When I start with a new pattern it takes me a little while to get going because I split everything into different days (kind of like Sarai). One day I trace the pattern, one day I cut the fabric, and the next day I am free to sew! On Monday night I began tracing the pattern and learned some new things. Specifically, wax paper and parchment paper are completely different.

 Some of you are probably thinking, "duh, Erin," but I had no idea how different they were until I compared them side by side. Don't mind my second grade handwriting in the photo above. When I am lazy I try and write upside down haha.

The wax paper is definitely easier to see through, but much harder to write on. The parchment paper works as actual paper, as far as writing is concerned. I think I will use parchment in the future.

I also got to use this tracing wheel for the first time! My grandma gave it to me a while back, but I forgot all about it until a few days ago. To use it I put the parchment tracing paper on top of the pattern and traced along the pattern edges. The tracing wheel made tiny little holes in the parchment paper, so it was clear where I needed to cut with scissors afterwards.

This tracing wheel originally belonged to my great grandma. I have never met her and it just blows my mind that I am using her sewing tool. It's so weird to think that she was born in the late 1800s/early 1900s and now in 2012 I am using her tracing wheel. I don't think the wheel is from the 1800s, but it's just weird to think how far apart in age we are.

An Instagram sneak peek of my pocket! Sorry that all of the photos in this post are iPhone pictures :( Once I am in the tracing/cutting/sewing zone it can be hard to get up and grab an actual camera. You guys know how it is ;)

Last night I started sewing my wearable muslin and it's coming together really quickly. If some of you are on the fence about sewing along, it's not too late to join Sew Colette by any means! There is still plenty of time!

How are your muslins coming together? Any problems with fit? Sarah has written up some great posts on fitting: Calculating ease for a full or small bust adjustment, making full or small bust adjustments, bust dart adjustments, pivot adjustments and adjusting the bodice length.

On Saturday morning I was on page 40 of the book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. By mid afternoon I had read the 300 pages and finished the entire book. It was such an amazing read. I loved hearing about the different cultures (Chinese and Japanese), time period (Seattle during WWII), and of course the love story between the two main characters.

This weeks photo doesn't come from Old Hollywood, it comes from my family! My grandma is the little girl, second from the right. She was born in 1919 and raised in southern California on a farm. The little baby is her brother, who I call Uncle Moss. They are still very close to this day and are the last surviving people from this photo.