October in Asheville: Pretty leaves and sewing

This year's leaf season was short and lasted only about a week.    It wasn't until early last week that the leaves just began to turn.   Most of the trees on the hills at the lower elevations were still green with a little bit of color.   Then the colors changed dramatically within days, and a week later they had all turned.    The higher elevations had 20 degree nights and snow in early October and what's called Rime Ice.    Rime ice is what forms at low temperatures when the clouds and moisture envelope the mountains.     Here's a link to a series of photos of rime Ice taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway just yesterday published in the Asheville Citizen Times.    Rime ice freezes layer upon layer inside tunnels, closing that tunnel at Craggy Gardens, closing the parkway in several places until it melts in late spring.   A ranger told us that the ice becomes so thick it closes up the tunnels to vehicles.  The hole left in the tunnels is barely large enough for a park ranger to crawl through.    Rime ice also coats roads, decks and rails and structures at high elevations.    That's why the old timers never lived up there.    See how the people are dressed in the ACT photos.   Who wants to live hanging off the side of a mountain in the clouds and extreme temperatures?   The fools pay $millions for views and expensive homes but can't even see their decks most of the year because of the clouds and mist, and that's when it isn't raining or snowing.   


Many of the environmentally destructive high mountain developments around here are in foreclosure.    Across the valley from my house,  I can see the trees and vegetation quickly growing back on the north side of that mountain.   Soon they will cover the ugly road cuts that were blasted for the Tiger Woods golf course that I doubt will ever be built.   Unfortunately we still have to look at those ugly billboards that say it's coming soon -  LMAO.


Here in the lower elevations the temperatures are pleasant and the sun is shining as those clouds hang up on the mountains.   On my way to physical therapy Wed,  I took some photos of the leaves changing - low to high elevations, and you can see the clouds hanging over the mountains to the north and along the Tennessee border where the rime ice has already formed.   There are more photos of the pretty trees, leaves and mountains on this Fall 2011 Flickr Set.

Photo of mountains to the north of Asheville from Fairview Road
Wed, October 19

This dogwood has almost dropped all its leaves.
That's a corduroy dress from  OOP Vogue Miayke 1257

 October Sewing

Stella Top from the Sewing Workshop pattern

The Sewing Workshop Stella top

Today I wore the Stella Top that I sewed up yesterday from The Sewing Workshop's latest pattern in this soft sweater knit I bought from SewKeysE's booth at the Atlanta Expo.  The snakey print is a bit wild for me,  but the colors are perfect and I think it works for this style.  I used their fusible knit tape in black to stabilize the entire neckline and shoulder seams.     I sewed a size small with no other alterations except I cut off the 2" sleeve hem and made my sleeves bracelet length.     I also doubled the cowl by cutting it on the fold/crossgrain.  If you're using a knit you don't have to cut on the bias, but here's a photo of what the pattern looks like with the hemline on the bias fold of a woven fabric.   I sewed up the back seam and turned it wrong sides together then stitched it to the neckline as one piece and finished the seams.    This eliminates the cowl hem and I have done this for many inserted cowl necklines like the dress I wore last week made from an OOP Miyake Vogue pattern.    I used my Babylock coverstitch for the hems.    More photos on the Stella & Luna Flickr Set. 

A Cute Angle pattern by Cutting Line Designs


Earlier in the month I sewed up the latest pattern by Louise Cuttings,  that she calls "A Cute Angle".   I sewed two of the tops, one sleeveless with bias facings, and the jacket.       I'm thinking of using the gray pinstripe silk for a Stella Top.      More photos on this A Cute Angle Flickr Set.

Sleeveless ACA top with jacket work in progress

Oh, and here's a link to a fun video of how the French encourage exercise and burning calories -  Enjoy - the French ladies did!