Phyl’s rule: if you’re within 500 miles, you must tour the Biltmore Estate.


The view from the veranda:

Because it was hot and humid, a little ice cream seemed like a very good idea.

But Phyl had no idea how big a brownie sundae was. A closer look =)

Energized, we were ready for the gardens and greenhouses (one hot, one cool).

Mary and Billy restored this 1930s cottage – it’s the cutest house on the block (in the neighborhood?).
Because Billy is a master woodworker, it’s important to check out details.


Thank you, Mary and Billy, for your hospitality. In the afternoon, we drove to Gatlinburg TN.

We drove to Lexington KY this morning where Mary and husband Billie have a cottage. Mary called this morning and was told the tour would begin at 2:45. The property was gorgeous.


Donnel, from Ireland, was our guide for the next hour. We were the only people on the tour and it was free.


One of four horse barns, each with maybe 8 horse each. Horses are checked every 20 minutes 24/7 to see if everything is ok.

Each stall gets a fresh thick layer of straw each morning.

Each stall has a brass name plate with the horse’s name and his dam and sire.

Stud fees can vary, but one of the most expensive was $85,000 each time, about 200/year – that’s $17 million/year. Donnel will soon travel to South America soon with several stallions for the breeding season.

Each horse gets a special mix of gourmet food.

The most memorable (productive?) stallions are honored by never leaving the farm.

American Pharaoh, this year’s Triple Crown winner, will come to Ashford Stud Farm later this year. Thank you Mary for arranging such a special and memorable tour!

Phyl and I got up early and drove to Mammoth Cave National Park. We decided to take the Domes and Dripstones tour, listed as moderately difficult, 500 stairs. No problem, we thought, since we both regularly walk up to 6 miles/day.

The tour was great and the 54-degree temperature was refreshing while the heat and humidity outside were AWFUL! After the tour, we walked to see the natural entrance to the caves.

The final set of stairs!

We both discovered that walking 6 miles on flat ground did NOT prepare us for all the up and down climbing on the cave tour. Were were painfully sore for the next three days.
Our next stop was Phyl’s cousin Mary’s house in Cecilia.

Mary is a high school librarian in Lexington.

Mary took us on a local tour of the sights including this log cabin where Abraham Lincoln’s father did the inside carpentry in 1805.


We met Mary’s sister Barbara for dinner.

I hung out at the airport for about an hour and waited for Phyllis’ plane to arrive.

We went back to the same hotel where Thais and I stayed thinking we had a room for the night. At least that’s what Thais had booked. However at 3 pm or so, we got a call from the front desk to come down and pay for that night or … leave. We decided to leave, drove to Bowling Green KY, and got a (much less expensive) room for the night. (Thais called the hotel the next day to complain, received profuse apologies, additional reward points and a free night’s stay in the future.)

Success!

At about 1 pm, Thais and I went to the airport. It was time for her to leave. I was staying however.

The workshop was lead by pattern designer Liesl Gibson who is the head designer for Oliver + S and Lisette (in Butterick patterns). Basic instructions for making a paper copy of the pattern bodice piece.

Then, how to make a large bust adjustment.


To make a small bust adjustment, the pieces would be overlapped instead of spread apart. Additional pieces of paper were taped and dart lines redrawn.
The new pattern pieces were used to cut a muslin fabric bodice, darts and seams sewn then a personal fitting by Liesl.

What followed were more adjustments and sometimes starting over to make a different size (that’s what happened to me; the process went much faster the second time).

More sewing.

More fit checks.

We went to dinner at MAFIAoZA’s, then back to work. It was a 12-hour day. In the evening. Anna Maria’s husband, six children, and a couple of friends came to the shop to entertain us. Some played guitar, and everyone sang for a couple of hours. We all kept on sewing and pretty much had to be kicked out at 10 pm.

The reason Thais and I came to Nashville was a weekend garment-fitting workshop at Craft South, recently opened by Anna Maria Horner.
In the sewing world, Anna Maria is rather well-known. She was warm and welcoming. Exciting.

Inside the shop:


Our work stations. The sewing machines were new Janome’s (Japanese for “eye of the snake” – like a needle).

Tonight was mostly orientation for the 15 participants.

We all went to dinner at Urban Grub.

Breakfast at Biscuit Love (also a former food truck): Oh my, fantastic food! The Lily was best: biscuit French toast with lemon/mascarpone, blueberry compote and house syrup.

The Gulch is an area of the city undergoing “urban revitalization” – a dynamic mix of commercial office space, retail space, restaurants/entertainment, and more dense housing units. Lots of great ideas Thais could take back to work.

Lunch at Edley’s.