I’ve had a crazy week!  My friend who was moving has been farewell partied, packed, and is now in  Washington DC.  Another friend got married this weekend in a beautiful ceremony.  I was involved in the music (and she’s a fellow soprano, so there was a lot of music!)

My in-laws came down for a bit, and we toured Homearama (the new homes showcase.)  This year it was in a crazy development.  It contains houses that are designed to look like the houses in my neighborhood (ie grand victorians) but for twice as much money as one would cost in my neighborhood (and a good 30 minutes from downtown.)  My friend who runs one of the local preservation organizations called it “Historic done by Disney,” and the comparison was apt.  I would never want to live there, but it was curious to see.  And I am certainly glad to see the idea of creating neighborhoods like mine, but I wish they didn’t also have that odd isolationist aspect to them.  I know perfectly well that there are odd and crazy people where I live (along with really rich people) but I like it that way – I would hate to only be around people like me!

I have done zero crafting.  It’s too hot to stay in my sewing room (tomorrow’s temp: 100 degrees, and that’s without the humidity factored in.)  I did take advantage of the sale on knits Fabric.com had last week.  I bought entirely too much knit fabric, but it was so cheap – and it’s all nice quality too!  These are mostly ITY knits or what Fabric.com calls “starlet knit,” which is basically ITY (poly/lycra jersey.)  I find this sort of fabric comfortable in both summer and winter – it’s not like old polyesters!

The purple leopard is a doubleknit, and the green/black swirl print on the bottom row is what they call “silky knit,” and what I call “stretchy woven charmeuse.”  I don’t think it’s like a knit.  I plan to use it to make one of the Vogue patterns I have that call for charmeuse.  I’m happy with all these, but you should be aware that not all the ity knits fabric.com sells are the same weight – some are light and others heavy!

I’ve been trying out different things for my exercise plan.  As my husband said “You don’t do anything halfway, do you?”  Nope.  If I’m going to do something, I’m going to be good at it, darn it!  I’ve taken a few pilates classes, based on your recommendations.  I really love it!  It reminds me of ballet class, and it doesn’t have the spiritual aspect of yoga, which to be honest is not really my thing.   I’ve also tried some workout videos (also from your recs) through my Netflix plan.  I don’t feel nearly as silly doing them as I thought, though we don’t have the largest living room ever (my piano lives in the actual living room, and we use a loft area instead.)  I’ve also been using the elliptical machines at the gym, with a killer workout mix I made on my ipod.  Marc got me a dependent ID, which entitles my to work out at the student center gym, the hospital/medical campus gym, and the faculty/staff gym.  At $60 a year (plus a $45 fee every semester for group classes) it’s very cost effective.  It isn’t fancy or anything, but it’s working so far.  I’m waiting to see how crowed it is during the regular school year (though I mainly use the hospital and off campus gyms anyway… we don’t have a university parking permit, as Marc bikes or rides the bus to work.)

My current dilemma involves workout clothing – it’s expensive, and I’m thinking of making my own.  Does anyone have any patterns/fabric sources to recommend to me?  I’m a total newbie to that sort of clothing!