Two-fer

We went out to lunch and UCLA's Cotsen Institute of Archeology with Mr Protocol.  It was a two-fer in that we heard about the state of Egypt's antiquities and politics from both Dr. Zahi Hawass, former minister of antiquities, and El Husseini Abdelwahab, Consul General of Egypt for the US.

I'm not an expert on Egyptian politics, but there was much to chew on and think about.  It's clear that  Morsi and his muslim brotherhood cronies are terrible for Egypt and most Egyptians.  The path forward out of this mess is not so clear.  But members of Egypt Exploration Organization of Southern California and their guests listened and asked questions.


 Did the press cover it? Nope.  They were too busy covering college football and celebrity twerking.  Sigh.

It was also a two-fer because the Cotsen resides underneath the Fowler Museum of Cultural History and Iris showed me some things she had learned about silversmithing.  It may be a small museum, but we always learn something new each visit.

It's actually two-fer two-fee or two squared because Iris and I both wore tops and skirts made by me.  You may remember my top from 2008 and worn on our trip to Tanzania.  I'm also wearing a navy skirt almost identical to the one I made for my friend's GF.  (I like working in series because it takes only slightly more time to make two rather than one of the same thing.)

Isn't Iris styling?  I make the separates, but she decides how to put them together.  I had envisioned the sage/light olive top with navy, black or dark olive.  She paired it with bright colors to great effect.

On a .hot. and muggy day, she layered the lace-back T over a long purple tank and then tucked them into a cotton/acrylic cable knit skirt lined in polyester.  She does suffer for fashion.

I love the detailing on Annie Modesitt's Affair to Remember skirt.  I've knit this three times, once for me, twice for Iris.

On another day, I snapped this picture of the shirt in an untucked and belted state so you can see the curved back hem.  I can tell she loves it because this shirt gets worn as soon as it gets out of the laundry.

BTW, I used trusty and reliable Kwik Sew 2555 yet again.  This time, I followed their instructions for the picot bands at the sleeve hems and neckline.  I omitted the last step, adding the picot stitching, because I prefer the clean look of the plain bands.  But, the hem came out so even and softly padded that it was a marvel to behold.  I ended up using that finish on the other 7 shirts I made last week.

The Kwik Sew pattern illustrations and photos are not very inspiring or fashion-forward.  But, KS puts their resources into good fit, accurate pattern drafting, and excellent instructions.  They are such a good value because all sizes come in each envelope.  You can reuse patterns over and over, for different people, or as your child grows.  Once you give KS a try, you'll become a fan, too.