2018 Summer Sew-A-Long Chatter

[peggyjo]

I love your badge, Treefrog!!!   

[LyndaG]

Hi Mudcat, Our goal is to do Alaska next August, we are in New Zealand.  The idea is to do the Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf and then a cruise. We have never done a cruise before so not certain with what to go with.  Would love to hear your experience on a smaller boat.  The really big ones don't really appeal.  Also in January we are off to Adelaide, south Australia where my husband comes from for a friends 70th, really hot then.  We will be staying at a Peacock Farm at Willunga near McLaren Vale, beautiful wine area of South Australia,  so I have to start sorting out a wardrobe for then, our summer in Auckland and Canada in August.  What a year it will be.  Lynda

[LyndaG]

Treefog, don't worry we call Swimsuits "togs" as well in New Zealand.  Also Jandals are thongs as well. haha, the difference in the meanings of words. 

[Lisa]

Hi Mudcat, Our goal is to do Alaska next August, we are in New Zealand.  The idea is to do the Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf and then a cruise. We have never done a cruise before so not certain with what to go with.  Would love to hear your experience on a smaller boat.  The really big ones don't really appeal.  Also in January we are off to Adelaide, south Australia where my husband comes from for a friends 70th, really hot then.  We will be staying at a Peacock Farm at Willunga near McLaren Vale, beautiful wine area of South Australia,  so I have to start sorting out a wardrobe for then, our summer in Auckland and Canada in August.  What a year it will be.  Lynda

If you're planning Alaska, look into the Denali Backcountry Lodge (which I understand is actually in Denali). 

Many cruise ships that have shore excursions to Denali just take you to a turn-around that will allow you to see the mountain if it's "out" (it's most often cloud shrouded...), then turn around and go back to the ship.  People who do that never even get to the national park entrance, and never get to see most of what's there.  Not sure if there's still an option to take a train to the lodge in the park.  I'll look forward to hearing what you plan (when your plans are firmed up, of course).

But you definitely want to go into the park itself. 

Sounds like you have a lot of wonderful trips this next year!

Lisa

[LyndaG]

HI Lisa, Thanks for your reply.  Really looking forward to the planning, trying to fit it in around work and family.  Denali Park looks great.  Many years ago we went to Tyax Mountain Resort in Canada out from Lilloet which is up passed Whistler.  6 hour train trip from Vancouver, 2 1/2 hours by road.  It is a log lodge on the side of a lake.  Beautiful.  What a wonderful time we had so we are looking forward to this.  Will most probably start with the Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf, go further than we did before.  A little story if you are interested.  While at Tyax our son had his 11th birthday.  The chef made him a birthday cake.  We shared it with the few people in the restaurant, was October so not many.  One gentleman was from a town about 30 mins away.  I gave him a piece of the cake and he went out to his van and came back with 2 wooden footstools for us as a present.  That was nearly 20 years ago.  We brought them back to New Zealand in an Ice Hockey bag (he played back then) and we still have them.  It was an amazing present.  Not the best quality but the thought was wonderful.  Many wonderful memories.  Now it is time to have some new memories.  I haven't a clue really where to start regarding a wardrobe but I am sure that with so many ideas floating around I should be able to come up with something.  Not certain what I would wear in the evening on an Alaskan cruise though - diamonds and lace (haha) or something just a little bit more subtle.  With regards to Adelaide which will be really hot and Canada at least they will be summer.  Have to hit the gym, my son Cameron, now 30 has opened his own gym.  If you are on Facebook it is called Antics Gymnasium so I am working out their a couple of times a week.  Actually there is another lady with me and she has named us the Senior Swans.  Actually another name I think for a couple of old ducks. LOL  I am 69 years and she is 64.  Have to keep fit.  Will definitely investigate Denali some more.  Cheers Lynda

[bessiecrocker]

If you're planning Alaska, look into the Denali Backcountry Lodge (which I understand is actually in Denali). 

Denali Backcountry Lodge is in Kantishna, officially not in the Park itself, which is the reason the lodge exists. It is very remote...but well worth the trip to get there. As far as I know, the only way to access the lodge is by 1.small private bush plane, 2. hike in 3. take the free tourist/ Natl. Park bus through the entire park 4. use the hotel's bus, they will pick you up at the station or main entrance of Park. The road into the lodge is pretty amazing. Most visitors to the park never get past the visitor's center.

Be sure you want to stay (in some degree of luxury) in the wilderness. But, if you do, it's a fantastic experience.
http://www.alaska.org/advice/denali-lodging-kantishna-or-denali-park-entrance

[sewsy]

Lynda, my surprise birthday/Christmas Alaskan cruise from DD2 was totally different from what you're planning, but I will tell you that it was an absolute blast! The only thing I can offer is that (at least my experience) there are many different kinds of restaurants onboard the ship from casual to fine dining, so my advice would be to have at least one "dressier" type of outfit so that you can do both.

Of course, you don't necessarily need to have diamonds and pearls in order to avail yourself of the different kinds of restaurants, just saying that they are there, if that's what you'd prefer.

I hope that you have a wonderful time in AK! I know I did.

[treefrog]

The Alaskan cruises sound wonderful.  I would love to see Denali NP and spend a decent amount of time there to explore the park.

Treefog, don't worry we call Swimsuits "togs" as well in New Zealand.  Also Jandals are thongs as well. haha, the difference in the meanings of words. 

Great.  I love the sound of Jandals!  I'm always a bit careful about talking about thongs in case confused with the non-footwear type of thong; and flip-flops just sound like I'm talking about politicians :-)



How are the sewing plans coming along?  Any finished projects?

I've almost finished the hiking shirt.  I stitched it up last weekend but have only just made it into town to get some buttons.  Hopefully I'll have it finished tonight

[VWG]

Thank you for starting this thread and everyone with their contributions. I read through the comments (and the NYT links! All sorts of travel doodads to tempt me. Double thank you!).

I'm planning a 20 day trip back to NZ for a high school reunion from when I was an AFS exchange student in 1973 in October. Dunedin is always so cold that I'm planning on sewing power stretch pro pants (Treefrog--I like designing and sewing the mountaineering textiles, too! Cargo pockets at hand level a favorite!)

But the same problem of SWAP emerges in travel planning...I inevitable go complex when the schema needs to stay simple. I'm resisting black, but darn, it's so easy to default to that as a neutral.

My sister made an interesting remark to me about how all garments need to be worn two ways, as in the cardigan turns into the bathrobe, the leggings could go under a skirt for more warmth or as long underwear under pants. Examining the combination of what's packed as layers in relation to each other makes me think of getting all the SWAP necklines to play well with each other.

Now the puzzle comes back to what's over, what's under and do the proportions look right?

Like I said, I always go to complex...

[CCL]

Oops, sorry Bookish, I probably should have posted my response to your camping travel collection here, instead of your thread. 

[sharonspils]

This is a wonderful idea, thank you for starting the Thread.

We have just booked a 15 day Cruise - Alaska, British Columbia & Haida Gwaii departing on 24 August 2019. This is our first cruise and it is on the National Geographic Sea Lion with 65 passengers so I am not expecting to get dressed for dinner.

At this stage I haven't even looked at temperature ranges but know I will need to layer.

We then plan to hire a car to drive to Calgary and catch up with a friend a Revelstoke and then fly to Boston I think as I am planning on attending Amy Herzog's Make Wear Love Retreat in Maine.