New Red Blouse and Sturdy Pfaffs

Well I finished sewing my first blouse ever yesterday! The pattern is New Look 6598 (Simplicity). I thought this would make a nice work top if it came out well and I think it did. I like the collar styling very much (simple) and I like that it's fitted. When I sew this pattern again, I'll probably curve the hem bottom instead of using the notch (more flattering for fuller hips, I believe) and I'm going to double-check the top and underside pieces used to form the collar as I believe they're not the same length (left to right) when cut as is. I may also try not using interfacing as it tends to make the collar a little too stiff for my liking. You can read other reviews of the same pattern at Pattern Review but you need to create an online account (free) in order to actually read or write your own reviews.

To sew the blouse, I chose a batik fabric available from Hancock Fabrics. I may try the blouse again with a different batik as I like the bright colors.

This was also one of my early attempts at using a serger / overlock as part of my sewing arsenal. Last year, I purchased a Pfaff 4762 hobbylock on eBay. After getting it tuned up, I used it tentatively on a jacket (which is not yet finished) and a dress for my daughter. After getting over the initial trepidation at using such a seemingly intimidating machine, I found it to be most excellent for seam finishing! (Duh) I don't use any other stitch than the 4 thread overlock, but that's good enough for now. I waited a long time before making the investment in a serger / overlock but am very glad that I did finally do it.


My workhorse sewing machine is an ancient Pfaff Hobbymatic 919-1 ("Stretch and Jeans" as they call it). I purchased it used from Sew-Vac of Boulder at least 10 years ago and have really enjoyed it ever since. It's an old-school mechanical machine but it runs like butter! Having grown up with my mother's Singer (which badly needed a tune up), this Pfaff was like a breath of fresh air.


By the way, I learned how to sew while I was in elementary school (probably 5th or 6th grade). My friend Judy McKenzie's mom taught a small group of girls how to sew and how to follow a pattern. Those skills learned early on gave me confidence to continue sewing from then on. Thank you Mrs. McKenzie!

Randy Pausch

Now if you want to learn about how to live well, watch Randy Pausch's lectures from Carnegie Mellon and the University of Virgina (both the Last Lecture and the lecture about Time Management). You can find these lectures here. Then watch his Carnegie Mellon graduation address (look for his May 18th, 2008 entry here. May we all find someone whose happiness we value more than our own.

Wake Up Call!

Boy did I get a wake up call today! I recently joined the local 24 Hour Fitness center and signed up for my free Fitness Orientation. Besides getting some advice on what sorts of exercises I could or should do, I had my percentage body fat measured. Now mind you I've been exercising regularly since my early 20s - high impact aerobics (remember that?), running, and some resistance training in my 20s and early 30s turned into swimming during my pregnancies. I used a Nordic Track skiing machine for several years after the birth of my kids and then switched to cycling on a stationary bike and on dirt roads. A short move to Arizona disrupted my exercising routine, though I did try to ride my bike outdoors regularly. After returning to Colorado, I switched to swimming and using an elliptical trainer 3-4 times a week to keep up on the cardio fitness. And mind you, I'd never call myself heavy. I weigh about 123 lbs (albeit the heaviest I've ever been) and I'm 5'2". So get this - my body fat percentage was measured at 33%! That puts me in the category of "over-fat" or "obese"!

Given that this is true - I am shocked! My BMI is something like 22.5 which is considered normal / healthy. Is this even possible that someone who is cardio-fit with a normal BMI can be considered "obese"? After doing some research on the web, I found that this, in fact, can be the case and some believe that body fat measures are more relevant than BMI. Still not believing the "calipers" number, I following the instructions at Health Central and came up with 26% body fat. Next, I tried a Body Fat scale ( Taylor Body Fat Body Water Scale) purchased from Target and it came up with 27.1% body fat, 53% water, 37.5% muscle mass and a BMI of 22.5. So now if I look up 27% body fat, it's in the acceptable range, but could certainly use some improvement!

Even with these new numbers, I am still somewhat surprised that after an entire year of exercise those numbers aren't better. Clearly I'll need to modify the routine. And now that I have a Body Fat scale, I can keep track of my progress. Woo hoo!