do have is leftover satin from wedding projects. Someone should shoot me. 

Project delay and other news

Work has been exhaustingly busy and I haven't had much time for recreational activities, so I've been working on "Project Rainbow Collection: Blue" off and on since the start of August.  I finally got to a good point on the project (only buttonholes and buttons remain!), when I became 95% sure that I made it a size too small. So, let's delay that drama, shall we? Here are some other cool things that have been going on.

 My street got bike lanes last Thursday! The City just came out and striped over the course of two days, no re-design necessary because our street was rather wide from the get-go.

 You can still see the shiny reflector stuff all over the street. If anyone is heading to Burning Man, you should come roll on our bike lanes first!

Uncle Mark (Chris's side) brought us some dates back from UAE. They are much sweeter and stickier than the Medjool dates we're used to over here. They are wonderful!

 Forty-five silver bullets lurk in the shadow of our fridge. "Aw," you may say, "that's not that many!"...

 ...except that there are twenty more in the fridge. Thank you, rafting!

 I got these bundles of fabric at the Verge Arts Center Jumble Sale two weeks back for about $3. I washed five of the bundles yesterday all is well. The red and white bundle has some print errors on it (smudgey and confused like a sugar-hyped kindergartener finger-painting), but the others have decent yardage and are in good shape!

And let us mourn the loss of Buttons. Buttons died a violent truck-door death yesterday at 7PM. Buttons, you were a good iTouch and I really enjoyed my time with you. I'm so glad that I won you in that workplace raffle and that we had fun together. I'll miss you.

Rainbow Collection: Orange Paisley Sorbetto Tank

This project is the summer top I was deliberating over after I completed Rainbow Collection: Yellow Playsuit. The fabric is a light and airy partial synthetic that I picked up at a garage sale--judging by the pleats and wide hem this remnant came with, I would say that it had a previous life as someone's curtains. I'm a sucker for reusing and paisley (and curtains!), so the whole scene was perfect! Which is why this top kills me...

You can't tell, but this log I'm balancing on is elevated off the ground Dirty Dancing style. Except for it isn't over any water.

They say the measurements don't lie. Or do they? I think my measurements lie much more convincingly than I'm ever able to. They don't start smiling and giggling, nor does their voice raise several octaves. My measurements say size 12 on sewing patterns, yet this top was cut to be a size 10 and still appears to be blousy-weird. It isn't so bad that I have to give the top away to someone, but it is just enough to irritate me slightly. My sizing expectations are based on Mena's experience with this pattern, and her stuff always seems to fit perfectly. Dag.

The basic form of the Sorbetto top.

I had entertained the idea of beading this top...some small gold beads to outline random paisley squiggles, but I opted against it. I decided that beading--though crazy fun like Nic Cage--would have weighed it down and possibly looked out of place on such a beach-sunset tank. I still have future plans for this pattern and lace, though...

Branches in my hair! Hair in my branches!

The next time I make the Sorbetto, I'll size it down a notch then maybe add some sleeves? Little tulip sleeves? I won't be happy until I have a top that get's caught on my load-bearing shoulders! Oh, and these pictures were taken (at dusk, because I procrastinate) in Pinecrest last weekend. Why am I not still there? I should be swimming!

Up next, I think it is finally time to make a skirt. I tell ya, I've been looking like a dog-catcher at work, time to add some work-appropriate items to the closet!

Black, Red, and Tan Party Dress!

This party dress has been two years in the making! Not two active years, but two years filled with longing looks (you know, the sort that you gave that sandwich earlier today) and exaggerated sighs. "Oh imagined dress...when will we be together?" The answer the fabric always provided was, "Shut up and start sewing already!" I took this abuse from a (beautiful and charming) piece of fabric for TWO YEARS. I had put the fabric on a pedestal and I suffered mightily.

I'm just stoked to be here!

What makes this fabric (from Preet, natch) so awesome and worthy of two years of reverence would be that festive, vibrant border of not just flowers, but also scallops! Because this seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a hemmed skirt and a mess of appliqué completed without me lifting a finger, I was holding off on using the fabric, not wanting to spoil it with my normal mishmash of mis-sizing, wobbly seams, and hard cider.

So, flashback a month to mid-June. I'd been working my fingers past that first somewhat-unnecessary layer of skin to complete Michelle's dress (a future post, I promise!) in time for Clara and Brendan's wedding. It was the day before Chris and I flew out to St. Louis and I had no idea what to wear for the wedding. I bargained with myself. "You did such a good job on Michelle's dress, you DESERVE to go by something new!" I fully intended to hit up Sugar Shack with a purpose after work on Thursday evening. Then I ended up working until 7 and the store closed before I got my shop on. Sugar Shack waits for no man.

