Progress and Squeals of Glee!

Well, I anounced some major planned changes in November and, incredibly, they are coming to pass. I sold my house in Los Angeles
for $36,000 over asking on April Fools Day, 2014. I'm now living in an apartment temporarily. I can't find anything here but I'm trying to stitch up some merino wool tee-shirts and tights to wear on my cycling tour of the world or wherever I wind up.

Even more surprising to me, I'm now in escrow on a house in Las Vegas, Nevada!
Las Vegas was not a part of the original plan. However, my son, who is somewhat diabled and may never find full employment, lives in Las Vegas with some of his friends, and I'm planning to rent my house to him and one or two of his friends to cover the mortgage. Coming from Los Angeles, the mortgage on a four-bedroom house in Las Vegas is ridiculously tiny. If only the water holds out. Fortunately, my son seldom bathes or washes his clothing.

Meanwhile, although as mentioned before I do have a touring bike, I have ordered a custom-made folding touring bike: a New World Touristfrom Bike Friday in Eugene Oregon. Plus I have acquired a lightweight tent, sleeping pad, panniers, and stove and I have a down sleeping bag I made long, long ago from a Frostline kit. I don't know if the sleeping bag is any good but I guess I'll find out. I sewed it over 35 years ago and I recall that I screwed up the foot somehow so the feet are warmer but closer to the head than the pattern called for. My feet are also closer to my head than the pattern calls for so I don't remember that ever being a problem.

So I have one more class to teach, one more commencement to attend, one more batch of exams (and 18 papers) to grade and then I'm pretty much retired. My bike is due to be delivered on May 30 which, coincidentally, is when I close on my house in Las Vegas. My plan is to move my sewing stuff and my excess baggage to Las Vegas in early June, hang around Los Angeles trying to look useful until my paychecks run out at the end of July, then head for the UK and France. I'll pedal my--err, myself around the UK and France until October 25 when I am registered for PARIS TILTON!!! I suspect the description at Marcy Tilton's website:

7 Magical, Inspiring
and Artful days
in Paris
with Marcy and Katherine Tilton

does not do it justice.

I am very excited.

Meanwhile, I made a couple of Tilton-inspired tee shirts. Here's one:

I actually made a T with some of the same fabric from the Tiltons' Ultimate T Shirt Craftsy class, but this isn't it. This is Vogue 1291.