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Representative Sample of Evidence

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  Note to my usual readers: This blog post arises from a controversy in my neighborhood.  I am using my personal blog to publish this information until I can arrange an email blast to the residents.   The list below is a representative sample of the instances of malfeasance and misconduct of Board President Weiler and Director Hartman during their tenure from 2017 to the present.  This evidence, as well as many other examples which we have documented and will release later, is the basis of the charges which underlie the petition to recall the two Directors and will be presented at the special meeting in January.  The petition to recall has 90 signatures as of 4/21/2022.   This list of evidence includes instances of decisions which have moved La Cholla Hills HOA far from its Mission Statement and includes breaches of trust, exceeding authority, breaking the law, restricting communication, too little honesty, and finally, too little respect and cooperation for all of the membership of L

COLOR CAPSULES - Pink, Coral, Cream, and Olive meets Blue, White, Maroon, and Gray

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                                                                 Color inspiration Last year I made a capsule wardrobe based on the cool colors of blue, white, and gray with some accent pieces in maroon .  I love most of the clothes but wanted to break away a bit from the icy feel of the snowy colors (maroon notwithstanding).  Here is my working plan from that capsule-you can see that not every square is filled/done.  I plan to merge this with a new capsule. I went on an Itch to Stitch pattern binge recently and auditioned a few new to me patterns.  Here is a cardigan from Itch to Stitch, in PINK , and a great bridge to the new capsule.  It will go well with the gray pants, white linen shorts, over the floral shell, and over the ivory shell.  I really enjoyed making the cardigan and love the color.  It surprised me that it worked as it looked like a wholelotta pink before construction.     😂 So, now I had some pink happening in my wardrobe and started to look for other places to use

Patterns and body image

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 Hi all,  I have been busy with pattern work, sewing, some art, and as usual, riding my BFF horse Nick.   This is an older photo of a hill (mountain?) climb in Catalina State Park and Nick made it...barely.  I am providing some motivation if you look closely at my right hand.  Nick and I are a bit older now but still ride out in the mountains of Arizona as often as we can.  He loves the trail.  For the last few months, I have been working to alter and modify some patterns to use in my wardrobe.  I need shorts, pants, and nice blouses.  I have some TNT pants which are a bit artsy and I'd like a more fitted silhouette sometimes.  Shorts are a staple year round for me as I wear them for exercise, walking the dog, doing barn chores, and going out for lunch.  Here are a few patterns I have been altering: "Charlie" by Fabrics-Store.com.  I love this pattern and am working on alterations for a petite wearer.  So far, I have retained the hem cuff, pockets, and maybe will keep the

Looking Beyond the Big 4 Part 2

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Along with the pattern companies listed in the last post, a few more were mentioned in the

Looking beyond the Big 4

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When the BMV (Butterick, McCall's, Vogue) business was acquired by Design Group, I was not concerned about access to patterns.  Having the website redesigned to include all of Design Group's paper products was a drag, as well as the new name-Something Delightful.  Oh lord. But I have paid attention to the offerings with each line and I think the quality of design and detail is really lacking.  Some patterns are recycled from previous years (which has happened before, admittedly), and many of the new patterns are lackluster.   With that in mind, I have made a strong effort to sort my patterns and look for new patterns from indy companies.  I also have been picking up OOP patterns from the Big 4 because I have a fear that Design Group will not support up and coming designers.   Here is a quick and incomplete breakdown of my indy stash:    Itch to Stitch (10)  Style Arc (9)  Cutting Line (6)  Sewing Workshop (6)  Christine Jonson (4)  Grainline (4)  Peppermint magazine (3)  Love N

Pandemic purchases

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I don't know about you but I am burning through my discretionary cash each month.  When we began our lockdown in ?March, I was motivated to clear out any patterns or fabrics which did not spark enthusiasm.  Check, done.  I do not know how this happened but I now have MORE patterns than when I started this organizational whirlwind.   My pattern limit is around 150 though I have had more and had less over the years.  150 is enough to find a style or detail I love and allows for having some patterns just for the pleasure of it. I cleared out quite a few and was oh, maybe at 130 during early summer.  Now I have 159. This does not include all the PDFs which have not been updated into my electronic file system.  Nor does it include the men's and children's patterns, or the quilt patterns, or the home dec patterns which are on Word files.  159 patterns for clothing for me.   KS 3115 is the oldest pattern in my stash at this time.  So many of us have made those yoga pants.  I will

Titles for 2020

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Last month I hit bottom in my attempts to stay current with the news, and maintain my sanity.   I was reeling and unable to find interest in fiction which did not have some "bite" to it. I picked up The Stand and read it again-first read in maybe my 20s???  King is fun, interesting, and always gruesome.  The long version was pretty repetitive, but it is possible to speed read parts of it and not really lose the thread.   Since last month, I have regained my humor and hope, so look for posts to be featuring art, fiction, and craft as we move toward Nov. 3rd.  I have read some wonderful novels, and am currently listening to "Boone's Lick" by Larry McMurtry, who wrote Lonesome Dove.   In sewing news, I have some beautiful patterns to show you and some nice garments from those patterns.  I have been working with  Japanese sewing books with great success.  I love the aesthetic in Basic Black by Sato Watanabe.   Thank you to those readers who reached out to me.  I am