I wandered about the house, a puddle of despair seeping from one room to the next, wailing, "What am I going to wear!?" Chris, crazed man that he is, suggested, "Why don't you make something?" Because we both know that I am so skilled at whipping out perfectly-sized dresses in short amounts of time. In fact, as soon as the words escaped Chris's mouth, he looked like he had struck an infant: "what have I done?" However, I was just despondent enough to go for it!

I flipped through a mess of Burda Styles trying to find something that would work for the wedding and dug up dress pattern 108 from the March Issue. It was conveniently included in a wedding spread, in case anyone was having trouble figuring where you would wear a bubble skirt. Weddings and proms, folks!

They're bubble skirts...for a party!

Though I'm a closet fan of bubble skirts, this dress would have no such party at the knees; it would have a gathered poufy skirt starting somewhere near where most people have a waist. It would make the most of those pretty flowers and delicate scallops! Then stuff happened. 

First off, they didn't have my size listed--the highest size they did have for this dress came within centimeters of my measurements, so I figured it would work out well enough. I traced the pattern from the magazine and cut out the skirt, then sewed up the side seams to form a large rectangle with an open top and bottom. I then readied the fabric (not much left at that point) to cut out the the bodice pieces. I cut them. Then I remembered that Burda Style does factor seam allowances into their patterns. I can't type what I said. 

Hair in motion, dress in motion!

I didn't have enough fabric to cut out new bodice pieces, so I had to force the cut pieces to work in spite of their torso-hatin' ways. That is why the lines of the dress bodice don't look a whole lot like the lines on the pattern sketch above--the V in the back is much deeper and wider, the neckline more boatnecky. Also, the fabric was a heck of a lot more sheer than I ever knew...it needed to be lined and I didn't have anything that would fit that bill. In most lighting, you can see the polka-dot fabric showing through the bodice. However, all of these oddball flaws are quite dear to me and add to its eccentric charm.

Never giving this belt back to Michelle. Never!

Sadly, I don't think this dress is long for this world. I damaged the fabric by ironing it with a too-high heat setting, so there are fractious sections on the brink of deterioration. That was a lesson I would have really preferred to not learn the hard way.

These pictures were taken in front of the Governor's Mansion on 14th and H. Sadly, it is on the list of state parks to be closed by 2012. Fortunately, it is still open for the summer! Someone should go with me! Anyone interested? Or we can go look at our feet in front of the mansion, your call.

Very important shoe discussion

Rainbow Collection: Yellow Playsuit (for Mishunky)

AWESOME! I have now completed my "yellow" requirement. This was kind of a cop-out because my yellow mission was pre-determined--Michelle bought this fabric in early June (along with some other no-strings-attached fabric) and demanded a playsuit. Well, a playsuit she shall have!

Disaffected? Disinterested? Pensive? Furious? Lost?

She demanded a playsuit after I completed the turquoise playsuit from March. The benefit of having made this pattern before is that I had a better handle on the sizing this time. You might notice that it...ya know, fits. We stuck with the Colette Rooibos (wonderful stuff!) and a sturdy yellow linen-like material from JoAnn's. The blue and white contrast fabric is also from JoAnns from some wonderful sale that was going on when we stopped by for notions for her bridesmaid dress. The blue and white contrast fabric is a little on the sheer side (I am forming plans for its next use!) and super soft like a face full of puppy bellies, but without the puppy breath or needle-like teeth. Pile-of-puppy fabric.

Close up of the contrast fabric on the neck.

In other exciting news, I finally used my double needle! It was rather easy, too! That wasn't a surprise, since I had read about how it is a really easy technique to make hems look more decorative; however, I used the double needle because my belief is that two rows of stitching are sturdier than one. Playsuits should be as strong as my will to eat chocolate!

Victory!

Thus, I declare Rainbow Collection: Yellow Playsuit a success! Doesn't she look like a daffodil of a geography teacher?

So much sass for one geography teacher...

Next up, I was planning on making a blue skirt from this linen I've had since last November...then I wore a particularly ugly shirt to work today with my suit. I also happened across this free pattern and though I'm not crazy on the pink there, I imagine many of my sheer fabrics would light up this pattern and make something box-of-crayons-wonderful to fulfill the "top-bits-covered" requirement of suit-wearing. With a slip, naturally--I ain't no sexretary! 

What do you think should come first? Skirt that I've been talking about FOREVER or new summer top?

Romper Quest Meets Rainbow Collection: Red

I'm pretty freakin' stoked about this. I FINALLY made a romper! After roughly six years of wanting one! Yes, this harkens back to that New York trip to an American Apparel store when Bryce tried on an "obscenely cute" romper (emphasis on the "obscene" part of that statement) and I thought to myself, "this is the most critical item of clothing I could ever own".

It's blurry because I'm excited!

As you well know, most female clothing items from American Apparel are more trampy than not, so I searched other places to find that wonder-playsuit of my dreams. Most of them were too short in the torso, or only fit one part of my body (take your pick, top half or bottom half: which will look good?). The rest were ugly as sin and/or made for underage prostitutes.

I found a pattern for shorts in the June Burda Style. The original pattern has side-seam pockets and back pockets, drawstrings to pull the shorts up at the sides (a cute detail that I always fall prey to), and a side zipper instead of a front zipper and button. I scaled it back a bit, so there are no pockets to be found on this romper--midway through construction I decided that I really wanted pockets, but since I never put pockets in I royally messed up the process and ended up ripping them out. Angrily. After that debacle, I decided I didn't even want to mess around sewing back pockets in, though I might try to add them a little bit down the road. Same goes for the side drawstrings.

Instead of putting the reinforced top waistband on the shorts, I threaded one-inch elastic through the waistband. From that point, I took a shot in the dark and cut a large trapezoid (since I'm pear shaped) and sewed to the waistband to cover my top half. From there, I tried it on a couple of times, (re)installed a zipper up the left side a couple of times, and finally found a spot that was close enough to magic for me. I made a casing for 3/4 inch elastic at the top of the romper and stitched everything into place, and ta-da! Romper Quest 2011 fulfilled!

Some serious wackness going on with the back due to the inevitable buckling of the zipper. Also check out my horrible swimsuit lines--those were not there last week.

The"red" fabric for this Rainbow Collection is a piece I got from Stone Mountain and Daughter for my birthday last year. It was on sale and I can't resist a sale...I think you know where this is going. When I bought it I had absolutely no idea what I would use it for, which is why I still have it a year and a half later. Ideally, the fabric would be a little heavier and I need to find the perfect belt to go with the romper. Next time, I suppose. Speaking of which, I think I should make a sleeved romper before the summer is up! Will I have time?

Who's that happy boxy girl?!

What do you guys thinks would work best for a belt? A sash style in a matching fabric, something in a contrasting fabric, leather, fresh mint? Let me know!

The First Step Towards a New Project is Admitting You Have a Problem: Project Rainbow Collection

And boy, do I have a problem. Behold! My sewing area!

Please disregard Susan--she hates having her picture taken.

It's appalling, isn't it? It's like a six-year old quilter threw a tantrum. It is even worse when you peak behind the built-in counters.

Not-so-nice stacks.

Oh, the shame! And the June Burda Style bizarro photo shoot with the sexy family.

So, this amazing mess is what I refer to as "my stash". This massive stash is full of yards of fabric pieces and sizable remnants I've acquired since I started sewing three and a half years ago, and it has a lot of stunning designs and vibrant colors. Yet I still buy more fabric! Whenever I get the chance!

With this awesome stash (and my roaring, angry budget) in mind, I decided it was time to do SOMETHING about it. Enter Project Rainbow Collection!

The rules are fast and loose. I have to use fabric from my stash to check off every broad color category: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. I'll probably throw in black/grey and brown, though they aren't really in the rainbow that you picture gracing mountains and lakes. That's it, so I guess there is really only one rule. I'm not making myself go in color order because that is a surefire way to make sure I don't sew for a month or two, but I am going to focus on wearable items because lady likes new clothes! 

Another confession: I conceived of this idea a week or two ago, so I already made the red item. It's actually kind of a coral shade, but it is filed with the reds and pinks in the fabric library. Yeah! Good start!

Thanks, Kermit.

Time to break the silence

If you were wondering, I DID finish Michelle's dress in time for Clara and Brendan's wedding. Those of you who were at the wedding know that, since Michelle was clothed. What is somewhat more impressive is that I also made a dress for myself the night before I flew out. One night=one dress, but since when? Mine was black with red and tan flowers, and there were some...difficulties involved, but both of the dresses turned out really well.
Now, how do I say this...I didn't get pictures of either dress. Yeah, I totally dropped the ball on that one. Not only that, but all of the facebookers also dropped the ball as well, so I can't find a good picture of Michelle's dress anywhere online. Now I need to handwash both her dress and my dress so we can have a proper photoshoot. This photo is the best I can scavenge from online; it was taken around 2:30am at Caleco's.

See that sleeve? That sleeve is the root of one thousand curses!

Anyhow, let me bring you into my brain for this one. The mental picture I have of this blue dress is Michelle standing in front of the assembled wedding guests, a couple of steps behind Mikey. The hair has some more lift at that time in the night (can you imagine?) and the lighting was not so...brackish and neon. It is a very pretty picture, it is a shame that I don't sketch. Or use my camera.

The Alphabet According to West Sac

*snicker

Today's bike ride from Davis to Sac was brought to you by the letter "C".